Building automation
Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation
Understand how a building management system controls HVAC, from sensors and point lists to BACnet and commissioning.
Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation is a free, self-paced online course from EDWartens for BMS, HVAC and facility engineers. It has 13 modules and takes about 6.5 hours, with written notes, a practice task per module, a practical project and a final assessment of 15 questions (pass mark 60%). Learning costs nothing and needs only a free account. The optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code, is a one-off US$23.99 for you; it is not a vendor credential. Updated 1 November 2026.
- Free
- Beginner
- 6.5 hours
- Self-paced
- Certificate optional
- Lab practice in your browser
No card, no trial. The course is free for good. Certificate US$23.99, optional.
- Who it is for
- BMS, HVAC and facility engineers
- Jobs
- Roles that use this skill: building automation engineer, BMS technician, facilities engineer and controls integrator. No course guarantees a job.
- Tools
- Python 3 with BAC0 for the BACnet modules (free); any BMS front end is optional. Hardware: none required. A BACnet/IP simulator or a small DDC controller helps with the Python modules.
- Updated
After this course you can
By the end you will be able to:
- Describe a BMS from field devices up to the server
- Read and design an I/O point list
- Explain BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks and KNX
- Write control sequences for AHUs, chillers, boilers and pumps
- Plan testing, commissioning and handover
Who it is for, and what you need first
Who it is for
BMS, HVAC and facility engineers.
Level: Beginner. Beginner. For electrical, HVAC and automation engineers moving into buildings.
What you need
Software: Python 3 with BAC0 for the BACnet modules (free); any BMS front end is optional..
Hardware: None required. A BACnet/IP simulator or a small DDC controller helps with the Python modules.. What to download, and how.
How this course works
Watch the lessons
Short video lessons, one module at a time, at your own pace.
Read the notes
Open the Reading tab for the written notes and diagrams of the module.
Practise in the 3D labOptional
Try the module in the free 3D lab, in your browser.
Check yourself
Answer the questions to see what stuck before you move on.
Final assessment
Pass the final once you have been through the modules.
Certificate, if you want oneOptional
Optional, with a page anyone can use to verify it.
What you learn
13 modules in order, at your own pace. 6.5 hours of video lessons, with written notes and a practice task in each module.
- 1What a BMS Is: Overview, Components and Architecture13m
- 2Sensors, Actuators, Controllers and Point Lists, with lab practice: 12m
- 3Communication Protocols and Networking, with lab practice: 10m
- 4HVAC Control Applications: AHU, VAV and FCU, Chiller, Cooling Tower and Boiler, with lab practice: 1h 45m
- 5Pumps, Tanks and Hot Water Applications, with lab practice: 46m
- 6Lighting, Security, Fire, Energy and Water Integration36m
- 7DDC Panels, Wiring and Control Logic, with lab practice: 17m
- 8The Front End: Graphics, Trends, Schedules, Alarms and Users, with lab practice: 27m
Show the other 5 modules
- 9Testing, Commissioning, Validation, Handover and Integration28m
- 10BACnet with Python: Discovery, Read and Write4h 11m
- 11BACnet Logging, Edge Apps and BACnet Servers4h 6m
- 12Case Studies, Efficiency, Fault Detection and Careers35m
- 13Final Assessment
Software you need
What to download, where from, what it costs and how to install it. Every link goes to the maker's own site, never a mirror.
Any BMS front end is optional.
Show what to download (2 tools)
Required
- 01Free
Python
Python Software Foundation
- Runs on
- Windows (not Windows 7 or earlier), macOS and Linux. Windows builds for x64, 32-bit and Arm64.
- Account
- None needed
Python is free, open source software. You can use it for learning and for commercial work at no cost.
Steps
- 1.Open python.org/downloads and click the download button for your system.
- 2.On Windows, run the Python install manager (or the classic 64-bit installer) you downloaded.
- 3.If you use the classic installer, tick "Add python.exe to PATH" on the first screen, then click Install Now.
- 4.Open a new Command Prompt or Terminal and run: python --version (on Windows you can also run: py --version).
- 5.Install packages with pip, for example: python -m pip install requests
- pip comes with Python. Run it as python -m pip so it always matches the Python you are using.
- Python.org now recommends the Python install manager on Windows. If it offers to add its folder to PATH, say yes so the python command works everywhere.
- Make a virtual environment for each project: python -m venv .venv
Official download pagepython.orgAlternatives
- Anaconda Distribution: Python with 600+ data science packages and Jupyter already included.
- 02Free
BAC0
Christian Tremblay (open source project), a Python or npm package
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS or Linux with Python 3.10 or later
- Account
- None needed
Free, open source under the LGPL v3 licence.
Steps
- 1.Install Python 3.10 or later and create a virtual environment.
- 2.Run: pip install BAC0
- 3.Open the documentation at bac0.readthedocs.io and follow "How to start BAC0".
- 4.Connect to a BACnet/IP test device or simulator and read a property.
- BAC0 is asynchronous and uses BACpypes3, so your scripts use async and await.
- BACnet/IP uses UDP port 47808. Allow it through your firewall on the lab network only.
- Only write to controllers in a lab or with written permission. Writes can change real building equipment.
Official download pagegithub.com
Checked against each maker's own page on 27 September 2026. Trial lengths and editions change; the maker's page is the final word.
Practise in the 3D lab
Practise the pump control, signal scaling and operator screens a BMS depends on, using the PLC, panel and process labs.
- Tank filling pumpPLC lab, about 50 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Tank filling pump
- Duty and standby pumpsPLC lab, about 75 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Duty and standby pumps
- Commission the 4-20 mA level loopElectrical labOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Commission the 4-20 mA level loop
- Build an operator screenProcess lab, about 45 minOpen in the lab (opens in a new tab): Build an operator screen
Optional. Skip it whenever you like: it never blocks your progress or your certificate.
Course project, about 14 hours
Six-floor office BMS: from points list to a signed commissioning record
Design and document the BMS for a six-floor office with a chilled-water plant, six VAV air handlers and 72 VAV boxes on BACnet. You deliver the points list, the sequence of operation, the network plan, the alarm list, a commissioning record and an operator page. The sample pack shows what a controls contractor submits to the consultant.
- 8documents in the pack
- 8steps to follow
- 6things to hand in
- 14 hof work, at your pace
- Points listBMS Points List: Block 1 HVAC
- Control narrativeSequence of Operation: AHUs, VAV Boxes and Chiller Plant (ASHRAE Guideline 36)
- Network architectureBMS Network Architecture and Address Plan
- Alarm listAlarm List: Block 1 BMS
- HMI specDesigo CC Graphics Hierarchy and Screen Specification
- BOMBill of Materials: DDC Panels, Network and Field Devices
The project is optional practice. The certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.
After the course, your next step
Show what you can do, then keep going in the same field.
A certificate you can verify
Finish the modules and pass the final assessment (15 questions, pass mark 60%) and you can add a certificate with a public verification page. One-off, US$23.99 for you. It is not a vendor credential.
Want a free certificate? Do the matching Free internship: 4 weeks, nothing to buy, with a free certificate of completion.
MEP and Building Services
Eight short weeks of mechanical, electrical and plumbing services in buildings, from HVAC and fire fighting to BIM coordination and handover: notes, diagrams, a few videos and worked exercises. Finish weeks 1 to 4 and the final, then claim a free Internship Completion Certificate with your real dates and study hours, and a QR code anyone can scan to verify it. Training, not employment.
See the internshipPart of a learning path
Courses in a planned order, so each one builds on the last.
More free courses
Roles that use this skill
- Building automation engineer
- BMS technician
- Facilities engineer
- Controls integrator
These are the kinds of roles where the skill is used. We make no promise of a job or an interview.
Plain notes
- Free: the whole course, the notes, the practice tasks, the final assessment and support from practising engineers.
- Paid, and optional: the course certificate, and the Engineer-verified internship (the Free internship costs nothing).
- No job promise: the course teaches a skill. It does not place you in a job.
- Lessons by: Aayat Technical (Mohammad Injmam), smart training center, TalkShopWithBen, MEP Academy. Independent creators; the lessons stream from their own channels. EDWartens wrote the study plan, notes, practice tasks and assessments.
Aayat Technical · smart training center · TalkShopWithBen · MEP Academy. If you are one of these creators and want a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@edwartens.com.
Practise what you learn in the free 3D lab
Technical work is judged on what you can do: wiring, commissioning, finding a fault. Doing a task yourself teaches more than watching it a second time, and a lab lets you try it safely before you meet real equipment. It does not replace working on real hardware.
- Practise safely, so a mistake costs nothing.
- The lab checks your work like a site test, so you know when it is right.
- Free, in your browser, with nothing to install.
Why learn with EDWartens
What you get with this course, and what comes after it.
- Free from the first lesson to the final assessment.
- Practice in a free 3D lab in your browser, with nothing to install.
- Video lessons with written notes and a project.
- An optional certificate that anyone can verify online.
- Free internships to keep practising afterwards.
Common questions
What is BACnet?
BACnet is the open data communication standard that lets building automation devices from different manufacturers work together. BACnet International describes it as the global data communication standard for building automation and control networks, maintained by the ASHRAE committee SSPC 135; it is published as ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 135 and by ISO as ISO 16484-5. The course explains BACnet and then has you read and write BACnet points with Python.
What is KNX?
KNX is an open international standard for home and building control, widely used for devices such as lighting, blinds and heating controls. The KNX Association says buyers can choose from over 8,000 certified products from more than 500 manufacturers. The course covers BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks and KNX so you can tell which one a project is using and why.
Which BMS brands does this cover?
The concepts apply to Honeywell, Siemens Desigo, Johnson Controls Metasys, Schneider EcoStruxure, Trane and Distech; the Python modules use open BACnet.
Do I need to know Python?
No. The BACnet modules start from installing Python and explain each construct as it is used.
Is HVAC knowledge required?
No. The HVAC applications module explains each plant item before its control.
Is the Building Management Systems course really free?
Yes. Every module, practice task and assessment. You create an account so your progress is saved and the assessments can be marked. The certificate is the only paid item, and only if you want it.
What certificate do I get, and is it a vendor qualification?
An EDWartens Certificate of Completion, issued when you pass the final assessment, with a verification code anyone can check. It is not a vendor credential and is never described as one.
Who made the video lessons in the Building Management Systems course?
The creators named in the Credits block at the foot of this page, on their own YouTube channels. EDWartens did not make the videos and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.
How long does the Building Management Systems course take?
Plan on about 20 hours in all, including the video lessons, notes and practice tasks. It is self-paced, so you work through the thirteen modules at your own speed.
Do I have to use the lab?
No. The lab is optional practice. You can skip it whenever you like, and it never blocks your progress, the final assessment or your certificate.
Is the lab free?
Yes. Every lab level for this course opens in your browser, free, with nothing to install.
What topics does the Building Management Systems course cover, module by module?
The Building Management Systems course has 13 modules. It opens with "What a BMS Is: Overview, Components and Architecture", goes through "Sensors, Actuators, Controllers and Point Lists", "Pumps, Tanks and Hot Water Applications", "Testing, Commissioning, Validation, Handover and Integration" and "Case Studies, Efficiency, Fault Detection and Careers" and ends with "Final Assessment". The full list with minutes is under "What you learn" on this page.
What can I do after the Building Management Systems course?
After the Building Management Systems course: Explain BMS architecture, components and field devices; Design I/O point lists and choose protocols; Write sequences of operation for AHUs, chillers, boilers and pumps. These are the practical outcomes the course is written around, and the final assessment of 15 questions checks them.
What software and hardware do I need for the Building Management Systems course, and does it cost anything?
For the Building Management Systems course, software: Python 3 with BAC0 for the BACnet modules (free); any BMS front end is optional. Hardware: none required. A BACnet/IP simulator or a small DDC controller helps with the Python modules. The course itself is free.
Is the Building Management Systems course suitable for me, and what level is it?
Building Management Systems is rated beginner. Beginner. For electrical, HVAC and automation engineers moving into buildings. It is written for BMS, HVAC and facility engineers, and takes about 6.5 hours at your own pace.
Which jobs use the skills from the Building Management Systems course?
Skills from the Building Management Systems course (for example: explain BMS architecture, components and field devices) are used in roles such as building automation engineer, BMS technician, facilities engineer and controls integrator, and in building automation engineer work. The course gives you practical evidence of the skill; it does not promise a job, and employers decide on experience and interview.
Start free today
Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation, at your own pace. Add the certificate only if you want one.