Building automation · Free

Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation

How a modern building is controlled: BMS overview, components and architecture, sensors, actuators, controllers and field devices, BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks and KNX, HVAC applications for AHUs, chillers, cooling towers and boilers, pumps, tanks and hot water, lighting, access, CCTV, fire and energy integration, DDC panels, wiring and control logic, the front end with graphics, trends, schedules and alarms, testing, commissioning and handover, BACnet with Python, and case studies from hotels to data centres.

13 modules 13h 46m of video English · self-paced

Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation course cover

Inside the course

Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation: Syllabus at a glance

Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation: What you will be able to do

Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation: Tools and credits

From the lessons

What a BMS Is: Overview, Components and Architecture
Aayat Technical
Communication Protocols and Networking
Aayat Technical
Pumps, Tanks and Hot Water Applications
smart training center
DDC Panels, Wiring and Control Logic
Aayat Technical
Testing, Commissioning, Validation, Handover and Integration
Aayat Technical
BACnet Logging, Edge Apps and BACnet Servers
TalkShopWithBen

Lesson frames belong to the creators named in the Credits below and are shown from YouTube.

What you will learn

Describe a BMS architecture from field devices to servers, choose sensors, actuators and controllers for HVAC, lighting, fire and security integration, read and design an I/O point list, explain BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks and KNX, write control sequences for AHUs, chillers, boilers and pumps, configure graphics, trends, schedules and alarms, plan testing, commissioning and handover, and read and write BACnet points with Python.

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
Integrate lighting, security, fire and energy systems
Design DDC panels, graphics, trends, schedules and alarms
Commission a BMS and read and write BACnet with Python

For you

Taking Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation from the United States

Free in the United States, as everywhere, and self-paced: lessons, notes and the final assessment are open at any hour, so your time zone and shift pattern do not matter.
The optional certificate for learners in the United States is a one-off US$23.99. What you get for it
Plants across the Americas most often run Allen-Bradley, Siemens and Inductive Automation; each has its own free course to take next.
See automation and engineering jobs in the United States, and what the industry looks like in Houston, Detroit and Chicago.
EDWartens also has a regional site for the United States, for classroom training and local support: edwartens.com/us.

The course project · about 18 hours

Six-floor IT office BMS: points list to signed commissioning scripts on BACnet

Design and document the BMS for a six-floor office in Bangkok: two 250 TR chillers with pumps and cooling towers, six VAV air handlers with trim-and-respond resets per ASHRAE Guideline 36, 72 VAV boxes on MS/TP, exhaust fans and a fire-alarm interface, supervised from Desigo CC. You deliver the points list, the sequence of operation, the network architecture, a BAC0 simulation that proves the resets, and your own commissioning record. The sample pack shows what a controls contractor submits to the consultant.

Sample document pack, 8 documents, filled in for the scenario

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
Commissioning procedureCommissioning Procedure and Functional Test Record: AHU-3 and Chiller Plant
O&M manualOperation and Maintenance Manual: Block 1 BMS (Operation section)

Read inside the course and download as a workbook. The project is optional practice, marked when you submit it; the certificate needs only the modules and the final assessment.

Course content

13 modules · 61 lessons · 13h 46m

In order, at whatever pace suits you. Each module ends with a practice task that builds on the last.

01What a BMS Is: Overview, Components and Architecture4 lessons13m
02Sensors, Actuators, Controllers and Point Lists3 lessons12m
03Communication Protocols and Networking2 lessons10m
04HVAC Control Applications: AHU, VAV and FCU, Chiller, Cooling Tower and Boiler7 lessons1h 45m
05Pumps, Tanks and Hot Water Applications7 lessons46m
06Lighting, Security, Fire, Energy and Water Integration5 lessons36m
07DDC Panels, Wiring and Control Logic3 lessons17m
08The Front End: Graphics, Trends, Schedules, Alarms and Users4 lessons27m
09Testing, Commissioning, Validation, Handover and Integration4 lessons28m
10BACnet with Python: Discovery, Read and Write8 lessons4h 11m
11BACnet Logging, Edge Apps and BACnet Servers8 lessons4h 6m
12Case Studies, Efficiency, Fault Detection and Careers5 lessons35m
13Final Assessment1 lesson2m

Show all 13 modules

Requirements

Who it is for: Beginner. For electrical, HVAC and automation engineers moving into buildings.
Software: Python 3 with BAC0 for the BACnet modules (free); any BMS front end is optional. What to download, and how
Hardware: None required. A BACnet/IP simulator or a small DDC controller helps with the Python modules.

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.

Required

01
Python
Python Software Foundation
Free
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.
Show the 5 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Open python.org/downloads and click the download button for your system.
2. 2.On Windows, run the Python install manager (or the classic 64-bit installer) you downloaded.
3. 3.If you use the classic installer, tick "Add python.exe to PATH" on the first screen, then click Install Now.
4. 4.Open a new Command Prompt or Terminal and run: python --version (on Windows you can also run: py --version).
5. 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.org
Alternatives
- Anaconda Distribution: Python with 600+ data science packages and Jupyter already included.
02
BAC0
Christian Tremblay (open source project), a Python or npm package
Free
Runs on
Windows, macOS or Linux with Python 3.10 or later
Account
None needed
Free, open source under the LGPL v3 licence.
Show the 4 stepsHide the steps
Steps
1. 1.Install Python 3.10 or later and create a virtual environment.
2. 2.Run: pip install BAC0
3. 3.Open the documentation at bac0.readthedocs.io and follow "How to start BAC0".
4. 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.

Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation at a glance

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 13h 46m of video lessons by Aayat Technical (Mohammad Injmam), smart training center, TalkShopWithBen and others, with written notes and worked problems, a practical project with a document pack and a 15-question final assessment (pass mark 60%). Learning is free with an account; an optional certificate with a public verification code is issued when you pass. Last updated 27 September 2026.

All course facts

Price: Free, for good. No trial, no card. The only paid item is the optional certificate, a small one-off fee.
Who it is for: BMS, HVAC and facility engineers
Format: 13 self-paced modules, 13h 46m of video, written notes, a practice task per module and one final assessment.
Level: Beginner. Beginner. For electrical, HVAC and automation engineers moving into buildings.
Brand: Vendor-neutral
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.
Certificate: Optional EDWartens Certificate of Completion, verifiable by code. Not a vendor credential.
Video lessons by: Aayat Technical (Mohammad Injmam), smart training center, TalkShopWithBen, MEP Academy (independent creators, credited below)
Language: English
Last updated: 27 September 2026

A shareable EDWartens certificate

Finish every module and pass the final assessment, and the optional EDWartens certificate is yours. It carries a unique verification code on a public page anyone can check, so it stands up when a recruiter looks it up. See it below.

Add it to your LinkedIn profile in one click
Link it from a CV or portfolio, the URL is permanent
Publicly verifiable by code, not a PDF anyone can edit
Issued by EDWartens itself, not a third party

The course itself stays free whether or not you ever buy one.

Stuck? Ask a practising engineer

A free course usually means a comment section and hope. This one does not. Every module has an Ask-your-trainer panel that reaches the same engineers who teach our paid programme: people who commission panels for a living, not moderators.

Questions answered in the context of the module you are on
The same engineers who teach the AEP programme
Career tools, CV help and public job listings included
Your progress and notes stay in your account for good

Pairs well with

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA PortalFrom zero electrical knowledge to a working, simulated S7-1200 program, for nothing.

Siemens TIA Portal in Three Hours free course cover

PLC programming · FreeSiemens TIA Portal in Three HoursThe first three hours of the Siemens TIA Portal course, cut to end on a win: what a PLC is, how it is wired, a project configured in TIA Portal, and your first ladder program running in simulation. Finish it in an evening or two, earn a certificate, and carry straight on into the full course.

TIA Portal: Build a Machine free course cover

PLC programming · FreeTIA Portal: Build a MachineOne machine, start to finish. Take a bottle filling line from a written specification and an I/O list to a structured S7-1200 program with a fill station, a capper, a reject sorter and an operator screen with alarms, then test it against a written record and archive it for hand-over. The lessons are the reference; the machine is yours, and it is what you submit.

Instrumentation for PLC Engineers free course cover

Instrumentation · FreeInstrumentation for PLC EngineersThe half of the loop that is not code. Follow one measurement from the transmitter in the field, down the 4-20 mA loop, into the analog card, through NORM_X and SCALE_X into engineering units, out again to a valve, and back to the control room when the reading is wrong.

More free courses: Free BMS and building automation courses · Free data centre courses

Learning paths with this course

Building services engineer · 4 coursesThe MEP consultant's toolkit: electrical design for the loads, Revit MEP for the BIM model, DIALux evo for the lighting and a BMS course for how the building is controlled once built.

Learner reviews

No reviews yet

Reviews here are written only by learners who have finished every module of Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation, and they are published exactly as written. Finish the course and yours will be the first.

Common questions

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.

What you walk away with

Your certificate for Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation

Finish the course, pass the final, and this is the document with your name on it.

Sample EDWartens Certificate of Completion for Building Management Systems (BMS): HVAC Control, BACnet and Building Automation — Sample. The issued certificate carries your name, admission number, a unique certificate number and its own QR code.

Verifiable by anyone
A unique certificate number and a public verification page. A recruiter checks it in ten seconds.
Adds to LinkedIn in one click
Issuer, credential ID and URL prefilled, with 5 matching skills to pin to your profile.
QR code on the certificate
Scans straight to the verification page, so a printed copy proves itself.
Names what you can do
Lists the topics covered, from bms architecture, components, sensors, actuators and point lists to commissioning, handover and bacnet with python.
A permanent link
Put it on a CV, a portfolio or an application. The URL never changes.
Earned, not attended
Issued only after every module and a final assessment at 60%, with 3 attempts. That is why it stands up.

Learning is free. The certificate is optional.

Add it now and pay only when you have finished the course, or come back for it later. One-off, US$23.99, with a receipt.

Issued by EDWartens, the training division of Wartens, as a Certificate of Completion for this self-paced course. Sold by Wartens Ltd (England and Wales). It is not a vendor certification, a university award or a CPD-accredited activity, and it does not certify competence on live equipment. Delivered electronically; see the refund policy.

Credits

Who made the video lessons

The video lessons in this course were created by the people below, not by EDWartens. Every lesson streams from its creator's own YouTube channel; EDWartens neither hosts nor sells that footage, and the creators are not affiliated with EDWartens and do not endorse this course. What EDWartens wrote is the study plan, the notes, the practice tasks and the assessments.

Aayat Technicalthe 30-day BMS study plan
smart training centerthe BMS control applications basic training
TalkShopWithBenBACnet with Python for building automation technicians
MEP Academya lesson in "HVAC Control Applications: AHU, VAV and FCU, Chiller, Cooling Tower and Boiler"

If you are one of these creators and would like a lesson removed or credited differently, write to info@wartens.com.