What is Novant?

Novant is a building automation data integration platform that connects to on-site building systems and delivers structured, normalized data to the cloud. It’s designed for system integrators and commissioning teams who need to access building data without spending weeks on protocol configuration and point mapping.

How It Works

Novant uses a two-part architecture: an edge node installed on-site and the Novant platform in the cloud.

The edge node sits on the building network and communicates directly with BMS controllers, meters, and other devices using their native protocols — BACnet, Modbus, OPC UA, and others. It handles device discovery, point mapping, and data collection locally.

Novant receives data from the edge node over a secure outbound connection. From there, data is structured, stored, and made available for visualization, export, and integration with third-party systems.

Edge Nodes

There are two types of edge nodes:

• Virtual Node — a Docker container that runs on existing hardware or a virtual machine on the building network. This is the most common deployment option and can be up and running in minutes.

• Hardware Node — a dedicated physical device provided by Novant. Designed for environments where a hardened, power-loss tolerant appliance is preferred or where no suitable host machine is available.

Both node types support the same protocols and connect to Novant the same way. The choice between them depends on site requirements and IT preferences.

What Novant Connects To

Novant supports a wide range of building systems including BMS, energy management, lighting control, and metering. It handles protocol complexity across vendors like Siemens, JCI, Honeywell, Tridium, Distech, and others.

See Supported Systems for a full list of vendors, models, and protocols.

Key Concepts

Projects — each building or site is set up as a project. A project contains the node configuration, collected data, assets, and any associated integrations.

Zones — logical groupings used to organize areas by function, comfort criteria, or operational purpose. A zone can span multiple spaces.

Spaces — the physical locations within a building, such as floors, rooms, or areas.

Assets — the pieces of equipment in a building that you want to track, such as AHUs, VAVs, chillers, or meters.

Sources — the systems and devices your edge node connects to, such as a BACnet controller or a Modbus meter. Each source contains the data points collected from that device.

Getting Started

To set up a new project, start with the Project Checklist to gather the information you’ll need before deployment.