With Smart Building Technology, a Facilities Manager can log in remotely to flip the switch on more than 500 lights. In toilets throughout a 7-acre development, the toilet paper, paper towels and hand-soap dispensers can automatically tell the Facilities Manager when a dispenser is empty. Toilets can even send signals when they’re blocked. And you do tend to find that the toilets are one of the top complaints in commercial buildings, while most other tenant gripes center on heating and cooling systems, which can all be built into the smart network. Why would you want to create more problems for yourself when a Smart Building can solve them for you?

You can offer telephone, data, Internet, security and music services through a single fiber-optic network. The Facilities Manager can monitor heating, cooling, lighting, and digital signage through that same network, which currently links all retail tenants, outdoor spaces and property management offices. However, its estimated that less than 10% of new and existing commercial buildings actually contain intelligent smart building technology. Most active in the intelligent Smart Building Technology field are data centers, hospitals and universities.  A key driver of intelligent technology in the commercial real estate sector is escalating energy costs. If an intelligent lighting and energy management system is integrated into a building’s overall operating network, the owner can reap energy savings of 30% to 45% vs. a stand-alone lighting and energy management systems. A full-fledged intelligent technology system can deliver bottom-line rewards its as simple as that.

One reason Smart Buildings have yet to make it to the mainstream is that many commercial property developers in the UK have a bad habit of promoting a building’s short-term profitability rather than its long-term operating costs (although to fair they are slowly coming around to our way of thinking). They don’t usually worry to much about the buildings operating costs five years down the line because they’re not going to own it. If tenants demanded intelligent Smart Building Technology, then the developers have to deliver. But do the The tenants really understand it, do they give it much credence? As an industry I don’t think we have done enough in terms of teaching building developers, owners and designers about the value of intelligent Smart Building Technology. However, despite this slow adoption, we’ve got to be optimistic about the future of intelligent Smart Building Technology as we’ve started seeing some real growth in the last few years!

This is hands down the world’s leading trade fair for Architecture and Technology. Since making its debut in 2000, Light+Building has made a name for itself as the leading international trade fair for the sector. Light+Building is characterised by a range of products and services unparalleled in terms of depth and breadth, a high degree of internationality, growing visitor numbers and a reputation as an innovation forum where new products are launched onto the world market for the first time.

All market leaders from the fields of lighting, electrical engineering and building automation take part in the biennial trade fair for the sector. Within this unique framework, over 2,000 exhibitors present their latest products, innovations and trends at an almost fully booked-up Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. The extensive spectrum of products and services to be seen makes Light+Building the ideal meeting place for trade visitors – over 167,000 architects, interior architects, designers, planners, engineers and artisans, as well as representatives of the trade and industry, find future-oriented solutions for their business success.

You must see this unique assortment at the next Light+Building in Frankfurt am. We will be visiting as always…

Event Profile

Organizing by Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the Light + Building is a 6 day event for building materials. Held at Exhibition Centre Frankfurt, Hessen, Germany, the event is aimed towards providing a one stop platform for various wholesalers, retailers, contractors etc. from all over the world.

Visitor Profile

Trade Visitors only – Contractors, Industry Leaders, Planners, Investors, Property Managers, Authorities-public facilities, Architects, Engineers, Electrical engineers, electricians, Sanitary technicians, Ventilation and air-conditioning technicians, Interior designers etc.Visitor Registration

Exhibitor Profile

Manufacturers of Building materials, Technical products, IT products and services for the building industry, Maintenance related products & technology will be participating in the exhibition.Stall Booking

Details

Business Timing: 09:00am – 06:00pm

Public Timing: 09:00am – 06:00pm

Around 2,200 exhibitors, including all national and international market leaders, will exhibit at Light+Building. On an area of over 240,000 square metres at the fully booked-up exhibition centre, Light+Building presents innovations and energy-saving system solutions in the fields of lighting, electrical engineering and house and building automation under the motto, ‘energy efficiency’. But how can visitors find what they need from this huge range of products and services? The answer is easily thanks to logically arranged product groups, which enable visitors to find their way around quickly and without difficulty. Now, as the result of an optimised layout for building-services technology, this will be even easier at Light+Building 2010. Additionally, initial orientation is given by the three product sections:  lighting, electrical engineering and house and building automation.

At the world’s biggest platform for the lighting market, over 1,500 companies present the complete range of lighting technology including technical luminaires and lamps of all kinds and for all applications, designer luminaires in all styles from classic to modern and a huge selection of lighting components and accessories. At Light+Building, visitors can be sure of finding all future-oriented lighting technologies, such as LED luminaires for commercial and public buildings, as well as for the home.

Technical luminaires and lamps occupy five exhibition halls – 3.0, 3.1, 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2 – as well as the ‘Forum’ and the ‘Festhalle’. The international companies making their presentations in Hall 3 include Artemide, Bega Gantenbrink-Leuchten, Erco Leuchten, Flos, Fontana Arte, iGuzzini illuminazione, Luceplan, Trilux and Targetti Sankey. In the ‘Festhalle’ and ‘Forum’, Osram, Philips, Siteco Beleuchtungstechnik and Zumtobel Lighting number among the companies represent¬ed. Many new exhibitors from the LED sector are taking part in the technical luminaires and lamps segment at Light+Building 2010, e.g., LG Innotek, Sharp Electronics and Toshiba. Together with other leading LED manufacturers, such as Nichia, Panasonic Lighting and Seoul Semiconductors, they can be found in Halls 4.0, 4.1 and 4.2.

Urban Lighting presents the multi-faceted spectrum of outdoor lighting

Located in Hall 5.0 and focusing primarily on outdoor luminaires for public areas, the multi-faceted spectrum of outdoor lighting will be presented by numerous companies, including Ewo, Hess AG Form + Licht, Schréder and Thorn Lighting, under the heading Urban Lighting. Additionally, outdoor luminaires will be exhibited in a realistic setting at the Outdoor Lighting Boulevard on the Agora, the outdoor exhibition area of the Fair and Exhibition Centre.

Decorative luminaires of all styles for the home and the contract market will be on show in Halls 5.1, 6.0 and 6.1. Decorative Light is split into three main styles – modern, classic-modern and classic traditional – to make it easier for visitors to find their way around this product segment. Among the exhibitors showing classic decorative luminaires in Hall 6.1 are, for example, Arte di Murano, Classic Light, Iris Cristal, Joachim Holländer, Novaresi, Pataviumart and Savoy House; modern decorative luminaires are located in Hall 5.1 and the exhibitors include Bankamp, Menzel lighting manufacture group and Neuhaus Licht. Additionally, companies such as Albert Leuchten and Royal Botania present outdoor luminaires for the private sector in this exhibition hall.

The importance of design not only for decorative luminaires but also for technical lighting is clearly to be seen from the spectrum of technical design-oriented luminaires, which can be seen in Halls 1.1 and 1.2. The renowned companies exhibiting in this product segment include, for example, Axel Meise Licht, Brand van Egmond, DARK, Escale, Ingo Maurer, Metalarte, Nimbus, Oligo, Prandina, Quasar, Serien, Terzani and Tobias Grau. Rounding off this vast array of lighting products are full-range suppliers and decorative accessories in Halls 6.0 and 10.1. The exhibitors there include Brilliant, Eglo Leuchten, Massive Leuchten and Paulmann Licht. In Hall 10.1, national pavilions present more products from this segment. Technical components and accessories for lighting applications are located in Hall 4.0. Renowned exhibitors in this segment include, for example, Alanod, BAG Electronics, BJB, Helvar, Jordan Reflektoren, TCI, VLM SPA and Vossloh-Schwabe.

Electrical engineering now in the new Hall 11

As in previous years, the complete electrical-engineering spectrum will be represented at Light+Building 2010. With the integration of the new Hall 11, visitors will now find this broad spectrum of products in three themed groups. This year, around 450 companies from the electrical-engineering sector are showing innovations and trends in Halls 8 and 11. The range of exhibits for energy-efficient building-services systems, electrical installations and building infrastructure solutions in Hall 8.0 includes products for energy and data transmission, cable management, lighting protection and overload protection. Among the state-of-the-art technology to be seen are smart-metering system. The companies taking part in this segment include ABB / Busch Jaeger, Gustav Hensel, Hager Vertriebsgesellschaft, Mennekes, Niedax, OBO-Bettermann, Stiebel Eltron, Theben AG and Walther-Werke. More products from this segment are to be seen in Hall 9.0.

Everything in Hall 11.0 revolves around the subject of electrical installation and network technology with systems and components for energy distribution and control, low-voltage switching, control cabinets, network infrastructure and security systems. Also to be seen are switchgear and control systems, as well as tools and marking systems for electrical installations. The companies represented in this segment include Eaton / Moeller, Phoenix Contact, Rittal, Siemens AG, WAGO Kontakt and Weidmüller. Design-oriented electrical installations and building-services technology are located in Hall 11.1. The exhibitors include Albrecht Jung, Berker, Gira Giersiepen, Legrand-BTicino, Novar, Siedle and the Schneider Group with Merten, Ritto, Elso and Schneider Electric. The spectrum of exhibits embraces operating and control elements, as well as switches, sockets, building-communication products, security components and actuators for building-system technology.

House and building automation now in Hall 9.0

With the move from Hall 9.1 in 2008 to Hall 9.0, the house and building automation section is now closer together with electrical engineering in Hall 8.0 and, therefore, easier and quicker to reach. In Hall 9.0, around 150 exhibitors present future-oriented solutions for house and building automation, facility management, contracting and other building-services equipment, such as photovoltaic systems and sun-protection solutions. The well-known companies exhibiting in this seg¬ment include EnOcean, Honeywell, Kieback & Peter, Saia-Burgess Controls and WAREMA Renkhoff.

http://light-building.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en/besucher/willkommen.html

By all accounts, ISE 2010 boasted record attendance levels, and I have to say it felt pretty busy to me. I must have walked miles, the place was absolutely massive! I’m informed that visitor numbers this year were up by over 14% and exhibitor rebooking was also at record levels. As other exhibitions appear to have struggled during the economic slump, ISE has gone from strength to strength, so I for one are expecting things to be even bigger in 2011. As for 2010, some of Ivory Egg’s highlights include:

Samsung H03 & SP-F10M

Samsung showcased two new excellent projectors… Weighing in at only 200 grams, the Samsung H03 is capable to run for about 2 hours on a single charge. It is LED-based and has a brightness of 30 ANSI lumens and a lifespan of up to 30,000 hours. Additionally, the H03 also supports various connectivity options like USB/PC/Composite, and features a handy MicroSD slot. On the other hand, the Samsung SP-F10M was touted as the industry’s first LED-based data projector with 1000 ANSI lumens of brightness and a lifespan of up to 30,000 hours, which means it could last for about 20 years with four hours of daily usage. The SP-F10M also features PC-free File Viewer allowing you to view or project the file directly from USB drive. Boh projectors support Office and PDF formats

Mitsubishi 149in OLED

What a beast… Mitsubishi Electric showcased a 149in prototype OLED screen. At 1920×3264mm OLED display or 6.2m or 149in, this is larger than any existing commercial product out there. It has a screen resolution of 1088×640 pixels at 3mm pixel pitch. They also had some nice LED-based projection engines for its Seventy Series display wall cubes (the L46XM), featuring a 46in diagonal WXGA (1366×768 pixel) LCD display with a total mullion width of 7.3mm, and a Multi-Touch interface option for its Seventy Series display wall systems that enables multiple users to interact with a display wall simultaneously.

Philips Dynalite Revolution Touch Screen

The Revolution colour touch screen and Revolution Series 2 user control panel were on display from Philips Dynalite. Also centre stage on their stand was an excellent demonstration room, which comprised a mock boardroom equipped with a remote-controlled integrated lighting and AV control system with additional curtain and blind control. The system incorporate Philips Dynalite controllers, serial port interfaces and user control interfaces, as well as third-party control systems. All components were linked via Philips Dynalite’s sophisticated peer-to-peer communications serial bus network, DyNet. In addition to this fully integrated lighting control system, Philips Dynalite showcased a number of individual integrated control system elements, such as the company’s modular multipurpose controller range. Ideal for home automation and hotel suite control applications, the controllers feature unique hardware-configurable design, where plug-in output cards accommodate specific loads assigned to the system.

Xantech’s Free Training Seminars

A leader in AV control, Xantech was running training seminars on its huge product line as well as discussing the current and future direction of the AV industry. We particularly enjoyed New 2010 Products that addressed the residential and commercial opportunities for custom integrators with multi-room audio, video and control installations. And also Digital Delivery Systems, which gave an excellent overview of the Xantech Digital Delivery System, a simple, elegant high-performance multi-room audio solution incorporating digital amplification, an all-digital signal path and multi-source keypads.

Other items etc that get a worthy Ivory Egg mention included:

• Gira exhibiting KNX with Revox on their stand
• Opus 2-way control of KNX from their touch panels
• sqhead.com
• Empure Pronto KNX/Crestron integrations
• Artsound Scalable Multiroom Solution that is KNX compatible.
• Prion from oehlbach AV connectors
• Stark architectural and interactive projectors
• Nuvo’s new Powerline product
• Lang Radar Touch Display
• Crestron Digital Media HD

• Facilities Management Tools will start to use Augmented Reality & 3D
  Operating a high performance building will require high performance tools. Think 3D, augmented reality and BIM. Building Information Modeling is primarily used for design, construction and pre-fabrication of assemblies. Its benefits during this stage of building are improved design, design coordination and collusion detection. Its benefit for building operation has primarily been the extraction of data from the design and construction phases into a facility management system. In 2010 expect facility management systems to incorporate 3D BIM-like aspects to allow facility managers to visualize and understand the complex interactions within their buildings. In addition, we’ll start to see the use of augmented reality. If you watched a Premiership game with Andy Gray where the run of a player is highlighted on the pitch, or where the direction of the ball is outlined from a free kick, then you’ve seen the reality (the football pitch) augmented with the virtual, done in real-time and 3D. Imagine 3D models of mechanical and electrical systems augmented with real time data and you start to have tools to really manage high performance buildings.
• Micro Energy Management Systems
  We tend to think of energy management systems as large enterprise-wide systems. We can expect energy management systems to evolve for individuals or specific spaces or functions. Individuals will have an energy management system on their laptops and calculate their carbon footprint at their desk. By 2011 we can expect PC software manufacturers to start offering middleware applications to allow users to monitor and manage their localized energy systems, such as plugloads, lighting and thermal comfort.
• The Smart Grid will redefine Home Automation & Media Centers
  It is one thing to have a home automation system turn your lights off and on or a home media system which allows access to 200 high definition channels but the smart grid changes all that. The home automation system now has to communicate with the utility grid. The telecom service provider to the home is no longer the only utility supplying content and communication to the home. In fact, the media center is one of the larger energy users in the home and could possibly be managed by the smart grid. The smart grid forces the home automation market to re-think and re-invent residential systems, adding layers of new intelligence, communications and protocols not previously seen.
• Facial Recognition will replace Swipe Cards & Credit Cards
  Video surveillance cameras have advanced the use of facial recognition. Admittedly, it’s difficult to pick out one face in a large crowd, such as people walking into a stadium (although it has been used to tackle hooliganism in Europe). However, on an individual basis, facial recognition is pretty good. With your face as your ID, gone will be the need for credit cards and access control cards/keys. The upside is better security. Credit cards can be stolen and access control cards can be passed from person to person, not so with your boat race.
• Energy conservation measures will be given a value
  In order to retrofit and upgrade existing buildings to high performance buildings, owners will need to borrow money to fund the upfront capital costs. For banks and financial institutions to provide such credit they need to clearly identify their risks. Specifically, they need to know with some certainty the energy savings and payback period for each energy conservation step that the building owner undertakes; such as lighting control retrofits, mechanical systems replacements, control system upgrades etc.
• Developers need to generate new revenue streams specifically related to energy
  Developers are always looking for ways to increase their net income and energy will become the newest opportunity. Expect developers to buy energy at wholesale rates and retail the energy to their tenants and building owners, embrace alternative energy sources and sell energy back to the grid, offer services to tenants such as energy information and management reports, generate revenues from recharging electric vehicles and provide similar services for the monitoring and management of gas and water.
• The rise of the Green Eco Lawyer
  There was a period when around 20% of new buildings that received certification did not meet their energy performance targets. In the future I think we can expect to find that when someone buys or leases a building or building space with an energy certification based on energy performance and the building or space does not perform, tenants and owners will then sue. Damages may be the projected increases in energy costs over the life of the building, lack of thermal comfort, inadequate lighting staining the eyes etc. Architects, MEP firms, developers, facility managers, facility technicians, building owners, contractors and property managers may all be potential targets. I give you the rise of the ‘Green Eco Lawyer”.

It basically relies on the same principles of innovation that we have seen in IT and nearly every other industry in recent years. Open, interoperable and extendable platforms allowing connectivity and communication between building systems, security systems and IT systems with value added applications that help us improve building performance, drive down energy consumption, and reduce the operating costs of building. As we have seen in all other industries that have been transformed by the power of technology, after providing the open connectivity and communication the unimaginable becomes imaginable, and the sky is the limit. We simply haven’t seen anything yet and smart building technology is actually becoming, well, smart at long last.

Will buildings be operated by professional operators in overseas countries? Do we even need fancy central operating centers, or will an iPhone do? Is the Internet (Google maybe?) going to predict how my buildings should perform and automatically adjust its parameters off the cuff? Will the tenant or building user know exactly how much energy is consumed and what an individual contributes to the organization’s carbon footprint? Will we finally see the necessary reduction of energy consumption in buildings reach 30, 40, 50 percent or maybe more? Can we imagine that building users can personalize their space by using a phone or personal laptop? And so forth. And the answer to all these questions is a big ‘yes’.

So, now we’re taking building ‘automation’ to the next level, but I don’t think we should be totally satisfied. Not quite yet anyway. After all, it’s not building ‘automation’ the UK needs, but total building ‘transformation’ that we should be searching for. How is the technology going to impact  on how we perceive and use our homes and commercial properties? It’s about the ability to create and deliver new services and business models to those that own, operate and occupy our buildings. We now have the ability to design and use our buildings as if it were an iPhone. Highly aesthetic, combining form and function of the highest standards, while providing a platform over which new and exciting services can be delivered. Smart and connected buildings provide us with ways to program and configure spaces differently, in order to meet the ever changing requirements and demands of its users.

Examples of what this may mean to buildings are all around us. With social networking becoming the fastest growing (and largest) source of internet traffic today, and the increasing popularity of tweets, blogs and video posts, it won’t be much of a surprise that the way we work, live, learn and play has permanently evolved. Our next generation tenants and employees will not accept working in stuffy call centre cubicles. Collaboration and communication has been re-defined, and video and mobility are some of the key driving factors. Why do I need a workspace if I can appear virtually at any location? Why do we need a spacious lobby area (on every floor of a commercial office tower) outfitted with expensive fixtures and fittings, if we can bring hosted services over a HD video and still provide a sort of life-like experience? If mobility is everywhere, will the boundaries of our physical office environments blur? Can I work from home, on a business trip or from the coffee shop? How is this going to impact how we provide for office space?

Have you paid attention lately to how your children use communication devices to maintain their friendships, do their homework and find entertainment? (SMS, phone, email, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube). This is what HR departments and business leaders should be paying attention to. This is the audience they will need to attract in say 10 years or so. The definition of ‘workplace’ is changing and new workers are expecting change. These changes will have an impact on our buildings and communities. Flexibility, connectivity, communications and interoperability will be key to these trends. And the IP network will be the architectural platform that enables all of this to happen.

All that said, it is also true that we need to walk before we can run. We need to focus on the low hanging fruit and address the basic decisions that need to be made every day for new construction, retrofit and upgrade projects. Through our work with Integrators in the field we have found it useful to group system decisions into categories such as essential systems, ROI-based systems and brand or experience systems.

• Essential: Look at the essential system’s controls and ensure they are the latest version offered by the manufacturer and insist on open protocols a la KNX. This provides the most flexibility for future enhancements, expansion and interoperability. Additionally, make use of the IT backbone infrastructure to connect the system’s controllers to their management servers. This will provide greater reliability inside the building and more importantly increased security for systems that offer remote access, not to mention elimination of unnecessary overlap of conduit, cabling, switching and other components. Modern, open systems built around a backbone infrastructure cost no more than the traditional silo approach.
• Return on Investment: Evaluate the growing number of systems that might not be considered essential but can offer a compelling return on investment such as intelligent lighting, daylight harvesting, demand response, fault detection, integrated parking and others. This category makes use of the latest technologies and offers significant financial and operational efficiencies.
• Experience: Experience or brand support systems can be very important but are more discretionary in nature and might include digital signage for messaging, way finding and multi-media, ambient music, selected wireless services, accent lighting etc.

Now the basic technologies and infrastructure are in place for lower Capital Expenditure and Operating Costs (helping us all to save money in operations and energy), it’s time to explore the unexplored. Let the total transformation of the UK’s buildings begin I say!

Project Type

The project involved retrofitting 106 rooms with energy saving solutions that work on alternative sources. A new energy management system  was required that would enable the hotel to both reduce its overall power consumption and help do something against climate change. If they could achieve a 20% decrease in total power consumption, it will enable the hotel to reduce their annual carbon emissions by over 14o,000 kg.

Customer Expectations

They wanted the hotel rooms fitted with wireless key card switches, presence detectors and door sensors. The wireless key card switch will function as a master switch for the hotel rooms. A presence detector automatically cuts out the HVAC as soon as a guest takes their key card out of the dock and leaves their room. A door sensor, powered by a solar cell, recognizes the status of doors and windows and will also switches off the HVAC after a set length of time if the door to a balcony is open. Signals for the cableless and batteryless light switches and sensors are converted into switching functions by relay receivers.

Customer Comment

Given the financial and environmental benefits, we were happy to accept a short term shutdown for the purpose of installation. The hotel didn’t have to be closed for any lengthy period because attachment of the EnOcean-enabled cable-less sensors and switches is so fast and straightforward. Almost all rooms were pre-booked, so the loss through installing cabled switches and sensors would have cancelled out the immediate gain resulting from the project. Not forgetting all the effort, discomfort, inconvenience and not to mention mess involved in routing cables through concrete walls and ceilings. A further advantage of the new EnOcean technology is the fact that the sensors and switches are self-powered, so they need no maintenance, i.e. battery replacement, for their entire lifetime.

Top Features

1. Power consumption down and carbon footprint smaller
2. Speed of installation prevented operating loss
3. An investment that pays back
4. The ecological advantages of course, through less air pollution and reduced consumption of raw materials
5. Wireless key card switches
6. Presence detectors that automatically cut out the HVAC

The main design goals for the hotel lighting were to use decorative lighting to enhance the unique appearance of this boutique hotel, to use energy-efficient lighting where appropriate, and to use night time façade lighting sparingly. Ease of maintenance was another primary concern. In addition, the lighting designers were constrained by a strict and pre-agreed budget, plus time was limited.

Customer Expectations

Decorative incandescent lighting was needed in public spaces, combined with energy-efficient cove lighting for ambient illumination. Discreet night time exterior building lighting was required in order to draw attention to the architectural features instead of just using ugly floodlighting and illuminating large areas of the façade. Furthermore, glass and faux alabaster panels with back lighting were required to customize the reception desk, boardrooms, and corridor areas. Lighting controls are standard issue in hotels and they’re widely accepted/used for the flexibility that they lend to the lighting design. Four-scene dimming control panels were requested for the public areas, such as the reception desk, atrium lobby, ballroom, boardrooms, restaurant and lounge area.

Customer Comment

Decorative lighting integrated with the lighting controls helped set the mood and ambiance of the public spaces. It was exactly we were looking for. The lighting controls provide the flexibility to adapt the lighting to the time of day. I love the fact that the ambiance of the restaurant is now different for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and for the evening. The atrium lobby lighting can be changed in response to the amount of available daylight. The lighting controls lend flexibility to the lounge areas and boardrooms, so that they can be adapted to their several potential uses. The most enjoyable part of the building is our restaurant. It’s very eclectic, and it has a lot of modern bright colors, a lot of different types of lighting, and a lot of different types of light fixtures. It is a kind of multi-purpose room: it’s an open area that not only serves as a restaurant, but a bar, and a lounge. Throughout the day the lighting controls really set the whole mood of the entire area.

Top Features

• Achitectural dimming controls are used extensively in the lobbies, ballrooms, boardrooms, and restaurant where lighting flexibility is essential to decor and function in a stylish boutique hotel.
• Decorative lighting was a priority in the design of the public spaces and in public transition and sitting areas such as the reception area and lobby, where dimming controls were used to make these spaces appear unique and inviting.
• In the main lounge and restaurant, dimming is used for mood setting.
• In the boardrooms and conference facilities, dimming provides the flexibility needed to accommodate presentation media.
• Daylight is plentiful in the split level lobby and innovative light shelves with angled slats are used to control the angle of the light that enters the low glazing and to reflect more daylight up through the higher level glazing.
• Eelectron range of hotel automation products throughout the hotel for the programming, management and configuration of cards, transponder readers/cards, Din Rail IP PoE Router KNX interface, eSuite Software and the TM11A KNX thermostat for controlling room temperature.

Bottomless power generation comes from ambient sources such as linear motion, light and temperature differentials. Wires run through buildings like veins run through our bodies. Wires are pervasive and vital to day-to-day operations; however, today’s brave new ‘green’ world warrants consideration for solutions that reach beyond the confines of wires. As one decade comes to a close, EnOcean asserts that the next decade will feature wireless and batteryless controls that will carry building energy initiatives where wires fall short.

Widespread Smart Building integration has been stalled by installation costs and ominous tasks such as pulling wires through walls and ceilings. Battery-dependent wireless solutions can overcome some installation barriers, but the market has indicated it will not tolerate the maintenance issues tied to them. If the goal is to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, then integrators need non-invasive installation means and payback data that tips the scale in favor of spending the money to modernize existing buildings. Now that more than 100,000 buildings have been fitted with EnOcean-based products and energy reductions are in the books, a case is being made that wireless energy harvesting controls provide a radically easy form of Smart Building integration.

The Power of Unused Energy

The hallmark of the EnOcean wireless standard is batteryless and wireless communications. The technology stems from a simple observation – where sensors capture measured values, the energy state is constantly changing. For example, when a switch is pressed; temperatures and luminance levels change. These rudimentary operations generate enough energy to transmit radio signals that automate lighting and HVAC control. Instead of batteries or line power, EnOcean uses miniaturized energy converters and capacitors that power sensors and switches. EnOcean’s bottomless power generation comes from ambient sources such as linear motion, light and temperature differentials.

Energy harvesting enables the generation of radio signals from extremely small amounts of energy. Using just 50 micro watts of harvested power, an EnOcean-based control can transmit a radio signal 1,000 feet (150 feet is typically indoors – through walls and ceilings). An important part of the patented secret is using short signal durations – the entire radio transmission process starts, executes and completes in less than one thousandth of a second.

3rd Generation Wireless Energy Harvesting

EnOcean recently released its 3rd generation suite of energy harvesting wireless modules. The modules are based upon the Dolphin ASIC, the world’s first platform that supports self-powered two-way wireless communications, ultra low power sleep modes and the ability to self-power actuators such as water valves and air vents. Wireless building automation devices spend much of their time asleep; so EnOcean engineered the lowest sleep current in the industry (200 nA). Dolphin-based modules consume approximately 1/10th the power of common low power radio modules. The platform allows OEMs to create energy-autonomous controls that are able to draw power from multiple ambient sources, such as solar, linear motion and thermal energies.

EnOcean modules are often referred to as ‘application modules’ and these modules ship out-of-the-box with extensive firmware functionalities built-in – such as basic switching, dimming, measuring, etc. – and can go straight into an application without additional programming. EnOcean developed highly efficient methods of synchronizing sensors, supporting RF acknowledgments as well as integrated sensing/control functions. Application-specific functions reduce product development times and are embedded in each module; however, integrators can now also develop their own firmware using EnOcean’s new Dolphin Studio – support software for custom firmware development, RF packet monitoring and C-based code sampling.

The new Dolphin platform conforms to the open, interoperable EnOcean Alliance protocol and enables manufacturers to rapidly develop solutions to suit today’s ‘green’ economy. EnOcean’s Dolphin system architecture is also backward compatible with earlier EnOcean products and installations. In addition to the introduction of new platform, the company has also further enhanced wireless capabilities with remote commissioning and wireless routing creating new opportunities previously not possible with energy harvesting. Dolphin-based radio modules are now available direct from EnOcean or through and its distribution channels.

HVAC Energy Management

Radio waves are in the thick of the race to make buildings more energy efficient. Integrators can reduce installation costs and recoup those installations costs via energy usage reductions over time. Older buildings are often guilty of wasting giant sums of power. The Government estimates that 80% of buildings constructed prior to 1980 are energy-inefficient and do not house and Smart Building Technology. Additionally, older buildings often have little or inadequate insulation.

Speedy Implementation

Entire installation can be carried out with minimum interruption – Virtually impossible to achieve using a cabled solution because of the need to break open walls (duct work and cabling). Implementation of the system in even a large office complex can take just one week — including installation of the central control engineering to monitor and govern energy consumption. The biggest challenge is the right positioning of the room sensors because you’re dealing with thick walls made of concrete and steel. However, choosing EnOcean’s self-powered wireless technology can save up to 20 percent in installation costs alone and significant energy savings.

Lighting Energy Management

Buildings account for 38% of this country’s CO2 emission and lighting accounts for 40% of the energy consumed by buildings. Buildings therefore present an important place to start improving energy management via things like occupancy-based lighting control systems. Occupancy Sensors have been identified as the primary means for conserving energy.

Installation

Because the controls do not require wiring or batteries, installation can be completed in just three steps.

1. Replace existing light switches with line-powered receiver light switches (wiring is the same as a standard switch).
2. Program the light switch receiver to respond to occupancy sensor and self-powered light switch. The devices are factory set to manual-ON, auto-OFF (custom to suit California Title 24) – no extra setup was necessary; however, an “auto-ON, auto-OFF” mode is also supported.
3. Mount sensors and light switch – anywhere! Since they are self-powered and wireless, the controls were mounted according to building owner preferences.

The EnOcean Alliance

More than 120 automation solution manufacturers formed the EnOcean Alliance to promote sustainable buildings via batteryless and wireless controls. The Alliance is committed to interoperability through 1 wireless standard. Collectively, Alliance members have manufactured 300+ building automation products that are on the shelf today – more than any other wireless standard.

Interoperability is an important key to the Alliance’s success:

• Between Products – All EnOcean-based sensors and switches are interoperable – regardless of the manufacturer. For example, an occupancy sensor manufactured by Vendor A can communicate to a controller manufactured by Vendor Z.
• Between Applications – EnOcean-based solutions support multiple applications (ie. a single wireless light switch can communicate to lighting systems as well as HVAC systems).
• As Gateways & Interfaces (LonMark, BACnet, DMX, 802.11, TCP/IP Ethernet, KNX, RS-232/485 Serial, etc.)

To find out more, please visit http://www.enocean-alliance.org.

OK, at Ivory Egg we could be viewed as a little KNX or DALI biased, so I promise to be as objective as possible and open to feedback here. At the end of the day we are independent, simply want to deliver the best solutions to our clients and I would hope this article, at the very least, will stimulate some form of debate. You can view the complete thread at AV Forums.

So, in terms of the players (at least who I perceive to be the market ‘leaders’ in this field), and again you may disagree with my selection, I have decided to look at the following solutions. This selection is based purely on the names I come across on a weekly basis:

• KNX
  KNX is a standardised (EN 50090,ISO/IEC 14543), OSI-based network communications protocol for intelligent buildings. KNX is the successor to, and convergence of, three previous standards: the European Home Systems Protocol (EHS), BatiBUS, and the European Installation Bus (EIB or Instabus).
• Crestron
  Crestron is the world’s leading manufacturer of advanced control and automation systems. They offer integrated solutions to control audio, video, computer, IP and environmental systems, and streamline technology to improve the quality of life for people in corporate boardrooms, conference rooms, classrooms, auditoriums, and in their homes.
• Lutron
  Lutron Electronics Company, Inc. is a privately held corporation that designs, manufactures, and sells lighting control systems and a variety of other related products. Its probably fair to say that Lutron lead the way in lighting control systems.
• Rako
  Rako provide state of the art digital dimming technology. Their innovative solutions meet the needs of a diverse range of applications by offering lighting systems that are simple to use, creative, easily installed and cost effective.
• DALI
  The Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) is a digital protocol for the controlling of lighting in buildings, such as electrical ballasts and dimmers.
• INSTEON
  INSTEON technology is a dual-band mesh topology employing AC-power lines and a radio-frequency (RF) protocol to communicate with and automate home electronic devices and appliances, which normally work independently. It is a home automation networking technology invented by SmartLabs, Inc., and was developed based on the X10 model for control and sensing applications in the home.

Not everybody active in this field, but a good starting point? Unfortunatley though, we have a bit of a problem when trying to compare these so-called competitors, as basically what we’re dealing with is a mix of different standards, manufactures and solutions that are all competing against each other. I would love to be in position to just compare like for like and publish the pros and cons of each, answer the questions in places such as AV Forum, but that would not provide a true representation of each solution (I hope I’m not stating the obvious here)…

For example, it makes sense on some projects to have a mix of KNX and DALI. As DALI is an open protocol for lighting control mainly in commercial buildings, while the growth area in KNX is for residential and LED. Take Heathrow Terminal 5, which has a KNX backbone with switches/PIRs etc and a gateway to DALI for the lighting. KNX can’t compete with DALI, as the DALI is fitted to the ballasts that control the lighting and sit in the actual light fitting. They are complimentary systems and we approach it from that point of view as we sell KNX/EIB DALI gateways at Ivory Egg.

In terms of KNX vs. some of the other systems, well Lutron is bar far the market leader in terms of pure lighting control. Rako on the other hand sell purely wireless lighting controls and they are great for DIY/retro-fit. As for INSTEON, which is again a wireless control technology, they currently have no European devices so it doesn’t really complete with KNX and is more of a competitor to the likes of Z-wave and EnOcean (which is another blog altogether). And finally  we have Crestron, who supply more AV & generic device control solutions.

It is worth pointing out that Crestron do provide a complete AV, lighting and control solution. It does it by controlling different devices from multiple manufactures and a wide range of different protocols via a central controller. From a consumer point of view Crestron is “Interface Centric” via tablet and in wall touch screens. This hides the complexity of using Lutron for lighting, X manufacturer for heating and Z for multi room audio. It is an expensive route to take, but on the positive side it is highly configurable.

KNX is standard based and developed from a consumer point of view. It is switch centric, in other words it is a compact and stylish intelligent switch on the wall that can easily control the ‘functions’ in a room (HVAC, lighting, blinds etc). KNX has 1,000s of products that are certified to work together, but this is not the case with Creston. That said most consumers wouldn’t know the difference, as most simply go on look and feel, and that is where market leaders such as Basalte and Gira score highly. Their products are innovative, look fantastic on the wall and at Ivory Egg we can supply a whole host of fittings for 13amp sockets that will coordinate with the wall switches. And to be fair, this is what the architects are demanding!

So difficult to draw conclusions really. I guess the big question I’ve not really answered is what are they main differences between Lutron and KNX? As Lutron is a central processor based with proprietary technology and KNX is a component/manufacturer open standard, does that mean the KNX open standard is the lowest common denominator (as claimed by Lutron) or does that mean you get vastly increased flexibility (as claimed by KNX)? Is Lutron only lighting control – on/off/dim or is it full integration. If KNX gives you full integration, then why would you even consider Lutron? All very valid questions…

Yes, KNX provides a holistic approach to efficient energy usage. It is not limited to lighting or heating or metering or appliances or AV or any other specific function for that matter. The KNX platform has been adopted by many highly respected major manufacturers with their vast choice of products covering all these product lines. In the longer term, this is also important to building owners, as any installation is future proofed for any changes/upgrades that could be needed. As KNX covers such a diversity of applications using one standard, it means cabling networks can be much more simplistic and single twisted pair cabling can often suffice, with multiple elements all operating together on a single network. As I’ve already mentioned briefly with DALI, a number of the KNX manufacturers have also developed ‘gateways’ to other control protocols. These simple devices are used to expand the capability of KNX control systems to provide the complete solution for a building.

KNX has also worked closely with management-level protocols such as BACnet to enable a close co-operation between these two standards when the project requires additional integration. Every KNX-compliant piece of equipment is fully tested and certified to this highly stringent standard by an independent regulatory body – It is only at this point that it can carry the KNX logo, as controlled by the international KNX Association of Brussels. Therefore there is total confidence in reliability and interoperability, whatever KNX devices are chosen. In the UK we have a growing network of integrators who have joined KNX UK to share their experiences and to help promote the standard. They can also assist consultants as well as building owners in achieving the optimum solution for their building and with KNX also accepted throughout the world (and with partnership agreements with more than 30.000 partners in more than 75 countries worldwide) from China to the United States as well as Australia and the Middle East, it truly is a worldwide standard.

Lutron on the other hand is recognised as the leading brand in terms of pure lighting control, and rightly so… It has many advantages and is easy to install, retrofitable and extremely reliable. Their systems are a proven, extensively implemented technology that offers 2-way communication, is scene capable and can dim any type of dimmable lighting. All this is backed by an industry leading company with a very long history and their systems are available in a large number of styles and finishes, all backed with a 7 year warrantee. Plus they too can integrate window/shade controls and offer relatively easy intregration with Crestron and other control systems. However, while I find it hard to criticize KNX (and again, I can hold my hands up and say yes we’re a little biased), to me there are some obvious disadvantages to Lutron. For one it only controls up to 32 lights (expandable to 64). Then there is the fact it has no dedicated processor, so it relies on an automation processor. In other words if this processor fails, then I’m afraid you have to manually override or you have no lights at all. However, the ‘biggie’  (in my experience anyway) is that expansion always seems more complicated than it needs to be and is certainly more expensive than with KNX products.

The choice of lighting control is a wide one one I’m afraid, the above is only our humble opinion.  To be honest, what you really need to do is decide what functionality you want and then see what systems can support your needs. Its important you select an installer that can advise you on the systems that you’re interested in. Price is always important, but do not make it the main point, and you need to always be thinking about upgrades/adding to the system in the future. Also think about who can you get to do changes and tweaks to the lighting control system (these things are never right first time and commercial clients and their staff especially can be very demanding)?Does the control system intergrate with other manurfacturers you may be using and don’t be afraid to ask for them to show you existing installations they’ve completed that are using the products you’re interested in. KNX is certainly the logical choice to me in terms of flexibility and meeting demand, especially if you need to integrate other systems such as heating, blinds, AV etc, but always keep an open mind and one eye on what each of these systems can deliver.

Home to around 15,000 students and at over 400 years old, a leading Scottish University has recently made some significant improvements to their campus lighting system. “For uniformity, every lecture room has a switch with four settings for a number of years now,” said Charlie Simpson, Senior Electrical Engineer for the University, “Bright, Medium, Dim and of course Off. And this has allowed our faculty members to change the lighting for their lectures and AV presentations.”

Customer Expectations

Charlie stated at the start that professors once used the dimming features for lectures when using the old overhead projectors. However, today they use computers with PowerPoint™ presentations and DVDs, but the need to vary the lighting in the classrooms still remains the same. “For years we built our own lighting control panels, and the cost was incredibly high per classroom, plus very time consuming for me and the team” said Charlie. “Then last year ago we switched to an ‘off the shelf’ DALI dimming configuration and got rid of the old 0- to 10-volt system/ballasts we were cobbling together. The DALI solution significantly reduced our costs and saved hours in terms of installation time.

For lecture rooms and other areas or lighting applications where complex scenes/reconfigurable zones were required, DALI dimming ballasts and controls now allow users to independently control multiple lighting zones. This technology is perfect for applications requiring sophisticated dimming such as lecture halls, conference rooms, lobbies, corridors and general faculty amenities such as libraries, IT suites etc.

Customer Comment

We were made aware of the Siemens GAMMA range of sensors, actuators, gateways etc and we did a trial by installing a simple configuration in one of our conference rooms and it worked exactly as needed. Then our lamp crew put the controller through its paces and, after extensive testing, we decided to roll out across the campus. We are now able buy an off-the-shelf system for lighting control for a very reasonable price. The fact the DALI dimming system is an open standard that can be purchased ‘off-the-shelf’ is incredibly important. The great thing about DALI is that its not a custom device and our staff can easily program it to assure uniformity throughout the campus. Custom building is so expensive and time-consuming, I just can’t believe we stuck with it for so long.

Top Features

1. Remote controls in all lecture rooms allowing control of main room functions such as lighting, HVAC etc.
2. N 525 E switching/dimming actuators that connect the KNX EIB with digital primary switching devices that have a DALI interface. There are 8 channels, of which each one has the capacity of a switching/dimming actuator. The DALI operating devices of each individual channel are directly wired so that no further additional commissioning procedure is necessary for the primary switching devices.
3. KNX / DALI N 141 gateways are DINrail mounted for the DALI ballasts and enable the receipt of switching and dimming commands, but also the send status information such as the failure of a lamp or the report of a detected error in the electronic ballast direct to Charlie.
4. Sun/antidazzle protection actuators for controlling all roller blinds.
5. Sensors for HVAC that detect the temperature and deliver the basic values for optimum control.
6. Motion/Presence Detection in all main hallways/corridors
7. Electrical Power Counter/Meter that allows Charlie to keep an eye on electrical power consumption at all times.