[ Question time: Eric Anderson ]
delivered to site rather than trying to produce it in the British weather. They need to be ‘plug and play’ so that the wiring and plumbing can be done off-site and then, when it all arrives on-site, it is just a matter of connecting things together and undertaking the appropriate testing. Along with the need to build faster, we need some
help from the government regarding a quicker planning permission process, so that both greenfield and brownfield sites can be turned over to construction sooner. Another big future opportunity will be with the existing stock, which will need to be brought up to energy efficiency standards.
ECA Today: Do you believe contractors are seeing the business opportunities available through building technologies? Eric Anderson: Electrical contractors are slowly adopting it, but I think that they could have a greater benefit if they adopted it more quickly. Currently, it seems to be something that is seen as part of the mechanical sector – plumbers are taking advantage of it and HVAC contractors seem to already be using it. But, actually, the electrical contractor is in the best position to connect it, program it, set it up and commission it. It could be a very profitable business for electrical contractors.
ECA Today: Do you believe that the demand for building technologies will increase in the coming years? Eric Anderson: Absolutely. People use the expression ‘smart buildings’ and ‘smart homes’ and it tends to be associated with an image of mansions with lots of audio/ visual systems in every room, but actually what we need are automated homes which automatically control the climate and control the lighting and so on. The building can be maintained at optimum levels throughout the year.
ECA Today: If the demand for building technologies is set to increase, that means there will also be an increase in the need for skilled installers. What are your views on training up the industry? Eric Anderson: In the electrical sector, trainees and apprentices need a module that explores this technology. Time needs to be devoted to learning about this, rather than just simply training people about the basics and what we did ten years ago. But also the market needs to try and adopt an open system, something like KNX, where there is one standard, in which you can train the staff once and then you can select products from numerous manufacturers and thousands of products with all sorts of functionality. People can then be trained on one open protocol, rather than having to retrain and retrain again, project by project.
ECA Today: Costs are key when it comes to implementing new technologies and systems. Are companies seeing the economic benefits of building management systems? What kind of energy and cost savings should they expect? Eric Anderson: In the whole life cost of a building, 20 per cent is the initial construction cost and 80 per cent is the rest-of-life cost of the building, which includes its operation, maintenance and revitalization. Through installing building management systems, the cost of running a building is
July 2011 ECA Today 39
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