Eric Anderson: A Siemens fire system, for example, can talk to the BMS so that if there is an alarm, not only will the audible warning go off, but it can also talk to the lighting control and make the lamps flicker, or it can increase the brightness and bring all the lighting on, or it can bring the lights on to give a secure exit route. For security, cameras can scan the building and check for occupancy, as well as make sure that only authorised personnel are in various locations of a building.
ECA Today: Is Siemens Building Technologies involved with any breakthrough projects at the moment? Eric Anderson: In conjunction with Newham Council in East London and also the Mayor of London, a green technology park, called the Green Enterprise District, is being developed. Siemens has decided to get involved and we are now working together to develop this. The plan for Siemens is to have a green technology hub called the Urban Sustainability Centre where 100,000 visitors a year will pass through. We’ll work with the local education authority to include a visit there from the local school children as part of their curriculum.
ECA Today: So they will be learning about green technologies and sustainable buildings there? Eric Anderson: Yes, exactly, as well as electric vehicles. And they can then go back and look at their own environment, and maybe see possibilities in their schools or in their homes. There will also be offices and even a 300-seat
auditorium, which will be available for anyone who wishes to book it for conferences and seminars. As well, there will be an exhibition area, which will show green technologies – and not just Siemens – we make a lot of amazing stuff, but we don’t make everything!
The users of building management systems will see the economic benefits – but this is also an opportunity for the installer to sell these benefits
40 ECA Today July 2011
reduced. Lighting controls can cut costs by 30 per cent. And heating controls can cut costs by 20-25 per cent. So the cost savings for the occupier or the user of the building can be very good once the systems are installed. Yes, there needs to be an investment in the equipment, and there is also the cost of the installer’s time, but the benefits are then in place for the next 20 or 30 years. Also, with rising energy costs, if you are saving 10, 20 or 30 per cent now, then those numbers are only going to increase and the payback becomes that much quicker. For commercial environments, BMS systems can also plan maintenance, so that it is more efficient and less disruptive to the business. The users of building management systems will see the economic benefits, but this is also an opportunity for the installer to sell these benefits.
ECA Today: What about fire safety and security – how can building management systems optimise these factors for the building and its cohabitants?
ECA Today: What type of green installations will be in the Urban Sustainability Centre? Eric Anderson: The building will have photovoltaics on the roof and also ground source heat pumps. There is a project called the London Array, a huge wind farm being built along the Thames close to where it enters the North Sea, and Siemens will have a contract to have any electricity which is not produced on-site supplied from this wind farm. The building is planned to be all electric, so no gas or oil. It will also have Siemens BMS system installed, which will utilise KNX. We will have electric car charging points on site,
encouraging visitors to arrive in their electric vehicles. The exhibition area is planned to be interactive, so that you can actually see what the building is doing at any given time. This is particularly good for the education side, as there will be displays showing what the building is using at the moment, what it is generating at the moment and trends over time. In addition, the rainwater will be harvested and treated on site for re-use.
ECA Today: Is there one particular Siemens building technology product that is making an impact on the industry? Eric Anderson: One of the products that is having a big
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