[ Question time: Eric Anderson ]
impact, particularly in new builds, is something that we call the ‘Green Building Monitor’. This is a software system that hooks into the BMS. So if you can imagine a hotel or office reception where there would be a large LCD display, this will give real-time feedback from the building management system, showing how much CO2
the building
is emitting, how much energy it’s using and so on. One of the clever parts of the software is that the user can utilise the screen for their own information as well. You can have company videos playing on one half of the screen and the building’s energy feedback on the other half.
ECA Today: What technological advancements in building management systems should we expect to see in the coming years? Eric Anderson: I think the trend is for more automation, where we will be setting our building parameters, such as light and heating levels. We’ll be harvesting as much natural daylight as possible and constantly dimming up and down, without even noticing, maintaining the light level we need consistently. Another advancement will be automatic number plate
recognition. So once the cameras see your number plate arriving it will recognise you and set in motion the light and heat in your office, for example. This number plate identification can also be used in hotels, where the parking barrier will automatically respond to your car and you won’t need to fill forms out at the front desk – you can just be handed your key. At Terminal 5 we’ve installed an
automatic number plate car park system that is up and running. The ticket taken at the barrier is then linked to your number plate. So when you return from holiday and pay, the machine recognises you and tells you where you parked your car and then will turn a light on above your car so that you can see where it is.
ECA Today: What challenges lie ahead for the industry and building management systems? Eric Anderson: Training and awareness. People need to be aware that this technology isn’t something that is still under development – it is something that actually exists and they can install today. The biggest challenge is to be in the mind-set to look at the whole cost of the building. In the construction world and the electrical installation world we focus too much on the build cost and not the running cost.
ECA Today: What are your views on the future for the electrical sector? Eric Anderson: The future opportunities for the electrical sector are fantastic. Everything will be electric in the future. PV solar panels and wind turbines only produce electricity, not coal or gas. Coal and gas is a limited resource and, of course, is responsible for emissions, so over time everything will be electric. If you are an electrical installer with electrical knowledge and you can understand and commission clever systems, the market for you is going to be much greater than it is today.
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
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