Although more costly, wireless solutions do offer advantages when it comes to building management, writes Steve Montgomery
MS Research’s latest report, The EMEA and Americas Markets for Building Automation Controllers,
Software and Sensors, found that airwaves in buildings are increasingly being filled with signals from a wide range of building automation systems, data networks and advanced video transmission services. Wireless solutions offer some of the
greatest advantages in retrofit installations. Rather than drilling holes and running cables, electricians, integrators and contractors can install wireless sensors, saving on installation costs and time. This is leading to further integration opportunities as single networks carry multiple services, including data, IPTV and building management information and control. William Rhodes, market analyst at
IMS Research, comments: “Although many building automation systems focus just on control and efficient operation of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning)
systems, increasingly they are being used to automate all areas of the building environment including physical security, lighting, digital signage, TV distribution through IPTV and other AV equipment. “Effective operation and management
of systems throughout the building in a centralised, remotely located management platform can improve energy consumption and ensure efficient facilities management. Active management compares real-time data against the potential performance of the building, given the weather conditions around the building and the orientation of the building. It allows services such as room lighting to be turned on only when the room is occupied. “There are obvious installation cost
savings from wireless solutions. However, wireless devices are generally more expensive than their wired equivalents. In terms of the continued growth of wireless building automation systems, the additional price of the
devices could inhibit adoption when users do not take into consideration the installation costs. Consequently, IMS Research predicts that wired sensors will maintain the largest share of the market over the next five years.”
Intelligent control The report highlights new applications of video surveillance within building automation. Historically motion detection and other sensors are used to identify if a room is occupied. However, more complex systems are now using video analytics, either embedded on the security cameras or centrally on a server, to count the number of occupants in the room. This information is then fed back into the building automation system, which can either heat or cool the room. Furthermore, by knowing the number of people in a room, the building automation system can ventilate appropriately, rather than ventilate for the maximum capacity of
Buildings opting for wired and wireless solutions (%)
100 80 60 40 20 0 2010 2011 2012* 2013* 2014*
Wireless solutions offer advantanges in retrofit installations
Source: IMS Research * Forecast 2015*
Wired Wireless
the space. One of the inhibitors to this new application for both security cameras and video analytics is that, generally speaking, a PIR or CO2 sensor solution is less expensive. However, if the security camera is already installed in the building or is being installed as part of a wider surveillance solution, using this sunk cost to determine occupancy could be more cost effective than installing additional sensors. IE
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