FEATURE: SMART BUILDINGS He continues: “Risk avoidance is a
real benefit; the ability to detect and anticipate the potential failure of a device through detection of abnormal operation allows prevention of failure, with the consequential loss to a business. One example is an airline that lost all operations because the power system in its data centre failed, a situation that could have been avoided through smart monitoring.” There are, as Mark Warburton, sales
manager at online consumer electronics retailer Ivoryegg explains, two levels of services: “The workhorse services, like power, heating, lighting and ventilation; and thoroughbreds, including videoconferencing, audiovisual and access control. The former covers basic utilities that have to operate continuously. The latter demand immediate response and are more complex. These differences, along with the type of integration skills needed, have been the historic reason why separating the control networks and protocols is desirable. KNX, which is widely adopted throughout the world with over 300 manufacturers producing compatible products, is the only worldwide building control standard allowing the workhorse services to be brought together on
one system. Of 37,000 integrators worldwide, 450 are based in the UK, which is remarkable given the number of high-profile KNX projects already completed.”
The KNX standard is an internationally recognised bus-based system defining interconnect cabling and protocol that will allow devices from separate manufacturers to interface with each other. “There are multiple solutions in the market, however only a very few of them have reached the status of international standard. KNX is one of them (ISO/IEC 14543-3): The KNX transmission media (TP, PL, RF and IP) as well as its protocol are an open technology that can be implemented by any manufacturer and accredited by test labs to the KNX standard,” says Joost Demarest, director, KNX Association. “This guarantees seamless interoperability between devices from different manufacturers, without the use of complex gateways. All of these products can be programmed by one single design and commissioning tool, the ETS.”
The nature of operation of KNX lends itself to individual component control and is ideally suited to building services. Warburton adds: “Control intelligence is integrated within all individual devices which
RABOBANK TAKES AN INTELLIGENT APPROACH TO ENERGY CONSERVATION
Rabobank Tower, home to financial services company Rabobank, and the second-tallest building in Utrecht, is one of the greenest office complexes in the Netherlands through the use of sustainable materials, low energy consumption, precision temperature control, flexible working conditions and innovative AMX technology. Dutch systems integrator MK2 Audio Visueel
implemented a unified control and management solution from AMX together with 100 AMX Modero touchpanels located outside meeting rooms. As part of the Rabo Unplugged
buildings initiative there are no permanent workstations. Instead employees have the flexibility to move
between different resource areas as required, while whole floors and associated ancillary services can be turned off and on automatically, based on demand and occupancy. AMX’s Resource Management Suite (RMS) provides IT-like remote monitoring over the AV assets and building systems. Using sensors, the AMX system is able to detect if a pre-booked meeting room is occupied
and make the room available if
not. If a room remains empty, the system will automatically power-down the equipment and environmental systems accordingly, to save energy and resources.