BSEE-SEP21-PG27 J2 Innovations Advert_Layout 1 23/08/2021 15:18 Page 27
FEATURE
As a veteran of the building automation software market, I have sat through many presentations about the value of building data and how, in the future, it will all be connected to and managed in the cloud. I have also seen the widespread adoption of cloudbased monitoring, as the number and type of cloud applications available in the market multiplies.
By Chris Irwin, VP Sales EMEA, J2 Innovations
focussed on using such sensors to harvest data which is transmitted, via gateways, to cloud applications to enable businesses to better understand indoor air quality, space utilisation and other aspects of building operation. While this progress is good, as with any new “fashionable” topic or trend, there is much over- hyping of the value of data being stored “in the cloud”. Although there is far too much data languishing on hard drives located on site, inaccessible for analysis, the solution is not just to send everything to the cloud! The solution is to establish open data formats that make the data fully portable and use appropriate application software that can analyse it wherever is most appropriate; either at the edge, or at the enterprise level or in the cloud, to improve building performance and efficiency.
A
Cloud services providers charge according to quantity of data handled and stored, so it is worthwhile considering how much site data needs to be sent to the Cloud and how much can be simply accessed on site when required. Clearly if one wants to compare the performance of equipment items or energy consumption across various buildings then such data must be sent to the cloud for such analysis. But for some analytics such as fault detection of a stuck valve or damper, the rules will require a high sampling rate and can be easily run in an edge device on site. It is unnecessary to send 10 second interval data up to the cloud to make such a diagnostic evaluation. If detailed site data such as zone temperatures can be easily accessed remotely via the Cloud, then this doesn’t need to be stored at Cloud level. Whilst sometimes there is a good case that remote management of devices could be simpler and most appropriate, the idea of running PID loop control of an AHU or determining pump changeover routines from the Cloud doesn’t offer any advantage; having at least some control logic on site makes more sense
Managing the Edge
t the same time, the range of low- cost wireless devices capable of collecting useful data about buildings and equipment has expanded dramatically. Many companies now offer services
BSEE
Cloud vs Edge management – why not have both?
Since a building is an entity with boundaries and a set of equipment and devices necessary for its operation, it is logical for it to have its own management in terms of automation systems. I will call this the “Edge Manager”. The problem with buildings is that the Edge Manager has not been smart enough or easy enough to use (until now), so many buildings are being run sub-optimally. Many automation systems currently installed in buildings were designed and installed before the age of ubiquitous computing; their software was not designed to enable integration of IoT devices. This is one reason why new IoT providers include “IoT gateways” in their proposition, to get the data off- site, quite separately from the remote connection used to manage the automation system. Unfortunately, this situation provides yet another example of how the market is siloed, with each application and vendor offering separate solutions that do not easily communicate.
It makes more sense to have an Edge Manager on-site capable of managing the automation system AND handling the IoT data as well. Not only will this enable a single connection for all data transmission northbound to the Cloud, but it also enables data sharing to achieve building optimisation locally and avoid unnecessary duplication of sensors.
One of the original drivers for sending data up to the Cloud was that the cost of implementing edge analytics was prohibitively high due to the cost of processing power and memory. Over the last decade, however, the cost of the required electronics (both processors and memory) has fallen*. It is now feasible to run even video tracking analytics, which is way more demanding than automation analytics, on something as inexpensive as a Raspberry Pi computer, which costs less than $35.
We have reached a point where the cost of packaging the electronics and getting the box to site and installed is far more important than the cost of the electronics necessary to achieve a useful Edge management. It makes little sense to install multiple IoT gateways that are only capable of passing wireless sensor data up to a cloud app when you can install one Edge Manager that will handle all the sensors and the existing automation system functions. This easier, more efficient solution is only a few dollars more than a basic gateway. Although the cost of the equipment is comparable to other solutions, the cost of on-site deployment is where proponents of cloud-based solutions have had a stronger argument. The expertise required to integrate multiple systems and devices is in short supply and sending such people to site is not usually cost-effective. Plus, the cost of maintaining the on-site management device is perceived as higher than if the application software is all run at cloud level. Imagine a world in which the Edge Manager can be fully configured remotely from anywhere, is automatically upgradeable from a cloud server, and if it fails the hardware platform can be simply unplugged and replaced, with a software back-up image automatically restored from a cloud server. In this world, Edge Management of buildings provides resilience since one is not dependent on cloud connectivity for the day-to-day control and optimisation of the building. Only the data necessary for higher level analytics and reporting is sent northbound to the whichever cloud service being used.
The technology to deliver such Edge Manager solutions already exists; visit
J2inn.com to find out more.
*
www.7dayshop.com/blog/ cost-memory-cards-falls- 100-times-10-years/
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BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2021 27
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