BSEE BUILDING CONTROLS
For years, wireless sensors have been used for building control, however, maintenance battery replacement is too costly for professional building sensing solutions. But Graham Martin, CEO and Chairman of EnOcean Alliance, says that today, it’s possible to have wireless, batteryless solutions powered from kinetic energy, light or temperature differential.
‘
Buildings in which occupants do not pay for the energy bill directly – hotels, hospitals, schools, offices, government, industrial and retail – waste the most energy and therefore provide the highest savings potential and lowest ROI timeframes.
’
The need for energy management in buildings is becoming more critical as electricity prices rise. And with an increasing amount of energy coming from renewable sources, this means there is a need for more efficient methods of energy usage.
M
Buildings play a key role as they consume high levels of energy and therefore demand the integration of innovative technologies that can be installed easily and at a fast ROI, providing significant energy savings. Due to their highly flexible characteristics, the adoption of wireless automation solutions is gaining a growing presence in the building sector. If as many sensors and switches as possible are to be available, cable- bound systems are hardly suitable. It would be too complex and inflexible to equip each sensor with its own line. Radio systems are far superior to cable- based solutions.
Smoke detectors, sensors for presence, temperature, air quality and light or switch
Without cable constraint, these systems can be installed exactly where they are really needed. At the same time, the flexibility to retrofit the system with new products and additional sensors without having to break walls has been maintained.
Paying the price for batteries
If no external storm is supplied, most of the products rely on batteries to produce the necessary energy for sensors and switches. This could result in a time-consuming maintenance effort. Just imagine a hotel that has more than 1,000 radios installed with every sensor and switch requiring a battery. Implementing battery-powered wireless solutions results in considerable expense when proper disposal and replacement of batteries are factored in.
These costs for battery replacement are a significant disadvantage to the growth of wireless, battery-powered sensor networks, opening the door to energy harvesting wireless technology.
Energy out of the air for wireless communication
Energy harvesting wireless modules gain their power from the surrounding environment and therefore work without batteries. There is a variety of sources – an electro-dynamic energy converter uses mechanical motion, or a miniaturised solar module generates energy from indoor light. Combining a thermoelectric converter with a DC/DC converter taps heat as an energy source. These small amounts of harvested energy are sufficient to transmit a wireless signal and enable operation of numerous maintenance-free sensor and actuator units. This includes batteryless switches, intelligent window handles, temperature, humidity and light sensors, as well as occupancy sensors, relay receivers and control centres.
The EnOcean radio protocol uses the 868 MHz frequency band as sub 1 GHz radio waves have an ideal penetration within buildings. RF reliability is assured because wireless signals are just 0.7 milliseconds in duration and
uSelf‐powered radio components use the energy from the environment and operate without batteries. A small energy converter in a radio switch, for example, converts the movement of the pushing pressure into energy for a radio signal which controls light or blinds.
Advertising: 01622 699116 Editorial: 01354 461430
WIRELESS AUTOMATION Batteryless sensing in buildings
illions of batteryless wireless sensors already operate in buildings around the world measuring data and communicating with an intelligent system – saving up to 40% of energy and a significant percentage of installation costs.
are transmitted multiple times for redundancy. The range of energy harvesting wireless sensors is about 100-300m free air to 10-50m in buildings dependant on their structure.
The 868 MHz modules allow for integration into very small product enclosures.
Interference from co- located devices, such as light ballasts and LED drivers, is at a minimum. This enables an effective, robust wireless platform for applications in the building automation sector. Each module comes with a unique 32-bit ID to exclude any possibility of overlap with other wireless sensors and allow for a simple install.
uEnOcean energy converter, which gains energy from motion.
Realising high saving potential
Based on this energy harvesting wireless technology, an intelligent automated system can be realised by interconnecting automated thermostats, wireless ventilation, window contacts, humidity sensors, occupancy sensors and CO2 sensors. These are just a few of the products available to give climate control in a building.
In an intelligent automation system, for example, a room controller receives information related to temperature, humidity, window position or CO2 from the respective sensors, and controls the distribution of warm and cool air in a room. At the same time, the room controller sends information to a building controller. This automation calculates the demand as a function of outdoor temperature and flow temperature to control energy generation.
Buildings in which occupants do not pay for the energy bill directly – hotels, hospitals, schools, offices, government, industrial and retail – waste the most energy and therefore provide the highest savings potential and lowest ROI timeframes.
That said, occupancy-based HVAC and lighting control, and monitoring systems integrating energy harvesting wireless technology can save installation costs of more than 30 percent in new construction and up to 70 percent in retrofits, as well as help reduce energy consumption by 20 up to 40 percent in buildings, often with an ROI within three years or less. To illustrate, if a sensor detects that a room or area is no longer occupied, lights can be automatically switched off and the HVAC systems automatically setback, saving an average of 30 percent energy compared to a non-automated system. Alternatively, if enough natural sunlight is entering a room then lights can be automatically programmed to dim or switch off completely. In a typical building scenario, particularly in hotels, a window/balcony door sensor is used to detect an open window. A signal is then sent to the ventilation unit to automatically reduce heating or cooling, or shut it off completely in the space until the window is closed. Installing individual room or area temperature monitoring and control can save up to 30 percent in HVAC energy consumption alone.
Flexible solutions crossing standards
The EnOcean Alliance has created an ecosystem of more than 400 member companies around energy harvesting wireless solutions and end products to establish the batteryless technology as a worldwide standard for sustainable buildings. For interoperability requirements, the EnOcean Alliance has developed standardised application profiles (EnOcean Equipment Profiles, EEP), which ensure that devices from different vendors can work together in a system.
Batteryless solutions can also be easily connected to all systems that communicate over WiFi, as well as over Ethernet/IP, KNX, BACnet or LON via gateways. Energy harvesting wireless solutions can also be combined with other protocols to provide an optimised system for individual requirements. This brings together the benefits of two or more worlds and allows energy harvesting wireless solutions to work together with several building automation systems.
Energy harvesting wireless solutions allow you to network an increasingly large number of individual wireless nodes or sensors that can communicate with long-range wireless networks. That way, users can combine the flexibility and zero maintenance of batteryless devices with the benefits of other existing, established standards.
https://www.enocean.com/en/ 12 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2017 VISIT OUR WEBSITE:
www.bsee.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220 |
Page 221 |
Page 222 |
Page 223 |
Page 224 |
Page 225 |
Page 226 |
Page 227 |
Page 228 |
Page 229 |
Page 230 |
Page 231 |
Page 232 |
Page 233 |
Page 234 |
Page 235 |
Page 236 |
Page 237 |
Page 238 |
Page 239 |
Page 240 |
Page 241 |
Page 242 |
Page 243 |
Page 244 |
Page 245 |
Page 246 |
Page 247 |
Page 248 |
Page 249 |
Page 250 |
Page 251 |
Page 252 |
Page 253 |
Page 254 |
Page 255 |
Page 256 |
Page 257 |
Page 258 |
Page 259 |
Page 260 |
Page 261 |
Page 262 |
Page 263 |
Page 264 |
Page 265 |
Page 266 |
Page 267 |
Page 268 |
Page 269 |
Page 270 |
Page 271 |
Page 272 |
Page 273 |
Page 274 |
Page 275 |
Page 276 |
Page 277 |
Page 278 |
Page 279 |
Page 280 |
Page 281 |
Page 282 |
Page 283 |
Page 284 |
Page 285 |
Page 286 |
Page 287 |
Page 288 |
Page 289 |
Page 290 |
Page 291 |
Page 292 |
Page 293 |
Page 294 |
Page 295 |
Page 296 |
Page 297 |
Page 298 |
Page 299 |
Page 300 |
Page 301 |
Page 302 |
Page 303 |
Page 304 |
Page 305 |
Page 306 |
Page 307 |
Page 308 |
Page 309 |
Page 310 |
Page 311 |
Page 312 |
Page 313 |
Page 314 |
Page 315 |
Page 316 |
Page 317 |
Page 318 |
Page 319 |
Page 320 |
Page 321 |
Page 322 |
Page 323 |
Page 324 |
Page 325 |
Page 326 |
Page 327 |
Page 328 |
Page 329 |
Page 330 |
Page 331 |
Page 332 |
Page 333 |
Page 334 |
Page 335 |
Page 336 |
Page 337 |
Page 338 |
Page 339 |
Page 340 |
Page 341 |
Page 342 |
Page 343 |
Page 344 |
Page 345 |
Page 346 |
Page 347 |
Page 348 |
Page 349 |
Page 350 |
Page 351 |
Page 352 |
Page 353 |
Page 354 |
Page 355 |
Page 356 |
Page 357 |
Page 358 |
Page 359 |
Page 360 |
Page 361 |
Page 362 |
Page 363 |
Page 364 |
Page 365 |
Page 366 |
Page 367 |
Page 368 |
Page 369 |
Page 370 |
Page 371 |
Page 372 |
Page 373 |
Page 374 |
Page 375 |
Page 376