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BUILDING CONTROLS BSEE


BMS CONTROLLERS Is the wring on the wall?


The world around us is changing. We are becoming increasingly more connected to our environment and taking more control over how we interact with it. Sandy Damm, Managing Director at Sontay, explains why this new level of connecvity should be a wakeup call for the building controls sector.


W


e wake up in the morning and the kettle could


already be boiling ready for our first cup of tea. Before


we come home in the evening, we can turn the heating on to ensure the house is warm before we get in. Such control is at our finger tips, every day.


Many of us are now creating smart homes and many of the services are developing in the same way. For example, Sky recently announced that its customers will be able to receive all of its TV channels over fibre-optic broadband instead of via a traditional satellite dish.


This switch over to IP is happening in virtually all areas of our lives. So, why are we not utilising these same capabilities in commercial buildings? The Internet of Things has been discussed within our industry for a while now and I believe now is the time to embrace it.


It’s all about device-to-device communication with control systems using the internet protocol alongside traditional protocols for


communication, such as BACnet and Modbus. Wireless variations of intelligent control devices are becoming much more readily available. This makes it easier to build, extend and increase the range and capabilities of a unified, integrated system.


But it’s not just about devices working together. The IoT world is also about the data that can be accessed. By implementing a truly connected Building Management System (BMS) we can offer end-users so much more in terms of monitoring and analysis to improve energy management, facilitate better maintenance and repair regimes, and help clients use their buildings more efficiently and effectively. Part of creating an IoT connected building is engaging with end-users to ensure they understand how important it is to save energy and save themselves money. As we have seen with the recent ESOS reports, there is not enough interest in taking energy


efficiency measures further than what is mandatory.


All large businesses completed their ESOS reports back in 2015 but what is being done with the findings? How many measures have actually been implemented and what changes will we see before the phase two deadline in December 2019? I wait with interest but in the meantime we all need to shout about the benefits of creating energy efficient and connected buildings.


IP Systems


Many of us within the industry, and I include myself, did not grow up with the level of technology that is around today. There’s a whole generation entering our industry who only know about IP systems. We should take advantage of this knowledge and utilise it.


There are, of course, issues that need to be considered carefully when installing an IP and cloud-based system. Perhaps, the biggest concern is around security. Now that the BMS and IT infrastructure is coming together, it is important for companies to understand who has access, either in-house or remotely, to the BMS and, therefore, the IT network.


A vast amount of data is being collected on the operational conditions of a building, especially from a sensor point of view. So, how do we manage that data? Sensors play a valuable role in the collection of data. They are becoming increasingly smart, measuring, analysing and evaluating all sorts of building performance data and making this information available to the control system. This is extra data that not only needs to be analysed but it also needs to be stored, meaning more data centres are required.


Cloud control


As an industry, we need to move forward with newer and better technology. It does mean that businesses on both sides of the coin need to adapt, which will be a hard process. For instance, the development


of smarter sensing devices means that, in some cases, they will be able to connect directly to the BMS without the need for a controller. In the future we will inevitably be looking to the cloud to be our controller.


Other industries are also making their mark in our space. Just as the building controls sector is entering the sphere of IT, the reverse is also happening. As an example, a recent Niagara forum featured a guest speaker from CISCO – a heavyweight in the world of IT. So, the question is, what will controller manufacturers do?


Will they move fully into the software business and, importantly, who is going to take that leap and be the first to change? We are already seeing many controls manufacturers begin to focus their sales on software rather than hardware but there are definitely more challenges ahead.


The lack of adoption and


understanding of the benefits of the IoT and connected buildings is holding the building controls industry back. There is so much business potential for manufacturers, system integrators and end users to leverage. We need to get behind the opportunity and embrace what these changes bring, or risk being left behind.


www.sontay.com ‘ As an industry,


we need to move forward with newer and beer technology. It does mean that businesses on both sides of the coin need to adapt, which will be a hard process.


’


VISIT OUR WEBSITE: www.bsee.co.uk


BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER JULY 2018 11


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