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BSEE


oday’s smart controllers can produce significant savings and energy efficiencies for heating, cooling and hot water provision. Furthermore, the HVAC industry is being pressed by Government to achieve the tough UK 2050 carbon targets, a major decarbonisation of heat production in the construction sector is required.


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With increasing demand from consumers for everything to be available via their smart devices, coupled with rapid advances in Internet connectivity, significant advancement in the building controls sector is fast becoming the norm. Neil Bilton, head of key accounts at Panasonic Heating & Cooling, puts forward the view that smart controls have a significant role to play in reducing emissions and energy consumption


uSmart Controllers enable users to manage and monitor their heating, cooling and hot water with an easy­to­use interface


When presenting its energy security package, the European Commission stated, “The heating and cooling of buildings in industry equates to half the energy consumption of the EU.”* Therefore, the utilisation of smart controls in reducing energy consumption is of primary importance. With IoT (Internet of Things) enabling data to be available at the right time and in the right place, the use of technology and the Internet has been heavily integrated into our lives and daily routines. Thanks to advances in Internet connectivity, the capabilities of smart devices are increasing at a rapid rate, with significant implications on heating, cooling and hot water controls for commercial and domestic users.


The increased accessibility of systems can help building energy managers reduce their costs and energy consumption by monitoring the operation for each unit, the overall energy efficiency, indicating maintenance issues and exposing developing faults.


Systems can now remotely monitor the suction and discharge pressure of a unit to help reduce system down time, thus ensuring that they have a heating, cooling and hot water system that suits their individual daily needs.


Sensor technology


Most recently, state-of-the-art, wireless sensors are available to detect the presence or absence of occupants, and the opening and closing of doors and windows within buildings to achieve the most efficient energy management for exceptional efficiency and energy savings. The Panasonic VRF Smart Controller is one such product where the manufacturer teamed up with Schneider Electric to offer high-quality occupancy control and automatic IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) with the added benefit of built in PIR, humidity, and CO2 sensors to aid in providing greater energy savings and comfort, as well as simple installation, operation and running costs.


New wireless interface solutions are being introduced to the industry that


enables direct serial communication between building management systems and room controllers. This integration allows building owners and managers to view all of their core building systems, including HVAC equipment, lighting, security, power and electrical distribution anytime and anywhere via a single interface, and delivers actionable insights to reduce energy consumption and drive savings.


Exciting times lay ahead for the industry, with lead manufacturers investing heavily in commercial and residential air conditioning products, as well as support services, to fully address customers’ needs to deliver additional benefits in building energy management through partnerships such as Panasonic and Schneider Electric. By combining the power of building management with cutting- edge VRF technology, end users are further able to reduce capital and operating expenditures and reach new levels of sustainability. To fully receive the business benefits that advanced internet-connected heating and hot water systems offer, end users need to be made aware of this new smart technology by their installers. Smart controls integrated with domestic and commercial heating systems can offer end users a more comprehensive, flexible heating, cooling and hot water solution that meets their exact requirements. To take full advantage of the business growth opportunities presented by smart control technologies, the plumbing and heating industry need to fully embrace the innovative and disruptive control technologies that are coming to market which will help analyse and improve the system performance.


Better remote access


Historically, control functionality has been an issue for heating and hot water systems. Setting up and programming heating, cooling and hot water schedules has often proven difficult for end users, and many people struggle to adjust their schedules once they have set it up. Typically, control systems are also only accessible from a fixed point in the home or commercial space, and the interface can be difficult for users without technical experience of heating systems to operate. It is crucial for installers offering smart control systems that the interface enables users to adapt and optimise their heating and cooling systems to suit their specific requirements. End users who want to control their heating and cooling through an interface that replicates the intuitive services they use on the web or in apps on their smart phones. Smart Controllers enable users to manage and monitor their heating, cooling and hot water with an easy to use interface that can be accessed via any web-enabled device, including Android and iOS applications and Internet browsers.


Users can easily adjust the temperature in two different zones and view the current room temperature in that zone. This enables users to eliminate unnecessary heating


SMART BUILDINGS A smart tech future for energy efficient buildings


uUsers can easily adjust the temperature in two different zones and view the current room temperature in that zone


when a zone is unoccupied and can therefore reduce energy


consumption. Additionally, it is possible to change the temperature of the hot water supplied by their system from their remote device.


Using technology that intelligent room controllers are able to offer, users can access a detailed breakdown of the system’s energy consumption on a daily, weekly, monthly or annual basis. This can help end-users compare space utilisation and adjust the system to turn off during quiet periods, so that energy is not wasted heating the home or office space when it is unoccupied. It is crucial for installers to draw attention to this added value that a smart control system can offer, if their businesses are to benefit from the IoT revolution.


Remote access will also enable installers to offer on-going maintenance contracts to their customers from a remote location. Maintenance teams can be engaged in predictive fine-tuning which keeps the heating, cooling and hot water system operating at its optimum level for longer. This minimises the likelihood of a system break-down by anticipating maintenance and means a longer lifespan for the system. Installers will also be able to respond more quickly to faults and issues, keeping the end user completely satisfied with their heating systems.


The future


We are only beginning to see what is possible with innovative heating, cooling and hot water control. Throughout 2019 and beyond, the industry is set to see new services added to this type of intelligent control system making them even more attractive to end-users. The aim is to provide end-users with an environmentally friendly, comfortable, efficient and intuitive comfort control solution. Breakthrough innovations and partnerships such as Panasonic and Schneider Electric are examples of the steps being taken towards reaching this aim.


www.aircon.panasonic.eu/GB_en *http://Europa.eu/rapid/press-release IP-16-207 en.htm 20 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER MARCH 2019 Read the latest at: www.bsee.co.uk


uThe Panasonic VRF Smart Controller is an example of where the manufacturer teamed up with Schneider Electric to offer high­ quality occupancy control and automatic IAQ





It is crucial for


installers offering smart control systems that the interface enables users to adapt and optimise their heating and cooling systems to suit their specific requirements





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