INDUSTRY NEWS
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Time to get connected
ommercial and industrial heating systems need to ‘get connected’ if they are to meet the needs and expectations of the smart
buildings of the future and their occupants. Ross Anderson, director of ICOM, explains There can be little doubt that buildings and their services are getting ‘smarter’ – or at least have the potential to do so. Building controls clearly have a key role to play in achieving this, assuming the right level of connectivity is in place – in the plant room and beyond. Certainly, being ‘smart’ depends on being connected and in an
increasingly connected world commercial and industrial heating systems can’t afford to get left behind. With domestic systems, where connectivity is developing rapidly, there
is typically a single appliance controlled through a single protocol – so control is relatively simple. In commercial and industrial heating systems there may be many interconnected heat sources and components, each with their own onboard controls. Trying to harmonise all these control protocols can be a recipe for poor performance – whereas a common protocol for all devices will deliver ‘joined up’ performance.
EEBus and the Internet of Things To that end, a protocol called EEBus has been developed with a view to providing one global language for devices to communicate with each other about energy, and that this language should be freely available to all manufacturers and system developers. EEBus is designed to give energy-consuming devices the widest possible interoperability in the Internet of Things (IoT) and with commercial and industrial heating systems there are a number of ways in which wider connectivity can deliver benefits for end users. For example, weather compensation using local weather sensors can
be broadened by connecting to more distant weather sensors and digital weather forecasting services. This enables the system to ‘look further ahead’ in order to fine-tune the performance. The IoT can also enable more precise control of heating based on
parameters within the building, such as occupancy. For instance, the occupancy sensors embedded in most modern lighting systems could be used to predict future internal heat gains from changing occupancy levels. Indeed, some ‘smarter’ sensors can determine how many people are working at computers and therefore adding more to internal heat gains. These examples illustrate the growing use of the lighting
infrastructure, which is already embedded throughout the building, as a data highway for other types of data. Thus, it reinforces the need for common protocols that can be used across all energy-consuming services, not just the HVAC systems but also in the control of services such as lighting and blinds – as these all have an impact on internal comfort levels and the building’s energy performance.
Getting connected For all of these reasons we can expect to see much higher levels of connectivity between heating systems and other services, making better use of many different data sources to make heating systems more responsive and more efficient. Therefore, there are strong incentives for the commercial and industrial building services industry to not just embrace connectivity but take a pro-active stance in promoting it.
Energy Association ICOM ICOM 8 July 2017
CIC SURVEY SEEKS INDUSTRY INSIGHT
T
he Construction Industry Council (CIC) 2050 Group has launched a major new survey -
'Looking towards an evolving construction industry' - with the aim of gaining an on-the-ground perspective of the inspirations and challenges of working in the construction and built environment industry. It invites professionals across all disciplines and of all ages and stages in their careers to participate, and in doing so will provide an insider’s view of the perception and aspirations for a successful industry and working environment. Since the previous survey in 2014,
there have been major changes affecting the industry; this survey will provide a snapshot into current views around Brexit, climate change action and job satisfaction within the built environment. Eoin Burns, CIC 2050 Group
representative said of the survey: “The last survey provided great
insight into the industry and its people, what motivates them and what the concerns of the time were. Revisiting these questions and looking at new issues will help the industry to understand how we can continue to change the industry for the better. We hope the results of this survey will continue to provoke discussion and debate, and to highlight key areas for change and action. This is an important piece of work, depending on wide participation. We encourage everyone to participate.”
The survey will enable individuals
to express views on whether they find the built environment an inspirational industry to work in. It will also guide the Group in its strategic planning for future activities, and its findings will inform a report which will be circulated among senior industry figures and the main industry bodies via the Construction Industry Council. When completed, the report will be published and available free online to download.
FIRMS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE T
he 'Construction Cancer Coalition’ is working with
Macmillan Cancer Support to raise awareness of cancer within the sector. Macmillan Cancer Support is uniting with six companies from the building and construction sector, to raise awareness of cancer and encourage men to get support. The campaign will build on the success of last year’s inaugural campaign which saw Macmillan bring together companies from the industry to improve the health and wellbeing of their male workforce. Following the campaign, the charity has had a continued presence in the industry in the form of ‘Macmillan Neighbours’, employees from the sector who have volunteered to be trained to provide cancer support to their colleagues. This year’s campaign signals a continuing commitment from the industry to put aside commercial differences to support their staff. Meanwhile, Polypipe has confirmed a three-year partnership with Armed
Forces charity Help for Heroes, which will see the manufacturer of plastic piping, rainwater systems, and underfloor heating help raise funds to support those with injuries and illnesses sustained while serving in the British Armed Forces. This new partnership reflects the longstanding connection between the British Armed Forces and the UK construction industry. Polypipe will raise funds for Help for Heroes through a variety of initiatives. As well as raising money to support the work of Help for Heroes, Polypipe will be helping veterans to re-enter the workforce on their return from service.
www.heatingandventilating.net
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