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Light+Building 2010: automation technology ensures intelligent systems integration (15/2/2010)

Building automation is the key to greater energy efficiency

Energy efficiency is the catchword. Only by making maximum use of the efficiency potential in all areas of application will it be possible to meet current and future demands for an environmentally and resource friendly energy supply. Naturally, these areas of applications include buildings, which are responsible for consuming around 40 % of total primary energy. High standards of insulation, modern household equipment and the use of efficient technology for heating, air-conditioning and lighting are just a few of the methods for reducing energy consumption whereby intelligent building automation plays a key role in energy-efficient and comfortable building usage.

Automation technology is an integrating element that ensures optimum systems integration. The world’s leading suppliers from all fields of house and building automation will provide information about current options, new products and systems, as well as tomorrow’s trends, at Light+Building – the World’s Leading Trade Fair for Architecture and Technology – in Frankfurt am Main from 11 to 16 April 2010.

There is an enormous amount of work to be done in the building sector where almost two thirds of the energy used is consumed by dwellings and a good third by buildings used by the commercial, industrial and service sectors. The bulk of energy is needed for heating and hot water. However, ventilation, air-conditioning, process heat, lighting, entertainment electronics and information technology also take their toll in addition to cooking, washing and refrigeration.

As the key to energy-efficient operation, building-automation systems not only optimise and control the various functions but also increase the well-being of users. The basis of these systems are intelligent products that can communicate with each other, open bus systems and regulatory and control systems. Moreover, user-friendly operating interfaces aid the integration of security technology or communication and entertainment electronics. Entire buildings can be monitored and controlled via easy-to-use terminals or even via PCs, laptops and mobile phones. And the high degree of flexibility facilitates the adaptations necessary with increasing age.

Thus, on the one hand, automation technology helps to reduce the energy required for heating and cooling at the same time as, on the other hand, increasing the degree of comfort, well-being and security (fire protection and burglary) enjoyed by building users. Intelligent living and working presupposes a future-oriented electrical / electronic infrastructure, e.g., bus systems that link household systems (heating, ventilation, lighting, shadowing, etc.), security systems and multi-media equipment via cable, radio, power line or the internet (IP), such as those to be seen at Light+Building.

Early provision – in the planning phase – should be made for flexible networks, e.g., installation channels, empty ducts and cables. The mode of operation and interaction of the individual devices is determined by the software. The result is a flexible system that can be used with all engineering disciplines, as well as easily expanded or adapted to take account of new requirements. Furthermore, flexibility is an important argument for the property business, especially with regard to changes in the use to which the building is put. It can also be helpful when it comes to certifying the building, e.g., with a seal of quality for sustainable construction. Lower operating costs combined with increased levels of comfort mean better chances for renting or selling the building.

The networked and intelligent control of building systems can bring about a significant reduction in energy consumption in both new and existing buildings. Studies of conventional office buildings reveal potential savings of up to 25 percent for heating, up to 40 percent for air-conditioning and as much as 60 percent for lighting. The bigger and more complex the building, the greater are the potential savings. An energy-management system aids building operation and helps evaluate additional potential. Scientific studies and simulations emphasise that, in comparison to building insulation, the use of modern building-automation systems permit significant energy savings with much shorter amortisation periods.

In private dwellings, too, intelligent systems provide greater security, convenience and energy efficiency through, for example, a lighting control system using light sensors, a variety of pre-programmed lighting scenarios and a panic function. The heating is reduced when the windows are open, all roller blinds closed if required and all electrical consumers not needed, e.g., hobs, coffee machines and irons, switched off – a positive contribution to safety, and not only in the case of older people.

Experts predict that the population of the world will increase by a third to nine billion people by 2050 – and with it the level of energy consumption. Automation systems will play a vital role in buildings to take account of the growing demands for a sustainable energy supply. At Light+Building in Frankfurt from 11 to 16 April 2010, around 150 exhibitors will present solutions in the field of house and building automation in Hall 9.1. In addition, there will be some 450 companies from the electrical-engineering sector in Hall 8 and, for the first time, Hall 11. Building automation has a key role to play with regard to both the modernisation of energy systems and the operation of ‘green buildings’.

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