In the spring of 2016 DBS Engineering commissioned ComfortClick, the company behind bOS software, the first building operating system, to automate their air dome in Finland.
Air domes are a popular solution for covering sports’ arenas such as football fields and tennis courts. They are designed for sports’ activities throughout the year, regardless of the weather. ComfortClick was requested to provide a complete automation system that would include:
· Automatic lighting control according to the internal and external brightness conditions.
· Heating regulation according to internal and external temperature.
· Constant air pressure inside the air dome. It’s a very important feature, since the air pressure keeps the walls up. If the air pressure drops, automatic notifications (email, SMS, push notification) should be send to the maintenance personnel and the siren inside the dome should go off.
· Automatic fan speed control.
· Toxic gas and smoke detection alerts.
· Preset lighting and heating scenarios for scheduled bookings of the air dome.
· Energy consumption monitoring (electricity, oil and hot water).
· Video surveillance (IP cameras).
The client also requested that all integrated systems had to be easily controlled from a wall panel and remotely from different mobile devices. “My idea was to have a fully automated air dome, a real smart dome,” said Danijel Serec, DBS Engineering’ CEO.
According to the project specification, the team decided to integrate the systems in the air dome using KNX and Modbus. For controlling and automation of the whole solution ComfortClick choose their new KNX server Jigsaw. Jigsaw was the best option since it comes with integrated KNX interface and has a DIN rail mounted casing. It provides flexibility for possible future upgrades - in addition to KNX and Modbus, Jigsaw supports also Z-Wave, DSC alarm, IP video cameras, Global Caché, IRTrans, Kodi, Sonos, SMA Solar Technologies, IP intercoms and TCP/IP devices. Preinstalled bOS software includes free bOS Client apps for iOS, Android and Windows which can be installed on as many mobile devices as needed.
Space in the electrical cabinet was another concern for DBS Engineering. The idea was that electrical cabinet should be small, therefore the size of equipment in the cabinet had to take as little space as possible. ComfortClick’ decision to use Jigsaw, where KNX interface and 100-240V power supply are integrated in one box, enabled so much needed space savings. Together with its DIN rail mounted casing the installation in the electrical cabinet was simple and efficient.
"Over the years ComfortClick acquired in-depth insights from each individual project and has implemented this know-how in the development process of bOS software and ComfortClick servers. We see Jigsaw as the sharpest KNX server, it’s a smart device for smart buildings. We will continue to develop products which will add value for both system integrators and end users,” said Luka Persic, CEO of ComfortClick.
An important request for the air dome project was also simple and intuitive user interface which would look the same on all mobile devices. bOS GUI features trendy flat design concept, offering attractive and intuitive look and feel. The fully customizable GUI sets bOS apart from other solutions. Complete design flexibility enables users to choose their own colors, icons, photos and layouts of the building. In the case of the air dome, ComfortClick used the photo of the interior and dome’s layout as background for the buttons and different controls.
"The project turned out to be a complete success,” said Danijel Serec. “Right now we estimate up to 20% total energy savings using the smart dome system powered by Jigsaw.” Since Jigsaw is running things automatically, less maintenance work is required which results also in lower personnel costs.
In addition to Jigsaw, ComfortClick offers two other Controllers. Grinder is an ideal fit for larger residential houses or small offices, whereas Sledgehammer is perfect for big projects such as apartment buildings, hotels and hospitals. Like Jigsaw, all the others ComfortClick Controllers come with bOS PRO Comfort License.
You can check more about the Jigsaw server and bOS software on the company’s web site. By installing the software you will receive a fully functional version, which will enable you to test it with your building automation projects. For more information visit:
www.comfortclick.com, contact us via email
info@comfortclick.com , skype: comfortclick or call on + 386 1 510 15 60. During Jigsaw launch campaign ComfortClick is offering an “Early Bird” discount.