Services that can interact with one another offer the potential for buildings that are more comfortable and use less energy. Jeremy Aston examines the advantages of integrated building-services solutions.

EnTech continues to win work at the MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays. The company is a member of the KNX UK Association and was originally awarded the contract by NG Bailey to design and commission a KNX intelligent building solution for the three BBC buildings in the development. It gives the BBC full control over the lighting in these buildings. Now, EnTech has also been awarded the contract for the maintenance of Building C, which was completed and handed over in September last year.

BG Controls has installed the intelligent building-management system for the newly built Gainsborough Educational Village. It brings together four old schools in the town into a single facility that is shared by two schools. They are Trent Valley Academy to provide secondary education for 1200 mainstream pupils and the Aegir Community School, with 112 pupils.

Making information about a building’s energy consumption available to those who work in it will help to bring down energy use. Anders Norén, shares his views on how a fairer model of energy management can act as a springboard for behavioural change programmes.

Legrand’s lighting-management solution can pay for itself within 18 months. The system is easy to install and incorporates three different sensors and a choice of two remote configurators, making it applicable for all kinds of commercial establishments. Such control can reduce energy consumption by at least 30% by turning off lights in unoccupied spaces.

ATC Semitec’s SP series of high-precision NTC thermistors are said to have a significantly lower price than other ‘interchangeable’ NTC thermistors — enabling a wider range of users to achieve more accurate temperature control and, thus, more comfortable and energy-efficient environments.

WindowMaster has appointed Ivory Egg as a reseller of selected products. Ivory Egg is an independent wholesaler of products for building automation systems that conform to the KNX standard and will initially be stocking WindowMaster’s NV Comfort range and associated actuators and KNX power supplies. This indoor climate solution is designed for small and medium-sized buildings.

The Health & Safety Executive has warned those with a responsibility to maintain and service gas appliances in schools and other public buildings that they must have a robust gas safety management system in place. What does this mean in practice? Chris Dearden, managing director of Medem (UK), explains

SC Controls, the commercial division for SeaChange controls products in the Ener-G group, has developed an e-learning educational package for schools and the education sector. The software can collect live data from an onsite SeaChange control system via the school’s IT network. Students will be able to experiment with live values and develop a better understanding of their environment.

Hager has joined the KNX UK Association as a manufacturer member with its Tebis bus-based building-services control system, which is interoperable with over 2000 approved KNX products from more than 150 manufactures.

ALC Lighting Controls has created a bespoke lighting management system for Aquinas College in Stockport to achieve high energy efficiency and the flexibility to accommodate different activities in the space through the day. This Catholic sixth-form college accommodates some 1800 students. A key element of the lighting-control specification by consulting engineers Gifford Manchester was the ability to adapt to variable occupancy, such as facilities being used by the local community in the evenings, while optimising efficiency.

Given the potential benefits of the interoperability of building controls from different manufacturers, the Building Controls Industry Association offers guidance on its effective delivery.

A wireless controller from Danfoss for wet underfloor heating systems can provide individual room or floor temperature control, with the option of wireless remote control. Based on Z-wave 2-way wireless technology, the CF2 system is easy and quick to install, commission and service.

The average of 7 m of cabling associated with sensors in a building-management system quickly add to the cost and time of installing such systems. Andreas Schneider looks at the many benefits of wireless, self-powered devices.

A condensed version of its energy-management suite has been launched by eSight. Called eSight Essential, it is extremely intuitive to install and use and highlights the excessive and wasteful use of energy — enabling organisations to reduce their energy spend, improve efficiency and lower CO2 emissions.

The steady expansion of Cambridge University’s BEMS over the last few years using the campus-wide IT network has already brought major benefits — and will continue to do so as the rolling programme of control upgrades continues.

Standard Life’s new 8-storey, 9000 m2 development at Old Bailey in London has a building-management system designed for multi-tenancy occupancy, with up to two tenants on each floor. Designed and installed by Integrated Control Systems, the system incorporates extensive monitoring of chilled and low-temperature water, gas and electricity via a LON interface to provide data for tenant billing.

Clarkson Controls has recently completed the installation of an Elesta composite building-management system for the new 3-storey Sikh temple at Leamington Spa. The nature of the various activities in the temple mean that its occupancy can vary from fewer than 10 people to several thousand, so the demands for heating and ventilation vary enormously.

Switchtec’s Anly range of timers for mounting on DIN rails are compact and multi-functional, enabling panel builders and equipment manufacturers to build more intelligent control panels. The H3D-M single-pole changeover timer, for example, has seven output modes (on delay, on pulse, delay off, off pulse, on pulse, cyclic pause start and cyclic pulse start).

Just when you might have thought that the building-controls market had peaked comes growth of well over 20% overall — according to the latest figures from the Building Controls Industry Association.

Modern variable-speed drives can become an integral part of a building-management system — and eliminate the need for motor control panels. John Reid describes the realities.

The LON communication protocol has a history stretching back about 15 years, and is firmly placed as a control technology for future generations, as Ron Bernstein explains.

An ocean liner arrives at the City Cruise Terminal in Southampton about 60 times a year, but when it does the terminal needs to be ready for hundreds or even thousands of passengers to disembark and others to join the ship.

The INVent controller for Monodraught’s Sola-boost natural-ventilation system can control up to four zones and includes connections for sensors for temperature, rain, carbon-dioxide and windspeed/weather. Other features include a built-in BMS fault signal alarm, heating interlock/occupancy facility, fire service keyswitch over-ride facility and interconnection with a fire alarm to automatically close dampers in response to an alarm.

Honeywell’s Enterprise Buildings Integrators (EBI) working with LonWorks technology links building-management systems with financial and personnel records and supply chain of Italy’s leading financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore in its new headquarters in Milan.

A simple and cost-effective way of presenting real-time data for electricity consumption, carbon emissions and costs is provided by PRI’s Scroller for XP.

Electrical-accessory manufacturer Crabtree has developed a range of KNX switches as part of its Platinum range. The KNX control protocol is embedded in these switches, so they can communicate using the KNX bus to a host of other devices such as sensors, actuators and smart controllers.

To avoid problems with temperature sensors caused by the ingress of moisture, especially at the interface between the lead and the sensor, ATC Semitec has developed a range of TPE-encapsulated sensors with leads and sensors of the same material to create a waterproof barrier rated to IP68 and capable of operation at up to 105°C.

The ability of KNX intelligent-building technology to integrate and manage many different building-services functions and systems is fully exploited in a multi-purpose commercial headquarters building in Cheshire. Forum House was built three years ago and provides 3000 m2 of space on two floors.

The xitec processor from TridonicAtco is the latest in a line of intelligent ballasts to follow the successful ASIC generations. It is based on two decades of technology and knowledge producing dimmable and non-dimmable ballasts and offers sophisticated functionality for lamp and lighting management.

Sontay has added a new series of gas sensors and a water detection alarm to its product offering. They provide a valuable addition to a building-management system.