Partnership to unify fragmented building data.

To boost efficiency and meet growing regulatory and financial requirements

EnOcean and Bember, a specialist in compliance, analytics, and reporting software, have just announced a strategic partnership. By combining their technologies, they aim to address a key challenge in commercial real estate: establishing a scalable and efficient foundation for energy optimization by transforming fragmented building data into reliable insights that support full compliance and ESG standards.

Bridging IT and OT for Real-World Building Performance.
The cooperation combines the battery-free IoT sensor ecosystem and SmartServer platform from EnOcean with Bember’s software for compliance, analytics, and reporting. “The joint solution e

LtoR: Anders Fjærli, CEO, Bember  &
Raoul Wijgergangs, CEO, EnOcean

nables system integrators, building and portfolio owners to advance sustainable building automation,” says Raoul Wijgergangs, CEO of EnOcean GmbH. “By digitally unifying building data, it improves operational performance, reduces energy and CO₂ consumption and helps meet increasing regulatory and financial reporting requirements. A core element of the partnership is the seamless integration of IT and OT domains, which are traditionally siloed in buildings.”

Wireless, battery-free EnOcean sensors and partner eco-system devices provide IT data on occupancy, presence, temperature, CO₂, humidity, and usage patterns. Through EnOcean SmartServer, Bember also gains access to OT data from building automation and control systems, including HVAC operation, energy flows, meters, and control states. By combining sensor-level IT data with operational OT data, the solution delivers a unified, real-world view of how buildings are used and how technical systems actually perform.

“Buildings generate enormous amounts of data, but too often that data remains fragmented and underutilized,” says Wijgergangs. “By combining our battery-free IoT ecosystem and SmartServer platform with Bember’s analytics and compliance expertise, we enable a practical bridge between IT and OT — turning raw building data into actionable insights that supports both operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.”

From Unified Data to Actionable ESG Insight.
Bember structures and contextualizes the combined IT and OT data into sustainability-aligned metrics. The shared data foundation supports AI-based analysis, continuous optimization, and audit-ready data for reporting and control, without duplicating systems or workflows.

“Our focus is on making ESG and regulatory reporting reliable, continuous, and grounded in real operational data,” says Anders Fjærli, CEO of Bember. “Partnering with EnOcean allows us to connect sensor-level insights with building system data at scale, giving building owners and operators a transparent and audit-ready basis for compliance, optimization, and long-term value creation.”

Benefits Across the Building Ecosystem.
The Bember - EnOcean partnership enables system integrators to expand traditional automation projects into scalable digital services, while reducing installation and lifecycle costs through wireless, battery-free sensor technology from EnOcean. Building owners and operators benefit from a single, coherent view of occupancy, indoor climate, energy use, and system performance. Data-driven optimization helps reduce energy consumption and operating costs, while audit-ready data supports reporting towards CSRD/ESRS, EU Taxonomy, SFDR, EPBD, and BREEAM In-Use requirements. With this partnership, EnOcean and Bember address a key challenge in commercial real estate: transforming fragmented building data into reliable insight that supports efficiency, compliance, and scalable portfolio management.

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@EnOcean  #Bember #BMS #Pauto  #Energy

Carbon Dioxide sensor for buildings.

The SCD43 CO₂ sensor, has been launched by Sensirion. Designed for a wide range of applications, the SCD43 delivers precise and reliable measurements, supporting energy-efficient operation, environmental monitoring, and user comfort.

The SCD43 achieves a best-in-class accuracy of ±(30 ppm + 3% m.v.) and meets stringent building standards, including ANSI/ASHRAE 62.1-2022 Draft Addendum d, California Title 24, RESET® Grade B, and WELL v2. It features an extended range up to 5,000 ppm, single-shot operation, and integrated SHT4x humidity and temperature sensing for on-chip compensation. 

Built on Sensirion’s proven SCD4x platform, it uses photoacoustic NDIR technology in a compact, fully encapsulated 10.1 × 10.1 × 6.5 mm³ package, SMD solderable and tape-and-reel ready.

The sensor is robust, long-lasting, and easy to integrate, with on-chip self-calibration, long-term drift compensation, multiple power modes, and a digital I²C interface. Its small footprint and reliable performance make it suitable for a variety of designs and environments.

The SCD43 is particularly suited for commercial or residential HVAC systems, wall-mounted thermostats, air purifiers, and indoor air quality monitors, providing accurate CO₂ measurements to maintain energy efficiency, comfort, and healthy indoor environments.

Key features Photoacoustic NDIR sensing technology Small footprint of 10.1 × 10.1 × 6.5 mm3 Fully encapsulated sensor package SMD solderable, tape & reel packaging On-chip compensation and self-calibration Supply voltage range of 2.4–5.5 V Multiple operation and reduced power modes Digital I2C interface

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@sensirion #Environment #PAuto

Sustainable, energy-efficient buildings.

Supporting the decarbonization of Europe’s built environment through advanced electrification and automation technologies

A new collaboration with the World Green Building Council’s (WorldGBC) European Regional Network (ERN), aimed at advancing sustainable, energy-efficient building practices across Europe has been announced by ABB's Smart Buildings Division.

The group has joined WorldGBC’s European Regional Network as a Regional Knowledge Partner to drive progress in low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings that align with Europe’s sustainability goals. Leveraging its expertise in electrical and automation technologies, ABB also aims to collaborate with industry leaders to advance innovative customer solutions. This partnership will provide ABB with access to a robust network of experts and member organisations, fostering valuable insights and feedback. Together, they will contribute to meeting key sustainability frameworks, such as the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), while supporting a cohesive approach to shaping building policy across Europe.

The World Green Building Council is dedicated to accelerating sustainability in the built environment, working with governments, businesses, and organisations to drive systemic change around the world. Through its European Regional Network of over 20 Green Building Councils and nearly 5,000 members, WorldGBC is a catalyst for positive change which aims to reduce the environmental footprint of buildings across their entire lifecycle. Recent initiatives spearheaded by the network include the #BuildingLife project to develop an EU Roadmap, with a full set of recomdations to address Whole Life Carbon (WLC) in buildings across Europe, as well as 12 National Decarbonisation Roadmaps initiated to address national level needs.

“With buildings responsible for approximately 30% of final energy consumption and for 26% of global GHG emissions, the opportunity for impact is enormous,” said Mike Mustapha, President of ABB Electrification’s Smart Buildings Division. “Our collaboration with the World Green Building Council’s European network will support ABB’s efforts to share expertise and partner with organizations that maintain similar values and ambitions toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. Together, we have the potential to advance smarter, more energy-efficient buildings across Europe that foster resilient, inclusive communities.”

Laura Pallares, Head of the Europe Regional Network (ERN), WorldGBC said, “We couldn’t be more delighted that ABB has joined us as a regional member. The journey to net zero relies on partnerships and collaboration with like-minded organisations. Through our mutual vision for electrifying the built environment and commitment to sustainability, the opportunities for progress are endless.”

Aligned with its sustainability goals, ABB’s participation also reflects its dedication to addressing trends like the shift to electrified, urbanised environments. ABB’s innovative automation and energy management technologies are designed to optimise energy use, integrate renewable sources, and enhance building intelligence, enabling customers to meet these emerging challenges effectively, while enjoying a more comfortable, personalised living and working experience.

This collaboration marks another step in ABB’s sustainability journey to provide products and solutions that support our customers sustainability needs while also reflecting its commitment to advancing a sustainable built environment across Europe.

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@ABBgroupnews @ABB_Energy @ABBelec @abb_automation @admiralpr #Energy #Sustainability

Shading control.

Advanced security features and energy-saving capabilities for a smarter, more sustainable building.

An advanced portfolio of KNX-based Blind/Roller Shutter Actuators has been announced for ABB's smart building and home automation solutions, as part of its façade control portfolio. The latest additions to the range will enable seamless integration into a KNX system for reliable, automated control of blinds and shutters, as well as provide enhanced security and energy-saving features to enable more sustainable buildings.

The growing emphasis on "smartification" and energy-saving potential, highlights the increasing importance of shading control solutions in modern building design and automation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), buildings with smart shading and natural light controls can see reductions in heating and cooling loads by 10–20 percenti. Sensor-controlled roller shutters and blinds with sun position-controlled louvers allow for optimal lighting and room climate conditions. The actuator's energy-saving capabilities enable efficient management of natural light and temperature, contributing to a more sustainable living & working space.

The extended range also has ease of installation at its heart, thanks to improved templates within the ETS application, which allows for simplified commissioning. Time is saved during parameterization thanks to the availability of a template functionality. Through KNX Data Secure, the highest standards in data protection are ensured to avoid unauthorized access to the KNX system.

With seamless integration into the ABB i-bus® KNX system, the actuators offer a reliable and sophisticated solution for automating and controlling window coverings, allowing users to create or extend functionality to fit all requirements for comfortable living and working spaces.

"With advanced features and seamless integration, these actuators offer building owners a clever, safe, and efficient way to control their window blinds and shutters, ultimately enhancing their overall living and working experience. By optimizing the ETS application, we have also added new functionalities and features, designed to make installation and commissioning easy for electrical installers and system integrators", said Sascha Gerhardt, ABB Global Product Manager KNX Building Automation.

The updated ABB façade control portfolio offers a number of different options which provide bespoke functionalities to guarantee the perfect device for every solution. The range also includes a shutter control unit that adjusts the blinds according to the position of the sun. The integration of weather data - which measures wind speed, rain, brightness, twilight temperature and receives a GPS signal – is an integral part of building automation, Weather data integration is also essential for building automation, enabling significant improvements in energy efficiency that can reduce building operating costs over the long term.

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@ABBRobotics @ABBgroupnews @ABBMeasurement @abb_automation @NapierPR  #Robotics #BuildingAutomation

Significant energy savings using harvesting wireless devices.

EnOcean is making a significant impact in the fight against climate change. Through its innovative energy harvesting wireless technology, EnOcean is saving over 1.4 million tons of CO₂ emissions annually, preventing this harmful greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere. This achievement is made possible as EnOcean's technology is now connecting smart-building systems in more than one million premises worldwide.

In collaboration with SET Ventures, EnOcean has quantified the energy savings achieved by their devices, which result in an average reduction of approximately 15% in a building's energy consumption. Currently, EnOcean's products manage an impressive 221 million square meters of floorspace which equals around 74,000 football fields. As EnOcean continues to supply more sensors to the market, these annual savings are expected to grow even further.

"Reducing our energy demand is critical for transitioning to renewable sources and combating climate change. Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy consumption, as reported by Forbes," emphasized Armin Anders, co-founder & VP Business Development at EnOcean. "Smart HVAC and power control are cost-effective measures that can significantly contribute to this cause. Products like ours, which allow us to eliminate unnecessary energy consumption, represent quick and affordable wins compared to extensive infrastructure investments."

EnOcean's wireless building-automation products operate on the principle of energy harvesting, drawing power from their surroundings, such as motion, light, and temperature differences. This eliminates the need for batteries and power cords. EnOcean supports various wireless standards, including Bluetooth, Zigbee, and the optimized EnOcean radio protocol. The product range includes kinetic switches, self-powered sensors, gateways, actuators, configuration tools, and the SmartServer IoT edge device. These products seamlessly integrate into existing Wi-Fi access points from Aruba Networks, simplifying installations without requiring complex cabling or additional gateways.

The products communicate with heating, air conditioning, and lighting, monitor occupancy and people flow, and allow settings to be automatically adjusted for optimum user convenience while saving energy. Because of their battery-free and maintenance-free nature, they eliminate the necessity for regular servicing and battery replacements, ensuring continuous, reliable performance and contributing significantly to reducing electronic waste and operational disruptions. Furthermore, their easy installation stems from the wireless, self-powered nature of the devices, which mitigates the need for complex cabling and power source setups, allowing for straightforward, eco-friendly integration into any building infrastructure using a “Peel & Stick” approach.

The significance of EnOcean's energy-efficient solutions is underscored by the impending Buildings Energy Act (Gebäudeenergiegesetz, GEG 2024), the new German legislation set to take effect on January 1, 2024. This legislation places significant emphasis on building automation in non-residential buildings as part of efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions from buildings. In alignment with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), which aims to achieve carbon-neutral building operation by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, the GEG 2024 highlights the need for energy controls and self-regulating devices for room temperature control in buildings with over 290 kW of heating or cooling power.

EnOcean's innovative solutions are very well-suited to address this growing market demand for building automation solutions, especially in non-residential buildings. As the world moves towards carbon-neutral building operation, EnOcean's products are at the forefront of creating energy-efficient and sustainable smart buildings.

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@EnOcean @NapierPR #Pauto #ClimateChange

Wired or wireless thermostats.

The BASstat BACnet-compliant¹ wired or wireless communicating thermostats provide turnkey integration into BACnet/IP (Wi-Fi) or BACnet MS/TP (EIA-485) networks.

The BASstat has four configurable temperature setpoints: Occupied Heat, Occupied Cool, Unoccupied Heat, and Unoccupied Cool. Only the currently active setpoint is displayed on the BASstat LCD panel during normal operation. This active setpoint can be adjusted directly by pressing the UP/DOWN buttons on the control panel.

However, the inactive Occupied Heat or Occupied Cool setpoint cannot be adjusted from the BASstat control panel. The inactive Occupied mode must be activated using the MODE button, then it can be adjusted using the UP/DOWN buttons on the control panel. For example, if the BASstat is in Occupied Heating mode, the Occupied Heating temperature setpoint can be adjusted on the control panel; but the Occupied Cooling mode cannot be viewed or set until the BASstat operating MODE is changed over to Occupied Cooling.

The Unoccupied Cooling setpoint (ESIC) and Unoccupied Heating setpoint (ESIH) can be read and adjusted at the control panel via the Engineering Menu at any time. All setpoints can also be set directly from the BACnet supervisor controller or from the BACnet Discovery Tool (BDT) to the BASstat at any time it is reachable on the network, irrespective of the operating mode.

The BASstat's internal temperature measuring thermistor maintains an accuracy of +/- 1.8°F (+/- 1.0°C). If any temperature offset adjustments are necessary, it is best practice to wait at least 30 minutes after powering up the BASstat before making any adjustments from either BACnet point AV15 or the OFSt command from the Engineering Menu.

In order for the BASstat to accept remote BACnet temperature and setpoint data input from a Building Management System (BMS), the BASstat must receive a timed pulse (heartbeat) from the BMS supervisor "head-end" during an established time interval. This minimum interval (Heartbeat Rate) is set at BACnet point AV29. This pulse (a data "1") needs to be received at BACnet point BV16 during this interval for the BASstat to maintain communication of the head-end's control output data (occupancy, setpoints, temperature data, etc.) If a new heartbeat pulse is not received before the last one times out, the BASstat will assume that the head-end supervisor is offline and use only locally measured data. This AV29 interval can be set to any rate between 10 to 3600 seconds (default setting is 10s). It is best practice to have the head-end send out this pulse to BV16 at a rate 2x-3x the AV29 interval. For example, if the AV29 interval is set to 240 seconds, it would be a good idea to send out the BV16 pulse between 90-120 seconds. This can compensate for possible delayed or missed network communication. This is especially important when working with BACnet/IP over Wi-Fi.

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¹ About BACnet (Building Automation and Control Network).

#Contemporary Controls  #BAC #HVAC

Automating groundbreaking DC-Powered house.

‘Living lab’ provides blueprint for sustainable residential electrical systems that could reduce emissions by 55% and save homeowners up to 44% of annual energy costs.

Emerson’s Ovation™ software and technologies act as the ‘brains’ of a 1920s-era home in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, that has been converted to run entirely on direct current (DC) power. Graduate students live in the house full time while Purdue researchers (LtoR) Eckhard Groll, Jonathan Ore and Alex Boanta monitor the energy efficiency of its self-contained DC nanogrid. (Pic Perdue University)

Purdue University in West Lafayette (IND USA), is using global software and engineering leader Emerson’s advanced digital technologies to automate its Nanogrid House, a living lab for energy-efficient home research. Compared to today’s homes and businesses that are powered predominantly by alternating current (AC) power, the Nanogrid House can shift between AC and direct current (DC) power, which increases the ability to use renewable energy and lowers homeowners’ energy costs.

High-voltage AC power from the grid must be converted to DC power to run household devices, wasting time and money. And while new renewable energy sources such as solar and wind deliver DC power directly, this power is not compatible with existing home electrical infrastructure. The Nanogrid House enables researchers to develop technologies to address these challenges in anticipation of a future nationwide shift to DC power.

"As we continue to face extreme weather, a DC-powered home is uniquely suited to the future of energy generation, empowering homeowners to turn their houses into nanogrids of efficient, self-sufficient production and consumption,” said Bob Yeager, president of Emerson’s power and water business.

Using Emerson’s renewable power expertise and Ovation^™ software and technologies, Purdue University researchers have retrofitted an entire house to run on its own DC-powered nanogrid. The nanogrid integrates both AC power from local electric utilities and DC power from solar panels, wind turbines or battery storage.

These sustainable energy sources help reduce the house’s carbon footprint by an estimated 55% and lower annual energy costs by up to 44%. The Nanogrid House can also sustain itself for short periods of time by generating its own renewable energy and detaching from the grid through the help of on-site stored energy.

“As consumers add sustainable, DC-based electrical solutions to their homes, the need for a low-voltage, more energy efficient infrastructure will continue to increase,” said Eckhard A. Groll, William E. and Florence E. Perry head of mechanical engineering and Reilly professor of mechanical engineering, Purdue University. “Emerson’s expertise in automation software for power generation and sustainability helped us design a DC nanogrid solution that may someday become the national standard.”

Emerson’s Ovation software and technologies provide the project with a digital automation foundation integrating data provided by the home’s energy generation, heat and cooling production and battery storage assets. Ovation software operates as the “brain” of the home by managing voltage control, power distribution and load and intelligently optimising operation of the nanogrid equipment.

@EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @EmersonExchange @HHC_Lewis @PurdueEngineers #Energy #BES 

Long-Reach SPoE.

The world’s first Single-pair Power over Ethernet (SPoE) Power Sourcing Equipment (PSE) and Power Device (PD) solutions to help customers drive greater levels of intelligence into smart buildings, factory automation, and other applications at the edge of traditional networks has been announced by Analog Devices. The new offerings facilitate powered, last-mile connectivity for factory and building automation through real-time power management, telemetry, extremely low standby power consumption, and ease of installation.

“The Intelligent Edge is one of the most exciting developments of the digital era as computing power is pushed to previously inaccessible applications and locations,” said Leo McHugh, Vice President of Industrial Automation at Analog Devices. “Analog Devices is committed to delivering the unrivalled technology and solutions our customers need to leverage the full potential of the Intelligent Edge in smart buildings and factories as well as many more applications in the future.”

Enabling Digital Buildings of the Future.
Their new SPoE solutions, LTC4296-1 and LTC9111, address the challenges of providing power and data to devices, even in remote, difficult to access endpoint locations. Analog Devices’ solutions aim to help new families of endpoint applications to be seamlessly powered and accessed across the network and used to assess local factors such as asset health, environmental conditions, security metrics, and more. The localised awareness and control they offer are the building blocks of the digital buildings of tomorrow.

The SPoE solutions reduce reliance on localised power and batteries by using a single twisted pair of Ethernet cables to provide efficient, reliable, easily installed power at reduced size and weight. Combined with ADI Chronous™ ADIN1100 and ADIN1110 10BASE-T1L, Industrial Ethernet solutions, customers can reliably transfer both power and data over one kilometre – a significant increase from previous Ethernet standards.

Interoperable Efficiency.
Analog Devices’ new LTC4296-1 5-port SPoE PSE with Classification and LTC9111 SPoE PD with Polarity Correction products support both SPoE and Power over Data Line (PoDL) variants of single-pair powering. SPoE augments Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) to provide more reliable, fault-tolerant, and interoperable point-to-point power solutions, delivering up to 52W. Both products are 802.3cg compliant and support Serial Communication Classification Protocol (SCCP).

@ADI_News #Building #Automation #Comms

Miniaturized CO₂ sensor.

Sensirion has launched a new product in its SCD4x miniaturized CO₂ sensor series. The SCD42 has been designed for products that fall under California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24), and is therefore perfectly suited for US HVAC applications.

“Smart building ventilation systems leverage a CO₂ sensor to optimize indoor air quality while keeping energy consumption at a minimum. Thanks to its compact size and easy assembly, the SCD42 lowers the hurdle for integrating a CO₂ sensor into ventilation systems. I am excited that the SCD42 will help boost people’s well-being and reduce our buildings’ carbon footprint,” says Marco Gysel, CO₂ Sensors Product Manager at Sensirion.
 

High levels of carbon dioxide (CO₂) compromise humans’ cognitive performance and well-being. Thanks to new energy standards and better insulation, houses have become increasingly energy efficient. However, CO₂ produced by human metabolism can accumulate rapidly indoors. Therefore, CO₂ is a key indicator for indoor air quality. Measuring indoor CO₂ concentration enables smart ventilation systems to regulate ventilation in the most energy-efficient and people-friendly way. Moreover, indoor air quality monitors and other connected devices can help to maintain a low CO₂ concentration for a healthy, productive environment.

SCD4x Gadget

The SCD42 is Sensirion’s newest addition to the SCD4x product line. Specifically designed for products that fall under California’s Building Energy Efficiency Standards (Title 24), the SCD42 offers unmatched cost effectiveness for the US HVAC market. This disruptive innovation is based on the principle of photoacoustic sensing and combines minimum size with maximum performance to open up numerous new possibilities for integration and application. The SCD42 offers an accuracy of ±75 ppm at 400–1000 ppm. SMD compatibility and its small footprint allow cost-effective and space-saving integration to increase device manufacturer’s freedom of design. This integrated, best-in-class humidity and temperature sensor enables superior on-chip signal compensation and additional RH and T outputs. Finally, the large supply voltage range (2.4–5.5 V) and the robust resistance to external stresses make the SCD42 the perfect fit for all kinds of customer needs.

@sensirion #HVAC #BAC

Keeping building occupants safe and healthy.

OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service is being launched by Johnson Controls. The new offering is the first dedicated "as-a-service" Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) solution for buildings, delivering energy-efficient, turnkey clean air outcomes with an innovative financing model.

"Johnson Controls believes the best healthy buildings strategy is a holistic one," said Ganesh Ramaswamy, vice president and president, Global Services at Johnson Controls. "This suite of offerings delivers the market's most comprehensive portfolio of solutions, plus expert guidance, to help customers cut building costs, raise productivity and exploit new revenue opportunities - all while delivering on their sustainability goals, resulting in healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet."

OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service provides customers with a long-term proactive approach to IAQ to meet ever-changing health and safety compliance standards while leveraging industry leading OpenBlue technology to optimise IAQ and energy costs. The offering includes five key components:

• IAQ assessments – Together with UL, a global safety science leader, Johnson Controls will use a combination of science and technology to assess indoor air quality, pinpoint areas of risk and determine benchmarks and KPIs that support better IAQ, energy efficiency and cost savings.
• Solution application – Based on the results of the assessment, Johnson Controls will apply IAQ sensors, products and services required to meet customers' desired outcomes. Award-winning OpenBlue technology breaks down data silos and delivers all critical indoor air quality information in one centralised place, making it easy to control devices, display IAQ data and identify trends, helping optimise energy costs and indoor air quality levels with AI-powered recommendations for improvements.
• Remote monitoring & advisory – To ensure desired outcomes are met, Johnson Controls will leverage its global Remote Operations Centres (ROCs) to provide 24/7 monitoring of critical IAQ values and recommendations for improvements from our team of experts.
• Annual IAQ reassessment – Acknowledging the dynamic nature of all buildings, Johnson Controls will provide annual IAQ reassessments and work with clients to enhance their operations as needed to maximise return on their IAQ investments.
• Financing – OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service will be offered through an optional, predictable monthly financing model. Through this model, customers will not have to worry about making large upfront capital decisions. Since the model is scalable, Johnson Controls can help organisations shift their operational models from being COVID-19-reactive to productivity-proactive to meet longer-term goals.

OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service is scheduled to launch globally in February this year (2022).

Industry research continues to demonstrate the benefits of a holistic approach to indoor air quality control and management. In a survey of Johnson Controls customers, 60% are actively investing in indoor air quality-related measures. Even a 1% improvement in air quality can have a financial impact equivalent to an average building's annual utility bill, according to Harvard research. In addition, improved indoor air quality can reduce the aerosol transmission of COVID-19, acting as effectively as a population that is 50-60% vaccinated, according to peer-reviewed research published in Nature.

"Now, more than ever, enhancing indoor air quality is a critical business need as employees return to their workplaces and students return to their schools," said Tyler Smith, executive director, Healthy Buildings at Johnson Controls. "Our industry-leading OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service offering not only enables organisations to keep building occupants safe and healthy indoors in the face of evolving health and compliance regulations, but also empowers organisations to commit to more environmentally sustainable projects by delivering a solution that will also reduce energy use."

@johnsoncontrols @JCI_UKI @teamlewisglobal #AirQuality #BuildingAutomation

Interoperability for smart spaces demonstrated.

The AHR Expo in Las Vegas (NV USA) provides a unique forum where manufacturers of all sizes and specialties come together to share ideas and showcase the future of HVACR technology. From January 31 to February 2nd, EnOcean Alliance members will demonstrate the benefits of the interoperable EnOcean ecosystem for smart homes, smart buildings and smart spaces based on the EnOcean wireless standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-10/11).

The EnOcean radio standard in practice Visitors to AHR Expo 2022 can experience energy harvesting wireless solutions from over 25 EnOcean Alliance members and partners in total, including the following exhibitors: AirTest Technologies Inc. (#C1673), BACnet (#C1850), Belimo (#C1258), CABA (#C1053), Contemporary Controls (#C974), Delta Controls Inc. (#C1652), Emerson (#C3106), Functional Devices Inc. (#C1352), KMC Controls, Inc. (#C1444), LonMark International (#C1167), Loytec (#C1652), Reliable Controls (#C1545), Schneider Electric (Viconics) (#C1752), Sauter (#C1677), S+S Regeltechnik (C1075) and Titus (JCI) (#C1336).

With more than 400 members worldwide, the EnOcean Alliance is one of the most successful alliances in the area of smart building monitoring and control. At Booth #C1180 in the Las Vegas Convention Center the non-profit organization will be showing examples of self-powered wireless solutions for HVAC & Lighting Control as well as Smart Spaces/IoT applications from EnOcean Alliance members such as Aruba Networks (HPE), AdHoc Electronics/Illumra, Contemporary Controls, Deuta Controls, EnOcean, Losant, Rutronik, Thermokon and Titanium Intelligent Solutions.

The majority of the world has created ambitious climate goals, for example reducing CO2 output by over 50% compared to 1990 levels in the next few years or reducing to carbon neutral by 2040. To enable this, it is absolutely necessary to reduce energy usage in buildings, which account for 40% of our energy usage. The ongoing COVID pandemic has also increased awareness of the health and wellness of employees, which includes monitoring and controlling air quality, lighting levels, temperature, and occupancy levels. “In an age where self-powered wireless is the obvious choice – also due to environmental issues and costs of copper wire or battery replacement – EnOcean Alliance is spearheading the drive towards an energy-efficient, healthier and safer world”, says Graham Martin, CEO and Chairman of the EnOcean Alliance.

The organization offers the advantages of an extensive and established ecosystem of interoperable self-powered wireless sensor solutions that are available to intelligent buildings worldwide. Based on the energy harvesting technology using movement, light or temperature differences as energy source for battery-free switches and self-powered wireless sensors, these solutions help optimize the utilization of buildings, create new service models and make buildings more flexible, energy-efficient and altogether more cost-effective. EnOcean wireless networks have been installed in more than 1,000,000 buildings worldwide, making it the most widespread and most field-tested wireless building automation standard in the world.

@EnOceanAlliance @ahrexpo @NeeshamPR #HVAC

Hyperware smart buildings.

Aruba has joined the EnOcean Alliance as a participant member. When used together, the Aruba Wi-Fi infrastructure and EnOcean energy harvesting wireless solutions enable customers to create hyperaware smart buildings that are cognizant of, and responsive to, their changing operating environment and occupant needs.

Aruba Access Point

Aruba, is a leading provider of AI-powered network infrastructure for campus, data center, branch and remote worker applications. Aruba delivers a cloud experience at the edge that can be consumed either as a service in the cloud or on-premises, as a managed service delivered through Aruba partners, or via network as a service through HPE GreenLake.

The EnOcean Alliance is an international association of over 400 leading companies in the building and IT industries founded in 2008. The non-profit organization is committed to enabling and promoting interoperable, maintenance-free and proven eco-systems based on the wireless EnOcean radio standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3-10/11). The EnOcean Alliance eco-system offers more than 5.000 multi-vendor interoperable sensors enabling data collection for multiple applications, such as room or desk/chair occupancy, temperature and air quality, energy usage and restroom usage.

EnOcean Alliance member IoT devices are the eyes and ears of smart buildings. By securely interfacing those IoT devices with new and existing Aruba Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 Access Points via a plug-in 800/900MHz radio, building control and business applications can become hyperaware of their operating environments. This information can be used to better model cloud-based digital twins, and to optimize human activity monitoring, organizational redesign, augmented reality, human productivity, and occupant health and safety.

EnOcean European Starter Kit

"A building becomes smart by virtue of being instrumented with IoT devices so applications are cognizant of the contextual status of the environment, occupants, energy requirements, service needs, security, and safety,” said Michael R. Tennefoss, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Aruba. “The richer the set of available IoT data, the more cognizant and adaptive the building and associated digital twins can become. The goal is to make hyperawareness simple and inexpensive, and that is what the mash up between Aruba and the EnOcean Alliance achieves. An inexpensive 800/900MHz plug-in radio brings existing and new Aruba customers access to thousands of IoT devices, including BACNet and multiple other protocol gateways, and software applications (both local and cloud based.) In turn, Alliance members gain access to Aruba’s installed base of education, enterprise, government, healthcare, hospitality, industrial, manufacturing, retail, and transportation customers.”

Graham Martin, Chairman and CEO of the EnOcean Alliance, continues: “Our collaboration opens up exciting new market opportunities for the Alliance members and the Aruba community by combining Aruba’s extensive network power and the flexibility of energy harvesting wireless sensors. The simplicity of the solution makes it now possible for facility, IT and other managers to easily add services, collecting data from “peel and stick” sensors across an entire building without pulling any new cables nor ever having to change a battery.”

 @EnOceanAlliance @ArubaNetworks @HPE@NeeshamPR #PAuto 

Autonomous building sustainability solution.

The Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization, a cloud-based, closed-loop, machine learning solution, announced earlier this year, continuously studies a building's energy consumption patterns and automatically adjusts to optimal energy saving settings without compromising occupant comfort levels. It is the first autonomous building solution focused on decreasing energy consumption, may deliver double-digit energy savings, decrease a building's carbon footprint, and can be implemented without significant upfront capital expenses or changes to a building's current operational processes.

During a pilot at Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University (HBMSU) in Dubai, (UAE), Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization demonstrated an initial 10% energy savings. HBMSU is the first accredited smart university in the UAE and is known for its technology and innovation programs.

Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization was applied to HBMSU's existing building management system, which uses competitor technology to demonstrate the platform's open architecture and hardware-agnostic capabilities. The additional energy savings is especially significant because HBMSU is regarded as a highly smart, energy efficient building with fully connected lighting, cooling, building management, power and efficiency control that is optimized based on real-time occupancy. The pilot also uncovered local control issues with the chiller plant and fresh air handling unit that were not adjusting to set points.

"As a smart university, we look to deploy the latest technology across our campus and ensure our buildings are efficient. We were pleasantly surprised by the results we saw from Honeywell Forge and its ability to drive further energy savings beyond our achievable optimization with the techniques we have," said Dr. Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University. "Our further partnership with Honeywell will help to support the advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) modeling for building automation and provide our students with first-hand applications of how AI and machine learning (ML) will drive operational efficiencies in buildings. Our goal is to collaborate with leading organizations like Honeywell that support our vision of educating the innovators of tomorrow."

"Buildings aren't static steel and concrete – they're dynamic ecosystems and their energy needs fluctuate based on ever-changing variables like weather and occupancy," said David Trice, vice president and general manager, Honeywell Connected Buildings. "With Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization, we're evolving building operations far beyond what would be possible even with a robust team of engineers and the rules they code in their building management system. By employing the latest self-learning algorithms coupled with autonomous control, we can help building portfolio owners fine-tune their energy expenditures to drive efficiencies and create more sustainable practices for our customers."

Energy consumption in commercial buildings is a significant issue because these buildings account for more than 36% of global final energy consumption and nearly 40% of total direct and indirect CO2 emissions.1 Additionally, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) often presents the largest opportunity for energy savings in a commercial building.2

Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization autonomously and continually optimizes a building's internal set points across hundreds of assets every 15 minutes to evaluate whether a building's HVAC system is running at peak efficiency. When Honeywell's solution finds a need to make an adjustment, it analyzes factors such as time of day, weather, occupancy levels, and dozens of other data points to determine the optimal settings per building and makes calculated decisions 96 times per 24-hour period for every building in a portfolio, 365 days a year across the system of assets. Repeated results have shown double-digit reductions of HVAC-related consumption while not impacting customer comfort.

Traditional HVAC control solutions incorporate varying levels of sophistication. The most basic involve static set points that don't account for variable factors such as occupancy or weather. The second, and most common, rely on scheduled set-point adjustments using estimated occupancy and climate conditions. Finally, set points can be managed by a certified energy manager; however, most facilities have not found this solution to produce a viable return on investment due to the sheer volume of variables involved and the difficulty in producing accurate calculations in any scalable manner.

Honeywell Forge Energy Optimization is simple for building portfolio owners to deploy with plug-and-play capabilities. No changes to business mechanics are needed and there's no need to rip and replace systems to add Energy Optimization to a building.

@honeywell @HBMSU #BAS #HVAC #Environment

New norms a lift for tall buildings!

If we are to believe what experts from the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) are telling us, the future of building technology is going to rise to new heights. During the next ten years, the number of buildings over 200 meters tall is forecasted to double, and by the year 2020, the number of skyscrapers over 600 metres will surge from two to ten. The estimation made by the CTBUH is further supported by the clear megatrend to urbanisation throughout the world.

At the same time, the market for high speed lifts is growing enormously. Meanwhile, safety standards for lift design and operation are continuously being raised. Starting on 1 September, the EN 81-1 and EN 81-2 norms for lifts will be replaced by EN 81-20 and EN 81-50.

What is the detailed impact of adapting to the new norms? The goal is even better protection for passengers and maintenance personnel. As well as flame-retardant cars and improved protection against pinching by lift doors, larger refuge spaces for maintenance personnel have to be created in the shaft pit and on the cabin roof. Here, Hengstler can use the H-480 safety relay to its full advantage, to give maximum support to lift manufacturers as they adapt to the future safety guidelines.

The new product family of safety relays was developed with the customers’ needs foremost in mind and taking the requirements of each different market into account. The heat dissipation from the relays has been significantly reduced, thanks to the low coil power. Insulation between each of the relay's six contacts has also been reinforced. One major advantage, appreciated above all by designers, is its low height. This opens up a range of new choices when selecting suitable printed circuit boards. The different available pin arrangements enable a variety of options, including the use of already existing PCB layouts, which help satisfy the requirement for 2nd source supplier solutions. Higher and higher buildings are being built in a huge variety of places across the globe. Whether in the hot deserts of Saudi Arabia or the cold regions of Russia, lift technology has to function reliably everywhere. Hengstler safety relays easily satisfy this requirement. The ambient temperature can range from -25 to +75 °C.

In future, even more people will ride in faster and faster lifts. To ensure that passengers and maintenance personnel are transported safely depends on high quality and reliable components. For safe opening and closing of lift doors, they must only be enabled when the car is stopped. At the same time, fast entry and exit is becoming more and more important. This trend is referred to as comfort control. It allows the lift doors to open a few centimetres before the final stop position, to enable faster passenger changeover. This dynamic and yet safe type of control is naturally supported by Hengstler safety relays.

For maintenance personnel to inspect the lift shaft when performing maintenance, they must be able to operate the lift with the cabin door open. For this purpose, it has to be possible to disable the safety systems. During normal operation, this safety loophole is blocked by a safety relay, but when operating the lift with doors open, maintenance personnel can still stop the lift at any time by pressing the emergency stop button.

Riding in a lift has never been faster, more efficient or more comfortable. And in future, new records in terms of speed and traffic numbers will be set. Safety relays have a special role to play in safely transporting passengers and maintenance personnel. With H-480, Hengstler's newest family of relays, lift manufacturers can avail of the latest components, capable of handling all today’s and future requirements.

#Hengstler @CTBUH #BAS

Appointment at Irish BEMS provider.

Rich Costa

Rich Costa is been appointed Sales and Marketing Manager with Intelligent Building Controls.

Rich has over 30 years’ experience in distribution and 9 years’ experience with BEMS systems. He is a certified Engineer in Trend Controls BeMS and Dristeem humidification.

Rich has been involved in projects with Boston Scientific and Abbott Vascular where he helped to reduce running cost by over 55%.