Summer 2020

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Which technology is best? A structured approach narrows down the options when choosing standards for building and control by Graham Martin, Chairman & CEO EnOcean Alliance

mart buildings are amounts of data around buildings and control” he says that the first becoming the “new and their interior spaces. The step is to identify the processes or normal”, with increasingly requisite data are easily gathered systems that need to be automated. sophisticated automation and transmitted wirelessly: but The starting-point is to list the Sand control systems which wireless technologies and requirements for room-automation that deliver cost savings, comfort, standards are the most suitable? and facility automation on the one and convenience across the And how do we go about identifying hand, against the requirements for board. From individual homes and the best solutions? Prof. Dr. “Smart Buildings“. The most suitable multi-occupancy buildings, through Michael Krodel from the Institut für wireless technology can only be educational and healthcare fa- Gebäudetechnologie (Institute of identified, case by case, according to cilities, to workplaces and corporate Building Technology) in Ottobrunn, the relevant application and its “use headquarters, enhanced building Germany, has given some invaluable cases“. automation solutions are delivering insights. Typical room-/building- value-added service features thanks automation use cases include to linkage with IT-based systems and It depends on the use case individual room temperature even artificial intelligence. In Krodel’s White Paper “Smart regulation according to human Such possibilities rely on Building trends – a comparison of presence and window status; room transferring greater or lesser wireless standards for automation ventilation and cooling depending

4 | Summer 2020 | SMART AUTOMATION on air temperature, air quality (CO2 sensors. Meetings finishing ahead of network standards are characterised and/or VOC loads) and humidity; and schedule and unoccupied workplaces by the frequency bands in which lighting, where illumination levels can be identified and adjusted they operate, the power of the can be dimmed when areas are not accordingly for optimal facility radio signal, and the protocols and in use. In the latter, switches can management. modulation schemes that they use. control individual lights or groups of Further analysis of usage patterns lights as required. enables the flexible allocation of Relevant criteria are as follows: Artificial light intensity can also employee workspace. Under-used • Suitability of the frequency band: be adjusted in accordance with areas can be set to energy-saving the use cases considered, largely natural light intensity depending mode, thereby lowering the cost and feature small data packets (10-100 on the weather and time of day. In workload of heating, cooling and bytes), latency times from 0.1 to addition, sun blinds and shutters power plant. A graphical display 1 second and a range from 10 can be deployed automatically to of building occupancy – typically to 100m. The suitability of the darken the room when it is warm or rendered as "Heat Maps" or "Moving frequency band is of decisive let the sunshine in when the space is Trails" - provides for zone planning importance – described as a “KO- cool. With battery-free technology, purposes. This can be applied criterion” or knockout factor. Any switches and dials for illumination to optimise workspace size and functional limitation, even a partial and external light shading can be location; even to optimise individual one, would disqualify the wireless placed anywhere on partitions workspaces to users’ preferences. standard in question for this type of or walls, according to users’ As well as detecting people, application. requirements and convenience. sensors within the building • Manufacturer dependence: in Handheld remote controls can also automation network monitor pumps, the best interests of the user, be employed. cleaning machines, HVAC systems, wireless standards should be Use cases for the home are lifts and more, then report any available from as many suppliers complemented by an extensive list of malfunction in real time for better as possible. In addition, wireless automation scenarios spanning heat fault-finding and more efficient technology should allow for and cooling requirements energy preventative measures. maximal interoperability between systems’ operation, management and technologies and devices produced fault reporting. Categorising wireless standards and by different suppliers Smart office buildings expand the their suitability for automation and • Infrastructure: ideally, devices possibilities to many more use cases: control should not require their own. This from the smartphone-based dynamic With Prof. Dr. Krodel’s analysis, is a given when signals can be booking/release of conference- the use cases are cross-referenced transmitted over greater distances room facilities and workplaces in with characteristics of the leading and is particularly relevant open-plan offices, to optimal facility candidates for radio-frequency data when sensor network density is management through occupancy transmission. In particular, wireless low. A better score is awarded

SMART AUTOMATION | Summer 2020 | 5 to infrastructure consisting of encryption technology. role. There is huge merit to cable-connected antennas and being able to source compatible gateways, allowing for meshed Losers and winners components on the open market. communication. Analysis based on the broad Even greater advantages are offered • Integrability: wireless standards matrix of use cases and technical by wireless devices that do not should be widely supported suitability makes it clear that Wide require batteries or mains power. by multiple manufacturers of Area Networks are unsuitable for Two wireless technologies lead commercially available controllers current and future Smart Building the field, as Krodel concludes that and gateways, with proven applications. The White Paper “… the EnOcean and Z-Wave wireless reference project information. concludes that WANs are “better standards appear to be ideal for • Broad availability of the necessary suited to integrating wireless devices use in “Smart Buildings“. EnOcean hardware components: all the into public areas, i.e. where it is achieved a mean score of 1.9 points necessary sensors must be freely impossible to establish one’s own on the suitability index followed by available on the open market. infrastructure. In modern buildings, Z-Wave with 1.5 points. “ • Measurement and testing: however, setting up an own But the difference between these appropriate fault-finding equipment infrastructure or establishing mesh front-runners lies in their market and user documentation should be networks presents no problems focus. Commercially, Z-Wave is available. and makes excellent sense in better suited to “DIY“ Smart Home • Power supply: one of the main consideration of the density of the consumer-level retrofit applications. advantages of wireless technology sensor networks.” By contrast, EnOcean features higher consists of the free positioning In contrast to WANs, local levels of interoperability and caters of sensor devices. Cabled power area wireless technologies prove for professionally installed integrated supplies represent barriers to the applicable to Smart Building systems, most typically in Smart required flexibility. Ideally, sensors automation, albeit to varying Home and non-residential building should be self-powered. Battery- degrees. Options to incorporate sectors. Nevertheless, the EnOcean powered devices sit in-between wireless devices (especially sensors) Alliance is broadening its focus these options, because of the into system and will have increasing appeal as need for maintenance and the could be especially relevant, for consumer-level costs – including environmental example alongside controllers and spreads. cost – of replacement and disposal. direct digital control-systems. Low power consumption and long The use-case analysis concludes For further information please visit lifetime are key considerations. that support for specific wireless www.enocean-alliance.org • Data encryption: data security and technologies offered by controller integrity must be guaranteed by manufacturers plays an important

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