HOUSING ASSOCIATION BENEFITS FROM FREEDOM PROVIDED BY KNX

A KNX building automation project within a care home property belonging to a leading housing association is clearly demonstrating how KNX technology can meet the demands for comfort and versatility in such properties. The installation was undertaken by KNX UK member and systems integrator Ohms & Watts.

In completing this project a wide range of KNX technology capabilities in the areas of lighting & heating regulation, security & monitoring, central automation, energy & load management were employed. In addition, features such as remote control and maintenance, visualization & operation as well interfacing to the nurse assistance call system and the main fire alarm system were critical to the project.

Working closely with the housing association, Ohms & Watts provided a customized solution with many examples of innovative applications of KNX technology. These included an innovative pillow vibrator designed for those hard of hearing or asleep and providing an alert when a smoke detector alarm is sounded. Another novel KNX application was the attack alarm that the carers now carry and can alert the PC-based control centre by simply pressing a button on the fob should they be attacked whilst tending to a patient.

KNX also interfaces with the property's access control system. This allows the automated opening/closing of doors in the desired open areas as well as the doors of an apartment's en-suite bathroom. One great advantage is that now, through the use of infra-red controllers, wheel-chair bound clients of the housing association have easy access through doors.

The use of KNX technology has also had life changing consequences. It has allowed a patient for the first time in over 60 years to be moved to sheltered accommodation and given them some degree of freedom. It has also made the life of the carers considerably easier thanks to the combination of the security and monitoring solutions provided through KNX as well as applications such as PIR detection installed in every room. This provides constant and prioritised real-time information and alerts on the patient's movement to the central PC or a hand held PDA.

KNX BRINGS 21st CENTURY CONTROL TO HEATING AND OTHER SERVICES IN FARMHOUSE RENOVATION

A KNX intelligent building technology installation provides part of an extensive building renovation and extension project at an old Manx farmhouse on the Isle of Man. The installation was completed by KNX UK Association member, Building Evolution and brings major energy conservation benefits to the property.

The house was completely gutted and had large extensions added to both sides. It was fully modernised in terms of the plumbing, heating and electrical services as well as being given the added character of a new oak framed structure. The result is a beautifully crafted building reminiscent of centuries past, but with the open standard KNX technology providing a 21st century intelligent energy conscious home.

KNX provides complete control of 16 underfloor heating zones, with individual KNX room thermostats or room controllers in each room. KNX heating actuators control the underfloor heating manifold valve drives, with switching actuators controlling all heating system pumps.

This heating system includes independent time-clocks, provided on a central touch panel, for all heating zones which can automatically switch the heating between user determined comfort, stand-by and night temperatures.

All heating zones are monitored on the touch panel with ability to alter set temperatures and heating modes centrally. At the push of a button, spare bedrooms can easily be put into an "unoccupied" state so keeping their heating in a reduced temperature mode and overriding time-clock switching.

The domestic hot water loop can also be closed off to those areas to prevent unnecessary pumping of domestic hot water, so further helping to conserve energy.

A holiday mode allows the owners to set the dates for which the house will be unoccupied and then the KNX automatically initiates a preset programme to run during this period that overrides the domestic hot water loop, sets back heating temperatures and overrides any time-clocks for heating as well as lighting. It also has the capability to initiate lights to provide simulated occupancy.


52 lighting circuits are controlled by KNX including dimming and scene setting. Control is provided through a combination of push buttons, movement sensors and time-clocks. In addition, all bathroom extractor fans are controlled and there is interface with smoke alarms to turn on all lights in event of a smoke alarm. There is also provision for control of the Velux windows and all towel rails as well as monitoring door locks.

A user friendly touch panel in the kitchen provides a facility for controlling and monitoring the installation from a convenient central location.

An 8 zone multi-room AV system, a 7-1 surround sound home cinema, a whole house TV distribution system, a data network and a gate video intercom system completes the installation. The client has also requested a facility to control the home remotely and this can be easily added.

KNX SMART HOME TECHNOLOGY ASSISTS IN RELIGIOUS ABIDANCE

KNX smart home technology is assisting in religious abidance at a home in Leeds. The main criteria of the installation was that the lighting in the house should be controlled for a period of 25 hours so that the family could comply with Jewish Sabbath rules relating to creating or extinguishing fire (switching on any electrical item is considered to be a form of fire creation).

At specific times, dependent on the sunset/sunrise times of the year, house lighting needs to be programmed to go on and off automatically without the intervention of any of the family. As well as managing over 60 internal and 10 external lighting circuits, a number of mains 230V AC sockets are controlled by KNX technology. This allows, for example, cooker hot plates to be switched on/off at certain times to bring food up to heat and keep it warm.

A KNX gateway enables the KNX installation within the house and is essential for the networking of the equipment internally. It has the ability to set lighting scenes, run complex and large timed light sequences and allow the client to input dates and times of various festivals and events that change from month to month and year to year. Sunrise and sunset times vary depending on the time of year and the gateway has an in-built astral calendar which allows for seasonal variations and determines these times based on its location in the world. All the required changes are undertaken completely automatically and the client does not have to intervene manually.



Research had led the client to APH Limited of Leicestershire, a KNX UK systems integrator, who recommended KNX. A series of six separate Sabbath scenes have been set to commence automatically at the required time. The system works perfectly with a seamless transition from one scene to the next. Outdoor lights are included and because many circuits can be dimmed, the entire process is energy efficient too. As sunset is used as the trigger for the first and last scenes, seasonal changes are completely automated.

Adding or removing lights from a scene is very simple as the scene can be called up using a web link. As well as lights, the KNX Gateway controls a number of mains sockets which can be used for appliances such as hot plates. These can be set to repeat the same event each week, removing the need for unsightly timers plugged into sockets. They can also be set easily set for one off requirements.

APH has created a system which allows total flexibility allowing every light in the home to be timed. The timing memory also knows how bright or dim the lights should be, making it very flexible and, by using scenes, all the lighting is not lost when the system switches off - just the lights no longer needed.

APH now has a 'model' based on this installation that can be applied to many similar homes. This project has been 'live' for several months and continues to seamlessly and reliably deliver a lighting solution week after week.

KNX COMFORT FOR PRECIOUS CHICKENS!

In a novel application of KNX technology, the right environment for some 12000 free range egg laying chickens is being carefully controlled. This includes the ventilation and lighting levels as well as control of access into the chicken shed. The security and comfort of the chickens is paramount to ensure maximum egg production and therefore profit for the business. KNX technology has fulfilled all the requirements of the installation and has also assisted in energy conservation whilst offering a highly flexible solution. The installation was completed by KNX UK systems integrator AGE Electrical Services of Buckinghamshire. The project was runner up in the KNX UK 2008 Awards.

The project includes a control panel, damp environment temperature sensors with various switches and actuators. KNX is controlling lighting, feed hoppers, temperature, and external doors giving the chickens free access to the outside during daylight. Importantly, KNX is also fulfilling the responsibility for monitoring and logging temperature in the chicken shed.

The installation of KNX has allowed accurate environmental control and minimum direct intervention from operators. This allows the chickens to be comfortable with minimum stress and no disturbance from workers entering to turn on lights, fans, open gates and fill feeders.

For future flexibility, the ability to reprogram timed building control events meant that once the installation was complete, adjustments could easily be made to suit requirements without directly disturbing the livestock.

The client is now also looking to expand the KNX system to monitor feed silo volume, weight of the chickens and to control multiple sheds remotely from a central location.

INTEGRATION POSSIBILITIES WITH KNX DEMONSTRATED AT BANKHALL HOUSE

KNX UK systems integrator Discovery Systems has completed the integration of KNX to an air conditioning system at Bankhall House. The integration requirement was for five internal VRF Air-Conditioning units and single control device in the shared rooms to cover lighting, underfloor heating control and air conditioning control. The air conditioning system had to integrate with the underfloor heating and not contend with it.

The air conditioning system uses its own data bus network between indoor and outdoor units. The manufacturer has a network interface that allows for connectivity and integration to a LON network. The KNX system required an interface to connect to the LON network and for this Discovery Systems contacted Intesis, who specialise in the integration between networks. They offer a KNX to LON gateway that allows users to monitor and control LON devices from KNX. It is especially suited for the integration of small and medium size VRV - VRF air conditioning systems into KNX installations.

Discovery Systems also configured group addresses for each AC unit and each of its features such as on/off and display/read temperature. In room control was tied into the room controller using cooling functions. Final set up on this project was the display and control to a KNX Jung Facility Pilot.

This project clearly illustrated the possibilities for KNX integration to another network.

AWARD WINNING KNX TECHNOLOGY AT THE OLD COURTHOUSE

The Old Courthouse in Douglas has always been a landmark building on the Isle of Man but after the new Courts of Justice were built, it was unoccupied for a decade. In 2008, new building owners decided that they wanted to both restore the courthouse and set a new standard for office accommodation on the island. As part of the restoration, KNX intelligent building technology has been used to achieve both energy savings and other advantages that modern building services can offer. The project's success has resulted in it securing the accolade of KNX UK's Installation Of The Year 2008, undertaken by Building Evolution.

The redevelopment has included retention of the original, architecturally imposing front facade of the Old Courthouse and rebuilding a new modern facility around it. The result embraces the historical tradition of the original building but it can be easily adapted to meet the needs of tenants who would be taking over the open plan offices.

From an early stage the owners decided that KNX would be their preferred control system and appreciated the advantages that it offered. These included the ability to make energy saving wherever possible; the design of an installation that would provided maximum flexibility and adaptability of the office space for the lifetime of the building. Ease and speed of installation; the provision of monitoring and supervisory requirements for a facilities manager, integration with other services and ensuring the capacity of the system would not be compromised now or in the future were also important. It also offered easy integration with other building services thanks to the KNX open standard and it was a proven technology, having been used in many large and high profile projects around the world.

The Old Courthouse provides approximately 28,000 ft2 of accommodation including three floors of offices and two further floors reserved for a restaurant and night club.

The system installed consists of a KNX line for each level of the building which is connected via KNX IP Routers to a dedicated LAN for the main line. There is an interface with the building's HVAC system which is achieved by the use of a BACnet gateway and KNX BACnet IP client. There is also an interface with the ventilation system which has been achieved with switching actuators and binary input.

A KNX visualisation PC for use by the facilities manager is provided to monitor the operating conditions of all lighting including lamp failure.

It monitors the lift alarms, ventilation system fault alarms and provides 365 day time programs for controlling the landlord's lighting and electric heaters. A facility for the remote reading of tenant sub-electricity meters for billing purposes has been included.

On each of the three main office levels there is a touch panel which provides control of HVAC and lights for tenants plus a facility for their own locally controlled time programs if required.

Where the open plan offices were spilt up, further control has been added for lighting and HVAC, either with push buttons or movement/ presence detection depending upon the tenant's requirements.

In order to keep in line with the overall high quality feel of the building, where required
stainless steel push buttons and frames were used throughout the offices.


Lighting in the landlord areas including the main entrance, staircase, landings, car park, store rooms and WCs are controlled by a combination of time clocks and movement/ presence detection. Emergency light testing is also carried out through the KNX system by the use of key switches connected to binary inputs.

In the basement car park, lights are controlled by a combination of movement detection and time clock. In order to reduce energy usage, lights are divided up into three switched circuits where during working hours, if no movement is detected, only one group of lights is held on - equivalent to emergency level lighting. All tenant sub electricity metering is carried out with the three and single phase meters with their KNX interface module for easy communication of meter readings to the facility PC.

DINING OUT ON KNX

Rick Stein's Prospect House in Padstow is a stylish hotel development that combines seaside luxury with cutting-edge building intelligence. KNX technology has been effectively deployed to enhance the tranquillity and homeliness of the property with features of the system including window and blind control, wet under-floor heating control and electrical tile warming in the bathrooms. Each room also has multiple lighting zones consisting of energy efficient LED luminaires, where specific areas can be scene set allowing the user to create both functional and atmospheric lighting modes. All of these features can be controlled from a central point; a wall-mounted touch-screen simple to use icons, giving guests the power to take control of their own environment.

The KNX based system also delivers in terms of safety, as KNX UK member and systems integrator Andromeda Telematics, have established communication with the fire alarm and intruder alarm system in case of emergency. Intelligent movement sensors have been installed in the entrance hall and landing to maintain a safe stairwell light level with occupancy. Importantly, these sensors are also an energy saving measure.

In fact the system as a whole answers today's demands for sustainable, low-energy developments whilst maintaining a high level of functionality. A multiple-channel photocell has been placed on the external facade to control lights according to lux levels, ensuring that energy is saved during daylight hours. Each of the KNX components consume less than 10 mA in a running state, creating a low-impact system which reduces the building's overall carbon footprint.

A NEW BIOCLIMATIC OFFICE BUILDING IN HUESCA, SPAIN

The branch office of the general contractor Marino Lopez XXI in Huesca, Spain, is a prime example of the flexibility offered by intelligent, KNX-based building services engineering. Two main criteria were applied during the project planning for this building: firstly, that operation of all facilities should be intuitive and self explanatory, and secondly, that the building should be as energy-efficient as possible.

This KNX installation is clear evidence that comfort and energy efficiency are not mutually exclusive. Through the consistent use of a central bus system, the building saves approximately 40 % energy, while offering an increased level of comfort. The individual floors of the four-storey building are divided into up to 12 different temperature zones, while the entire heating and cooling systems are divided into 32 zones.

All imaginable facilities in the building are linked together via a KNX bus system including, for example, the lighting, shading, HVAC, alarm, technical surveillance, energy management and audio/video systems, remote monitoring and control, and KNX visualisations. Appliances whose status as "secret power gzzlers" is often ignored, such as microwaves and coffee machines, are also integrated. The system also includes extensive technical surveillance systems - for example burglar, water and fire alarms in combination with 24 IP cameras, and advanced monitoring possibilities via a terminal, laptop, or any other internet capable device.

Linking together all of a building's services via a single KNX system is one thing. Doing this in such a way that their operation is intuitive and self-explanatory is another challenge.

At the offices, entire scenes are saved for individual users. The KNX system summons these via fingerprint readers. With just a single touch the user can control a number of facilities, such as shading, lighting and temperature. Different predefined scenes can be assigned to each user. As well as operator comfort, this fingerprint system also offers a high degree of security. When employees leave the building, absence scenarios can automatically be activated. The system also knows exactly when an employee has entered his or her office. In this case the temperature will be switched from standby to comfort mode, the lights will be switched on, and the shading will be adjusted appropriately. When employees leave their room, the system automatically switches back to standby mode to ensure that as little energy as possible is consumed.

Although it might appear that the entire KNX system was planned all at once, from scratch right down to the finer details, this was not the case. At first, only the shading, ventilation and a number of lights were controlled via KNX. It is thanks to the flexibility of KNX that the system was able to be expanded until eventually it controlled all of the lighting, the entire air conditioning system, and all access systems, alarms, remote maintenance systems and much more. Indeed, this is one of the reasons why KNX was chosen in the first place.

This project was clearly shows how all trades can be fully integrated using KNX, and it demonstrates the openness of KNX: the majority of the trades integrated were added to the system gradually. This means that it is no problem to extend the building, or to modify it to take account of changing user requirements in the future. Were it not for the simplicity of KNX bus installation, the retrofit installations would never have been possible in the first place.

KNX FOR COMFORT, SAFETY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT THE NEW STOCKHOLM STOCK EXCHANGE

An industrial building in Stockholm, where Ford cars were once produced, is now home to the Swedish Stock Exchange. As part of the conversion of the former factory building, all of the building functions have been linked via KNX. This ensures a reliable power supply and a high level of comfort for workers.

The old building was converted with a great deal of respect for the existing building fabric and the existing shell was used to house a state-of-the-art centre for international stock trading. In addition to the office areas, the building also includes a staff restaurant, a gym and sports centre, made possible by the addition of new floors, so that the useful area of the building now covers some 40,000 m2. Because of the highly sensitive work that takes place at the Stock Exchange, a permanent supply of electric power is essential. This is guaranteed thanks to a normal and an emergency power supply.

The owner chose KNX to link building functions because of the flexibility it offers in terms of application and expansion of the system, as well as the small amount of cabling work involved. It can always be adapted to the needs of new tenants by making just small modifications. The entire KNX room automation system is linked via an OPC server to the central building management system of the Stockholm Stock Exchange.

The building management team are thus able to rationally monitor and control interval timers, alarms, current and limit values, energy consumption and the status of shading and lighting equipment.


The main messages from fuses, lifts, smoke detectors and residual current devices are summarised in an alarm management system, which immediately sends all important data to the responsible locations.

In the open-plan offices and throughout the building complex, the lighting is adapted via KNX to the natural light level as measured by light sensors and regulated by motion sensors or interval timers, depending on the respective zone. In conference, meeting and training rooms, the ventilation is controlled by timer, but can also be requested via local KNX switches, whilst the target temperature can also be modified by the user.

Data relating to sunlight exposure, wind and rain are transmitted via KNX from the building's own weather station to the control system for the blinds. The outer blinds are for shading purposes and are intended to ensure a pleasant indoor temperature on hot days. The vertical blinds inside the building can be adjusted by individual users to protect them against glare. They automatically return to their initial position every evening, with the help of KNX. In the meeting and conference rooms, there is a variety of special KNX lighting scenes to choose from, to allow the right atmosphere to be created for a particular activity. Via KNX, speakers can quickly and simply adjust the level of electric and natural lighting in order to create the optimum conditions for themselves and their audience.


The as-needed control and regulation of lighting, shading, heating and ventilation make it possible to operate the building highly energy-efficiently, and to massively reduce costs. Lighting in passageways is dimmed to 10 % at night and at weekends. This helps the building to look its best from the outside, while reducing energy costs and extending the life of the light sources. Automated control and regulation of heating, cooling and ventilation with KNX additionally helps to reduce consumption of electrical and fossil energy.

ENTECH AWARDED MAJOR KNX CONTRACT AT BBC'S MEDIACITYUK

EnTech, the Stockport-based intelligent building control specialist, has announced a significant contract win to deliver its technology solutions on phase one of the prestigious MediaCityUK development.

Awarded by NG Bailey, the UK's leading providers of building services and mechanical and electrical, solutions, the contract will see EnTech providing the design and commissioning of KNX intelligent building control solutions to three buildings, all of which will be occupied by the BBC, the 'anchor tenant' at the 200 acre site. Situated at Manchester's Salford Quays, MediaCityUK will be the UK's first purpose-built MediaCityUK. Scheduled for completion in 2010, the site will bring 1.5 billion pounds to the local economy and will be internationally recognised as a world-class hub for the media and creative industries.

EnTech is part of the StudioTech Group of companies which combines architectural design, lighting specialists and audiovisual solutions.

As one of the most significant media and creative industry projects in Europe, MediaCityUK is also one of the most important construction projects in the North West. EnTech was selected after a lengthy review process during which the company demonstrated its ability to deliver world-class intelligent building control solutions on large-scale commercial projects.

EnTech's directors see a noticeable shift in the construction market when it comes to the adoption of intelligent building controls. "Our business has grown significantly over the last 18 months and this is largely in response to the market's increasing awareness of the potential of KNX technology. The MediaCityUK project is no exception. In many respects, we see this project as the dawning of 'new age' in the market's acceptance of the KNX protocol: all of those involved in the specification process have included KNX because they know that it provides a building's owners and tenants with efficiency, sustainability and future-proofing," commented Alan Vickery Managing Director of EnTech.

EnTech sees the MediaCityUK contract win as not only significant for its business, but for the wider KNX market too. "The inclusion of KNX at MediaCityUK follows the successful integration of the technology on several other major projects throughout the UK. This project demonstrates the construction sector's continued and growing confidence and acceptance of the KNX building control standard," concludes Alan Vickery.

OLYMPIC GOLD

Now that the Olympic Games in China are over, the athletes are not the only ones who are celebrating - a gold medal goes to KNX technology too! The Olympic stadium, the "Bird's Nest", together with the Olympic swimming arena - the "Water-cube" cube" and Terminal 3 at Beijing Airport are all controlled using KNX technology.

In the "Bird's Nest", operating data from all electrical components was gathered and monitored via KNX. The entire lighting system was controlled by KNX including the stunning lighting displays which were enjoyed by billions of viewers around the globe at the opening and closing ceremonies. The same goes for the world's largest aquatics centre and this building, too concealed no shortage of KNX technology - for example, for time control and regulation of energy consumption. The wide-ranging lighting effects in the building envelope of the swimming arena were also created using KNX.

More than 11,000 KNX devices went into the construction of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport. They regulate the lighting, air-conditioning and heating systems, and transmit error messages. Beijing Airport' Terminal 3 is the largest airport building in the world and opened in February 2008. This means that China's two most important airports, Shanghai and Beijing now both equipped with KNX technology.

KNX OFFERS STYLE, FUNCTIONALITY AND FLEXIBILITY WITH SOUTH COAST APARTMENT

Reality Logic has completed a smart home project in a Chichester apartment that offers style, flexibility, function and simplicity - typical of the many projects undertaken by the company.

The initial approach was made by the client's developer with a list of requirements which included multi-room entertainment, discrete surround sound in the living room, smart lighting and heating, blind control, security and more. From this brief, a proposal was developed that presented a practical and cost effective solution to reflect the 'wish list'.

For example, the clients identified that they exclusively use iPods to store their music and use the portable players as a simple way of carrying their music collection around when they travel. As a result, Reality Logic have incorporated a docking station that allows the music on the iPod to be heard through ceiling speakers throughout the house.

The home also features the intelligent integration of lighting, zoned heating, blinds and other services that allow sophisticated control at the press of a button.

When the clients leave the house they press a single button that turns all the lighting off, puts the zoned heating into 'Away' mode. It also turns the televisions off and puts the house into 'Occupancy Simulation' mode.

The intelligent systems also allow the flexibility of easy expansion at a later date. In this case, a future enhancement will allow the clients to remotely turn the hot water and heating system back on prior to returning from holiday.


On completion, the clients were particularly enthusiastic about the ability to listen to music or the radio via their iPods anywhere in the property with no clutter. They also loved the use of sensors in the hallway and landings so that they can walk through without having to press a switch. They are also very pleased to have the ability to easily expand and modify the system as their needs change over time.

KNX MEETS INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

A commitment to sustainability at Oundle School near Peterborough prompted the development of the SciTec building, a distinctive and inspiring new centre for sciences, art, design and technology. It embraces green technology and is an excellent example of a modern, energy efficient, high tech building designed to demonstrate best practice in construction and control systems. It provides both significant energy savings and an educational benefit to the students who will be able to monitor their energy usage.
KNX UK systems integrator Andromeda Telematics was called upon to help bring together multiple intelligent building controls into a single solution meeting the specification of the project.

The decision to use KNX as a common platform to control the building meant that a number of energy savings specified at the beginning could be realised and in addition it allowed complete integration to be achieved. The benefits of KNX were very clear from the start as this project needed reliable and robust control of many features including lighting, underfloor heating, natural ventilation, metering, full HVAC and various other elements, all reporting back to one common visualisation package. By using KNX all of the control requirements could be connected together using the same bus system. This allowed for a simple installation with fewer cables and only one system to set up and commission.


The KNX solution was the only way in which the school could achieve the energy credentials required. Estates Bursar for Oundle School, Richard Tremellen said: "Running a school of this size is a huge responsibility in itself. If you take into account the energy reduction targets it soon becomes clear that we have to be able to control the services we use in the most efficient manner. The KNX solution has given us the control we need, allowing us to achieve these savings and at the same time monitor exactly what is happening in the building."

An area to benefit from KNX technology was the control of the main HVAC plant where boiler sequence control, weather compensation and pump control will all help the school to meet their energy efficiency targets. The newly installed solar panels on the roof of the building are also playing an important role with their ability to pre-heat domestic hot water in the winter months, and fully heat it in the summer.

The lighting control scheme was another good example of how savings were achieved. There is a tendency for lights to be left on when the classroom is empty but by focusing the system around DALI, constant light control presence detectors maintain a set lux level with natural daylight being used where possible to allow dimming of luminaires and thus maximising energy savings. For areas without DALI control, intelligent switching has been used with presence detectors.

Monitoring and metering plays a very important role where there are efficiency targets to meet and in this case smart metering was used throughout the site to measure the loads for water, gas and electricity. The metering values are sent over the KNX bus system and the integrated head-end visualisation package allows the maintenance team to monitor and control the system via a web tablet PC.

From the very beginning the aim with this project was to provide an energy efficient, low-carbon solution which met the needs of the students. This building is therefore unique in the way it works and it supports the school's ethos in trying to improve energy usage. In addition the KNX system has given the flexibility to make use of new technology in a very efficient and cost-effective manner.

KNX LIGHTING SYSTEM TRACKS THE SUN FOR PASSPORT OFFICIALS

One of the intelligent lighting systems offered by Electrak Limited, a member of KNX UK, has been utilised within the Government's new Passport office in Liverpool. It was specified to optimise energy performance and particularly to adjust the level of artificial lighting in the occupied spaces as the sun tracks across the complex, mainly glazed structure.

The new Liverpool Regional Office of the Passport Service is located on Old Hall Street and Faber Maunsell has acted as the Building Services consultant on the project. After the consultant approached Electrak to help develop a design brief for the building, the contract went out to tender and NG Bailey was the successful bidder while the KNX (formerly EIB) equipment has been supplied through Electrak Limited.

As the result of an early and intensive consultation process, the project team decided to install the Electrak KNX lighting power distribution and control system as six separate lines to zone the three floors of the property. In addition to the automatic daylight dimming, the installation features the use of movement sensors in many of the occupied spaces and MT 701 mini panels which implement the programmed lighting control across individual areas.

The property has been designed with sustainability in mind and Faber Maunsell wanted to make the best use of the energy consumed through its designs. They particularly wanted to take account of the building's curved shape and large glazed area with its high natural light levels.

A lighting control system was therefore required which would respond to the changing conditions. There were also many partitioned areas where movement sensors were applicable.

The KNX installation features a stand alone building management system plus a series of remote lighting control modules. There are also line couplers in the service risers and large quantities of KNX busbar trunking installed within the ceiling.

"I have worked with Electrak's engineers on a number of schemes in the past and they provide a good proactive service as well as high quality equipment," says Faber Maunsell's Senior Engineer on the project, Mr Tony O'Brien.

FORUM HOUSE

Since its inception, Forum House was designed to allow public access into a working environment of a fully automated KNX installation. The ability to invite consultants,architects, end-users and private individuals into a working environment has proved invaluable.

The following services are controlled with KNX: all internal and external lighting, central heating with automated thermostatic valve, air conditioning unit, external blinds (controlled via a weather station that allows solar tracking and shading along with safety features such as monitoring wind speed to retract the blinds should it reach above 15mph), remote monitoring and signalling ( the control of lighting and gates opening etc, whilst away from the office using text messages or a laptop), the metering of utilities and leak detection.

PRIVATE RESIDENCE, CHESHIRE

This multi-million pound private residence in Cheshire had a high technology specification from its inception. Forum Technik, a KNX UK member, acted as master system integrators on this project.With over a 100 lighting circuits, air conditioning, underfloor heating and cooling, along with automated blinds, this project represents all aspects of building services controlled using KNX technology.

With many companies and systems needing to be understood and controlled,Forum Technik assumed the role of master system integrators to ensure a seamless approach. This was achieved when designing the KNX solution.

KNX BUILDING CONTROL MEETS THE 18th CENTURY

In Derbyshire, a cottage that was uninhabited for more than 20 years and was virtually derelict, has been renovated to modern standards including extensive applications of KNX building services control technology.

The oldest part of the building was originally built in 1799 as a single dwelling but now the house includes two reception rooms, a conservatory and three bedrooms, all in a traditional feel. The secret, however, is that the lighting, heating, audio and security are all controlled by a KNX system to give modern life choices in 'olde worlde' surroundings.

The owners did much of the work on the cottage over a period of 15 months, teaming up with a good local electrician, and planned the installation carefully. The owner, with a keen technical knowledge, decided to take on the commissioning himself, with the electrician undertaking all the 'live side' work. Having talked to a KNX consultant engineer, an ETS KNX programming tool was purchased and the owner quickly got trained.

The cottage has 45 KNX dimmed and switched lighting circuits that can be used to set moods for each room. Like any lighting control system, this allows for scenes to be set for particular instances. However KNX also allows lights to be incorporated into other features of a house including a welcome home function incorporating a motion sensor by the front door, a 'discreet' scene set for the bedrooms including the facility to set lights at a very low level, effectively lighting a pathway and not needlessly awaking anyone asleep. Water based underfloor heating throughout the entire cottage in nine zones is controlled using thermostatic light switches removing the need for ugly traditional wall thermostats.

The whole KNX system works seamlessly, lowering temperatures both at night when everyone is asleep and a few degrees lower than normal when the house is known to be unoccupied. This represents a big saving in fuel bills.

Integrated audio is controlled via the KNX system and offers music in the main living spaces and the bathrooms with no evidence of any further wall controllers or switches. The whole house can be accessed by an internet connection anywhere in the world using an IP addressable controller. The installation also has many high end features such as direct heating and lighting control, security monitoring, remote diagnostics, IP camera viewports, email transmissions for security breaches or activated smoke detectors.

KNX PROVIDES - SMART LIVING FOR DEMENTIA SUFFERERS

As part of a project looking into helping dementia sufferers remain in their own homes for as long as possible, a flat within a Sheltered Housing Scheme in Bristol has been converted into a prototype 'Smart Home' by APH Limited using KNX technology.

APH is a member of the KNX UK Association and was asked to tailor an intelligent design to suit the requirements of the occupant of the flat. KNX smart technology is employed to monitor the occupant's activity and sounds a warning when it thinks there may be a problem. Special sensors have been fitted into the flat that can tell, for example, if the front door is being opened at night. In this particular flat, wireless light switches, motion detectors, speakers and a voice messaging system have been installed. Coercive messages pre-recorded by the occupant's family are then played when appropriate.

The smart technology in the flat provides a front door sensor to detect if the door is opened at an inappropriate time. A pre-recorded message is activated and will advise the occupant not to leave the flat and to go back inside. If the door does not close, a message will be issued to the on-call warden via an interface to his monitoring system.

Motion detectors are positioned throughout the flat to monitor movement. If the lights are left switched on and no movement is detected after a given time, the lights will automatically be turned off. For example, if the occupant goes to the bathroom and then forgets to turn the lights off when they return to bed, after a set period of time with no movement detected the lights will be turned off automatically.

A smoke/heat Detector is activated if the cooker or hob is left on and food is found to be burning. In such an event a pre-recorded message will advise the occupant to return to the kitchen and switch it off. If no response is received, a message will be issued to the on-call warden via an interface to his monitoring system and the cooker's electrical supply terminated. Only the warden can re-instate the supply when they are sure the occupant is safe.

The housing scheme and wardens involved say that this was an exciting development for them, and reports show that everything is running smoothly. They are confident that the assistive smart technology installed in the flat will improve the quality of life for the residents.

KNX INTELLIGENT LIGHTING SYSTEM CHOSEN FOR LEEDS LANDMARK BUILDING

At 33 storeys in height, Bridgewater Place in Leeds is the tallest commercial building in Yorkshire. Its multi-tenanted pattern of occupancy demands high specification building services provisions that include the use of a KNX (formerly EIB) intelligent lighting control system, supplied by Electrak International Limited, a member of KNX UK that represents manufacturers, integrators, training bodies and other organisations associated with KNX.

The power distribution, lighting and electrical specialist has provided Shepherd Engineering Services (SES) with an integrated package of KNX devices, sufficient to create 30 separate lines across ten floors of the building for the Cat A fit out.

The Senior Engineer on the project for Shepherd Engineering Services, Mr Ashley Rawson, explains the selection of Electrak's equipment for this prestigious project. He comments: "There were a number of factors which were taken into consideration in awarding the contract. First of all the reduced installation time was a major factor due to the fast-track nature of the construction programme for Bridgewater Place."

Initially written into the output specifications was the requirement for the system to be flexible, so that equipment could be reprogrammed and monitored by a bus system. What also came to light was the ease of use of the KNX control system - and the fact it ticked all the boxes. Its speed of installation offered a significant labour saving and it offered an extremely cost-effective solution. "Having gone out to the market place, nobody else could offer us the degree of control that Electrak could with KNX," said Ashley Rawson.

There were a total of over 1,000 KNX devices installed over the ten floors offering control over the lighting by means of movement sensors, automatic switching and manual switching as well as 'scene setting' dimmer controls.

The sophistication of the system also provides the building manager at Bridgewater Place with an interface for floors one to four and the floor nine, while the facilities manager for Eversheds - occupying levels five to eight - is given a separate interface.

KNX SOLUTION FOR THE BRITISH LIBRARY

After careful consideration of all the lighting control systems available in the UK, the British Library opted for a KNX (formerly known as EIB European Installation Bus) based lighting control system to replace its existing system. The simplicity of the KNX installation and lack of disruption during installation were pivotal to the specification.

Famous for its reading rooms, auditorium and meeting rooms, the British Library is the national library of the UK and the building is the largest constructed in the UK in the 20th century. The basement extends to a depth of 24.5 metres and over 14 floors with 112,000 square metres of floor-space. The solution provided connects all the risers in the librarys basement with a KNX bus that extends throughout the building. Connecting the KNX lighting control into one system over such a large building was achieved by providing a backbone using IP over copper, and in some areas over fibre optic media.

The existing control system was replaced and, using KNX, many additional functions were provided including the use of DALI lighting controls. Head end graphical packages providing time-based scheduling, manual override control functions and field status such as real-time lamp failure were also incorporated together with facilities for constant light control and energy reduction. Blind and screen controls have also been installed in meeting rooms. Andromeda Telematics Ltd were the integrators for this project.

KNX PROVIDES THE PLATFORM AT TERMINAL 5

KNX technology is helping to bring advanced lighting controls to Heathrow's Terminal 5 (T5) extension. Supplied and commissioned by intelligent buildings controls systems integrator Andromeda Telematics (ATL), KNX equipment supplied by Siemens, ABB and Merten is helping to manage the lighting system, and provide passengers with a well-lit and safe environment.

In designing the lighting system, the requirement was to develop a fully automated lighting system that could be used efficiently and that would guide and assist passengers whilst being controlled and monitored from building management systems. Andromeda also had to ensure that the lighting system complied with Building Regulation Part L requirements for energy efficiency. In addition, airport operator BAA challenged Andromeda to 'push the boundaries' of technical innovation for lighting and lighting control.

Andromeda, a KNX systems integrator, has worked on different areas of the airport, spanning the length of the passenger's journey. The company is providing the lighting system for the rail terminus, the main concourse building and the TTS passenger link providing access between the main concourse building and the two other buildings used for boarding. It is also providing the lighting system to other areas of T5, including the multi-storey car park and the energy centre, which supplies heating and chilled water to T5. Some lighting is also being supplied to the air traffic control tower.During late nights and early mornings, when the airport is used less often, the lighting system will automatically reduce illumination levels. If passengers arrive from a night flight, for example, the lighting system can be over-ridden to illuminate the concourse area, switching on only the lighting required to guide passengers to baggage and customs areas.

Andromeda Telematics Ltd were the System Integrators of this project.