Security, Efficiency & Comfort with KNX

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY GUIDE

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Touch Screen Guide

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Introduction to KNX UK

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Green Buildings Guide

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Why join KNX UK?

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KNX JOURNAL 2009 NO. 1

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KNX JOURNAL 2009 NO. 2

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KNX JOURNAL 2008 NO. 2

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KNX JOURNAL 2008 NO. 1

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2009 KNX UK AWARDS RECOGNISES TECHNOLOGY AND PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER

The 2009 KNX UK Awards were presented during the Association's AGM held at ABB in Coventry on February 10 2010. Awards were made in the categories of KNX Installation, KNX New Product and KNX Champion.

Winner in the category KNX Installation of the Year was Entech for their high profile installation at the BBC's new buildings within the exciting new Media City development, Salford Quays. The award was received by Constance Wolstenhome, PR Manager for Stockport based Entech.

This installation was selected as a worthy winner for its fully integrated KNX solution embracing lighting control, energy management, system monitoring, visualisation, interfacing to other systems, remote control, administration and reporting facilities.

KNX product of the year was ABB's Busch-priOn with features that include the ability to control and monitor a whole room's functions at the same time including illumination, heating, consumer electronics and blind control. These can be controlled individually or integrated into complete "living scenes". The prize was accepted by Gareth Rowlands, UK Manager - Intelligent Building Team, ABB.

Tracey Rushton-Thorpe, editor of Building Services & Environmental Engineer (BSEE) magazine, was voted KNX Champion of the Year. This award recognised her outstanding contribution in increasing awareness and acceptance of KNX technology and standards amongst engineers and consultants.

New KNX UK Board members were also elected at the AGM including Wayne Brewerton from Electrak, Gareth Rowlands from ABB, Mike Collins and Nick Gale from systems integrators Discovery Systems and Design Innovation, Graham Webb from the BRE.

NEW CONSULTANTS GUIDE TO KNX

The KNX UK Association has introduced a definitive guide to KNX intelligent building technology with their new 24 page Consultants Guide. It sets out precisely for M&E consultants and specifiers, detailed information on the KNX standard and the applications of KNX technology. It will assist building professionals in making informed choices on the use of KNX within any building services project.

The KNX Consultants Guide looks at the challenges faced by consultants in delivering sustainable building services designs and optimising the energy consumption of buildings in the 21st century. It goes on to discuss steps to good practice in the specification and application of building control systems. The advantages of open protocol and the KNX Worldwide Standard for Home and Building Control are illustrated through examples of KNX bus cable specifications, system layouts and KNX reference projects.

The philosophy of KNX is to bring together different manufacturers' products on one bus network. The Consultants Guide explains not only the different types of products that can be integrated seamlessly, but also spells out the advantages of this approach to consultants, systems integrators and building owners alike.

All M&E Consultants and building specifiers will find the publication indispensable.

WORLDSKILLS WINNER'S ROAD TO SUCCESS WITH KNX

A demonstration of the versatility and flexibility of KNX technology helped Richard Sagar, a young electrician with Eden Electrics in Scotland, to become a Gold Medal winner at the 2009 WorldSkills Competition held in Calgary, Canada.

Having been out of international competition for many years, UKSkills decided to re-enter the WorldSkills competition. After a careful selection process, Richard, who had already won the 2008 UK SkillElectric competition, was selected to represent the UK in the Electrical Installations category. The Freestyle project in this category required an electrical installation using tools and materials from the entrant's home country and KNX UK Association member Siemens agreed to be the sponsors.

The installation to be designed was based upon an imaginary property in a remote area. A gate at the main entrance required a motion detector to open and close it automatically. The owners also wanted to include driveway and garage lights to come on automatically once motion was detected. In addition, a sub-switchboard was to be installed in the garage, with the owner also requiring a power socket outlet for portable plug-in appliances.

David Thomas from the ECA who was Richard's appointed Training Manager for the event, was certain that the best solution would be to use KNX as the underlying technology. Before the event both he and Richard undertook KNX Partner training with Ivory Egg, one of the certified KNX Training establishments in the UK.

Using all the KNX skills he acquired, Richard created the Gold Award winning installation. It was a remarkable achievement as David, Education & Training Manager at the ECA, explains: "To have been out of international WorldSkills competition for eight years and then for Richard to win the Gold Award by competing successfully against entrants from countries such as Japan was a great achievement. Our European competitors were also surprised that we decided to use KNX. For me, however, its simplicity and versatility made the ideal choice for this project. No mechanical controls were needed - just a simple bus installation."

Following the 2009 success, the focus is now on the 2011 WorldSkills event in London where the KNX protocol is expected to play a major role in the Electrical Installation category.

KNX UK CONTINUES TO TARGET THE CONTROLS INDUSTRY

KNX UK continues to strengthen its links with the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA). This follows the highly successful sponsorship of the BCIA Annual Awards ceremony last year.

That sponsorship is being repeated in 2010 and in another initiative, KNX UK President Iain Gordon and fellow Board Member Gareth Rowlands are presenting the new KNX CPD (Continuous Professional Development) to BCIA members at a seminar during February.

The audience will be a high profile mixture of controls manufacturers and systems integrators. Iain says, "Open standards have been a topic of great interest recently amongst BCIA members. This gives us the perfect opportunity to continue to raise the profile of KNX amongst this important target audience."

HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL ABB PARLIAMENTARY RECEPTION

KNX UK member ABB held a very successful Parliamentary Reception on the House of Commons Terrace at the end of 2009. The event was attended by a number of high profile influential political figures and decision makers including John Prescott, Climate Change Rapporteur for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Paddy Tipping MP, Chair of the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Select Committee as well as many members of other key Select Committees and All-Party Parliamentary Groups.

Mike Hall MP hosted the event and highlighted ABB's work in his constituency and the positive impact that the company has had over the whole of the UK. The event helped to fulfil a number of ABB communications and marketing objectives including the development of some new and potentially valuable relationships. The Reception also successfully showcased ABB's wide range of technical expertise and track record across a number of policy areas.

KNX UK Board Member Gareth Rowlands, ABB's Intelligent Building Team Manager, was able to establish and cement relationships with key stakeholders including policy advisors at the Department of Energy and Climate Change. "This was a great event for everyone in attendance and allowed us to promote both ABB and KNX to a large gathering of relevant Parliamentarians and stakeholders," said Gareth.

ENTRIES FOR INTERNATIONAL KNX AWARDS 2010 NOW BEING ACCEPTED

The international KNX Association has announced that entries can now be made for the KNX Award 2010. The winners will be announced on April 13 at 6.30 pm at the Light & Building Exhibition 2010 in Frankfurt, Germany.

These KNX Awards recognise the worldwide smartest KNX projects in home and building control, in terms of innovation and technical content. There are six categories of Awards: International, National, Publicity, Energy Efficiency, Young and Special. The deadline for submission is Friday, 29 January 2010 and more detailed information is available at www.knx.org/award Applications are welcome from around the world via email: knxaward@knx.org

Prize money is awarded in each category of the KNX Award and winners will also receive the coveted KNX trophy. The jury consists of neutral experts from the KNX world and the KNX Association.

KNX WILL SHOW STRENGTH AT LIGHT + BUILDING 2010

Light+Building, held in Frankfurt from April 11-16 2010, attracts more than 167,000 visitors and around 2,200 exhibitors. The international KNX Association will once again be fully supporting the event - indeed it is the biggest exhibition where the organization has a stand.

Highlights will include the presentation of the international KNX Awards and the launch of the new ETS4 programming tool.

KNX UK CPD COURSES READY TO BOOK

Following acceptance into the CIBSE CPD Directory, KNX UK is now set up to arrange CPD courses over the forthcoming months. If you are interested in finding out more, please contact us admin@knxuk.org or go to the Training/Workshop section of this website and download the file from the Workshop section.

THEBEN'S ROOM CONTROLLER WINS DESIGN AWARD

Theben's VARIA individual room controller with multi-function display has won a coveted design award from the red dot institute for advanced design studies. It is now on display at the red dot design museum in Essen.

The KNX-compatible VARIA is an eight-channel display and controller with integral room thermostat that enables householders to take control of their environment in a living or workspace. With its sleek stainless steel buttons on a raised glass fascia, VARIA offers elegant styling with a rugged, long-lasting design that eliminates fragile touch screens.

It can display KNX-programmed profiles in as many as eight rooms, offering control over up to three functions in each of them that combine to provide the right 'room scene 'for, say, reading, watching TV or sleeping. Scenes can be selected at the touch of an elegant button, and users can adjust levels within limits defined at the time of installation.

VARIA can add an extra level of KNX intelligence and override these programmes for instance if ambient light levels suggest electric lighting is not needed after all, or presence detectors indicate that a room is unoccupied.

VARIA is available in the UK now from Theben Group company Timeguard, a KNX UK member.

FINGER TIP INTELLIGENT BUILDING CONTROL WITH KNX TOUCH PANEL

The Busch-ComfortTouch panel from KNX UK member ABB provides sophisticated intelligent building control in an easy-to-use, one touch display. It combines state-of-the-art control with energy efficiency and security features, providing users with full control of all living areas and building functions from one location. It is suitable for hotels, housing and commercial properties. Once installed the touch panel will work in tandem with ABB's KNX intelligent installation system as a source of control within a building.

The ComfortTouch panel provides single point of control for many functions including lighting, security, temperature and humidity. An intuitive colour coding system that distinguishes different aspects of the building makes the system easier to use for those with little or no experience.

Users can operate or dim the lights, adjust blinds, regulate the room temperature or create scenes from a combination of the functions listed. For further ease of use, all functions can also be controlled remotely where there is line-of-sight between the panel and the remote control pad.

The Busch-ComfortTouch panel also provides access to energy consumption data, enabling property owners to monitor and reduce energy use by identifying areas for improved lighting efficiency, energy consumption and security.

The security function makes it possible to simulate presence within buildings, applying realistic living patterns even when nobody is there. The security system is designed to detect when doors or windows have been left unlocked and can even detect breakages. Once an alarm has been raised, an alert is sent to the user's mobile phone informing the user of the problem. The panel can also be linked to external monitoring systems.

With a built in MP3 player, The Busch-ComfortTouch makes it possible to create audio files or play films. Users can monitor the weather, look at the latest traffic reports, track up-to-date news, access their e-mails and even use the panel as an alarm clock. The panel can also be used to leave voice or written messages for other users to view.

FACADE MANAGEMENT WITH KNX

Charlotte Townend of Somfy gives us an insight into the world of facade management and KNX.

It is estimated that in the UK only around 2% of solar shading in buildings is automated. Yet, automation brings better control of building's lighting and ventilation as well as making better use of solar energy. Automation can also reduce the energy used for a building's lighting, heating and cooling. Inside, occupants benefit from maximising the use of available daylight, without being subjected to discomfort due to direct solar radiation or excessive contrasts in light levels.

In bioclimatic architecture, the comfort and well-being of the occupant are the most important factors. The UK's variable climate does not provide the conditions needed to ensure thermal comfort for occupants all year long. Therefore there is a need to heat or cool buildings to allow for these changes in conditions and to achieve the best interaction between climates, buildings and the occupants' needs. In schools, for example, many factors can influence the quality of the learning environment including lighting, natural daylight levels and the elimination of glare. All of these factors need to be addressed and work in harmony to create conditions that are conducive to effective learning, a child's development, health and work-rate.

To achieve such aims, and whatever the type of building, effective controls of facade applications including blinds, shutters, curtains and windows must be in place. There are many decisions to be made regarding the specification of the most appropriate controls and how they should integrate with other building services.

For example, in order to make the most of energy savings using natural lighting, the use of artificial lighting sources also needs to be considered and how they harmonize with natural light. Artificial light sources need to be correctly regulated using the most appropriate types of programmed timer systems and presence/movement detectors.

External building walls are the focal point and the link between the interior and exterior environments. This link can be managed by using different types of facade control systems. Local controls within a room utilise manual independent switches, whilst zonal controls can be installed to cover all the sunshades in a predetermined area. More sophisticated, user-friendly software based open systems can interface with lighting, HVAC, security, AV and other building services functions for a fully integrated and flexible approach. Advanced facade management employs a single programmable computer module and uses data collected from weather sensors to determine when and where sunshades should be automatically deployed.

Real time climate data can be fed to a smart building management system to contribute to overall energy savings of a building. By tracking the sun, blinds can be automatically positioned to sun elevation, building latitude during the day and every day throughout the year. Many leading manufacturers such as ABB and Somfy have developed a range of products which provide sun tracking and shadow management.

KNX certified products are available for the automatic control of shading devices.

Through KNX, facade products can be simply integrated seamlessly with other building control systems - critical at a time when the need for energy efficient buildings is now greater than ever before. Facades, HVAC systems, lighting controls, smart metering, emergency lighting, alarms & door entry systems, occupancy simulation - all can be harmonized and controlled by the KNX open protocol. All building services functions can then be monitored, programmed and diagnosed via the internet or LAN.

KNX CPD LAUNCHED IN CIBSE DIRECTORY

KNX UK's application for entry into the CIBSE Directory of CPD Course Providers has now been accepted. The full range of KNX CPD courses are now listed in the CIBSE Directory for the next two years.

The KNX UK Association represents manufacturers, systems integrators, distributors as well as training providers for KNX intelligent building technology. Iain Gordon, President of KNX UK comments: "The acceptance of our KNX CPD courses by CIBSE is a major breakthrough for us, clearly highlighting KNX as a vital building services discipline. The opportunity for engineers to further their knowledge of KNX as part of their Continuous Professional Development will give the technologies and protocol behind KNX a wider professional audience. It will help KNX to achieve wider and quicker acceptance by our most critical target audience - building services professionals."

The KNX UK course categories in the August 2009 CIBSE CPD Directory are:
A sustainable Approach to Future Proofing; Advanced Building Controls;
Advanced Building Controls and Building; Management Systems;
Building Controls;
Building Controls Integration;
Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS);
Building Management System;
Control Systems and Integration;
Controls;
Energy Efficient Controls;
Energy Management and Controls;
Integration of Building Services;
Intelligent Building Controls;
Intelligent Buildings;
Lighting & Lighting Management;
Lighting Controls;
Lighting Controls & Management;
Lighting Controls & Management Systems;
Energy Efficiency.

All speakers from KNX UK are highly experienced in their specialised fields with relevant professional qualifications. Their target audiences for the courses, which last two hours, include consultants, contractors, developers, architects and other interested parties who would like to understand more about the KNX bus technology. The CPD can be delivered across all competence levels and is mobile so that it can be delivered free of charge at the offices of the interested parties.

KNX UK will issue attendance certificates to course delegates with the endorsement that attendance can contribute towards their CIBSE CPD requirement. Any organisation or individual wanting more information or wishing to organise/join a KNX CPD course should contact Tara Gartland, KNX UK Administration admin@knxuk.org
P O Box 4082, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG42 9EQ, Tel: +44 (0) 845 869 5908.

KNX UK ASSOCIATION'S MEMBERSHIP DRIVE ATTRACTS NEW SUPPORT

KNX systems integrators D & M Contractors, AGE Electrical Services, A.M.E.T Limited and Clermont Electrical as well as power distribution & controls manufacturer Durable Technologies, are amongst the latest organisations to become members of KNX UK. The Association represents all organisations involved in the advancement of KNX technology in the United Kingdom and has embarked upon an extensive membership recruitment drive.

New members will benefit from KNX UK's 2009 attractive membership terms and extensive range of member services. These include high profile publicity programmes aimed at building services engineers, specifiers and end-users; regular KNX training courses; web-site listing at www.knxuk.org; member information exchange and technical forums; newsletters and comprehensive promotional/ technical KNX literature.

KNX UK membership has grown rapidly over the last two years, reflecting the growing acceptance of KNX as the preferred protocol for building control. Market leading manufacturers such as ABB, Durable Technologies, Electrak, Jung, Merten, Siemens, Somfy, Timeguard/Theben and Wieland are already established KNX UK members.

To support the current membership drive, aimed at all companies involved with KNX intelligent buildings technology, KNX UK has published new membership information packs.

KNX UK'S MAJOR SHOW OF STRENGTH AT THE BCIA AWARDS

KNX UK, the association that represents all organisations involved in the advancement of the KNX building control standard and KNX technology, had a show of strength at the British Controls Industry Association (BCIA) Awards, held at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry on May 14.

KNX UK was a major sponsor of the event and had prominent exhibition displays around the venue where the striking blue/green KNX logo was highly visible to the 100s of guests who attended the event.

KNX UK was represented by its Board Members who took the opportunity to promote the work of the Association to senior executives and market leading organisations involved in the building control industry.

"We maximized the opportunity to promote KNX. We have taken a major step forward towards full recognition within the building controls market and establishing KNX as the number one intelligent building protocol," said KNX UK President Iain Gordon.

KNX THE GREEN TECHNOLOGY

KNX, the world's only open standard for building control and automation, can make major energy savings of up to 60% and reduce the carbon footprint of a building. This is truly green sustainable technology that can be applied to small and large buildings alike.

REDUCED ENERGY CONSUMPTION BY USING KNX BASED HOME AND BUILDING CONTROL SYSTEMS

Studies published by the international KNX Association of Brussels show how networked home and building control based on KNX allows up to 50% energy savings. As buildings account for 40% of total energy consumption, they offer considerable energy saving potential. KNX meets the requirements of the top Energy Performance Class for building automation as embodied in EN 15232. This means that the technology is ideally suited to fulfilling the tighter energy consumption requirements for buildings. Through intelligent control of building system technology with KNX, the energy consumption of a building can be halved.

The Institute for Building and Energy Systems at Biberach University of Applied Sciences, Germany has undertaken research into the potential energy savings that can be achieved using modern electrical installation systems such as KNX. This concludes that Intelligent control of building systems reduces energy consumption and the associated operating costs many times over:

"Particularly automation functions, which present a high degree of energy-saving potential by combining various individual trades, can today only be achieved using modern building system technology based on bus and communication systems."

Another research project, conducted at Bremen University of Applied Sciences, shows the extent to which energy savings can be achieved. The Centre for Informatics and Media Technologies was fitted with KNX controls and equipment for regulating heating and lighting. The data collected was evaluated, and comparisons made between "normal" operation and "automation" mode. The building has a specific energy consumption of 60-75 kWh/m2a. Two identical classrooms were selected as test rooms. One was fitted with a conventional installation, and the second with KNX control.

Based on a four-year series of measurements, the use of KNX control was found to reduce energy consumption by up to 50%. It is therefore also clear that the expenditure in building automation system has quick payback. The university calculated that, with an annual energy consumption of 230,000 kWh for lighting alone, the investment would pay itself back after just one year with a KNX bus control.

Ultimately it is not just the owners/operators of a building who benefit from the reduced energy consumption - it is the environment too.

In summary, KNX can allow the following energy savings to be made:

up to 40% with KNX shutter control
up to 50% with KNX single room control
up to 60% with KNX lighting control
up to 60% with KNX ventilation control

WHY KNX IS GREEN

The integrated building is one that has a single control network performing many functions all in harmony with each other. This in itself has many advantages in terms of sustainability, no duplication of networks and equipment, less cabling, reduced labour for installation and ease of maintenance. Contrast this approach to the disadvantages of the traditional model of separate stand-alone systems.

If KNX is used as the protocol there are a number of additional "green" benefits. For example, in the manufacturing process, all KNX products are made by leading manufacturers with European based manufacturing using high-tech fully automated processes. These manufacturers have very good environmental policies, with many achieving The Blue Angel Award for climate protection.

In the installation phase of KNX further benefits are realised through the fact that one systems integrator can take responsibility for the whole installation. This will result in reduced cabling/materials, reduced wastage, reduced transportation/packaging and no duplication with hardware/PCs and equipment.

When the building is operating, KNX saves energy and is particularly strong in the areas of lighting and heating with its high functionality and enhanced levels of control.

KNX UK also recognise that when considering investment in building control systems, just looking at capital costs is insufficient. For a "green" approach, lifecycle costs should be examined and energy payback calculations should be used to give a true cost of installation.

KNX UK TRAINING INITIATIVES FOR 2009

In 2009, KNX UK will be putting major emphasis on its training programmes including sessions for its members on the energy saving benefits of KNX technology. Both KNX manufacturers and other parties, including the international KNX Association, will support KNX UK with presentations covering the principles and applications of KNX technology as well as marketing techniques for demonstrating actual audited energy savings with KNX.

A new CPD course covering the applications of KNX is currently being finalised and will also be launched shortly. There are also a number of accredited KNX Training providers in the UK offering training to all interested parties and the "green" credentials aspects of KNX will be featured in courses throughout the year.

In addition, KNX UK member Siemens has decided to invest in a truly mobile KNX training school with mobile training equipment. There will be two bases where training can be held - one will be in the Midlands or the other at the company's head office in Hindley Green, Manchester. Siemens also has a large KNX demonstration vehicle to show KNX in a dedicated displayed working environment. The "mobile" option means that Siemens can bring the training to a convenient location for the customer/trainee, saving time and cost.

SHOWING ENERGY CONSUMPTION WITH KNX SMART METERING

With the continued development of new KNX products from various manufacturers, the ability to record energy consumption data and to process this data for accounting and billing software products is now readily available.

Connection of the metering devices to the KNX bus system and coupling to IP allows the display and processing of the data on a touch panel. The visualization can display the recorded and current data of every metering point. The conversion of the data with export functionality to Excel can be achieved with the push of a button and allows post-processing for the various accounting and billing software products currently available.

KNX metering products can record data such as heat consumption using heat meters; power consumption (different energy meters, flexible with IR interface); water consumption (water meter with KNX connection); fill level meter for tank content (oil, water, liquids)

The development of a worldwide standardized system to meter electronically the consumption of different commodities and to convert data for external post
processing offers a number of advantages. For example, customers can get an overview of the current consumption data at a push of a button and can identify irregularities faster and therefore save time, money and energy. A number of KNX manufacturers are involved in on-going development of meters.

NEW KNX OVERVIEW PROVIDES ESSENTIAL GUIDE

KNX UK, the association representing companies promoting KNX intelligent building technology, has published a new guide to KNX technology. "Putting the Intelligence into Building and Homes" is designed for building services engineers, specifiers and users of KNX technology in the commercial and residential sectors.

It provides a concise overview of the KNX standard and the role of the UK Association. Examples of residential and commercial applications of KNX products are featured as well as information on the building control, energy management and future-proofing benefits of KNX technology.

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.

SITECO WELCOMED AS LARGEST LIGHTING MANUFACTURER IN UK TO ADOPT KNX

Siteco Limited, the world leading manufacturer of technical indoor and outdoor lighting systems, has joined the KNX UK Association. In terms of UK turnover, Siteco is the largest lighting manufacturer to make KNX its preferred protocol for lighting and associated controls. Siteco joins a fast growing UK membership, expected to top 50 by the end of 2008.

As a company renowned for quality and innovation, Siteco has been quick to seize the opportunity to embrace KNX. Dave Fear, Siteco's Technical Director, commented: "Open systems have paved the way for the ultimate in consumer choice in all aspects of our lives, from DVD players to PC software. They offer real choice of manufacturer, technical reliability and functionality. We see open systems as the only way forward in building controls and KNX as the superlative choice in open systems. The company also recognises the energy saving potential offered by KNX and would like to enhance this with their unique fixed and moveable daylight shading and control systems."

Iain Gordon, President of KNX UK, comments: "We are delighted to welcome Siteco as a member of KNX UK. The company is renowned within the worldwide lighting industry for its innovative, high quality lighting solutions. Siteco's announcement that KNX is its protocol of choice for lighting control underlines how quickly the technology is being adopted by major manufacturers throughout the world."

KNX THE WORLD OPEN STANDARD

KNX is the only worldwide approved INTERNATIONAL STANDARD for home- and building control. It already met the requirements of both European standards CENELEC EN50090 as well as CEN EN 13321-1. Its recent approval as an international standard (ISO/IEC 14543-3) now confirms the global importance of the KNX standard.

KNX UK 2008 AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

The 2008 KNX UK Awards were presented at the Association's AGM held at Lion Court, Ashby-de-la-Zouch on 26 February. President Iain Gordon recognised winners in the categories of Product of the Year, Installion of the Year and KNX Champion.

The winning entrant in Installation of the Year was made by Building Evolution from the Isle of Man for their installation at the Old Courthouse in Douglas. This was a multi-faceted project embracing many different KNX products and exploiting the benefits of BACnet and Internet Protocol technology. The award was accepted by Managing Director Nigel Stafford.

Manufacturer of the Year was Theben for their new CO2 sensor, and KNX UK Sales Manager Stephen Payne accepted the award. Gary Turnbull of Electrak was voted KNX Champion of the Year for his outstanding contribution to KNX UK's publicity and marketing activities.

KNX UK ASSOCIATION WELCOMES SOMFY

Somfy Limited is the latest major manufacturer to become a member of KNX UK, the Association representing manufacturers, systems integrators, distributors, users and training establishments for KNX technology in the United Kingdom.

Somfy is a world leading manufacturer of motors and control systems for automated solar protection and security applications within commercial buildings and domestic premises. The company has been established in the UK since 1969 and has offices in London and Yeadon, near Leeds. Somfy Limited is part of the worldwide Somfy International Group with its HQ in France and some 4700 worldwide employees working within 52 subsidiaries.

Somfy provides controls for many different products from roller shutters and interior blinds to patio awnings, garage doors, curtains and gates. Sales exceed over one million motors in European markets such as France or Germany where roller shutters are very widely specified. However, the fast growing UK market offers great sales potential and developments such as Part L of the Building Regulations are creating new sales opportunities for the company.

By offering KNX controls with its open platform protocol, Somfy provides a vital service to the market place including support for systems ntegrators. "Membership of KNX UK and use of the KNX platform within our products will be important to our continued growth of the UK market," says Ty Saville, Commercial Controls Manager for Somfy in the UK.

"We are delighted to welcome on board such a well known and progressive company as Somfy," says KNX UK President Iain Gordon. "Our member numbers continue to grow as major manufacturers and other organisations using KNX technology recognise the benefits of KNX UK membership in promoting awareness in the UK building market."