With the digital revolution continuing apace, the emergence of things like open standard protocols are empowering architects and others to find fresh ways to make the most of building automation.

Around the world, the introduction of ‘Smart Buildings’ – in which utilities are digitally connected, performance is optimised, and sustainability is maximised – is continuing to become more commonplace.

This is particularly true in commercial projects. By incorporating their HVAC systems, blinds, lighting systems, and so forth into this increasingly ubiquitous paradigm, buildings are continuing to deliver results that are hard to ignore.

While this digital revolution is proceeding at pace, we have by no means arrived at a new status quo in terms of automation. The changes keep on arriving and can be expected to continue arriving for some time to come.

For this reason, it is worth asking what are the latest developments when it comes to building automation? Where should specifiers who want to keep up with – or even stay a step ahead of – the pack, be looking?

Open standard protocols

“Building automation in commercial buildings is transitioning towards KNX, which is the world’s first open standard for controlling intelligent buildings such as industrial, commercial or residential buildings,” says Sunil Abraham, Technical Promotions & Design Manager, ABB Australia.

The KNX standard makes interoperability (the concurrent use of devices and systems from different manufacturers) possible; and makes planning, setup, and operation more efficient.

For example, ABB i-bus KNX Building planner, a digital planning tool that simplifies and modernizes the planning process for commercial buildings, automatically ensures compliance with sustainability regulations and standards. 

“The digital top platform is specifically developed to deliver easiness and speed in the planning phase of the electrical and mechanical building projects with ABB products, with users being able to configure a variety of devices with one single tool,” says Abraham.

“The tool allows planners to directly upload Building Information Modelling (BIM) files in IFC format, eliminating the need to draw floor plans. Once uploaded, existing room templates can be used. Building designers can also invite others to collaborate on the same project.”

Asked about a practical example, Abraham points to the ABB i-bus KNX Premium DALI gateways. Used Alongside KNX building automation, DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is a state-of-the-art lighting control system.

“The ABB i-bus KNX DALI Gateways serves as the interface between the KNX installation in the building and the digital DALI lighting control system, and therefore unites the two most important building automation standards,” says Abraham.

“ABB’s DALI range now includes seven different types of DALI gateways for nearly every purpose. The latest addition to the range includes two DALI gateways with tunable white and colour control functionality, completing the existing range of ABB i-bus KNX lighting control products.”

The power of data

According to Antonia Trumbull, Head of Commercial Real Estate Segment at Schneider Electric, automation is also being introduced with different objectives.

“We are now seeing the power of data generated in buildings is where we can truly shift the dial, not just with operations but also sustainability, energy management, and how people experience buildings,” she says.

According to Trumbull, access to data (and particularly portfolio data) can result in some of the biggest improvements to operations and building performance.

“By combining data across buildings within a portfolio, we are discovering new insights for property owners that were not previously possible,” she says.

“These insights are not only helping to manage buildings more efficiently and improve building performance, we are now also seeing a completely new stakeholder group interested in what was traditionally 100 per cent building services focused information.”

Schneider Electric is investing substantial resources in its new independent data layer: Building Data Platform (BDP).

“BDP acts as a cybersecure cloud platform to manage all data sources, normalise and structure that data, and provide secure permissions to stakeholders requiring access,” says Trumbull.

A core use case for BDP is to provide tenants access to building energy data, which enables them to manage, report and meet their decarbonisation and net zero commitments. In addition, BDP is a critical layer of technology for any organisation wanting to apply AI and other analytics.

According to Trumbull, one of the motivations behind the introduction of BDP was satisfying the need to find insights within data.

“A challenge the market has faced in the past is being able to segregate data in the instance of a sale of a building. BDP will enable building owners to compartmentalise the data against the building so they can sell the digital asset with the physical asset,” she says.

Connecting employees

At the same time, building automation is also being employed as a means of simplifying the ways people interact with their workspaces and technology.

“Innovations include room scheduling systems for space utilization management, one-touch meeting technology, automated camera systems for meeting rooms, and AV over IP for media content distribution within facilities,” says Jess Warnock, Product Marketing Manager – Australia and New Zealand at Creston.

Crestron's 1Beyond Intelligent video solutions, which focus on Unified Communications and facilitating effective collaboration with remote participants, is a good example.

“It automates meeting room experiences by intelligently detecting the active speaker's position and framing them perfectly with automated cameras,” says Warnock. “This ensures that remote participants can clearly see the speaker, even in large meeting room environments.”

According to Warnock, 1Beyond Intelligent video solutions were developed to address the growing need for seamless communication and collaboration in modern workplaces.

“With a huge shift in the direction of hybrid work, organisations are looking for the best, most effective ways to connect staff members in the office with those working from home as well as those in different cities or countries,” he says.

“It underscores the market's demand for innovative solutions that streamline collaboration and adapt to changing work environments.”

Promoting safety and sustainability

To illustrate the benefits of automation, it is worth focussing on one particular product categories. Firstly, we shall consider shading systems.

As supplied by Verosol, most types of windows and blinds can be automated. In terms of internal systems, suitable products include roller blinds, pleated blinds, curtains, roman blinds, and venetian blinds, while in terms of external systems, skylight systems, folding arm awnings, external roller blinds, and venetian (rack arm) awnings are also all suitable for motorisation and automation.

The benefits of automated window coverings include improved safety. The fact that automated blinds and curtains have no need for accessible cords eliminates the problem of young children becoming entangled (and in the worst cases, even strangled) by these cords.

Another benefit is convenience. Automated systems empower users to adjust their blinds and curtains with the tap of a device or a simple voice command. They can be set to adjust at certain times of the day, or according to changing weather, variable room usage, and so forth.

As demonstrated at Salesfore Tower (a landmark project in central Sydney), the precise control and operation that automated window coverings deliver also translates to less need for air conditioning and heating, reduced energy usage and reduced carbon footprints.

TurnerArc supplied some 3,200 motorised Ambience Roller Blinds from Verosol for installation in the project. To optimise their performance the blinds, which cover all windows between levels 1-53, are automated.

Somfy supplied, installed, integrated, and commissioned a blind control system to control the Somfy Sonesse 40 WT motors. In addition, the system is monitored by the ISP for faults and status’s and communicates through the ICN.

The Somfy KNX blind control system provides automated sensor control and data feeds from the BOM, shadow management, user override switches and interfacing to ISP via Bacnet.

Now fully functional, the automated blinds are ensuring panoramic harbour views, while helping to maintain impressive levels of thermal efficiency and sustainability.

According to Peter Skinner, Director of Shade Factor a specialist in customised shade systems for both residential and commercial applications, all commercial buildings now include some automation.

“Products typically are built with ethernet connections for remote observation and assessment of energy usage...,” he says.

 “A simple application might just provide fault reporting to keep maintenance staff aware of building services condition, while an advanced application includes visualisation for easy to navigate monitoring of building services.”

Focussing on his own organisation’s area of expertise, Skinner says control systems associated with shading systems often include advanced features like the ability to track the exact path of the sun through algorithms.

On top of that, as Skinner says, monitoring and maintenance systems have advanced significantly and “there are now many ways to locally operate sun shading and other building services beyond simple wall switches. Touchscreens, phone apps, integration with systems like C Bus, Conson and Dynalight for tenancy fitouts are now commonplace.”

Shade Factor’s latest product, Omnexo from Warema, allows for the programming of large and complex sun shading strategies, using a simple PC interface.

“For the building owner this means that commissioning is quick, and changes can be easily attended to as we tune the building to the needs of the occupants. It can be used for a house or an office tower, with the ability to control up to 3,000 motors or 500 groups,” says Skinner, adding that the system can be accessed over the internet for commissioning and for end users.

Maintaining indoor air quality

As is the case for shading systems, building automation has revolutionized the management of indoor air quality (IAQ) and natural ventilation in commercial applications.

“By leveraging sensors that monitor various parameters such as temperature, humidity, and air quality, building management systems can intelligently adjust window openings to facilitate natural ventilation, reducing the reliance on mechanical HVAC systems and decreasing energy consumption,” explains Safetyline Jalousie’s Director, Leigh Rust.

According to Rust, this technology has also delivered safety benefits, particularly in scenarios like smoke and heat control during fire events.

“Automated systems can swiftly detect smoke or other hazardous substances, triggering immediate actions such as opening louvres and activating ventilation systems to extract smoke from key escape routes like stairwells,” he says.

“Conversely, in areas where fire signals indicate a threat, these systems promptly close the louvres to prevent oxygen from fuelling the fire, effectively containing its spread and minimising damage.”

Furthermore, as highlighted by the COVID-19 experience, building automation allows for real-time monitoring and adjustment of Indoor IAQ parameters, ensuring that public spaces and high-occupancy areas maintain optimal air quality levels.

“Overall, these developments represent a significant step forward in creating smarter, safer, and more sustainable built environments,” says Rust.

Safetyline Jalousie's latest product developments introduce a suite of louvre assets designed to address various project requirements and challenges. The result of collaboration with the company’s automation partner, Blue Squared Window Automation, these louvre systems can be seamlessly integrated with building automation technology under the umbrella of control equipment called ‘Smartair’.

This solution combines performance louvres with cutting-edge sensor and automation technology to ensure a capacity to adapt to a variety of project needs.

“Smartair leverages the inherent advantages of Safetyline Jalousie's louvres, including maximum airflow, air tightness when closed, built-in security, and sound insulation,” says Rust, adding that the systems enable management of indoor environments based on predefined parameters.

Image: Crestron Sightline / Crestron.

Suppliers

Schneider Electric

ABB

Verosol Australia

Safetyline Jalousie

Crestron

Shade Factor