Tutorial: controlling SMI and shading using KNX
By Mark Warburton, Ivory Egg. After a recent expansion at Ivory Egg headquarters, we have been making some improvements to the control system to make sure we are showing the full potential of KNX. It’s always great fun to get back on the tools and be reminded of just how functional a KNX system can […]
Overview: predictive building management relies on intelligence and standards
By Philip R. Juneau, ATC. The international community is truly in an interesting mindset these days; with the nearly endless streams of information flooding through our conscious state, we rarely have time to quiet our minds in order to think creatively, innovatively, or even rationally. I’m a member of Generation X, which means that as […]
The Climate Challenge: the advantages of programmable logic control
By Simon Buddle, Future Ready Homes. Well it’s been another extraordinary summer of weather. One stage of the Tour De France had to be cut short due to a snow blizzard in July, that closed a mountain pass. To be more accurate, it was the landslide as a result of the water that caused the […]
Case study: Porto Mykonos – a hotel operating at half power in Greece
By Nick Gliatis, GDS Digital Systems. Comprising 90 rooms, Porto Mykonos is a luxury hotel located at the famous and bustling port of Mykonos Town on the Greek island of Mykonos. This is where all the action happens, both by day and by night. The hotel was to undergo major renovations, including expansion, so a […]
Interview: Sue Milne gives a fresh take on the home automation industry in the UK
Sue Milne started her career in advertising sales within the luxury marine market. She progressed into general management, and led sales and account management teams based in the UK and throughout Europe. Having worked for a large American corporation, she knew that she wanted to be in a smaller business where she could make an […]
KNX and Domestic Alarm Systems: how effective is your fire strategy?
By Simon Buddle, Future Ready Homes. Fire is without doubt one of the most devastating incidents that can befall us. The ferocity and magnitude of house fires can leave a home a decimated pile of ash. People who escape stand and watch as thousands of gallons of water are poured onto their home. By the […]
KNX Secure: the way to protect your installations
By Thomas Weinzierl, Weinzierl Engineering GmbH. Communication and data processing are hardly conceivable today without considering security aspects. In the future, insecure communication systems are unlikely to be accepted. The way has already been shown by the Internet, with the well-known http protocol from 1991 having been largely replaced by the encrypted https variant. Incidentally, […]
Opinion: manufacturers – don’t underestimate the value that distributors add!
By Julian Barkes, Bemco. The electrical industry has wrestled for a long time with the issue of trying to shorten the supply chain. The relationship between client, specifier, manufacturer, wholesaler and contractor used to be understood by everybody, but with facilities managers buying from Amazon, and margin-chasing contractors bullying manufacturers, the supply chain is getting […]
Heating: Future Technologies and KNX
By Simon Buddle, Future Ready Homes. Whether as individuals, or on a corporate level, we all need to take climate change seriously. For my part, it’s time to change the company van, so naturally I’ve been toying with the idea of getting an electric car. There are a few available now, but they seem to […]
Country Profile: KNX in Portugal
By Rui Carneiro, KNX Portugal. In Portugal, control systems have long been associated with two types of market: the luxury residential, where KNX has come to dominate; and the HVAC system management market. The latter has been based essentially on BACnet and Modbus systems, which were maintenance management systems but with major limitations in the […]