HIDDEN STREAMS WITH ADDED HOME INTELLIGENCE

Hidden Streams, a property in Sussex is one of a fast growing number of homes to feel the benefit of KNX intelligent building technology. The owners upgraded and refurbished the property to include not only a substantial extension, but also a complete rewiring and integration of KNX controlled building services products.

GES Digital, a member of KNX UK and a systems integrator, were approached by the architect to provide a design proposal using KNX products throughout the property. The brief was to provide control for internal & external lighting, heating, blinds & curtains, as well as a multi room music system.

The installation includes a series of four pre-set lighting scenes for each room with scenes having a pre-programmed preference for different lights within a room. For example, by touching one button, the owner can recall a scene on a gradual fade in. Scenes are easily adjusted via the switch plate in the room and can be permanently stored. In some rooms local control of individual lights is also provided - for example at the desk in the study, or at the bedside.

Heating control is provided by 12 separate zones of heating spread amongst the rooms. In the older part of the house, traditional radiators are fitted with KNX radiator valves actuators that open and shut the radiator dependent upon requirement for heat. In the newer part, the same valve actuators are fitted to the underfloor heating manifold. By measuring the temperature at the switch plate in that room, the valves can be set to open or shut and not just by full open or full close, but on a graduating level dependent on the actual temperature differential measured.

Roller blinds and curtains are controlled by the KNX system too. The blinds shut automatically at dusk and open again ender timer control in the morning. A music system has been installed to all rooms, with KNX products providing full control of volume, source and tone. Using in-ceiling speakers with hi-fi response, and a built in amplifier on the rear of the speaker support frame, a minimal amount of equipment is need on show. A simple input device allows the connection of up to eight input sources, including satellite TV and MP3 player docks.

One of the key features of KNX is its fully programmable architecture and a KNX panel at the entrance to each room provides complete control over all functions. Additional features include the scene setting of the external alights via an LCD touch screen. This also provides timed control of the heating and simple access to shut the house down for holidays. At the exit doors and in the master bedroom, there are buttons that will shut off all the lighting in the house to prevent unnecessary energy use.

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.

HOLIDAY HOME IN EIRE

This recently completed property has the major functions normally requested when engineering residential projects. All lighting circuits, under-floor heating, hot water, are controlled via KNX technology. Full remote access has also been provided which allows the client, via text messages, to activate heating and lighting prior to arrival whilst also facilitating warnings such as leak detection or intruder signals to be broadcast out via text message.

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 APARTMENTS AT THE REEF IN BOURNEMOUTH

Overlooking Boscombe Pier at Bournemouth The Reef has recently been completed and comprises 56 spacious apartments arranged in a horseshoe design to maximise the sea view. All homes have at least one balcony or terrace and have been constructed and finished to the highest quality using all the latest technology. Apartments have designer kitchens, smart bathrooms and under floor heating, and the thirteen penthouses all benefit from private roof gardens complete with hot tub.

When we were approached by Roxan Construction Ltd of Southampton, about this project, we jumped at the chance to be on-board with this local developer on such a prestigious scheme.
Roxan are constantly updating their approach to new developments and where keen to take part in the Smart home revolution as it spreads in to all sectors.

The first part was to introduce the concept to Roxan and explain the merits of such an approach. KNX is a communication protocol with its origin in Europe and with a 15 year record of operational history. It is the only system that has over 130 manufacturers producing reliable, and design led finished products to the market place and to have achieved global recognition with approval to ISO/IEC 14543-3 standard. The project would also involve the design of future proofing to the cable infrastructure to enable seamless and hidden upgrades in the future.We where then able to specify and budget for implementation of these systems, in to any of the apartments that Roxan felt appropriate to treat in such a way. The resulting decision was to design cable infrastructure in to all of the penthouse level apartments and then to actually install complete systems in to the two premier units. This would enable digital control of the lighting and heating systems with access via the web, locally and remotely, to these two units.
In addition, it also means that any of the other 11 apartments on the penthouse levels that would like this type of system installed, they already have all of the infrastructure ready and waiting for connection.

KNX provides the perfect solution for this development.

GES Digital were the integrators on this project.

KNX TAKES CONTROL AT SURREY HOME

Mallards is a large £3M private residence built in an exclusive forested area in rural Surrey. Utilising traditional building techniques with a modern outlook on construction, this beautiful brick façade house boasts a long list of amenities including 3 reception rooms, a large kitchen with a sizeable breakfast area and integrated sun room, study, utility area and interconnecting corridors with vaulted ceilings. There is a large grand central staircase with domed ceiling leading upstairs to 6 bedrooms, 3 of which are fully en-suite. A large family bathroom completes the first floor with a staircase leading to the large floored attic space providing internal storage. All of the rooms to the rear of the property have extended views over the delightful Frensham area, giving this residence a unique aspect on the Surrey countryside.
Within the grounds a three car garage has been built with a spacious room within the roof space and an impressive outdoor swimming pool completes this property along with a thoughtfully landscaped and maturely planted gardens. The brief was to provide a fully integrated system able to meet the needs of a residence of this size as well as being able to be easily adaptable and extended to suit future requirements. The client wanted the ability to control all aspects of the building efficiently, simply and with total confidence.
The client was aware of other systems on the market but felt that they were not able to meet his requirement for flexibility, expansion and provide him with the ability to control the functions of the house in an energy efficient way. The system needed to be seamless with a large part of the functionality working in the background but with the ability for the client to interact with it. A KNX system with stainless steel switches, room controllers and accessories was chosen.
The design was to provide complete control of the property encompassing all elements of the lighting system, internally and externally, curtain and blind control and the central heating and hot water systems. There was also a requirement for the security system to be interfaced with the lighting.

All of this was achieved seamlessly by using KNX. The only protocol for smart homes to have gained recognition by the international standards authorities.

Light Tech Ltd & GES Digital were the integrators for this project.

KNX SMART HOME HAYLING ISLAND MANSION

This is a large family home project near Hayling Island on the south coast of England. The project includes a house-wide KNX smart home system controlling lighting, heating, curtains / blinds, garage doors and AV.

The swimming pool area has a spectacular LED colour change scene set control system powered by a KNX – DMX interface with full touch screen control.

The owner of the house was particularly impressed with the flexibility of the system and its reliability.

Andromeda Telematics Ltd were the integrators for this project.

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.

KNX SETS THE LIGHTING SCENE AT SOUTH PLAZA, BRISTOL

The core lighting system at Bristol's South Plaza office development has many outstanding architectural features, reflected in its highly sophisticated KNX (formerly EIB) based lighting control system. This controls all of the architectural, external and general lighting as well as energy management and metering.

Devices such as luminaries on the KNX network are intelligent and communicate with other devices on the network via data telegrams. There is no central PC or processor required to control the system as the concept of KNX is based on distributed intelligence so that individual failures do not impact upon the whole system.

Typically, the lighting in the atrium is a key architectural feature, utilising coloured LED lamps and featured luminaries to create the desired mood and ambience in this area. This is all controlled and scene set via the KNX installation.

The user interface for the installation is provided by a small touch screen control located at South Plaza reception desk. This provides total control over operation of the building's lighting systems including central switching, dimming, scene set control as well as time schedules and calendars. Systems integrator for the project was Andromeda Telematics.

KNX FULFILS CONTROL REQUIREMENTS AT ST PANCRAS STATION

A KNX (formerly EIB) solution is monitoring essential building services and provide lighting control at St Pancras Interim Channel Tunnel Rail Link station. Having decided against a traditional Building Management System for the installation because of cost and functionality considerations, the KNX based system meets the project’s cost and design requirements.

The KNX installation features a simple central LCD control panel which allows St. Pancras station management to view the performance of important building services and control lighting. Monitoring and alarm inputs were via small binary input devices distributed around the bus, with the control panel being just another node on the bus system. The lighting can be controlled manually from the control room for all platforms, and concourses. Ventilation fans, air conditioning cassettes, condensing units, extraction fans, Motor Control Panels, UPS, Sump Pumps and Lift alarms are all monitored for common alarms by the KNX system with audible alarms with acknowledge response.

Escalator points and lift alarms are monitored from the same central scheme. The system can be extended for daylight linking with the photocells commanding the lighting actuators. The same actuators have manual over-ride via the LCD mini-control panel. These are just some of the diverse building services that are controlled through a simple low voltage two-wire KNX system.

The key to the installation was the flexibility of the KNX approach to connect all the services on the same KNX system and present the information on a simple easy-to-use screen. All the software design and programming work was developed off-site. Systems integrator for the project was Andromeda Telematics.