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Client: Distech Controls Publication: MBS Date: 05/11/2015

Client: Distech Controls Publication: MBS Date: 05/11/2015

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According to the CIBSETM24 (‘Environmentfactors affecting officeworker performance:

review of evidence’) document,about 80% of the UK workforceworks in an office. The reportalso identifies how the physicalenvironment affects productivityin the workplace.

The findings show that anincrease in employee productivityis increased by up to 20% withappropriate lighting, up to 50%with appropriate temperaturesettings, and up to 9% whenoccupants are provided withcontrol over their environmentalsettings. Ensuring occupants workunder the right conditions is vital,but how do you guarantee thesefactors are met when the layout ofthe office changes or newoccupants take over the building?

This is where a modular controlsystem can come into its own. Thistype of system can bring aboutcost and energy savings and isideal for commercial buildingsthat are subject to changinglayouts and where control of arange of HVAC, energymanagement, lighting, securityand other sub-systems isrequired. A modular controlspackage should be recommendedfrom the very beginning of theproject and is easy for systemintegrators and building-servicesconsultants to install and monitor.

We spend a lot of time andmoney planning, designing andconstructing a building, but thevital part that is often forgotten iswhat use the building will haveafter it is completed. A lot of effortgoes into creating an energy-efficient building that has thelatest technology and will save thebuilding owner money as well asmanaging the plant. However, ifthe occupants that use thebuilding are not applying thetechnology correctly or if it is notset up in the way the originalplans suggested, the energy-efficiency requirements will not bemet. We need to take a long-termview and carefully consider whatthe building will be used forimmediately after construction

and in the future.What if the occupants change?We have all heard of ‘office

churn’ and the effect it can haveon not only the layout of thebuilding, such as the position ofroom partitions and furniture, butalso what it means for theelectrical and environmentalcomfort systems.

The cost and time it takes toreconfigure the control system tosuit the new needs of a buildingcan be onerous and put buildingowners off making the requiredinvestment in an effective andversatile control system. Amodular system negates thesefactors by allowing systemintegrators to easily and simplyaccess the control system and addthe expansion modules that areneeded whilst also thinking aboutbuilding life cycle and itsevolution.

A recently completed project,the Incity tower in Lyon, Franceuses a Distech Controls’ modularcontrols solution. The skyscraperoffice peaks at 200 m and is40 000 m² in size. It is the highesttower in Lyon and the third tallestin France. It is also one of the firsthigh-rise constructions labelledas a Low Consumption buildingand has achieved HighEnvironmental Quality (HQE) andBREEAM ‘Excellent’ certifications.We have installed a BACnet-basedSmart Room Control solution,which is an all in one system forthe control of HVAC, lighting andsunblinds.

The project brief had threeessential elements.• Be a modular controls system.• Give great energy performance.

• Use the BACnet protocol.

The Smart Room Controls solutioninstalled in the building allows thecontrol of the HVAC system,lighting and sunblinds in eachindividual office space. Thismodular solution, based on openstandards, allows the occupants tohave greater comfort whilst also

providing the energy-efficiencysavings the building is required toachieve. Importantly, the total lifecycle of the building was alsoconsidered, so that the propertycould continue to function atoptimum levels over the longterm.

As one of the integratedsystems, the EC-Multi-SensorSeries, designed as a ‘4-in-1’communicating sensor, combinesa motion detector, light sensor,temperature sensor and an infra-red receiver in a single compactdevice. Ideal for low-consumptionbuildings, the sensor optimisesenergy use according to thebuilding’s conditions andoccupation. Motion sensing,temperature measurement andoccupancy-detection monitors areused to gauge the optimumheating, cooling and lightingsettings at its most energyefficient level.

An all-in-one system thatlightens the network’sinfrastructure reduces thenumber of BACnet MSTP routerssince there is only one device perroom. Only one main HVACcontroller has to be configured toenable all functionalities in aroom. The expansion modules forlighting and sunblinds operate assoon as they are connected andare powered by the main HVACcontroller. The Smart RoomControl solution providesseamless integration, loweroperational and maintenancecosts, and energy savings.

Integrators, building ownersand operators will all benefit froma solution that can simplify thecontrol integration and operationprocess, whilst at the same timeensuring improved energyefficiency and occupant comfort.By combining and allowing for theexpansion of numerous functionswithin a building, including HVAC,lighting, blinds, access andsecurity, and power monitoring,you can create a truly modularsolution.

Navid Mehr is head of businessdevelopment UK at DistechControls.

Modularity mattersNavid Mehr of Distech Controls explains why it is important for system integrators andbuilding-services consultants to consider specifying a modular control system that iseasily adjustable and adaptable to the changing needs of the building and its occupants.

“Ensuring occupantswork under the right conditions is vital, but how do you guarantee these factors are met when the layout of theoffice changes or newoccupants take over the building?”

Controls that respond tochange — Navid Mehr.

Modular controls were an essentialelement of the control brief for thetallest building in Lyon, France, theIncity tower.(Image, Valode & Pistre Architectes)