Karl Walker of Beckhoff and Mike Brooman of Vanti discuss where we might be going wrong with smart buildings 

BCIA Launches Schoolz Out competition for young inventors. 

Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA), reflects on some of the key developments from 2018 and discusses the importance of good specification to ensure long term performance of a BEMS.

Nick Sacke describes the benefits of smart buildings – and the barriers we face in achieving more connected buildings.

Renu Chopra reports on trends in smart building technology and considers the gap between vision and reality.

Alpesh Trivedi believes the HVAC sector is on the cusp of an enormous technological revolution, driven by digitisation. He explains how it will impact on building services.

Karen Fletcher looks at the future of BACnet in the fast-moving world of the internet. Can this familiar protocol keep pace in the new world of smart buildings?

Nick Mellor explains how the humble lift is getting smarter and why this matters to building owners and users.

Iain Gordon explains why, even though proprietary equipment control systems may seem an easy choice for specifiers, taking the open approach is more effective and efficient in the long-run.

UK universities have invested heavily in their building stock. This month’s Round Table, sponsored by Trend Controls, discusses the importance of high quality buildings for this market, and the challenge of operating them efficiently.

Bill Gates is quoted as having said “People don’t know how to want the things we can offer them”. For example, some things we now consider normal were once considered as unnecessary luxuries – early electric lights were switched on/off at the fitting meaning you would bump into furniture as you fumbled for the switch. When it was realised that a switch could be fitted just inside the door, for a time, many people considered this as a needless indulgence.

Imagine being able to harness the sun’s energy during the day for use during the night. With a battery storage system this is exactly what can happen. During the day a roof mounted photovoltaic system can gather electrical energy from the sun then, at night the occupants can draw on the electrical energy stored in the battery.

Smart building technology cannot stand still: it has to be able evolve throughout a building’s lifetime if it is to continue adding value. Commercial tenants may need to set up for a completely new way of working as their business changes. New sustainability and energy efficiency targets may be imposed to manage costs and/ or to manifest corporate social responsibility.

The importance of the distribution transformer should not be misunderstood – the technology plays a significant, but sometimes underestimated, role in the high voltage energy infrastructure of facilities across the country. Distribution transformers are energised 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Even when then don’t carry a load they ensure buildings receive the correct electricity supply that is safe for use and fit for requirements.

Installations of renewable energy generation have been declining month on month since February 2016. One of the main reasons behind the decline is due to a lack of understanding and inability to evaluate the feasibility of all renewable options available to a specific building.

Abtec Building Technologies has recently completed a project to install a connected lighting system at a newly constructed brick factory in the East Midlands. Ibstock Brick, an Ibstock PLC company, has built a new factory capable of producing 100 million bricks a year, helping to address the UK’s housing shortage.

Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Association explores how connected buildings can help to achieve a substantial reduction in carbon emissions and why innovative methods increase energy efficiency while also reducing running costs.

As housebuilders increasingly look to include ‘smart’ homes in their developments, as well as heating technology such as HIUs, Gary Perry explains why seamless integration is vital to optimise energy efficiencies.

Managing multiple buildings with controls can only be achieved by using the correct hardware, an effective protocol and a collaborative design approach, argues Paul Foulkes.

Jon Belfield, President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) explains how joined-up thinking throughout the supply chain enables the connection of building services to a BMS.

Mark Stanton explains the benefits of investing in connected services to create truly intelligent buildings, and what to consider when doing so.

The KNX building control system is over 25 years old, yet for many people it’s still a new idea. Here Iain Gordon explains the concepts behind the technology and considers why it is gradually gaining more ground with controls engineers and clients.

Dave Lapsley considers the connected future and points to new approaches which are making integration for smart buildings much easier.

The internet has affected almost every aspect of our lives. Malcolm Anson investigates how web-based services such as energy management and data analysis are already changing how buildings are controlled and managed for efficiency and comfort.

The commissioning of controls is beset with challenges, and yet with some forward-planning there are benefits for consultants, contractors and end-users. Karen Fletcher explores the issues with some of those at the front line.

Remote BEMS management is a cutting-edge controls option. Matt Peasnall goes behind the scenes to explain the benefits.