Focus grows on consulting and predictive maintenance services
Manufacturers of building automation systems (BAS) across Europe are taking their solutions to the next level by using supporting infrastructures such as wireless control devices, cloud services, building analytics software, smart grids, and vertical farming systems. Among these supporting infrastructures, building analytics, the cloud and smart grids are likely to play the most important role in strengthening the BAS market over the next four years.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Enhancing Building Automation in Europe: Role of Supporting Infrastructures, finds that the market earned revenues of $1.84 billion in 2013 and expects this to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.5 percent until 2018.
“BAS that use wireless control devices are gaining traction across Europe as they enable end users to easily reach remote and previously inaccessible parts of buildings as well as boost safety in hazardous industrial environments,” said Frost & Sullivan Industrial Automation & Process Control Research Analyst Krishna Raman. “BAS that are integrated with building analytics are also becoming popular especially in the education and public sector due to the ability of these solutions to track and predict energy consumption patterns, pinpoint defective modules, and measure compliance to building efficiency standards.”
In addition, some vendors are turning to cloud services and acquiring smart metering capabilities to integrate buildings with smart grids. They are also looking to integrate BAS with control systems for vertical farms by 2016 in order to enhance energy, water and waste management efficiency in buildings.
One of the main concerns of market participants, however, is the lack of awareness among some end users on the advantages of investing in BAS.
“BAS manufacturers should offer consulting and predictive maintenance services to increase customer satisfaction and boost revenues,” opined Raman. “They must also expand their competencies through mergers and acquisitions to retain customers in the European building automation market.”
