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 […]
Product Article: Upgrading Existing Buildings with Wired and Wireless KNX Devices
By Thomas Weinzierl, Weinzierl Engineering GmbH. Using KNX to upgrade existing buildings may seem like a contradiction to some installers because often, it is not an option to open walls to lay bus lines. However, a detailed analysis of the existing inventory and installation can provide interesting solutions. Important installation points can, in many cases, […]
Lighting: Pros and Cons of using DALI with KNX for Homes
By Colin Price, Ivory Egg. DALI is well known as a commercial lighting control protocol that works perfectly with KNX. The question is why and how can DALI be used for residential lighting control? Addressable DALI lighting is organised in lines, or ‘universes’, of up to 64 addressable DALI ballasts. These are connected to luminaries […]
CEDIA and KNX: What are the Synergies?
By Matt Nimmons, CEDIA. As CEDIA celebrates its thirtieth birthday this year, it’s clear that the home technology integration business has changed significantly. CEDIA grew out of the home entertainment industry, driven by the consumer demand for professionally-installed and integrated cinema, TV and high-quality music systems that could be enjoyed throughout the home. CEDIA was […]
Business Opportunities: Transitioning between Residential and Commercial Projects
By Mark Warburton, Ivory Egg. When it comes to the built environment, it’s a big old world out there. Every town or city has myriad different buildings designed for countless different uses. Some buildings are even completely repurposed to fulfil a current market need – office buildings being converted to flats is a great example […]
Case Study: KNX Promotes Recovery and Energy Saving in the Defence National Rehabilitation Centre, Loughborough, UK
By Ben Patterson and Paul Murphy, Intecho. The Defence National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) is a newly-constructed GBP300 million world-class medical facility that is located centrally on the Stanford Hall Estate, close to Loughborough, UK. Operated by the Ministry of Defence, the facility provides cutting-edge treatments to injured members of the armed forces for complex injuries, […]
Trade Talk: At last – a Code of Conduct
By Simon Buddle, Future Ready Homes. Nearly every day at work feels like I’m wading through a swamp of treacle; adjust this drawing, update the revision number and drawing issue sheet, update the quote, dial in and change the lighting scene levels. Then there’s the constant barrage of questions from site. What size is the […]
Country Profile: KNX in Spain
By Michael Sartor, KNX Spain During the deep financial crisis in 2013, the residential sector in Spain dropped by around 60 – 70%. The commercial sector also decreased a little, but by far not as dramatically as the residential sector. Now, the residential sector is growing again, and buyers are looking for value for money, […]