Examples of projects with KNX in commercial buildings
SUNLIFE COURT, BRISTOL
KNX has provided a solution for the metering from fourteen tenant meters. Data is presented on a LCD mini-panel. A time clock controls façade lighting and lighting of all public areas and also provides twilight control.
HARRODS
KNX provides flexible control of lighting on all store floors by superimposing a lighting control system over existing power distribution.
PIR presence detectors automatically provide lighting for cleaners and security staff, exactly when needed. Head end PC control uses OPC. Lighting control is provided via an LCD mini-panel.
ST PANCRAS STATION
When CTRL (Channel Tunnel Rail Link) was looking for a solution that would monitor essential building services and provide lighting control at St Pancras Interim station, time was tight. Having decided against a traditional Building Management System for the installation because of cost and functionality considerations, a KNX based system was specified. It met all of CTRL’s cost and design requirements and was installed within tight time constraints and within the specified budget.
The 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 Station Manager’s 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 through the same twisted pair 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 BUS system.
It was this flexibility of the KNX approach that persuaded CORBER, the Design and Installation JV at CTRL St Pancras, that the KNX solution was the best. They were able to connect all these services on the same BUS wire and present the information on a simple screen that is easy to use. Even better, all the software design and programming work was developed off-site and delivered to the station pre-commissioned. As a result the actual commissioning required just two days on site.
BRITISH LIBRARY
After careful consideration of all the lighting control systems available in the UK, the British Library has opted for a KNX based lighting control system to replace and upgrade its existing installation. The simplicity of installation and lack of disruption were pivotal to the specification.
The existing control system was replaced and many additional functions were provided including the use of DALI 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, energy reduction and blind and screen controls in meeting rooms.
Famous for its reading 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 library’s 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.
Mike Wildsmith, the Library’s Electrical Services Engineer, commented: “The KNX lighting control system has been able to fulfil all our operational and installation requirements.”
COTSWOLDS HOUSE HOTEL
This jewel in the crown of Chipping Campden is the successful development by husband and wife Ian and Christa Taylor of a luxury hotel. The couple, who bought the Cotswold House Hotel back in 1999, aimed to create an oasis of luxury in the heart of the picture-postcard Cotswolds. According to Ian, when they took it over, “It had the traditional chintzy feel to it but we felt that there was a gap in the market for a luxury hotel.” He says that people are often surprised by the interior. “From the outside it looks like it should be all rustic fireplaces and four poster beds, but once inside guests are treated to something a little bit special.”
“Our objective is to make our guests feel totally at home – but we are realistic enough to understand that most of our clientele are going to be fairly wealthy, so for them to have a better experience than they do at home we have to pull out all the stops,” explains Ian.
The experience includes KNX technology, as well as lighting specially designed by the acclaimed Bruce Munro. KNX Technology connects all of the electrical features in a building so that they ‘communicate’ with each other – making the running of the hotel more convenient for the staff and more comfortable for the guests. KNX is a simple cabling system that is fitted throughout the hotel, monitoring and operating all the individual electrical fittings. It will also allow the Taylors to expand functionality further down the line by adding additional products, enhancing the existing functionality in the hotel.
Ian and Christa had a well-defined idea of what they wanted from KNX. Walk into the Montrose Suite and you will find yourself faced with a huge flat screen TV in the lounge area, which also sports a DVD player and internet access all controlled by a single remote control pad. On the walls are switches which control the lighting, allowing different scenes to be set for true ‘mood’ lighting and a variety of floor, ceiling and wall lights to be controlled throughout the suite. The shower has colour changing LED lights that reflect when the water’s flowing giving the visitor a rainbow-tinted washing experience.
The installation had to ensure total integration to make sure all the lighting, visual, audio and comfort systems where installed and working, The brief from the Taylors was to make the hotel more managable in terms of the electrical features – but also to give guests control of their individual rooms. It was also important that the switches in the hotel rooms were easy to understand and practical, as visitors would not have time to learn to use them.
Heating control was also installed as part of the KNX package so that guests had control of their own environments. When used in private homes this feature can be a very effective energy saving device. Depending on the outside temperature, energy bills can be reduced by up to 40%.
By installing KNX, hotel owners can future-proof their investment by ensuring they can keep up to date with the latest developments. Because the system is based on an agreed industry standard, it won’t become obsolete. When fitted as part of a refurbishment or new build, the technology can be used to provide real benefits and cost savings.
Every detail of the Cotswold House Hotel has been carefully considered and designed. The overall experience is effectively aimed at the top end of the market – and it’s hard to imagine any guest being disappointed – but the owners haven’t lost sight of their main aim: to make this place a home from home.
CANARY WHARF
Sixty-four dummy actuators using KNX are controlled by constant light detectors for daylight control. Timed brightness control reduces energy consumption in ‘engineering hours’. Lighting automatically compensates for dust filtering on fluorescent tubes, thereby reducing cleaning and maintenance requirements.
CITIBANK
Using KNX, over 3000 lighting control modules are controlled by PIR motion detectors.
