SPECIAL FEATURE
SMART LIGHTING & LIGHTING CONTROL
DON’T RESTRICT YOURSELF TO LIGHTING KNX UK President, Paul Foulkes, encourages installers to train for a future based on open systems.
I
s the cash cow that was only quasi-smart lighting on its last legs? People want much more in their homes and workplace: in addition to the relatively easy lighting wins, they want you to integrate heating and cooling, shading and energy control and security. And why not, given the existence of a proven, robust open-system automation platform that makes bringing it all together easy? That’s KNX. KNX is not a product range but an open protocol that enables you to combine products from different manufacturers to create the exact, custom system your clients want. You can train to become a KNX partner, competent to use the programming software at certified training centres across the UK. Why not at least start with a free taster session to see what opportunities you are missing? The KNX standard has just celebrated its 30th birthday as the de facto global open control protocol, and signing up Sony took its count of manufacturer members past the 500 mark. That’s 500 world-class manufacturers making controls that are guaranteed to work together, guaranteed to be backwards compatible, and guaranteed to enable you to broaden your horizons by designing interworking between applications controlling every aspect of home control. Products are certified as compatible by the international KNX Association, which also maintains and updates the programming software. Of course, adding value depends on the quality of the installer’s skill and creative thinking and you can get a great start with one of the KNX Partner training courses available across the UK. Then you will be ready to start building scalable, flexible solutions that meet customer expectations, be it lighting or a fully integrated smart home. Another big advantage of the open approach means you can always go back and upgrade or expand – adding new applications like HVAC and security to an initial lighting installation. Don’t limit yourself by starting with a proprietary control system that only controls lighting! There are far bigger opportunities to be grasped. The big risk with proprietary solutions is that they might, for example, require you to update an installation’s central controller when a new range of keypads or smart wall switches is released.
Meanwhile, a KNX integrator will have been able to programme a new, KNX-certified keypad design into the existing system, make a quick physical swap onsite, and then sit back and continue to enjoy an amicable and profitable long-term relationship with the customer. That’s not to say you have to ditch your favourite systems or familiar products because, for the most part, the proprietary players have already seen which way the wind is blowing and made the KNX choice for you. They have created the gateways that let the magic happen. There are KNX gateways to Control4, Savant, Crestron and Lutron, as well as the DALI-2 standard. Naturally, consumer solutions are coming to the KNX party too, with Sonos, Apple Homekit, Siri, Alexa and Google Home all able to either control or be integrated with a KNX system. KNX integrators in the UK have been delivering high-end residential projects in the UK market for many years using the KNX ETS programming software. While it hasn’t actually changed fundamentally, the skin it lives in has evolved, making learning and using it ever-easer. Its underlying stability is the real strength – you will be installing projects with lifecycles extending into decades. KNX UK Association members are now maintaining and expanding systems they installed 15 years ago, continuing
to generate income by adding more sophisticated security devices, for instance, or building in the whole new approach to entertainment that has evolved since the CDs that were prevalent when their system were first designed. When it comes to smart homes, not all updates need to be done at once. Projects can be phased or evolved as lifestyles change – children may leave home or older lifestyles begin to call for automated help with assisted living. All of this can be catered for with the cross-application flexibility of KNX without having to go back to the drawing board. As KNX is a system with distributed intelligence, there’s no high-risk central point of failure and new devices can simply be attached to the nearest node, a switch or sensor perhaps. Changing a KNX system is not disruptive – the customer will hardly know you’ve been there. Big or small, commercial or residential, simple or complex, there will always be a KNX solution that makes sense. Don’t let the proprietary systems restrict yourself to lighting – the smart money is in total integration of all aspects of home and building automation. Why be good at one or two things for the length of the project when you can be good at many things for the whole life of the installation?
Don’t limit yourself by starting with a proprietary control system that only controls lighting!
KNX UK Association, knxuk.org
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