the magazine of the continental automated buildings association summer 2012 volume 9, number 2
Digital Homes at the Cusp of Interoperability Carole Wiedmeyer asserts that the timing has never been better for a genuine breakthrough in digital home interoperability.
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$25 usd www.caba.org/ihomesandbuildings
CaBa to Create education & training resource Clearinghouse and unveils smart Grid research study → 16 Cloud Computing will Benefit the Construction Industry → 18 In-Building Wireless Coverage: It Is No Longer Just an afterthought! → 19
CABA’s Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council (IIBC) focused on areas of research that address the needs and priorities of high performance and intelligent buildings. The IIBC identified two key areas of exploration in its 2011 Landmark Research study - the impact of smart grid development on intelligent buildings, and the progression of intelligent buildings towards net zero energy. There is a growing marketplace outlook that achieving energy sustainability and the growth of building intelligence are interdependent and exert a collective influence in the progression of high performance intelligent buildings. Consequently, CABA’s IIBC members focussed the research study on an investigation and assessment of the impact of the smart grid on the commercial buildings sector. Though still early in development and deployment, the research also examined the relationship of smart grids and the progression towards net zero energy output in intelligent buildings. The purpose of this study was to identify, define and size the principle business opportunities presented by the growth of smart grids, in relation to “intelligent buildings”. An examination of smart grid should yield immediate value to all stakeholders in the intelligent building industry, as smart grid and auto demand response holds more relevance in the industry today - with opportunities in existing buildings and new construction. Energy capacity/supply problems need to be addressed in the short-term, and made available in emerging technology. This will serve to add to market education and understanding, and address market knowledge gaps. As well, open and interoperable communication between energy suppliers and commercial energy users is an eventuality - which was further explored in relation to smart grid development and intelligent buildings. The purpose of these initiatives is two fold – an educational and validation exercise for industry participants and a means to drive public opinion and facilitate policy decisions at industry stakeholder, public authority and government organization levels. The study was funded by these CABA members:
RUBY SPONSOR
EMERALD SPONSORS
DIAMOND SPONSORS
The research was undertaken by research and buildings technology consultancy, BSRIA, on behalf of CABA.
Your Information Source For Home & Building Automation www.CABA.org
To purchase this and other available research reports or explore new research opportunities contact: George Grimes CABA Business Development Manager 613.686.1814 x226 or grimes@caba.org
More Information available at: www.caba.org/estore
the magazine of the continental automated buildings association summer 2012 volume 9, number 1
Featu re s
Large Building Automation.............................................................................................................................................................. 7 Case Study: San Francisco Public Utility Commission Unveils Smart Green Buildings by Jim Sinopoli Home Systems..................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Digital Homes at the Cusp of Interoperability by Carole Wiedmeyer
CO L U MNS
President & CEO’s Message............................................................................................................................................................ 3 CABA Research Briefs........................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Driving Transformation to Energy Efficient Buildings: Policies and Actions Advanced Metering Initiatives and Residential Feedback Programs: A Meta-Review for Household Electricity-Saving Opportunities Ken Wacks’ Perspectives............................................................................................................................................................... 12 Zapped by Smart Meters? Research Viewpoints........................................................................................................................................................................ 16 CABA to Create Education & Training Resource Clearinghouse and Unveils Smart Grid Research Study by Rawlson O’Neil King Opinion..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Cloud Computing will Benefit the Construction Industry by Jon Witty Networking and Outreach.............................................................................................................................................................. 19 In-Building Wireless Coverage: It Is No Longer Just An Afterthought! by Don Davis
De pa rtm e n t s
New Members.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Industry Trends.................................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Events....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
CABA NewsBrief Please go to the CABA Web site at www.caba.org to learn how to freely subscribe and sponsor
editorial Advisory Board Dr. Kenneth Wacks Ken Wacks Associates (Chair) David Labuskes RTKL Associates, Inc. Labib Matta NeXgen Advisory Group FZ-LLC Daniel Michaud Environmental Systems Design
Join CABA Today! www.caba.org
Harshad shah Eagle Technology, Inc. Managing editor Ronald J. Zimmer editor Rawlson O’Neil King Contributors Ken Gallinger George Grimes John Hall Association oďŹƒce Continental Automated Buildings Association 1173 Cyrville Road, Suite 210 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1J 7S6 Tel: 613.686.1814; 888.798.CABA (2222) Fax: 613.744.7833 Further editorial use of the articles in this magazine is encouraged. For subscriptions, circulation, and change of address enquiries email caba@caba.org. For editorial and advertising opportunities: www.caba.org/ihomesandbuildings The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those held by the Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA). CABA shall not be under any liability whatsoever with respect to the contents of contributed articles. The organization reserves the right to edit, abridge or alter articles for publication.
The Continental Automated Buildings Association provides more information about integrated systems and automation in homes and buildings than any other source. www.caba.org 2
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CABA Board of Directors Chair Dr. Satyen Mukherjee Philips Vice-Chair Dr. Morad Atif National Research Council Canada Directors Scot Adams Cadillac Fairview Corporation Kris Bowring Best Buy Co., Inc. Scott Burnett IBM Brian Casey Honeywell International, Inc. Dr. Yong Chang Samsung Electronics, Co. Ltd. Michael Clay Verizon Wireless Jonathan Cluts Microsoft Corporation Larry Ehlinger Pella Corporation Jeff Hamilton Ingersoll Rand Bill Horrocks Comcast Communications Elizabeth Jacobs Siemens Industry, Inc. Shahram Mehraban Intel Corporation Ian Milne, Robinson Solutions Stephen Nardi, RealView, LLC Rod Reese, Diebold Incorporated Barry Rogers, SecurTek Monitoring Solutions Tom Semler, Hydro One Networks Inc. Alok Singh, Southern California Edison Company
CABA President & CEO’s Message Ron Zimmer The CABA Board of Directors recently met and was hosted by CABA Board member Southern California Edison. There were a number of key business items discussed, including the CABA Business and Tactical Plan. There was discussion on the continued evolution of the CABA Research Program. There was good discussion on the ongoing CABA landmark research projects: “Intelligent Buildings and the Bid-Specifications Process” and the “Impact of Smart Grid and the Connected Home”. CABA also recently completed its respective “State of the Connected Home Market” and “Smart Grid Impact on Intelligent Buildings” research studies. CABA also undertakes “boutique” market research like its completed “Aging in Connected Homes” study. This strong research effort will now be enhanced with the development of white papers on specific and important “connected home and intelligent buildings” topics. These will involve many great research organizations and direction will come from the CABA Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council and the CABA Connected Home Council. The CABA Board also places a great deal of importance on education, training and certification in this industry. To that end, CABA’s Task Force on Education and Training has been diligently meeting. One of the recent action items was the development of a special section in the CABA Web site that features organizations and training specific for our industry. Please review http://www.caba.org/education-and-training and we would welcome more organizations to profile. CABA just announced a memorandum of understanding with the International Society of Automation to profile some of their courses and also allow CABA members to get discounts. One important item was the appointment of Comcast Communications to the CABA Board. A complete listing of 22 CABA Board members appears on this page. A thank you goes to the CABA Board and members that unselfishly volunteer their time and effort for CABA and the industry. Remember – CABA works for you and the industry!
Dana “Deke” Smith, National Institute of Building Sciences Thomas Williams, BTR NETCOM, Inc. (METZ CONNECT)
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N e w M e mb e r s The Continental Automated Buildings Association is a not-for-profit industry association that promotes advanced technologies for the automation of homes and buildings. CABA members benefit from timely, competitive intelligence on the integrated systems industry. Here is a sampling of our latest members. IMS Research
IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research to the global electronics industry. The company offers syndicated market studies, client research and consultancy services. J.D. Power and Associates
J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services company providing customer satisfaction research, market research, social media research, and performance improvement programs. The firm is a business unit of the McGraw-Hill Companies. Lucid Design Group
Lucid is a privately-held cleantech software company that specializes in building data visualization and communication tools for energy consumption management. Pacific Gas & Electric Company
Pacific Gas & Electric Company is one of the largest combination natural gas and electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, the company is a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation. Pella Corporation
Pella Corporation is a privately-held window and door manufacturing company with manufacturing operations across the United States, whose products for residential and commercial construction are sold across North America and in other select countries. Penn State University
Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. A complete CABA member listing with both product and service information and Web links is available at: www.caba.org
Connect With Us at www.caba.org
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CAB A RESEARCH BRIEFS CABA Research Briefs provide a condensed synopsis of specific research papers available in the organization’s research libraries. CABA research libraries provide industry intelligence to the home and large building automation and integrated systems sector. Driving Transformation to Energy Efficient Buildings: Policies and Actions This report from Johnson Controls explores energy conservation through improvements in new and existing buildings. Policies that can impact building energy conservation are reviewed. Among these are building efficiency codes, energy conservation targets, public awareness campaigns, financial incentives, utility programs, and workforce training. There are opportunities now for collaboration between building owners and policy makers. The full version of this research was published as a CABA Information Series and is available in CABA’s Research Library at www.caba.org.
The Mitigation Potential of the Built Environment ot 2030 Buildings
Appliances
Lighting
Transport
Industry
45,000
40,000
Mt CO2
35,000
30,000 Remaining CO2 emissions after energy efficiency actions 25,000
20,000 2000
2004 2002
2008 2006
2012 2010
2016 2014
2020 2018
2024 2022
2026
2028 2030
Source: IEA’s 25 Priority Measures to Achieve Energy Efficiency (2011)
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caba research briefs
Advanced Metering Initiatives and Residential Feedback Programs: A Meta-Review for Household Electricity-Saving Opportunities This report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy explores the potential for various initiatives to motivate consumers to reduce energy consumption. The results for 60 studies were reviewed. Potential savings range from 4-12 percent. The largest savings come when detailed appliance consumption is reported. Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) may be an effective method for delivering data to consumers. Third-party suppliers of energy information are likely to play important roles. Eventually, energy management will be achieved automatically by interacting with appliances. The full version of this research was published as a CABA Information Series and is available in CABA’s Research Library at www.caba.org. The Layers of Energy Feedback Technologies
Indirect Feedback (after consumption) Utility Delivered Layer 1: Utility Bill or Website Vendor Delivered Layer 2: Whole-Home Information
1 2
Layer 3: Deeper Contextual Information (Statistical Analysis)
3 4 5
CORE 6
Direct Feedback (real-time technology) Layer 4: In-home Energy Display Layer 5: “Smart” Devices Layer 6: Disaggregated and Contextual Information
Automation Layers Core: Whole-Home Automation: Complete generation, home energy management, storage, etc.
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Large Building Automation Case Study: San Francisco Public Utility Commission Unveils Smart Green Building Jim Sinopoli, PE, RCDD, LEED AP, demonstrates through a case study how an integrated building management system can provide a smart building with the capabilities to manage building operations, energy, sustainability and costs. It is no surprise that an intriguing, eclectic and progressive city such as San Francisco would be home to the smartest green building in the world. The newly constructed San Francisco Public Utility Commission (SFPUC) headquarters has raised the bar quite high. For energy efficiency and sustainability, the SFPUC building is hard to beat. It uses 55 percent less energy and consumes 32 percent less electrical demand than the ASHRAE baseline standard. The SFPUC provides retail drinking water, wastewater and green hydroelectric and solar power services to San Francisco and Bay Area municipalities. It is the third largest municipal utility in California, serving 167 sq. miles and 2.5 million customers. The Commission has 2,300 employees, and an annual operating budget of $700 million. LEED Platinum
Not only is SFPUC’s new headquarters a smart building, it is also LEED Platinum certified. Achieving Platinum certification was no easy feat. LEED elements were incorporated early into the design process to provide a healthier work environment, reduce the environmental impact and provide the economic benefits of a more sustainable, energy-efficient building. “SFPUC is committed to energy and water efficiency, renewable generation and green buildings. The goal for the building was to consume as few resources as possible and thereby create a model for development of sustainable high-rise buildings in urban areas with creative planning,” states Masoud Vafaei, a SFPUC Project Engineer. “To meet our aggressive target for energy efficiency
beyond California’s energy code, required the right design, right tools and the right team.” The project’s LEED design features include a highly efficient exterior building enclosure, renewable energy, recycled water and efficient space planning. Specific LEED design elements include: • Exterior sun shades for daylighting and glare management • Natural ventilation with the use of operable windows • Reduced lighting power densities with workstation task lighting • Wind turbines along the façade • Three roof top solar platforms with 684 panels • 45% daylight harvesting • Light shelves integrated into the window walls for daylighting • Faucet sensors, waterless urinals and on-demand water heaters • Living machine wastewater recycling for flushing use • Rain harvesting for irrigation In addition to its LEED and smart building certifications, the building architect, KMD, was honored with two awards from the San Francisco American Institute of Architects (AIA). The project won for ‘integrated project delivery’, a best practice that results in improved coordination and timely delivery. System Integration
Adhering to the LEED process and standards put the
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large building automation
“green” in the building, but what makes it smart? The Integrated Building Management System (IBMS) integrates data from every building system and allows for read or write capability of 13,500 data points. The integration of systems increases the functionality between the building systems, and also provides a suite of software applications and operational tools that monitor and manage the building’s performance in real-time. “The design team worked together to make this project an innovative masterpiece of building design. Without the team collaboration, there would have been missed opportunities,” states Vafaei. During the design of the IBMS, a “compliance statement” was issued to all system designers. This statement required the use of open communication protocols and databases, as well as submittals of points list, IP addresses, control drawings, and all other pertinent information on the building’s systems. The compliance statement was instrumental in configuring and integrating the systems.
Integrated Building Management System (IBMS)
The IBMS can monitor and manage every data point from every building system; which in itself sets a new benchmark. The systems monitored and managed by the IBMS include: • Elevators • Waste Water Treatment Systems • Mechanical Direct Digital Controls • Digital Network Lighting Controls • Power Monitoring and Control Systems • Fire Alarm and Detection Systems • Solar Energy Collector Metering • Wind Energy Power Generator Metering • Interior and Exterior Shade Control Systems
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• Weather Station Monitoring Systems • Window Washing Systems • Water Reclamation The IBMS collects and converts the building systems data into a standard format. The “standardized” data is utilized by a variety of software modules to provide information and manage building operations. “The integration of all the data points of all the building subsystems is a new model for monitoring and managing a building’s performance – it has not been done before to this level of detail and sophistication,” states Andres Szmulewicz of Smart Buildings, LLC, the firm that served as IBMS designer for the project. The IBMS has some typical BMS applications such as document management, trending, system scheduling and data archiving, but also several applications not available in traditional building management systems including: • Demand Response – Three demand response (DR) modules were designed for three different levels of energy curtailment. The DR modules can initiate any of the curtailment strategies by sending commands to the appropriate sub-system data points. • Building Performance Analytics – The analytic module utilizes a rule-based fault detection and diagnostic application to optimize the performance of the HVAC systems. It provides ongoing commissioning, keeping the largest energy consumption system at optimal performance. A building can typically expect a 1025 percent energy savings in the HVAC systems from the use of these advanced software tools. • Alarm Management – This module allows for alarm management across all subsystems, identifying priority alarms and correlating alarms to one event. • Public Information and Education – The IBMS reports savings and efficiencies via a public dashboard. Visitors, tenants and occupants are able to track sustainability initiatives and goals against actual, real-time use. This display helps to promote, educate and encourage conservation. In addition, the IBMS can integrate into an existing facilities management system (FMS). The FMS has applications such as work orders, asset management, inventory and preventative maintenance.
large building automation
tative or predictive maintenance service order based on equipment run time data obtained from the IBMS. “There are several benefits to this approach and deployment. One is that with a central meta-database, it is easier to create relevant information that will support improved building operations and engineering. It also allows us to integrate the systems functionally, where an event or condition in one system can trigger action in another system. We become more proactive and less focused on “wait, break and fix” processes, thereby improving the quality and lifecycle of our equipment,” states Vafaei. Dashboards
Industry: Utilities Building Size: 277,000 square feet 14-story
The data in the IBMS is transformed onto dashboards. Dashboards provide information specific to a user group. For example, a dashboard may provide facility operators with high level information on alerts and alarms for a particular system, area, and time period. Or, a dashboard may allow individual departments to track their energy consumption and sustainability initiatives. There are over 450 dashboards providing facility engineers, operators, facility managers, business managers and executives, employees, visitors and the public with information specific to their needs. Users of this information are armed with the tools necessary to contribute to building optimization, performance and efficiency.
Construction Budget: $190 million Ground Breaking: March 2008 Certifications: LEED-NC Platinum Smart Building Platinum Expectations 50% heating and cooling energy savings 50% energy savings due to daylight harvesting 40% Potable water savings 100% Waste water treated on site
The IBMS and the FMS will exchange data with each other. For example, an alarm in the IBMS will trigger a work order in the FMS; or the FMS may trigger a preven-
The SFPUC has constructed a top-notch, energy efficient and sustainable building. The IBMS assures that advanced software tools will provide the SFPUC longterm capabilities to manage building operations, energy, sustainability and ongoing costs.
James M. Sinopoli, PE, RCDD, LEED AP, is Managing Principal of Smart Buildings LLC. He recently authored a book titled Smart Buildings.
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Home Systems
Digital Homes at the Cusp of Interoperability Carole Wiedmeyer asserts that the timing has never been better for a genuine breakthrough in digital home interoperability. I was very pleased to attend a recent gathering of top-tier product developers and marketers assembled to advance the cause of the digital home. The Digital Home Forum was offered by the Continental Automated Buildings Association, and hosted by Verizon Wireless on March 21, 2012. The spirit of invention was certainly alive at the Forum, where participants openly shared various aspects of their product and research strategies. Chief among the topics discussed was how to improve “interoperability”— how to more easily connect gadgets, content and services to create widely distributed market opportunities. Think of the ease-of-communication among Apple products without being locked into the company’s devices or associated protocols. Sure, broad interoperability is a decades-old dream. But based on consumer expectations for “anytime, anywhere” mobile access, recent market developments (including home automation within reach of the masses), and the lively give-and-take at the event, in my humble opinion, the timing has never been better for a genuine breakthrough. Some of the most memorable examples from the Forum include: The “Facebook of devices.”
(Thanks for that handy moniker, IBM.) Beyond the “Internet of Things”—where you can control and monitor everything over the Internet—expect your devices to “friend” each other (with your permission of course), with the goal of delivering an enhanced, seamless user experience. Just think, when your electric car, elec-
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tric meter, window coverings and thermostat can share status updates with each other, you can start selling energy instead of just consuming it. Connected communities.
The next step up is when your digital ecosystem starts communicating beyond you and your home to include your personal network, your neighborhood, and even your causes. With “conscious consumerism” growing, especially among the young, industry watchers say new digital lifestyle incentive programs and services become feasible. For example, you could generate donations to your cause of choice by signing up for a demand response program with your electric utility, which could then adjust your home’s thermostat for short durations during peak consumption periods. A nice win-win in a world that can’t afford to continue down the path where the average U.S. household now uses three times the amount of power as it did in 1950. Privacy is not dead.
It’s not that people don’t want information shared about them under any circumstances—it’s that they want control over the process. Consumers understand that data is already being collected about them, and they want in on the deal. It could be cash or other incentives. If the price of continued independent living is agreeing to have “connected slippers” that notify your family you didn’t get up today, well then you might be okay with that. The “God box.”
The magic uber-protocol conversion thing, secure yet
large building automation
open, that makes it technically feasible to connect any kind of consumer device, service or content with any other. Using any communications protocol. Even when hardware gets upgraded or changes. As efforts to promote interoperability like DLNA and the new IEEE 1905.1 standard roll out, the dream continues. DRM and patents permitting, of course. This CABA Digital Home Forum was one of the more energized confabs in recent memory. In fact, one presenter actually had to ask the audience to keep the chatter down! I took that as a sign that renewed cross-industry pollination is on the way. If interoperability is to gain traction, forums like this will play a key role, where industry players are encouraged to see the value in collaboration. In the interest of full disclosure, CABA is a longstanding research client of Zanthus. Indeed, I gave a
presentation at the Forum on the State of the Connected Home Market 2011 report that CABA commissioned from Zanthus for the CABA Connected Home Council. The Council initiates and reviews projects that relate to “connected home” and multiple dwelling unit technologies and applications. The Council also examines industry opportunities that can accelerate the adoption of new technologies, consumer electronics and broadband services within the burgeoning connected home market.
Carole Wiedmeyer is a Partner and Senior Research Consultant at Zanthus, a market research and consulting agency that serves leading technology clients.
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Summer 2012
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Ken Wacks’ Perspectiv es
Zapped by Smart Meters? By Ken Wacks Smart meters are an integral part of electric smart grids. The public press has been reporting stories about smart meters such as health issues and potential privacy compromises. Some smart grid committees that I introduced in previous iHomes & Buildings articles are investigating these issues. The good news is that these problems either do not exist or are readily manageable. In this article, I provide some background about the objectives and challenges of installing smart meters. What is a smart meter?
An electric meter measures the electrical energy delivered to a home, apartment, or business. Technically, it integrates the power flowing into the premises over a specified time interval. Traditionally, this time interval has been a month. The most important function of an electric meter is metrology: the accurate measurement of energy (in kilowatt-hours, kWh) and for some meters the peak power flow (kilowatts, kW) during a specified time, typically 15 minutes. Nearly all residential customers in North America are billed based on kWh consumed. Some customers have a “demand charge� for kW to discouraging using a lot of energy-consuming appliances simultaneously. High demands for power may occur in factories and office buildings where demand charges are common. In some European and developing countries, demand charges are imposed because the distribution grid cannot accommodate high peak demands for power. The kW and kWh values are displayed on a register with mechanical dials and a pointer to show the demand or a digital display.
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Smart meter communications
In the 1980s utilities started to deploy meters that could be read remotely in order to reduce the labor costs for reading meter manually. The meters for remote reading were new designs or add-ons to mechanical meters that included a radio transmitter. Some early designs for automatic meter reading (AMR) used telephone lines to report the consumption, but most AMR is radio-based. A common ARM scheme uses short-range radios that are read from a drive-by van. When the van enters a neighborhood, a radio signal from the van causes nearby meters to wake up and start sending the present reading repeatedly for a few minutes. Some utilities install collection radios on utility poles to create a fixed-position network. The data from utilitypole receivers may be relayed to utility-substation radios where they are delivered to a utility operations center via telephone lines. This hierarchical data collection scheme, as illustrated in Figure 1, is an example of a neighborhood area network (NAN) for data communications. Many of these networks use low-power transmitters that do not require licenses (less than one Watt). Some include mesh network capabilities that provide increased reliability by allowing messages to be relayed among collection nodes. A different approach for AMR communications, shown in Figure 2, uses licensed transmitting stations that gather meter data from a wide area. The benefit over an unlicensed network is the higher radio power that increases meter coverage and may reach meters inside buildings and in basements.
K en Wacks ’ Perspectives
Figure 1 - Mesh Network for Meter Data Communications (Courtesy of Silver Spring Networks)
Radio communications interference
The Home-to-Grid Domain Expert Working Group (H2G DEWG) that I co-chair with an engineer from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has reviewed reports about smart meters affecting household appliances. The public press in “Silicon Valley” California reported that some smart meters interfered with AM radios, portable telephones, and baby-room monitors. The Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Society of the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) advised us that there are federal regulations on unintended radio emissions from consumer electronics. However, there are no regulations in the United States on product immunity to radio signals from other devices and licensed radios. (Some other countries do require immunity protection be built into consumer electronics.) The H2G DEWG wrote a report for the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) entitled EMC Considerations in Home-to-Grid Devices. We stated in the introduction: “For Home-to-Grid devices to function properly and to coexist with other electrical and electronic systems in the home, they must be designed with due consideration for electromagnetic emissions from the grid or home and for immunity to various electromagnetic phenomena near the grid or in the home. They must also take into consideration the devices that are already present in the home to minimize interference to those products. Finally,
EMC considerations must take the view that the home and the smart grid are a system since some issues such as surges caused by sources external to the home like lightning strikes, cannot be remedied at the end device.” The likely cause of the interference reported in the press was smart meter radio signals sending data to the NAN using an unlicensed spectrum shared with some consumer electronics. The meter maker did not violate any radio regulations, but failed to accommodate the lack of immunity in some consumer products. The H2G DEWG recommended that premises devices critical to smart grid services, such as demand response, be tested to voluntary immunity standards like those applied to information technology equipment. Health issues from smart meter radios
We are awash in radio waves. Radio waves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum that also includes infrared (heat), light, and x-rays. Sources include radio and TV stations, computers with Wi-Fi, cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, etc. Furthermore, motors or electronics carrying alternating current or digital signals generate some level of radio signals as do most heavenly bodies. In August 2000, IEEE Spectrum magazine reported that when a cell phone is held next to the ear, half of the transmitted power is radiated into the brain. However, they could not conclude whether this was deleterious to health.
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K en Wacks’ Perspectives
Figure 2 - Licensed Spectrum Network for Meter Data Communications (Courtesy of Sensus)
We cannot avoid radio signals. So far, there is no scientific evidence or public health statistics showing that radio signal exposure in urban settings impacts health. If further analysis reveals a problem, smart meters would be a minimal contribution to the problem of dangerous radio waves. Data gathering and privacy
ARM has evolved into AMI, advanced metering infrastructure, as utilities recognized the value of communication networks for ARM and the data collected. The communications network could be used to deliver control message, pricing data, and event notices for demand response programs. The meter data could provide information beyond consumption for billing, such as: • Outage indication • Distribution grid problems • Meter tampering The Electric Power Research Institute demonstrated that if the time intervals between meter reads were reduced, information about appliance power consumption could be gleaned. This method is called non-intrusive appliance load monitoring, as I explained in my article “The Smart Grid Impact on Homes” from the Autumn 2011 issue of iHomes & Buildings.
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Appliance consumer data could be useful in educating customers where energy might be conserved. I remember my parents exhorting me to turn the light off whenever I left a room empty. Now I know that what matters more are the settings of the thermostat, water heater temperature, clothes dryer, etc. Data that monitors appliance energy consumption could also reveal home occupancy, daily activities, and the energy efficiency of appliances. Such data could be mined to determine where to market energy conservation tools or appliance sales. Such data could also be used to “case the joint” for a break-in. An unnamed U.S. law enforcement agency was reported to be looking forward to using utility records as part of dossiers on citizens. A divorce proceeding subpoenaed utility records gathered from a smart meter to determine when a philandering spouse was really home. A German investigation demonstrated the ability to determine which TV program was being viewed based on detailed electricity consumption data. Some European countries are specifically forbidding the accumulation of meter data as an invasion of privacy. The Department of Energy and Climate Change in the United Kingdom ruled that utilities are allowed to read smart meters monthly. More frequent meter readings require consumer permission. Utilities may accumulate
K en Wacks ’ Perspectives
half-hour reads, but cannot use these data for marketing, and customers have the right to opt-out from frequent meter reads. Such frequent meter reading is allowed for improving system operation provided the data are aggregated to prevent the identification of specific household consumption. Dealing with smart meter challenges
Most of the smart meter stories in the public press focus on assertions of health risks. Frankly, medical, dental, and airport x-rays pose relatively much higher risks. The practical challenges with smart meters are choosing radio frequencies that avoid clashes with poorly designed consumer electronics. Utilities cannot stop consumers from buying products that meet existing radio frequency (RF) regulations. However, utilities should be prepared to deal with the consequences of installing meters that share RF bands with consumer products not designed with immunity protection. The privacy issues are the easiest for utilities to manage. Simply collect the minimum data needed for billing, demand response programs, and reliable grid operation.
Data should be aggregated in space and time, anonymized, or obliterated as soon as practical. Customers should be given more choices than accepting a smart meter that is read every few minutes or paying an up-front fee plus a monthly penalty for keeping a dumb meter (as proposed by some utilities). Utilities should take a lesson from more than a century of mass-market retailing: give the customer choices. If this is too daunting for utilities, they might cede the customer services end of their business to consumer companies.
Dr. Kenneth Wacks has been a pioneer in establishing the home systems industry. He advises manufacturers and utilities worldwide on business opportunities, network alternatives, and product development in home and building systems. In 2008, the United States Department of Energy appointed him to the GridWise Architecture Council. For further information, please contact Dr. Wacks at 781.662.6211; kenn@alum.mit.edu; www.kenwacks.com.
Ind u st ry Trend s Smart Grid CABA’s “Smart Grid Impact on Intelligent Buildings” research study estimates that the North American smart grid marketplace will reach $8 billion in revenue by 2013 and will exceed $10 billion by 2015. In 2011, the marketplace was estimated to have reached $6.6 billion. Gadgets According to the Consumer Electronics Association, consumers looking to cut their energy bills will be shopping for more energy-efficient electronics. More than 80 percent of consumers say they want energy-efficient gadgets. While brand and color are still important to buyers, nearly half said they would buy electronics marked as energy efficient. 3-D Television Despite the fact that 81 percent of Americans are aware of 3-D TVs, only five percent currently own one and more than 80 percent of those surveyed said they probably or definitely would not be buying one of the devices within the first six months of 2012. The survey, conducted by Vision Central, also included Canadian and British TV viewers, and the results were similar across the three groups. Mobile Applications Berg Insight estimates that the mobile application download marketplace will grow annually by more than 56 percent, reaching 98 billion downloads in 2015, 62 percent of which will be for iOS and Android phones. The market research firm also predicts that smartphones will account for 70 percent of all mobile handsets purchased in 2015.
Summer 2012
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R es ea rch Vie wpoints
CABA to Create Education & Training Resource Clearinghouse and Unveils Smart Grid Research Study By Rawlson O’Neil King Defying the high national unemployment rate, as many as 600,000 skilled positions in the United States are unfilled due to the nagging shortage of qualified workers. Many of these positions concern the engineering and manufacturing of heating, air conditioning, ventilation and building control systems. Based on a 2011 survey of 1,123 executives across the United States, Deloitte LLP estimates that five percent of manufacturing positions are open due to a lack of qualified candidates. Some 67 percent of U.S. manufacturing executives surveyed last July and August said they are facing a moderate to severe shortage of skilled workers such as machinists, operators, distributors and technicians. Another 56 percent of executives said they expect the problem to get worse in the next three to five years, as baby boomers continue to retire. The survey also found that the skills gap is hitting where it hurts most, with 64 percent of manufacturing executives lamenting that the lack of skilled workers is making it more difficult to expand their operations or boost productivity. The Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) identified increasing education and training opportunities for the intelligent buildings sector as a priority in the smart buildings roadmap it published in 2007. Existing residential and commercial buildings have ongoing demand for professional building management. The report found that as existing U.S. building stock becomes more integrated with information and communication technologies, finding qualified people and training them to utilize this new technology would become a pressing issue, along with the provision of on-going education opportunities. CABA therefore decided to take action on this issue
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through the creation of a task force on education and training by our Intelligent & Integrated Buildings Council. One of the most important functions of CABA is to educate industry stakeholders and consumers about the advantages of intelligent buildings and the process for creating and maintaining intelligent buildings. CABA believes that education should be developed and delivered by third-party stakeholders through certification and training programs. Industry stakeholders in the past have also proposed developing new training roles and certifications such as “building systems architects”, “intelligent building commissioning agents”, “intelligent building installation and maintenance technicians” and “intelligent building systems operators”. While the organization does not have a mandate to maintain professional development certification programs, CABA will take steps to support all industry efforts to enhance the delivery of professional development to enhance the workforce. The task force, led by Jim Sinopoli and Gina Elliott from Smart Buildings, LLC, had identified the need for a variety of new in-person and online training programs, including intelligent building courses for property owners, developers, architects and real estate professionals. The task force has also been undertaking the process of developing criteria for new educational programs, which include defining the learning goals for new educational programs, developing curriculum that identifies required content, and determining delivery formats. CABA will assist the task force by ultimately establishing online resources, which will be targeted at workforce development. The intelligent building industry lacks an in-depth online portal that helps the labor force in our
research viewpoints
sector upgrade their skills. CABA would aim to curate a list of available educational opportunities from colleges, universities, trade organizations and third-party vendors. As a trade organization, CABA already collaborates with educational providers to offer professional development. Last year, CABA entered into a memorandum of understanding with Automation Federation (AF)—an association of member organizations providing awareness, programs and services that continually advance all facets of the automation profession. Through this membership in AF, CABA will work with AF and the other AF member organizations to collaborate on the improvement of education for and the working environment of the automation profession. These collaborative efforts will include the development and promotion of new technology, recommended and best practices, and standards. More recently, CABA entered into an education partner agreement with CoR Advisors to provide valuable technology education to the real estate industry. Under the agreement, CABA contributes to CoR Advisors’ webcasts and seminars in order to share the organization’s collective knowledge and resources with the real estate community. Areas of focus for educational programs under the agreement include: green building solutions, energy management and reporting, advanced lighting strategies, building automation, alternative energy solutions, energy procurement, demand response programs, LEED certification, financial modeling and ROI analysis, intelligent building solutions, and other educational programs for owners, managers and tenants. CABA has also entered into a similar education agreement with Realcomm, in order to provide educational webinars, and has in the past has developed intelligent and integrated buildings educational sessions for past Realcomm events which focused on technologies that explicitly reduce building costs, increase efficiency and value, and create return-on-investment. CABA intends to build upon such education arrangements and also continue to pursue its mandate to make education more accessible. Our organization already works very closely with educational institutions, including Harvard University, Syracuse University, Penn State University, Laney College and Centennial College, who are CABA members. For more information about our organization’s efforts, please go to: http://www.caba.org/ education-and-training. CABA also recently completed a collaborative research study to identify, define and size the principle
business opportunities presented by the growth of smart grids in relation to intelligent buildings. The study found that the fastest growing components of the smart grid market are grid applications, followed by: demand response and peak load management, building energy management systems, and smart meters. While building management systems are not projected to be the fastest growing segment of the market, the study notes that smart grid development will become a major driver for the development and deployment of more intelligent building technologies. “The information and trends in CABA’s “Smart Grid Impact on Intelligent Buildings” research study emphasize the need for innovative solutions to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of our power generation, transmission and consumption capacity,” stated Ronald J. Zimmer, CABA President & CEO. “Intelligent buildings are prime examples of innovative technology that will aid in the deployment of new smart grid infrastructure. CABA is pleased to have undertaken a report which provides the industry with insightful business intelligence, in order to put sound strategic decisions into action.” Organizations that participated in CABA’s project included: Belimo Air Controls Inc., Cadillac Fairview Corporation, CommScope Inc., CoR Advisors, Diebold Incorporated, Energent Incorporated, GE Energy Services, Grundfos Pumps Corp., Honeywell International/Tridium, Hydro-Québec, InfoComm International, Ingersoll Rand/Trane/Schlage, Johnson Controls, Legrand/ Ortronics, LG Electronics, Natural Resources Canada, Philips Research North America, Priva North America, Public Works and Government Services Canada, Robinson Solutions, Schneider Electric, Sempra Utilities, Shell International Inc., Siemens Industry Inc., Southern California Edison, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Verizon, and Viridity Energy. The research was conducted by the BSRIA research consultancy. CABA’s report has been released to its funding partners and is available for purchase. The Executive Summary is available in the CABA Research Library. Companies enquiring for details and pricing can contact George Grimes, CABA’s Business Development Manager at grimes@caba.org or 613.686.1814 x226.
Rawlson O’Neil King is Communications Director at the Continental Automated Buildings Association.
Summer 2012
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opinion
Cloud computing will Benefit the Construction Industry By Jon Witty Being “in the cloud” is the latest catchphrase in technology discussions, but the term has many definitions. According to some, it refers to virtual servers that allow users access to stored data via an Internet connection. Providing access in this manner is referred to as cloudbased or Web-based services. Others expand the cloud to include applications used outside a company’s firewall. As InfoWorld has noted, moving to the cloud can mean anything from increasing data capacity without having to invest in additional infrastructure to licensing new cloud-based software.
But how does this relate to the construction industry? The construction industry balances back office functions—billing, paying invoices, running financial reports, payroll, planning logistics—with the physical presence needed on the job site or in a client’s office. Today’s technological solutions must be able to serve users in both work settings.
As a result, making mission critical business applications available remotely is a hot topic these days. Remote access allows staff to work from any location without being tied to a specific physical location. With the amount of consolidation, decentralization of offices, travel-based positions, and project work being done in different regions of the country or even internationally, being able to offer solid remote access technology to employees is critical for a construction company’s success. For many companies, solving this challenge means moving some of its applications to the cloud. One construction company, True Value Homes (TVH), is able to give any employee with proper credentials access to these applications through a secure, Web-based environment. Before the move, TVH was running operations on 17 sites, and employees could only work in the office so all papers needed to be brought into the central office for processing and approval. Whereas TVH once had 100 personal computers for 100 employees, now 500 users can access its Web-based applications. “We want to make sure that our employees get the best out of their workplace,” Arun Nehru, TVH’s director, said. “What we are telling employees is that wherever you need to work, the applications are available from office, home or outside. They need not come to the office to work.” Leveraging cloud-based services also extends beyond the workings of a single construction company. As Constructech’s 2011 IT survey notes, “today’s construction professional also needs to be highly collaborative. The word ‘team’ has taken on a whole new meaning in the • continued on page 20
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Netwo rking and Out r each
In-Building Wireless Coverage: It Is No Longer Just An Afterthought! Don Davis describes the need for in-building wireless coverage at many industry events and will present at the HITEC hospitality show on June 26, 2012 in Baltimore, MD, as well as the CEDIA show in Indianapolis, IN on September 6, 2012. Remember when Wi-Fi was just something cool to have? Are you still waiting for the cellular carriers to improve their wireless coverage so your tenants can use their cell phones inside their office? Have you built a new building only to find out that in order to obtain a certificate of occupancy you require a wireless coverage statement? There are many types of wireless coverage that tenants and city governments now request or will require. Filling a building with new tenants, keeping them, and meeting new building codes, now involves the proper installation of wireless networks. Designing a proper in-building wireless network is not a simple task and is actually a complex process. It involves knowing what building materials are or will be in place. Is it wood construction or cement construction? You must know what the RF environment is like and what type of wireless coverage will be required on this property? If it is a Wi-Fi network that the owner is looking for: • How many users intend to connect to the wireless network? • For what application: data, voice, video or all of the above? • Will it be just laptops and desktops or will there be iPad, iPhone, Android or other handheld mobile devices that need to connect? • If so, how many devices will there be? • What speed does the customer expect and from what areas of the property? • Does the property owner anticipate coverage outside the structure?
These are just some of the many questions and variables that must be answered and understood prior to discussing what Wi-Fi equipment to invest in, let alone install. If the in-building wireless coverage is for something other than Wi-Fi (which is mandated in several states for wireless emergency radio coverage for police and fire departments) a wireless plan must be created and deployed and must meet a minimum of 95 percent in-building coverage. If these buildings are new construction, some areas of the country will not issue a certificate of occupancy without the RF test results showing that the building meets the minimum requirements. We received a desperate call from a building owner last month who, when the building was completed and the tenant did the walk through prior to moving in, discovered there was no cellular coverage inside the office. The tenant was now looking to back out of the deal unless the building owner resolved the issue. We reviewed the building plans, performed an onsite RF survey, and then designed a cellular repeater network to support the number of possible users that would require cellular coverage at any one time. These are just some of the issues building owners are now facing or will soon face when it comes to wireless coverage. Addressing wireless coverage as an afterthought will only cost the building owner lost revenue and higher installation costs if the problem is ignored. There are several problems associated with deploying in-building wireless, the number one issue being wireless coverage and the second being the wrong approach. Most people, when deploying wireless, only think of one side of • continued on page 20 Summer 2012
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opinion – continued from page 18
construction industry. Every team needs to obtain a high level of transparency and accountability for the property owner. Overall, construction companies will be more collaborative, using technology to connect all project team members- from subs to general contractors to owners- in one central location.” Yet, it is highly unlikely that each of the project team members utilizes the same back office business management applications. So, as general contractors, subcontractors and owners individually look to the Web to leverage its capabilities, it will be critical to look at ways that technology can ensure the secure and timely exchange of project information between them. As noted by Constructech’s 2011 IT survey, contractors will then take project information “to the job site with mobile devices and apply a host of applications.” As the survey reports, construction companies are “carrying out project management, scheduling, punch lists, and time tracking tasks in the field today.” This is evidenced by the growing momentum in the use of mobile technologies in the construction industry. Yet, the type of device varies. According to the survey, “the smartphone is still one of the most commonly used
devices at the job site (81 percent of survey respondents). Laptops (69 percent) and tablets (26 percent) also receive a significant response.” Given the advances in and adoption of tablets over the past few years, growth is anticipated in the use of the tablet in the construction industry as well. Given the fast moving area of mobility, today’s business solutions need to support the highly mobile workforce of the construction industry. Does that mean that your construction company needs to scrap everything it’s using today for cloud-based applications? In today’s economy, companies are looking towards extending the applications they are using today into the cloud where it makes sense.
Jon Witty is the Vice President and General Manager for Sage Construction and Real Estate, which is a division of Sage Business Solutions (SBS).
newowrking and outreach – continued from page 19
the equation. What I mean by this is that they think highpower is the answer when, in fact, that is often the enemy. Most in-building wireless technologies are two-way. Each device both transmits as well as receives. Installing a high-power transmitter or high-power wireless router fixes only the transmit side of the equation. Sure, you now see more bars on your handheld device but when you try to send a response or a request from that device you are either not heard or receive a slow response. When this happens, the most common mistake installers will do is install additional devices of the same type attempting to fill holes in the wireless coverage. This is called, in the RF world, increasing your own noise floor. So where do we start? As, with designing a building, you have to ask the property owner what their requirements are. Creating a checklist of what to ask should be the first step.
This includes: • Researching what the local codes are. • What type of tenant will occupy the building now and in the future? • Is there good cellular coverage at that location? • Is, or will, the building be near an airport? These are just a few important questions that need to be identified and answered as a first step. Finding the right company to design the network and then install the finished product to meet your tenant’s expectations needs to be the next step.
Don Davis is the President and CEO of HD Communications Corp. He has been in the RF/wireless industry since 1976 and has been both an IEEE committee chairman as well as an advisor to the RF/ wireless industry. He can be contacted at 888.588.3800; dond@hdcom.com
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Upcoming Ev e n t s Data Management & Analytics for Utilities
2012 FTTH Conference & Expo
June 27-28, 2012 San Francisco, CA www.smartgridupdate.com/dataforutilities/
September 23-27, 2012 Dallas, TX www.ftthconference.com
4th CIB Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment
ISA Automation Week 2012
June 28-30, 2012 Sao Paulo, Brazil www.fec.unicamp.br/~sasbe2012/papers.html
September 24-27, 2012 Orlando, FL, USA www.isaautomationweek.org Smart Grid Impact on Intelligent Buildings Webinar
Smart Energy Canada 2012
July 3-5, 2012 Toronto, ON www.spintelligent-events.com/events/metering Smart Grid Impact on Intelligent Buildings Webinar
July 20, 2012 at 12:30 pm ET www.coradvisors.net/webcast.asp?wc=41
September 25, 2012 at 11 am ET www.2degreesnetwork.com CABA Digital Home Forum
October 11-12, 2012 San Diego, CA www.caba.org/digital-home-forum 2012 SmartGrid Canada Conference
XI Habitar Congress
August 7-9, 2012 Sao Paulo, Brazil bit.ly/Lm3dUo
October 15-16, 2012 Toronto, ON www.sgcanada.org/conference/ Security Canada Central
CEDIA EXPO 2012
September 5-8, 2012 Indianapolis, IN www.cedia.net/expo
October 23-25, 2012 Toronto, ON www.securitycanadaexpo.com/en/index.html tbix 2012
Security Canada Atlantic
September 12, 2012 Moncton, NB www.securitycanadaexpo.com/en/index.html
October 24-25, 2012 MontrĂŠal, QC www.tbix.ca HI-TECH BUILDING (HTB)
Engineered Systems High-Performance Buildings Conference
September 12, 2012 Falls Church, VA bit.ly/iGDntr Shanghai Intelligent Building Technology 2012
September 20-22, 2012 Shanghai, China www.messefrankfurt.com.hk
October 30 - November 1, 2012 Moscow, Russia www.securitycanadaexpo.com/en/index.html ISC Solutions
October 31-November 31, 2012 New York, NY www.iscsolutions.com
Need information on upcoming industry events? Go to: www.caba.org/events Summer 2012
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The Continental Automated Buildings Association has completed a landmark research study that identifies key emerging areas of opportunity in the North American connected home marketplace. CABA’s State of the Connected Home Market 2011 study analyzed the most desired features for connected home solutions, including communications, security, comfort, and energy savings, in order to determine how service providers and consumer electronics manufacturers can combine these features to improve consumer lifestyles. The research found that there has been a significant increase in appeal for connected home products since 2008 and that over 40 percent of both U.S. and Canadian consumers believe connected home technologies provide substantial benefits in terms of safety and security, energy savings, and providing remote control over home functionality. The study also examined the state of enabled networking technologies, such as high-speed Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, and cloud computing, to evaluate ways to improve adoption and improve consumer education. The project was funded by these CABA members:
The research was undertaken by Zanthus. Your Information Source For Home & Building Automation www.CABA.org
To purchase this and other available research reports or explore new research opportunities contact: George Grimes CABA Business Development Manager 613.686.1814 x226 or grimes@caba.org
More Information available at: www.caba.org/estore