Electrical installations in both industrial and consumer buildings need to meet the new challenges of our growing power needs. To increase the energy efficiency of buildings, while at the same time integrating consumers into the load compensation, will mean that controlling the switching of electrical devices on or off according to external signals, such as time and consumption, will be vital. www.new.abb.com/smartgrids/ smart-grid-technologies/smarthome-and-intelligent-buildings
The Bosch Smart Home range includes both Single System products and System Solution products. Test the range of smart solutions to understand how these products are able to assist you in your daily lives; offering additional comfort, security for peace of mind and
ASSA ABLoY is the global leader in door opening solutions, dedicated to satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience. Since its formation in 1994, ASSA ABLoY has grown from a regional company into an international group with about 46,000 employees, operations in more than 70 countries and sales close to SEK 68 billion. The Group has a leading position in areas such as access control, identification technology, entrance automation and hotel security. www.assaabloy.co.uk/en/local/uk/
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2021 marked the 50th anniversary of the iconic 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. As the first screen adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book, it tells the story of Charlie Bucket’s life-changing visit to the famous confectionery manufacturing plant, where production of an array of sweets and treats was entirely automated, save for the minor interventions of the Oompa-Loompas.
It was also the setting for a classic Hollywood computer cameo from Siemens involving an overconfident engineer who fails to demonstrate “the greatest miracle of the machine age” by using a supercomputer to reveal the locations of the final golden tickets.
The fictional computer, which refuses the engineer’s request to find the golden tickets because it “would
be cheating”, was actually based on a Siemens 4004, a real system commonly deployed in industrial settings for its data processing capabilities.
And while the real-life Siemens computer didn’t have the processing to uncover the whereabouts of the last Wonka bars, the scene hinted at the aspirations for data analysis, AI and machine learning technology.
Fast forward to present day and automation, intelligent processes and almost endless storage space in the cloud have laid the foundations for data collection and analysis capable of birthing breakthroughs, generating insights and paving the way for successful new strategies to take shape across the wider food and beverage industry.
Today’s factories are becoming
huge data centres with great potential for collecting valuable insights on any area of factory operations, from production throughputs to machine usage, availability, and set-up. Industry 4.0 has paved the way for smart data-driven production plants.
The present picture
However, despite the massive potential of the wealth of facts and figures now available to food and beverage manufacturers, Keith Thornhill, Head of Food and Beverage for Siemens UK & Ireland, believes the sector hasn’t laid firm enough foundations to unlock the opportunities.
"As it stands, I’m not too sure there are many companies out there with Wonka-like end-to-end
connectivity as their vision," Thornhill explained. "They know technology is going to make a difference, of course, but they only see it in terms of how that is going to benefit their next delivery, rather than how it will affect them in five to ten years’ time. New data reporting technologies are a particularly good place to start to discover where change is needed."
Recent research by Siemens in the UK and Ireland found that 81% of food and beverage manufacturers are exploring more ways of capturing, managing and analysing production line data. But despite high uptake and good intentions, just 38% of manufacturers agreed that they had ‘somewhat’ achieved data maturity.
“Without the data to help measure operations, it is often difficult – or impossible – to know where further investment is needed,” Thornhill explained. “Until manufacturers have an accurate real-time view of production, they have no benchmark of production efficiency and therefore a limited idea of the performance benefits and scale of improvement that can be gained. Expertise is needed to help turn data into actionable intelligence.”
According to Thornhill, the baked goods and confectionery sector is a great example of where connected, real-time data can really help to transform manufacturing.
“As is the case with most short shelf-life foods, producing baked goods at volume is a mixture of controlled process and complex
science, with many variables having an impact on performance. Tracking and analysing production data is a big step forward in reducing waste and improving efficiency,” he said. “Conditions need to be controlled to optimise quality and throughput. And parameters, such as humidity and heat, as well as supply chain variability, need to be monitored as part of root cause analysis. Uncontrolled variability is normally the reason why production lines stop unintentionally.
“By tracking the necessary processes through technology and connecting these data sources to central dashboards for visualisation, manufacturers can spot exactly where their faults and inefficiencies lie and act quickly to prevent failures or improve operations.”
But it is not just reducing downtime that can save costs.
“Through the collection of data and use of simulation technology, one of my bakery customers discovered that it could save over £1m a year by improving the control of its chilling process to reduce energy and potentially increase capacity,” Thornhill added.
Streamlining where possible is the answer. Working out where seconds can be shaved off production schedules or where energy usage can be reduced is vital for manufacturers that need to produce perishable products quickly.
One example where a
technological intervention boosted efficiency and cut costs was a project for Kinnerton, a major UK confectionery manufacturer.
From initial chocolate mould filling to product cooling and packaging, Siemens simplified Kinnerton’s production line process via a Totally Integrated Automation solution. It meant streams of different data - from simple conveyor belts to sophisticated ‘pick and place’ packing robots - all linked to different manufacturing processes were connected centrally, giving Kinnerton a real-time picture of the whole production process for the first time.
The project, at Kinnerton’s factory in Norfolk, succeeded in boosting productivity on one line by 15%, meaning that the technology quickly led to increased output and sales.
AI: use cases in the sector
So what can you do once you’ve got to grips with all that data?
Aside from using data to pinpoint manufacturing inefficiencies to save costs and improve productivity, there are some trailblazing examples of food and drink manufacturers capitalising on the opportunities it presents.
Bakery associations and manufacturers are using AI to create the perfect bread roll by feeding algorithms objective criteria such as the quality of flour, water and yeast, as well as practical experience in the production process and theoretical knowledge. In addition, the results
of human testers who judge bread based on subjective characteristics such as look, crispness, taste or smell are also incorporated.
Another great example of AI is predictive maintenance technology which notifies factory floor workers of inefficiencies or production faults before they happen to prevent costly stoppages or production snags.
Meanwhile in the drink sector, the IntelligentX Brewing Co. from London is brewing a craft beer created with AI help. A chatbot automatically asks the consumer questions, the artificial intelligence collects the feedback and interprets the answers, which then flow into the brewing process.
So, what do the Willy Wonkas of today and tomorrow need to do to take their first steps to unlocking the massive potential of data and AI?
Saad Waqar, Business Development Manager for Digitalisation in Siemens UK and Ireland, says the key to achieving these strategic goals is to take a holistic approach to digitalisation, connecting real-time data from across the factory floor and presenting it accessibly, so that progress can be measured and managed.
“Where AI is used successfully in an industry, there has been an evolution, a progression,” he said. “You need a strategic mindset to
work towards that. That means starting from the right place with the right answers to the right questions.”
The starting point, according to Waqar, is data collection, pulling vital information from across a plant.
The next step is the platform and deciding whether data is needed for real-time visualisation or for long-term analytics, as well as where it needs to be stored.
The third stage is analytics, which Waqar admits can be the biggest barrier to progress.
“It’s here you try and make sense of it all,” he explains. “For every data point to capture you will be missing others. So, in order to make sense of what you already have, you will have to keep going back to collect more data. This is the stage that requires the most patience.”
The next stage is the algorithmthe building blocks of AI.
“This is where you need to know where you are going to run it,” Waqar explained. “Depending on how time critical these decisions are will help justify whether you are going to make decisions at the edge or the cloud.”
The final stage is the optimisation and feeding the AI engine with more data.
“The more data, the better the AI,” Waqar said. “You need a lot of data to make decisions. This is where Industrial Edge computing helps. It collects and analyses data at the machine level to provide live status
and diagnostic information about a machine’s underlying systems. It allows you to change the data and run again. It’s a loop and you must feed the process to continually optimise.”
The UK food and beverage sector has so far only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to data analytics and AI, according to Keith Thornhill.
“50 years ago, Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory was pure imagination,” he said jokingly. “Today, that level of automation and digitalisation is within reach of manufacturers, regardless of size. But the industry must adopt these changes soon. Thinking longer-term is important, and this is where smart investments through smart finance can support businesses that are keen to invest in modernisation, but don’t have the cash flow to pay for it all up front.
“Recent research from our Financial Services business showed that the window of opportunity to gain competitive advantages through digitalisation investments is narrowing, with a ‘tipping point’ of around 5 years, after which manufacturers will be playing catch-up.”
Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com
The demands on our office buildings have changed over the last few years: flexibility, digitalisation and energy efficiency are what’s important. At the same time, these buildings should create a comfortable, healthy and safe environment for employees. So-called smart spaces achieve this balancing act: sensors record how many people are in a room and also monitor, for example, which workplaces and areas are actually being used. Based on this data, the use of space can be digitally mapped and optimised.
Wireless radio sensors form the basis for such smart spaces because they collect the required data in a maintenance-free way. The advantages of wireless sensors are obvious: they can be flexibly installed in a room and the system can be expanded with additional sensors at any time without having to open walls and use cables. However, it is hugely beneficial for these wireless sensors to be battery-free because it’s no secret that batteries contain hazardous substances that are bad for our environment. In addition to that, copper is also becoming increasingly expensive.
EnOcean has chosen a more sustainable approach for its wireless sensors: they obtain their energy from movement, light and temperature differences according to the principle of energy harvesting and therefore require neither cables nor batteries for smooth operation. The combination of wireless and energy harvesting enables new applications entirely without maintenance requirements and battery waste.
Even post COVID, many office workplaces will no longer be used by all employees five days a week, but more likely only three or four days. As a result, a relevant number of workstations will always remain unoccupied and won’t be needed anymore. With desk-sharing and hybrid working models, employers can save up to 30 % of the costs for furniture, energy, and rent.
Maintenance-free motion sensors detect at any time how many people are in a building or room, when and where. Vibration sensors attached to desks reliably monitor which workstations are currently being used by employees and which ones are still free.
Unused desks also mean unused spaces that can become real energy consumers. This is an important aspect, as buildings are responsible for around 40 % of global CO2 emissions. For example, if an area is only used at certain times or very rarely, heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting can be adjusted accordingly. In addition, collecting data on space utilisation can help determine which areas are rarely used which can help companies decide whether to continue renting them. This not only reduces rental costs, but also directly saves a lot of CO2.
Battery-free and wireless radio sensors like those from EnOcean offer a cost-effective and sustainable way to set up smart spaces in almost any office building – for more energy efficiency and cost savings as well as more flexible, safer, and comfortable workspaces.
For further information visit www.enocean.com
Planon, the leading global provider of smart sustainable building management software, today announced a rebrand to reflect its agile and communicative approach to connecting buildings, people, and processes.
Planon, the leading global provider of smart sustainable building management software, today announced it has redesigned its brand to reflect its evolving mission to connect buildings, people, and processes in facility and workplace management.
At the centre of the new brand is Planon’s new promise: Building Connections. With this focus, the company will help organisations build a better work experience that fosters a sense of belonging and encourages people back into the workplace.
Unveiling the new brand identity, Planon CEO Pierre Guelen said: ’As we emerge into a post-pandemic world, organisations are seeking new ways to create engaging, healthy, safe, and resilient workplaces, that create social connections and put sustainability at the heart of everything they do.
‘Planon is committed to empowering building users,
owners, and service providers with insights that help them connect buildings, people, and processes. By eliminating data silos, our solutions help stakeholders to view all the building insights they need in one place. This allows them to focus on creating engaging working environments that encourage productivity and have a positive impact on the planet.’
The new brand reflects the company’s agile and innovative approach to helping organisations adapt to new, flexible, hybrid working models. Planon is set to support facility and real estate managers as well as service providers to create sustainable, ‘people-centric’ workplaces where employees can work and thrive.
Planon is committed to providing all building stakeholders with the actionable and meaningful insights they need to transform the future of the workplace and build better connections.
For further information please visit https://planonsoftware.com
Desigo PXC7 building automation controller enables tailor-made and scalable solutions for larger buildings
Speeds up and simplifies engineering and commissioning process
Higher resilience and availability thanks to BACnet Secure Connect communication
After the launch of the PXC4 and PXC5 controllers for the optimized control of small and medium-sized buildings, Siemens has added the PXC7 to its Desigo portfolio to offer even more flexibility to building automation practitioners. This new addition allows professionals to program heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) applications for larger buildings. Thanks to its simplified integration capabilities, the Desigo PXC7 controller supports system integrators in providing a complete automation solution.
The controller is natively equipped with cloud connectivity so users can execute maintenance tasks remotely, allowing for faster reaction and saving travel time and costs, as well as additional services over the
building lifecycle. Desigo PXC7 brings the new standard communication protocol BACnet Secure Connect to the new line of PXC controllers, a crucial requirement to secure connected building automation systems and defend them against cyber attacks.
The combination of compact hardware with the intuitive engineering software helps project managers to gain efficiency over the whole lifecycle, from engineering to operation. The Desigo engineering framework provides pre-configured libraries together with consistent and harmonized workflows to save training time and speed up project completion.
For further information on Siemens Smart Infrastructure, please see www.siemens.com/smart-infrastructure
For further information on Desigo controllers, please see www.siemens.com/pxc-controllers
A challenge for Landlords and Holiday Rental ser vices is how to get away from traditional mechanic keys and move into the digital world we live in today. Smart door locks provide a competitive
edge, enhance convenience for you and your guests, and increase your property value and service level, whatever size it is.
Go Smart Renting and forget about keys.
• Innovative Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) functionality supports renewable energy integration
• Helping to lower costs and cut energy bills for mission critical facilities including data centers
• Storing power to balance the grid and reduce costly outages
With more intermittent renewable energy generation on the world’s power networks, and fossil fuel supplies experiencing major disruptions, distributed power reserves are becoming increasingly important to maintain grid stability and keep the power on 24/7. To support this transition, ABB is launching PowerExchanger, an innovative feature for its UPS products, which allows battery reserves to provide ancillary services to the grid, reducing costly downtime and cutting energy and operating costs.
UPS equipment is used to provide back-up power in the case of a grid supply failure and it can also eliminate brownouts, over-voltages, and electrical noise. The UPS’ back-up power is drawn from its energy storage capacity, which often goes unused. With PowerExchanger fitted to new or existing ABB UPS systems, these batteries can be used to help the grid respond quickly to unexpected imbalances between power generation and demand, to reduce costly outages.
By using PowerExchanger to join markets for grid ancillary services, for example Fast Frequency Response (FRF), operators can now generate a new revenue stream, which lowers the cost of operating this
capital-intensive equipment. Ideal for Low and Medium Voltage data centers, PowerExchanger ensures a minimum energy reserve is retained by the UPS battery, so in the event of a complete grid outage, the critical load will always be protected. PowerExchanger can also deliver additional financial and performance benefits, thanks to peak shaving. When peak-time energy comes at a premium, PowerExchanger enables on-site UPS energy reserves to cover consumption peaks and keep costs low.
“Against the global backdrop of rising energy prices and supply uncertainty, our customers are under increasing pressure to optimize the use of installed assets and improve efficiencies – all while supporting the transition to renewable energy,” said Paolo Catapane, UPS Product Manager for ABB. “A powerful way to do this is to harness the untapped potential of the energy storage held within a UPS, which is what our new PowerExchanger can do. It provides demand response functionality, helping to stabilize the grid while generating a healthy revenue for operators and lowering operating costs, making it ideal for use in mission critical facilities such as data centers.”
ABB’s new PowerExchanger is now available as a feature for ABB’s mid to high-power UPS solutions and is quick and easy to retrofit on existing systems.
For more information on ABB PowerExchanger visit [PowerExchanger - UPS Systems | ABB]
Strand Technologies has clinched a prestigious AI Specification Award for its innovative Virtual Engineera technology solution for the control and diagnostics of automatic doors, gates and barriers.
It won the Product Design and Innovation Award (Electronic) category, sponsored by the Automatic Door Suppliers Association, at the 40th biennial event, held at the ‘Cheesegrater’ Leadenhall Building, in Central London.
Judges commented: "This product has innovation written all over it. It provides an effective solution which has the benefit of remote fault finding coupled with helping to reduce carbon footprint."
Ken Price, ADSA’s Managing Director, presented the award to the Strand Technologies’ team – a landmark moment for the company which began trading in 2021.
Virtual Engineer was selected from a shortlist that also featured products from ASSA ABLOY, Codelocks and Salto Systems.
It uses a device which is attached to entrances and ‘talks’ to a cloud software platform for on-site or remote management. It sends alerts to flag up problems and
identify potential causes – potentially saving time and money for engineer call outs.
Steve Marshall, Managing Director of Strand Technologies, said that the team was delighted to have scooped the award.
“It was a crowning moment that followed 18-months of hard graft to bring our products and services to the market. Our strength is in working with organisations to provide an holistic solution to the issues they are facing for effective asset management which in turn results in efficiency savings.”
Said Mr Price: “I would like to offer my warmest congratulations to Strand Technologies. This is a major accolade which recognises the problem-solving nature of a ground-breaking product that blends traditional electronic and digital technologies.”
The awards are organised by The Guild of Architectural Ironmongers (GAI) in conjunction with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
For more information on Virtual Engineer or Strand Technologies other products visit www.strandtech.co.uk
A new study from Juniper Research has found that the number of buildings globally deploying smart building technologies will reach 115 million in 2026, from 45 million in 2022. This growth of over 150% reflects increasing demand for energy efficiency from businesses and residents alike, as energy costs spike. Juniper Research defines a smart building as a building that uses connectivity to enable economical use of resources, while creating a safe and comfortable environment for the occupants.
The new research, Smart Buildings: Key Opportunities, Competitor Leaderboard & Market Forecasts 2022-2026, found that by enabling buildings to monitor and automate common functions, significant efficiency gains can be made, while improving the environment for workers and residents. The report recommends that vendors focus on building analytics platforms for the most value to be driven from deployments.
The research found that non-residential smart buildings will account for 90% of smart building spend globally in 2026; at a similar level to 2022. This dominance is due to
the larger economies of scale in commercial premises driving this spend, as well as the commercial focus of most smart building technologies.
Research co-author Dawnetta Grant explained: “Smart building platform vendors will understandably focus on non-residential use cases, as these provide a stronger return on investment, but they should not neglect the importance of residential deployments, as environmental concerns intensify.”
The research found that the global shipments of sensors used in smart buildings will exceed 1 billion annually in 2026 from 360 million in 2022; representing a growth of 204%. Sensors, when combined with intelligent management platforms, will allow smart buildings to adapt to conditions; matching elements such as lighting, heating and ventilation to live requirements. The report recommends that smart building vendors partner with AI vendors to maximise the benefits of automation, such as reduced energy costs and improved working environments.
For more information visit Juniper Research
— HOME
— SMART
ABB-free@home®
SMART HOME
ABB-free@home®
ABB-free@home®
Making home automation easier than ever.
Making home automation easier than ever.
Making home automation easier than ever.
The full-service real estate firm implements Honeywell’s Enterprise Performance Management software to improve building maintenance and help achieve sustainability targets.
Honeywell announced that Lincoln Harris, a full-service commercial real estate firm in North Carolina, has implemented Honeywell Forge enterprise performance management software-as-a-service to drive digital transformation.
Lincoln Harris first implemented Honeywell Forge at the SIX50 building at Legacy Union in Charlotte, N.C. Another Charlotte site developed and managed by the company at Legacy Union includes Honeywell’s new global corporate headquarters at 855 South Mint Street. Lincoln Harris uses Honeywell Forge Predictive Maintenance at the sites to reduce operating costs and improve building resilience by analyzing and optimizing systems maintenance. The solution recommends early and proactive actions based on live and historical data to avoid costly, unnecessary changes and reduce unplanned, reactive work on their building systems. Proactive actions can help reduce energy usage from unnecessary maintenance visits, improving the overall environmental impact of the building.
“As a premium provider in real estate development and building management, we look to provide valueadded services that optimize operating costs and enable our customers to thrive in their workplace,” said Patrick Stark, vice president of sustainability at Lincoln Harris. “Honeywell Forge helps us to improve the occupant
experience by better addressing maintenance issues while reducing costs and becoming more sustainable.”
With a broad real estate portfolio stretching across multiple cities, Lincoln Harris can use Honeywell Forge as a scalable solution to pull thousands of building maintenance data points across multiple properties proactively into one dashboard and receive real-time analysis of building performance. Honeywell Forge Predictive Maintenance uses a proactive maintenance process of curated recommendations to improve how its assets are maintained.
“Lincoln Harris has embraced digital transformation and sees the value of having a system of record for each building to meet its operational efficiency and sustainability targets while growing its real estate portfolio,” said Usman Shuja, vice president and general manager of Connected Buildings for Honeywell. “Insights from Honeywell Forge continue to help Lincoln Harris better manage its buildings while enabling the company to deliver a quality occupant experience, help lower operational costs and address maintenance problems before they become costly issues.”
Honeywell Forge is a purpose-built SaaS solution on a native edge-to-cloud, data-driven architecture designed to accelerate digital transformation of operations.
Learn more about the Honeywell Forge suite for connected buildings
• 1 million USD investment doubles capacity at the world’s largest sensor factory in the Czech Republic
• Building a new production line for advanced sensors
• Fulfilling record demand for advanced sensors used in digital switchgear and the integration of renewables
ABB has invested 1.1 million USD in a new, state-ofthe-art sensor production line at its Brno Instrument Transformers and Sensors factory in the Czech Republic. At 15,000 sq. meters, Brno is already the world’s largest facility of its kind. The new production line will ramp up the scale and pace of Medium Voltage (MV) sensor production by almost 100 percent, to reach 100,000 units per annum by 2026.
Demand for ABB’s advanced MV sensors has doubled since 2018 and is expected to increase significantly over the next five years. This growth has been driven by increasing demand from utilities for secondary distribution applications, including sub-station automation, fault detection and power quality management. Within primary distribution, the increasing use of digital switchgear is creating greater demand. ABB’s MV sensors are also designed for applications which provide increasing levels of remote control and communication, key to helping industries and utilities to integrate higher levels of renewable
energy resources to reduce emissions and cut energy costs.
Sensors from the Brno factory have been used in installations around the globe, including a recent project where 12,000 sensors were installed to raise the energy efficiency and stability of Northern Cairo’s electricity grid. They are ideal for replacing older instrument transformers, as they are smaller in size and safer to use. Record demand is also being driven by the increasing use of MV switchgear. MV switchgear from ABB’s other production plant in Brno has been used in installations around the globe, from the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa which towers 828 meters over Dubai, to the depths of the London Underground.
ABB’s Local Product Group Manager Petr Neumann said: “Our advanced sensors are helping customers to deliver a safe and sustainable power supply 24/7. On the back of growing demand for digital switchgear and the broader push to integrate more renewable energy resources, our new automated production line at Brno will ramp up capacity to produce a record-breaking number of sensors every year."
In operation for 135 years and employing nearly 2000 people, the vast ABB Brno plant comprises seven separate units across two sites. This includes the Instrument Transformers and Sensors factory and the largest Medium Voltage Switchgear factory in Europe.
TAE is NST’s Power Partner for 3-Year Sponsorship and Title Sponsor for 2022 Baldface Lodge, BC Competition
TAE Technologies, the world’s leading developer of clean fusion, today announced a three-year partnership with the Natural Selection Tour (NST), uniting the two organizations in a shared commitment to sustainability and conserving the natural environment. NST is a world-class, one-of-its-kind snowboarding tournament showcasing riders competing on the planet’s most exciting natural(ly enhanced) terrain.
Just as NST is on a mission to inspire a deeper relationship with Mother Nature, TAE is commercializing clean zero-emissions energy solutions to help preserve the environment for generations to come.
Travis Rice, professional snowboarder, founder of NST, and TAE’s new ambassador added: “NST and TAE are perfectly aligned in our desire to draw attention to climate change and reduce carbon emissions in an effort to protect the environment we thrive in. I am honored to help spread the word about TAE’s mission.”
In addition to being the title sponsor of the Nelson, BC leg of the tour, TAE is partnering with NST to install TAE’s power management tools and energy storage solutions for the first time with the goal to further offset the tour’s carbon footprint.
"We recognize the carbon footprint of this sport is large, and we want to hold ourselves accountable,” said Jeff Pensiero, co-founder and CEO of Baldface Lodge. “Baldface is reducing our carbon creation and dependency on fossil fuels with the help of industry leaders TAE. This will be a huge step forward towards our net zero goals.”
TAE’s power management solutions can scale to fit a
range of applications, from generators in the Canadian backcountry to residential homes and electric vehicles. TAE’s trailblazing powertrain technology enables tangible performance improvements, including EVs that can drive up to 25% farther and charge up to 4x faster with improved cost efficiency and battery longevity. As seen in TAE’s “Art of the Ride '' commercial, in which snowboarder Rice races down a mountain alongside a Jaguar I-PACE, creating a healthy planet begins with learning not to waste what we have today.
The Art of the Ride commercial will debut during the livestream of the TAE Natural Selection Tour at Baldface on March 16, as well as its broadcast on ESPN 2 on March 20.
“NST and TAE are perfectly aligned in their mission to reduce carbon emissions and address the challenges of climate change,” said Jim McNiel, Chief Marketing Officer at TAE Technologies. “TAE is forging the path to perfect power by focusing first on improved energy efficiency, and ultimately on the development of carbon-free, non-radioactive fusion energy. We intend to support NST’s mission to celebrate the great outdoors and the achievements of their great athletes while reducing our carbon footprint. We are thrilled to be members of the rapidly expanding NST family.”
TAE’s Path to Perfect Power will curb human impact on the environment by offering a natural solution to climate change and bring clean, affordable energy to all. To learn more about TAE’s Path to Perfect Power, click here.
For more information on TAE Technologies, click here
• ABB partners with GenCell to install Israel’s first hydrogen backup power solution for a hospital
• Unique hydrogen-based Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) ensures reliable power for life-saving equipment 24/7
Helps the hospital to protect patients, reduce emissions and costly downtime and repair work
ABB has collaborated with Israel fuel cell manufacturer GenCell to install a unique hydrogenbased Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) system at the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Israel. The breakthrough fuel cell backup technology is a first for an Israeli hospital, with the innovative solution guaranteed to keep the power on 24/7 for critical life-saving equipment and procedures.
The center invested in hydrogen-based backup to reduce its dependence on polluting diesel generators. The decision followed an in-depth energy cost analysis which revealed the limited backup capacity of the hospital’s diesel generators – where even a momentarily delay between grid and generator can cause sensitive, computerized medical equipment to malfunction, which in turn could have devastating consequences for patient care. In response, ABB and GenCell developed a bespoke solution which incorporates GenCell fuel cell modules and ABB’s advanced, high-efficiency UPS technology to form one of the most reliable, efficient hydrogen stationary systems of its kind.
Thanks to the solution, staff at Hillel Yaffe Medical Center are now able to carry out life-saving procedures, many of which require complex medical equipment and intense loads, with the assurance of an unprecedented level of power reliability. As well as keeping medical schedules on track and protecting patients, the ‘always on’ upgrade also minimizes equipment downtime,
routine generator testing and maintenance, repair work and replacements associated with diesel-based backup options.
Cas Rosenberg, Power Protection Business Development, from ABB said: “As grid related power failures continue to expose hospitals to financial risk and reputational damage, it has never been more important to build resilience. This solution accelerates sustainability goals and improves power supply reliability in the hospital. Moving to a GenCell hydrogenpowered backup solution, the Hillel Yaffe Medical Center now has a reliable power supply 24/7 which will keep patients safe, decarbonize its operations and reduce costs to operate. This landmark project signifies a crucial step forward, as medical facilities and other public sectors contemplate hydrogen as a future fuel source.”
The transition to hydrogen also supports the hospital’s environmental objectives to eliminate the use of diesel generators. Following the success of the initial installation, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center plans to install additional units to backup other critical medical equipment. This forms part of the center’s wider ambition to create its own microgrid to reduce its reliability on the national grid and build resilience in an increasingly volatile energy landscape.
“While we are proud of the significant environmental and power resilience achievements that Hillel Yaffe Medical Center has already reached using fuel cell backup technology, we look forward to seeing the hospital realize the enormous potential value we expect them to gain during the next phase of the project,” comments Gil Shavit, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer, GenCell.
For more information visit https://go.abb/electrification
We have just eight years to halt the effects of global warming. To have the best chance of limiting temperature rises to 1.5˚C, we must halve global emissions by 2030.
With time running out, what role will buildings play in the race to net zero? I have 5 predictions for
buildings in 2022:
Net zero strategies will (finally) follow the science
We cannot let the momentum generated by COP26 hit a roadblock in 2022. If we do, it won’t be for lack of strategies, or lack of tools or tactics. It will be for a lack of strategic impetus from leaders and their boards. In 2021 almost
three quarters of UK and Ireland businesses had not yet calculated their entire carbon footprint. In the run up to COP26 underestimation of the scale of the challenge was the biggest barrier to achieving net-zero goals.
However, the signs are positive. Nine out of 10 UK and Ireland businesses surveyed in Schneider Electric’s recent research said that
decarbonisation is a priority. Our next challenge is to make sure what we do actually works. Right now, only 64.6% of businesses across the UK and Ireland believe that their organisation’s carbon reduction targets are based on science. A much lower proportion have committed to a science-based target validated by the Science based Targets Initiative (SBTi).
2022 will be the year that science comes first. Carbon reduction tactics must be based on data and evidence. That means committing to measurement and committing to impact. Those who don’t will be held to account - if not by regulation than by increasingly concerned employees and customers demanding to be shown the reality of organisation's footprints. That starts with the biggest sources of emissions… including our buildings.
More than 50% of global buildings were built before the 1980s, before codes for energy efficiency were
even in place. We can’t undo the past mistakes of unsustainable building design, and it’s not a case of tearing down the old to replace with the new.
To achieve net-zero, nine in 10 buildings that exist today will need to be digitally retrofitted with smart, energy efficient technologies. Organisations with existing estates are already accelerating this retrofitting as a highly cost-effective measure that ensures better energy use.
Beyond that, many estate owners are using digital retrofitting technologies to ‘co-optimise’ building performance through smart building management systems that track the flow of people, optimising heating, cooling, or ventilation based on occupancy, ensuring comfort and safety. Smart buildings such as this offer real-time analytics to improve building sustainability, efficiency and resiliency, bettering the overall occupant experience.
Our post-pandemic, post-COP26 culture will not allow organisations to shirk building sustainability goals with excuses of ‘old-age’. Just like
the new world of work that has embraced technology for efficiency and experience, buildings must also move with the times.
Putting the energy into reducing energy waste
With all we know about energy efficiency and the impact on the environment, it’s hard to believe that still, more than a third of energy consumption in buildings is wasted; one in five respondents in Schneider Electric’s recent research had only just started measuring energy consumption. Over the next 12 months we can expect to see a significant uplift in interest for onsite renewables such as solar and wind, with local microgrids providing flexible, optimised energy for use onsite, including for an upsurge in the need for electric vehicle charging.
Older buildings are, of course, a huge source of energy wastage and by the end of 2022 we also expect to see a mass conversion of any remaining fossil fuel-based heating to electric; electric heat pumps and heat pump water heaters can be up to
five times more energy-efficient than their natural gas counterparts. While the UK’s Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive closed to applicants in March 2021, following COP26 a new scheme, the Clean Heat Grant, is expected in 2022.
A tenth of total building CO2 emissions are caused by the manufacturing of building materials such as steel, cement, and glass –and a tenth of this ends up going to waste.
When it comes to new buildings, amazing work is being achieved using revolutionary techniques, and some not-so-revolutionary materials, for example the 3D-printed clay structures championed at COP26.
Despite such headline projects, the sad fact is that too
many construction firms are not invested in the long-term life of new buildings. The majority of carbon emissions are the result of a building’s construction, and together with emissions associated with a building’s demolition and disposal, the full lifecycle must be a key consideration.
In the next year I expect to see a shift in attitude towards constructors having lifetime responsibility, with ‘shared ownership’ of a building’s lifecycle, as part of a circular economy, moving up the sustainability agenda.
Putting buildings back at the heart of communities
The evidence shows that smart building technologies reduce energy wastage, while improving occupant experience. This is a double-win post-covid, as commercial buildings
face the challenge of enticing people back from their remote worlds, which has also become synonymous with loneliness. This is a sign. Buildings are not just bricks and mortar (especially not so with today’s materials innovations) but are the beating hearts of a society that is craving meaningful contact and togetherness.
If we truly believe in the concept of ‘build back better’, both from the pandemic and from the threat of global warming, we must start with our communal spaces. Whether work, leisure, retail or health environments, 2022 is the year we recognise buildings as the lever of innovation to create a better future for all.
For further information please visit https://www.se.com
IoT solutions utilising SIM-based cellular technology for connectivity are not new – but the speed with which IoT is expanding, embracing ever more exciting and dynamic use cases is both compelling and creating market confusion in equal measure. From a market which is reaching maturity – the standardised, tried and tested, M2M SIM IoT deployments - to one (e.g. 5G SIM-based IoT) which is largely in its infancy, separating between those solutions that can be bought with confidence and those where continued innovation warrants discussion and consultation, may not be straightforward. And, for these latter cases, choosing the right cellular (SIM) technology and network type will require an understanding of the technical requirements for each use case and
the data profile of the asset to be connected.
With the definition of IoT expanding almost daily and suppliers increasingly jumping on the IoT bandwagon, this is a complex landscape, requiring knowledge, understanding, and expert partnerships. Nick Sacke, Head of IoT Solutions, Comms365 explains how to navigate the maze of options to optimise and future proof your cellular IoT investments.
From M2M to 5G, a Range of Mature – and less MatureCapabilities
Mass scale IoT Machine to Machine (M2M) deployments have been around for years, since the days of the inception of 2G cellular technology. Now bundled under (the increasingly broad) ‘IoT’ umbrella, the traditional M2M
plastic SIM card we all recognise is giving way to soldered circuits inside the actual device, with data plans and automated network selection handled via software and sophisticated portals to manage the data estate. This is a mature market, with deployments that extend from payment for car washers and car valuation booths; washing machines for student accommodation, vending machines and refrigeration display units; to CCTV, access control, smart lighting, and waste bins fill levels. These M2M SIM-based services have become standardised, they are tried and tested, reliable and practical, enabling organisations to introduce the technology into their businesses with confidence.
Moving through the deployment spectrum, now using 4G and 5G where available, deployments have
become much more scalable with the deployment of IoT sensors attached to machines and the bidirectional transmission of data to / from applications, allowing companies to achieve far more granular, tracking visibility and remote management of assets such as wind turbines, heavy equipment, power generation and metering infrastructure, anywhere there is signal. Rapidly expanding SIM network connectivity options now include Low Power WAN (LPWAN) variants such as Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and LTE-M (Cat M), which have been specifically developed and incorporated into 5G standalone networks to support millions of battery-powered IoT devices in hard to reach places and are enabling enterprises to radically expand the scale of projects from Phase 1 pilots to mass deployments.
Now known as ‘Massive IoT’, millions of devices and assets can be connected and, with extraordinary innovation in sensor devices, the range of use cases expands daily. Soil sensors are being used by farmers to manage scarce water resources in remote regions; sensors in concrete structures can be used both during construction to track curing and post-build to measure compressive strain and concrete health. From water metering to air pollution, waste management and parking control, the combination of networks, devices and big data analytics is creating the foundation for everything from smart cities to sustainable agriculture. The SIM
technology selected for all these use cases was based on a range of critical technical requirements including range, scalability, security and low power consumption.
Another fast developing and innovative use case field for SIM-based IoT Networks is ‘Critical IoT’, where applications such as real-time vital signs monitoring at home as an extension of healthcare require ultra-reliable data delivery and low delay in getting measurements to back-office systems (‘latency’). This application area is hugely vibrant in its development, with many technology firms delivering innovations in wearable technologies which record both vital signs (heart rate, Oxygen saturation) and location to keep track of individuals wherever they are, and allow care professionals to intervene quickly in an agile, targeted way.
This sector of the market will scale rapidly with the expansion of high capacity, fast, 5G networks, but given the need for reliable data transmissions typically across mobile locations, one network alone may be unlikely to deliver the quality of coverage required. Organisations will need a SIM-based technology option that can ‘roam’, i.e. work with more than one public network operator to hand off traffic seamlessly.
Conversely, for super-low latency, high-volume operations in fixed locations, such as industry
automation IoT, private 5G is now a preferred option, offering the chance to prioritise specific data traffic flows – something that is not currently an option across public 5G networks. This is compelling for factories, warehouses, stadiums and large buildings which have poor or massively contended mobile signal indoors and cannot deliver mobile data services reliably.
Clearly, at the end of the spectrum, SIM-based cellular IoT is far more complex than the ‘plug and play’ experience we’ve come to rely on with our Smartphones, requiring design, planning and deployment by experts.
With substantial growth in IoT connectivity globally, customers are now demanding simplified contracts and service models from their providers to take care of their requirements – from low power connections for sensors, to high bandwidth applications to connect their real estate assets to provide primary and failover internet access. This is a complex challenge, especially internationally, due to different commercial agreements and service models amongst competing carriers, as well as limitations on certain types of network access on a per country basis (almost all countries have a 4G service, but 5G is a work in progress, and low power network coverage needs to be checked for availability).
Network operators need to be
flexible, but have not always proven to be so, allowing the growth and development of a new generation of network aggregators and smaller service providers that are geared to cater to customer needs. Aggregators are now playing a significant role in SIM-based mobile market development and growth, particularly if managed network operators (MNO’s) are inflexible, by negotiating directly with multiple network operators to create a tailored, multi-network solution to support each use case.
There are several questions that should be asked to qualify your provider’s capability to supply IoT, including: How long is the contract? What are the data costs and do they reflect current and future data profiles? Can one network operator provide the full coverage required for all mobile assets, both now and in the future? Can the customer benefit from access to new Low Power SIM technologies including NB-IoT, LTE-M (Cat M) or other IoT
connectivity types, including noncellular, as a blended service? Does the provider offer automation tools to configure, monitor and manage the SIM-based connectivity service, including changes? Does the SIM have automated, built-in failover to a second or third network option if the primary network fails? Is the Core Network of your provider proven to be secure against external threats?
Using a confluence of different networks can be incredibly powerful as a complete solution to connect all parts of a customer’s estate, but it may require a service provider who is capable of orchestrating the multiple SIM-based technologies to acquire the right networks in the asset location and provide seamless provisioning, management and changes via automation to provide a good and reliable customer experience.
Conclusion 5G will transform the landscape for SIM-based IoT. It will provide a
step change in capacity, allowing 100,000s of connections per square kilometre, compared to just hundreds today. It will offer more speed, more reliability and, in time, enable the market to provide real Service Level Agreements. But with so many providers jumping on the SIM-based IoT bandwagon it is necessary to ask the right questions to make the right decision for your use case.
This is a fast-evolving market. There is tremendous growth and vitality and energy in the SIM-based IoT area which is hugely exciting. However, in the quest for innovation, let us not forget the mature M2M SIM IoT deployments that offer huge opportunities for business transformation with confidence.
Fundamentally, across the broad IoT spectrum, it is vital to understand the use cases, applications, technologies and the commercials before making final decisions about suppliers and providers.
Thecurrent scenario of uncertainty has accelerated the adoption of digital twins in the water sector. Their application in drinking water distribution, sanitation and sewerage systems is picking up speed across the globe. In 2022, and over the next few years, digital twins are set to be one of the most widely used tools to tackle new challenges.
Yet, digital twins are no longer just a good idea for the future. In fact, many of the most innovative international utilities have already included the implementation of digital twins in their strategic plans and have put down specific actions on paper, thus tying in
with their commitment to digital transformation. “Once processes have been digitally transformed and infrastructures have been equipped with sensors, the next logical step is to extract value from all this data. Digital twins are one of the best tools to do this, as they deliver a holistic, cross-cutting vision of all the data they compile”, stated Pilar Conejos, Digital Twin Manager at Idrica. According to the expert, their commissioning must include the following components: a platform integrating all the information collected from assets and infrastructure, hydraulic models and advanced analytics, and a powerful, user-friendly dashboard system.
However, digital twins go way beyond simply simulating scenarios, with one of their main features being the development of use cases, understood as the ability to solve problems and optimize day-to-day operations.
Their successful deployment “will require utilities to overcome a number of challenges in the coming years, which may act as a barrier to market uptake”, highlighted Pilar Conejos. These challenges include insufficient data quality and its location in isolated systems that are difficult to connect, and the intrinsic complexity of running a simulation model that must be kept permanently up-to-date and must operate in real
time”. In addition, “investments must go hand in hand with an innovative organization and culture if they are to be successful. If there is something implicit in digital twins, it is a new way of working”, concluded Idrica’s expert.
Digital twins: transforming the real world through the virtual The most widely accepted definition of digital twins is perhaps that they are a virtual copy of the water supply system, simulating how it behaves.
As a proxy for real behavior, digital twins help us to make better decisions thanks to the holistic view they provide of the system and their ability to simulate real and fictitious scenarios. They anticipate the response of the network to any circumstance affecting operations, whether it has occurred before or not, helping utilities to assess different scenarios. To do this, both the physical and dynamic aspects of the system must be represented, i.e., the virtual representation of physical assets must be combined with the simulation of their behavior in the
digital environment.
According to Idrica’s experts, digital twins need large amounts of data and information from the physical system to function. In other words, the development of use cases and practical applications depends on sensors and the information provided by the digital systems employed, such as SCADAs, GIS and CMMS. Today, many companies have this information, so the next challenge for them is to concentrate, combine and standardize it into a single platform, which serves to feed the digital twin with real-world data.
Four benefits for the water sector, according to Idrica
Resilience. Digital twins improve the ability to adapt quickly and safely to any circumstance, whether it has happened before or not. This includes emergencies, health alerts and climate change-related events.
Testing new ideas and changes virtually, before making a decision in the real system, reduces risks, time and costs. Digital twins anticipate problems and identify the measures
needed to prevent emergencies and minimize their consequences. In short, they ensure that, even in critical situations and complex distribution systems, the water supply will remain available 24/7.
Efficiency. Digital twins can help to optimize systems now and in the future from an operational and planning standpoint. Thanks to the holistic view they provide, decisions are made by considering their impact on the different processes occurring in the system.
For example, energy costs can be reduced by establishing the best pumping schedules taking into account the hourly price of energy, whilst also keeping the system's hydraulic parameters under control. Energy consumption can also be lowered through more efficient asset operation and system planning, taking into account energy use associated with the design of new infrastructure.
Customer-centric management. Twenty-first-century citizens are demanding more information and better service, and they are also an
essential part of the management of water distribution systems. Accordingly, digital twins need to engage citizens in order to provide them with information and to adapt water system management to cater for their needs. Thus, they can receive information on service disruptions in advance, whether due to planned interventions in the network or to an emergency. In addition, the operation of the system can be adapted depending on the needs of critical users, such as hospitals, to ensure supply in any possible scenario.
Yet that is not all. The challenges we are currently facing, such as increased demand due to urban growth and the scarcity of water, require water utilities and citizens as end users to work together. For example, providing customers with
access to detailed information about their consumption will lead to better actions and awareness of responsible water use policies.
Sustainability. There is strong support for the new concept of sustainable cities. The objective is to adapt to climate change through planning, optimal infrastructure management and citizen participation. The technology used in urban water systems means that they can be operated safely and efficiently, with the aim of reducing water and energy consumption. They also promote two-way communication between utilities and citizens, who can now address new challenges and receive information on how their actions improve resource management.
Idrica is a leading international technology company for the water
sector, specializing in digital solutions. It brings together more than a decade of experience in the industry in the areas of business management, O&M, engineering and consultancy in order to deliver digital solutions around the world. Thanks to its integrated water cycle platform, GoAigua, it boosts digital transformation in water utilities. It operates in Europe, the United States, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, providing solutions that serve over seven million users. Its headquarters are located in Valencia (Spain) and it has a team of more than 200 experts. Idrica was born after the successful digital transformation of Global Omnium, a Spanish company with more than 130 years of history that currently manages the water supply of over 400 cities.
JohnsonControls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings today released its 2022 Sustainability Report along with the following message from George Oliver, Chairman and CEO and Katie McGinty, Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer:
As we look back on the unfathomable events unfolding in Ukraine, Johnson Controls recognizes how important it is for countries, communities and world leaders to unite in solidarity during such momentous times. We will continue to collectively uphold our own company values and remain
committed to leading with integrity, respect, unwavering moral purpose, and humanity. We stand in solidarity with people around the globe who have united in support of peace and stability.
At Johnson Controls, we understand that to support these principles, we must continue to build a healthier, safer and more sustainable planet. Since 1885, sustainability has been at the heart of our business and is fundamental to everything we do. The dedication of our global team of 100,000+ employees, stewards of their communities in more than 150 countries, enables us to achieve our sustainability goals and deliver
innovative, sustainable solutions for our customers.
The importance of immediate climate action
The climate crisis is the most pressing environmental challenge of our time, and we are stepping up to do our part. However, we cannot do it alone; we must work collectively with other leading companies and governments across the globe to solve the challenges ahead. As the most recent UN climate report revealed, strong climate action is needed immediately and the window to take action is closing swiftly.
The buildings in which we spend so much of our daily lives play a big
part in contributing to global CO2 emissions. Johnson Controls has a special responsibility to be a leader in addressing climate change, given that almost 40 percent of global CO2 emissions come from buildings.
That’s why, as a company, we have committed to net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040 and are developing products and services that contribute to low carbon buildings and reduced emissions. We are firmly committed to helping our customers and others around the world pursue their net zero carbon goals, ensuring healthy people, healthy places and a healthy planet.
“As a service” for healthier, more sustainable buildings
In July 2021, we launched OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings as a Service, a one-stop shop for customers looking to achieve net zero. With features such as remote monitoring and predictive maintenance, OpenBlue solutions enable customers to achieve their sustainability strategy and goals that can drive significant improvement in energy efficiency and corresponding carbon emissions.
In January 2022, we unveiled OpenBlue Indoor Air Quality as a Service, the first dedicated “as-aservice” Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) solution for buildings, delivering energy-efficient, turnkey clean air outcomes. We developed this critical innovation just as employees returned to their workplaces and students returned to school.
Everyone deserves healthy places to work, learn and play, and we are proud that our solutions make this possible.
In addition to helping our customers achieve net zero, Johnson Controls is continuing to take significant steps to further improve our own environmental impacts. In January 2021, we announced a new set of ambitious sustainability commitments, including sciencebased targets across our operational and product-based emissions and a net zero carbon pledge for Scope 1 and 2 emissions:
We intend to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 55 percent and our Scope 3 emissions related to our
customers’ use of our products by 16 percent in absolute terms by 2030 relative to a 2017 baseline, along with actions supporting emissions reductions in our supply chain.
Our Scope 1 and 2 targets are consistent with the reductions required to restrict warming to 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement.
We are moving quickly to act on our sustainability commitments –even while we reduce our footprint beyond the 70 percent reduction in both greenhouse gas intensity and energy intensity that we have already achieved since 2002.
And we are leading the way in supplier sustainability, too. Sustainability is now equal to cost, quality and delivery in supplier performance evaluations.
Putting a financial value on our commitments We’ve continued to affirm our leadership in sustainable finance. Johnson Controls recently became the first S&P 500 industrial company to release an Integrated Sustainable Finance Framework as well as issue a Sustainability-Linked Bond. This builds on our green finance leadership following our prior green bond issuance and the linking of our senior credit facility to sustainability metrics. As part of our Integrated Sustainable Finance Framework, we further committed to achieving interim absolute emission reduction targets by 2025.
We are committed to working with leadership across industries and governments to deliver progress on climate change; we realize getting to net zero is a complex journey that can’t be addressed in isolation by one company. Together with the Business Roundtable (BRT) Energy and Environment Committee, we work closely with our peers in the business community to support policies that preserve the environment and maximize energy options. In a recent episode of BRT TV we underscored that we have to move forward with urgency, and we have the opportunity to accelerate progress through strong publicprivate partnership. We believe that, with that alignment, we can solve the climate crisis.
We want governments to be aware that we support strong and deliberate action to transition our world to a low-carbon economy. Last year, we were honored to join President Biden and world leaders for the Leaders Summit on Climate, where we addressed the role of the US business community in supporting ambitious global climate action and policy that also creates jobs and fosters economic growth.
To avoid the worst impacts of climate change, the world must work together to limit global temperature increases. The United States and the international community must aggressively reduce GHG emissions and create incentives for developing new technologies to achieve these reductions. At Johnson Controls, we know that when we take this challenge on, we will cut emissions, cut costs, and create good jobs and a more resilient, healthy infrastructure.
We were privileged to attend the UN COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow in November 2021 to support bold policy agreements to accelerate climate action, and while there, to announce a declaration signed by business leaders across many continents aimed at catalyzing climate action.
Partnering with like-minded organizations and generating a deeper understanding of the role our built environment plays in achieving climate goals is critical to our mission. In February 2022, we teamed up with TED Countdown and The Climate Pledge, an initiative co-founded by Amazon and Global Optimism, to generate further awareness of the critical role buildings play in meeting the commitment to be net zero carbon by 2040. As a founding member of the World Economic Forum’s First Movers Coalition, a new platform for companies to make purchasing commitments that create new market demand for low carbon technologies, we recognize how accelerating innovation is critical to making our buildings more sustainable and to lifting up entire communities.
Recognition for leading by example Awards are one measure of the impact our efforts are making in the world. We are very pleased to report that Johnson Controls
has been included on FORTUNE’s “World’s Most Admired Companies” list in 2022. Our inclusion reflects the strides we’ve made in attracting and retaining our talented employees and our commitment to our goal of ensuring a healthy, safe and sustainable world.
Additionally, Johnson Controls recently celebrated its first score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
We are honored to be recognized by multiple organizations for our leadership in sustainability and ESG:
• Received HRH The Prince of Wales’s inaugural Terra Carta Seal
• Named one of Corporate Knights Global’s 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World and number one in our industry category
• Included on the Forbes list of Best Employers for Diversity 2021
• Identified as a Sustainalytics Top-Rated ESG Performer for managing material ESG issues
• Ranked 67 on the Drucker Institute’s list of best-managed companies in America
We are grateful for our global team of experts who share a common goal of elevating the Johnson Controls commitment to advancing sustainable and inclusive business practices.
Johnson Controls is pleased to report that more than 13,000 colleagues have included sustainability and diversity metrics in their annual goals, supported by multiple trainings offered at all levels. In furtherance of our robust and recognized diversity and inclusion initiatives, we have elected to publish our EEO-1 report with information regarding the makeup of our workforce. Additionally, our Global Sustainability Network (GSN), an employee-driven Business Resource Group, has a presence
in 42 countries and proactively supports our goal to foster a culture of sustainability. Our GSN engages and empowers people who want to make a difference and has seen membership increase by more than 400 percent in the last year.
As we move forward and continue to lead in climate action and sustainability, we realize there is more work to be done. We are building on more than 135 years steeped in innovation to create a more sustainable economy for years and generations to come. We feel a great sense of responsibility and privilege, especially in this pivotal moment in history, to do everything in our power to ensure a world that is peaceful, inclusive, healthy, and sustainable.”
George Oliver - Chairman and CEO Katie McGinty - Vice President and Chief Sustainability and External Relations Officer
To download the full report visit Johnson Controls
have become an integral part of industrial production processes. They are ideal for quality and process monitoring or can be used for condition-based maintenance. The areas of ap plication are diverse and continue to grow due to the rapidly advancing digitalisation, the buzzword being the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Wireless and battery-free radio sensors in particular have a great benefit here, as they can be
used directly on moving parts or in hermetically sealed environments, for example to measure the flow, pressure and temperature of liquids or gases. Above all, companies save themselves time-consuming and, especially in the industrial environ ment, cost-intensive cabling.
However, it is of crucial importance that wireless sensors don’t have to be powered by batteries thanks to energy harvesting. This is because replacing a single battery in an industrial environment,
costs between 250 and 500 US dollars. Although the actual battery exchange happens quite quickly, the travel, locating, device testing, and documentation increase the hourly costs enormously. Very often, batteries are said to have a service life of two to five years, but in practice they are often replaced every one to two years in order to avoid early failures.
Resource saving and environmental protection are also becoming increasingly important: the
prices for copper are steadily going up and the harmful components as well as safety aspects of batteries are a serious problem. A sustainable solution is needed that takes both the financial aspect and the effects on the environment into account.
EnOcean has chosen a more sustainable way for its wireless sensors: these sensors obtain their energy from movement, light and temperature differences according to the principle of energy harvesting and require neither cables nor batteries for smooth operation. Therefore, they can be flexibly mounted directly on moving parts. The combination of radio and energy harvesting enables new applications entirely without maintenance requirements and battery waste.
Quality monitoring is a key aspect of the production process in order to ensure that the final product
meets predefined parameters.
To achieve this goal, a variety of parameters must be monitored, such as environmental factors like temperature, humidity and air quality; process factors like speed, force, pressure and temperature; or material factors like the starting materials used.
Many of these parameters are suitable for automated monitoring with the help of sensors. Ideally, sensors can be optimally integrated into existing production processes and require neither special training nor do they cause follow-up costs in ongoing operations. Wireless sensors like those from EnOcean do this job reliably.
The aim of process monitoring is to ensure that a defined production quantity is achieved, taking into account various parameters such as the required time, material
and personnel. Deviations in the production process must therefore be detected at an early stage and failures avoided. The integration of wireless sensors in production offers decisive advantages: wireless sensors can be used, for example, in hermetically sealed environments such as pipelines to measure the flow, pressure and temperature of liquids or gases.
Condition-based maintenance with battery-free sensors
A central aspect of quality assurance is the monitoring of machines for production. These are subject to wear, so early detection of problems and appropriate countermeasures are important prerequisites for continuous quality assurance and protection against production downtime.
A fundamental problem of maintenance planning is the calculation of the intervals between
each maintenance. On the one hand, the time between maintenance dates must be as short as possible in order to detect any deviations before a major problem occurs. On the other hand, each maintenance involves high costs for personnel and idle machines.
In many cases, it is possible to gain valuable information by monitoring a few simple parameters. Examples of such parameters are temperature, as wear often leads to higher friction, which in turn shows up in a rise in temperature on the machine. Another parameter is sound; experienced employees can often detect wear on machines by means of deviating sounds. Vibrations also play a role, as the
combination of wear and friction often leads to asymmetries in the machine geometry, which manifest themselves through vibrations, especially in rotating machines.
It has become obvious that wireless sensors offer decisive advantages for various applications in production. However, it is important to note that these sensors must also be constantly supplied with energy. Especially when used in places that are difficult to access (for example integrated in machines, tools, pipes, etc.), the disadvantages of possible maintenance due to the need to change batteries must be carefully
weighed up. Cable and battery-free wireless sensors, on the other hand, enable completely new approaches.
EnOcean's battery-free and wireless sensors tick all these boxes as they are maintenance-free, flexible and cost-effective to install. That’s why they are ideally suited for a wide range of industrial applications, such as factory automation, the food and beverage industry, logistics, transport and many more. This makes them great prerequisites for ensuring high quality standards in any industrial environment.
For further information please visit www.enocean.com
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Theinternet of things has incredible potential in hospitality and catering environments – and nowhere exemplifies this better than a coffee shop, says Sam Roberts, Sector Director at mpro5.
With the rapid developments of the food industry, many businesses are struggling to optimise their operations amidst the chaos of the daily grind. Restaurant and café management is tough work, even without the climate of the pandemic affecting all facets of the catering industry. Businesses need to maximise the resources they have at
their disposal now to stay ahead of the competition.
Implementing IoT solutions can be the first step to success. The Internet of Things, otherwise known as remote monitoring, is a fourth-gen technology that is already impacting many industries – and it can do the same for catering, Quick Service Restaurants and cafés. It may not have the revolutionary potential of its more futuristic and less-developed counterparts, such as AI, but it has clear potential, today, to radically improve hospitality and catering business operations.
With the correct software to
manage and action the vast amounts of data it creates, IoT can streamline operations and increase productivity, allowing you to see what actions are most pressing and what needs doing in real-time. From this, you can see accurate patterns which allow you to plan more accurately.
What is remote monitoring?
Simply put, these are remote sensors that can be connected via the internet to a network that talks to you through a digital platform. These sensors can measure anything from the power draw of a coffee machine or the temperature of a fridge to the
Four ways remote monitoring (IoT) can transform coffee shops
level of lighting or even noise in a room. Individually these sensors may appear useless, but once utilised in a wholistic and linked network of IoT devices – organised by a software perfect for managing this multitude of devices – then you get the information to create lasting results.
Coffee shops are the underlying crutch of the business and social world; both productive mornings for the working business world and relaxing, social get-togethers between friends have become galvanised by the growing coffee culture. The UK consumes, on average, 95 million cups of coffee daily – that adds up to approximately £10 billion a year for the UK economy. With this potential for profit, it’s important that shopkeepers do whatever they can to keep a constant flow of customers; great coffee will always be a great help in attracting business, but making sure that the technology is there to support every aspect of your business goes a long way in keeping the customer experience that much more enjoyable.
Here are four ways that IoT helps
transform coffee shops.
• Plug the gaps during the staffing crisis
Whether due to the pandemic or ‘The Great Resignation’, much of the industrialised world is facing a staffing crisis – and hospitality, catering and service industries are one of the most impacted – hence why job vacancies in the hospitality sector have risen more than 700% in a year.
Although there is no technological cure for such an endemic problem, teams that learn to use their time more wisely will feel less stressed and that their work is more productive. IoT provides insight into what’s happening around you in real-time, which means you can work off what needs doing when, rather than a fixed schedule.
IoT sensors fitted on toilet doors make that possible by counting visitors. So, staff can be more profitably employed selling coffee and cake instead of cleaning and restocking toilets after a quiet morning when only a handful of shoppers have wandered in. Conversely, additional staff will need to be deployed to cleaning duties during a busy afternoon. Ultimately, this means time is spent more efficiently, and therefore
more productively, netting only improvements for your operations.
• Assuring food safety Safety should be a top concern for a business in catering or hospitality, however, that does not mean that it is wise to spend hours doing tasks unnecessarily. For example, manual temperature checks on fridges with thermometers can take up to an hour a day, which really stacks up across the week.
In contrast, IoT sensors connected to good software can tell you the fridge temperature continuously, and even warn you if it goes above a maximum threshold – saving you not only time but also adding another assurance that everything is how it should be, minimising food wastage and money. This assurance is additionally backed up by a digital ‘paperless’ trail.
Furthermore, and carrying on from the fridge example, IoT allows you to see patterns in temperature changes – which means you can accurately predict the future. For example, if temperatures consistently rise around lunchtime, this could point to inadequate training or inattentive staff who leave the fridge open in between uses.
• Proactive maintenance
Cafés and coffee shops are full of fragile, expensive and vital equipment – as are most businesses involved in the production and sale of food and drink. Many of these are instrumental to keep working. One failure can completely disrupt operations for the entire day, and so minimising the damages by staying ahead of any maintenance needs should be an underlying priority.
IoT sensors on equipment can enable you to implement a system of preventive maintenance, which can either react to a prediction you’ve spotted from the patterns of use or to an alteration in the equipment’s performance. This means reducing any potential downtime and costly repairs to a minimum, and although
this investment into predictive maintenance solutions can appear costly upfront, in the long-term it reduces costs by upholding productive uptimes for longer.
The repeatably perfect customer experience is the goal. As we all know, improving a customer’s comfort can have a direct and quantitative impact on the time spent in a premises, how much they spend and ultimately the business’s bottom line. Sensors, connected to an IoT network, can monitor anything from open doors so you can stop a draft, to radiators and temperature levels so you can maintain a comfortable ambience.
This is especially important for customers returning after the absence of the pandemic. They are looking to reclaim a sense of prepandemic normality, and want the ideal experience that they could only longingly dream about for months to be back once more. Creating inviting, secure and smooth-running locations is a priority that cannot be overlooked at least, capitalised on at best.
Data, however, is nothing without action, and only with the right software can you access, view, and create meaningful action from the reams of data an IoT network will produce. Adaptive, flexible, and intuitive software is the key to unlocking the productive power of remote monitoring.
Electrical installations in both industrial and consumer buildings need to meet the new challenges of our growing power needs. To increase the energy efficiency of buildings, while at the same time integrating consumers into the load compensation, will mean that controlling the switching of electrical devices on or off according to external signals, such as time and consumption, will be vital. www.new.abb.com/smartgrids/ smart-grid-technologies/smarthome-and-intelligent-buildings
The Bosch Smart Home range includes both Single System products and System Solution products. Test the range of smart solutions to understand how these products are able to assist you in your daily lives; offering additional comfort, security for peace of mind and energy efficiency, saving you money within your home. Connectivity is more than just technology, it is now part of our every-day lives making life easier and allowing more time for the things that really matter! www.bosch-smarthome.com
Connected products is a growing area for Dyson building world-class cross functional Agile teams and adopting the latest technology and techniques delivering our ambitious vision in the connected space. In 2016 we launched our first two connected products now having a connected user base of hundreds of thousands in twenty countries. Culture of design and engineering excellence with an innovative start up mentality winning the 2016 T3 Connected product of the year. https://careers.dyson.com/
Energenie is part of Sandal Plc a public listed uK technology company, Sandal Plc is the brand and IP owner of the Mi|Home smart home system. The Mi|Home ecosystem can control heating, lighting and electrical appliances via both plug and play and retro fit actuators, including radiators valves, retrofit wall sockets and retro-fit light switches. The system also includes a range of sensors that are able to control the Mi|Home actuators allowing for a smarter experience. https://energenie4u.co.uk/
ASSA ABLoY is the global leader in door opening solutions, dedicated to satisfying end-user needs for security, safety and convenience. Since its formation in 1994, ASSA ABLoY has grown from a regional company into an international group with about 46,000 employees, operations in more than 70 countries and sales close to SEK 68 billion. The Group has a leading position in areas such as access control, identification technology, entrance automation and hotel security. www.assaabloy.co.uk/en/local/uk/
Designed to be offered as a service from the ground up. Enabling our channel partners – insurers, telcos and builders - to add value to their core business creating a more intimate relationship with their consumer and B2B customers. The Cozify platform offers complete flexibility in data gathering and utilization. If so chosen, none of the data leaves the Cozify Hub. Alternatively, with consent from end users, the data can be extracted and analysed to support business decision making. www.en.cozify.fi/pages/for-partners
Enado has over 15 years of experience in the installation and provision of home automation systems. our multiple award winning platform allows multiple, disparate manufacturer systems and devices in the home, integrated into one solution. Industry standard offering of lighting and energy to facilitate control of multiple consumer electronics devices including satellite receivers, smart tv’s, sky and other satellite boxes. www.enado.com
eQ-3 Group is one of the leading innovation and technology companies for home control and consumer electronics. eQ-3 provides the largest product portfolio in the industry and has placed more than 21 million wireless home control devices in almost one million households in the market. eQ-3 is the European market leader in smart home with regard to the installed base of whole home solutions and electronic radiator thermostats. www.HomeMatic.com
With subsidiaries and representative offices in 11 countries, FERMAX is placed among the most important brands in the world. At Fermax, we have been cultivating our passion for design, technology and innovation for the past 65 years. www.fermax.com
A Fortune 100 company, Honeywell invents and manufactures technologies that address some of the world’s most critical challenges around energy, safety, security, productivity and global urbanization. Our connected portfolio of products, services and software spans multiple industries and is able to deliver end-to-end solutions that improve quality of life for people around the globe. www.honeywell.com
Paxton10 delivers out of the box access control, IP video management and building automation. It interfaces with existing building infrastructure to control lighting, heating, air conditioning, intruder and fire alarms. The system comprises a web-based user interface for easy building management and a selection of discreet hardware. www.paxton10.com
EcoStruxure™ With Innovation At Every Level, we are redefining power and automation for a new world of energy. We operate in over 100 countries with around 144,000 employees worldwide. www.schneider-electric.com
Trend is one of the world’s leading Building Energy Management Systems manufacturers, with a worldwide distribution and support network covering over 50 countries. Its fully integrated control solutions are able to meet the most complex requirements of modern buildings. www.trendcontrols.com
NorthQ is a Danish IoT manufacturer which specializes in developing home automation and energy management solutions. Company’s products serve as an innovative tool to track, control and optimize energy consumption. Our vision, A New Way of Living, entails responsibility for the environment and conscious decision-making regarding the energy we use on a daily basis. Our newest product, the Q-Reader is a universal meter reader providing real-time data from various electricity, gas, heat, and water meters. www.northq.com
Building technology with its integrated disciplines such as building automation, fire safety, security, lighting, and lowvoltage power distribution is often indispensable and forms the heart of a Total Building Solution from Siemens. www.buildingtechnologies. siemens.com
Artificial Intelligence for Smarter Homes. The Viva Smart Home Platform is a turn-key white label platform that uses artificial intelligence to learn family behaviour and automatically programme smart home services.
Service Providers can launch plugand-play products and services, like home security, heating, lighting and home protection, which improve family life for everyday living rather than being a throwaway gadget. www.meetviva.com
