ENERGY HARVESTING SUSTAINABILITY
energy systems. Networked and smart
devices are almost indispensable in
this regard.
At its heart, the Thermokon
solution consists of a scalable
microservice architecture, which
enables Thermokon to respond quickly
and flexibly to changes and customer
or partner requests. Another key
element is the use of an IoT Hub for
the secure and reliable connection
of, and communication between, the
devices and the cloud. Older heating
systems are being retrofitted for
communication with the hub, and
new equipment generations will be
connected directly to the IoT platform.
Installers and end users can
set heating times and desired
temperatures, among other
things, via their smartphones. The
compatible heat pumps can also
be networked with myriad devices
from other manufacturers and be
automated collectively. For example,
a temperature sensor measures the
current room temperature for demanddriven
individual room control.
Societal benefits from this
technology include employee wellbeing
whilst the economic benefits
of productivity can be increased in
offices through different parameters
such as human-centric lighting (HCL)
and demand-based use of space. The
use of IoT solutions allows companies
to adapt their planned use of space
to actual and changing requirements,
thereby identifying and cutting hidden
costs.
The LaSalle real estate consulting
firm has data to support the potential
economic gains. The 3-30-300 rule is
an example of the average cost ratios
incurred by a company - $3 for energy;
$30 for space; and $300 for salaries.
(All figures are per square foot (0.09
m2) per year).
Because of the legal requirement
to lower carbon footprints, companies
are obliged to lower their energy
consumption and reduce the CO2
emissions of buildings. In many cases,
a logical step is to invest in a smart,
radio-based heating control system.
At first glance, this pays off only where
energy consumption is concerned,
but in fact it is an initial step toward
digitalized building spaces and offers
additional savings potential.
If a certain basic infrastructure
consisting of radio-based sensors,
gateways and actuators is already
in place, the system can be easily
expanded. One common application
is to optimise the use of rooms in
commercial buildings. For example,
if 30 to 40 per cent of the desks
remain unused on a regular basis, it is
worthwhile to introduce a hot-desking
concept, in which the employees flexibly
share desks depending on occupancy.
To do this, additional presence sensors
are needed that record the presence of
people in a room or at a desk and send
this information to the cloud, where
an algorithm controls occupancy. This
approach can reduce the cost of space,
especially in expensive urban locations.
Advantages under coronavirus
measures are obvious with the drive to
manage increased home working and
for workplaces to implement measures
such as social distancing, track-andtrace
and antiviral hygiene.
It has also recently become
recognised that CO2 monitors could
significantly help to mitigate the
coronavirus threat itself. There is
increasing evidence that carbon
dioxide levels in buildings correlate
strongly with the airborne spread of
infection, so monitoring the workplace
air quality to determine the levels
of CO2 in meeting spaces is highly
beneficial.
To achieve this, CO2 monitoring
devices need to be dependable,
and easy to place where they are
needed. Wireless, battery-free CO2
sensors represent the perfect solution
and ideally need to be connected,
for example to trigger alarms when
CO2 concentration goes above a
certain threshold, sending alarms to
building management networks, or to
smartphones via wireless networks.
What comes next?
Even when the pandemic restrictions
are removed, benefits continue.
Attractive and healthy work
environments have been proven
to increase employee productivity.
According to LaSalle, optimisation
has the greatest impact in this area.
Concepts such as employee wellness
take these findings into account
and optimise work environments for
staff. They include control of room
temperature, air quality, humidity
and lights, as well as including IoT
solutions for demand-oriented cleaning
service of restrooms and kitchens.
Such applications create new tasks
and business areas for facility
management. The idea is no longer to
simply manage a building but to offer
new services.
Smart buildings are the wave of the
future and not only for environmental
reasons. The ability to charge
electric cars must be provided, while
demographic change requires new
approaches to looking after people in
need of care, and crowded conditions
in cities demand better use of space.
Raw data collected by millions of
sensors can be the solution for all
these scenarios. This data forms
the basis for energy efficiency, CO2
reduction and better use of resources.
Considering the large number of
sensors required, these devices must
be standardised, radio-based, selfpowered
and easy to retrofit.
Author details:
Andreas Schneider
is CEO, EnOcean
Below: Sustainability
comprises of three
pillars: ecology, the
economy and society
26 26 January 2021 www.newelectronics.co.uk
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