Building management product manufacturers TAC and Andover Controls were demonstrating the importance of open systems at the recent Building Performance show in London.
The two companies chose the occasion to share a stand allowing them to highlight the interoperability of their products using a TCP/IP network and different protocols through a single interchange control. TAC solutions are developed to use Echelon’s Lonworks system while Andover Controls are based on the BACNet protocol. Open systems give facility and building managers a wider choice of bespoke products to meet their needs, according to the firms, and have advantages over proprietary systems that restrict choice to products and interfaces provided by a single supplier. Functions such as heating and air conditioning, access control, ventilation, fire control and lighting, can now be readily combined in a single system that gives full control of every room in an entire building; or across several buildings in the same company; from a single computer terminal. As a demonstration, Andover Controls and TAC used wireless technology to link to Redstone Communications, a separate exhibitor at the show. Roger Moncur, Technology Manager for TAC says: "This demonstration shows that our systems are truly open since it allows us to use information from different products operating on entirely separate protocols."
Can integrate
Andover Controls and TAC can integrate their systems with any other open system giving end-users the maximum choice of different products and solutions, the firms claim. TAC was showing its TAC Energy Solutions (TAC-ES) energy monitoring and control package. As part of the TAC Remote Support Suite of products and services, TAC-ES helps give organisations control over the utility costs of their building services, according to the makers. Software provides real-time analysis of energy use as well as a history of consumption. By using TAC-ES organisations can spot and deal with the causes of excessive energy use before bills soar, the firm says. Managers can use a standard web browser to view their installation’s energy performance from anywhere with an internet connection while SMS and email alerts can be sent automatically from the system.
Remote monitoring
TAC reports it supplies a 24-365 day remote monitoring service. In addition to traditional alarm monitoring and responding to system problems and failures, TAC can provide performance monitoring, energy use monitoring, analysis and optimisation, and condition-based predictive maintenance reports. Andover Controls said it was using the Building Performance exhibition to showcase its digital CCTV as part of its suite of security tools. Paul Fileman, Andover Controls Marketing Manager says: "Integral digital recording is well suited to surveillance in complex estates since it gives operators quicker and easier access to recorded and live video from anywhere on the network or over the internet."
The Gate
Andover Controls supplied the Integral digital CCTV system fitted at Newcastle’s latest leisure centre, The Gate. The system at The Gate comprises five 32 channel 800 Gbyte integral DVX recorders, a 16 channel 240 Gbyte recorder and three Oasis graphical operator workstations. This gives security staff at The Gate access to images from 150 digital CCTV cameras located throughout the building and its approaches. The external cameras are linked using a fibre optic cable to the local police control room. Darren Frost-Younger, Technical Service Manager at The Gate remarked, "We can clearly see everything that goes on with very good image clarity." Building Performance was held at London Olympia on October 6 and 7 to highlight the importance of various measures, including building controls, in managing energy costs.
