BACnet is strong in Amsterdam
Forum for digital communication in buildings exceeds expectations
Dortmund, 09/01/2007 – 130 BACnet users in Amsterdam; BACnet events in Milan, Paris Zurich and Stockholm in 2007: the manufacturer independent communications standard for building automation is advancing throughout Europe. The first BACnet Forum in the Netherlands, which was organized by the BACnet Interest Group Europe (BIG-EU), exceeded all expectations. 14 suppliers and users presented the advantages of the BACnet technology on 6 December 2006 in Amsterdam. Building owners emphasised the efficient design of the systems. Manufacturers, specifiers and system integrators praised the “good cooperation between competing firms”. The Dutch based company and BIG-EU member, Regel Partners B.V., played an important role in ensuring the success of the Forum.
Digital communication in buildings is becoming increasingly important. The BACnet Forum in Amsterdam revealed that BACnet, thanks to its unique properties, can be used for more than just building automation. Volker Röhl, President of the BIG-EU, pointed out the growing number of members across the whole of Europe. Gijs de Koning, member of the BIG-EU board, stressed the growing importance of BACnet in the Netherlands in the light of changes taking place in the market. Jan Kerdel, building automation expert at the “Nederlandse Technische Vereiniging Voor Installaties in Gebouwen (TVVL)“, emphasised the benefits of standardisation. Users and consultants will need to change over to BACnet if they want to take advantage of its added value.
The advantages of open solutions
No communication protocol fulfils all technological and economic wishes.
Frank Schubert from the software house, MBS, therefore appealed for proven,
open solutions such as BACnet. Karl-Heinz Belser from Johnson Controls spoke
about specifying, tendering and implementing BACnet projects; and Professor
Peter Fischer, member of the BIG-EU advisory board described how companies
can certify devices to prove their conformity to the ISO EN 16484-5 BACnet
standard.
In addition, an accompanying exhibition at the Forum presented an insight
into the latest BACnet technology. The exhibition was truly multi-vendor with
ABB, Celsius, Delta Controls, Digicontrol, Johnson Controls, Honeywell, KNX,
Kieback&Peter, Priva, Regel Partners, Saia-Burgess, Sauter, Siemens and
TRANE taking part.
Dutch BACnet reference projects
A large number of reference projects showed how BACnet is being used in
practice. Saia-Burgess Controls and Daikin have ensured pleasant ambient conditions
optimal use of energy in the new headquarters of the “Woningstichting
Den Helder”. Regel Partners and Digicontrol Benelux compared “native”
BACnet with gateway solutions and presented an example solution using the
BACnet IP protocol converter. The KNX association described the mapping between
BACnet and KNX. Celius Benelux also placed BACnet in the “multi-protocol
world” of building and industrial automation. That BACnet is more than
just building automation was shown by Priva.
BACnet’s potential brings competitors together and makes them stronger. This was the message of Sauter Building Control Netherlands and Kieback&Peter Netherlands who presented their cooperation on joint projects. Siemens Netherlands demonstrated integrated building automation solutions using BACnet that included fire alarm and burglar alarm systems.
System integration is a stated strength of BACnet. Johnson Controls Automation Systems gave practical tips for managing integration projects. Honeywell Building Solutions Netherlands presented a project where the customer was able to choose best of breed devices from different manufacturers. The possibility of integrating frequency converters was demonstrated by ABB. Trane Commercial Systems Europe described a project at the SWIFT Center in Zoeterwoude where they integrated a refrigeration system into a building automation system supplied by Johnson Controls.
BACnet on the move
After the BACnet Forum in Amsterdam it was clear that BACnet is growing
just as fast in the Netherlands as it is throughout the rest of Europe. Buildings
such as the Almere hospital, the Bernardus Care Center in Sassenheim, the
University of Amsterdam and many others have already been equipped with building
automation based on BACnet. The BIG-EU will continue to promote the development
of the standard in the Netherlands.
About the BIG-EU:
The BACnet Interest Group Europe e. V. (BIG-EU) promotes the application
of the worldwide BACnet communication protocol ISO 16484-5 in European building
automation and safety engineering. It was founded in 1998 by 18 companies
dealing with building automation. Today it has 65 members from Belgium, Germany,
England, Finland, France, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland
and the USA. The BIG-EU represents European interests in the worldwide development
of the BACnet standard. Therefore, the BIG-EU interacts with the American
BACnet Manufacturer Association (BMA) and the ASHRAE Standing Standard Project
Committee SSPC 135, which is assigned by the ISO the care of the BACnet standard.
The BIG-EU increases BACnet knowledge in Europe with common marketing and
qualification offers. For further information see www.big-eu.org/.
BACnet is a registered trade mark of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers, Inc. (ASHRAE)
Press relations: MarDirect, Dortmund, Germany
Bruno Kloubert, E-mail: kloubert@mardirect.de, Tel. +49-231-427867-31
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