Room Automation

Room automation is the part of building automation which combines devices and systems in rooms into an integrated system. When referring to individual rooms, it is called individual room control – or in the case of larger rooms or zones  it is referred to as zone control. Equipment for heating and ventilation, lighting, sun blinds, windows as well as presence detector, among others, can all be integrated into the room automation.

Advantages of room automation: comfort, efficiency, flexibility

Room automation provides offices, classrooms, hotel rooms, stores, and so on, with healthy ambient conditions, comfort and optimal room settings in accordance with the needs of the users and the room’s use. Room automation is also used in sensitive surroundings such as laboratories or museums. Its utilization ensures the stable conditions demanded In these settings .

Room automation also plays a key role in improving energy efficiency in buildings, however. Room automation enables adjustments to energy usage to be made in order to most accurately meet the actual demand. The goal is to avoid waste. This means that energy for heating, air conditioning and lighting is provided only as actually required by the user and the use of the room.

Nowadays, many buildings are expected to adjust themselves to the changing needs of different users. A room automation system is able to provide for changes within room divisions and room use, without rewiring. Room automation therefore offers high flexibility.

Trade-spanning integration

Room automation allows automation functions and tasks from all trades to be conducted within rooms.   A prerequisite for this is the trade-spanning integration of the building’s technical systems into an automation system. The automation system uses the data from sensors such as temperature and humidity sensors, brightness sensors, presence sensors and more. It provides for the co-ordinated regulation of actuators like heating valves, light switches, dimmers, and sun-blind motors among other things.

Room functions

The intelligent interaction of equipment within the context of room automation can be described as room functions.

General functions are time programs or presence sensors, for example, i.e. the adjustment of room functions to fit the expected or actual use of the room.

Functions for lighting and protection from glare are dimmers that are adjusted according to available daylight, temporary lighting due to presence detection, and the optimization of anti-glare devices, for example. The goal is to utilize as much daylight as possible without being impaired by its glare.

Examples of functions for room climate regulation include window monitoring to make sure that heating and cooling are immediately switched off when a window is opened, or the thermo-automatic control of sun-blinds in unused rooms in such a way that they use sunlight as a source of heating in winter and reduce cooling demand by providing shade in the summer.

Energy conservation through room automation

Cooling or heating with an open window, switched on lighting despite sufficient daylight, and heating unused rooms all mean energy waste. Room automation prevents this waste. Energy consumption can be considerably reduced using room automation. The desired comfort in occupied rooms is thus secured.

The energy consumption data gathered by the room automation can also be used for the regulation of primary installations such as boilers, cooling systems and so on. The energy supply can be optimized and precisely adapted to fit the need. This also saves energy and improves energy efficiency.

Building management systems can use the room automation data for analyses, future optimizations, evaluations and precise accounts as well.

Room automation from Kieback&Peter: technolon, technoLink, mini motor actuators

The Kieback&Peter technolon system is based on LON technology. LON allows the connection of different trades and products from different manufacturers into a trade-spanning integration network and that secures communication with each other. The room automation functions are defined by so-called LonMark profiles using LON technology. This simplifies its implementation.

Additionally, wireless communication can be used for room automation. The technoLink system uses the wireless EnOcean radio technology. technoLink does not need wiring for communication or energy supply . Therefore, technoLink is an ideal solution where cables interfere, where additional wiring is too costly or where the highest flexibility is demanded.

MD15 mini motor actuators with RZ and RWZ zone valves complement the room automation through their high quality control for energy-efficient room regulation.