When it comes to building automation, it used to be that companies thought about the very small, or the very large buildings – either residential or skyscraper – but not about what rests in the middle. Today, however, many new entrants look at the mid-market space and notice unanswered needs, which translate into business opportunities.
This is why Schneider Electric, a global specialist in energy management, is introducing its SmartStruxure Lite solution to the mid-market. Designed to bring real value to this space, it is a complete building management system (BMS) targeted at facilities between 100 to 10 000 square metres.
“The solution, a recent addition to the company’s SmartStruxure suite, was designed with two ideas in mind; to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of building management systems for smaller sites, while also maintaining the flexibility that is found within traditional, larger systems,” says Victor Strobel the sales manager for system integrators within the Eco Business unit at Schneider Electric South Africa.
He highlights that the SmartStruxure Lite solution provides tailored functionalities for facilities with a smaller footprint, including retail stores, offices, hotels, schools, and healthcare clinics. It is an open system that integrates management of HVAC, lighting, energy and more into one easy-to-manage interface.
The solution allows building managers to quickly improve resource use and occupant comfort, increase energy efficiency in both existing buildings and new constructions, and drive value with cost-effective building management throughout the life cycle of a facility.
The SmartStruxure Lite solution also offers programmable control and management using StruxureWare Building Expert software, a no-license-fee web interface. By lowering the TCO for buildings with a smaller footprint and enabling wireless control and networking of building systems, the SmartStruxure Lite solution provides a quick return on investment (ROI) for small- and medium-sized facilities.
As it is built on open standards, the solution integrates with new and existing building infrastructure, through EcoStruxure Web Services (EWS), BACnet IP and oBIX, allowing for simple and fast installation without needing to “rip and replace” existing technology.
Through this seamless integration, SmartStruxure Lite solution also acts as the wireless enabler to Schneider Electric’s comprehensive iBMS, SmartStruxure solution, which meets the more complex needs of commercial buildings larger than 10 000 square metres.
Additionally, the solution’s compatibility with open standards enables building stakeholders to gradually deploy new technologies to ensure continuous improvement of their building while “future-proofing” the solution.
This re-engineering of the traditional BMS offers some key advantages of its predecessors: programmability and flexibility. In the building automation industry, it is understood that each building is different. HVAC and lighting equipment varies depending on the region and climate conditions.
The number of points and the needs will also differ between a restaurant on the highway, a small-town town hall, a mini-mall in the suburbs, a school, a car dealership, or a health clinic sharing commercial space with a law practice and a mobile phone shop. Those are all different kinds of mid-market facilities to which any system has to be able to adapt.