ABB, a leading power and automation technology provider, and Royal Philips have announced a collaboration to simplify the integration of connected lighting systems and building device control for commercial buildings.
Philips' connected lighting system will interface seamlessly with ABB's automation software to offer the ability to control a commercial environment including lighting, blinds, building access and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). The introduction of the solution from ABB and Philips will make it much simpler to reconfigure spaces. In a hotel this could mean altering the lighting scene after combining several separate rooms into a large meeting room, just through one click. Or in a shopping complex, a building manager can simply reconfigure the access, HVAC and lighting when a single unit is split into smaller ones, said Philips.
Currently, reconfiguring different building systems requires entering lines of code for each separate element. By enabling the control of all the different elements of building automation through compatible software, building management is simpler and more affordable to install and maintain, Philips added.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and lighting constitute 70% of the energy consumption in commercial buildings and the introduction of building device control can improve energy efficiency by approximately 30%. Upgrading to more energy efficient systems represents a significant opportunity for building managers to save on operational costs, noted Philips.
