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Tips to improve your office life
Monday, 31.03.2025.
12:10
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First of all, it is important to determine whether the client actually needs a building automation in his office. Is it possible to survive without it? Of course, it is. It`s similar to buying a new car without automatic windows, climate control, light and rain sensors. Such a car would still take you from point A to point B, but the quality of the journey would be vastly different. The point is that modern people have become accustomed to the conveniences of civilization and are not willing to give them up—neither in cars nor in buildings.
When is it not beneficial for a client to invest in a "smart" office? If they are building it for someone else or if the construction budget is extremely limited. In all other cases, it is beneficial for the client. They just need a proper consultation before starting the office construction process to clearly articulate their requirements for the technical specifications. Since the building automation controls lighting, climate, blinds, and sometimes audio-video equipment in the office, it should be included in the project along with architects and designers at the early planning stage.
Imagine, you are an owner of the business. And you need to expand your existing office space and move to a new one. How long do you plan to stay in your future office? At least 5 years. I can say that during this time, you will definitely return your investment in the "smart" engineering setup of the office by means of energy savings. And all other advantages provided by building automation will benefit your employees and business throughout the property`s operation.
Let`s explore the benefits an investor of the "smart" office:
Comfort for Employees. First and foremost, I mean comfort related to the lighting system. This is one of the most common requests we hear from our clients. While a person is at his work desk, there should be proper lighting on the table surface to prevent eye strain. This criterion includes a set of requirements for lighting fixtures (minimal Lux value, flicker factor, CRI color rendering index, UGR-factor), but the lighting in office is controlled by building automation. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to it in the project.
Comfort related to heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems (HVAC) is also very important. The modern workday lasts about 8 hours, 250 days a year. Imagine working all that time in a stuffy room that is either too hot or too cold. How effective would you be? Returning to the car comparison: the climate control system in the office allows for automatic maintenance of comfortable air parameters in the office space, similar to the climate control in a car.
In addition to the above, comfort parameters in the office could be achieved through automatic blinds control. Let’s suppose that your office has a glass facade or windows facing the sunny side. In this case, your employees will appreciate if the blinds automatically close with the sun`s movement, allowing them to work without computer screen glare. Incidentally, automatic blinds significantly reduce the load on air conditioners as they reflect incoming solar heat through the windows.
Energy savings can be calculated even before the office construction begins, making it clear how long it will take to receive the return on investment (ROI) with the automation system through the energy consumption optimization. With the help of presence and motion sensors, savings on electricity for the lighting system can be at least 70%. We conducted several experiments in operating offices and achieved this result under real conditions. In addition to direct energy savings, turning off LED-lights, when not needed, extends the life-cycle of the LEDs themselves, reducing their aging effect.
Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning is the most expensive section among all engineering systems in office construction. Clients usually do not skimp on climate systems. Therefore, it is unwise to dismiss the use of an automation system, as building automation allows the most efficient way of using energy resources and creates a comfortable office environment.
Many of you have probably seen a situation in an office where the air conditioner is running in the summer time while a window is open. People do this because they lack a fresh air. Air conditioners simply circulate internal air, cooling or heating it. Only a ventilation system provides a fresh air. By opening a window while the air conditioner is running, we waste kilowatts of electricity. Considering the current political situation, I think you`ll agree that electricity in Serbia will only become more expensive in the near future. Automation can ensure that such situations with windows and A/C won’t occur.
In addition to this example, there are many technical solutions that allow for significant reductions in energy costs through automatic regulation of HVAC systems (automatic reduction of heating load during non-working hours in winter, night ventilation for hot seasons, avoiding situations where the heating system fights against air conditioning, etc.). It has been calculated that reducing the heating temperature by 1°C in the winter provides an annual savings of 6% on heating expenses.
The reliability of all office engineering systems ensures peace of mind for the property owner. Automation will reliably monitor the operation of all equipment. No specialist, no matter how qualified, can replace an automatic control system. This means fewer breakdowns and equipment failures, and you will spend less time and nerves on troubleshooting. And, of course, you won`t need to have a large staff for maintenance services (which means salaries, taxes, other expenses). The automatic control system will handle this work for you.
Flexibility and the ability to modify the office automation system are very important aspects to consider in the rapidly changing world we live in today. Innovations sometimes enter our lives faster than we would like. Office clients, investing in engineering infrastructure for an extended period, want their offices to adapt as quickly as possible to new changes in the future. Here, the only advice is: don`t make a mistake in choosing the technology for your "smart" office.
All building automation technologies in the world are divided into open and closed systems. Closed technologies are automation developments by a single company, not allowing for the replacement or integration of equipment with that from other manufacturers. In this case, the client becomes a permanent hostage to the automation system manufacturer, and sometimes even the installation company. Not a great prospect, especially at your own expense.
Always choose open automation technologies. The most advanced automation protocol today is KNX, which has been around for over 35 years. More than 500 manufacturers and over 130,000 certified installers worldwide work with this technology. Choosing KNX is an obvious choice for investors: you are not dependent on a single equipment manufacturer (you can always replace a system element without reinstalling everything), you can combine automation elements from different suppliers in projects (based on price and design). And the client is not tied to a specific system integrator. Since the automation technology is open, the investor can always replace the installation contractor with minimal losses. This condition also applies to post-warranty work.
Return on investment is the main reason, why clients invest in a "smart" office. Through direct cost savings during the operation and by avoiding unnecessary emergency situations, the client`s total expense for managing and maintaining the property is reduced. On average, the payback period for implementing a KNX automation system is about 3 years. After this, the automation will "earn" for the investor.
KNX automation provides additional benefits to the property owner when selling or leasing, thanks to increased attractiveness and the associated higher market value of the office. Overall, automation extends the building`s lifecycle, directly impacting the owner`s profitability. Every time the property is resold or leased, even many years later, it holds value for future clients and their employees.
It`s time to share our experience and the most demanding office automation solutions. We will use examples from projects implemented in offices of Sberbank, Raiffeisenbank, Gazprom and other clients in Russia. Automatic lighting control is the most requested feature by clients of "smart" offices. In our work, we use KNX equipment from the Chinese brand SATION, whose prices stand out favorably among competitors, and the product quality and 5-year warranty allow us to implement projects for the coolest offices in Russia and Serbia.
Upon receiving the premises layout of the client`s office, we propose a lighting automation solution. First, we position presence and motion sensors among office premises. With our 17 years’ experience in building automation industry, we have never encountered a situation where a presence detector failed to detect a person in an office room, requiring them to stand up and wave their hands to turn the lights back on. If you`ve heard of such cases, it means the client chose the wrong equipment or integrator.
Next, in collaboration with architects and designers, we select office zones where smooth lighting control (dimming) is required and where a simple ON/OFF control scenario will be enough. After this phase, the design of the "smart" office control elements (switches, touch panels, scenarios, office control via phone or tablet) is chosen.
Following the field equipment, we assist designers in selecting products for the building automation cabinet. We determine the most optimal way how to lay the KNX-cable (nothing more reliable than a cable for signal transmission in a "smart" home has been invented yet). Thus, at the preliminary project stage, the KNX automation system specification is formed, and the client`s investment in the "smart" office is clear.
After the "Electrical and Lighting" project section, we consider the climate control solution. In office buildings, the choice of climate equipment is not extensive. Air conditioning is provided by split-systems, VRF, or a "chiller – fan-coil" scheme. Heating can be water-based (with thermostats on the manifold or heating devices) or via electric convectors.
Supply and exhaust ventilation units (AHU) usually come with their own set of automation. However, since we control air parameters in all office rooms by means of KNX, we can provide a feedback to the ventilation system with the precise air parameters (temperature, humidity, air quality VOC/CO2).
For example, SATION KNX SS3003.0101 presence sensors not only detect even small human movements but also measure workplace illumination and air temperature in the work-zone. This allows us to manage not only lighting but also regulate the operation of fan-coils in Sberbank offices. This approach provides much greater accuracy in setting comfortable climate parameters in the office compared to using a traditional wired fan coil remote control pad (which can be eliminated to save costs).
If air conditioning is not connected to the KNX automation system, it may become impossible to use wall-mounted fan coil control panels. This can happen for various reasons: the office design may not allow it, or employees may constantly adjust the climate to their liking. In such cases, installers usually leave the panels connected and place them on top of the fan-coils. In this scenario, the fan coil panel`s air temperature measurements will not be accurate, as a "pillow" of warm air accumulates under the ceiling, and fan coil settings can only be changed manually with a ladder.
If an architect or designer is not yet familiar with KNX automation, we can often encounter projects where a "piano" of switches is located on the wall at the office entrance (usually in the reception area) to control lighting in all office zones. With KNX automation, a single “smart” touch-panel could be used, with each button controlling lighting in different office zones, and a "Turn Off All" button, which is very useful when the last employee leaves the office.
Lighting control in office restrooms should be organized solely with presence sensors. Restrooms are places where people try to touch as little as possible. No one will turn off the lights behind them (this is the job for presence sensors), but it`s crucial that a person in the restroom doesn`t suddenly find themselves in the dark. When choosing presence sensor models for restrooms, we often use microwave sensors with a frequency of 24 GHz.
For example, a VIP-office of Raiffeisenbank is currently being installed in Moscow, where restroom lighting is implemented as a "light ceiling." Making a hole in it for a presence sensor didn`t seem like a good idea. So we suggested to use the SATION SS3012.0101 microwave sensor model, which is mounted behind the "light ceiling" and can detect a person`s presence through obstacles (the sensor also works through 1-2 layers of gypsum drywall).
Automatic blind control is crucial if your building has a high degree of glazing and natural light (and heat) enters the office spaces through the windows much more than needed. We can also connect the control of blinds, shutters, and awnings to the KNX automation system. They will operate automatically, receiving data from the light sensors in the presence detectors placed throughout the office. None of your employees will need to be distracted to raise or lower the blinds. Since all KNX switches allow us to program the action of each button, clients often try to combine lighting control, climate control, and blinds control in one single switch.
The best solution for this task is a small touch panel with a 4" screen, which also functions as a thermostat (measuring temperature and humidity). We used such panels in the office project on the top floors of the "Federation" tower in the "Moscow-City" business center. The office space, about 5000 square meters, looks like one large "aquarium" located on the 95th floor of the skyscraper. In this project, we manage the operation of over 220 curtain motors in the shading system. A beneficial feature of SATION KNX touch panels is that the background image can be replaced with the client`s company logo.
Once the room layout is determined, we work with architects and designers to plan the office automation solutions. At this project stage, we develop the equipment specification, and it becomes clear how much the installation and programming will cost. We know the prices of all automation market participants in Serbia and have set the most affordable recommended end-user prices for SATION products. Direct air freights from China and 5-years equipment warranty make our offers very attractive. In any case, we structure our business to always provide the client with a full cycle of support for their project: from the design stage to commissioning.
I`ve told you about the advantages of the technology. Suppose a client is interested in applying an automation system in their office. How much will a "smart" office cost? Never consider commercial offers based on an average price per square meter. This approach doesn`t work with building automation. The exact equipment cost can only be determined after the design stage. Immediately after this, the installation and commissioning costs will be clear, as these budget components are calculated directly proportional to the equipment used on the project.
With our extensive experience in implementing building automation projects, we`ve seen many cases of how to create "smart offices" and many situations that should never be repeated. Our advice to all clients: start planning the use of the KNX automation system in your project at the earliest stage. Even better, contact us, and we will suggest the most suitable solutions for your office.
Andrej Golovin,
CEO, RBTT Consultants d.o.o.
RBTT consultants d.o.o. Beograd