Feb 27 2014
At the Light + Building trade fair in Frankfurt between March 30 and April 4, Siemens will show how innovative products and solutions can be used to plan and operate buildings more safely, more intelligently, and with greater energy efficiency.
Siemens is presenting new developments in building and room automation, solutions for greater energy efficiency, opportunities for intelligent networking as part of a smart grid, and end-to-end products and concepts for safe energy distribution and electrical installation technology. The highlights of the trade fair include the new Desigo CC building management station, which efficiently controls and monitors all systems within the building from a single platform. Other new developments are the intelligent molded case circuit breakers in the Sentron 3VA series, which securely protect wiring and consumers in residential and functional buildings against damage caused by short circuits or overloads.
Shown in Europe for the first time, Siemens' Desigo CC is a building management station that is based on totally new software. The open platform integrates all systems in the building, from building automation to security and safety functions such as access control, CCTV and fire protection, as well as power management. This makes Siemens the first provider to be able to cover all of today's demands for efficient and safe buildings using a single system. This is an efficiency win for building planners as well as operators: Desigo gives planners a system that provides the tendering and engineering tools and libraries that they need for simultaneous tenders for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, room automation, fire safety and danger management. The Siemens Building Technologies Division was awarded the 2013 Building Automation Award for the Desigo building automation system by the market research institute Frost & Sullivan.
With its 3VA product range, Siemens has updated its Sentron portfolio of molded case circuit breakers for low-voltage power distribution. The new, more compact switches save space and are available in a range of versions up to 630 A. For the first time, Siemens is offering an integrated measurement function for energy data, a version of a switch disconnector and molded case circuit breakers with side wall mounted rotary operator. An online product configuration utility and twelve downloadable CAx data types such as 3D models and EPLAN macros make the job of engineering the protective devices easier. With more than 500 accessory modules, the 3VA series can be configured for any application on the modular principle and can be expanded with up to 70 add-on functions. In buildings or industrial facilities, molded case circuit breakers protect wiring, electrical consumers and manufacturing plant against damage and outages by safely cutting off the power in the event of a short circuit or overload or similar malfunction.
Molded case circuit breakers are among the most important protective components in low-voltage power distribution: it is estimated that more than 30 million units are installed around the world every year. In major residential and functional structures, they handle tasks of increasing relevance to building operation, such as recording consumption data.
At the Frankfurt show, Siemens will introduce a new busbar trunking system in the Sivacon 8PS family of products in the form of the System LI. The new system safely transmits energy volumes with a current of up to 6300 A, and has tap-off units ranging from 50 to 1250 A that can be flexibly employed and used to fit communications-capable protection and measurement devices. The energy data thus made available contributes to plant transparency and forms the basis for improving energy efficiency in buildings. Its location-independent, compact and easy design makes the system particularly suitable for multistory buildings, computer centers or industrial applications. The System LI provides maximum safety thanks to its type-tested design in accordance with IEC 61439-6. Its high short-circuit resistance, high protection type (IP55 or IP66 for energy transfer) and the low fire load provided by its aluminum housing increase the safety of the system for individuals and buildings.
At the trade fair, Siemens will also display its new switch disconnector for low-voltage power distribution in the Sentron 3KD series. The new devices are capable of switching currents of up to 1600 A, and are available in five sizes with three or four-pin versions in each case. These provide better protection for users against electrical accidents during installation and maintenance work and reduce the risk of incorrect operation. Different operating modules with front and side wall-mounted rotary operators and flexibly expandable functions makes the new switch disconnectors suitable for use in industrial manufacture, buildings or photovoltaic systems. The disconnectors satisfy the requirements of Standard IEC 60947-3 for low-voltage switchgear and comply with the device-specific EC Directives for product safety.
In the field of room automation, Siemens' Desigo Total Room Automation (TRA) is an end-to-end system for the energy-efficient control of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems (HVAC), lighting and shading for standard and premium offices.
A focus theme of Siemens' presence at the fair is energy efficiency solutions and services. In the area of "Building Performance & Sustainability," Siemens is presenting a systematic approach to energy management considering the complete life cycle of a building, from the planning phase through operation to continuous monitoring of energy efficiency measures. The energy management approach is a basis, amongst others, for certification in accordance with ISO 50001. Energy consulting creates an economic balance between energy procurement, optimization and building performance on the one hand and the long-term maintenance of sustainable and energy-efficient building management on the other hand. The Siemens integrated service platform provides monitoring and benchmarking of energy consumption.
"Smart Building in the Smart Grid" is another focus topic: A model and numerous exhibits at the booth will show how Siemens solutions integrate smart buildings into smart grids, the power networks of the future, thus substantially contributing to the transformation of the energy mix. The flexible storage opportunities that the buildings offer help the smart grids balance the growing demand for energy, especially on the basis of renewable energy sources. A key element in this regard is the transparency of the data and energy flows that can be linked within advanced building automation systems such as Desigo CC and are used to control and optimize energy efficiency.
New products, solutions and services – including, for instance, the touch room operator unit QMX7 for Desigo Total Room Automation (TRA), various KNX gateways in the Gamma portfolio, Desigo Hosting solutions and 24/7 remote maintenance and analysis services, energy monitoring and energy storage systems – round out the range of products, systems and services at the Siemens booth.