As the industry continues to take measures to reduce the carbon footprint of both new and old buildings alike, it is becoming increasingly obvious that building controls are the way forward.
This can be something as simple as PIR detectors which switch the lights off when no one is in the building right through to a full building management system which ensures that the right services are operating when there is a requirement for them.
In the past we have been more than happy to leave computers on all night and have lights blazing at midnight – long after everyone has gone home. But with legislation continuing to take hold, this industry is now at the forefront of new technology which will ensure that we can not only meet the legislation, but also introduce new products which will help us to further reduce our carbon footprint.
I have heard many complaints about controls systems which do a great job but are just too complicated to operate and are therefore not achieving the necessary savings which were intended. However I think those days are over and as more products enter the market, a simple user interface with intuitive controls appears to be one of the main selling points.
In recent years wiring devices have also undergone a rapid transformation from chunky, some may say ugly items that simply turned things on and off into sleek, stylish products designed with the capability to control any number of different functions. This basically means that whatever you need to control there is a system which will help you to achieve it and a range of wiring accessories to provide the finishing touches.
So whether or not you have access to full technical support, there is no excuse for not having some form of control in your building. There is a huge wide variety of different control systems and even if you only control one small part of your building, the benefits will outweigh the cost in no time at all.
See you next month
Tracey