Basic principles and standards of building automation

In recent years, standards for building and room automation have been set by international committees to make the functionalities of building
automation measurable and to be able to implement them efficiently. The energy efficiency of a building describes the relationship between the
energy used and the resulting benefit. The latter must always be seen in relation to the function of a building and is an important factor in the
evaluation of energy efficiency.

DIN EN 15232: the first time. It includes a structured list stated as a basic principle: the higher
energy efficiency of buildings of all building automation functions that the level of automation, the greater the
European norm EN 15232 describes the can affect the energy efficiency of a building. energy savings.
effect of building automation and building It also offers systematic support for the defi-
management on energy efficiency and nition of minimum requirements concerning
enables standardised representation for building automation. The following can be

Equivalent to highly energy-efficient BAC systems and TBM A

Equivalent to more advanced BAC systems and some special TBM functions B

Equivalent to standard BAC systems C

Equivalent to BAC systems that are not energy-efficient. Buildings with such systems must be modernised.
New buildings must not be constructed using systems such as these. D
Building Automation and Control System (BAC), Technical Building Management (TBM)

1 New Automation Technology We reserve the right to make technical changes.

Exemplary application of EN 15232

Definition of classes

Automatic control and regulation Residential Non-residential

of the heating system building building
D C B A D C B A

Control of transfer
The controller is installed at transfer level or room level; in the former case, one controller can regulate a number of different rooms.
0 No automatic control x x
1 Central automatic regulation x x x
2 Automatic individual room control using thermostatic valves or electronic control devices x x x x
3 Individual room control with communication between control devices and BACs x x x x x x
4 Integrated individual room control including needs-based regulation (occupancy, air quality, etc.) x x x x x x x x

Regulation of hot water temperature in distribution network (flow or return)

Comparable functions can be used to control networks for direct electrical heating.
0 No automatic control x x
1 Weather-based control x x x x
2 Control of inside temperature x x x x x x x x

Control of circulation pumps

The controlled pumps can be installed in the network at different levels.
0 No control x x
1 On/off control x x x
2 Control of variable pump speed according to a constant ∆ p x x x x x x x x
3 Control of variable pump speed according to proportional ∆ p x x x x x x x x

Control of transfer and/or distribution during intermittent operation

One controller can regulate different rooms/zones with the same occupancy pattern.
0 No automatic control x x
1 Automatic control with fixed time program x x x
2 Automatic control with optimised on/off switching x x x x x x x x

Control of generators
0 Constant temperature x x
1 Variable temperature dependent on the outside temperature x x x x x x x x
2 Variable temperature dependent on the load x x x x x x x x

Operating sequence of different generators

0 Priority setting based solely on the load x x x x
1 Priority setting based on the load and on the generator performance x x x x x x
2 Priority setting based on the level of generator usage (check other norms) x x x x x x x x

Source: DIN EN 15232

The table illustrates the relationship between building automation

functions and energy efficiency classes for control of the heating system.

We reserve the right to make technical changes. New Automation Technology 2

 Building Automation and Control (BAC) Efficiency factor Efficiency factor
Application of EN 15232 gives rise to diffe-
Efficiency classes EN 15232 for thermal for electrical
rent energy efficiency factors for different
energy energy
building types, with regard to the use of ther-
mal and electrical energy. In the evaluation

School

School
Office

Office
Hotel

Hotel
of buildings, the energy efficiency class C is
the reference class for the implementation A Highly efficient Building Automation and Control System 0.70 0.80 0.68 0.87 0.86 0.90
of measures for energy optimisation. (BACS) and Technical Building Management (TBM)
B Advanced BACS and TBM 0.80 0.88 0.85 0.93 0.93 0.95
The red field in the table on the right-hand C Standard BACS 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00 1.00
side shows how the thermal energy con- D Non-efficient BACS 1.51 1.20 1.31 1.10 1.07 1.07
sumption of a building with efficiency class
A with a factor of 0.7 can be reduced by up Source: DIN EN 15232, table 9, table 11
to 30%.

Use in room automation

VDI 3813 – room automation BAC efficiency

VDI 3813 describes the integrated room auto- classes in ac-
mation with special consideration for intero- cordance with
perability of different building systems, based Application function DIN EN 15232
on usage requirements. To provide a uniform
D C B A
assessment basis for owners, planners and
system integrators, clear terms and functions Basic functions affecting energy efficiency
are defined in the norm. Occupancy control x x
Time program x x
The current difficulty is that in invitations
to tender, room automation functions are Illumination functions which influence energy efficiency
dealt with separately from the building sys- Light switching x
Automatic lighting x x
tems connected with technical development.
Daylight switching x x
In practice, this often means that existing
Constant light control x x
potential for saving energy remains unused.
The VDI 3813 supplements the EN 15232 Solar shading functions which influence energy efficiency
by providing a precise description of the Automatic solar shading x
Louvre adjustment x x
room automation functions described there.
Shading correction x x
It is important that EN 15232 and VDI 3813
Thermo-automatic control x x
are applied as early as the basic evaluation
and pre-planning stage. Air conditioning functions
Energy level selection x x
Energy level selection with start optimisation x x
The table on the right-hand side shows the
Target value calculation x x
room automation functions of the VDI 3813,
Function selection x x
relating to the energy efficiency classes of
Temperature control (heating/cooling) x x x
EN 15232.
Room/intake air temperature cascade control x x
Ventilator control x x
Sequence control x x
Setpoint control x x
Air quality control/regulation x
Night cooling x x
Load optimisation x x

Source: VDI 3813 part 2

3 New Automation Technology We reserve the right to make technical changes.

In room automation, sensors are implemen- arising from the specific use of the building Interaction of Sensor system
ted depending on their function and not on must be taken into account. A further benefit building systems
the individual building system. This saves on lies in the way in which a majority of the
hardware and cabling costs as early as in the optimisation functions can be realised within

Solar shading

Monitoring
system installation phase. The reduction in the software on a single system during

Lighting

Security
Global
cabling also has a positive spin-off effect on commissioning and ongoing operations. As

HVAC
fire loads and building statics. a result, no reconstruction work impedes
To achieve energy efficiency class A in operation and the time required for software Light intensity x x x
accordance with EN 15232, Beckhoff offers adjustment also remains within reasonable Room temperature x x x
a software library based on room automation limits. In certain cases, many modifications Occupancy x x x x x
guideline VDI 3813. can be made by accessing the system remot- Window contact x x x x
Comprehensive room automation ely, without the need for a service technician Room operating x x x
exploits the interdependencies of facade to attend in person. device
control, illumination and climate control to Weather x x
create a pleasant room climate. At the same The adjacent matrix shows the interplay of (wind/rain)
time, efficient room and zone control also the individual building systems with regard Outside x x x
affects the primary systems: the heating and to the sensors used. For energy efficient auto- temperature
cooling requirements and the air quantities mation, all individual building systems must Solar radiation x x x x
are regulated according to need. When desi- be controlled and managed from a single
gning the heating, cooling, ventilation and air system.
conditioning systems, the needs

Offices according to energy efficiency class A

For a better illustration of what lies behind on the cooling ceiling respectively. The room start of core working time is the energy level
building automation functions and how temperature is monitored and the desired raised to the level “Pre-Comfort”. The room
energy can be saved, examples of building room temperature is adjusted locally using temperature is now almost up to the comfort
automation functions in an office with energy EnOcean radio technology. target value. Only when persons are detected
efficiency class A are described below. For ventilation, the office is connected to in the room is “Comfort” mode activated and
an air-conditioning installation. Volume flow the appropriate set value reached in a short
Technical equipment of an office is variable. The open state of the window is time.
Illumination consists of one lighting strip captured via a digital input; so too is the dew The system switches from “Economy”
on the corridor side and one on the window point sensor on the cooling ceiling. to “Pre-Comfort” mode as late as possible
side. The lights are held at a constant via the energy level selector with start
room brightness level via DALI (constant optimisation. The optimum activation time
light control), depending on the amount Heating/cooling function is calculated by the building automation
of daylight. A room brightness sensor is To minimise energy use for room system.
mounted in the ceiling. An occupancy sensor heating and cooling, the desired room The opening of the window is monitored
is installed for needs-dependent management temperature is determined via a scheduler- by a window contact. If the window is open,
and control of the entire room. dependent energy level selector (see fig. 1, the system automatically switches to the
The office is shaded by means of two page 30, and fig. 2, page 31). In the case of “Protection” energy level. This automatically
electrically operated, externally mounted long absences, e.g. during shut-down periods, stops unnecessary energy consumption due
louvre blinds. Two buttons are installed for the office is switched to “Protection”, the to a window being opened.
manual control of the blinds. lowest energy level, to prevent damage The room temperature set values for all
To heat the room, a radiator is present. caused by frost or overheating. For brief four energy levels are provided by the room
The office is cooled via a cooling ceiling. absences, e.g. at night or on weekends, the climate function set value calculation for
An actuator is located on the radiator and office is set to “Economy” mode. Only at the heating and cooling.

We reserve the right to make technical changes. 4

 Lighting

Air quality

Occupancy sensor

Temperature
EnOcean

Cooling ceiling

Dew point sensor

Ventilation

Shading

Window contact
EnOcean

Heating

The “Function Selection” regulates the controller for heating and coo- Load optimisation
ling and compares the current room temperature against the set value. Communication between systems for automation of energy
If the current value is lower than the target value for the energy level centres and systems for the generation and distribution of heating
“Comfort” heating, the heating controller is activated. If the current and cooling water enables needs-based adjustment of the flow
room temperature is higher than the set value for the energy level temperatures. This allows transfer losses to be minimised and the
“Comfort” cooling, the cooling controller is activated. Simultaneous overall effectiveness of the systems to be increased.
heating and cooling is not possible.

Air quality regulation

Ventilation Depending on the measured air quality, the volume flow
In summer, natural cooling at night helps reduce energy controller is used to introduce more or less fresh air into the room.
consumption: The night cooling program switches on the room If the air quality is good, air intake is reduced to a minimum volume
ventilation system and ventilates the offices using cool external air. flow. The central air conditioning unit for ventilation automatically
This removes heat from the building at night so that less energy is adjusts the level of ventilation based on the data communicated
required to cool the room the following day. For electrically operated between the room automation system and the primary systems. This
windows, these can also be used for automatic night cooling in reduces the energy consumption of the fans by up to 45 %. In the
summer. event of zero occupancy, the volume flow is reduced to a minimum.

5 We reserve the right to make technical changes.

 Shading: thermo-automatic control and shading correction

Constant light control If the room is occupied and the sun is shining in strongly, the solar
If a minimum light strength in the room is not reached but shading is automatically activated. The louvre adjustment optimises
the room is occupied, the constant light control function switches on the angle of the louvre according to the position of the sun. The
automatically. Conversely, if the amount of external light increases, blades are positioned in such a way as to prevent blinding from direct
the proportion of artificial light automatically reduces or is switched sunlight while keeping the need for artificial lighting to a minimum in
off once a suitable lighting strength is reached. If the occupancy order to reduce energy consumption.
detector identifies that the room is empty, the constant light control The shading correction function calculates the shadow movement
function switches itself off on a time-delay basis. on the facades of the building, depending on the position of the
sun, the facade orientation and the position and coordinates of the
surrounding buildings that provide shade. This prevents unnecessary
Shading activation of the solar shading and increased energy consumption due
Control of solar shading is integrated directly into the to the use of artificial light within the building.
room automation system. The “thermo-automatic” function supports
the heating and cooling function of the room if it is not occupied.
To benefit from sun light in winter, solar shading is raised to help
heat the space using the sun’s rays. In summer, the solar shading is
automatically activated to reduce the energy yield from the sun and to
assist cooling.

We reserve the right to make technical changes. 6