KNX-controlled climate installations: takes energy management to a new level

BRUSSELS, JULY 2021 – Energy management systems based on KNX. It is these latest solutions and projects that show great potential for active energy saving and sustainability. That is why KNX Association and its affiliated manufacturers are increasingly focusing on KNX-controlled climate installations linked to intelligent energy management systems. It is these solutions that will give an important boost to sustainability in the built environment.

Energy management is playing an increasingly central role in smart homes. Cost savings and climate protection through efficient, sustainable generation, storage and use of energy are the most important drivers. These drivers are becoming increasingly easy to realize thanks to KNX, the world's leading technology standard for building automation. But also with the increasing number of electric cars, which are charged at home and require but can also provide a lot of energy, efficient energy management in smart homes is becoming more important than ever. With intelligent management systems we can prevent bottlenecks in the power supply and ensure that the power grids are not overloaded.

Home Energy Management is conquering the market

For several years now, many devices and components for Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) have been available on the market. Very recently, due to the increased interest in this domain, new KNX solutions and KNX components have been released, such as the 'Eisbär' from Alexander Maier and 'EibPC' from Enertex. These new solutions and products are leading the way in this domain and are conquering the market. The energy management systems (HEMS) created on the basis of KNX for smart homes and buildings create the opportunity to save a lot of energy.

Each HEMS based on KNX controls the interaction of all energy producers and consumers in a smart home. By connecting all building-related technology systems and smart devices with KNX, dynamic control of the energy consumption of all household appliances and installations is achieved. In this way, the electricity that a photovoltaic system produces, for example, can be intelligently guided to where it is needed. Excess energy is automatically stored so that it can be used at a later time. This significantly reduces the costs of purchasing electricity from external energy suppliers. Many KNX compatible HEMS offer their users a comprehensive visualization of all relevant data. This data consists of an always up-to-date overview of the energy balance in their smart home, as well as the option to make adjustments to energy management yourself.

Proven in real projects with up to 60% energy savings

The latest smart home projects in this domain are already benefiting from efficient, improved and new ideas for energy management with KNX. A good example is the project of a residential project in Gammelsdorf (Germany). Here, the local energy supplier's limited electricity grid had to be compensated for by using a photovoltaic system and a cogeneration plant. With 'EibPC' as a HEMS based on KNX, the two energy generators are controlled according to the actual heat or electrical energy needs of the building. Depending on the season, an additional gas boiler is switched on for additional heat generation. The cogeneration plant also serves as an emergency power supply in the event of a power failure, whereby all highly loaded consumers in the building are automatically switched off.

As the E-House, a demo project of ZVEH (the German trade association for the installation sector), shows, energy management based on KNX can save up to 60% of energy. With the E-House, the trade association demonstrates the high degree of automation, network connectivity and energy efficiency in smart homes that is already possible today with KNX. From photovoltaic energy to electricity storage, from intelligent ventilation to fuel cells and from communicative kitchen appliances to active assisted living. A wide range of devices and functionalities are connected to each other in the E-House via KNX and integrated into the HEMS via 'Eisbär' so that they can respond to each other.

Sustainable for a smart life

“Smart buildings based on the KNX standard and the numerous products and solutions from the KNX universe not only provide more comfort and a higher quality of life. Due to the strong properties of KNX in energy management, HEMS also makes an important contribution to the protection of our climate,” explains Franz Kammerl, Chairman of the KNX Association. “As a global player in the field of smart building technology, the subject of sustainability has played a prominent role within the KNX Association for years. We know how important the construction sector is in the fight against climate change. We are therefore pleased that we can contribute to a more sustainable world, and therefore to a smarter life, through the technological advances that KNX can offer.”