One of the most attractive selling points for system based on the open KNX protocol is the promise that it will be futureproof.
Not only can you integrate control of pretty much everything you want, with the freedom to choose controls from different manufacturers but you also know that a well-maintained system should never let your customer down and that system maintenance and upgrades will always be relatively simple for you and affordable for them.
That’s because will always be compatible products available to replace or upgrade your original installation. You also know that the original controls you chose will never be obsolete, because KNX compliance involves ensuring that any new devices brought to market are backwards compatible with any other KNX control. In a nutshell, intelligence is distributed downstream to device level in a KNX system. So, no matter how sophisticated control devices become over the years, standard KNX telegrams achieve the control you want. The language remains the same whether you are addressing a 20-year-old device or the latest gadget, so you can mix and match them at will. Distributing intelligence also means that there is no central point of failure in a KNX installation, so a minor fault will never trigger complete system failure.
As KNX moves into its fourth decade, there are going to be more systems that are ready for upgrades, creating opportunities for qualified KNX Partners. This may be simply because technology and user aspirations have moved on: people want more functionality, more energy efficiency. Or it may be that the idea always was to implement scalable KNX technology incrementally as budgets allow or the occupancy of a building changes. That mean good business both for original integrators and new entrants to the KNX community.
We talked to Andy Ellis at Household Automation, who has been installing KNX systems since before the turn of the century. He has built a reputation as one of the go-to integrators with a dedicated team dealing with routine service maintenance, upgrades, expansions and trouble-shooting.
In general, he says, the perceived problems that create opportunities for him come down to three main areas:
Lights flicker. When old halogen lamps have been replaced with LED's that operate below a minimum threshold (most old dimmers will have a high minimum load whereas new dimmers can operate down to as low as 2W).
Loss of control over heating. Underfloor (U/F) heating systems may not be set up to their maximum potential; it may be that room thermostats relate to incorrect U/F zones, valves are not operating correctly, burnt out or seized, manifold temperature is not regulated or regulated incorrectly (especially critical if there are wood floors), the programming is not optimised for U/F and proportional control, etc. If the overall control options are unclear and undocumented, then the owner perceives that the system isn’t working.
Poor set up. It can be that the KNX set up was not properly commissioned and was poorly designed. Light switches may not be labelled; thus it is unclear what they do, or there may be a lack of any drawings or documentation or the KNX .ETS file is nowhere to be found.
How do you become a certified KNX Partner?
There are a number of training providers in the UK. You can find their details at www.knxuk.org. Several of them offer free half-day taster sessions to give you a real flavour of the amazing and unique opportunities that KNX provides