Environmental Automation – Control office environmental features remotely from the Internet
Even with an in-house help desk team, there are times when IT support works remotely outside of the server room. In fact, in today’s world, remote access to network systems is the standard rather than the exception. Remote control has now advanced office environmental and access control capabilities. Remote support and environmental automation are made possible by IP-ready management consoles and applications.
The XBUS business and environmental console is used to control various components remotely. These devices make it possible for personal support to access applications and environmental devices over the network, either internally or remotely, using the standard IP protocol. Examples of commercial environmental automation applications include:
• Keyless entry controls in office buildings and hotels
• Interior lighting after hours
• Control of window blinds
• Exterior lighting automation
• Landscape and Garden Sprinkler System Settings
• Support and administration of servers and networks
• UPS management
In previous implementations, the costs associated with remote control often limited business and environmental automation to large, complex facilities. Today, everything from home offices to large institutions benefit from the convenience and reliability of remote access over the Internet.
Environmental automation is also used in building management for heating, ventilation and air conditioning temperature control, as well as food refrigeration and fire sprinkler system control and management.
Climate control is one way that building facility managers seek to reduce energy consumption. An example of an industry is the self-storage industry. Self-storage companies often own high-capacity buildings that can be single deployments or an entire chain of managed properties at locations across the country. The ability to control lighting, entry access, and temperatures in these facilities remotely and automatically results in tremendous energy savings.
The problem of large energy bills affects almost every industry. Utility companies reduce costs by using IP-managed meter readings. Usage readings are collected remotely from water, gas, and electricity meters.
Another scenario is in large office structures where the thermostat controls are not locked and cannot be easily changed by the occupants. Reducing the internal temperature of the building during off hours also saves money on energy. Automatically controlling temperature controls eliminates reliance on an employee to turn down the temperature on the thermostat after hours.
Lighting is another energy waste that can be managed remotely and automatically with commercial environmental controls. While implementing environmental automation solutions like these comes at a cost, studies indicate that the investment pays off quickly by reducing energy bills by up to 30-35% per year.
Energy monitoring and control systems, such as XBUS, help businesses save money on energy costs that can be redirected to other priorities. The XBUS is a low cost solution that is easily implemented to solve many different remote management scenarios.