Electrical Connection Autumn 2017

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“The electrical contracting market is
heading in the same direction.
“While some products become
commoditised and others fall out of
favour, contractors have to always be
moving forward and doing something
new to remain relevant. You have to
jump on the latest products; you can’t do
what you were doing five years ago and
just cruise by.
“Now more than ever, people are
learning about home automation and
they want it in their homes, and it’s
your job to give your clients what they
want, even if it’s not something you
personally want at home.”
Rene Rieck is automation manager
for manufacturer WAGO.
“’Intelligent buildings’ adapt
dynamically to a user’s needs and
surroundings. High convenience,
low power consumption and great
reliability: those are the primary
demands of today’s customers for
modern building services.
“There is a constant rise in the
prices for oil and energy. This offers
opportunities for automation.
Conscious use of energy ensures our
future and makes homes and buildings
more economical.
“For electricians, being able to offer
smart home and building solutions
can bring a number of benefits that
will help your business to grow. You
can differentiate your company from
others; increase the value of projects;
spend less time pulling cables and more
time programming; offer a higher value
service; and, build lasting ongoing
relationships with customers ensuring
referrals and repeat business.”
So what do you look for when buying
a control system?
“For the automation novice, there are
a few things to consider when selecting
which system to specify. For example,
simplicity to program and a brand
that offers a complete solution so you
don’t have to patch different systems
together to get results,” Nick says.
“Dealing with an established
company is also important. Lutron,
for example, is the world leader in
lighting control so they have longevity
and ease of service. There are so many
products coming on to the market that
are start-ups, or haven’t been in the
market for very long, so the products
may not be supported as well as they
are with someone like Lutron.
“With electronics, it’s not a matter
of ‘if’ but ‘when’ it will go down, so
service is vital.
“Work with a company that is
progressive and accommodates future
technologies, rather than a company
that isn’t as quick to move. You
should also look for software that is
progressively growing and a company
that has a track record of innovation,
that way you’ll know that you will be
looked after.”
In addition to working at WAGO,
Rene is also a certified KNX trainer.
KNX is an open global standard
for home and building control and
automation.
“Electricians should be making
use of the possibilities created by
intelligent home and building system
technologies, like KNX, for their
professional success,” he says.
“Your customers’ needs change
constantly. They want independence,
and they require compatible system
solutions that have a future. This is
what KNX offers.
“With KNX, you are one step ahead.
By correctly adjusting the parameters
of heating, lighting, shutter control,
etc, and the communication between
them, you can drastically reduce the
energy consumption, daily life becomes
easier, more flexible and future proof
in many ways.”
There are undoubtedly some readers
of Electrical Connection who picked up
a control system several years ago and
thought ‘this is too hard’, or ‘I’m not
paying someone to program’.
Well, things have changed.
“Ten to 20 years ago, to become a
control system installer you needed a
fairly advanced knowledge of logic
and programming. Today, almost
all of the systems mentioned in
this guide have a simplified method
of programming that is quick and
efficient,” Nick says.
“Now, practically anyone can
program one of these systems.”
Nick suggests looking at various
manufacturer product training sessions
to find out more about a specific
system, but to get a foundation you
need to learn basic networking skills.
“More and more as you move
forward, the progressive electrician
needs to look at this technology; it’s a
springboard to other things.”
As an introduction to the control
market, we have compiled a
comparison guide on 31 of the control
systems available in Australia. Other
companies were invited to participate
but failed to reply prior to print.
The main takeaway for electricians,
however, is hopefully an understanding
that home and building automation is
here now and ignoring it won’t make it
go away. In fact, it could end up costing
you in the long run.
> Convergent Technologies
> WAGO
www. e l e c t r i c a l c o n n e c t i o n . c om . a u 2 1
“The electrical sector is dynamic and keeps changing,
so you can’t sit still and expect to thrive.”