Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/177525
Embracing Change Rapid digitization is taking place in modern electrical and communications systems by Godfrey Budd T he pace of digitization – and new product development – appears to be accelerating in electrical and communications systems for new building construction. Indeed, one project manager with a large electrical contracting firm says that a succession of new products seems to be emerging so fast that he sometimes sees a component specified only once – before the next set of specs call for something else. "Every time you bid something, what's specified changes. You seldom see the same systems in one year. Things are rapidly advancing," says Larry Hawkridge of Mott Electric GP. On the industrial side, however, the pace of change is slower, and specifiers tend to be more conservative, opting for the tried and true. "They are still going to robust instrumentation and systems have not changed much, and we're less likely to use complex electronics in the field end. Devices that were used 10 years ago are still being used," Hawkridge says. But, in at least one area, the spectrum of options and opportunities for most electrical contractors has narrowed. "The federal government prison system has changed for critical access controls. It used to be possible for several companies to bid on this. But now, only one proprietary system of communication and critical access control is being used. So, there's only one bidder for equipment supply and software, and only three or four installers are qualified to bid," Hawkridge says. The upshot to this was that on a recent prison project, Mott Electric did all the other electrical installation, excluding critical access and communications. He says the faster processing speeds for controls in general have allowed for more information to be transferred with less infrastructure, and with fibreoptics replacing traditional heavy copper trunk lines. Also, "There's a lot more microwave being used for communications, for example, between a switching station and a generator. One of the big benefits to microwave is that it's easy to install," Hawkridge says. The mantra of change in the electrical and communications sector is also voiced by others. "When it comes to the control system, from lighting to power to paging, as well as security, everything is in a rapid state of change. Specifications are changing every six months," says Michael Jackson, an electrical engineering manager at the Edmonton office of Williams Engineering Canada. In areas like digital video for cameras, digital lighting, phone and VOIP systems, change is occurring so fast, says Jackson, that such systems are being removed from traditional tendering packages. If a project's completion is or two or more years away, detailed specs on these communications systems are deferred to closer to completion, says Jackson. Instead, the owner sets aside a 'cash allowance' for higher-end equipment that might not yet exist, but might be specified and used closer to completion. This, in turn, gives rise to the challenge of how to spec the cable – without knowing what's going to be on the end of it. But, says Jackson, challenges of this sort are likely to recede as wireless systems improve. "For a lot of the whole communications system for a building, we expect a transition to wireless, but I'm not sure when or to what extent," says Jackson. Control systems are likely candidates for more wireless, and, already, lighting control systems are starting to go wireless. Instead of a conventional switch with a fixed location on a wall, a wireless one could control the light from anywhere in the room. Wireless control could facilitate direct individual control of light in an office, which, in turn, notes Jackson, can save energy and garner LEED points. Electrical & Communication Systems p.38-41Electrical.indd 39 As wireless spreads into lighting and other controls, older buildings also stand to benefit from wireless. "It could be great for retrofits for older buildings. Re-wiring would be a lot simpler," says Jackson. Overall, the role of digital-based systems, Internet protocols and integration of communications for the building operating systems – electrical, mechanical, heat, water, etc. – is growing in importance as more emphasis is placed on energy efficiency and LEED standards. For example, obtaining a LEED measurement and verification credit, which is based on data covering the total energy use of a building, can be a challenge. The data has to be collected over time and requires the involvement of the owner or user. "It verifies that performance matches the design and specs. You have to have the metering in place, for lighting, water, heat, electricity, and it needs to be installed at the construction stage. Otherwise, getting the information in a usable form can be a challenge. The solution is the full integration of the systems that need to be metered," says Jackson. The metered systems are tied in with the traditional building management system. The good news is that if integration is done in the early stages of design, says Jackson, the cost is negligible. "Meters enable good decisions, as they tell you in detail where and when the energy is being used. If you have them in place, you can verify early on the impact of upgrades and operator changes. The trick with metering is to actually use it." These common backbone or integrated systems are becoming more widely used in new construction, and especially in multi-use buildings like residential and commercial highrises. "A common backbone system for, say, lighting, security, mechanical and A/V, results in economies of installation as well as speed of communication between systems. This is happening more and more on big projects," says Steve Nemetz, president of Nemetz & Associates. Developers of shopping centres and office projects want building systems that can be operated easily and simply, where everything can be run through a single network. "The small extra cost is worth it to them over the long term," says Nemetz. Like Jackson, Nemetz sees the trend to wireless continuing. "Instead of structured cabling off the backbone of a fibre optic system, there's likely going to be a move to wireless instead of CAT 6 cable." Also, "it can be a marketing tool for high-end commercial and retail spaces," he says. An example would be advertising the presence of Internet hot spots, in bigger versions of the Starbucks-type Internet cafe. Large development projects, especially office towers, are benefiting from recent advances in lighting technology, which have made sensor and dimming systems more cost effective, compared to just five years ago. Systems and controls for lighting are today more easily integrated. Improvements in lighting ballast technology have helped make this possible. "Ballasts have become electronic and smarter, with the use of semi-conductor chips. Before, a ballast was essentially a transformer that worked magnetically," says Ron Neuenfeldt, a project manager and estimator at Houle Electric. Also on the lighting front, recent advances in LED have been noted by many in the lighting sector, and prices are said to be dropping for LED fixtures and systems. As Greg Lord, a partner at MCW Consultants Ltd., says, "LED has matured in the last 12 months to where it's going mainstream as a viable lighting option." Although LED's low-energy-consuming and long-lasting qualities and improvements make it suitable for a widening range of applications, Lord says it still perhaps not yet the technology of choice where a lot of strong lighting is required. FEBRUARY 2012 /39 1/23/12 10:34:40 AM