Download Background

Using facilities as a data source to
drive business
Paul Ehrlich, PE
Business Development Leader
Trane Global Controls
• Today, facilities are viewed as strategic
resources... elevating the facility
manager to the role of asset manager
supporting the organization's overall
business goals. ... managing facilities
as a true profit center.
(From an E-mail promoting a new book “Total Productive Facilities Management By Richard Sievert)
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Background
• Paul Ehrlich - Trane Global Controls
– Business Development leader for Trane’s
controls business - focus on new technology
– 20 years in industry
– Current Chair of CABA XML/ Web Services for
Building Control (oBIX)
– Former chair of:
• ASHRAE SGPC-13 (DDC Control Specifications)
• BACnet interoperability task force
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Perspective
• Building owners are looking for:
 Building Controls to utilize the infrastructure of
their existing intranets and Internet
 Facilities to be a data source to help them better
run their business or organization
 Easy integration of all facility management tasks
so that they can operate more efficiently
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Open Standards
• Open standards are an expectation by
owners today
– Single seat operations and the need for future
options are driving forces
• BACnet and LonTalk are great solutions but neither was designed for the web and
are not readily integrated with business
systems
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BACnet / LonTalk Challenges
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Security (authentication and encryption)
Database and other application compatibility
Acceptance outside of HVAC industry
Support through network firewalls
Network routing of broadcast messages
Internet Standards
• Internet standards (Web Services) are the
future. These include
– Physical - Ethernet, TCP/IP
– Human readable - HTML, JAVA, Active X
– Machine readable - XML, SOAP, SNMP, SMTP
• Web pages for user interface
• IT data standards for open communications
between devices
These standards will dominate in the future
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Proposed architecture
Client PC’s
with
Web Browser
oBIX (Ethernet / TCP/IP/XML / HTTP)
Intranet
Network
based
controller
LonTalk
Controller
LonTalk
Controller
LonTalk
Controller
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Other Protocols
Room
Controller
LonTalk
BACnet
Room
Controller
Other
XML based
system
Network
based
controller
Controller
Controller
Enterprise
Application
Servers
Standards
 Industry specific standards are required to
define:
 Data Modeling, units, accuracy, time standards, etc.
for exchange of data.
 Definition of services for functions such as alarms,
schedules, trends, etc.
 Security in terms of both data authentication and
encryption
 Methods for network discovery and configuration.
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 These need to work for all facility management
(HVAC, Lighting, Security, Energy, Electrical,
Blinds, etc.)
Challenges
• Today many vendors are using XML and
web services in their products in a nonstandard method
• Standards are needed sooner rather then
later
• These will not replace BACnet and LonTalk
• A commitment is being made by the
industry to accomplish this work
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oBIX
• In April of 2003 CABA created a committee to look
at using Internet standards for interoperable
facility management
• Presently there are 90 members involved from
around the world
• Committee has 5 working groups
– Data Model, Services, Security, Network Management
and Marketing
• Goals are to move fast and create a nonbinding guideline
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oBIX
• Committees are all active - strong focus on the
data model
• Goal is to release the first draft in early 2004
• Interested in more information?
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Membership is open to all!
Encourage end user participation
Most meetings are “virtual”
See www.obix.org, or www.caba.org for more
information
– Join us for a committee meeting tonight if interested!
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Questions
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