ControlTalk Now : Sales, Marketing, Products and Technical Tips for HVAC and Smart Building Controls Professionals

ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending February 21, 2016 delivers another 2015 ControlTrends Awards highlight reel with videos of EasyIO, SkyFoundry, and Tridium receiving their trophies in Orlando. Product updates include DG Logik's Project Assist 2.0, EasyIO's EasyStack, and Honeywell WEB-8000 Controllers are now available. Fred Gordy uses the Jurassic Park goat attention-getter to illustrate a control system's vulnerability; Lynxspring announces CICC Automation Technologies PVt. Ltd. as their premiere partner in India; the DOE releases a $25 million funding opportunity; and don't miss the 2016 Niagara Summit's early bird (2/29/2016) registration deadline.

EasyIO Europe's EasyStack Update and Congratulations to EasyIO Europe B.V. on Your 10th Year Anniversary. EasyStack is a software technology that combines the core functionality of a Building Automation System (BAS) for connecting and controlling devices, with the added benefits of a Building Operating System (BOS) to manage and leverage data. The technology uses tagging and data modeling to provide unprecedented capabilities and functionally. The Haystack open standard also provides options and choices for the best combination of solutions from the wider collaborative Haystack community.

DG Logik Adds Data DVR Widget to Project Assist 2.0 for Facilities. Project Assist 2.0 has many features and benefits. One of the many features is the Data DVR Widget. This smart widget allows operators to easily rewind historical data and playback equipment performance exactly as it was at that point in time. By eliminating guesswork from identifying issues, Project Assist enables facility managers to minimize development time, reduce energy consumption, increase facility performance and save money. Click here for more information.

Lynxspring, Inc. Reaches Out to India, Announces Partnership with CICC Automation Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Lee's Summit, MO and Mumbai, India — February 16, 2016 — Lynxspring, Inc., a premier developer and provider of open, IP-based control solutions for intelligent buildings, energy management, cyber protection and device-to-enterprise integration, today announced the appointment of CICC Automation Technologies Pvt. Ltd, as a Lynxspring Business Partner (LBP). The partnership extends Lynxspring's enabling technologies in building automation, energy management and IoT to meet new opportunities provided by the infrastructure sector within India and the Middle East markets.

2015 ConttolTrends Awards Highlight: EasyIO Wins Wireless Product Solution of The Year. Congratulations to EASY IO and their EnOcean Product Solution of the Year Award! EasyIO's EnOcean-based products, room and temperature sensors have been successfully incorporated into EasyIO's BAS portfolio and perform without batteries and are engineered to operate maintenance-free. The radio signals from these sensors and switches can be transmitted wirelessly over a distance of up to 300 meters in the open and up to 30 meters inside buildings.

Where's The Goat? If you've seen Jurassic Park you probably know what this line. If you haven't, the scene is this… There is a goat that is tied to a stake on a platform with a cage around it and raised up from the ground inside the T-Rex cage. The goat is tied to the stake and of course the T-Rex eats the goat. So what in the world does this have to do with control systems? I have had the fortune of being able to speak at different events over the past couple of years and in an effort to explain to IT and OT how to protect control systems I used the Jurassic Park goat example in this context…

Honeywell WEB-8000 Controller is Now Available. Honeywell is pleased to introduce the WEB-8000 controller supported by the WEBs-N4.1 software. This next generation controller features a new design and the ability to scale for future needs. The WEB-8000 series controllers are easy to install and expand due to its flexible capacitive licensing. This controller is very secure as all data is encrypted, including the data stored in the microSD cards. Easy to scale and upgrade the capacity via licensing, without giving up more real estate. The controller can be used as WiFi access point or as a Client and all software and security updates are included with the software maintenance agreement.

2015 ControlTrends Award Highlight: SkyFoundry Wins Energy Savings Solution of the Year. Congratulations to SkyFoundry for winning the 2015 ControlTrends Energy Savings Solution of the Year. Paul Bergquist was on hand to receive the award. SkyFoundry's SkySpark® Analytics Software automatically analyzes building, energy and equipment data to identify issues, faults and opportunities for improved performance and operational savings.

DOE Notice of Intent to Issue a $25,000,000 Funding Opportunity for Next Generation of Electric Machines. The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) intends to issue, on behalf of the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO), a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Next Generation of Electric Machines: Enabling Technologies." The goal of EERE's AMO is to partner with industry, small business, universities, regional entities, and other stakeholders to identify and invest in emerging clean energy technologies.

Niagara 2016 Summit Breakout Sessions Posted! This year's Summit will bring the opportunity to attend information-packed breakout sessions led by Niagara experts, a robust trade show filled with BAS and IoT industry leaders, and networking with others in the Niagara Community. We've just announced breakout sessions for the Developer Bootcamp, and the Business and Applications tracks. Visit NiagaraSummit.com today for an overview and description of all breakout sessions. And, don't forget… time is running out to take advantage of Early Bird registration! Register before February 29 to take advantage of discounted pricing.

2015 ControlTrends Awards Highlight: Tridium Niagara 4 Wins Innovative Product of The Year. Congratulations to Nino DiCosmo and the team at Tridium for winning the 2015 ControlTrends Innovative Product of The Year! Niagara 4 builds on the legacy of the Niagara Framework® in new and exciting ways. It's less reliant on browser plug-ins, faster and easier to use. A truly open framework, Niagara 4 delivers a variety of notable improvements to help businesses take full advantage of the Internet of Things, including advanced visualization and new search, security and navigation tools. Well done, Tridium!

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending February 14, 2016 is a highlight reel of Siemens, ACI, and KMC receiving their 2015 ControlTrends Awards. In-depth interviews with Sierra Monitor Corporation's President and CEO, Varun Nagaraj, and Director of ControlTrends India, Sameer Pradhan. Take a look at KMC's time and labor saving Conquest BACnet Router and Ken's Calendar previews upcoming webinars and industry related events.

2015 ControlTrends Awards Highlight: Siemens' BT300 Wins VFD of the Year! With its Onboard kWh Meter, Mulitpump/Fan Application. and Fire Mode features, the Siemens BT300 took their VFD portfolio to the next level of efficiency. The BT300 is well-suited for demanding HVAC environments and can deliver 20-50% of energy compared to equipment with little or no control. Built-in features – like a real-time clock, energy savings optimization programming, and a sleep function – help measure energy savings — and the BT300 VFDs are ready to communicate with Building Management Systems via embedded RS485 and Ethernet HVAC protocols.

Varun Nagaraj Introduces Sierra Monitor's On-Ramp Suite at AHR 2016. Varun Nagaraj, Sierra Monitor Corporation (SMC) President and CEO, tells the ControlTrends Community about SMC's new IIoT On-Ramp Suite. SMC is an industry leading provider of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) solutions that connect and protect high-value infrastructure assets. At the AHR 2016, SMC announced a comprehensive and secure IIoT On-Ramp Suite for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) of commercial and industrial controls devices and systems.

2015 ControlTrends Awards Highlight: ACI Wins the Peripheral Product of the Year. Congratulations to Automation Components, Inc. (ACI), who prevailed in one the of the most heavily competitive ControlTrends Awards categories: Peripheral Product of the Year. Since its founding in 1991, ACI has been dedicated to excellence and has grown from seven employees to over 170 quality individuals, and has facilities that total over 78,000 square feet, with global offices in Hong Kong, and China. ACI's products include temperature, relative humidity, current, pressure, gas and wireless related sensors.

2015 ControlTrends Awards Highlight: KMC Controls Wins VAV Controller of the Year. Congratulations to KMC Controls for winning the 2015 ControlTrends VAV of the Year. (Again!) KMC won this category last year as well). SimplyVAV is easy to set up, with no software needed, this controller is powerful and functions equally as well as a stand-alone solution or the VAV controller of choice on a BACnet full-blown control system. The controllers feature simple, menu driven setup choices when used with a SimplyVAV digital sensor. No special programming skills or software tools are required to choose applications, enter setpoints, set network addressing,and balance airflow.

Save Time and Labor with KMC's New Conquest BACnet® Router. KMC Controls' state-of-the-art Conquest BACnet® router features one MS/TP and one Ethernet port, an HTML5 web configuration interface requiring no additional software, a single cable for both power and communications, and an industry-leading set of network diagnostic tools for quick and easy network verification and troubleshooting. The device is optimized for temporary installation as a technician's tool and for permanent installation increasing network efficiency.

ControlTrends Keeps an Eye on 2016 Events with Ken's Calendar. 30 Minutes with Lynxspring Webinar Series: Cyber Security from a Business Perspective. The next "30 Minutes with Lynxspring", our monthly webinar series featuring Lynxspring subject-matter experts and special guests, is scheduled for Wednesday, February 17th at 12:00 PM CDT. February's "30 Minutes with Lynxspring" will look at Cyber Security from a Business Perspective.

ControlTalk NOW Interview with Sameer Pradhan, Director of ControlTrends India. ControlTrends was excited to announce that ControlTrends India has been formed and was absolutely delighted to introduce Sameer Pradhan as Director of ControlTrends India. The announcement took place at the 2015 ControlTrends Awards held the evening before the start of the AHR Expo 2016, in Orlando Florida. The global ControlTrends Community, particularly those located in the India and Southeast Asia regions, will be greatly enriched by Sameer's visionary leadership and executive capabilities.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending February 7, 2016 features interviews with Dr. Igor Mezic and John Norris of Ecorithm and Ken Sinclair, owner and editor of Automated Buildings, and Neptronic's VP of Sales and Marketing, Luis Melgares, along with Andy McMillan's presentation at the Connected Community Collaboration, a product update from Vykon. Of special note was the announcement of Sameer Pradhan as Director of ControlTrends India.

CTN 166- The Smart Buildings Video Cast- from Eric Stromquist on Vimeo.

ControlTalk NOW interview with Dr. Igor Mezic, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor​, Co-Founder​ and John Morris, VP of Sales and Marketing of Ecorithm, a firm from Santa Barbara that is reshaping what it means to benchmark, showcase, and ensure occupant comfort, operational efficiency, and building health. Dr. Mezic is a world-renowned expert in the field of building energy efficiency. He is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). His major scientific contribution has been the development of operator-theoretic methods for analysis of complex dynamical systems, that led to a massive number of applications in "Big Data Dynamics" – a term he coined.

Ken Sinclair's Automated Buildings February, 2016 Release: "Making it Mashable." Ken Sinclair, owner and editor of Automated Buildings, applies the word mashable to the building automation world. Mashable, which the Urban Dictionary defines as "a term used to describe two or more online applications that work together and/or within each other." February's AB theme, "Making it Mashable," addresses then, a very relevant concern — that as we sort through the maelstrom of exponential IoT technology impacting our industry, an industry that seeks optimality in every aspect of smart building control, data integration, and the maximum realization of energy and operational efficiencies — the question becomes, are we there yet? The technology certainly is, but our "mashability," will ultimately answer yes or no for us.

VYKON Integrated Analytics Available Now on JACE Hardware. Latest version 1.1 includes advanced data visualization module! VYKON Integrated Analytics broke new ground when it was introduced. This innovative product uses real-time analytics at the edge (device level) to harness the enormous power of the Internet of Things. Today, Niagara users are even better positioned to capitalize on the IoT data explosion. Niagara AX Supervisors and select JACE® controllers now feature the latest version of VYKON Integrated Analytics with advanced data visualization.

Luis Melgares Details Neptronic's New Multi-App Controller at 2016 AHR EXPO. Luis Melgares, VP of Sales and Marketing, updates the ControlTrends Community on Neptronic's versatile Multi-App controller, able to provide stand-alone or networked control for all packaged AC RTUs, Heat Pump, Fan Coil Unit, and heating and cooling equipment applications, using a configuration set up with a greatly improved menu structure. No programming is required! Neptronic now manufactures the industry's first Smart Duct Heater, which is networkable via BACnet and Modbus — a game-changing addition to their industry-leading portfolio of ball valves, actuators, and humidifiers.

2015 ControlTrends Awards Highlight: The Thermostat of the Year. Congratulations to Siemens. Their RDY 2000 Thermostat was voted the best commercial thermostat of the year by the global ControlTrends Community. The RDY 2000 can control conventional systems with up to three stages of heating and three stages of cooling, as well as heat pumps with up to two compressors and up to two stages of auxiliary heat. The RDY2000 also features outputs that control humidification/dehumidification equipment, maintain indoor air quality with optional CO2 sensor, and maximize energy savings with interface to economizer controls. Click here to see what makes the Siemens RDY 2000 so special.

Andy McMillan, president BACnet International (recently returned from China) opened the collaboratory discussions with an insight into how global transformation impacts all walks of life and summoned building automation professionals to be open, connected, collaborative, and receptive to transformation. As president of BACnet International, Andy works with users and suppliers to expand and enhance the BACnet community.

ControlTrends Introduces Sameer Pradhan, Director of ControlTrends India. ControlTrends was excited to announce that ControlTrends India has been formed and was absolutely delighted to introduce Sameer Pradhan as Director of ControlTrends India. The announcement took place at the 2015 ControlTrends Awards held the evening before the start of the AHR Expo 2016, in Orlando Florida. The global ControlTrends Community, particularly those located in the India and Southeast Asia regions, will be greatly enriched by Sameer's visionary leadership and executive capabilities. ControlTrends India's website www.controltrends.in is now fully operational.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending January 31, 2016 reviews the 2015 ControlTrends Awards including the AHR Expo's Industry Service Award, the BACnet Award, the Cyber Security Award, the Young Gun Awards, the Petock Award, and the Hall of Fame recipient. A teaser video previews many of the highlights, with much more video and posts to follow. New product releases from Functional Devices and Lynxspring; Belimo webinar registration; Ken Sinclair's 4th Connected Community Collaboration video; and DGLogik CEO, Eugene Mazo's interview message interview from Informed Health 2016.

Young Guns Rob Allen and Brad White get Ready for the 2015 ControlTrends Awards. What do young BAS professionals talk about when they are not texting or using the latest forms of communication that don't involve actual verbal communication? To find out we hooked up 2014 Young Guns Rob Allen and Brad White with a good Skype connection and turned the recorder on. Among other things, Rob and Brad discuss the upcoming ControlTrends Awards and what it means to be a Young Gun and why it's so very important for our industry. See the next Young Gun class at the 2015 Control Trends Awards Sunday January 24th at 6:30 PM at The Hard Rock Live @ Universal Studios.

ControlTrends Awards Announces the 2015 CTA Award Winners, Young Guns, Petock Award Recipient, and Hall of Fame Inductee. The 2015 ControlTrends Awards were held yesterday evening at Orlando's Hard Rock Live, located at the door step to the amazing Universal Studios. Hard Rock Live was a most befitting venue to celebrate the heroes and superstars of our HVAC and the Building Automation industries. Marc Petock and Kimberly Brown co-hosted the awards ceremony that recognized the 2015 ControlTrends heroes and superstars of the HVAC and Building Automation industry.

Functional Devices is All Ears When it Comes to Product Suggestions from its Customers! Functional Devices is excited to announce its new prepackaged power supply – now with a perforated steel sub-panel! This product is great for mounting a controller along with peripheral devices. Product features: Sturdy 14 gauge NEMA 1 metal enclosure with overall dimensions of 12.5″ (W) x 24.5″ (H) x 6.5″ (D). Available with one or two 100 VA enclosed power supplies with a 10 Amp on/off circuit breaker switch, two convenience outlets, and 24 Vac output terminal strip(s).

2015 ControlTrends Awards Teaser Video — Lots More to Come! Special thanks to Vladimir Chaloupka, videographer extraordinaire, who produced this immediate teaser video of the 2015 ControlTrends Awards Show, held January 24th, 2016, at the Hard Rock Cafe in Orlando, FL. ControlTrends Awards congratulates the winners and superheroes that make our HVAC and Building Automation industry so great. And many thanks once again to our sponsors who make ControlTrends Awards possible!

Lynxspring Launches New Product at AHR! The Onyxx BH311 Data Pump provides BACnet to Haystack network communication and data exchange. The Onyxx BH311 Data Pump is part of Lynxspring E2E, an edge-to-enterprise ecosystem for the Internet of Things, that enables collaboration between smart systems, smart devices, intelligent equipment and Cloud services. The Onyxx BH311 handles the BACnet to Haystack protocol translation, translating BACnet points to manageable Haystack points. Acting as a BACnet client device, the Onyxx BH311 manages all BACnet/IP, BACnet/Ethernet or BACnet MSTP devices connected to it.

Belimo's Free Webinar on Dynamic Balancing — Wednesday, February 3, 1:00 EST. Don't miss Belimo's free Webinar on Dynamic Balancing! Belimo Energy Valve Pressure Independent Valves can offer system stability, improved efficiency and overall versatility that can only be achieved in a dynamically balanced hydronic system. During this webinar you will learn how partial loads can wreak havoc on statically balanced systems and how static balancing devices underperform the majority of the time.

Ken Sinclair's 2016 Connected Community Collaboratory. Ken Sinclair, owner and editor of automatedbuildings.com did it again! The 4th CCC was a wonderful education session and discussion. Ken led a panel of industry experts who addressed how to approach creating and selling connection to the world. It was an open fun Collaboratory atmosphere that allowed attendees to learn and share their opinions. The concept of connected communities was created by Marc Petock and Ken at the 2012 AHR Expo in Chicago. They were working together and fueling new ways to extend the value of our building systems, while exploring the best of breed in change and innovation.

Evangelizing Open Source — DGLogik's CEO Eugene Mazo at Informed Health 2016 UCSF. At Informed Health 2016, hosted by University of California, San Francisco, CEO Eugene Mazo sent DGLogik's message out to two target audiences: first to manufacturers — to implement and support more open source products and services, and to developers — to build more applications and bring more brilliant cases to the markets, in this particular case, the health care industry, where dashboards for doctors could make huge improvements to patient care, while dashboards would also improve the patient experience.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending January 17, 2016, includes Drone Enthusiast and J2 Innovation's VP of Marketing, Scott Muench; Systems Integrator of the Year nominees Brian Allen from ATS Automation, Seattle, WA and Fred Rotella and Brent Bernardi from Alpha Controls and Services, Rockford, IL. Additionally, we have a great interview with Marc Bergeron, President of ProLon, a leading manufacturer of HVAC control systems designed specifically for zoning systems in commercial applications. Please ensure to cast your 2015 ControlTrends Awards Vote by Tuesday, January 19th!

ATS Automation is centered in Renton, Washington, and is partnered with Alerton Technologies, Phoenix Controls, Aircuity, and Convergint Technologies. ATS Automation is a distributor for Alerton, Phoenix, and Aircuity in our respective marketplaces. Convergint Technologies partners with ATS on key projects to provide a greater scope and depth to our building solutions. ATS Automation has a deep history with all four companies in delivering quality product installations and support. ATS also has strong business relationships with Tridium through Controlco and Honeywell, Belimo Valves and Actuators, S4 Integration, and SkySpark through SkyFoundry.

Marc Bergeron, President of ProLon Inc, out of Montreal, Canada, and leading manufacturers of HVAC control systems designed specifically for zoning systems in commercial applications. ProLon provides efficient solutions to HVAC contactors in North America and around the world at a very competitive cost. ProLon offers its solutions through its network of North American distributors to commercial contractors. ProLon has a team consisting of the industry's best professionals. ProLon aims to develop efficient systems and reliable products that meet the expectations of an increasingly demanding market. With over 2000 completed projects to date, ProLon's team offers a zoning system that will suit you as well as your commercial projects.

Alpha Controls & Services LLC specializes in temperature-control solutions, Building Management Systems, Energy Management Systems, and Access Control solutions for industrial, commercial, and institutional buildings. It installs new systems and retrofits existing ones through a full-service organization that helps clients maintain their facility systems and operations at optimal levels. With offices in Rockford, Springfield, and Champaign, Illinois, Alpha Controls & Services is a field office for Schneider Electric – one of the most extensive suppliers of integrated Building Management Systems and a leader in automated information technology for today's and tomorrow's intelligent buildings.

Meet drone Captain Scott Muench, aka B.Scott Muench, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at J2 Innovations. In this video we get to see Scott as Drone Pilot Extraordinaire, and hear how he became a drone enthusiast while working as a systems integrator at Technical Building Services. in upstate New York. Scott also discusses the very serious parallels that exists between drones and PID and tuning used in building automation, and how the benefits of drones, soon to be realized, will become integrated with our day-to-day lives.

Excitement continues to build as the 2015 ControlTrends Awards event grows near! As a reminder the 2015 ControlTrends Awards will be held January 24, 2016, from 6:30PM to 9:30PM, at Orlando's Hard Rock Live, located at the door step to the amazing Universal Studios. Join us is celebrating the heroes and superstars of our HVAC and the Building Automation industries. VOTE NOW!

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending January 10, 2016 begins our direct focus on those people, products, and solutions — that you, our ControlTrends Community, have nominated for the 2015 ControlTrends Awards. We have three guest interview with Honeywell's Larry Andriunas, Tridium Vykon's Ed Merwin and Systems Integrator of the Year nominee McKenney's. Next, we review the Executive of the Year category for both large and small manufacturers and the new Systems Integrator category, featuring seven of the top systems integrators. To ensure maximum dissemination and response, the 2015 ControlTrends Awards voting deadline has been extended till January 19th, 2016.

ControlTalk NOW's first interview guest is Director of Commercial Sales at Honeywell and PID Nominee Larry Andriunas. Larry's extensive HVAC experience as contractor installing and servicing systems give him a second perspective and understanding into the multitude of challenges facing the distribution and contracting industries. Additionally, Larry shares Honeywell's philosophy on customer service and technical support and highlighting a few of the major contribtors, as well reviewing Honeywell's next generation product platform.

ControlTalk NOW's second interview guest is Director, Vykon Automation Energy Security at Tridium and PID Nominee Ed Merwin, one of the most venerated Building Automation and Smart Building Solutions experts in the industry (2013 ControlTrends PID Award Co-winner). Ed reviews the hardware platform and the built-in features of the JACE-8000 Vykon's next generation controller, the Niagara 4 Platform, Tridium's latest innovation — the Niagara Market Place, and the upcoming 2016 Niagara Summit to be held in New Orleans.

ControlTalk NOW's third interview guest is McKenney's Inc, with offices in Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC. Featuring Single-Source Reliability, McKenney's has developed a wide-range of services for every stage of a building's lifecycle — from Design and Build to Manage and Maintain. For over six decades, we've combined superior mechanical construction expertise and proven processes with professional engineers and skilled tradesmen to provide high-quality solutions and exceptional performance. We're uniquely positioned to deliver single-source, full-service accountability for every project, every time.

About McKenney's: Since 1948, we have been developing services and expertise to serve you at every stage of your building. Self-performance of all trades, in-house shops and over six decades of experience have made us the top choice in mechanical contractors, providing highly efficient mechanical systems and a full range of services that meet your unique needs.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending January 3, 2016 welcomes the ControlTrends Community into 2016! Featuring an insightful interview with Automated Buildings' Ken Sinclair and product information with Dwyer Instruments' EWDP wireless differential pressure switch and Honeywell's Smart Solution WEBs-AX Smart with N4. Therese Sullivan wraps things up with her interview with CONNEXX's Anno Shelton — six ways to Smart Building Adoption. Happy New Year once again, and if you have any questions about the 2015 ControlTrends Awards, please email us at [email protected].

ControlTalk NOW interview with Ken Sinclair, owner and editor of Automated Buildings.com. Ken Sinclair's Automated Buildings January, 2016 Release: "Our Role in the Transformation." In Ken Sinclair's Automated Buildings January, 2016 Release: "Our Role in the Transformation," we are reminded of the instrumental roles we each will play as stewards in this industry grown gray. Creating viable and working endowments of industry knowledge, is not just necessary to transition successfully with the avalanche of technology being introduced, but critical to HVAC and BAS future generations — finding and holding their participation rights in the IoT world to come.

Dwyer's Series EWDP Wireless Communications Adjustable Differential Pressure Switch. The Dwyer Instruments SERIES EWDP Wireless Communication Adjustable Differential Pressure Switch uses EnOcean® wireless technology to monitor pressure, vacuum, and differential pressures. The dual scaled adjustment knob in inches of water column and pascals allows changes to the pressure set point to be made without a pressure gage. The battery-powered switch is equipped with radio module for frequencies of 902 MHz or 868 MHz.

Smart Solutions for Intelligent Buildings — WEBs-AX from Honeywell. Smart Solutions for Intelligent Buildings — WEBs-AX from Honeywell is an open system building automation platform that allows you to connect all of your building's systems rather than operate them independently – maximizing energy efficiency, reducing maintenance costs and giving you centralized control. Your Building, Only Smarter.

Therese Sullivan Interviews CONNEXX Energy's Anno Shelton: 6 New Routes to Market for Smart Building Technology. ix New Routes to Market for Smart Building Technology (by therese554). Anno Scholten, President of Connexx Energy, has had a very busy year extending his company's 'last mile' energy solutions for Smart Grid and Smart Buildings. But, I caught up with him during the waning days of 2015 and asked him the existential questions on the minds of many in the industry. "You may feel that you keep hitting a brick wall trying to convince some customers to adopt data analytics strategies for better building performance. But, 'take heart,' the route to Smart Building success may be just around the next turn."

Happy New Years to the World-Wide ControlTrends Community! Afrikaans,Gelukkige Nuwejaar, gha-likkikga-neeva-yaarr, Albanian Gëzuar Vitin e Ri, gu-zoo-ar vi-tin e ri, Arabic, سنة سعيدة, sana sa'eedah, Azerbaijani Yeni iliniz mübarək ye-ni i-li-niz myu-ba-rack, Bahasa, melayu Selamat tahun baru selamat tahun aru, Basque, Urte berri on err-te berr-rri on, Bosnian, sretna nova godina, sr-et-na no-va go-din-a, Bulgarian, Щастлива Нова година, sh-tast-liva No-va go-din-a, Catalan, Feliç any nou, fe-LEES A-nee n-Ou, Cebuano (Philippines), Mabungahong Bag-ong Tuig kaninyong tanan, ma-boon-ga-hong bag-ong too-eeg kan-een-yong tan-an, Czech, šťastný nový rok, SHTU-stnee NO-vee rrr-ok…

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending December 27, 2015 features interviews with two more nominees for System Integrators of the Year, Navitas System Integration from Plymouth, MA and Automation Integrated, from Oklahoma City, OK. DG LOGIK's Technical Tips & Tricks — Building IoT Applications for the Smartphone or Tablet​; DOE Announces Largest Energy Efficiency Standard in History; and Tridium announces Niagara Summit 2016, May 15-17, New Orleans Hyatt Regency. Special thanks to Bill Dunkleberger and team Blue Ridge Technologies for their spirited Holiday wishes!

ControlTalk NOW's first guests, John Donahue, owner and CEO of Control Consultants, Inc., one of the most successful systems distributors in North America and Dan White from Navitas System Integration (NSI) of Plymouth, MA, expert providers of Building Automation Systems for commercial, institutional, and industrial market applications. NSI specializes in LEED certified projects and can implement the improvements necessary to assure energy savings and achieve greener standards.

Keep an eye on 2016 Events with Ken's Calendar! The Grid Modernization Forum, January 19-20, 2016 in Chicago is a focused, two-day educational and networking event that closely examines lessons learned to date by industry leaders who are pushing the frontiers of grid modernization and evolution. This will be a unique opportunity to interact with key professionals who are leading the way toward the integrated, interoperable, and resilient energy network of tomorrow.

Niagara Summit 2016, May 15-17, New Orleans Hyatt Regency. Dear valued member of the Niagara Community, mark your calendar and plan to join us for Niagara Summit 2016 in historic New Orleans! Every two years the Niagara Community comes together at the Niagara Summit to learn about advancements to the Niagara Framework®, network and learn from peers, and hear the latest on technology trends and news. What's always a momentous occasion will be made all the more exciting in 2016 with the recent debut of Niagara 4 and the soon-to-be-released JACE® 8000.

DOE Announces Largest Energy Efficiency Standard in History! Energy Department Announces Largest Energy Efficiency Standard in History. The U.S. Department of Energy recently announced historic new efficiency standards for commercial air conditioners and furnaces. Developed with industry, utilities, and environmental groups, these standards will save more energy than any other standard issued by the Department to date. Over the lifetime of the products, businesses will save $167 billion on their utility bills and carbon pollution will be reduced by 885 million metric tons.

DG LOGIK's Tips & Tricks — Build IoT Applications for the Smartphone or Tablet​. Delivering valuable insight with proper usability across all modern smart devices will become a requisite for IoE Applications in 2016. With DGLux5, it's easy to build flexible, device-agnostic applications that adjust to screen sizes, respond to touch controls and load images and IoE data conservatively. Without ever writing a single line of code, you can give your users an uncluttered, intuitive and efficient experience, regardless of their device.

Sam McDonald, Honeywell Sales Rep, a controls expert, who answers the following question asked by a building owner from Oakland, CA: We are undergoing a major renovation to one of our facilities. Our contractor has proposed installing the Honeywell RedLINK thermostats with the Equipment Remote Module. Sam answers: "Your Contractor made a wise choice in recommending using Honeywell's RedLINK Wireless control system on your facility. Simply put RedLINK Controls allows for a faster installation; reducing labor cost which ultimately allows for greater profits. By going wireless, your contractor will not have to drill holes or pull wires. He can place the Thermostats in their proper locations or remotely mount them where only authorized personnel can access them."

ControlTalk NOW's second guests are Chris Favre and Jeff Houpt from Automation Integrated out of Oklahoma City, OK. Automation Integrated are true systems integrators who develop solutions that enable clients to modernize legacy technology investments, while simultaneously creating cost effective migration paths to new technology. The Automation Integrated result: The lowest total cost of ownership! Automation Integrated takes integration to the next level incorporating controls, security, and IT into one total solution.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending December 20, 2015 begins with OME's Rick Werner and EasyIO's Mike Marston discussing the hazards of the proverbial low bid, followed by interviews with Blue Ridge Technologies' CEO Bill Dunkelberger, Dwyer Instruments' Global Business Development Manager, Eric Fritch, and another 7 Minutes in Control with Rob Allen and Scott Muench from J2 Innovations — who is offering an exciting customer appreciation FIN 3.0 sale. More Contemporary Controls BACnet videos and expertise; 2015 ControlTrends Awards reminders; and the first peek at the 2016 calendar.

Why Accepting The Low Bid Price on a Job is sooooo Expensive. In this episode of Control Pub Talk, with "Mad" Mike Marston from Easy IO, the consequences of giving a project to the low bidder is discussed. Mike reaches out to Rick Warner, aka "The Innovator", sans the usual Pub, to look at the true costs involved in the bidding process that is used on most new construction projects. "Penny wise and pound foolish" comes to mind as I listen to Rick explain the difference between up front price and true cost of ownership. To see more from the Innovator click here. Get more Control pub Talk with Mike Marston here.

J2 Innovations — Dive Into FIN Now — for 10% Less! Appreciation Sale. Don't miss this great from J2 Innovations! FIN 3.0 is a next generation software suite including an entirely new application server called FIN Stack, combined with the custom graphic tool FIN Builder, and the FIN Mobile app. You can now build your entire customer's solution using a unified toolset optimized for efficient workflow. The technology leverages powerful tagging and data modeling which means you can use queries to access data and eliminate time consuming linking. FIN was designed to encourage community collaboration and seamlessly supports add-on applications such as automated analytics.

What Can Fin 3.0 Do For You? Rob Allen Finds Out. In this episode of Rob Allen's 7 minutes in Control, Rob finds out from Scott Muench, J2 Innovations' Vice President of Marketing and Business Development, what is new at J2 Innovations including Fin 3.0 and how J2 Innovations uses Haystack tagging to make a system integrators life easier and reduces labor cost. If you like what you see reach out to your local J2 Innovations provider and take advantage of J2's 10% off holiday special. FIN technology leverages powerful tagging and data modeling which means you can use queries to access data and eliminate time consuming linking.

Learn BACnet Now – Watch the BACnet Video Training Series. Thanks to George Thomas and the team at Contemporary Controls for putting together this eight part video series " Understanding BACnet". Contemporary Controls designs and manufactures the system building blocks for networking, integrating and controlling automation processes where performance and reliability are important. Their products are built upon open technologies such as ARCNET®, BACnet®, Controller Area Network, Ethernet, Modbus®, Niagara Framework®, and Sedona Framework.

ControlTalk NOW welcomes our first guest Blue Ridge Technologies' CEO Bill Dunkleberger and his team of industry all stars. 2015 ControlTrends Awards Finalist Blue Ridge Technologies, nominated for six ControlTrends Awards including: Energy Saving Solution of The Year; Lighting Integration Solution of The Year; Best Technical Support Small Manufacturer: Nick Bare; Best Technical Support Person — Small Manufacturer; The PID Award: Bill Dunkleberger; and Executive of The Year Small Manufacturer: Bill Dunkleberger.

More from 2015 ControlTrends Awards Finalist Blue Ridge Technologies. Unified Lighting Control completes the BAS, incorporating lighting and HVAC controls on the same network. This network consolidation eliminates surplus hardware required for stand-alone and gateway lighting control. As a result, installation and maintenance costs decrease while simple and complete building control increases energy savings. This approach provides more savings for less cost. When a complete Building Automation System (BAS) is required, Unified Lighting Control is the superior lighting control solution.

2015 ControlTrends Awards to be Held — January 24 at the Hard Rock Live! ControlTrends is excited to announce that the 2015 ControlTrends Awards will be held January 24, 2016, from 6:30PM to 9:30PM, at Orlando's Hard Rock Live, located at the door step to the amazing Universal Studios. Hard Rock Live is home to music history and a most befitting venue to celebrate the heroes and superstars of our HVAC and the Building Automation industries. ControlTrends graciously thanks our sponsors for allowing us to make this special industry event possible.

ControlTrends Keeps an Eye on 2016 Events with Ken's Calendar. Help ControlTrends Keep an eye on 2016 Events with Ken's Calendar! January 25-27, 2016 AHR Expo, Orlando Convention Center: The AHR Expo brings the entire HVACR industry together under one roof to see the latest products and technology, learn about the innovations and trends that are shaping the future, and do business face to face. Returning to Orlando for the first time in six years, the Show is anticipating more than 50,000 professionals in attendance, nearly 2,000 exhibiting companies, and a wide variety of educational sessions.

ControlTalk NOW's second guest: Dwyer Instruments' Eric Fritch, Global Business Development Manager. Dwyer Instruments is nominated for the 2015 ControlTrends Awards Peripheral Vendor of the Year. Since 1931, Dwyer Instruments has been recognized for manufacturing excellence, and has introduced over 75 new products since 2005. Global in scope, Dwyer is a key manufacturer of sensors and instrumentation components used in HVAC and Building Automation applications the world over. Visit www.dwyer-inst.com for more product information, videos, and tutorials — and be absolutely certain to visit Dwyer's booth (1617), at the up-coming 2016 AHR Expo in Orlando, FL.

The post ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for Week Ending December 20, 2015 appeared first on ControlTrends.

ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending December 13, 2015 features interviews with Control Network Solutions' Mike Welch, Buildings Context's Therese Sullivan, and Control Systems Consultants' Cory Gunder; Marc Petock's discusses the business-end of the Cyber Security stick; Rob Allen's 7 Minutes in Control with KMC's Dave Bohlmann, and an update on how Daikin Applied just changed Total Building Automation forever.

Marc Petock — The Business Side of Cyber Security (Continued). Marc Petock, a leading expert on Cyber Security, takes a close look at the ramifications and financial consequences of not taking aggressive measures to protect your business against cyber attacks. As I have said, cyber security has a technology side and a business side. From a business perspective, the negative consequences that cyber incidents can cause are disruptive and potentially catastrophic. The value of taking additional measures to increase the cyber security posture of your control systems, far outweigh the risk of not making them secure.

New Router from KMC on Rob Allen's 7 Minutes in Control. Rob Allen sits down with Dave Bohlmann to talk about KMC's new single port router. The KMC Controls BAC-5051E is a multi-port BACnet router. This compact router is powerful enough for heavy network traffic and small enough to use as a control technician's service tool. Routing Install the BAC-5051E for BACnet IP, Ethernet, and MS/TP routing. The IP routing is fully compliant with BACnet Standard 134-2012, Annex J. Browser Configuration Configure the BAC-5051E using only an Internet browser. No special software to learn or load.

CNS delivers the world's first Internet of things (IoT) web-based DALI intelligent lighting control solution, elitedali ensures that live data from every light fixture can be accessed and the lighting controlled from anywhere in the world with internet access. he only non-North American finalist in its category, CNS has been shortlisted for its unique lighting control solution, elitedali. Transforming the Niagara building management system into a state of the art lighting control platform, elitedali provides total control and flexibility to the end user over access to their lighting data, system maintenance and any on-going adjustments.

ControlTalk NOW Special Guest: Mike Welch, CEO and owner of Control Network Solutions, BasingStoke, UK. Mike shares his unique knowledge of the industry and articulates the finer points of IoT, where there are some unintended consequences and negative aspects of IoT, because the distance between the APP and the cloud is populated by energy consuming devices and the key is collect value data directly from your network devices.

Daikin Applied Just Changed Total Building Automation Forever, Thanks to IoT. In January 2015, ControlTrends interviewed Paul Rauker, VP of Systems and Controls, Daikin Applied, on the ground floor of the 2015 AHR Show. Paul expertly reviewed the Rebel RTU — which was the first IoT HVAC RTU. Now, with Diakin's minority stake acquisition of Riptide IO. Daikin is the first equipment manufacturer to introduce the industry's first, true cloud-based technology platform for HVAC equipment — that truly harnesses the IoT! Here's the rest of the story: DAIKIN APPLIED ACQUIRES MINORITY STAKE IN CLOUD-BASED BUILDING AUTOMATION COMPANY.

2015 ControlTrends Awards System Integrator of the Year Finalist CSC. The voting for the 2015 ControlTrends Awards is underway. One of the most followed categories is the ControlTrends System Integrator of the Year Award. This is a new ControilTrends Award. With over eighty nominees from around the world, making the final seven is quite an accomplishment. If you watched ControlTalk NOW a couple of weeks ago, you got a sneak peek at one of the magnificent seven, CSC from Dallas, Texas. Meet Corey Gunder and Scott Twomey.

Our second ControlTalk NOW guest is Therese Sullivan. Therese is the principal and editor of Building Context and Haystack, and contributing editor to automatedbuildings.com. Therese is a prolific and knowledgeable writer/technologist and marketing professional, who provides news and analysis for commercial building system integrators, facilities managers and real estate professionals. Always our eyes and ears from the Silicon Valley, Therese recaps the 2015 CoRETECH Show in Silicon Valley.

The post ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for Week Ending December 13, 2015 appeared first on ControlTrends.