Interview Andreas Matthé, CEO of the Business Unit Low Voltage and Products, Division Energy Management, and head of the Siemens booth at Light+Building 2018
Siemens will be appearing at the trade fair under the motto "Digitalize your building". What does this mean exactly?
Digital transformation is fundamentally changing building management. Smart buildings need to be made even more livable and at the same time more efficient to operate. This is where intelligent digitalization solutions, a reliable and efficient power supply, and self-adapting building management systems that are increasingly automated come in. At Light+Building, we will show how digitalization, building management and power distribution systems achieve optimum interaction. This starts with software-based planning and configuration, as well as the digital implementation of system-specific data in BIM (Building Information Modeling), and includes the demand-oriented protection of power distribution systems, for example, as well as the systematic recording of energy and system data during operation of the building. The data integrated in our cloud-based IoT operating system, MindSphere, is available for additional building management tasks. It also enables data-based services, such as performance analyses or power benchmarking.
What opportunities do digital buildings offer?
Digital buildings are energy consumers – and at the same time generate and store energy. They minimize the energy they require and communicate with the entire
power grid. This makes them "prosumers", producing and consuming energy at the same time. Prosumers play a key role in the field of transformational energy systems. Integrated building management systems make energy consumption in a building transparent. The detailed data of a building provides the basis of sustainable cost and emissions reduction.
In digital buildings, for example, plants and systems can be predictively maintained, thus preventing downtimes and damage in advance. Digitalized buildings also offer advantages for building users as well: productivity, comfort and safety can be significantly boosted by means of intelligent building management systems. New solutions such as indoor navigation, for example, help users quickly find conference rooms or equipment or show each employee the best route in case of evacuation. Digital buildings are communicating buildings, continuously generating data. We convert this data into knowledge. Knowledge that equips our customers for the future and increases their competitive edge.
What role do power distribution and consumption play in Smart Buildings?
With digitalization, the number of electric loads is also increasing. Firstly, it has to do with power distribution: Modern electrical devices, a growing number of communication and multimedia devices, as well as the use of renewable energies, charging solutions for electric vehicles and increasing automation require new concepts in power distribution and electrical installation. All plants and systems must be coordinated with one another and must be networked. There are ever more stringent requirements in terms of safety. Through innovative solutions, we assist our customers in implementing safe, standard-compliant and communication-capable power distribution. Moreover, we offer innovative and efficient solutions and services to optimize energy consumption and thus increase the long-term efficiency of buildings. In this, our systems also ensure that the optimization of heating, ventilation and lighting goes hand in hand with a perfect room climate.
Light+Building 2018, Hall 11, Booth B56
Siemens promotes digital building
Under the motto "Digitalize your building", at this year's Light+Building trade fair, Siemens will be providing answers to questions regarding digitalization in buildings and infrastructures – and of course the profound changes in the energy world and building management. In Hall 11 at booth B56, Siemens will show how these challenges can be turned into new opportunities and business models.
Buildings are becoming more and more efficient, using digital solutions, reliable power supply and intelligent automation systems. Automated "smart buildings" achieve the best results in building comfort and resource utilization when all building disciplines are seamlessly linked. The basis for this is the electrical power distribution system that guarantees failsafe power supply of networked plants and systems. As an integral part of building automation, communication-capable devices and systems continuously record all operating data and create the transparency required for digitalization – this provides the basis for energy-efficient, safe and continuously-optimized building management.
At Light+Building, Siemens is showing how, in the context of digitalization, room comfort, service quality, operating costs and investments are optimized using building management and power distribution systems.
In addition, Siemens is exhibiting integrated and networked systems for safety technology and fire protection in buildings for the first time at the "SECURE!" special show in Hall 9.1, Stand A40.
For further information please visit www.siemens.com.