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Tackling tomorrow
Leading the way in building and home automation sector with advanced technologies to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. Extract from Lucy Hans interview in KNX Today
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Tackling tomorrow
Leading the way in building and home automation sector with advanced technologies to tackle tomorrow’s challenges. Extract from Lucy Hans interview in KNX Today
Lucy Han is the Executive Vice President for Building and Home Automation Solutions at ABB
The building and home automation market has experienced significant growth, driven by key factors such as increasing urbanization, rising demand for smart and connected devices, increased awareness of decarbonization efforts, and building legislation such as the EU’s EPBD (Energy Performance of Buildings Directive). To ensure the success of initiatives such as Net Zero Homes and to effectively optimize energy usage while reducing carbon footprint, ‘simplicity’ and ‘smart’ are key. That means open communication protocols, interoperable devices and creating a common language for the smart building ecosystem. By offering affordable building and home automation solutions, we aim to democratize the building automation market, prioritizing simplicity, interoperability, and sustainability.
In addition to technological advancements, it’s crucial to consider the practicalities of the user experience. Imagine homes where residents’ connected devices and appliances are all connected through one centralized system to save money, time, and energy. Whether from their smart device or touchpanel, the average smart home resident currently has a minimum of five Apps to manage it all. This has to change. We’re leading the way in enabling residents to monitor and control everything – from washing machines to energy and security systems – using just one App on their devices. Creating this simplicity for building owners and operators, as well as for the partner ecosystem will require heavy innovation and collaboration. And these two things will create a much-needed nexus of new forces.
Maximizing the potential of smart buildings is a team sport, one that requires technology vendors to collaborate and share knowledge on an unprecedented scale. After all, progress is created by using already-existing technologies in a smarter way. Whether in new or existing single-family homes, multi-dwellings, commercial or industrial buildings, we are forming pioneering collaborations, and these will not only see us integrating technologies and sharing projects to the betterment of the built environment but are also designed to frame joint innovation.
----- For ABB, that program of activity starts with leading by example. We have been decarbonizing our own buildings and factory facilities through our Mission to Zero initiative for some years – and now, we are sharing our know-how with partners and customers. We are excited and proud to be making such a contribution to today’s industry 4.0 solutions to fix tomorrow’s issues.
Interoperability, standardization, and scalability are key.
The needs in commercial buildings and residential buildings are very similar: to create spaces that are energy efficient by reducing energy consumption through HVAC control, lighting, and shading, at the same level of comfort and further optimized. We have to offer increased flexibility and adaptability of the systems and create spaces that are safe for everyone, and we need to provide ease of monitoring and controlling the technology. We already see technology that is currently successfully used in both segments, and we expect these to converge even more in the future. Our commitment to open technologies and industry interoperability standards is ongoing. In November 2023, we announced a new global agreement to jointly deliver integrated, holistic building automation, reliable energy distribution, and energy management solutions with Samsung C&T. This will extend our portfolio for commercial and large residential developments to the property management level.
The deal signals an intention to integrate holistic building solutions, such as Samsung C&T’s Homeniq smart home platform, the ABB-free@home® system and the ABB i-bus KNX that can significantly widen potential home and building services under one property management tool. This is important because it will allow building residents to control all Samsung C&T and ABB smart home devices from a single user interface. This partnership is a good example of how, when able to choose between the Homeniq app, the ABB-free@home® app and ABB wall panels, the new ability to manage and monitor all energy grid systems within properties can lower connection charges by reducing power peaks and accelerate return on investment from photovoltaic (PV) equipment.
The acquisition of Eve in June 2023 is also a testament to our commitment to industry standards and positioned us as a leader in Matter and Thread technology. Eve is a pioneer in applying the new Matter connectivity standard for smart home products in residential homes and buildings with connectivity through Thread technology. Importantly, the acquisition meets accelerating demand for safe, smart, and sustainable retrofitting of buildings. This makes the management of energy, security, and comfort in existing homes easier and more accessible to even more of our customers through flawless integration.
Eve had already begun bringing Thread technology to Eve smart home devices three years ago and today offers customers free over-the-air updates to Matter. Over time, Eve products will become increasingly interoperable with ABB’s smart home systems, such as ABB-free@home®. This means that installers will be increasingly enabled to up-sell different home automation solutions.
Learn more about ABB and Eve
At ABB Smart Buildings we aim to enhance people’s quality of life by equipping the buildings of the future with products, solutions and services that drive energy efficiency and sustainability. Whether it’s new or existing single-family homes, multi-dwellings, or commercial and industrial buildings, ABB is driven by a spirit of partnership and collaboration, supported by a reputation for open and scalable digital solutions and intelligent technologies. Lucy Han is the Executive Vice President for Building and Home Automation Solutions at ABB. She is also a member of the KNX Association Executive Board. She has over 20 years’ experience of sales, strategy, and product management in the building automation industry, with a career to date that has spanned across China and Switzerland.