ControlTalk NOW for week ending June 26, 2016 takes a deeper dive into Realcomm/IBcon 2016 with Marc Petock joining us as co-host. Our first special guest was Intelligent Buildings’ Co-founder, Intelligent Buildings, Tom Shircliff, who shares his insight into some of the new technologies displayed at the show — soon to impact the industry, and the increased emphasis on water. Cyber security must be elevated to an organization’s highest priority, and physical measures, often overlooked, are of extreme importance to an effective cyber security program.

Our next guest was Jeff Houpt, President and CEO at Automation Integrated, LLC, (AI) one of the premiere Master Systems Integrators in the country. The age of Analytics is upon us, in the very real sense, because analytics are the currency of the future that will provide so much value to the property managers. AI is launching Blue Forge its latest IoT application, which will change the analytic landscape.

Our next guest was Shaun Klann, Executive Vice President, ‎Intelligent Buildings. Shaun clarified that the least expensive tenant to acquire is an existing tenant, and that by extended environmental control to occupants will enhance and improve their user experience.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast for week ending June 19, 2016 continues its coverage of the 2016 Niagara Summit with interviews from Vendors Showcase featuring Blue Ridge Technology’s Bill Dunkleberger, Tridium’s Emily Weisenesale, DGLogik’s Arthur Alter, OME Engineering’s Rick Warner, Contemporary Controlss George Thomas, KMC’s Richard Newberry, Lynxspring’s Chris Ryan, and MRSoluciones’ Alfredo Melnik and Carlos Roman. Don’t miss ACI’s Barry “Flash” Gordon inaugural training event and DOE’s investment of $10 Million towards Efficient Lighting Research and Development.

Free Training from ACI This Wednesday. Our friend Barry ” Flash” Gordon will be sharing his knowledge about ACI current sensors and switches. This is the first in a series of monthly training sessions from the control pros at ACI, so be sure to check it out. Mark your calendar for Wednesday (6/15) morning at 9 a.m. CST. Just click on this link on the 15th.

Energy Department Invests More than $10 Million in Efficient Lighting Research and Development. Building on the new commitments to the Global Lighting Challenge announced last week during the Clean Energy Ministerial, the Energy Department is announcing funding for nine research and development projects that will support solid-state lighting (SSL) core technology research, product development, and manufacturing research and development.

Tridium’s Emily Weisensale Shines the Spotlight on Tridium’s Niagara Marketplace. Emily Weisensale, Product Manager for the Niagara Marketplace, updates the ControlTrends Community on the growth of Tridium’s newest innovation — the Niagara Marketplace — a groundbreaking website that connects businesses looking to harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT), with the experts who make it happen.

BlueRidge Technologies Lights Up The Niagara Summit Product Showcase with a New Product. We caught up with our friend Bill Dunkleberger from Blue Ridge Technologies at the 2016 Vendor Showcase. Bill and his team provide a very powerful and easy to use lighting solution. Blue Ridge has developed an approach called Unified Lighting Control. 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.

Arthur Alter Previews DGLogik’s Project Assist 2.0: Making the Invisible Visible — Affordably. So what are you going to do with all that data that you can pump out of Niagara N4? How are you going to get it in a format that is easy to see, easy to understand, easy to normalize, easy to install, and easy to customize, at a cost that is easy on the budget? The “Men in Black” aka the DGLogik team have the products and answers to these questions, and they were out in full force at the 2016 Niagara Product Showcase. Take a look at their updated Project Assist 2.0.

Rick Warner “Insights from the Innovator” at the 2016 Niagara Summit. Always a ControlTrends favorite and provider of industry innovation and insight, Rick Warner, PE, LEED BC&D, CEM, DCEP, CXA, EBCP, President & Owner of OME Engineering, aka, The Innovator, shares a few of his takeaways from the 2016 Niagara Summit.

Contemporary Controls Distributor News, June 2016 — The BASautomation Force is Growing! George Thomas and the team at Contemporary Controls have developed one of the most powerful, open Building Automation Systems available in the BAS world — and with its continued investments in next-gen production, technical support, and marketing collateral, Contemporary Controls will keep growing its North American and global markets.

KMC Converges on the 2016 Niagara Summit. What do Dell and Intel have in common? Among other things they both are partners with KMC and the New Commander Smart Buildings Control System that is designed to win the “Race to the Small Space.” The Race to the Small Space is a term Kenny and I coined to describe the building automation control solutions, that companies, like KMC, are designing to provide affordable energy management and controls solutions for the over 5 million buildings in the United States that do not have energy management control systems.

Niagara Around the World: Alfredo Melnik and Carlos Roman from Mexico City. Smart Building and Building Automation Controls is taking off in Mexico. With the Building Automation and Smart Buildings Controls Market projected to reach upward of 55 Billion dollars by 2020, Mexico is poised to play a prominent role in this growth. In fact, Mexico’s most populous city, has been selected for the Ciudad Creativa Digital (CCD) smart-city development project, and is just one of the many Smart Building/ Smart City/ Smart Home initiatives in

Founder and president George Thomas demonstrates Contemporary Control’s updates product portfolio that he and his team make for the systems integrators across the globe. Contemporary Controls designs and manufactures the system building blocks for networking, integrating, and controlling automation processes where performance and reliability are critical. Contemporary Controls’ products are built upon open technologies such as ARCNET®, BACnet®, Controller Area Network (CAN), Ethernet, Modbus®, Niagara Framework®, Sedona Framework, and are typically found in building and industrial automation industries.

Richard McElhinney Presents Airmasters’ Plant Pro at 2016 Niagara Summit. We caught up with Richard McElhinney from Airmasters. Richard gives an in-depth demo of Plant Pro’s alluring and efficient chiller plant optimization controller. Richard McElhinney is a leading systems integrator from “down under” and our “unofficial official” ControlTrends correspondent. A veteran of many campaigns, Richard is a valuable source of information on the trends impacting building automation and the future of Smart Buildings.

Lynxspring’s Chris Ryan Flexes Integration Knowledge at the 2016 Niagara Summit. While the potential for using data to improve energy and operational efficiencies is significant, the difficulty of organizing and understanding the data can be challenging. One of the challenges of working with data is it can be very hard to organize and use across different applications. It is stored in different formats, has inconsistent naming conventions and lacks information to describe what it means.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast for week ending June 12, 2016 features a rather deep and dark Cyber Security update from Fred Gordy, and an enlightening interview with Automated Buildings’ Ken Sinclair discussing his June edition; next, a look at new technology with Cisco’s Digital Ceiling and Optigo Networks’ solution to eliminate BACnet complexity; Lynxspring and SkyFoundry offer a combo webinar on Data and Analytics; Functional Devices released a pre-enclosed panel; and don’t miss out on Neptronic’s special product sample offering — available through ControlTrends!

Cyber Security Expert Fred Gordy Waives the Cyber Security Caution Flag! Censys Device Search Engine Picking Up Exposed Niagara 4 — Wake Up! Thanks once again to Intelligent Buildings’ Director of Cyber Security, Fred Gordy, who keeps the global ControlTrends Community and systems integrators current with his Cyber Security updates. Fred is calling for the widest dissemination of this information possible, and for responsible parties, at every level to take immediate actions to eliminate their exposure and safeguard their building against eminent attack. Fred Gordy: “I did a cursory search using Censys device search engine of building control systems and the first systems to pop up were Niagara 4 systems.”

Cisco’s Digital Ceiling WILL Change the Way You Do Smart Building Controls. Building Automation Systems Integrators, meet your new BAS partner — Cisco. That’s right, Cisco. Cisco just might be your new front end, and the ceiling in the building you are working in, right now, might be your new junction box to the future. The lighting world is evolving from the analog world to the digital world and soon, those lights connected to the network, not just for a data path, but also for power, will have temperature, occupancy, and daylight harvesting sensors in them — that will finally bridge the gap between building automation and connected lighting control.

ControlTalk NOW Interview with Ken Sinclair, owner and editor of Automated Buildings. Always an informative experience, Ken Sinclair reviews Automated Buildings’ June theme of Measured Variables; Health, Wellbeing, & Productivity. More insight into HVAC by engineers and HVAC by Behavioral Experts that are driving the $3-$30-$300 metrics, and the realization that the most promising potential value lies in building wellness that leads to greater productivity, greater tenant retention, and less absenteeism. Also, understanding the benefit differences between digital ceilings versus the 24 VDC ceiling (Edison wins the current war after all, though Tesla has scheduled a return bout) and much more!

30 Minutes with Lynxspring Webinar Series — Data and Analytics by Lynxspring and SkyFoundry. 30 Minutes with Lynxspring Webinar Series Presents: Data and Analytics. The next “30 Minutes with Lynxspring,” our monthly webinar series featuring Lynxspring subject-matter experts and special guests, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 15th at 12:00 PM CDT. This month’s installment looks at Data and Analytics. Data and analytics are changing the way companies in EVERY industry do business and manage business. And yes, it is changing ours — it’s changing the way buildings and facilities are managed and operated.

Optigo — The New Way to Cut through BACnet Complexity. As IoT continues to intersect with the Smart Buildings Controls Industry, more and more new players are showing up in our space with proven solutions that will work well in our applications. Ken and I had the chance to connect with just such a company, Optigo Networks. We had the privilege of speaking with their CEO Pook-Ping Yao. We were very impressed with Ping and his product solutions. Check out the video below to see the elegance and efficiency of the of the Optigo Connect network solution.

A Special Offer From Neptronic at the 2016 Niagara Summit. We had a chance to catch up with Biagio Delorenzio and Luis Melgares from Neptronic at the 2016 Niagara Summit. Great stuff from our innovative friends in Canada. As you can see in the video, the TUCB is a very flexible universal wall mount controller with built-in temperature sensor and scheduler. The unit is designed for simple and accurate control of a heat pump or other heating/cooling equipment. Its field configurable algorithms enable versatile implementation of required control sequences. but what is even more impressive is the new TRLG 24. The TRLG 24 takes al that is good about the TUCB and adds an on board humidity and CO2 sensor.

Functional Devices — Innovation at the Panel Level. Nick Walker at the 2016 Niagara Summit Vendor Show. Functional Devices — Innovation at the Panel Level 2016 Niagara Summit Vendor Show. Nick Walker, Strategic Account Manager for Functional Devices walks the ControlTrends Community through the new MHP pre-enclosed enclosure series that features a 100 VA (or (2) 100 VA) transformers along with with a convenience outlet and a polymetal or perforated back drop. Functional Devices products are a contractors’ best friend — offering savings in installation time and money for all of your building automation projects.

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ControlTalk NOW — Smart Buildings VideoCast and Podcast for week ending June 5, 2016 provides a full range of HVAC and Building Automation events and information, beginning with the Roger Rebennack Experience, followed by industry updates, and interviews with SysMik’s Patrick McCurdy, BASSG’s Alper Üzmezler, sensorFact’s Matt Horton, ACI’s Mya Holzemer, Belimo Training, KMC Controls training, J2 Innovation’s FIN 4.0, Ken Sinclair’s Automated Buildings, June edition, EasyIO’s new FW14 and product road map, Brad White’s Trillion Dollar Opportunity, and Eagle Technology’s CMMS solution.

Honeywell’s Roger Rebennack Experience — held over the Memorial Holiday weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway — where over 80 Honeywell customers from all parts of North America joined Roger, Honeywell, and 350,000 racing fans for the spectacular 100th Anniversary Run of the Indy 500. This 3-day extravaganza is unrivaled, mixing the thrill of the greatest race of the year with two concerts, the Indy 500 museum, celebrities, and life-long memories. Contact your Honeywell distributor or representative today and get your engines started for next year’s Roger Rebennack Experience at the incomparable Indy 500. Special thanks to Jackson Controls for their generous assistance in helping to host this fabulous event!

SysMik — Standing at the Forefront of Technology and Innovation — Delivering Control Products for Infrastructure, Buildings, and Energy. ControlTrends had the opportunity to interview one of the most impressive manufacturers at the 2016 Niagara Summit Vendor Showcase, SysMik GmbH. An established leader of control products for over 25 years, SysMik stands at the forefront of technology and innovation. Based in Germany, SysMik products are carefully designed by their experienced engineering team and manufactured under highest quality standards.

Free Belimo Training: Sizing and Selecting Control Valves Made Easy. Learn from the Control Pros at Belimo. Danielle Breece, Product Specialist, Sales Tools: SelectPro – Sizing and Selection Made Easy. In this 30 minute webinar, you will learn about the newly enhanced SelectPro version 3.2. SelectPro allows you to quickly and accurately size and select valves, actuators, and replacement solutions. New features for this tool include: updated valve module interface, new quote generator export option & reference documents tab, the ability to save contact profiles and more! Join Danielle on Wednesday, June 8 at 1:00 EDT.

Breaking News FIN 4.0 is Here! A very cool and powerful version of FIN has hit the streets. Check out FIN 4.0 and see just how the complete BAS/BOS Framework from J2 leverages tagging and data modeling. How it implements responsive web design and a mobile first focus utilizes browser based tools and embracing the HTML5 standard, allowing full application suite functionality across all devices Fin makes it faster, easier, and better than ever before. Click here to find out more.

Get to the Edge with the New Controller from BASSG.he original “Young Gun”, Alper Üzmezler, managing partner and chief innovator at BASSG Graphics, shows us BASSG’s new Edge controller at the 2016 Niagara Summit Product showcase. This powerful little controller packs a big punch. Among other things it includes: Visualytik (HTML5 drag and drop visualization engine with block programming), EAC Engine (Optimization engine in which it will consume live, historical and analytics data and write to real-time controls), Analytics Engine, and a Sedona Realtime control engine.

Ken Sinclair’s Automated Buildings June Theme — Measured Variables: Health, Wellbeing, & Productivity. Automated Buildings’ Ken Sinclair’s June theme delivers well-explained reasons why we need to re-zero our IoT aim towards the bigger target area: “There is a “3-30-300” rule of thumb that organizations typically spend approximately $3 per square foot per year for utilities, $30 for rent, and $300 for payroll. While these figures are just archetypes, they are useful in providing an order of magnitude between the three areas of expenditure.” Seems simple enough. The growing contextualization within the space, allows for greater productivity within the space, and our driven effort to emphasize and realize greater energy savings, while not misguided, is only the tip of the value iceberg.

EasyIO’s New FW 14 Controller and Product Road Map! EasyIO — Coming to a Building Near You! The product hits from EasyIO keep coming! Magic Mike Marston (aka, Mad Mike Marston) released this EasyIO product road map featuring the FW14 Controller, with live Wiresheets, BACnet, and P2P over WiFi, to update the ControlTrends Community on what EasyIO has in store for the remainder of 2016. And see below for what’s coming in 2017! Additionally, EasyIO will be releasing these new software features for 2016: Adapter Widgets, Dashboard, Support for Amazon Echo, and Support for Blynk (Android & IPhone).

KMC Controls Training Class. On June 20-24, 2016 KMC Controls in New Paris, IN will hold a KMC Connect with TotalControl training class. The objective of this 5-day course is to provide instruction on the installation, integration, and operation of KMC Connect and TotalControl software. KMC Connect will provide configuration and operator workstation options for Building Automation Systems using KMC Conquest hardware (and earlier versions) in a BACnet environment. TotalControl provides an enterprise level connectivity and Internet accessible facility management resource for customers.

Brad White, SES Consulting’s “The Trillion Dollar Opportunity in Transforming Existing Buildings.” The $3/$30/$300 sq ft rule was the predominant theme in the June, 2016 edition of Ken Sinclair’s Automated Buildings. Brad White, SES Consulting, offers yet another compelling economic case for directing more of our efforts to the $300 variable in the equation. A 5% improvement in productivity represents a tremendous savings, while making employees more comfortable and our buildings better. Truly, an emerging trend as IoT delivers more relevant contextualization into the Building Renaissance and the Smart, Connected, and Intelligent Building formula.

Take Control of your Manufacturing Maintenance with Proteus MMX CMMS (Comprehensive Maintenance Management Software) Solution. Proteus MMX is a web-hosted maintenance management software solution which integrates asset management, maintenance management, inventory, labor and purchasing functions for improved scheduling, cost reduction, resource planning and more. This powerful solution has mobile capabilities for users who want to access CMMS software anytime, from any location. SIGN-UP FOR LIVE WEBINAR June 8th @ 10am CT.

sensorFact’s Matt Horton at the 2016 Niagara Summit: Data Acquisition Solutions for Your Building Control Sensors. Making its debut appearance at 2016 Niagara Vendor Product Showcase, sensorFact is a cloud based data acquisition and storage service for sensor data. It allows you to send sensor data from your location, through our pointCollex technology or directly to their pointCollex API, to your account in sensorFact. Once there, you can name, organize, tag, monitor, and choose which sensors whose data you want to store long-term. Further, your sensor data is available for you to share or integrate with other systems.

ACI’s Sales Engineer, Mya Holzemer at the 2016 Niagara Summit Vendor Showcase. Mya Holzemer, Sales Engineer at Automation Components, Inc., reviewed some of ACI’s new contractor-friendly products designed to deliver a better sensor solution that shortens the installation time, as well as eases the effort necessary for installation. New products featured the sensor enclosure with a hinged cover that eliminates the need ofr screws, and the WPR2 wet-wet, differential pressure transmitter, that reduces the amount of copper needed and eliminates the manifold valve assembly. Visit ACI’s product and training videos for more information!

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Another apex moment in the Smart Buildings Controls Renaissance movement, where over 1300 of the world’s top developers, programmers, building owners, engineers and executives have joined Nino DiCosmo and the Tridium staff to participate in forums, presentations and breakout sessions that will set the precedence and pace in the realm of smart, intelligent, and connected buildings. Over 300 developer partners participated in the future of Niagara 4 at the Boot Camp session. The evening Welcome Reception was kicked off in true Mardi Gras fashion with a police-escort led parade ending at the fabulous Champions Square.

Nino DiCosmo, President and General Manager, opened DAY 2 by delivering a compelling Keynote message on just how deep the technology disruption goes and his vision of the Niagara Communities’ opportunities to fully leverage technology, achieve operational excellence, and develop new revenue streams. John Sublett, Chief Technology Officer, was next up, commenting “We will be integrating the key technologies for you — that’s the power of an open system” and Pranay Prakash, Vice President, Product Marketing, followed with “Edge and cloud technologies will completely change the IoT game and we want to lead this transformation.”

See all the highlights at ControlTrends.com