The recording of data is an important tool for companies to effectively manage a building. Data, such as room temperature, can be used to detect changes in the building or to ensure that energy is used efficiently. If there are unexpected outliers in the values, this indicates a problem that might otherwise have gone unnoticed.

There’s a wide range of reasons why a company might need to record data. In this Use Case, we would like to show you how easy data recording with Loxone is and how you can pass on the data collected, to servers for processing for example. Giving you intelligent BMS data and statistics logging.

Solution: Using Loxone to log BMS data and statistics

With Loxone there are numerous ways to record data and display statistics, and even to send them via e-mail for example.

The data collected can be stored on the SD card of the Miniserver or on external servers.

The statistics, e.g. on room temperature, can be displayed in a graph in the Loxone App using the Intelligent Room Controller Function Block. Allowing the heating and cooling curves of rooms to be easily displayed.

With the NFC Code Touch, any access to the building can be recorded – which, from a security perspective, is important for companies. If there’s a fire, for example, it is possible to check who’s currently in the building. To achieve this, logging can be activated in the Authentication NFC Code Touch Function Block. To record data to an external log, you can enter the address for this in the Logger properties from the periphery tree in Loxone Config. If the address is left empty, the standard log on the Miniserver will be used (def.log)

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• NFC Code Touch

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider Loxone for BMS data and statistics logging?

Data is important to run a business successfully and also to manage a building efficiently. With Loxone your customers will be able to record, visualize and view a wide range of data at any time.

Data can also be helpful for maintenance. Downtime can be reduced and operations can be continued without restrictions.

Recorded access control is a massive help when it comes to security. In the event of a fire, for example, your customer can immediately check who is in the building.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post BMS Data and Statistics Logging appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

As a child, snow is one of the most exciting things you can experience. However, sadly, in adult life, it can be quite an inconvenience and even a danger.

Snow, and the resulting black ice, bring about an exponentially increased risk of falling. Especially on your own driveways, pavement, terraces etc. as these have lower footfall and hence the snow/black ice is not cleared.

There are usually two options here. Option 1 – simply do nothing and hope that no one hurts themselves. Option 2 – reach for your shovel and manually scrape the snow/ice away. However, what if we told you there was an option 3 – one that combines the convenience of option 1 with the safety of option 2? Well, option 3 is an automated driveway ice melt system.

However, it gets even better. With Loxone, not only can your driveway ice melt system be automated based on whether or not there is snow. We can go one step further and activated the system before the first snowflake has even landed – ensuring that none of the snow settles at all. We’ll show you how to set that up in this Use Case.

Solution: Using Loxone to create a driveway ice melt system.

To create an effective driveway ice melt system you’ll need a heating mat, Temperature & Humidity Sensor and an accurate weather forecast – from the Loxone Weather Service, for example.

The heating system will be activated under the following conditions:

• If the outdoor temperature is below 3° C and humidity is detected
• If the outside temperature is below 3° C and rain or snowfall is predicted within the next 30 minutesOf course, the system can also be activated manually through the Loxone App.

After activation, the temperature and humidity will continue to be monitored. The driveway ice melt system will be switched off when the conditions for its activation are no longer met – i.e. the temperature rises above 3° C.

If the system was activated manually, it will be automatically switched off after 12 hours.

Note: To get the best results the Temperature & Humidity Sensor must be placed as close to the ground as possible.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• Weather Service (included for 10 years when using the Loxone Weather Station)
• Temperature & Humidity Sensor
• Weather Station Tree (alternative)

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider implementing a driveway ice melt system?

An automated driveway ice melt system reduces the risk of slipping on snow/ice. It will automatically ensure that the worries that come along with snow are a thing of the past. It will also reduce the time and effort of manually scraping the snow up.

In a commercial environment, where you have a duty-of-care a driveway ice melt system can automatically take away one of your worries. It could also save you the costs of paying someone to removed the snow/ice for you.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Driveway Ice Melt System appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

We’ve all been there, our last appointment overrun and now we have a conference in the meeting room – but it’s not ready.

Now you’ve got to frantically prepare the meeting room – start the projector or set the TV up, close the blinds or curtains, set the lights amongst other things. This is time which would be better spent preparing yourself for the meeting, rather than the room.

With Loxone, it’s possible to set up intelligent meeting room automation to ensure that all of these tasks are automatically done for you.

Solution: Using Loxone to create meeting room automation.

As soon as the “Conference Mode” is activated, either through a tap on a Touch Switch or via the Loxone App, the Miniserver takes care of a range of tasks:

• The lighting is dimmed to the desired level
• The room temperature will be kept at a comfortable level
• Any ventilation will be set to ensure that the noise is minimised
• The projector will start and be set to the correct channel
• The screen will automatically move into position
• The blinds will be set to provide suitable levels of natural light in the room

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• IR Control Air
• RS232 Extension (optional)
• RS485 Extension (optional)

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider implementing meeting room automation?

Wouldn’t it be great if you could implement meeting room automation and all the steps necessary for a meeting were done automatically? Time is money, especially in business and meeting room automation is a time saver.

Start projectors, close blinds and curtains, dim lights and much more. All the small steps that add up and cost valuable time.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Meeting Room Automation appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

Vertical and horizontal shading systems have a lot in common. Both come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And, thanks to Loxone, both can be intelligently controlled to give you horizontal or vertical blind automation.

When used intelligently, blinds can help keep rooms pleasantly cool in summer by reducing solar gains. On the flip side, in the winter, they can help to heat rooms by letting in as much sunlight as possible.

While automation of horizontal blinds is now fairly common, their vertical counterparts have been left behind in this regard. However, as far as we can see, there isn’t a reason for this. Automation of vertical blinds could be just as effective as automating horizontal blinds.

As horizontal blinds are far more common, vertical blinds tend to only be used in custom applications – this usually results in them being installed in larger buildings with bigger windows such as schools and offices. In this Use Case, we’ll show you how to use Loxone to set up vertical blind automation.

Solution: Using Loxone for vertical blind automation.

By setting up vertical blind automation with Loxone, you increase energy-efficiency and maximise privacy levels – regardless of where the system is installed.

Correctly setting the geo-coordinates and window positions will allow the Miniserver to always know which windows are currently in direct sunlight – as it knows when sunrise and sunset are.

With this information in mind, the system can react according to the desired outcome – i.e is the room in question currently too cold or too hot. If a room is too cold, for example, the vertical blinds can be opened to let in sunlight in an attempt to passively heat the room.

If the system is in Automatic Shading Mode, then a compromise between sun protection and the best possible view of outside will be sought.

When using horizontal blinds, the height of the sun is a very important factor. However, when it comes to vertical blinds, the direction of the sun (measured in degrees) is far more important.

To get the most out of a vertical shading system, the vertical slates must be able to adapt depending on the direction of the sun’s rays.

By using a Nano 2 Relay we can achieve exactly that.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• Nano 2 Relay Tree

Tip: Thanks to Loxone Air technology, even an existing system can be easily automated without much of a cabling effort.

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider vertical blind automation?

An intelligent shading system can provide great levels of comfort and high-level energy efficiency – whether that’s in a traditional family home, a school, an office, or anywhere else.

Automation of horizontal blinds is becoming ever more common – so why wouldn’t you set up vertical blind automation? There really isn’t much difference. In fact, with vertical blinds (normally) being used for larger windows the benefits of having an intelligent system could actually be even greater.

An automated vertical blind system offers a wide variety of functionality – including sun protection, passive heating, protection of privacy, heat protection, reduced glare and much more.

With Loxone you can implement vertical blind automation that takes care of all of these requirements.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Vertical Blind Automation appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

Air conditioning units are becoming ever more common in commercial buildings, such as offices. Their primary function is, of course, to keep the building cool during the hotter months (or weeks in the UK). However, usually, these air conditioners are stand-along systems – which are often controlled through a panel on the wall or remote control. If they’re needed they have to be manually be switched on and then switched off again. Essentially they’re not very smart. In this Use Case, we’ll show you how to tie your air conditioner into a wider, holistic system – giving you a smart air conditioner.

Solution: Using Loxone to create a smart air conditioner.

With Loxone, there’s a variety of ways to integrate a range of different air conditioners. In our example, the air conditioner is being addressed via RTU. However, you could also use our IR Controller Air to control the air conditioner through infrared. Regardless of what method of communication is used, it’s important to read the manufacture of the air conditioner’s recommendations.

The “Intelligent Room Controller” Function Block is not only for controlling heating as it also has dedicated cooling outputs.  Again, depending on the air conditioner being used, this can be done in a variety of ways. In this Use Case, we can specify a target temperature for the air conditioner. This is done through the AQt output.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• Modbus Extension

Sample file:

Coming Soon!

Why you and your customer should consider implementing a smart air conditioner?

By commissioning a smart air conditioner – which works as a piece of a wider, wholesale solution – you make the building far more efficient. Both heating and cooling can be set from directly in the Loxone App – no more competing systems. This is a great feature as, now, regardless of the desired temperature, it can simply be set within the Loxone App.

Also, schedules can be set up and the building can be placed into pre-defined modes – such as Comfort Temperature, Economy Temperature, or Frost & Overheat Protection. Increasing the building’s energy-efficiency.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Smart Air Conditioner appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

If you’ve worked in an office you’ll know there’s normally constant debate as to whether the office is too hot or too cold.

Let’s paint the picture, it’s a hot day outside so the air conditioning has been turned on in the office. It’s a great temperature for some people however, for others it’s way too cold. To avoid the conflict, they might simply open a window near them to let some of the outside heat in.

Problem solved for them. However, now we have an air conditioning system which is, quite literally, throwing both energy and money out of the window. To avoid this complete waste, it would be sensible if there was smart air conditioner control – in this Use Case we’ll show you how to set that up using Loxone.

Solution: Using Loxone to commission smart air conditioner control.

In order to create smart air conditioner control, the system needs to know if any windows or doors are open. To achieve this you can simply use a Door & Window Contact Air. In Loxone Config, this is then connected to the air conditioning system via the ‘lw’ input on the “Room Ventilation Controller” Function Block. If a window is opened, the air conditioning will be deactivated.

We have used a “Switch-On Delay” block, to ensure that the air con is only turned off when a window has actually been left open rather than temporarily opened. Only when the window has been open for longer than 30 seconds will the air conditioning be switched off.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• Door & Window Contact Air

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider implementing smart air conditioner control?

The thermoregulatory centre of the human brain is located in the hypothalamus – deep inside the brain. There where unconscious body functions are controlled and regulation mechanisms take place.

When it is cold, the hypothalamus and thyroid gland are stimulated to increase metabolic rate and produce more heat. However, this process does not happen in the same way for all people. Weight, sex, age and stress levels are just some of the factors that influence this very complicated biological process.

The result, however, is anything but complicated; windows are opened. In combination with an active air conditioning system, this leads to unnecessary costs. This Use Case can help to minimize these costs.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Smart Air Conditioner Control appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

Everyday things that many people take for granted often cause difficulties for people with impaired hearing. This starts with simple things, such as not hearing the doorbell, and goes on to more serious things, such as not hearing a fire alarm. To ensure that deaf people can live an independent life a solution must be found to make sure that they’re still made aware of alarms and doorbells.

So in order to set up an alarm for deaf people, we need to convert audible signals into visual signals. In this Use Case, we use the lighting to visually signify alerts such as doorbells, fire and water alarms.

Solution: Using Loxone to commission an alarm for deaf people.

In order to be able to use the lighting as an alarm for deaf people, RGBW-capable lighting must be used. It’s important that this is implemented in every room or alerts could be missed. If there isn’t currently RGBW lighting installed, some LED Strip and an RGBW 24V Compact Dimmer Air is a perfect retrofit option.

Our example has been configured as follows:
The doorbell signal, which can come either from the Intercom, NFC Code Touch or digital input, is connected to the (A) input of the Lighting Controller via the “Bell” Function Block.

The “Retractive Switch” Function Block limits the pulse on the doorbell to a few seconds.
Input A (alarm) now causes the light to flash with white light. After the doorbell signal, the lighting mood reverts back to whatever was previously set.

If a Fire or Water Alarm is now triggered by a Smoke Detector Air or Water Sensor Air, a “Pulse Generator” is used to generate a flashing signal. These two flashing signals are connected to the Lighting Controller via a “Memory Flag”.

Two dedicated lighting scenes have been created for this purpose.

Red = Fire Alarm

Blue = Water Alarm

Your customers are thus immediately visually made aware of the current alarm status.
If the alarms are acknowledged, the lighting is centrally set to 100%. This is important in order to determine and locate the potential danger.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• RGBW lighting controlled by the Miniserver
  • LED Spots RGBW Tree
  • LED Ceiling Light RGBW
  • RGBW 24V Compact Dimmer + LED Strip
• Doorbell
  • Intercom
  • NFC Code Touch
• Smoke Detector Air
• Water Sensor Air

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider implementing an alarm for deaf people?

The aim of this intelligent solution is to give people with a hearing impairment more independence and above all more security in everyday life. Automation technology can make an important contribution to enabling people with hearing impairments to live more independently and safely in their own homes.

Unlike cameras, GPS trackers or similar, Loxone works discreetly in the background. Thus, it not only provides a higher level of security but also creates a good feeling!

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Alarm for Deaf People appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

Light influences many aspects of our lives. Among other things, it also influences our circadian rhythm – which is an internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle.

To put it very simply: when it is light we feel awake, when it is dark we are tired. However, it’s not only the amount of light that is important as the colour of that light also plays a crucial role.

At dawn, there is a rather bluish light atmosphere – preparing our brain for a day full of activity. On the other hand, sunset – with it’s warm (almost orange) tones – signals the body to that it might be time to rest.

We can make use of this natural phenomenon in a Loxone project by imitating the different light conditions – creating artificial circadian rhythm light. This has positive effects on the mind, body and soul.

Solution: Using Loxone to create circadian rhythm light.

We can imitate the different natural lighting conditions within a day with different lighting scenes.

In the morning, a light scene containing a higher blue light content is used for this purpose. It prepares us for the day. In the evening we use a scene with a more of a red/orange tone. This has a rather calming effect and prepares us for an early sleep.

The positive effect can be further intensified by using different light intensities.

For example, we can wake up in the morning with a subtly blue lighting mood that slowly fades – similar to a natural sunrise. In terms of our circadian rhythm, this is the perfect start to the day.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• LED Lights

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider implementing circadian rhythm light.

Light is important for us. The seasons prove this every year with the existence of disorders such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), in which people feel more depressed in the winter months. Even if we are lucky enough to not suffer with things such as SAD, we’re usually fitter, in a better mood and more concentrated as soon as the days get brighter and longer again in spring.

This makes it clear that we do not only need light to see well. Light also regulates our internal clocks – the circadian rhythm. This complicated system coordinates all bodily functions in a 24-hour cycle.

By creating artificial circadian rhythm light, we can benefit from these effects.

For example, light with a high blue concentration in the morning ensures that the production of melatonin is effectively suppressed allowing cortisol to wake us up. Evening light with more of a red/orange tint, on the other hand, promotes the production of melatonin. It makes us tired and decelerates the bodily functions in order to promote a good night’s sleep.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Circadian Rhythm Light appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

Many people in the UK enjoy having a caravan. They can offer a great way to holiday in multiple locations while keeping some level of familiarity – they can even make a permanent home. However, when used as a holiday home, caravans are often left unattended when they’re not being used. If there are personal belongings on board this can cause a certain level of anxiety and worry.

A caravan monitoring system would help alleviate some of this fear as you’ll be able to remotely check whether doors or windows are open, for example. That is just one of many benefits of having a caravan monitoring system – in this Use Case, we’ll show you how to set up such a system using Loxone…

Solution: Using Loxone to create a caravan monitoring system

Loxone is an extremely versatile system. Thanks to our powerful hardware and incredibly flexible software, our solution is suitable for a range of special applications such as creating a caravan monitoring system.

A Miniserver on its own would provide intelligent lighting control using its built-in relays. Door & Window Contacts will then allow you to check the status of any, you guessed it, doors and windows – regardless of where you are in the world. If the caravan has a motorised awning, this can also be automatically controlled using Loxone.

When the caravan is locked, the lights go out automatically, any awnings are retracted and the owner receives confirmation from the system that all doors are closed and the system is in All Out Mode.

Anything that has been automated by Loxone is displayed in the Loxone App and can be controlled from there if necessary (even remotely). A Touch Switch or Remote Air could also be used to give intuitive control of the caravan monitoring system.

If something is amiss, the Miniserver sends a push notification. If the owner would rather be contacted by phone, this is possible via the Caller Service.

Important:

To control the van via the Loxone App, a 4G router is needed, to enable an external connection. If this kind of router is not available and therefore there is no local connection, it is not possible to communicate with the van. However, notifications will still be received.

For the power supply, a transformer is needed to convert the 12V from the caravan to the 24V for the Miniserver.

In this example, we’ve used Loxone Air – a wireless technology. However, hard wiring this system would also be possible using Loxone Tree – depending on requirements and conditions.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• Air Base Extension
• RGBW 24V Dimmer Air
• Motion Sensor Air
• Door & Window Contact Air
• Smoke Detector Air
• Remote Air (optional)
• Touch Air (optional)

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider implementing a caravan monitoring system?

A caravan is a big investment. You or your customers want to be able to enjoy it however, it should also be protected. With Loxone, it’s possible to configure an intelligent caravan monitoring system. This system will automatically take care of fundamental features such as lighting however, it will also enable remote monitoring of security features such as the status of the doors and windows – giving incredible peace of mind when away from the caravan. One of the many great things about Loxone is that it’s extremely flexible – meaning that you can expand the system at any time should any other functionality be needed.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Caravan Monitoring System appeared first on ENEN Loxone.

Fresh herbs, salad and vegetables: indoor gardening can be great! Growing your own food is becoming increasingly popular. However, to ensure a good harvest, the plants must be well cared for, especially indoors.

If the plants are provided with sufficient lighting, the right amount of water and the correct temperature, the risk of failure is reduced. However, it can be quite challenging to consistently meet these demands. Hence a plant monitoring and control system would make life much easier.

Solution: Using Loxone to create an intelligent plant monitoring and control system.

With the help of the Loxone Miniserver, you can create an intelligent plant monitoring and control system, meaning that many indoor gardening related tasks can be easily monitored and/or automated. Therefore increasing the chances of a successful yield.

Plants can only thrive if they get enough light. To help with this, there are special plant LED lamps. These can be controlled, for example, via an RGBW 24V Compact Dimmer Air. However, it is not simply a case of providing the plants with light – the amount of time the plant is exposed to light must also be monitored and controlled. This can be individually adjusted to the specific plants’ needs with the help of the “Schedule” Function Block.

In addition to sufficient lighting, the plants must be provided with the right temperature and humidity. With the Room Comfort Sensor Air, these values can be recorded precisely. If the temperature is too low, for example, a heating mat can be controlled via a digital output on the Miniserver to provide the necessary heat. Within Loxone Config, this is implemented with the help of the “Intelligent Room Control” Function Block. If the air humidity or the temperature is too high, a fan takes care of regulating this. In our example, we’ve used the “Room Ventilation Controller” Function Block for this.

Certain plants are very sensitive and require a very precise soil pH value. The current pH value is measured with a sensor from a third party supplier. If the pH value deviates from the pre-defined value, your customers will be informed immediately through a push notification.

Last but not least, plants need enough water to grow and thrive. This process can also be easily automated with the Miniserver. If the moisture levels in the soil fall below a certain value (which can be selected by your customer), a solenoid valve is opened via a digital output on the Miniserver and the plants are supplied with water.

Hardware:

• Loxone Miniserver
• Room Comfort Sensor
• RGBW 24V Compact Dimmer Air
• Fan (third-party supplier)
• Ph-sensor (third party)
• Soil moisture sensor (Third Party)
• Solenoid valve (third party)
• LED lighting for plants (third-party supplier)

Configuration:

Download the sample file:

Why you and your customer should consider having a plant monitoring and control system?

With the help of the Miniserver, you can implement an intelligent plant monitoring and control system. This will save your customers a lot of manual work and also allow for a longer period of time away from the plants.

Through the precise monitoring of temperature, humidity and pH-value, your customers’ plants will enjoy the best of health which will give your customers a high-yielding harvest.

More Use Cases in this series

• Energy Meter 3-Phase Tree
• Energy Meter 1-Phase Tree
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Client
• Satellite Speaker IP64 Master

The post Plant Monitoring and Control System appeared first on ENEN Loxone.