Plug & Play for windows and doors

ift-Guideline EL-01engl/1 contains recommendations for electronic windows and doors

Most of us will remember the time before the arrival of ‘plug & play´ when peripherals, such as printers or projectors, would not work with your PC. Today, manufacturers of doors and windows face similar problems as they aim to integrate electronic components and electric drives into doors and windows. The installers on site face many problems: cables that are too short, wrong plugs, cable assignments not clear, different voltages – it can be hard to get the components to work. For this reason, the ift-Guideline EL-01engl/1 ‘Electronic systems in windows, doors and facades – Part 1: Guideline for the planning and design of the integration of electromechanical building elements into buildings’ makes a number of recommendations for practical designs, construction and installation of doors and windows with electronic and electromechanical components.

The use of electronic and electromechanical components is a key technology for door, window and facade manufacturers with which to meet increasing requirements for energy efficiency, user comfort, improved safety, barrier-free access and building for the elderly. Building concepts that are fit for the future call for more consumer-oriented, energy-aware and economical operation. These components and control systems must be suitable for a number of purposes and be highly flexible, as well as easy to connect to the other services in buildings.

In practice it is therefore necessary that these components communicate with the other elements of the mechanical and electrical services (M&E) such as electrical installations, heating etc., and that these are all integrated into one overall concept. In modern office buildings the use of air conditioning systems and artificial lighting can be optimised with the help of an intelligent facade in order to reduce the energy consumed by these services while, at the same time, enhancing user comfort. We also know that decentralised technical installations, such as solar shading systems, ventilation or lighting systems are increasingly installed within the building facade. Sensors for measuring parameters such as air quality, light intensity, relative humidity and temperature are available on the market and make ‘man machine interfaces’ possible.

There are not yet any standards, directives or guidelines with details for the design and implementation regarding the integration of electronic components into construction elements and for their connection to technical services. Likewise, no adequate definitions exist for interfaces with other construction trades – these two factors make it harder to plan and implement the installation of electronic components in buildings. In addition, it is necessary to address questions of construction technology to ensure that electronic components in the building envelope have a minimum resistance to the effect of moisture. Experience has shown that high IP ratings alone do not offer sufficient reliability because IP rating tests do not take into account the formation of condensate inside the components. For this reason it is necessary to carry out additional studies under alternating climates so that the durability of these components can be guaranteed.

The ift-Guideline EL-01engl/1 makes detailed recommendations for organisational and technical interfaces, for example regarding design and specification, routing of wiring, definition of points-of-connection, installation zones, marking of cables as well as notes regarding construction details, such as air-tightness, avoiding condensation and fitness for use. Most of the background information for this Guideline was established during the research project ‘Development of basic guidelines for the integration of electronic equipment in door, window and facade construction’. This research project was supported by grants from the Bavarian State Ministry for Science, Research and Art as part of the umbrella project ‘Timber construction of the future’ and was carried out in cooperation with Hochschule Biberach, Institute for Building and Energy Systems, Section for Building Automation.

This Guideline is a first step towards the standardisation of interfaces and a simple plug-and-play solution, which is a prerequisite for market penetration and applications on a broad basis.