The Smart Building Revolution

We have all witnessed the increasing pace of technological evolution and the resulting opportunities that evolution creates. Finding ways to leverage those opportunities in the connected real estate market is what “smart” buildings are all about. While the concept of a smart building – or an environment that dynamically responds and adjusts to the occupant’s needs – has existed for many years, the technology needed to make them practical arrived at a slower pace. That has changed drastically in recent years as new smart systems, applications and sensors have flooded the home improvement market. But what about the commercial space? How can we get the same level of performance from our office buildings that we get at home? One key piece of technology that has allowed many new systems to become available for commercial environments is high power Power over Ethernet, or PoE. Originally developed to support IP phones and security cameras around 20 years ago, PoE launched providing 15 watts of power making it impractical as an everyday power solution. Over time we have seen PoE grow to support 30W, 60W, and now support for 90W is on the horizon. Today, PoE can power a host of building management applications from lighting, to HVAC, to digital displays and more making the smart building revolution a practical reality. Smart Buildings Defined  So what exactly makes a building “smart”? From IoT enabled systems, sensors and analytics solutions, to dashboards offering greater control over key elements, the ability to enhance a building’s environment is the defining characteristic of smart construction. Primary goals in smart construction can vary depending on focus, whether that be improving energy management, optimizing space and use, or even boosting mood and productivity for a building’s occupants.   At its foundation, a smart environment is built on a converged infrastructure connecting data communications, security and IP systems. Traditionally, systems like  Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone, computer networks, IP security, IP door access control and wireless access points (WAPs) all run over the data network and use PoE to power any number of end-point devices. What’s new recently is the ability to expand the network to include non-traditional PoE technologies like lighting systems, environmental monitoring, IP-enabled PoE heating, air conditioning (HVAC) and ventilation controls, to name a few. There is also now an opportunity to power automation and energy management tools that help optimize the performance of all these different systems. The converged network provides a robust infrastructure enabling all of these technologies to work in concert, all the while keeping operational costs at a minimum. Meeting the Need: How Smart Buildings Help Cut Costs  In today’s hypercompetitive real estate environment it’s all about doing more with less and eliminating waste.  If you can build a commercial space that both meets those needs and yields a positive work environment, you’ve got the perfect equation. Implementing a building monitoring system that enables a positive impact in the above systems not only results in operational savings and increased productivity, but can transform a building into an in-demand property. Dynamic or automated controls of these areas can significantly reduce waste and lower costs — this applies to either new smart building projects, or retrofitting older buildings. As one of the largest annual expenses for any building, energy costs continue to be top of mind for building managers, business owners and individuals in the real estate world alike. Some examples of how smart buildings can cut energy costs include: Lighting Replacing old, outdated high voltage legacy fluorescent fixtures with modern LED solutions can reduce an electric bill by 30 to 40%.  Taking this one step further by replacing AC fixtures with digitally controlled PoE-based LEDs can more than double energy savings, with some customer reporting up to 90% savings. The human eye cannot tell the difference between fixtures with an output of 85% and fixtures with an output of 100%. While typical fluorescent fixtures can only function at 100%, smart LED fixtures can be set to 85%, instantly creating a 15% energy savings per month. Enhanced daylight harvesting algorithms can cut expenses even further while simultaneously improving the building’s overall lighting environment. Environmental Monitoring Some PoE LED fixtures have built-in occupancy sensors that integrate with a building’s HVAC system to enable dynamic environmental monitoring. If a conference room is unoccupied, or only partially occupied, lights in the unused portion of the room can automatically switch off to conserve power. At the same time, the HVAC system can adjust to heat or cool the space based on need and occupancy verses time of year. Fine-tuning these two system controls can create enormous savings year over year. Data Communication and Physical Security Infrastructure Within the last few years, building design has begun to utilize integrated data communication and physical security infrastructure. As buildings compete for occupancy, building-integrated, IP enabled data communications networks (structured cabling, copper, fiber, and associated connectivity solutions including wireless connectivity) have become standard. At the same time, building-integrated physical security (surveillance, access control, carbon monoxide monitoring and fire alarm/suppression systems) have also become necessities. Utilizing an IP-enabled data communication network manages costs making it not only possible, but practical as well. Making the "Smart" Decision  Although many of these technologies have existed for decades in some form or another – and maybe have all been integrated into the same building – they functioned as a collection of separate and distinct systems, operating independently of each other. The growth of smart building technologies, like IP enabled data communication networks, allows everything to be connected and easily controlled. Combined with that is the substantial increase in PoE wattage within the last five years, making it a suitable power delivery option for most building systems.  A secure converged building, with an integrated IP enabled data communications network allows real-time monitoring of light level, temperature, and occupancy. All equipment operates on one network, providing unmatched personal comfort to occupants who can connect their devices to lighting or heating controls, among others. Placing all devices and equipment on a single infrastructure enhances business operations while reducing expenses to achieve a secure, scalable facility. Choosing to utilize these new, converged IP networks provides a flexible migration path for future growth and allows faster, easier customer response than ever before.

Why Category 6A Should Be Your Cable of Choice

As consumer demands on networks increase, more businesses are turning to Category 6A cabling for their network infrastructure. This decision is primarily being driven by affordable price, high quality, and exceptional performance. Here are five reasons why you should choose Category 6A cable for your enterprise applications. 1. Category 6A supports all data rates up to and including 10GBASE-T.  Category 6A cable and connectors are required for installations running 10 gigabits per second at lengths up to 100 meters. Businesses today rely on data-heavy applications like video, wireless, and desktop virtualization, so it’s critical to have a network infrastructure that will support these and future applications. 2. Category 6A is becoming common. The Category 6A market grew over 20 percent in 2016 in North America and projections are that the growth will accelerate moving forward. The underlying factors for this growth are the adoption of 10GBASE-T and support for the next generation of Power over Ethernet. Category 6A has become the de facto standard for new corporate headquarters, hospitals, financial institutions, and schools. The largest application driving Category 6A and 10GBASE-T adoption is wireless access points. 3. Wireless access point speeds are accelerating. The number one driver of Category 6A in enterprise settings today is wireless access. The 802.11ac standard paved the way for the first multi-gig wireless access point, which required bandwidth greater than 1G. The data rate needs of wireless access points are increasing at a faster rate than wired Ethernet speeds. Today’s high-end access points can have a maximum speed of 6.77 Gbps, which would require a 10GBASE-T connection to operate at the highest data rate they are capable of running. TSB-162-A, Telecommunications Cabling Guidelines for Wireless Access Points, also recommends running at least Category 6A or higher cabling to all wireless access points. 4. There are no bundle limits for the next generation Power over Ethernet (PoE++) standard. The next generation PoE++ standard is increasing the maximum wattage to end devices from about 25 to 71 watts. This has caused the temperature of cables bundled together to increase significantly. Increasing the heat of the cable can cause the insertion loss of the cable to increase, leading to problems such as increased bit error rates and decreased network performance. Category 6A cables are much better at dissipating heat. This is from two factors. One is that while both Category 6 and 6A typically are 23 AWG, Category 6A uses a slightly larger 23 AWG so the wires have less resistance. The other factor is that some Category 6A cables utilize discontinuous metallic foils that surround the inner core. Because metal is a very good conductor of heat, it helps dissipate the heat in bundles. This improved thermal performance makes Category 6A the ideal solution to run the new 802.3bt PoE++ standards since they deliver up to 71 W to end devices. Category 5e and 6 cables will experience higher temperature rises with these new PoE standards. 5. 10GBASE-T provides the lowest cost per gigabit. When comparing prices per gigabit, 10GBASE-T provides a much lower total cost of ownership versus 1000BASE-T. 10GBASE-T provides 10 times the bandwidth of a 1000BASE-T port. When comparing the infrastructure costs, a Category 6A infrastructure is closer to 50 percent above that of a Category 6 infrastructure. Hence, you are getting a 10x increase in speed for only a 50 percent increase in price. The cost per gigabit is much more efficient with 10GBASE-T and Category 6A. The opinions expressed in this piece are solely Panduit’s. They do not necessarily represent WESCO’s views.

3 Options to Improve Your Healthcare Facility's Wireless Capacity

There’s no doubt that the healthcare industry is embracing mobility. A recent survey  of healthcare companies found that 65 percent of those surveyed are investing in wireless infrastructure upgrades to support the growing number of monitors, machines and devices that rely on wireless connectivity. Only 40 percent of healthcare providers say they have adequate wireless connectivity in their facilities today. For those facilities caught between needing more mobility now and the reality of budgets, construction schedules, and equipment upgrades, there are options. The NBASE-T Option Today’s networking and healthcare standards recommend Category 6a cables with 10G bandwidth for connecting wireless access points for new construction. However, 70 percent of the world’s installed cabling is only at 1G, making it obsolete for the latest access points. A new Ethernet technology, NBASE-T, is designed specifically for these types of brownfield applications. NBASE-T extends the life of installed Category 5e  and Category 6 cabling systems. An NBASE-T capable switch works with existing Category 5e  and Category 6 cabling to provide 2.5G or 5G Ethernet speeds to wireless access points. With this technology, healthcare facilities can add bandwidth and improve the capacity of their wireless network by replacing the switch and access points without having to pull new cable. This solution extends the life of your existing infrastructure for a few years until you are ready to upgrade to a 10G solution. Using a Cart Laptops, patient monitors and other clinical devices can move around a hospital on any of a wide variety of carts in the marketplace. Many times, expensive equipment is wheeled from room to room to maximize the investment. This prevents the expense of outfitting every patient or exam room with the same equipment. This model also allows healthcare providers to rely on universal rooms serving multiple types of patients, with the proper equipment wheeled into the room as needed. While it doesn’t offer the same level of convenience as wireless connectivity, a patch cable can connect equipment into a room’s RJ45 connection. Hard wiring has the added benefit of reducing security concerns that many providers – and patients – have with wireless connections. It also provides a level of reliability and bandwidth that wireless can’t always deliver. In a wired application, an adapter like Panduit’s Break-Away Adapter connects between the equipment, patch cord and wall outlet. This limits damage to both the equipment and the infrastructure if the cart is accidentally wheeled away without disconnecting the patch cord from the outlet. The adapter releases when pulling force is applied, thus protecting the equipment and the outlet. An adapter like this also helps eliminate tripping hazards for patients. According to a report from the Joint Commission, the average cost of fall-related injuries sustained in a hospital is $14,000. It can also extend the patient’s stay by six or more days. In an industry pressed to reduce costs, the more falls that can be prevented, the better. Capacity vs. Coverage There are two approaches to installing or upgrading wireless technology within a facility. With 100 percent coverage, all areas of the healthcare facility have wireless access. With capacity, wireless availability extends beyond 100 percent to fully support the ever-increasing number of wireless devices competing for bandwidth on the wireless network. You may find that some areas of your facility demand more capacity and warrant the immediate investment in a 10G infrastructure. At the same time, an upgrade plan can be developed to extend capacity in other areas where the added bandwidth isn’t as critical today. Finding the Right Option For the most cost-effective, highest-performing wireless network, the easy answer is a Category 6a copper cabling system. This system provides sufficient bandwidth to meet the needs of access points for the foreseeable future. However, when an immediate upgrade isn’t an option, look at one of these alternatives to buy some time while still improving wireless connectivity. The opinions expressed in this piece are solely Panduit's. They do not necessarily represent WESCO’s views.