School: Lighting control with PlanoCentro KNX Presence Detectors
Students and teachers probably fail to see the flush-mounted presence detectors – but they will feel the benefits: Its square detection area provides perfect coverage in rooms and absolutely reliable lighting control in the classrooms.
PlanoCentro KNX – The invisible solution with the large detection area
The new Säntishalle, designed by architects Michael Meier and Marius Hug, makes an impression at first sight with its modern architecture. A closer look reveals that the building technology to be absolutely contemporary: Working in harmony with the KNX building system control, the award-winning PlanoCentro KNX presence detector ensures presencedependent and energyefficient lighting control. The Säntishalle school building in Arbon was officially handed over after a construction period of just 15 months. The Säntisbau has four modern classrooms with adjoining common rooms above a bright, inviting and large gymnasium. The multipurpose room in the main building has room for largescale events such as concerts, plays and briefing sessions organised by the education authority. Next to the spacious foyer, there is a cafeteria, where the school offers organised lunches.
Almost invisible technology
The modern architecture of the Säntishalle also requires state-of-the-art solutions in building technology. All the lights are integrated into the ceilings to make the ceiling as discrete as possible. Visible elements have been painted with special RAL paints to make them appear almost invisible. In terms of visual effects, presence detectors are one of those building components that architects would ideally like to make invisible. The extremely flat PlanoCentro KNX presence detector from ThebenHTS brings this target much closer: Installed flush to the ceiling, it fits in perfectly with the architecture. Moreover, the larger than normal detection area means less detectors have to be installed on the ceiling. Only one presence detector per classroom was needed in the Säntishalle. The technical benefits of the PlanoCentro KNX also speak for themselves. The detection area is square and thereby matches typical room layouts. It covers an area of up to 100 square metres. This makes it the first presence detector on the market to combine an extremely flat design with such a large detection area.
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| With its sensitive detection capability, the PlanoCentro guarantees individually-tailored and energy-effi cient lighting and climate control. |
Comfort and energy-efficiency
Demands for intelligent and energy-effi cient building services engineering makes it essential for rooms to be lit, ventilated and heated when they are being used. The use of a room dictates the setting of the PlanoCentro. The presence detectors in the corridors are set to fully automatic: The lights only come on when required. The presence detectors are operated in semiautomatic mode in the classrooms to allow the teachers and pupils to choose the lighting themselves. If the light is still on at the end of a lesson, it will switch off on its own after a set length of time. Moreover, if the room is briefly occupied, the detector will reduce the time delay itself.
Choice of functions as required
The PlanoCentro KNX is confi gured by the system integrator using the ETS4. A wide range of intelligent, energy-saving applications are available. For example, two independent brightness thresholds make it possible to set different brightness levels for weekdays and weekends. The threshold can be set on site using the caretaker's touch panel according to the prevailing brightness level. An integrated infrared receiver also makes it possible to control the room remotely. Daniel Schär, projectmanager and systemintegrator at ETAVIS Grossenbacher, uses the SendoPro remote control for an easy set-up. This enables the parameters to be adjusted efficiently and easily on the spot or the option of the installed ThebenHTS presence detector.
References (pdf
“Lighting control with PlanoCentro KNX Presence Detectors .”
Image source: Theben HTS AG