Is cbus really useless?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by test1, Oct 22, 2019.

  1. test1

    test1

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    I picked that heading to draw attention - I'm sure its great.

    I'm on the body corp of an apartment building. Our hallway lights are on all day - hundreds of them. We have 60+ lights on in the gym all day even though its surrounded by windows and has full sun. We have been told that its too expensive to turn off the lights in the daytime. (they operate on a sensor) because we would need new equipment. How can a system not be able to turn off a room's lights in the daytime? Apparently we also need to install 50 expensive timers to turn the hall lights on 50 levels off each day. Is this really the case?
     
    test1, Oct 22, 2019
    #1
  2. test1

    lcrowhurst

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    Is each floor a seperate Cbus Network?

    if yes :

    1 ) Sensor could be programmed to only operate when it is dark
    2) have sensor only bring lights on for a define amount of time eg 30 mins
    3) if you have 5754ODPEIR this can do light level maintenance
    4) if you don't have a 5754ODPEIR add a 5031PE this does light level maintance
    3) add a switch to turn on lights for a define amount of time eg 1 hour then turn them off

    if All floors are on a Central CBus Backbone
    1) add a single controller (SHAC, PAC, touchscreen, PC running homegate/schedule plus) to run timers and schedules etc, for all floors
    2) do the (if yes) above
     
    lcrowhurst, Oct 22, 2019
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  3. test1

    test1

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    Thank you for this advice. I'll try to find out which one we are. Is doing any of these things usually worth it considering the cost vs savings.
     
    test1, Oct 22, 2019
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  4. test1

    lcrowhurst

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    I guess it depends on what your building power bill is, but if the lights are on all the time, then there will not only be power saving, but also the lights won't have to be replaced as often (cost of light + cost of someone todo it)
     
    lcrowhurst, Oct 22, 2019
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  5. test1

    bmerrick

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    Hi Test1,

    Unfortunately at times, many body corporate bodies employ 'maintenance' electricians who don't have the big picture experience or site control to be able to offer you an enterprise wide solution, but rather offer a 'pragmatic local solution' replicated, that costs the earth. The C-Bus network is supremely capable of reducing your energy costs by utilising light harvesting features with light sensors, centralised light control logic and schedules. It is all possible with a well thought out approach looking from the whole Enterprise side.

    In my view you need to ensure your body corporate's electrical maintenance organisation has been approached at the most senior management level with your concerns about your stated energy wastage concerns and ask what their 'enterprise level solution' is to providing a more holistic enterprise energy saving plan for your whole site.

    The underlying C-Bus systems you have are capable of a lot, but without a centralised and logical approach, you will likely only get small scale 'localised' per floor solutions that replicate many items many times at high cost, but with very non-compelling energy savings.

    If you feel that your provider is not taking your energy reduction concerns seriously, you can contact Schneider Electric directly and they will either work with your current provider or in the worse case scenario, suggest a provider with the skills who can help you.

    Hopefully I have been diplomatic enough in my post :p Be aware, often the 'management' at your provider don't know what you are asking the 'coal face'

    Good Luck,

    Brad Merrick

    Nous House
    :eek::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:
     
    Last edited: Oct 22, 2019
    bmerrick, Oct 22, 2019
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  6. test1

    Trevor

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    Hi There,
    At the very least if you get a smart C-bus electrician he could write some logic or create scenes to turn the lights on/off at sunrise / sunset, and only at the cost of his time to do it.
     
    Trevor, Oct 22, 2019
    #6
  7. test1

    71monaro

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    Are these 100's of lights, on all the time, actually on C/Bus relays now, or is this just a proposal to do so?
     
    71monaro, Oct 23, 2019
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  8. test1

    test1

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    I don't know the answer to any of your questions because I'm just on the body corp. I'm going to find out now. I am just puzzled by how a central system can be so inefficient. The builder should have set this up - the building is in Melbourne and only two years old.
     
    test1, Oct 23, 2019
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  9. test1

    chromus

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    A quick consult from a C-BUS trained and clipsal recommended sparky will give you the answers very quickly, for a couple of hundred $ the could give you the answers and depending on the setup might even be able to fix the whole thing.

    The last course I did was full of sparkys who hated C-BUS and were sent by their companies to do the course and no matter what they weren't going to learn a damn thing because they already hated it. The few that didnt have closed minds smashed out the course in no time, the haters were not passing any of the tests.

    It seems pretty industry wide that the haters will tell you it's 5h1t but only because they don't understand it and haven't given it the chance it deserves.
     
    chromus, Nov 1, 2019
    #9
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