Mar 29 2013
Wireless technology is finally entering the mainstream of the commercial buildings controls market. While building automation and controls have been used for decades, wireless networks are enabling more granular control over building systems without many of the design and labor challenges involved with running traditional cabling to support communications and/or power.
According to a new report from Navigant Research, worldwide shipments of wireless controls for building automation systems will exceed 36 million units by 2020.
“While various forms of wireless controls have been used for at least a decade, the ZigBee and EnOcean standards are catalyzing mainstream market adoption,” says Bob Gohn, senior research director with Navigant Research. “Though wireless will not displace traditional wired controls, it will be an essential tool in every supplier’s solutions toolbox, especially for retrofit projects.”
Following years of niche, proprietary solutions and slow standards development, open standards such as ZigBee and EnOcean are replacing proprietary, vendor-specific wireless RF technology, ensuring device interoperability and ease of installation and operation. Shipments of ZigBee and EnOcean products will account for nearly half of all wireless building control node shipments by 2020, the study concludes.
The report, “Wireless Control Systems for Smart Buildings”, examines the state of the global wireless commercial building controls market today and provides forecasts through 2020. Including market analysis and forecasts for HVAC, lighting, fire & safety, and security & access controls, the report covers the development of both propriety and standards-based wireless technologies and details the market drivers and barriers for each. The forecasts are segmented by region and by technology, and the report includes profiles of more than 20 key industry players, including building controls manufacturers and integrators. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.