The CARTIF foundation implemented an open, multi-vendor building automation system using LONWORKS technology for its new research building. The system integrates different systems into one control network using LONMARK standards to meet demands for scalability, workplace comfort and energy efficiency. Employees can control temperature and lighting in their individual work areas, and the foundation estimates the system saves 25% on gas and 27% on electricity costs compared to its previous building.

1. CARTIF Foundation Implements
an Open, Multi-Vendor Solution
for its New Research Building
Background
The CARTIF foundation was estab-
lished in Valladolid, Spain in October
1994. It is a non-profit-making Ap-
plied Research and Technological In-
novation Association and forms part
of the Castilla y León network of
Technological Centres as well as the
networks of Technology and Innova-
tion Centres (CIT) and to OTRI (Of-
fices for the Transfer
of Technology).
Its main objective
is the development and
application of technol-
ogies and procedures
which help to improve
the competitiveness of
the companies with
which it cooperates.
Since its foundation,
it has gained a large
amount of experience
in the field of applied
research and the de-
velopment of industri-
al solutions through a
large number of con-
tracts with various
companies.
The challenge
For its second build-
ing on the Valladolid
site, CARTIF wanted
a high-tech build-
ing automation system that was scal-
able and supported the integration of
new devices. The comfort of the 130
research, administration and mainte-
nance staff working in the building
was also important and the new sys-
tem needed to optimize ambient con-
ditions through intelligent control of
temperature, ventilation and illumina-
tion. The system was also required to
keep energy consumption to a mini-
mum.
The solution
Only a building management system
based on LONWORKS technology was
able to meet the demands on scal-
ability, workplace comfort and energy
efficiency. LONWORKS networks per-
mit the integration of different sys-
tems into one control network using
LONMARK standards. The distributed
control concept can be implemented
at a number of different levels: floor
level, system level, room level and de-
vice level. At CARTIF the distribution
of control was implemented at room
level, which means that controllers
were installed to preserve control in a
particular area.
The “rooms” are actually individ-
ual work areas within the open plan
offices and laboratories in the R&D
building. Ambient conditions are con-
trolled by the radiant floor heating
system and VAV boxes. The radiant
floor heating system is controlled us-
ing one electro-valve for each circuit.
VAV boxes allow heating, cooling and
ventilation of rooms and they are fed
by air treatment units with two de-
grees of freedom; damper actuator and
fan speed regulation. Thermostats are
also included in the LONWORKS con-
trol network. The illumination system
consists of luminaries,
occupation sensors,
inside and outside il-
lumination sensors
and manual switches.
Thanks to the
open LONWORKS net-
work, CARTIF were
able to connect devic-
es from different sup-
pliers enabling them
to choose the best-of-
breed. Along with 50
controllers developed
by CARTIF, the over-
all system consists of
an i.LON100 Internet
server from Echelon
and thermostats from
Thermokon, all of
which are connected
to a FTT-10 twisted
pair network using
switches from Loytec.
The generation and
distribution of heat
and cold for the HVAC system is regu-
lated by control modules from Honey-
well. The total number of controlled
variables is greater than five hundred.
The network can be accessed simply
by connecting a PC to any point along
the FTT wiring, simultaneously ena-
bling distributed control and central-
ized management.
The CARTIF controllers include
functional blocks (object types) for
controlling one VAV box, two radi-
CARTIF Foundation in Valladolid, Spain
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|News|Application|Features
magazine|2.2006

2. ant floor heating circuits, two light
circuits, a constant light controller,
lamp value, two occupancy sensors,
an occupancy controller and one light
sensor. These functional blocks en-
able a single control module to man-
age an entire scenario, automatically
adjusting the heating and illumina-
tion to ensure optimal ambient condi-
tions. People, however, have different
preferences – some like it
hot, but others prefer it a
little cooler – and satisfy-
ing everyone’s wishes is
particularly challenging
in the type of open plan
work areas found in the
CARTIF building. This is
why the controllers are in-
stalled at every individual
work space within the open
plan area. For example, the
thermostats give employ-
ees the ability to adjust the
ambient conditions within
their own work spaces.
In summer, for example,
heating is automatically set
to 23 degrees Celsius (in
winter to 21 degrees) but staff are able
adjust the temperature either upwards
or downwards as they desire.
The flexibility of the LONWORKS
system is also particularly evident in
the control of the different lighting
scenarios. In some parts of the build-
ing it is possible to take advantage of
natural daylight. In these areas, illu-
mination sensors are used to automat-
ically adjust the level of artificial light-
ing according to the amount of natural
daylight in the room. This not only en-
sures optimal lighting conditions but
also minimizes the amount of energy
used for artificial lighting. Where no
outside daylight penetrates the build-
ing, occupancy sensors in combination
with scheduling programs are used to
reduce lighting costs.
In complex scenarios where one
control module is insufficient, the
distributed control concept of the
LONWORKS network allows functional
blocks from other modules to be add-
ed and used as if they were part of a
single device. For example, due to its
shape, it was necessary to use four oc-
cupancy sensors for lighting control in
the T-shape corridors.
Since each of the CARTIF modules
has only two occupancy sensor inputs
(corresponding to its two occupancy
sensor functional blocks) and two
lamp actuator outputs (corresponding
to its two lamp actuator functional
blocks), a single control module was
not able to handle lighting in this area.
However, the problem was easily over-
come by using the occupancy sensor
inputs from other modules to make
sure that variables from four occupan-
cy sensors appear on the network.
SCADA functions at CARTIF are
carried out using two different meth-
ods. The first is through the use of
standard tools for any LONWORKS net-
work, such as the LonMaker Integra-
tion Tool from Echelon, with screens
for all rooms and where all the exist-
ing equipment is represented and any
variable can be accessed. The second
is via a commercial system developed
by Honeywell. The Honeywell sys-
tem was installed previously in the
building to control and monitor all
the equipment for the generation and
distribution of cold and heat as well
as air renovation. This system has a
complete SCADA application called
Symmetre from Honeywell, with high
monitoring and storing options which
also permits access to the control
modules developed by CARTIF. This
SCADA allows the real time visualiza-
tion of all subsystems and equipment
including animations. It also offers the
option to export data to Microsoft Ex-
cel, thus simplifying the collection of
data for later analysis. The system is
used daily by the maintenance building
staff and by CARTIF’s Renewable En-
ergy department engineers for energy
saving and other analyses using data
retrieved by the program.
CARTIF estimates a saving
of 25% in the consumption
of gas and 27% reduction
in electricity costs as a di-
rect result of installing the
LONWORKS network.
CARTIF is already look-
ing towards future system
enhancements, in particu-
lar reducing the amount of
cabling for future imple-
mentation work. They want
to use wireless technology
for low consumption de-
vices powered by batteries
or through the action of the
operator (e.g. piezoelectric
or induction effect). This
solution is particularly suitable for the
majority of sensors which require only
a low power supply. Wireless devices
are usually small which makes them
easy to integrate into existing archi-
tectures. Actuators, however, have
larger power requirements. In this
case, CARTIF plans to take advantage
of power line technology to minimize
cabling expenditures without limiting
the flexibility of the network topol-
ogy.
This level of flexibility for the fu-
ture is just one of the reasons why
CARTIF installed a LONWORKS net-
work. The employees in CARTIF’s
research laboratories and offices are
already enjoying the comfortable
working conditions afforded by the
LONWORKS system whilst the building
owners are pleased with the energy
savings.
Contact:
Francisco Alija Garmón
fraali@cartif.es
www.cartif.es
Employees are able to control ambient conditions in their
own work areas
13
|News|Application|Features
magazine|2.2006