Category: sustainability

Checking into a smart hotel

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Smart buildings provide a framework that can capitalize on digital innovation. But when designing a hotel to be a smart and sustainable building, there are so many moving pieces to consider that it could be a logistical nightmare. Add that the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and it would seem like a nearly impossible feat to bring in the newest technologies while keeping the old charm. The recently opened Hotel Marcel in New Haven, CT, found the secret ingredients for designing and implementing the most advanced digital systems resulting in minimizing electricity use from the grid and incorporating new direct current (DC) technologies and Power over Ethernet (PoE) to as many applications as possible. But the design and installation challenges made the path to completion a long and winding road.

What You Should Know about Single Pair Ethernet (SPE)

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The latest generation of SPE offers Ethernet data transport rates of 10 Mbps, full duplex. This may not seem like much considering CAT6A can run at speeds up to 10 Gbps full duplex. Yet, in many situations, a 10 Mbps max is more than enough throughput required. Additionally, the 802.3cg Ethernet specification uses the 802.3bu standard for power transport. This is also known as power over data line — or PoDL. The PoDL standard can power compatible devices belonging to 1 of 10 different power classes that range from 0.5 to 50 W of power to the end device. In many cases, 50 W of power is more than any single device would need.
SPE also has a second benefit that will be crucial for some enterprise deployment situations. Instead of a 100-meter distance limitation for both data and power over Ethernet (PoE) that’s common in 4-pair Ethernet standards, SPE supports cable lengths for data and PoDL up to 1 KM in length.

SPE and the Future of Industrial Networking

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As application areas transition to Ethernet protocols and field devices continue to require increased transmission capacities, single pair Ethernet (SPE) is becoming an attractive option. It delivers fast and gigabit Ethernet combined with power over a simple two-wire interface. In addition, SPE can be used with standard industrial grade housings designed for the harshest environments.

Single Pair Ethernet in Building Cabling

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With the Internet of Things (IoT), Ethernet is now making inroads into the sensor layer of smart buildings and factories. Single Pair Ethernet offers a “lean” solution for building cabling, with smaller, lighter cables, high density connections. transition rates up to one kilometer, transmission rates to Gbit/s and remote power supply over cables.

Beyond the Smart Buildings Hype – Facilities Management Insights

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Smart buildings are touted as providing more efficient buildings in terms of resource utilization, renewable resources, and energy efficiency, and as delivering improved indoor air quality (IAQ), productivity, and connectivity with the digital world. They hold out the promise of seamlessly weaving people, technology, and business into an enhanced and optimized ecosystem. Facilities managers must understand the real-world practicalities of implementing smart building technologies and systems.