Ashrae Journal - November 2008 - B34

BACnet In Europe ® By Bill Swan, Member ASHRAE Photo 1: BIG-EU members in Berlin, June 2008. A SHRAE Journal readers are regularly apprised of the various BACnet-related activities and events in North America, but many may not be aware of a similarly high level of BACnet activity in Europe. As communications and partnerships are developed across the Atlantic, both markets benefit and the beneficial effects are felt worldwide. A prime driver of this activity in Europe is the BACnet Interest Group–Europe (BIG-EU). BIG-EU, which celebrated its tenth birthday last May, is the oldest of all the BACnet-related associations. As with the BACnet Manufacturers Association founded in 2000 in North America, BIG-EU was created as an association primarily of BACnet manufacturers. BIG-EU is also the largest of the BACnet-related organizations. Starting off with only 18 member companies, it has grown to more than 80, and the rate of growth has been increasing. It has also taken on an international flavor beyond its European charter due to participation by companies from outside Europe, including American and Canadian companies. The charter set for BIG-EU is two-fold: to promote BACnet in the European building automation controls market and to advance the BACnet standard, including meeting needs and requirements specific to European markets. B34 One measure of the success of BACnet in Europe thus far is the publication of a couple of BACnet books in German (only). BACnet Gebäude-Automation 1.4 (BACnet version 1.4 Building Automation)1 covers BACnet’s capabilities and application areas, benefits of interoperability and technical details. BACnet und BACnet/IP—Wie funktioniert das? (BACnet and BACnet/ IP—How does it work?)2 is a book for planners, system integrators and operators, covering theory and practice. Marketing The marketing arm of BIG-EU, Working Group–Marketing (WG-M) is involved in promoting BACnet in Europe. Over the years their presence at the bienniel Light+Building show in Frankfurt (several times larger than the AHR Expo and twice as long, albeit with a somewhat different market) has grown from a small booth off in the corner to one of the show’s largest at nearly 2,000 ft2 (186 m2), with 30 companies exhibiting in a demonstration of interoperability per this year’s theme, “World of Integration.” In addition to the Light+Building exhibition, other trade shows are being evaluated by BIG-EU for opportunities to exhibit, to reach out to markets outside the HVAC industry. The number and reach of such trade shows will only increase as BACnet’s support extends through other areas of building automation including lighting, physical access control, and so on. In 2004 BIG-EU published the first issue of the biannual BACnet Europe Journal, bilingual in German and English. With the March 2008 edition, it has grown to 64 full-color pages with About the Author Bill Swan is buildings standards initiatives leader for Alerton and Honeywell in Redmond, Wash., and is vice president of the BACnet Interest Group–Europe. B A C n e t ® To d a y | A S u p p l e m e n t t o A S H R A E J o u r n a l November 2008

Ashrae Journal - November 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ashrae Journal - November 2008