The production hall – where the company produces electrical, electronic and mechanical components for IT, automation and data technology – is directly connected to the warehouse. To implement an intelligent building technology concept, directors Ilsemarie and Joachim Heil partnered with system integrator Klaus Geyer, who worked with his team to plan the KNX system and the installation and programming of the energy-efficient building technology.

Heil uses the KNX system as the basis for all building technology. "This system connects all of the relevant electronic components, devices and sensors, which can then be controlled interdependently. The central control device behind the entire system is the Gira HomeServer", explains Klaus Geyer. The tasks of this HomeServer include acting as a central controller for the heating, cooling and ventilation systems. A powerful ventilation system keeps air flowing in the building and ensures a constant supply of fresh air.

“We combine multiple forms of heat recovery: Extracting heat from the soldering machines’ hot exhaust during production, which is used to warm up incoming fresh air on cold days. An upstream geothermal heat exchanger brings the outside air up to temperature beforehand, which makes the ventilation system even more efficient", continues Klaus Geyer. The underground pipe system draws in fresh air and feeds it into the building, pre-warmed as necessary during the winter months. If the waste production heat and geothermal energy is not sufficient enough to warm the air, the waste heat from a heat exchanger in an air compressor is also used to pre-heat the fresh air. Finally, heat can also be added via an air/water heat pump. This pump converts heat energy drawn from outside air into heat; it is installed in the factory yard, one metre away from the wall.

As the temperature inside the hall needs to remain at a constant 24°C even during the summer, Klaus Geyer and Heil used the geothermal heat exchanger and heat pump to create a flexible, dynamic system that not only heats, but also cools: The geothermal heat exchanger's flat pipe system makes use of the constant temperature in the ground, which reaches around 8°C in the winter at a depth of just two metres. Through this system, the supplied fresh air is cooled down in a natural, energy-efficient way on hot days. If this cooling is not sufficient, the Gira HomeServer activates cooling via the heat pump; thanks to its integrated circuit reversal function, the heat pump is also capable of cooling during the summer. On a touch PC in the office directly adjacent to production, the display shows the current status of the heating and cooling systems, including the exhaust air temperature, outdoor temperature, supply air temperature and inside temperature. Thanks to an IP connection, the directors can also view the data and make adjustments from their mobile devices.

The ventilation system runs fully automatically and is linked to the heating/cooling system through the aforementioned connection. Gira CO2 sensors also measure the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. When a specific limit value is reached, the flat roof windows open automatically, ensuring that the air quality in the room remains optimal at all times. The blinds are lowered and raised automatically based on the sun's position on the façade: In warm temperatures and sunshine, the blinds are automatically closed; in strong wind, they are raised again. Employees can also override the automatic system to position the blinds manually. Constant light control ensures that the building is optimally illuminated: The hall is divided into various zones, which are kitted out with special sensors to measure brightness. These sensors are linked to the KNX system, and the lights are automatically dimmed to a defined lux value. If it's bright outside, little additional light is required; in the dark, the opposite is true. This system prevents Heil from incurring any unnecessary lighting costs while ensuring that the production hall is always well lit. "The key functions are shown on a layout plan", explains Klaus Geyer

"Employees can view the functions on the touch PC in the entrance area and operate the functions using the simple controls. The display shows the status of individual lights, the blinds position and whether the roof windows are open or closed. By simply touching the screen, you can change any status. In the evening, you can also use this display to get an immediate overview of where windows have been left open". The system shows the current energy consumption as well as daily or weekly values. Each month, Joachim and Florian Heil receive a printed report containing all of the site's energy consumption data. Fault messages for the heat pump or ventilation system are displayed on the touch PC. The "come" and "go" buttons switch all energy consumers on or off simultaneously – a handy feature for the first employee to arrive in the office in the morning and the last person to go home at night. The system also helps to enhance security. Using the Gira Standard 55 surface-mounted pushbutton sensors, the light in the hall and individual light zones can also be operated manually; employees can also adjust the blinds and check the current temperature in the production hall. The "All lights" button – which can be used to switch all light sources on or off in the morning and evening – is another useful addition to the system.