Everything professionals need to know about sustainable smart solutions

From installing smart meters to integrated energy management

Sustainability has become an important motivation for homeowners and building proprietors to invest in smart ecosystems. Smart homes with a sustainable setup come with a lot of advantages for end-users: smart energy monitoring, smart energy storing, and automation of devices such as your thermostat, help reduce energy consumption, resulting in savings on their energy bills and a reduction of their carbon footprint. A thorough knowledge of energy-saving technologies is therefore a huge asset to any KNX installer or automation professional.

Whether you are just starting out as an installer, you’ve been a certified KNX Partner for years, or this page aims to collect professional know-how, source materials and information on new developments in KNX about energy management and sustainable smart solutions. This way you can offer a premium service to your customers.

We simply divide energy management into these 4 key steps:

1. Collecting data on the energy consumption in a household or building: Smart meters help collect statistics on energy usage per system, such HVAC or lighting, or per room.

2. Analysing data: Once the smart meter has sufficient input, end-users can analyze their consumption patterns. The data is typically collected and visualized on a control panel or mobile app.

3. Suggesting optimizations: The smart system will make automatic suggestions to optimize electricity consumption by preventing peak usage and detecting anomalies. End-users can choose when to adopt these recommendations in their smart home setup.

4. Tracking improvements in energy use: Once an optimization is implemented, the smart energy system will follow up. Does the adjustment reduce energy consumption and consequently save costs?

By better understanding the inner workings of the KNX energy management system, KNX Partners can rest assured that their technical installation will be used properly.

The installation process of our energy management system consists of 3 steps:

1. Planning the installation of the energy management system in homes or buildings

2. Integrating the energy management system into the (existing) KNX setup

3. Making all features (such as monitoring) operable with the KNX ecosystem

By carrying out these steps, installers can significantly boost energy efficiency and support a more sustainable and economic lifestyle for their customers.

Read our blog article for extensive insights into the benefits and importance of energy management

“It is only recently that using less energy and being greener has become an important issue for everyone, and even then, the two concepts are not always linked. How many times do we still see an empty office building all lit up after working hours, or an empty home using the heating system whilst the family is away?” - Casto Cañavate, Marketing Manager for KNX Association

As energy management evolves from basic efficiency to comprehensive digital solutions, KNX stands out for its advanced capabilities in optimizing energy use. As a professional you can trust KNX to offer a robust framework, the KNX ecosystem, for managing energy efficiently by integrating various systems (such as HVAC, battery storages for renewable energy sources and charging stations). This approach allows for real-time control and data-driven decisions, ensuring that energy consumption aligns with the latest sustainability standards.

The rapid digitalization of the energy sector presents both challenges and opportunities for professionals. KNX’s solutions, such as smart thermostats, load management, and energy storage monitoring, provide critical tools for managing energy more efficiently in buildings and homes. The challenge today is offering courses about new technologies in smart energy management and regularly updating them, so that installers and home automation professionals can easily upskill.

Read the news article about our view on (pro)active energy solutions on KNXToday

For example, smart meters support Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) and contribute to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), facilitating two-way communication with central systems like Customer Energy Managers (CEM). An integration like this allows for precise data collection and optimization of energy use, ultimately offering end-customers enhanced control of their energy consumption and potential cost savings.

Learn more about the added value of smart meters compared to their analog counterparts

The Customer Energy Manager (CEM) is a crucial component in optimizing energy management systems for both homes and buildings. It integrates data from various energy consumers, such as appliances and HVAC systems, with energy sources like solar panels and storage systems. By analyzing this data, the CEM creates an efficient energy allocation plan, considering factors such as energy demand, generation capacity, and pricing. This optimization helps in reducing energy costs and balancing energy use with the overall grid, thus contributing to a more stable and efficient energy network.

By configuring the CEM into Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) and Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) to analyze and manage energy flows effectively, installers can enhance the system's ability to optimize energy use, manage costs, and ensure smooth operation of both internal devices and external energy sources. This integration not only improves energy efficiency but also supports grid stability and cost savings for the end user.

Find the complete CEM guide here

Key to successful HEMS installation is understanding the two types of load management: static and dynamic.

• Static load management sets a certain amount of energy aside for charging your vehicle, which makes the energy unavailable to the rest of the home appliances for their usage.
• Dynamic load management, which adjusts energy distribution based on real-time household needs, is particularly effective for integrating electric vehicle charging without disrupting other home energy demands. A professionally installed system will implement these systems to leverage software that analyzes consumption data and use advanced algorithms, potentially including AI, to optimize energy use and provide actionable insights to homeowners.

Read the complete HEMS guide

In contrast, Building Management Systems (BMS) offer a broader scope by integrating not only energy management, but also other operational aspects like security, comfort, and automation of various functions such as fire detection and access controls. While BEMS focuses specifically on energy, a well-designed BMS can encompass BEMS functionalities, providing a comprehensive solution for managing all aspects of building operations. As a certified KNX Partner you will be equipped with the skills and knowledge to integrate BEMS within a BMS framework, ensuring both energy efficiency and overall building management are optimized.

Learn more about the difference between BMS and BEMS

For professional installers, offering advice on the best battery storage solution for a project is of great value to the end user. While lead-acid batteries offer lower initial costs, lithium-ion batteries provide better performance and longer lifespan, enhancing the overall system reliability. Installing high-quality storage systems like the Sonnen battery can significantly improve energy management, covering a substantial portion of a building's energy consumption with renewable sources.

Read the complete article on battery storage for solarpanels

Energy flexibility refers to the ability of an energy system—such as a home, building, or industrial facility—to adjust its energy consumption or production in response to external signals like electricity prices, grid demand, or renewable energy availability. It enables efficient use of resources, reduces strain on the power grid, and supports a more sustainable energy transition.

There are 3 key players in smart energy management systems that guarantee energy flexibility:

1. Custom Energy Manager (CEM) acts as the central controller that optimizes energy distribution among various devices, ensuring efficient use of electricity.
2. Resource Managers (RM) manage specific energy-related devices or systems, such as heating, cooling, battery storage, and EV chargers. They communicate with the Custom Energy Manager (CEM) to optimize energy consumption and production.
3. Home and Building Electronic System Solutions (HBES) refers to integrated systems used to automate and optimize various functions in residential and commercial buildings. KNX is one of the most widely used HBES standards.

Energy flexibility is crucial for integrating smart charging poles and battery storage into a smart ecosystem because it ensures dynamic balancing of energy demand and supply. By allowing devices to adapt their consumption based on grid conditions, renewable energy availability, and dynamic pricing, energy flexibility helps prevent grid overload, optimize self-consumption of solar power, and reduce electricity costs. It enables smart charging of EVs when energy is cheapest, ensures efficient coordination with other building systems (HVAC, lighting), and supports advanced functionalities like vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and decentralized energy trading. This adaptability makes smart energy management more sustainable, cost-effective, and resilient.

For KNX ecosystems, the new EN50491-12-2 standard is applied for connecting energy management systems with charging stations and storage batteries. Use the KNX IoT Point API with JSON or CBOR data structures for the exchange between CEM and RM.

For elaborate insights,read the article on integrating KNX Classic and KNX IoT for EV chargers andbattery storage

The KNXToday article ‘Energy Management: Integrating EVs with KNX for intelligent charging‘ discusses why it makes sense for our KNX Partners to integrate charging within a KNX energy management system projects, whether it’s for residential or commercial purposes.

Read the complete article

With the increasing importance of integrating renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic systems and heat pumps, KNX is advancing towards comprehensive energy management solutions. This includes the seamless coordination of electricity, heat generation, and electromobility through sector interconnection. The integration of devices like the sonnenBattery into KNX systems exemplifies the platform's commitment to enhancing energy management capabilities, ensuring that installers can offer cutting-edge solutions that align with future energy management requirements.

The complete blog article on Sector interconnection forEnergy Management Growth

Leverage theKNX Smart Home Planner to streamline project planning, providing your clients with customized reports and facilitating seamless collaboration with local KNX partners.

Learn more on how your smart installations help reduce energy and energy costs

In an interview, KNX CTO Joost Demarest emphasized the shift from simple energy efficiency to proactive energy management, driven by the increasing energy demands of buildings. He highlighted how KNX is leveraging digitalization to enable smart buildings to predict, manage, and optimize energy consumption, incorporating local renewable energy sources and building energy management systems (BEMS). 

Demarest stressed the importance of data-driven insights through smart metering, enabling detailed understanding of energy usage and facilitating advanced automation. He showcased KNX’s development of sophisticated energy management applications, including the KNX customer energy manager, which handles bidirectional energy flow and optimizes storage. Demarest encouraged professionals to explore KNX’s E-campus for learning resources, emphasizing that KNX is prepared for the evolving energy landscape, offering comprehensive solutions for sustainable building management.

Read thecomplete interview with our KNX CTO