Intelligent bus with entertaiment qualities

New home builders or those thoroughly refurbishing their homes would do well to consider the installation of a bus system. Networking domestic installations makes a building safer and exploits the opportunity for savings. Miele and Busch-Jaeger, a leading company in the field of electrical installation technology, demonstrate the convenience offered by smart house technology based on a KNX bus system.

KNX is now well established worldwide as the standard for bus systems. The benefits of this technology which is used to transmit data by wire accrue from the fact that KNX systems are tried-and-tested, customisable and scalable. Interested parties can select from a wide range of different products from an increasing number of manufacturers.

Within the bus system, the Busch ComfortPanel® assumes the task of command centre: All applications are presented on a large touch screen and are intuitive to use. The kitchen is incorporated into this scenario and Busch-Jaeger has even created a separate user interface for domestic appliances. This gives users a good overview of all appliances connected to the system: How long has the dishwasher left to run? When does the roast in the oven need basting? Is the laundry finished downstairs? And, naturally, it is easy to check whether all appliances have been switched off before leaving the house.

Comparable user interfaces can be configured on the Busch ComfortPanel® to control heating systems, blinds, lighting, ventilation and security systems. Communication and entertainment also count among the additional qualities of the Busch ComfortPanel®: Whether calling up the latest weather report or stocks and shares on the Internet, receiving e-mails or playing your favourite music using the integrated MP3 player or listening to favourite webcasts via the integrated or external loudspeakers or even watching video clips – the Busch ComfortPanel® is the answer in all cases.

Add to this fascinating functionalities for greater energy transparency and efficiency. And with the Busch ComfortTouch app, Busch-Jaeger nicely relays these functions to smartphones and tablets. Mobile devices are thereby transformed into convenient remote controls.

Linking current-series Miele domestic appliances with the Busch ComfortPanel® makes use of PowerLine technology, where signals travel piggyback along a building's power supply wires. The most recent model series of washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers and built-in appliances (W1, T1, G 6000, Generation 6000 built-ins) will in future all incorporate the ZigBee® RF communication standard. Domestic appliances then transmit data wirelessly to the Miele gateway which is directly connected to the Busch ComfortPanel®. ZigBee® communication modules and the appropriate Miele gateway for the new model series will be available from early 2014.

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Company profile: Miele is the world leader in the field of premium domestic appliances including cooking, baking and steam-cooking appliances, refrigeration products, coffee makers, dishwashers and laundry and floorcare products. This line-up is augmented by dishwashers, washer-extractors and tumble dryers for commercial use as well as washer-disinfectors and sterilisers for use in medical and laboratory applications (Miele Professional). The company, founded in 1899, has 8 production plants in Germany and one plant each in Austria, the Czech Republic, China and Romania. 2012/13 turnover amounted to approx. EUR 3.15 bn, with sales outside Germany accounting for 70%. Miele is represented with its own sales subsidiaries and via importers in almost 100 countries. The Miele company, now in the fourth generation of family ownership, employs a workforce of around 17,250 with two-thirds in Germany. The company headquarters are located in Gütersloh/Westphalia, Germany.