AutomatedBuildings.com Interview -

Joseph Obaerle, vice president of corporate development and Americas region head for Delta’s Building Automation Business Group (BABG)

Growing the Building Automation Arena

It’s incredible to see how much Delta has expanded our offerings with each passing AHR.

Sinclair: It’s nice to reconnect with Delta. What has the company accomplished since our last interview?

Oberle: Delta continues to be the global leader in power and thermal management solutions. For nearly half a century, we have offered one of the largest and most robust selections of high-efficiency power solutions on the market. In recent years, we have been growing significantly in the building automation arena. Our acquisition of Delta Controls, Inc. and LOYTEC building controls experts; VIVOTEK surveillance systems provider; is now enhanced with Amerlux, an architectural LED lighting specialist, which we acquired last year. By bringing these entities under the Delta umbrella, we are uniquely positioned to deliver a fully interconnected suite of solutions that improves building operating efficiency, reduces energy usage and enhances the occupant experience. Over the past year, we have doubled down on our commitment to integration at all levels of the building environment. This includes HVAC, lighting, occupant sensing, as well as security and access controls, and other building functions. At this year’s AHR Expo in Orlando, we demonstrated the results of our efforts with our first fully integrated booth with live demos that illustrated the complete integration and potential of Delta’s connected solutions.

Sinclair: Exciting. Word is you made quite a splash at this year’s AHR. What did you showcase?

Oberle: It’s incredible to see how much Delta has expanded our offerings with each passing AHR. This year’s booth was our most ambitious to date. New entries into the Delta family were on full display, including the AHR Innovation Award-winning O3 Sensor Hub 2.0, a device that combines sensors for motion, sound, light, temperature, and air quality into a single unit. Under the theme “Smart Buildings, Smart Cities,” we demonstrated the many ways our solutions could be used in conjunction with each other to create intuitive smart buildings and deliver on the promise of smart cities.

Achieving this vision ultimately comes down to communication between devices and systems. Visitors to our booth witnessed firsthand how effortlessly our solutions work together. For example, among our demonstrations were several smart, streetlight-supported electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. These are prime examples of how several Delta solutions come together to add intelligence to commercial and public spaces. In this instance, Amerlux’s LED post lights were integrated with VIVOTEK security cameras and a Delta AC mini-level 2 EV charger. Supported by Delta’s advanced building control software, the system adjusts lighting based on user movement and time of day. Charger access was monitored by the system through the VIVOTEK camera, which scans license plates or other identification to activate the charger for identification and charging authorization.

Sinclair: What do these solutions mean for building operators and occupants? How are they going to change their experience?

Oberle: Facility managers have all experienced the frustration and expense of high energy bills, occupant complaints of system malfunctions and other preventable problems. The ability to remotely monitor and oversee building functions – within individual buildings and across property portfolios – enables preventative and predictive maintenance that help eliminate these issues. Rather than wait for a customer to report a problem with lighting or the HVAC system, providers can regularly check these systems and address irregularities before occupants are impacted. This ensures continued satisfaction among tenants and prolongs the life of costly building equipment.

Occupants share their own set of challenges, such as building temperature regulation, harsh lighting or poorly functioning lighting control systems. Advances in sensor technology have enabled us to eliminate many of these issues and contribute to a more positive work and living environment. With the right technology, conference rooms can be cooled and dimmed automatically or at the push of a button. Solutions such as Delta Controls’ O3 Sensor Hub can control smart LED lights from Amerlux to adjust lighting using daylight sensing for employee comfort. VIVOTEK cameras and software are capable of closely monitoring entryways and exits with license plate identification and people counters to help ensure tenant safety and controlled use of building equipment, like EV chargers.

Delta’s focus is on improving seamless integration of technologies to improve efficiencies, operability, and comfort for building owners and occupants. Automation systems should be unseen and unnoticed – giving building occupants the best experience whether it is a working or living environment. Our building automation and system solutions increase the value of a building from the owner or operative perspective.

Sinclair: You mention smart cities within your overall booth theme. How can these offerings be applied on a larger scale?

Oberle: The goal of smart buildings and smart cities is the same at its core: to create comfortable, efficient, safe and connected environments. As such, much of what we already do and are developing for buildings can – be used to enhance smarter cities. At AHR, we demonstrated how lighting infrastructure could serve as one of the cornerstones for smarter cities. By pairing Delta Controls or LOYTEC’s control and monitoring systems with Amerlux exterior lighting, city managers can establish a network of smart lights that brighten or dim based on time of day or occupant movement. This strategy is relatively simple to implement in many cities because it does not require extensive construction or redevelopment. Rather, intelligence can be overlaid on existing public fixtures. With Delta’s range of versatile solutions, there are many possible solutions for city managers. As an example, Amerlux streetlights could be further augmented with EV chargers and VIVOTEK security cameras to monitor charger usage and aid in public safety efforts. These additions to area lighting can improve livability and help meet sustainability objectives by encouraging foot traffic and EV use.

Oberle: We have many exciting developments on the horizon for Delta. The reception we received at AHR was extremely positive, and we’ll be continuing that momentum with more exciting demonstrations of our building automation solutions globally. We will continue our collaboration across Delta’s Building Automation Business Group businesses in 2020, as we further enhance and integrate our broad suite of technologies to meet the evolving needs of building operators and occupants.

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