Essential Install November 2016 | Page 22

Essential Install | HVAC DID YOU KNOW: Xxxxxx A Warm Welcome Sensible Heat has begun offering voice activated HVAC solutions via the Amazon Alexa platform Daniel J Sait examines some of the solutions and companies helping installers make the most of HVAC integration and installation opportunities. A key part of this sector of course has been getting the HVAC systems to talk to the building’s automation systems, possibly one of the more tricky bits of integration presented by many a project. Thankfully the sector has a range of companies who can come to the rescue here. Sensible Heat continues to supply HVAC controls for integration with a range of systems, including Control 4, Savant, Crestron and RTI, using its range of pre-written drivers which are available free-ofcharge to the company’s installation partners. Dave Robinson, company MD, explains: “We’ve seen a steady increase in the demand for these types of integrated systems and as a complement to these, the features of the EvoTouch system from HVAC mainstay Honeywell continue to be expanded.” Dave adds: “The App which is supplied free-of-charge with the Honeywell EvoTouch controller, has now been SensibleEssentialInstal_banners_02_Layout 18/09/2014 17:10 Page 1 system. This extended to work1with a ‘sister’ intruder alarm system, which is particularly useful for smaller properties, allows alarms and pictures from the combined PIR/camera sensors to be viewed on the App. “Also, we’ve made the EvoTouch work with the new Amazon Echo range, which allows voice activation of the heating. We did this initially with a unit imported from the USA; you can see the results on our website. There’s a short video taken at the Essential Install Live! show, demonstrating how effective voice control can be and how easy to use. Now available here in the UK, one of our partially-sighted customers, inspired by our video, recentl