Climate change, the greenhouse effect, pollution and the hole in the ozone layer are just some of the concerns that have led to a growing interest in the environment, its conservation and technologies that allow a better use of resources while minimizing environmental impact. The building automation industry is no stranger to this concern, on the contrary, it is a fundamental tool in the search for energy efficiency in large buildings; efficiency that allows to reduce harmful emissions to the atmosphere caused by the excessive use of electrical energy.
Eduardo Espinosa, director of Tour Andover Control, said that "the trend towards integration aimed at making the most of the benefits of automation continues." He said that in Mexico, for example, concern about energy consumption is driving the application of practices to control it.
Something similar happens in Brazil, where, according to Antonio Gobbi, of Full Gauge, the consumption of property automation is focusing on safety in the operation of control instruments, ease of maintenance and the implementation of automation software where the building or residence manager can monitor various variables such as ambient temperature, property lighting, among others, via computer or telephone.
On the other hand, in Colombia the building automation market benefited from foreign investments in this country, according to Germán Cortés, president of Insetron, "in Colombia those responsible for large industrial and commercial projects understand that it is illogical not to take into account an electronic network design within their working group."
Although the reasons that drove the demand for automation solutions vary from country to country, the entire region presented a high development. According to Oscar Silva, of EBC Ingeniería, this firm obtained growth of 51% compared to 2006. For its part, Full Gauge, reported the tripling of exports with respect to 2006.
However, although the increase in the industry is remarkable, there are still difficulties in the face of the issue of commercialization. From Mexico, Eduardo Espinosa said that in the region it is still common practice to give away engineering to engage the end user, as well as reduce the cost of acquiring systems in exchange for signing long-term commitments for maintenance.
Faced with this issue, Germán Cortés said that in terms of competition some companies are concentrating on making the proposals cheaper, sacrificing two things: the quality of the equipment by selling economic brands that often do not meet the minimum standards necessary in the United States or in the European Economic Community. And, in addition, sacrificing engineering work; that is, concentrating on the sale of equipment, without giving them an added value that achieves a true solution to the requirements of the end user.
One of the conclusions left by the interviews with these professionals is that currently in Latin America there is a great growth of the building automation industry, but, this is represented mostly in the aspect of the commercialization of equipment. While the production of technology as well as the business of consulting are taking a back seat.
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