Smart Building Services solutions are based primarily on the LonWorks protocol, delivered either via Twisted Pair or Power-Line Carrier (PLC). LonWorks is a highly robust and open networking and control protocol. Developed by Echelon Corporation: www.echelon.com it is widely used in Commercial, Industrial and Residential projects in the US, Europe and Asia.

The LonWorks value propositions:

• Enables a free topology electrical layout i.e. traditional branch or star, as well as more efficient loops or webs
• Data via power cable (as well as fibre and/or wireless)
• Open architecture (plug and play nodes)
• 1000’s of Lon enabled products across all building subsystems from many disparate suppliers
• All devices and systems can hang off the same set of cabling
• All sub-systems can connect to a central Building Management System
• Open protocol - custom device controllers can be made
• Industrial strength, scaleable, configurable, customisable
• Enables Completely Integrated System Design
• Echelon is the leading supplier of infrastructure hardware and software to the rapidly growing device networking market.

Since 1988, Echelon's solution—the LonWorks system—has been adopted by thousands of device and system manufacturers. Millions of connected LonWorks devices have been installed into buildings , factories , transportation systems , homes , utilities , and hundreds of other applications worldwide.

In fact, Echelon provided the Power-line Carrier (PLC) chip sets for a roll-out of over 27 million meters for Italy’s ENEL utility.