Convia FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions About Convia
What is Convia?
Who are your partners?
How long has the product been in development?
Is Convia the first system of its kind?
What is "plug-and-play" power?
What are Convia Controls?
How does Convia work?
How does the hand-held Wand work, and what controls does it offer?
What kinds of projects can be created with Convia?
How can customers tell if the system is right for them?
Are there special technical requirements for products to be connected to the system? Do customers need to purchase any type of adapter?
Is Convia UL-listed?
Are products available for floors and ceilings?
What is the cost of installing Convia?
How much energy does the system save?
Are Energy Tax Credits offered to building owners who install Convia?
Does this contribute to LEED®?
Who installs Convia, and what support is available?
Who do I contact for more information?
What is Convia?
Convia, Inc. is a subsidiary of Herman Miller, Inc. and operates under the leadership of its own management team.
Innovated through the lens of environmentalism, a Convia-enabled design integrates power delivery and integrated energy management controls with the ability to adapt to future change. In conjunction with Convia Enabled products by Wiremold, Convia is a modular, and programmable platform that delivers “plug-and-play” power to virtually anywhere within a space, without requiring the hard-wiring of devices or switches. Convia Controls are embedded into the power infrastructure of a space and allow for the easy deployment of lighting, plug load, and HVAC energy management strategies. New or renovated spaces become energy efficient programmable environments, responsive to the ever-changing needs of the organization and the ways in which people work.
With the Energy Track reporting tool, Convia delivers the data necessary to fully understand how a space is performing. From an energy and space utilization perspective, the data is all there, waiting to be used to deliver a more energy efficient, smart space.
Who are your partners?
In 2009, Convia announced a strategic alliance with Wiremold owner Legrand North America with the objective of broadening the reach of energy management strategies and to fuel the adoption of flexible, sustainable spaces.
As part of the alliance Convia controls will be imbedded into Wiremold wire and cable management systems from Legrand. These include modular power and lighting distribution systems, floor boxes, poke-thru devices, and architectural columns, which provide flexible, accessible power distribution to building owners and managers. The Convia Enabled Wiremold offering provides a truly integrated control solution for end-to-end power applications.
In addition, Convia controls will be imbedded into Herman Miller workstation furniture, offering the first of its kind in Intelligent Workstations that bring energy control down to the workstation by enabling the control and measurement of workstation plug loads. By measuring and monitoring the occupancy levels and energy use of an individual workstation, Intelligent Workstations allow users to reduce their energy consumption with ease and gives them complete control over their environments to adapt their habitat in new and profound ways.
Convia controls are sold exclusively through Convia, Wiremold and Herman Miller Inc.
How long was this product in development?
The underlying research for Convia began in late 2001 under the direction of the Herman Miller Creative Office (HMCO). HMCO is charged with expanding Herman Miller’s commercial opportunities through research and design initiatives that extend beyond the company’s traditional furniture markets.
Is Convia the first system of its kind?
Convia is the first programmable infrastructure of its kind. Electrical systems have not notably changed in more than 60 years, but the ways in which people work have. Convia represents a next generation electrical and energy management platform to accommodate the advancements made in the past six decades and in anticipation of further changes to come. With Convia, associating devices, electrical reconfigurations, and workstation control are performed in moments, providing dramatic cost savings and convenience.
What is “plug-and-play” power?
In the computer world, “plug-and-play” is a term meaning that hardware components can be plugged into a computer and configured themselves, thus eliminating the need for extensive installation or reconfiguration procedures. With “plug-and-play” power delivered by Convia Enabled Wiremold products, objects or devices such as light fixtures can be “plugged” into a smart connector and then instantly and wirelessly associated with another object, such as a switch, without changing hard-wire configurations.
What are Convia Controls?
Convia Controls along with Convia enabled Wiremold components create an integrated energy management platform that is built into a building’s power distribution infrastructure. It allows for sophisticated energy management strategies to be deployed and modified based on information on how the space is performing.
Convia provides local control to tenants and enables them to make electrical changes simply and easily. Using a hand-held, two-button remote control Wand, users can also link the Convia Enabled products by Wiremold devices and controls with the push of a button, in mere moments. By simply pointing the Wand at two or more objects, the user can change their electrical association, allowing the system to be programmed to best fit a users’ changing space and needs.
With the Global Gateway, Convia brings the creation of smarter and more efficient buildings one step further. The Global Gateway allows all of a building’s subsystems to talk and react to one another. Users have the ability to control and program their Convia infrastructure, along with all of their other building subsystems, in one easy-to-use interface. Adding the Energy Track, you can record electrical usage by zone in a space along with technology usage.
How does Convia work?
Convia’s platform is comprised of two components: a communication/control platform and a modular power platform featuring Convia Enabled Wiremold components. The modular power platform allows for the quick and easy installation of a buildings power distribution system. Power distribution components are 100% re-usable and can be moved and reconfigured whenever necessary.
All devices receiving power from the system become part of the control network. The control network is a distributed network that can be easily programmed with either the Convia Wand or the Convia Gateway and allows for the deployment of lighting, plug load, and HVAC energy management strategies.
Since users can install, upgrade, or relocate any electrical device, switch, or sensor using the platform and the capabilities of the “Wand,” the need for expensive, time-consuming, and material-wasting electrical modifications and labor are eliminated.
In addition, Convia has integrated controls into Herman Miller workstations, which brings energy control down to the workstation by enabling the control and measurement of workstation plug loads. By measuring and monitoring the occupancy levels and energy use of an individual workstation, Intelligent Workstations allow users to reduce their energy consumption with ease and gives them complete control over their environments to adapt their habitat in new and profound ways.
How does the hand-held Wand work, and what controls does it offer?
Users can simply “point and click” the two-button Wand at the switches or devices they want to move or create associations between. The Wand is hard-wired and authorized by an electrical contractor to ensure that each Wand controls only specific zones. Therefore, facility managers have the option to make the system as available or as secure as they like, choosing what works best for them and their tenants. The Wand can be controlled solely by the facility manager, office manager, a specific department, or any combination of the three.
What kinds of projects can be created with Convia?
Convia is ready for use in any commercial real estate project – both new facilities and renovations. The system can be used by, and offers benefits for, engineers, developers, architects, contractors, facility managers, and tenants in commercial office, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and education buildings.
How can customers tell if this system is right for them?
Convia is ideal for customers that are looking to reduce energy consumption and/or customers anticipating ongoing reconfiguration or renovation of space. Given the ease with which sensors can be added or moved at anytime during the lifecycle of the building and re-programmed to control any zone of light or power required; Convia allows for on-going commissioning to take place. The zone level electrical usage information Convia provides allows companies to track the ROI of their energy initiatives.
Are there special technical requirements for products to be connected to the system? Do customers need to purchase any type of adaptor?
No. All standard electrical devices can be connected to Convia, Convia Enabled Wiremold products, and Intelligent Workstations by Herman Miller.
Is Convia UL-listed?
Yes. The UL (Underwriters Laboratory) is a leading, independent organization that tests electrical equipment for potential safety hazards. When a product, such as Convia, is UL-listed, it indicates that the device meets the organization’s requirements for safety.
Are products available for floors and ceilings?
Convia is available in a modular system appropriate for both raised floor and closed ceiling spaces with air handling.
The air-handling system is compatible with HVAC systems and designed for plenum spaces or drop ceilings.
The Convia system configurations are fully compatible and can be used together to accommodate different space layouts.
What is the cost of installing Convia?
Convia has an upfront installation cost that is less than traditional control solutions while offering far more functionality.
Plus Convia offers significant cost savings over time:
- Allows users to make upgrades themselves, eliminating the need for expensive electrical modifications and labor
- Enables users to easily install and associate occupancy, daylight, time, and temperature sensors to save money on power, HVAC, and lighting systems
- Helps qualify the building for federal and state energy tax credits
- Contributes LEED points
- May also help a building qualify for local municipality energy credits where applicable
- Enables far faster depreciation of the infrastructure investment and results in quicker ROI for owners since it is treated as personal property in tax accounting.
How much energy does the system save?
Convia allows users to more efficiently install occupancy, daylight, time, and temperature sensors to save money on power, HVAC, and lighting systems. Convia will help building owners and tenants reduce their operating costs over time through easier, more efficient and less costly adoption of energy saving controls and devices. One study conducted by the Weidt Group found that Convia helped reduce energy consumption by as much as 30 percent vs. the ASHRAE 90.1 2004 standard, and that it costs 32 percent less to implement a bundled energy strategy with Convia than with traditional electric. (NOTE: Traditional lighting represents 40 to 60 percent of typical energy consumption in a building).
Are Energy Tax Credits offered to building owners who install Convia?
Convia helps qualify a building for federal energy tax credits of up to $1.80 per sq. ft. of a building, of which $0.60 is associated with reduced lighting consumption. Convia may also help a building qualify for local municipality energy credits where applicable. » Read more about Energy Management Solutions here.
Does this contribute to LEED®?
Convia may contribute up to 23 LEED points. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recommends that project leaders refer to their Rating System checklist for all possible points and contributions. » Read about how Convia can contrinute to LEED Certification here.
Who installs Convia, and what support is available?
Convia is ordinarily specified by MEP firms and installed by electrical contractors who receive specialized training at no cost. Additionally, a Convia engineer is present during the actual installation and handles the initial commissioning of the system once installation is complete.
Who do I contact for more information?
To connect with a sales representative for more information, just click here.
