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As part of its ongoing Action Energy campaign, Schneider Electric has installed intelligent building controls from its own Transparent Building Integrated Systems at the company’s main warehouse and offices in Telford. The web-based system allows the integration of electrical and mechanical services over Schneider Electric's own intranet. This ensures the availability of the highest levels of data, enabling effective control, as well as the intelligence needed to implement effective energy saving policies.
At the Telford facilities, it is possible to view all of the building's services via a user-friendly web server. From the web server Simon Ridley, Facilities Manager for Schneider Electric’s Telford and Maidenhead premises, has access to real time and historical data on each of the site’s entire electrical distribution networks. The system gives full monitoring and control of lighting, heating and other utilities. It also interfaces with CCTV, fire alarms and intruder alarms. "The web based system means that I can clearly see what's happening at all sites via my laptop, from wherever I am at the time. It's much easier to manage the sites because I have control at my fingertips," says Ridley. The premises at Telford are also a reference point for potential customers wishing to explore the benefits offered by the technology from the Transparent Building Integrated Systems offer in a live, practical situation.
As part of Schneider Electric's Action Energy campaign, Ridley must reduce energy bills at the Telford site by 15 – 20 percent over the next year. The visibility provided by the web based building management system is crucial to his success. Indeed, when the system was originally completed in June 2003, cost savings were made immediately. There are also plans to install energy monitoring solutions from the Transparent Building Integrated Systems offer at all of Schneider Electric's sites in the UK. This way, via web servers, it will be possible to monitor the energy consumption of all sites and implement energy saving policies remotely.
The system at Telford is linked with Schneider Electric's intranet giving all employees access to data on energy consumption. "Since the system at Telford is accessible via the intranet, all employees can see where energy is being consumed. They are empowered to employ energy management," explains Mike Downing, Project Engineer. "At this site we use the system to make improvements and we hope to be able to do this at all the UK sites in the very near future."
In addition to monitoring energy consumption, Ridley uses the system on a daily basis to monitor air conditioning and lighting levels. He also uses the system to analyse trends and to identify any irregularities. Easy access to accurate real time data greatly simplifies fault finding and allows Ridley and the facilities management team to implement preventative rather than reactive maintenance. The advantage of this is that maintenance can be budgeted and planned, rather than considered only when the need arises.
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There is an obvious need for the industry to be more energy efficient and pay more attention to the ways in which energy is both used and wasted. Do you think we have the products on the market to meet our needs?
