UK - Selected stores get Priva upgrade
Marks & Spencer is undertaking a programme of remodelling, and in thirteen of its stores the company has contracted Matrix Control Solutions to upgrade the various building management systems (BMS) with controllers from Priva Building Intelligence.
Merchandise at its store in Reading includes clothing, home furnishing, beauty, and a food hall, requiring a mix of environmental conditions to ensure that the goods are presented at their best. Add to this the need to provide comfort conditions for its customers and it is easy to see why the BMS plays an important role in the welfare of the store. A major benefit that the Priva system brings to the BMS upgrades is its ability to utilize other manufacturers’ peripheral equipment. At Reading, for example, Matrix engineers have retained the existing cabling and sensors leading to a much simpler upgrade solution, plus cost savings in capital equipment.
In general, the Priva controllers are a direct replacement for the older BMS providing monitoring and control of the store’s HVAC services. However, due to the company’s philosophy of supplying in-built multi-lingual communications as standard, Matrix has been able to link the BMS serving the HVAC systems to the existing IT network.
Matrix has established a tradition of providing innovative solutions. In the Marks & Spencer stores, Priva Compri HX8 controllers manage the HVAC services using the XML protocol. XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a language system that allows information to be displayed in a structured manner, thus making it a powerful connection medium that is suitable for transmission across modern TCP/IP networks.
Meanwhile, at the Marks & Spencer new build in Derby, eight Compri HX4 controllers have been installed together with a Compri HX8. The remote control capability of the Compri HX8 has enabled the building control system to be interfaced with each of the chillers via Modbus.
"IT infrastructures offer ideal communications paths for intelligent controllers," commented Phil Ingleby, Director, Matrix Control Services, "and controls manufacturers, such as Priva Building Intelligence, have taken steps to ensure that their products can communicate with a range of protocols over modern networks. As a result, the end-user benefits from being able to fully utilize their existing network, ensuring a simpler installation that delivers savings in capital costs and engineering."
Project specifications
Energy savings reduce carbon footprint.
A building’s energy consumption can be dramatically reduced through the precise control of the HVAC services, thereby helping to reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Remotely controlled from one, central location using XML.
With an eye to the future, Priva has embraced TCP/IP networks and its associated languages. For facilities and energy managers this means monitoring and controlling every building in their company’s portfolio, no matter where it is located.
Communicates with in-built chiller controls via Modbus.
Priva controllers come complete with an extensive range of protocols as standard, enabling direct communication with a vast array of HVAC plant and equipment, plus other manufacturers’ control systems.
Retrofit of BMS retaining existing cabling and sensors.
Priva believes that waste in every area should be discouraged. That’s why its building controls have been configured to interface with other manufacturers’ sensors and cabling systems. The result is a faster, less disruptive, more secure, and more cost effective installation.
Improved control strategy for energy efficiency and comfort.
By matching energy consumption with actual demand, the Priva BMS encourages staff efficiency by creating optimum comfort conditions, providing a welcoming environment for shoppers, and by working in tandem with refrigeration equipment it helps maintain the best possible conditions for the food hall.
Now the building is as intelligent as the people in it!
