Priva proves backward compatibility
P A Collacott & Company’s recommendation to install a building management system from Priva Building Intelligence at the famous Charterhouse school, is demonstrating the ease with which it can attain backward compatibility.
Charterhouse is one of the great historic schools of England and dates back to 1611 when a Carthusian monastery, established in the 14th century, was converted to a hospital for pensioners and a school for boys. In 1872 the school moved to Godalming and on a 200-acre estate educates both boys and girls with their own residences, chapel, classrooms, technology centre, and sports grounds.
The school is undergoing a major refurbishment affecting the halls, teaching blocks, dining rooms, sports hall, theatre, chapel, and halls of residence, together with the construction of a new language block. The existing building management system (BMS) is being upgraded with Priva controllers. "Even though the previous BMS and its peripheral equipment was supplied by a different manufacturer, we have been able to utilize the sensors and cabling because Priva controllers support any temperature sensor, do not require screened cabling and are equipped to communicate with a range of protocols," explained Geoff Collacott, Director of P A Collacott & Company. "This has led to savings in capital cost and in installation time."
In the main, Priva controllers are a direct replacement for the older building management system providing monitoring and control of the school’s heating, cooling and ventilation systems, and energy savings through its optimum start and weather compensation programs.
However, because of the company’s philosophy of providing in-built, multi-lingual communications as standard and its ability to communicate over a range of networks including Ethernet and the Internet, the new BMS is configured to accommodate future developments in building controls.
Within the new language block, the Priva BMS will be managing a natural ventilation system and has been interfaced with a DALI lighting system, via its built-in BACnet over IP capabilities. DALI is a Digital Addressable Lighting Interface protocol that offers opportunities in lighting flexibility and energy savings; mainly from the ability to dim the lighting from 100 to one per cent, but also from its ‘soft start’ capability that maximises the service life of a lamp.
DALI and BACnet are both international standards in communication and one of many protocols that are standard within all Priva controllers.
Project specifications
Retrofit of all heating, cooling and ventilation controls.
Priva controllers provide a simple, direct replacement of all HVAC controls promoting greater energy efficiency and system management.
Utilizes existing cabling - zero damage to buildings.
Because the Priva system does not require screened cabling, it can utilize the existing BMS cabling thereby safeguarding the fabric of historical buildings.
System mimics existing BMS while future-proofing entire site.
Priva’s control philosophy of providing in-built multi-lingual communications as standard enables both a direct replacement of an older BMS while accommodating future developments in building control.
Integrates with DALI lighting system.
With its built-in BACnet over IP capabilities, the Priva controller can communicate direct with the DALI protocol.
Capital cost savings made by existing BMS infrastructure.
Priva controllers support an extensive range of sensors and peripheral equipment as standard, generating savings in capital cost and installation time.
Now the building is as intelligent as the people in it!
