Localised approach to BMS installation
December 1st 2007

The latest methods of BMS installation, eliminating centralised motor panels in favour of local distribution boards serving inverter-driven plant and localised outstations, has proved successful in the redevelopment of Unilever House at Blackfriars, London.

Integrated Control Systems designed and installed a £1.3m BMS to Ove Arup specifications that called for a localised approach.

Bovis Lend Lease awarded the contract to ICS to build local power distribution boards, undertake all power and BMS wiring, and install two web-enabled supervisors with graphical interfaces to serve the initial base build BMS to incorporate Cat A and Cat B requirements.

While working to meet landlord's M&E services systems requirements, ICS also had to cater for the needs of Unilever staff.The company installed more than 800 fan coil units with 28 different control configurations. These embraced various sensor control options, including heating and cooling by low pressure hot water and chilled water, or combinations of chilled water and electric heating, and in some instances heating or cooling only. They also offered conventional return air control, room control with high quality LCD and interface with PIRs to activate services only when rooms are occupied.An IP infrastructure was connected to the control panels incorporating Trend controllers; a total of 26 IQ3 controllers formed the Ethernet network backbone serving central plant.The IP infrastructure also supported two EINC controllers on each floor serving a Trend LAN with communication modems for fan coil units and IQ200 controllers.