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The SmartStruxure™ solution building management system (BMS) is now at the heart of Bristol Airport’s 24/7 operations. System integration and remote access give facility personnel anytime/anywhere access to systems, making site control easier and travellers’ experiences even better, while helping ensure that its all-important energy goals are the priority.
Preparing for the future
When the Engineering team at Bristol Airport was looking to upgrade the airport’s main terminal building, western walkway and Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, they needed a global specialist in energy management and automation, to create a site that would cater to today’s demands, while preparing for future requirements.
Bristol Airport had numerous systems and suppliers that worked disparately. With the existing Building Management System (BMS) reaching the end of its life and not providing any practical capability to upgrade, the only option was to replace the system entirely. This led Bristol Airport to start the process of looking for a new solution. They found it with Schneider Electric.
In search of scalable integration
Bristol Airport needed to replace their outdated and disparate BMS equipment with a scalable solution to address the Airport’s expansion project and its environmental, social and economic goals. it was crucial that a scalable, open technology was installed to ensure that it was flexible and able to withstand future expansion plans for the terminal building. The system needed to have open protocols, plus cutting-edge control technology, reporting capabilities and clear upgrade paths in order to essentially future-proof the airport.
The SmartStruxure™ solution
Schneider Electric was awarded the contract due to the company’s familiarity with Bristol Airport and its unique experience and in-depth knowledge of the control sector. The distinctive nature of the site meant that the company needed to understand the specific challenges that the airport was facing and ensure that the BMS was fully integrated into the central management system.
With its open protocols and sophisticated control and monitoring systems, Schneider Electric’s SmartStruxure solution was perfect for the project, providing easy to understand graphical interfaces and seamless third-party integration. As the software is available through web services, accessibility is increased, making it perfect to control both from the main terminal building and via smart devices both on- and off-site.
90%: Waste that is recycled or reclaimed at Bristol Airport
A partner at the heart of operations
Fraser Dury, head of engineering at Bristol Airport, comments: “The whole project ran smoothly and was carried out with minimal disruption, which was something that was a crucial factor in selecting our partner on this project. Due to the 24-hour nature of the Airport, finding a solution that could be rolled out quickly and efficiently was paramount.”
Fraser continues: “The team are now working alongside the solution, whereas in the past the BMS controls and system was housed in the basement, which meant that it wasn’t really part of our day-to-day operations.” In contrast, the new SmartStruxure solution has become our main point of control. The remote access that we now have has also proven to be invaluable and makes controlling the site even easier.
-4.1% continual reduction of carbon per passenger since 2010
Schneider Electric is providing a full service and maintenance contract for Bristol’s system, complete with training and staff support to ensure they have the necessary expertise on managing, controlling and optimizing the system for today and the future.
To learn more about Bristol Airport’s Building Management solution, read the full case study.
