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News Release from: TAC UK | Subject: Schools go back to the future
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 25 February 2008
Schools go back to the future
TAC explain why there is an increasing need for local authorities and schools to place Building Management Systems at the top of their agenda
Following the recent pre budget report, figures from the long-awaited Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) reveal that education will continue to dominate government spending over the next three years Technological developments are adding value to pupils, teachers and parents on a daily basis, with issues concerning the environment moving faster through the school playground and classrooms than ever before
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 14 Sep 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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Microcosms of our society, such as schools and colleges, are at the top of the list to be updated and via the Building Schools for the Future project; they are being equipped with the latest technology in order to provide the most comfortable learning environment possible.
Simon Clement, project manager at TAC, explains why there is an increasing need for local authorities and schools to place Building Management Systems at the top of their agenda, and how Building Management Systems (BMS) contribute to the design and build of 'Schools for the Future' by installing the latest building management systems at three schools in East Lancashire.
The Building Schools for the Future initiative is committed to rebuilding every secondary school in England over the next 10 to 15 years; we expect to be with them at every stage of this development.
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We are currently working with Catalyst Lend Lease and its Local Education Partner Lancashire County Council on a GBP1.4 million contract to install the latest, state-of-the-art security and BMS.
The aim of the project is to keep staff and pupils safe and comfortable by enhancing their learning environment.
This is a ground-breaking initiative that we have been involved in from the planning stages, signifying a market shift in terms of how BMS is addressed.
It seems that it is becoming more and more pertinent to organise a BMS programme before the build stage is undertaken.
Having effective BMS in operation is essential to today's demands for technology and security throughout buildings.
This relates directly to the running of the school, meaning that the facilites are of an optimum level to deal with everyday.
Not only are BMS systems being installed in East Lancashire durable and user friendly, they will have a huge impact on the life cost of the building, dramatically reducing expenditure.
Pupils and teachers alike will feel the effects of the latest technology that will regulate and control their comfort levels throughout the day.
Often overlooked matters such as classroom temperatures throughout the varying seasons can be monitored and easily managed by the BMS system.
One particularly exciting part of this project is that we have worked together with the Lancashire BSF team right from the start.
Being involved from the planning stages with projects like this will act as a showcase for best practice and enable schools to see how security and BMS provision is a vital factor that should be considered along with the bricks and mortar.
TAC is responsible for installing a comprehensive Integrated Building Energy Management System at three schools - Burnley Campus, Pendle Vale College and Shuttleworth College - providing fully automated control of the facilities within each building.
Using the latest technology, pupils, teachers and the wider community will be provided with a safe and comfortable learning environment and facilities for all to use.
Safety and BMS are intrinsically linked on this project, Building Schools for the Future realise that providing security and intelligent building needs to be a synergised operation.
The three schools will include some of the most state-of-the-art technological advances for the learning environment and also demonstrate the need for a school to be a culpable building with relation to the environment.
The installation of independent energy generation systems means that the buildings will have less of an impact on the environment.
The importing of gas, water and electricity will be offset with on site self sustainable fuel sources such as biomass boilers, solar panels, photovoltaic cells and wind turbines.
Compliance with the Building Regulations Part L (2006) is fundamental to the engineering design.
Best practice energy management techniques will be employed in the designs to create energy efficient schools including PIR Switched Lighting, day light sensors in classrooms to switch off rows of luminaries.
The use of high frequency energy efficient luminaries is geared at combating wasteful lighting.
All of these factors will minimise the amount that can be wasted by human error.
Renewable energy information will be displayed as contents on display boards, located in prominent positions within the schools; they will provide a dynamic display of the quantities of energy generated and carbon dioxide emissions saved by the renewable technologies, and the water savings provided by the rainwater harvesting system.
The heating plant, including the biomass boiler, pumps, control panels and pipes will be visible through a glazed screen, and clear signage used to name the equipment and explain its purpose.
Extra care will be taken when handling and installing site equipment to optimise this objective.
Pupil access into the BMS through a web portal will allow investigation of the buildings operation, without the access to alter any settings.
The running of a school building can be expensive and relies not only on the installation of energy saving technology but also on the people who work and operate inside it.
By working with Lancashire BSF, we are integrating systems that are as user minded as possible and marginalise the wasted energy that occurs from human use.
These measures of limiting the energy that can possibly be wasted will also have a huge impact on the running cost of the school.
Having the latest technology in schools across East Lancashire means that children and staff will benefit from a safe learning environment, in a building that has been designed and equipped to minimise energy consumption.
The intelligent building management systems will enable the regulation of costs whilst ensuring security.
We hope that more schools adopt these integrated solutions in the future.
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