University of Southampton
Services
Building management system (BMS) design, install and maintenance.
Contract detail
Ongoing since 2006
What was the University of Southampton looking for?
The new student services and administration centre at the University of Southampton is part of the European Commission project (SARA) to construct and demonstrate highly sustainable and replicable ‘eco-buildings’. A demanding energy target set by SARA ruled that the eco-building should aspire to consume around half the energy of a conventional building of this type. Meeting such a challenge would require a balance of natural resources and the latest energy saving technology.
How did we help?
MITIE’s specialist controls team worked closely with designers to engineer and install a network of Building Controls Systems (BMS) key for managing a heating and ventilation system designed to fully utilise sustainable resources. To ensure optimum efficiency, MITIE installed three IQ2 series units to control and monitor the building’s heating and ventilation system. Additionally, MITIE engineered and installed two IQ3xcite systems linked to the university’s intranet, providing SARA with real-time energy consumption data. MITIE were also involved in the commissioning of a management control algorithm connected to the heating circuit of the adjacent building. Unlike the weather compensation routine it replaces, the new algorithm modulates the temperature set point and calculates the “comfort temperature” using a running mean of daily outside temperatures.
The results…
Since opening, the eco-building has consistently met its energy targets. Its impressive energy performance stems from a combination of MITIE installed BMS and design features that utilise natural lighting, ventilation and solar temperature gain. In the first year of opening,the energy consumption of the eco-building was 149kW/m2, compared with 278 W/m2 consumed by a similar building operating active cooling, giving savings of 46%. Further energy projects led by MITIE are set to reduce consumption further.