Priva Case Studie
Magdalene College
Priva: Enhances Equipment Communications
A building management system (BMS) from Priva Building Intelligence is enabling building services equipment communications within the historic College of St Mary Magdalene in Cambridge. The College’s origins date back to the early 15th century when King Henry VI approved the establishment of a hostel for Benedictine monks coming to Law at the University. Over the centuries the site has grown and today has an eclectic mix of buildings including the new Cripps Court providing a lecture theatre, seminar rooms, student accommodation, entertainment facilities and landscaped courtyard.
Central to the building is a Priva Compri HX8E controller managing the heating system and providing a direct link to a PM Luft air handling unit (AHU) controller that employs the Modbus protocol. From the outset Priva has promoted an open protocol policy leading to outstanding communications possibilities and compatible with, for example, XML, BACnet, Echelon/LonMark, M-bus, Modbus, and OPC.
Added to this is Priva’s use of IP addressable controllers allowing easy access across an IT network or via wireless communication using a standard web browser. “This technology meant that we were able to utilize the College’s IT network to gather data relating to the new extension’s building services, including the AHU, and send it to the Priva TC Vision graphical display,” explained Geoff Collacott, Director of PA Collacott.
PA Collacott was responsible for the BMS design and installation and recommended the Priva system due to its exceptional communications capabilities. “By using the existing IT network for building services communications, we have been able to save costs in engineering time and eliminate much of the hardwiring found in traditional control systems,” added Geoff Collacott.
