case study ground control achieves new heights · case study ground control achieves new heights...
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CASE STUDY GROUND CONTROL ACHIEVES NEW HEIGHTS
Home to Bolton Wanderers Football Club, the spectacular Reebok Stadium is virtually in a
league of its own. Designed by Lobb Sports Architecture, it is among the most stunning sports
stadia in Europe. It also features an extensive Trend building management system supplied,
engineered and installed by Preston-based Nobbs & Jones, who have considerable experience
of stadia projects.
Equipped to host a wide variety of
events, the 25,000 seater Reebok
stadium is more than just a football
ground. The extensive facilities within
its stands include a 32,000ft2 sports
and exhibition hall and a banqueting
suite that can seat 500. There are also
46 executive boxes.
The stadium’s building management
system incorporates over 20 Trend IQ
intelligent outstations of various sizes,
these being linked together on a 5km
long data highway that passes round
the whole ground. Providing a total of
some 800 input and output points, the
IQ outstations are responsible for
close control and monitoring of the
stadium’s HVAC plant, its car park
lighting and a pair of 500kVA diesel
generators. The latter supply part of
the ground’s electricity and are each
fitted with an IQ241.
Apart from on match days, when they
always provide power for essential
services, the two generators are only
operated if the cost of running them is
less than the prevailing price of mains
electricity. The economics are
calculated on a daily basis and if they
are favourable the IQs are preset to
switch on the generators (the following
day) and maintain their output at
whatever level is required. If a surplus
of electricity is produced it is exported
to the grid.
Through their close monitoring of the
machines, the IQs furnish the data
needed to calculate generator
efficiency, and to schedule
maintenance and fuel deliveries.
Other IQs exercise total control over
the dozen large air handlers that
supply tempered air to all areas in the
main stands. They regulate the units’
DX cooling and gas fired heating to
achieve a constant discharge
temperature, inhibiting their use if the
outside temperature is above or below
certain limits. In many of the areas,
including the executive boxes, local
temperature control is provided by split
air conditioners, while in others there
are panel heaters. Here the system’s
role is to switch the plant on and off in
accordance with occupation. In the
kitchens and serveries it operates the
heating and ventilation on the basis of
signals received from infra-red
presence detectors.
At present, the main operator interface
on the system is a Trend ViewPoint
touch screen supervisor. Through this,
actions such as setting the occupation
times for different areas are very simple
to achieve. One of the main reasons a
ViewPoint was chosen was that it
would make the BMS accessible to
many more of the stadium staff – not
just those familiar with computers.
Though many football stadia in this
country use simple, stand-alone
building controls, Bolton Wanderers
Trend Control Systems LimitedP.O. Box 34, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 2YF, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1403 211888 Fax: +44 (0)1403 241608 www.trend-controls.com
were quick to appreciate that
intelligent controls, network-linked to
form a centrally manageable system,
represented a cost-effective
investment with significant benefits.
Trend technology was chosen
because of its user friendliness,
flexibility and proven reliability. Indeed
Trend systems are now to be found at
a growing number of football grounds,
including those of Chelsea, Arsenal,
Coventry, Leicester, Derby County,
Celtic, Stoke and Huddersfield Town,
who play at the award winning Alfred
McAlpine Stadium.
Nobbs & Jones Ltd can be
contacted on 01772 655500.