Newsletter subscription
The City of Clermont Ferrand currently manages over 200 local buildings, with the concern of providing its occupants with comfort while controlling energy costs. The project aimed at supplying an effective, open tool allowing to federate and control remotely the technical equipment.
The genesis of the Technical Building Management project
Originally, the two services – energy management and sports facilities management – were equipped with remote management tools, the first to monitor heating facilities, and the second for access and intrusion control. In 2006, a project was implemented to group these two services, and deploy a federator tool over all facilities.
After an inventory and specifying the needs, a specifications sheet was written, which highlighted the necessity to federate existing systems, and the need for an open system based on:
- A client/server architecture with web browsing
- Multiwindow management
- Configurable levels of alarms
- Standby management
- Multi-protocol communication
- Easy configuration
Late 2007, the bid for tender was launched: SN Apilog Automation company was chosen, with a TOPKAPI supervision solution, with for a global market amount of 30,000 Euros.
A supervisory tool providing autonomy and efficiency
In addition to the supply of the licenses required for operating the installations, SN Apilog Automation company was entrusted with implementing browsing ergonomics in the software, supervising a pilot site, and supporting project management. A five-day training session was dispensed in the remote management service, composed of four persons with highly diverse technical backgrounds, in charge of deploying the entire application. ‘Getting acquainted with the Topkapi software platform caused no particular problem‘ explained Thierry Hoarau, in charge of the remote management department.
The architecture chosen is made of a central station allowing to handle Sofrel and Wit controllers via IP links (60 to 70% installed base) and PSTN links (Public Switched Telephone Network). Today, more than 40 users have access rights to the application through Internet Explorer, thanks to the Web portal generated by Topkapi. Remote client access is also available, including for the heating department, to intervene on configuring controllers and regulators.
The Topkapi light client used here offers comprehensive and effective remote management ; it is in fact a downloadable component of merely 8 Mb installed and configured in less than five minutes.
Openness of the platform to multiple users and the different departments of the local authority ensures it is a tool indispensable and used on a daily basis: for example for premises managers (school facilities), or public space management with a rather original use, which in winter stand-by service monitors outdoor temperatures at strategic points, allowing to intervene promptly for road and pavement salting.
The application monitors technical alarms, fire alarms, heating temperature graphs, which are analysed to detect malfunctions or drifting in equipment. Topkapi’s bilans module also allows to use metering information and generate energy consumption reports for optimizing purposes.
Today, 78 buildings are supervised (i.e. more than 12 000 points remote managed) and close to 120 should be in the longer run.