31 Aug 2011
Victorian schools adopt Protégé
84 Victorian Public Schools to date, with another 17 Special Order buildings earmarked, have implemented Protégé, by Integrated Control Technology, not for its primary functions of integrated alarm and access control but for the inbuilt advanced features of building automation and energy management.
With energy costs souring, Schools are placing increasingly more importance on implementing solutions which will reduce their ongoing costs, particularly during school hours. Even with class rooms being used by students and staff, some very clever techniques were utilised to minimise energy usage yet still providing a comfortable learning environment.
Prior to the project getting off the ground, Dave Ward, from AAA Electrical, was given the initial functionality brief which included the monitoring and control of classroom Co2 Gases, Temperature, ambient and ideal lighting levels, fans and ventilation. Together with the guys at Security Merchants Australia P/L, Dave designed the system consisting of a Protégé ‘SE’ Main Control Panel, Analogue Input Modules, Analogue Output Modules, Relay Output Modules, Touch Screen and peripheral devices.
The end result was a single system which could monitor and control a number of classrooms with the following functions as a minimum;
External Lighting
External Building lighting is controlled by Protégé ‘Time Zones’ with preset On/Off times, including Daylight Savings periods.
Classroom System Activation
A single touch button inside the classroom entrance is used to activate ‘Day’ mode at the start of the school day. Passive Infrared detectors detect movement inside the room and trigger the Protégé system to turn on Lighting and Sweep Fans. Lighting and Fans are de-activated automatically after no movement has been detected for a period of 15 minutes. In this scenario, lighting may also be configured to ramp down to a specific Lux level instead of being turned off totally.
Lighting Levels
The Protégé system, utilising Analogue Input Modules, monitors the ambient light levels inside the classroom and then, utilising Analogue Output Modules, adjusts the room lights accordingly to obtain the optimum lux levels.
Co2
Classroom Co2 levels are constantly being monitored and should they reach a pre-programmed limit, the room ventilation system is automatically activated and remains on until the readings fall below the lower threshold. The ventilation system comprises exhaust fans and vent dampers which allow fresh air from outside to be drawn into the classroom.
Temperature
Temperatures both outside and inside the building are monitored with the aim of having the internal classroom temperature at its ideal. If the temperature outside is closer to the required internal temperature, fans are automatically activated to draw air into the classroom. If the external air temperature is not the ideal source, the fans and dampers are shut down and the heating and cooling system activated to bring the classroom to the required temperature.
User Interaction
A Protégé Touch Screen is utilised in each building to allow authorised staff the ability to view and override some specific functions. The Touch Screen provides a very simple graphical user interface for staff to see, at a glance, current settings and levels and using a PIN, make small adjustments to temperature and lighting levels.
Lights, in particular, may be completely switched off when presentations and video programs are being played.
With regards to Room Temperature and ventilation, a small indicator panel is also placed in an easy to view area of the classroom to display the current status of the system.
As Dave Ward explains, although the system is designed not to be totally overridden and therefore reduce or negate it’s effectiveness in managing energy usage, flexibility in the system design and it’s control, allows authorised staff to easily make subtle changes to suit classroom usage.
Control & Programming
Due to the onboard Ethernet connectivity of the Protégé system, connection of the system to the Schools’ network also allows remote system monitoring, control and programming, negating the need to perform ongoing site visits.
Initially setup as a pilot program, the success of this solution has seen Dave Ward and AAA Electrical utilised to install the system into 84 Public Schools to date, with another 17 Special Order buildings on order. Dave has been extremely pleased and heartened with the positive feedback received from schools that have actually experienced savings, even in their early stages.
Mr Christopher Chant, Principal of the Mentone Primary School, sees this solution as a huge leap forward in reducing his schools’ ongoing energy costs. As Chris explained, the cost savings in this solution alone represent real and actual additional resources for his school which can be utilised on improving education programs and expanding staffing resources.
Currently, only newer stand-alone classroom buildings, built off-site, are having this system installed but many would like to see this solution implemented in the entire school, representing an even greater impact on energy saving costs.
Security
Protégé has been approved by the Queensland Department of Education for use as the school Security Alarm system with ongoing applications being made to Victoria and NSW. With these approvals, a single Protégé system can provide the total building solution for Security and Energy Management, saving even more money on the initial expenses of having separate systems installed.