Upgrading critical ESD control, with minimal downtime and improved reliability.

A dedicated energy centre was developed to provide heating, cooling and electrical services to a large mixed use development. The client required a
reliable and highly available control and monitoring system to manage central plant, maximise energy efficiency and support long term operational resilience. The solution needed to integrate with wider district networks and an existing supervisory environment while maintaining flexibility for phased expansion.

Scope of delivery

The scope included the detailed design, manufacture, installation and commissioning of PLC based control panels for the energy centre. This covered control and monitoring of chillers, boilers, primary and secondary pumps, heat exchangers, and associated electrical distribution and metering. Integration with a central SCADA system, local HMIs, automated meter reading and third-party building management systems were included, along with full testing, documentation and training.

Key challenges

Key challenges included coordinating a wide range of mechanical and electrical plant interfaces, managing multiple communication protocols, ensuring high system availability for critical services, maintaining data integrity and time alignment across distributed plant for accurate energy monitoring and reporting, and delivering a flexible control strategy capable of adapting to varying load conditions and future expansion.

Technical solution

A resilient PLC and SCADA architecture was implemented using industry standard controllers, touchscreen HMIs and a segregated industrial network. Control strategies were developed for duty standby rotation, plant sequencing, fault handling and energy optimisation. The system provides real time alarms, trending and historical data through the SCADA, with secure user access, role based permissions and time synchronisation across all plant and control panels.

Outcome and benefits

The completed energy centre control system was successfully commissioned and handed over to operations. The solution delivers reliable, efficient and transparent control of central plant, supports accurate energy monitoring and reporting, and provides a scalable foundation for future development phases or plant upgrades.

The system improves plant visibility, supports proactive maintenance and enables more efficient energy usage through accessible and accurate operational data.