Smart Controls for a Leading Bioscience Lab

Our brief

A world-leading pharmaceutical research organisation was encountering problems with the building management system (BMS) in one of their key research facilities.

The BMS was responsible for maintaining critical elements such as lighting, temperature, and humidity to ensure the precise environmental conditions required for their operations. Additionally, it needed to keep accurate, high-resolution logs to meet the stringent requirements of regular government audits.

The facilities team grew increasingly concerned that the BMS was not effectively managing these systems, leading to higher-than-necessary energy consumption and failure to maintain the required environmental conditions. They were also worried that the logs of these conditions may not be accurate or reliable.

We were brought in to deploy a retrofit solution to monitor the BMS’s performance, verify its effectiveness in controlling the building, and capture an independent set of data for audit compliance.

Our solution

cThings deployed a network of environmental sensors throughout the laboratory buildings, enabling continuous monitoring of key parameters like temperature, humidity, and CO₂ levels. These battery-powered sensors used wireless LoRaWAN communication, allowing for a quick and cost-effective installation and commissioning process completed in just a few days.

Once configured to transmit real-time data to cThings Cloud, we created a digital representation of the building. This allowed us to compare the expected behaviour of the building management system (BMS) with the actual environmental conditions recorded by the sensors.

Leveraging our advanced analytics package, we could assess the relationship between the BMS and the building’s service performance, providing valuable insights to enhance energy efficiency and identify any deficiencies within the BMS.

"cThings provided the clarity we needed to address issues with our building management system. Their real-time data proved the BMS wasn’t meeting our requirements, allowing us to resolve the issue quickly and at no extra cost.

The data has also simplified our audit process, saving us valuable time. cThings has made a critical difference in managing our facility efficiently."

The results

Following the successful installation of sensors and the implementation of the cThings platform, the customer gained much more accessible access to data and real-time insights into their facilities.

The data clearly demonstrated that the building management system was not operating as expected. Armed with this data, the customer was able to require that the BMS service provider take corrective action to address the issue. With the sensor data as evidence, there was no doubt that the BMS was under performing, prompting the contractor to resolve the issue within weeks at no additional cost to our client.

Additionally, the data proved invaluable when the facility needed to provide information for audits, as it could be downloaded easily, saving days of administrative effort.

The benefits

Improved compliance

Accurate, high-resolution data simplifies audit processes, ensuring easier regulatory compliance.

Reduced operational costs

Optimisation of building systems minimises energy consumption, leading to lower utility costs.

Enhanced system accountability

Independent data verification enables effective oversight of BMS performance and contractor accountability.

Efficient troubleshooting

Real-time data aids in quickly identifying and addressing issues within the BMS, reducing downtime and maintenance costs.

Streamlined data access

Easily downloadable reports reduce administrative workload, providing instant access to critical information.