Customer Success Story: Solebury School
Company Size
200-1,000
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- ICONICS GENESIS32™ V9.1
- ICONICS AlarmWorX™32 Multimedia
- ICONICS ScheduleWorX™32
Tech Stack
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Windows XP
- Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Environmental Impact Reduction
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Industries
- Education
Applicable Functions
- Facility Management
Use Cases
- Building Automation & Control
- Energy Management System
Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Solebury School is a coed, college preparatory, boarding and day school, for 220 students in grades 7-12. Founded in 1925, Solebury’s beautiful 90-acre campus is located on Phillips Mill Road, two and one half miles north of New Hope, in the heart of historic Bucks County, PA, mid-way between New York City and Philadelphia. The school prides itself on its small size, the individual attention given to students and the deep mutual respect between faculty and students. A rigorous academic program with honors and AP courses, an ESL program for International students, a Learning Skills program, and a full range of arts, athletics and activities are further distinctions of the school.
The Challenge
Solebury School, a coed, college preparatory, boarding and day school for 220 students in grades 7-12, was seeking an automation solution for energy management as well as for centralized control, operation, and maintenance of various systems including HVAC. The school approached Vortechs Automation of Huntingdon Valley, PA for the project. The engineers at Vortechs Automation conducted a survey of the campus and were confident they could help Solebury School save on energy costs through the automation of its existing heating and cooling systems. The specific targets were the school’s science and math building, gymnasium, boy’s dormitory, and maintenance facility.
The Solution
The new Direct Digital Control (DDC) system now consists of approximately 50 KMC controllers linked together in several RS-485 sub-LAN groups, all connected to the campus Ethernet network. GENESIS32 V9.1 was selected for the industrial automation software suite’s HMI function. The ICONICS software and KMC OPC Server reside on a PC located in the campus’ main server room. Remote HMI is available to campus users through two browser nodes, located in the business office and in the maintenance office. Real-time data is logged to Microsoft Access. Historical data can be presented in graphical form on an equipment-specific basis. TrendWorX™32 reports, part of GENESIS32’s functionality, are defined for total electrical energy consumption. Alarms are broadcast to the appropriate operators using email or text messaging.
Operational Impact
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