What are the critical requirements for successful delivery of a data centre BMS?
Data centres are crucial to the modern world by helping to deliver everything from cloud storage to artificial intelligence (AI) . Matthew Morrall, our Chief Executive Officer, explains what is required to ensure successful building management system (BMS) design, installation and commissioning on data centre projects.
Data centres are highly demanding environments due to the need for 24/7 operation, the high levels of power required and the need for adequate cooling and most importantly uptime. Building management systems (BMS) fulfil a vital role in data centre projects by often controlling the plant and equipment but always monitoring. It provides the users with full visibility of their entire facility often integrating with and visualising other systems such as mechanical plant, electrical equipment, environmental monitoring, fire, security. Often data from the BMS is used to record, log and report against client SLA items.
When considering what makes a successful project it is first important to outline what success looks like. We believe that this means a project is completed on time, on budget, to a high level of quality and in line with globally recognised industry standards. To achieve this there are project critical requirements at each stage that can help ensure success. Collaboration and communication are essential at every stage to ensure the project can progress smoothly.
Initial project information and design
At the first stage of a project, our request for information (RFI) document is an essential part of formulating the BMS design and ensuring it meets all requirements. Swift responses to the RFI means that we can begin to finalise the proposed system design and hardware selection. From this we produce our Technical Submittals, which are sent to the client for approval of the system details. Only when we have sign-off on this can we move forward with procurement. Even at this early stage any delay can have an impact on the overall project timeline, especially as some parts and equipment are subject to extended lead times. The knock-on effect can mean that installation and commissioning have to be pushed back. We are wlays working hard to avoid this and more often than not it is achieved.
Installation and commissioning pre-requisites
Once the BMS system has been procured we move onto the installation phase. The site must, of course, be physically ready before the install begins, including primary containment and plant in position, but there are several other elements that must be in place before commissioning can be carried out. It is important to be able to work collaboratively with all parties involved in the project to ensure these have been accomplished to avoid delays.
Successful and efficient commissioning requires firstly, the electrical installation needs to be completed, this includes primary and secondary containment and all wiring, including cable termination. Depending on the project, ABEC may carry out some of the electrical installation, but regardless of who completes the work, it must be finished before BMS installation can be finished and commissioning can begin.
Another key requirement for commissioning of equipment is a reliable power supply and network availability. The electrical power to the BMS equipment must be stable before the process begins. This is because if power is lost, such as when switching occurs, commissioning tasks will have to started again and valuable time is lost. The same is true for the network that connects each of the BMS system devices, any interruption in the connection sets the commissioning back.
Testing
Having the correct testing processes can make a significant difference to the overall success of the project. Factory integration testing (FIT), which is carried out at the equipment supplier’s factory, allows all BMS software and graphics to be tested with all the plant and equipment that will make up the system when installed. This includes HVAC equipment such as chillers and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) units as well as power systems such as uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) and generators. Not only will FIT significantly reduce on-site commissioning time, but it can also highlight potential issues early in the process so they can be addressed without delaying the commissioning and activation of the system.
In addition, it is important to allow enough time for site integration testing (SIT), which is carried out once other plant and equipment suppliers have completed their commissioning processes. This ensures the whole system operates as designed in practice and confirms that the subsystems that feed into the BMS are properly integrated. If FIT has already been completed, then this should be a comparatively quick process.
BMS projects for data centres are complex and often have relatively long timeframes. A successful project relies on collaboration between the client, the BMS system integrator and the suppliers and installers of the separate and disparate systems. By working together, collaborating and communicating effectively to meet project deadlines, the project team can deliver it on time, on budget and to the highest standard.
Engaging ABEC very early in the process can often enable clients to ensure third party suppliers are contracted to allow ABEC to carry out Factory integration testing (FIT) and Site Integration Testing (SIT) which as we said above reduced site time and accelerates commissioning.
To learn more about how we approach data centre projects click here.