July 2020 Installation progress update & COVID-19 implications for i-REAP project
i-REAP project partners are pleased to announce the FULL completion of equipment installation at Vanwall Business Park, Birmingham Business Park and Tingley Depot. The successful installation of Wireless Gateways and TerOpta Sensor Beacons was carried out in March for the first two locations, before the lockdown. The last stage of Tingley depot installation was also scheduled in March but had to be postponed because of the pandemic, however it has now been completed. The installation took place following all the government guidelines and recommendations to ensure a safe working environment. The milestone of successfully completing 60% of the installations represents a remarkable achievement for the project, considering the challenging circumstances overcome.
The installation status for the remaining locations is as follows:
- Ringmer Depot (East Sussex Highways): IN PROGRESS Installation of core equipment planned and agreed with local technicians.
- Costain House, Manchester: ON HOLD Core equipment was installed before the lockdown; however, the office remains closed and the installation works will resume as soon as staff and visitors are allowed back into the office.
COVID-19 implications
The pandemic had direct consequences in the installation plan agreed for the 1st half of the year, which led to the request and approval of an agreed project extension from the Department of BEIS. Real-time data from Vanwall and Birmingham Business Park was accessible to project partners during lockdown. The information proved to be useful for both, the energy management of these buildings under such special circumstances, as well as for planning a safe and efficient strategy to re-open the offices in the best possible conditions (i.e. Relative Humidity levels control to minimise virus transmission). These examples demonstrated the value of having an easy and remote access via VPN to the information being collected by the i-REAP system.
