ABOUT BOVINGTON CAMP

Bovington Garrison is a British Army base in the South West of England, originally established in 1899.

Application: Military

Use Case: BMS Upgrades, Building Optimisation

How learnd worked with VIVO Defence Services, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the British Army to support improved visibility and energy efficiency at Bovington Garrison

VIVO Defence Services act as the facilities management team across the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

As part of Project Phoenix, VIVO needed to arrange the modernisation of the Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) across the Ministry of Defence estate in the Central and South-West Regions. The programme aimed to improve energy efficiency, enhance operational visibility and establish a consistent approach to the monitoring and management of building systems across multiple sites.

Bovington Garrison was the first BEMS upgrade project delivered by learnd under the Project Phoenix Framework.

THE CHALLENGE

The site presented a unique challenge, with numerous buildings requiring upgrades while remaining fully operational throughout the works. Close coordination was essential to ensure that all activity could be planned around the operational requirements of the British Army and delivered without disrupting critical services or day-to-day operations.

A further objective was to simplify a complex BEMS asset base by establishing a standardised controls strategy that could be replicated across the wider estate. The adoption of a common platform would improve system integration, reduce complexity and provide a consistent foundation for future energy management initiatives.

THE SOLUTION

Working in partnership with VIVO Defence Services, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the British Army, learnd implemented a modern, standardised BEMS solution based on the Tridium Niagara Framework.

The project involved upgrading building controls with Tridium JACE controllers and associated I/O modules, while also deploying a site-wide radio network to connect buildings across the Camp. This infrastructure enabled each building to communicate with a central head-end system, providing secure and reliable connectivity throughout the site.

A new head-end PC was installed to give facilities teams a central interface for monitoring and managing building performance. Through secure SD-WAN connectivity, authorised personnel can remotely access the system, enabling ongoing monitoring, diagnostics and optimisation.

Throughout delivery, regular coordination meetings and detailed planning ensured works were aligned with operational requirements. This collaborative approach allowed the project to progress across 14 delivery milestones while maintaining business continuity across the active military site.

THE OUTCOME

The completed upgrade has provided VIVO Defence Services with full visibility of BEMS operations across Bovington Garrison for the first time, creating a significantly improved understanding of building and plant performance.

With access to enhanced monitoring, alarms, trending and analytics, facilities teams can now identify issues earlier, reduce reactive call-outs and minimise system downtime. The upgraded platform also enables the active optimisation of building services, helping improve energy efficiency, occupant comfort and overall building performance.

The project replaced more than 90 building controls with modern technology and is expected to support annual energy consumption reductions of between 5% and 10%. By combining improved visibility, standardised controls and remote management capabilities, the project has delivered benefits beyond the replacement of legacy infrastructure and established a scalable foundation for future Project Phoenix upgrades across the wider MoD estate.