learnd installed wireless BEMs to help TransPennine Express cut energy use at rail stations.
The installation by learnd of wireless BEMS (building energy management system) at numerous stations on the TransPennine Express rail network have helped eliminate excessive energy wastage in back of house areas, waiting rooms and ticket halls. Using a modular MX system from WEMS, learnd – a specialist in the installation, maintenance and optimisation of BEMS equipment – has been able to control air conditioning and lighting systems, as well as gas boilers and electric heating, to ensure energy is consumed only when necessary. Remote system monitoring and management is now being provided through Learnd’s bureau services.
Part of FirstGroup, TransPennine Express is an intercity train company that provides rail services to customers across the North and into Scotland. With a vision to Take the North Further, the company is delivering an investment of £500million in new services, brand new trains and more seats over the next two years.
Challenging application
“Like all rail operators, TransPennine Express has a responsibility to ensure the comfort of its customers and staff. However, spaces such as waiting rooms and ticket halls provide a particular challenge,” states Iain Peacock, Environment & Emergency Planning Manager, TransPennine Express. “Many were designed and built many years ago with very basic provisions for heating and climate control. As a result, the company was witnessing excessive energy wastage.”
…the figures show the lowest energy consumption for five years over comparable periods for those stations that haven’t had major infrastructure upgrades, such as new lifts.
Iain Peacock, Environment & Emergency Planning Manager
In some waiting rooms the only form of heating controls was a manual on/off switch, which was open to public manipulation and meant rooms were being heated far longer than required. Without remote control the only way to rectify this was manually, while an additional control challenge was the distance between waiting rooms and ticket halls – sometimes as much as 200 metres.
