Reynoldsburg, Ohio, United States

Introduction

The City of Reynoldsburg, known as the “birthplace of the tomato,” is a city in Fairfield, Franklin, and Licking counties in Ohio. The police department serves approximately 37,500 residents with 70 officers and a headquarters located next to Reynoldsburg City Hall. The Reynoldsburg Police Department was the first agency in central Ohio to begin a security registration program, which allows detectives to quickly follow up on potential leads. The department is actively involved with the community and maintains an engaged Facebook page.

Project details

Authorized Dealer Control Concepts Ohio installed a Reliable Controls building automation system during a retrofit of the Reynoldsburg Police Department building to control 33 variable air volume boxes, four air-handling units, a boiler plant, and a chiller.

Control Concepts Ohio commissioned a MACH-ProWebSys controller to allow building operators to access the new control system easily and efficiently over the internet. No bigger than a typical controller, the MACH-ProWebSys combines a BACnet Building Controller, BACnet Operator Workstation, and powerful web server in a single package that eliminates the need for workstation client software, license renewals, and fees for cloud services. For control of midsize rooftop and small mechanical room equipment, Control Concepts Ohio installed four rugged, flexible MACH-Pro1 controllers.

Each of the facility’s 33 variable air volume boxes is controlled with an RC-FLEXair controller that communicates with a SMART-Sensor device. The SMART-Sensor is a modern sensor solution that can detect up to 10 space-related parameters, such as temperature, humidity, gas, and particulate matter. With tons of nonvolatile memory, the RC‑FLEXair has enough space to handle the most challenging applications and automatically logs all input, output, value, calendar, loop, and schedule objects.

RC-Studio, an easy-to-use BACnet Advanced Operator Workstation software, empowered Control Concepts Ohio to easily integrate the facility’s mechanical equipment and optimize strategies for temperature control and energy efficiency.

Before the retrofit, city managers operated the boiler plant year-round. Control Concepts Ohio commissioned a new sequence that provides humidity monitoring and allows for a reset of air-handling unit discharge-air temperatures, which means the boiler can now run on demand during warmer weather, saving the city money and prolonging the life of its mechanical equipment.

The existing automation system was discontinued in 2005. The new Reliable Controls system improved not only operational efficiency but also troubleshooting and notifications of equipment failure, so building technicians can resolve issues before they develop into problems.

Reliable Controls Authorized Dealer

Control Concepts Ohio

Market segment

Government

Project type

Retrofit

Installation type

HVAC

Total area

2,323 m² (25,000 ft²)

Protocol

BACnet

Installed equipment

4 MACH-Pro1 controllers

1 MACH-ProWebSys controller

33 RC-FLEXair controllers

33 SMART-Sensor devices

RC-Studio software

Total system objects

1,668