Forty-two facilities, one big payoff after city's BAS upgrade
Always mindful of how it spends taxpayer dollars, the city council of Wichita, KS, wanted to implement an effective strategy to reduce energy, maintenance, and operating costs across all municipal sites. Achieving that objective, however, would require upgrading aging mechanical and lighting equipment and installing a reliable, centrally controlled BAS with remote access. In addition, the city wanted a systems solution with backward and forward compatibility, as well as expandability for the future.
The number and diversity of buildings in their charge challenged the city of Wichita and its facilities staff in achieving their goals. Municipal facilities consist of 42 buildings scattered throughout the city and include a 13-story city hall, a convention center, an art museum, police and fire stations, transit and recreation centers, a state office building, and various maintenance facilities. The project would entail retrofitting more than 10,000 fixtures in all 42 buildings and adding building controls at 36 of those sites. The endeavor would also involve coordinating the activities of city personnel, multiple vendors and engineers, and various utility companies. Finally, during implementation, all buildings would need to remain occupied, so citizens could continue to receive city services.