Internet is King in the Outback

For many years, Sodexo has provided Integrated Facilities Management for mining operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The portfolio includes management and maintaining of a range of facilities including offices, staff accomodation and other air-conditioned buildings that support mining operations.

The extreme nature of the ambient environment due to dust, heat and high humidity can cause issues with equipment failure, mould, occupant discomfort, condensation, high operating costs, and damage to building assets. In this environment, one of the greatest challenges for HVAC management is due to the remoteness and variability of weather conditions across the large Pilbara region.

Sodexo manages remote accommodation for Rio Tinto in North West WA. They understand the importance of resident comfort and quality of life and the impact it can have on performance, safety, and by extension, overall mine productivity. Unexpected equipment failure in these extreme climates can cause occupant discomfort and lead to employee fatigue. It’s vital for HVAC equipment to be fixed quickly, however, it can be extremely costly in these remote areas.

To actively address these challenges, Sodexo is moving to manage residential housing air con units remotely. An IoT solution not only allows Sodexo to monitor operating conditions remotely for maintenance requirements, but also pick up on any faults should they occur. This significantly reduces downtime of units and reactive repairs! Sodexo, AirSkill, MyDevices and Temperzone have been developing a bespoke remote monitoring system to actively review the large package units currently servicing the residential Rio Tinto portfolio in the Pilbara.

The Temperzone VPA unit is specially designed to survive in the high ambient temperatures of the Pilbara region. The ability to connect Temperzone Vertical Package Units (VPA) to monitoring systems was a critical element in Sodexo choosing Temperzone equipment.

Temperzone’s VPA units also integrate with the MyDevices system. This allows Sodexo to remotely monitor and manage the Temperzone air conditioning units from their IFMS Command Centre in Perth, (or anywhere in the world with internet connection through Cloud-based technology.)

Following rigorous series of tests to verify Internet connectivity, remote connection to the Sodexo Command Centre and performance monitoring, a pilot project is on track to be rolled out to select resident housing and accommodation units in the Pilbara.

Remote performance monitoring and preventative maintenance are critical in remote regions where Sodexo operates, enabling their Remote Location Facilities Managers to deliver the best service to their clients and consumers while managing equipment efficiently and reliably.

While Temperzone's VPA units are used for this project, the majority of Temperzone's product range allow connection to remote monitoring and management systems via Modbus. From various Hitachi products to 200kW Temperzone Rooftop Package units, remote connectivity is available today.

For more information on Temperzone's VPA Vertical Package Units please click here or use the contact form on the website to contact Temperzone directly.