EcoStruxure™ is Schneider Electric's IoT-enabled, plug-and-play, open, interoperable architecture and platform which is offering innovation at every level from connected products to edge control and Apps, analytics and services. Prestigious installation projects include the new 62,000-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in north London.
The stadium has been designed from the outset for multi-use including a structurally engineered fully retractable pitch – the first for any stadium in the UK – to ensure that the football-playing surface is always in peak condition. Underneath the grass is a synthetic surface that can be used for NFL games and other events. This resourceful logistical approach is mirrored in the agility of the energy management offered by EcoStruxure™ which is distributing all power supplies to the stadium and integrating mission-critical systems as well as supporting day-to-day running of the venue. It is envisaged that the energy and building management solutions provided by Schneider Electric will play a key role in delivering the kind of operational efficiencies that should contribute to the club’s vision of being best of breed in all aspects of its operations.
EcoStruxure™ is Schneider Electric’s response to commercial, political and environmental pressures that are driving organisations to make more with less. This means they need to increase productivity with fewer resources and using less energy. The connectivity offered by the Internet of Things (IoT) is important for achieving this. EcoStruxure™ was developed as a suite of tools and services to help users implement IoT. It simplifies collection of data from intelligent devices around a building or campus.
Standard communications protocols
Notably, EcoStruxure™ does this using standard communications protocols which is proving a boon on the Tottenham Hotspur project. Once data has been collected, it is analyzed either locally using Edge Control or remotely in the Cloud to provide the user with insights to improve its business operations. A range of modules is available to simplify collecting data from a spectrum of functions and activities so ensuring that IoT solutions can implemented be in a seamless, cost-effective and scalable manner.
At major enterprises such as Tottenham Hotspur, EcoStruxure™ becomes a digital backbone that connects best-in-class Operations Technology (OT) solutions with the latest in Information Technology (IT). This approach allows users to unlock trapped value by leveraging the true potential of IoT. At Tottenham Hotspur, EcoStruxure™ is performing significant automation by providing real-time monitoring for preventative maintenance. Aspects such as temperature and lighting conditions can be integrated to benefit stakeholders and visitors.
The stadium’s electrical infrastructure is being monitored constantly from Schneider Electric’s remote field services bureau. Its building analytics software performs system checks every five minutes, totaling 60,000 checks every hour on the site. Schneider Electric experts will also be in situ to monitor the stadium’s power infrastructure on match days and in the build-up to major events.
David Hall, VP Power Systems, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland, said: “We are excited to have partnered with Tottenham Hotspur to create and help manage one of the finest stadiums in the world - for fans, visitors and the wider public. We are supporting the delivery of a best-in-class energy management system to power what is one of the most technologically advanced entertainment venues in the world. Today, this state-of-art stadium is a prime example of how the stresses associated with hosting and attending live events can be alleviated through digitization and automation. The venue boasts a next-generation customer experience for sports fans, visitors and the community at large that can only be achieved with the latest technology.”
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is already proving a catalyst for general development in the area and planners envisage it will be the focal point for a 20-year programme of regeneration. Any current names for the ground are temporary. Fans and journalists occasionally call it ‘New White Hart Lane’ but the club proposes to sell naming rights to a major sponsor in due course. The first fully competitive game for senior players at the stadium was in April of this year and saw Tottenham defeat Crystal Palace 2-0 in the Premier League.
The ground has set quite a few world firsts and the facilities and infrastructure offer many interesting statistics. The single-tier south stand is less than five metres from the pitch, this being closer than any other Premier League ground. There are 17,500 seats in this stand making it the largest single-tier stand in the United Kingdom. The pitch dimensions are 105m x 68m, these being the exact dimensions of Wembley.
When the stadium is used for an NFL game or a concert, the grass pitch will retract into a storage garage in the south stand. The turf can remain in the storage area for up to ten days thanks to LED lighting, cooling and irrigation systems with EcoStruxure™ contributing to these controls. Traditional football floodlighting on pylons has been dispensed with and the stadium is illuminated by 324 floodlights mounted on the underside of the roof in clusters of six. The players have their own restaurant with separate kitchen to prepare team food, a pre-match players' lounge, crèche, family lounge, hydrotherapy pool and warm-up area. Spectators benefit from what is believed to be the only microbrewery based at a sports venue; it produces premium craft beer with output expected to exceed one million pints annually.