In the run-up to this year’s CIBSE carbon clean-up campaign, low carbon consultants visited 20 sites to advise on simple, low-cost energy saving measures. BSj reports

On 12 September CIBSE launches the 2007 100 Days of Carbon Clean Up Campaign. The initiative, which this year is sponsored by energy company E.ON, aims to encourage organisations to take action to reduce carbon emissions in their own buildings through simple low-cost or no cost measures, such as encouraging behavioural changes by occupants.

This year, 20 organisations from various sectors took part in a pre-campaign pilot study, funded by the Carbon Trust. This involved a CIBSE low carbon consultant visiting their premises and undertaking a thorough TM22 assessment of the building and its services before recommending cost-effective measures to improve operation and deliver energy savings. The consultant also trained a member of staff to carry out annual energy assessments.

The results of these studies will be used to provide improved guidance for this year’s campaign. Right is a typical report, outlining the scope of improvements that a simple assessment can reveal.

Study: Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Southampton

Envision Energy carried out the assessment of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s offices in the heart of outhampton. The building is mainly used for administration, with reception, conference and break-out spaces on the ground floor and offices on the first and second floors.

Completed about 15 years ago, it is mainly brick construction with double-glazed windows. It is centrally heated and ventilated by boiler and air-handling plants located in the mechanical plantrooms. The offices have perimeter heating and cooling provided by wall-mounted fan coil units.

Annual energy consumption
Electricity - 1,456,212kWh
Gas - 16,374,374kWh

Day consumption split
Day - 12,17415kWh (84%)
Night - 238,797kWh (16%)

Annual energy spend
Electricity - £125,172
Gas - £16,171

Recommendations

Automated monitoring and targeting (data collection system): at present the online metering is done via a subcontractor who provides monthly reports.

Online half-hourly day plus one metering is recommended. This will allow the energy consumption to be monitored more accurately and allow for the identification of energy wastage.

Typical savings expected of 2-3% of annual energy usage (44177kWh or approximately 17,670kg CO2/kWh)

Budget cost £600 but immediate payback.

BEMS

The controls system is extremely inefficient and requires replacing. The boiler control panel has a Trend IQ220 installed, but this is not linked to the discrete Satchwell CZT’s and Honeywell controllers on the AHU panels. For an HVAC system to operate efficiently, all primary and secondary plants should be connected and communicating to allow demand control of the building. Enhancements/routines that should be considered are the installation of additional sensors, load scheduling and compensation control.

Typical savings expected 7% of annual energy usage (103081kWh. approximately 41232 kgCO2/kWh)

Budget cost £12,000 - 14,000, expected payback less than 12 months

Variable speed drives

To supply, install and commission variable speed drives on the air-handling units and chilled water pumps. These will be controlled via the BEMS and the speeds modulated on demand utilising temperature and/or pressure sensing.

Typically a variable speed drive installed and controlled will reduce the fan/pump output by 20%. It is proposed that the variable speed drive units be fitted to the two AHU supply and extract fans and the chilled water pumps.

Typical savings expected of 30-50% per fan and/or pump – typically 15% of annual energy usage (220,887kWh, approximately 88,355kg CO2/kWh)

Budget cost £10,000 - 14,000, expected payback less than 12 months

Lighting controls

These exist on the general office areas. It is also recommended that presence controls be fitted to all the toilets, restaurants and break-out areas. Lux level control on lighting in areas which have a significant amount of natural light could also be considered.

Typical savings expected of 5% (73,629kWh, approximately 29,451kg CO2/kWh)

Budget cost £6000, expected payback less than 12 months

General small power

The office small power supplied the personnel workstations and office equipment – while on site the consultant suggested an internal housekeeping exercise would be beneficial. This was to ensure all terminal screens were disabled each evening by their operators.

This could be monitored by periodic evening walk-rounds or even by automating the disable via the site BEMS. Most of the fax/printer machines had energy saving modes activated and operational.

Switch off tips


  • Switching off or unplugging the microwave when not in use will save 8kg CO2 a year.
  • Recycling 1 tonne of paper (400 reams) saves 15 trees, 2.5 barrels of oil, 2.26 m3 of landfill space, 31,320 gallons water, 27 kg of air pollutants.

Other organisations that took part in the 100 Days pilot study


  • Brent Cross shopping centre
  • McArthur Glen retail outlet
  • Severn Trent Water
  • Integral UK
  • PTE Architects
  • UCAS
  • Medway Hospital
  • CAFOD
  • WWF-UK
  • Richmond council
  • Aberdeenshire council
  • Copthorne Hotel, Cardiff (Millennium Hotels)
  • Marston plc
  • Pfizer Building 500
  • Johnson Matthey
  • United Business Media
  • SAS Institute
  • The University of Warwick
  • London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority

Sign up here…

To sign up to the 100 Days of Carbon Clean-up Campaign, visit www.100days.co.uk. The website will be continually updated with news, information on events, campaign stories and more advice.

This year’s campaign action packs will be sent out electronically and will contain new advice and tips on cutting carbon for 100 days and beyond.

Throughout the campaign a number of events will be held to keep the energy saving message in the spotlight, including the Great Refurbishment Event set for the midway through the 100 days.

Source

Building Sustainable Design