Energy Manager Magazine September 2016 by Abbey Publishing

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Baystar helps Herstmonceux Castle improve energy efficiency

Tudor ship revealed dry for the first time since 1545

Tamlite ushers in cost-efficient new lighting era for Bristol college

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Baystar helps Herstmonceux Castle improve energy efficiency

Tudor ship revealed dry for the first time since 1545

Tamlite ushers in cost-efficient new lighting era for Bristol college

INSIDE:

Stokvis Modupak Heats Rail Depot Inspection Pits

Schwank Launches Gas Heat Pumps

The Energy Management Revolution

Venture Creates Bespoke Lighting Solution

LED Eco Lights Launches Intelligent LED Lighting Battens

The Compelling Business Case for Improved Heating & Ventilation in Schools

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Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

News

Boundary Way transformed with DECC-funded external wall insulation

andra Hayes, Senior Project Manager at the National Energy Foundation looks at the DECC-funded Green Deal Communities project in Watford that the Foundation managed on behalf of a number of local authorities, and which focused on external wall insulation.

Boundary Way is an estate that lies across the boundary of Watford Borough Council and Three Rivers District Council. Using DECC Green Deal Communities funding and contributions from householders, the two councils concerned and Thrive Homes, the National Energy Foundation managed

the payment of grants for the external wall insulation of 154 homes. The estate was built in the 1960s and 1970s. Approximately half the estate had already beneﬁted from external wall insulation. Our project aimed to increase energy effciency, reduce energy bills and improve the appearance and thermal comfort of the properties by rolling out external wall insulation to the remaining properties on the estate, both privately and publicly owned.

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What we did included: Customer liaison. Coordinating the production of explanatory leaﬂets. Negotiating with DECC to make payment of topup grants to residents who had missed out on taking up a Green Deal loan. Liaising regularly with both councils and Thrive Homes regarding the administration of the grant. Paying the grant to the contractor. Providing monthly reports to the project funders.

As a result of our project, the Boundary Way estate underwent a dramatic transformation and a lot of the positive comments received from residents related to the aesthetic improvements. Furthermore, residents quickly noticed the reduction in energy use, more rapid increase in internal temperatures, and better heat retention after they turned the heating off. These improvements led to better thermal comfort for residents and improved health and wellbeing. A high degree of flexibility was required to manage this project, due to changes in Government policy around the Green Deal and ECO. From project inception to delivery, the value of ECO dropped by a quarter and the availability of Green Deal Finance came to an end with no prior notice. The original sixmonth timescale for signups and installs proved very tight, even in an area where there were plenty of examples of external wall insulation already available for everyone to see. In total, 154 out of a potential 173 homes benefited from external wall insulation. Together with the 118 properties completed in the first phase, the result was a complete regeneration and visual transformation of the estate.

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

News

Multi-million pound Intelligent Energy System Demonstrator project underway at Thornton Science Park

he University of Chester has appointed construction and regeneration specialists Willmott Dixon to refurbish and develop a large building which will house an Intelligent Energy System Demonstrator (IESD). The building sits on the University of Chester’s Thornton Science Park and the Demonstrator will be a flagship innovation project of the Cheshire Science Corridor - the new Enterprise Zone announced by the Government last autumn and developed by Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. The project is due to be completed in spring 2017. Willmott Dixon Managing Director Anthony Dillon said: “We are delighted to be working with the University of Chester to deliver the Intelligent Energy Systems Demonstrator project, a fantastic facility which will be central to growth of the energy research sector within Cheshire. Our focus on employing local companies will provide a great opportunity for local people to be involved with this innovative project.”

Engaging with the energy industry Companies with an involvement in the energy sector are being invited to be part of the multi-million pound project which will, ultimately, shape the sector’s future. The team behind the Intelligent Energy System Demonstrator (IESD) project at Thornton Science Park is keen to hear from energy-related businesses who would be interested in being part of the facility, which will be aiming to aid the development of cost effective and environmentally responsible sources of energy. Drawing on the wealth of technical expertise, facilities and supporting infrastructures that are available on site, the IESD will be a space where industry can work alongside the University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering (as is happening already throughout Thornton Science Park). The Demonstrator will become a nationally significant facility, primarily aimed at supporting and enabling energy research, innovation and technology development, to meet the growth needs of the sector. Energy companies will be able to test at scale new power saving and distribution technologies, aiding the development of low cost, environmentally responsible sources of energy. The proposed development is being funded from the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP), who

• Willmott Dixon appointed to refurbish building set to house Energy Demonstrator • Demonstrator will support and enable energy research, innovation and technology development • Project funded by the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership ‘Local Growth Fund’ • Local companies in the energy sector are being invited to engage with the project. will be contributing up to £6.8m from the Local Growth Fund awarded as part of the LEP’s Growth Deal Philip Cox, Chief Executive of Cheshire and Warrington LEP, said: “Science is one of Cheshire and Warrington’s key strengths and its growth will play a key role in our ambitions to deliver a £50bn economy for the area by 2040. The Energy Demonstrator is a significant development for the sector and for Thornton Science Park, one of the key sites within the Cheshire Science Corridor which recently launched as an Enterprise Zone. This nationally significant project will be a flagship for the site.”

Enabling productivity and growth The shared facility will provide a flexible place (including office and laboratory space) for research, innovation and development. It will house various equipment for industry and academics, providing the capability for researchers to ‘plug and play’ with a number of facilities, across all aspects of energy systems (conventional and unconventional) and smart grids. All manner of energy sources are expected to be available for testing including the electrical grid, gas, solar voltaic and steam networks. It will specifically focus on the following areas of the industry: • Computational modelling • Materials identification and analysis • Engineering and mechanical design • Environmental modelling and testing • Onshore Gas and Oil • Smart grids and cities (including the Internet of Things.) Professor Joseph Howe, Executive Director of the Thornton Energy Research Institute at the University of Chester, said: “The Energy Demonstrator is a vital initiative for the energy sector and its future security

and sustainability and the University is thrilled to be hosting this project. This facility will become the showcase for new and innovative energy technologies, supporting their commercialisation and providing models for the generation, supply and management of energy too. “There is also a great knock-on potential for our students, not only with industrial work-placement opportunities, but we anticipate that the science generated within the Demonstrator will be used by University staff to inform the science and engineering curricula at Thornton, to create, develop and maintain a highly trained workforce in the sector.”

Project delivery Refurbishment and construction of the facility is being project managed by AECOM and includes delivery from Ryder architects, Arup design and WYG quantity surveyors. The project is expected to be completed by March 2017, allowing tenants to take occupancy in June 2017. Companies wishing to find out more can contact thornton@chester.ac.uk

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

News

Stokvis Modupak Heats Rail Depot Inspection Pits

he Network Rail Tyseley depot in Birmingham has fulfilled a crucial maintenance role as part of the UK’s railway network for many years, with facilities for the overhaul and repair of locomotives. And just as the trains it services have changed radically down the decades, the depot’s own plant and equipment have required updating, with an advanced

Modupak R40 Series Boiler arrangement from Stokvis Energy Systems now having been installed in place of the redundant Boilers. Following a number of site meetings and discussions between Keith Howard of Stokvis Energy Systems, and Network Rail’s Senior Asset Engineer, Mr. Richard Upton, the requirements were assessed and the heat load for the new boilers determined. The Stokvis R40 Series Modupak was identified as being an ideal solution to the problem. This now provides heating to the vast inspection pits, which enable the rail company’s maintenance teams to work on the train’s running gear and various systems. The Staffordshire office of George Birchall Ltd was subsequently appointed to carry out the work and the Modupak containing three R40/150 boilers was duly supplied to site. The contract was supervised by Byron Eaton of George Birchall Ltd, who commented: “We cover the whole of England and Scotland from our three offices and work mainly in the commercial and

industrial sectors, so have made extensive use of Stokvis boilers over the years. We were able to install the Modupak Skid Arrangement complete with the 3 NO R40/150 Boilers and associated F&R pipework etc - along with the boiler pumps within the same space as the previous redundant boilers”. Stokvis provided good technical assistance and carried out the commissioning and everything is working well.” The Modupak from Stokvis presents a cascade solution offering customers fully modulating high performance and the ability to maintain supply while individual boilers are shut down for servicing. The company also supplies packaged plant rooms where required and products such as plate heat exchangers and solar thermal systems. For further information on Stokvis Energy Systems, call 020 8783 3050 or visit www.stokvisboilers.com

Nearly three quarters of local authorities are not monitoring computer energy consumption, new research finds Findings cast doubt over effectiveness of green strategies in local government

nly seven local authorities in London are able to accurately calculate the power consumption of their desktop computers, according to results from a new freedom of information (FOI) request conducted by Streamwire. With personal computers taking up such a large proportion of office energy consumption, the findings cast doubt on whether many local authorities are doing enough to reduce energy use – and importantly, expenditure. Commenting on the findings, Kevin Timms, COO and Co-Founder of Streamwire said: “Energy efficiency should be a major plank in any IT strategy as it is a significant contributor to the cost of operations. It is also important that the government has its own house in order as it encourages all of us to use less energy and become more environmentally conscious.” FOI requests were sent to all London

Boroughs asking a range of questions about the power consumption of their desktop computers and whether they had clearly defined strategies in place to reduce energy consumption in IT. The surprising results found that only seven were able to accurately calculate power consumption of their desktop computers, 18 were not able to, and seven failed to reply. Local authorities were also asked whether they had any strategy in place to reduce energy consumption in their IT estate. A huge variety of responses were received, suggesting a variable level of success in meeting their environmental responsibilities. Kevin concluded: “Beyond the fact that most councils do not even have the tools in place to understand current power consumption, energy efficiency appears to be a by-product of adopting new technology rather than by looking at it as an objective in its own right. A further

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

concern is the number of responses that suggested that local authorities’ strategies start and finish with asking their staff to switch their computers off at night. This is quite rudimentary and there are many ways that energy efficiency can be ramped up. “Energy efficiency needs to focus around the employee and how they operate. The devices they use, where they work, the buildings that they operate in all come into play. IT is a major aspect to achieving better energy efficiency and should be a higher priority across local government.” “We have also seen a number of companies in the private sector start to take this more seriously. Streamwire has helped them with the implementation of tools and products that are on the market that can really help manage the power consumption of the desktop computers, which can be used in any organisation.”

News

District heating points way forward for energy prepayment revolution

fgem, which has called energy prepayment the option of ‘last resort’, has announced a price cap for customers until the roll-out of smart meters in 2020. But smart metering is already being widely used in the district heating sector, where it is revolutionising prepayment and reducing energy bills. Customer friendly smart meters are fast making prepayment the first choice option for thousands of residents connected to community heating schemes. Technology from metering and billing specialist Switch2 Energy is helping customers to reduce energy consumption and bills and is pointing the way forward for the ‘big six’ energy suppliers and others to follow. Switch2 is working with Sheffield City Council to roll out smart meters to 6,000 homes connected to its heat network. This is predicted to reduce customers’ total annual bill by £1.4 million, with the first 227 homes using the pay-as-you-go meters saving an average £238 each over the first year. The technology can be used for either prepayment or credit billing, but more than 80% of residents opted for pay-as-you-go to provide better budgeting control and because there is no price differential between the two payment types.

The G6 smart pay-as-you-go meter was introduced by Switch2 in 2012, replacing the traditional corner shop/token based prepayment system with an instant top-up credit facility via smartphone, tablet, computer, phone, Post Office or PayPoint outlet. It introduced a convenient and fair charging energy monitoring mechanism for both prepayment and credit billing consumers, with the ability to flex between the two. Switch2’s next generation Incontro pay-as-you-go technology was launched earlier this year. It has taken smart metering and energy prepayment to a more advanced level, providing everything residents need to programme, control and monitor their energy usage, while also taking care of budgeting and payments. Kirsty Lambert, Director of Switch2, said: “The big six energy suppliers have a lot to learn from the community heating sector, where advanced smart metering is already available and is demonstrating the positive face of energy prepayment. When implemented well, prepayment can become the most popular, flexible choice and help customers budget better and save money. “It can be particularly beneficial for vulnerable customers; for example our

technology provides an emergency credit facility and other features to help residents who run into financial difficulties. By putting residents in charge of their heating system and costs, as we are doing, the results are often amazing.” More than 25,000 homes are using Switch2’s prepayment technology, including residents of housing providers such as Hyde Housing, Gentoo, Notting Hill Housing and Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing. Switch2 remotely manages and monitors customers’ smart meters from its UK customer service centre, which provides complete billing, prepayment and administration services to more than 69,000 homes across 430 community energy and district heating schemes. Switch2’s Incontro smart meter can also monitor six other utilities, including water, and handle billing of electricity. It operates via any mobile network, avoiding the need for complex and costly infrastructure. Diagnostics and system upgrades are made remotely to the system ‘over the air’, thereby reducing installation, servicing and maintenance costs. www.switch2.co.uk

Businesses with supplies that exceed available capacities will be charged default rates from 2018

fgem is introducing a new measure to ensure that half hourly supplies that exceed the assigned available capacity will pay significantly more. DCP 161 is a change to the DCUSA (Distribution Connection and Use of System Agreement) that will introduce Excess Capacity penalties for half hourly electricity supplies. The change is being introduced from 1st April 2018 to recover the additional costs that DNOs (Distribution Network Operators) can incur when customers exceed their available capacity levels. Currently there is no penalty if a supply exceeds its available capacity beyond the charge the supplier adds for the excess kVA in the month of the breach, which is charged at the standard available capacity rate. The amounts are often minimal giving no incentive for users to review and increase capacity where required. DCP 161 means that from April 2018,

users will be charged an excess penalty rate which could be over three times higher than the standard rate. The applicable rates have not yet been published and will vary by region and voltage. It is expected that in areas where demand for capacity is high the costs will reflect this. If a supply is regularly exceeding its assigned available capacity, this change could increase the overall electricity costs by up to 1-2% or more depending on the consumption profile. For supplies that have been or will be converted to half hourly as a result of P272 (profile class 05-08 Non half hourly supplies), these will be settled on the half hourly market by the time DCP 161 comes into effect. It is vital that the available capacity and maximum demand levels are understood in case these supplies are exceeding the available capacity levels. Melanie Kendall-Reid the Compliance Director for energy services provider

Carbon2018 commented: “Any sites that are incurring excess capacity charges need to agree a revised import capacity or take energy saving measures to reduce demand to avoid these charges. Where a supply is not currently exceeding the available capacity level, but may do in the future due to a planned increase in usage, it is vital that a review is undertaken and an increase in available capacity is applied for ahead of the change to avoid incurring significant additional costs. A successful application for additional capacity, particularly in constrained areas, can take many months to complete so action is needed now for at risk supplies to complete this before the 2018 deadline.” To find out more, please visit its website www.carbon2018.com

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

News

Governments of all stripes have failed on energy, say business leaders

uccessive governments since the beginning of the century have failed to deliver secure and competitively priced energy, a damning new survey of business leaders reveals today. A poll of nearly 1,000 bosses by the Institute of Directors found that seven in ten thought Labour, Coalition and Conservative administrations had all failed to make energy available at a reasonable cost. Two-thirds also complained politicians had not succeeded in ensuring the UK would always have the power it needs. Directors felt energy policy had been more successful in increasing the use of renewable sources (59% agreed) and reducing carbon emissions (45%), since British politicians first pivoted in this direction shortly after the turn of the millennium. In 2002, the Labour Government under Tony Blair launched a review of energy policy that led to the first targets to cut CO2 and has set the tone for policy-makers since. Dan Lewis, Senior Infrastructure Policy Adviser at the IoD said: “Since the early 2000s, government of all stripes have

focussed on increasing use of renewable energy in order to reduce carbon emissions. Cutting CO2 is overwhelmingly supported by business, but politicians have underplayed the other two crucial aims of energy policy, delivering secure and affordable power. Following the creation of the new business and energy department, now is the ideal moment for the Government to reconsider the direction of travel. “Renewables are a significant, and growing, source of energy. The UK has the world’s highest offshore wind capacity, with much more expected. But technology based on the weather doesn’t work all of the time, so the UK needs a mix of renewables, nuclear and the cleanest hydrocarbons. “Government policy at the moment is creating all sorts of bizarre outcomes. Instead of accelerating moves to safely frack for gas and oil in the UK, we are importing coal and oil from Russia and gas and oil from Norway, with the extra costs and emissions that involves. Instead of building cleaner gas plants to meet demand when renewables can’t, the Government

has been subsidising more polluting diesel-fired plants. “The IoD backs nuclear as a reliable source of low-carbon energy, but each project has to make economic sense. Hinkley Point C would generate reliable power for 5 million homes, but given the costs, the Government is right to take one final look before signing off on the deal.” Businesses want a broad mix of sources in the UK energy mix. A majority supported all mainstream forms of renewable power generation, although the most popular, wave and tidal, is still largely untested in the UK. Over half of IoD members also back hydraulic fracturing (known as fracking) of shale rock for oil and gas. While IoD members have consistently supported building new nuclear power plants, firms are mixed on the Hinkley Point C project, which the Government is considering before making a final decision. A narrow majority (53%) think Hinkley makes strategic sense, but less than half think it will make the UK more economically competitive.

Minitran Ltd. partners with eSight Energy

ishop Stortford based networking specialist Minitran Ltd. has expanded its product and services range to include eSight energy management software. As part of Estate Technology, Mintran offers a total, end to end energy management solution consisting of best-of-breed building management and data centre energy management solutions, eSight energy management software will be included in this offering and will provide the ideal tool to monitor, target and reduce energy use.

Software Solutions Director at Minitran, Lisa Culshaw commented: ‘When Minitran Ltd decided to launch Estate Technology we knew that the energy management software platform had to be the best. eSight gives us exactly that, and, when combined with our complementary hardware, software and services we have the ability to offer a total end to end energy management solution. With eSight’s backing we have created a fantastic and very exciting proposition for our customers”

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Sue Duma, Managing Director of eSight Energy added: “We are delighted to be in partnership with Minitran Ltd., and in the good company of the excellent solutions that make up the Estates Technology group. I have no doubt our combined products and services will offer customers an effective, comprehensive, turnkey energy management solution.” To find out more please visit: www.esightenergy.com/uk/news-and-blog/ minitran-ltdpartners-with-esightenergy

Opinion

Don’t get caught out:

energy policy and regulation

rexit, ETS, CMA – the minefield of political and industry movements can be enough to confuse even the most diligent energy market watcher. Yet changes in policy and regulation often have a direct or legally-binding impact on business operations, accounting and record-keeping.

New Government department Following the formation of a new Government under Prime Minister Theresa May, DECC will be merged into BIS, creating the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The rationale for such a significant departmental change is that this will allow better policy formation due to the natural overlap between energy, infrastructure, industrial policy, supply chain and enterprise. This move indicates that the focus on UK content, job creation and benefits for UK Plc will be the defining objectives of this merger. All existing functions of DECC will continue in the new department. The creation of BEIS has been welcomed by key stakeholders such as, CBI, Policy Exchange and Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The creation of the new Government department will require a tremendous amount of reorganisation of governance, structure, administration and human resources. The greatest impact from the Government restructuring could lead to a potential policy formation hiatus in in energy in the short- to medium-term.

Cost exemptions for Energy Intensive Industries Much has been made of the Government’s plans to relieve Energy Intensive Industries (EIIs) such as steel and heavy manufacturing from the cost of the Renewables Obligation (RO), Feed-in Tariff (FiT) and Contracts for Difference (CfD), which aim to give those sectors more long-term certainty around energy costs and help them to stay competitive internationally. Under the new proposals – expected to be in place by April 2017 subject to legislative change and EU State Aid approval – the current Government funded rebate would be replaced by an exemption from the charge altogether. The Government has proposed exempting EIIs from up to 85% of levies associated with the promotion of renewable energy sources.

Obviously the potential for cost savings is good news for those industries, but the cost of that portion of RO and FiT charges will have to be covered by the rest of the market. That would see the cost of the exempted charges spread amongst fewer customers, potentially increasing costs for smaller businesses and domestic customers. At E.ON we’ve reviewed the RO and FiT forecasts and we believe the impact on larger customers may be in the region of a 6% uplift in the cost of RO and FITs on bills. Following on from the last consultation which focused on exempting EIIs from RO and FiT, the new department responsible for energy – Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) – extended the consultation on these plans. The impact assessment (p.27) predicts that exemption of CFDs for EII will result in bills for Medium Energy Users being £4,439 higher in 2020 (2016/17 prices). It is really important that your supplier provides transparent quotes invoices, so you know exactly what they’re paying for and how suppliers quote for non-energy costs. Speak to your Account Manager to see if your bills are going to be affected and if you need further explanation on your invoice breakdown.

Impact of Brexit Following June’s referendum decision, the House of Commons Energy and Climate Change Committee announced it would hold an inquiry exploring the implications on UK energy policy of leaving the EU. The panel of MPs has invited written submissions on what the Government’s priorities on energy should be when negotiating the UK’s exit from the EU. They are also seeking views on what aspects of EU-led energy policies and legislation should be retained. In addition, the ECCC is holding a hearing on the implications of leaving the EU on climate policy. This will look at questions concerning Britain’s future approach to issues like the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The ETS requires companies to purchase permits to emit greenhouse gases, and Britain’s participation in it will now be subject to negotiation between the UK and EU. Written submissions to the inquiry on energy policy should be submitted by 14th September. You can file evidence online via the relevant Committee web page.

State of the energy market The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its final report on competition in the energy market. The report confirms in large part the provisional remedies issued by the CMA in March. The intended outcome of the investigation is to increase competition and reduce costs for small firms and consumers with such measures as: • Increase the ability of all small business customers on auto-rollover contracts to switch contracts or suppliers – contract negotiation window should be extended and suppliers are not allowed to lock in customers with termination fees and no-exit clauses; • Allow rival suppliers and third party intermediaries access to details of small business customers on default tariffs for three years or more so they can be targeted with potentially cheaper energy supply contracts; • Make business suppliers disclose all available tariffs to the smallest micro business customers on their websites or through a price comparison website, allowing these very small business customers to compare market prices – the hope is this will lead to growth of price comparison websites as in the domestic market, driving down prices; • BEIS & Ofgem to drive forward a plan to implement half-hourly settlement to all small businesses potentially giving business an ability to pay less for energy by using it outside of peak times.

Local heat funding A government consultation was launched on how best to deploy funding for low carbon heat in UK towns and cities. The call for evidence on the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) was seeking views on who should be eligible to apply directly for the money, what form this funding should take, and the criteria that should be used to assess applications for funding. Under an initial pilot, the funds will be limited to local authorities and a select number of public bodies. BEIS is currently analysing the feedback. By Iain Walker, Head of SME Sales and New Connections at E.ON UK

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Opinion

The implications of Brexit on UK energy and environmental policy and what it means for you as a Facility Manager

n June 23, 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU. The two years’ notice period required by the Treaty of Lisbon, for the government to implement this decision, means that an actual exit date is very unlikely to be before June 2018. There has been lots of discussion about how this vote will impact on the UK economy in general but what are the likely implications prior and post exit in relation to the UK energy and environmental policy? And more importantly, how will they affect you in your role as a Facility Manager?

Will we see a rise in energy costs? We are currently seeing stable energy prices on the back of well supplied systems. However, future rates are likely to be volatile due to uncertainties in the sterling and the potential for the increased cost of gas imports. Longer term, the UK will continue to be influenced by the global energy market but Brexit may affect investor uncertainty, with consequences for energy security and investment in generation capacity and the grid. Reducing energy costs will be more important than ever in the coming years.

Will Brexit mean the end of The Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS)? As ESOS has been transposed into UK law (implementation of Article 8 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive), it is reasonable to expect this will continue although its current form may well change. The Government announced in the Budget that it plans to simplify energy reporting into one single scheme: further information should become available once the Government publishes its much anticipated consultation on the future of business energy reporting

In the meantime, it is safest to keep on top of your existing ESOS requirements until further news is announced to avoid penalties.

Could Brexit disrupt HFC phase down? As with ESOS, the F-gas regulation has been adopted into UK law and therefore, without a change to that law, the provisions in it will still apply to the UK even after Brexit. It is unlikely the UK would repeal this legislation, as to do so would be a massive retrograde step, from an environmental perspective. There are also movements on a global scale, such as the HFC phase-out/ phase-down under the Montreal Protocol, which are influencing the UK. The European HFC phase-down, however, is based on a reducing refrigerant volume quota system imposed on EU member states as a whole. Much will depend on how the UK decides to work with the EU. If the UK pursues the Norwegian model nothing will change but if not then the UK will have to establish its own quota allowance going forwards. Of more pressing concern, however, will be how Brexit could impact on the price of HFC refrigerants, which will start to rise quite rapidly as the market anticipates the changes. As production of HFCs falls in line with the phase down, prices will rise, and a

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

devalued pound will add further cost pressures on imported refrigerant supplies. In light of these changes, now is the time to review current HVAC systems, and either upgrade them to utilise lower HFC refrigerants or invest in new units, which don’t use refrigerants as a cooling method or can run on extremely low refrigerant levels.

Will Brexit impact on the UK’s climate change policies? It’s unlikely that Brexit will have much impact on the UK’s climate change policies, mainly because the UK government has already gone further than the EU when it comes to reducing carbon emissions with the Climate Change Act which compels governments to cut emissions by at least 80% by 2050. In fact, on the 30th June, only a week after the Brexit vote, the UK published its fifth carbon budget. This announcement means that the UK accepts the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendations to reduce emissions by 57% below 1990 levels between 2028 and 2032. This will force many large and medium-sized companies to comply with lower carbon emissions and inform the regulator about their energy consumption and energy efficiency plans. As a Facility Manager, meeting these targets will require a combination of energy saving measures

Opinion and innovation in technology to ensure your building or buildings are as energy efficient as possible.

What can I do to improve energy management in my building as cost-effectively as possible? Despite the huge amount of work you already carry out to save energy, such as by upgrading lighting technology, excluding draughts, and insulating walls, there is one area that accounts for up to 40% of a commercial building’s energy usage – HVAC systems. Simple improvements to the efficiency of existing HVAC systems can offer considerable energy and CO2 savings, reduce costs and improve the working environment. Some potential energy efficient upgrades include: EC Fans – Replacing AC fans with EC fans allows optimisation of cooling systems for ultimate energy efficiency, potentially reducing energy usage by up to 70%. Electronic Expansion Valves – The use of Electronic Expansion Valves (EEVs)

in cooling units and condensers reduces the need for high head pressure, which can result in an energy efficiency ratio (EER) increase of 30%. EEVs provide stable, fast and precise control of superheat and can be used in all types of unit. Inverters – Installing inverters to motors allows precise control of motor speeds, which can be ramped up or down to match load requirements. This ensures that the only energy used is that which is needed. Refrigerant – Refrigerant upgrades help to increase system efficiency which will also save you money. Controls and BMS replacements – Upgrade to the latest software platforms to improve system optimisation. The latest hardware and unit strategy can be installed on existing equipment to ensure system reliability, enhanced performance and increased control. Variable speed drives – Installing variable speed drives allows control of fan and pump speeds which can help to reduce energy consumption and costs by enabling the output speed of the motors to match load requirements.

Compressors – Maintaining or better still, upgrading compressors can save vast amounts of energy. Compressors can be precisely specified for individual applications and offer variable speed, which can be matched to load requirements, meaning the only energy used is that which is needed. Pumps – Upgrading and selecting the correct pump for an application and avoiding oversizing can lead to considerable energy savings. Again, pumps can be matched to demand, therefore using only energy required. Sub metering – Sub-metering and collecting energy data enables system inefficiencies to be highlighted, investigated and eliminated. Understanding, energy usage by system components means, performance targets can be set and monitored regularly. With likely increasing utility and refrigerant costs, alongside greater legislative and regulatory requirements on energy use and carbon reduction, it is more important than ever before that Facility Managers like you, develop strategic energy plans to improve efficiency and profitability. www.airedale.com

Opinion

Life after DECC Managing Director of NAPIT Certification David Cowburn discusses how the recent restructure of the Department of Energy & Climate (DECC) could affect the energy efficiency and renewable’s industry and beyond. goals within and Energy and Industrial Strategy, such as reaching the national goal of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. Equally, BEIS is also committed to finding ways of reducing energy bills for hard working families and businesses; which we hope will mean the continuation of key policy’s such as the Energy Company Obligation (ECO), the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Feed in Tariff (FiT) and also result in an attractive new policy to encourage the able to pay sector to install cost effective energy efficiency measures.

f the recent whirlwind of activity across Westminster throughout the last few months, perhaps one of the most overlooked shifts was the restructure of DECC on the 14th July. In its place, the newly appointed Prime Minister Theresa May’s Government created a new department. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was formed as a merger between DECC and the similarly dissolved Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). Since its original formation in 2008, DECC had been the primary Government department tasked with advising and establishing energy policy across the United Kingdom. As such, it had a massive impact on the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. We often collaborated closely with officials within DECC to influence the design of installer schemes and to make sure that our members views were represented, and will be sure to miss some familiar faces. However, without a stand along DECC, many of its previous responsibilities that we have key interests in will now be inherited by BEIS. These include major long term

Our hopes for BEIS are straightforward, to continue to operate to the same standards as DECC in pursuing their policy objectives, or even exceed them. We are determined to monitor the department’s activities and make sure that it does not lose focus on the key areas that concern our members and to learn from previous mistakes, such as over complication of schemes. Based on the ministerial appointments made to BEIS, there is however evidence to suggest that the department is in good hands. Greg Clark MP, who has been appointed the Secretary of State for the BEIS, had previously been the Shadow Secretary of State for DECC in its early years between 2008 and 2010. Alongside Greg Clark, a further two ministers who have been appointed to BEIS with energy roles have had previous ministerial experience, albeit not in DECC; Nick Hurd MP Minister of State for Climate Change and Industry and Jesse Norman MP Minister for Industry and Energy. They are joined by Baroness Neville-Rolfe who is Minister of State for Energy and Intellectual Property. We will continue to engage with BEIS in the same way that we did with DECC. Currently, we are already in dialogue with them over The Energy Company Obligation (ECO), a programme to deliver energy efficiency measures in homes across Great Britain in order to reduce carbon emissions

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

and improve the ability of low income and vulnerable consumers to heat their homes to comfortable levels. We are also awaiting feedback on a recent consultation on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), which was introduced to support households, businesses, public bodies and charities in transitioning from conventional forms of heating to renewable alternatives. So whilst some may regard the restructure of DECC and the formation of BEIS as a step backwards for the climate change agenda I think if BEIS does what it has set out to do and aligns the department for business, industrial strategy and the science base with the department responsible for energy and climate change policy, it could mean this Government will be best placed to deliver the significant new investment and innovation needed to support the UK’s future energy policy. But for now, we will have to wait and see. info@napit.org.uk www.napit.org.uk

Heat Pumps

Baystar helps Herstmonceux Castle improve energy efficiency Baystar is installing a water source heat pump to reduce the castle’s £70,000 reliance on oil.

aystar, a building services company specialising in renewable energy, has won a project to design and install a water source heat pump system at Herstmonceux Castle, East Sussex. Baystar is working directly with the Bader International Study Centre (BISC), carrying out a feasibility study before commencing the design, supply and installation of the system. The Herstmonceux Castle estate is a popular tourist attraction comprising the magnificent medieval moated castle amidst 300 acres of formal themed gardens and

woodland. It is also home to the Bader International Study Centre (BISC), which is part of Queen’s University, Canada.

Reducing energy spend With an annual oil bill of £70,000 to ~heat the castle building only, BISC had been looking at ways to reduce their energy spend. A detailed feasibility study was carried out, establishing that given the high summer heat load, and the good thermal mass in the solid brick walls, the most sustainable solution for the castle was a water source heat pump system, utilising the moat as the heat source.

mechanical installation of the heat pumps is being finalised. “Once fully commissioned, the system will drastically reduce the castle’s reliance on oil and will improve its heat efficiency. Working within a building a medieval castle is a privilege,” commented Tessa Guy, Managing Director of Baystar.

Water source heat pump installation Following their report and with the contract awarded, a full water source heat pump system has been designed and installation has commenced. The collector has been fully installed in the note and the

SCHWANK LAUNCHES GAS HEAT PUMPS

chwank, a world market leader in the manufacture and supply of gas fired infrared radiant heaters, has recently introduced high energy efficiency Gas Heat Pumps (GHPs) into its product range. In partnership with the specialist distributor Oceanair, Schwank UK is now supplying the very latest GHP equipment for both heating and cooling industrial and commercial buildings. Schwank’s GHPs exceed regulations on environmental standards and their energy efficiency ratings are extremely impressive: up to 150% for heating and up to 200% for cooling. They are low on CO2 emissions and below the required standard for NOx emissions. Gas is competitively priced compared to other energy sources and GHPs ensure that comfortable workplace temperatures are produced whatever the season and weather. Further benefits include: • Ambient heat is captured from the air and heat from the GHP engine is recovered and recycled, with hot water produced as part of the heating process.

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There is the option for a water heat exchanger to connect to domestic hot water systems, DX coil or chilled water for indoor heat exchange. • Temperature can be regulated into zones, so that one area of a building may be heated while another is kept cool (e.g. an office area can be kept warm while an adjoining warehouse maintains a low temperature). • Direct use of gas by GHPs as a primary energy source saves the generation and distribution losses incurred with electric heat pumps. • GHPs are easy to install and require minimal maintenance. Steve Sherman, Managing Director of Schwank UK, explained that this move into gas powered technology for both heating and cooling was a logical development for the company. “Gas heat pumps complement our existing product range and provide new solutions for the HVAC requirements of our customers.” For further information about Schwank products and services, contact sales@schwank.co.uk

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Heat Pumps

GROUND FORCE

ith a greater understanding of the benefits and continued support from incentive schemes like the Renewable Heat Incentive, more and more public sector organisations are turning to renewable energy. One such technology helping to make a big difference for the right property is a ground source heat pump system; a proven, eco-friendly and cost-effective solution to deliver lower heating bills. By tapping into the opportunities provided by heat pumps, energy managers can help to drive down bills for their organisation. But what do you need to know?

Going green A ground source heat pump system comprises of three elements; a ground heat exchanger which collects energy from the ground; a “brine” to water heat pump, which raises the heat from the ground collector to a useful temperature and transfers it to the heat emitters; and a heat distribution system which provides heat to the property.

Chris Stammers, product marketing director for Dimplex, draws on the manufacturer’s latest CPD module to consider the technical considerations that energy managers must make before planning a ground source heat pump installation.

loads, is important. Once modelled in the various software packages available, the number of boreholes could be reduced – and with costs of around £45 per metre for a bore drilled to 100 metres deep, fewer boreholes can mean substantial savings for customers.

Geology Depending on the geology of the development site and amount of available land, collectors can be laid either horizontally or via boreholes. A British Geological Survey report can provide many of the answers surrounding geology, whilst a TRT (Thermal Response Test) can establish whether more or less boreholes are needed once the geology is known – and create potential for further cost savings.

Ground temperature Energy is extracted from the ground using one of a number of different types of collector and transferred to the heat pump system. As the heat is extracted, the ground

There are a number of considerations that must be taken into account – and energy managers must be aware of the implications on their system. These include:

Energy consumption Ground source heat pumps can be used to feed individual properties, or as part of a communal heat pump system feeding multiple properties from one, larger heat pump. The required energy consumption of all receiving properties will have a bearing on the size and location of the ground source heat pump system, together with extraction rate and design of the collector. Building energy profiles, i.e. determining the balance of cooling/heating

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

temperature will drop, so it is important to make sure that the brine outlet temperature does not fall below 0⁰.

Types of collector system The most common type of system in the UK is an indirect closed loop system, where a water/glycol mix is circulated through the collector, transferring the energy from the ground to the refrigerant via the internal plate heat exchanger of the heat pump. Other systems – although less common – include a direct closed loop, direct open loop and indirect open loop.

Horizontal collectors Horizontal collectors are typical to low capacity systems because of the land area required, but can be incorporated into new housing development sites at an early stage in the build. One of the most common applications in the UK, a horizontal collector is a closed

Heat Pumps pressurised system comprising of a header pipe connected to individual loops. Each loop, which requires balancing valves or “reverse return” connections to ensure an equal flow rate, will be buried in trenches at approximately 1.5m deep and 0.75m apart.

TOP TIPS Dimplex gives its top four tips for energy managers when considering a ground source heat pump solution: •

Boreholes If boreholes are deemed the most suitable option, they are typically drilled to 100m depth, although they can be drilled up to 200m. Each borehole will consist of a single or double U tube (electro-fusion welded), a sacrificial head (weight) and a tremie pipe (to pump bentonite grout mixture to seal the borehole). Consideration should be given to spacing (minimum 6 metres) and the direction of ground water flow (re-charging).

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Make sure your installer has the necessary accreditation, including MCS approval. You can find this via the approved installer networks or contact the Ground Source Heat Pump Association (GSHPA) to find an installer. Speak with your manufacturer of choice for advice. They can help you

Content is taken from Dimplex’s new CPD, ‘Technical Considerations – Ground Collectors’.

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to understand the product limitations and unique benefits, including any safety features, so you can communicate to customers. Choose proven technology. Like any technology, cheap imports are available, but it is important to understand the impact that a low-efficiency ground source heat pump system will have on running costs. For open loop systems use intermediary heat exchangers with glycol (antifreeze) wherever possible. Ruptured heat exchangers in the product will ruin the entire unit.

www.dimplex.co.uk/cpd

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL BENEFITTING FROM RENEWABLE HEATING An expanding veterinary practice in Norfolk is benefitting from heating and hot water at reduced energy bills, thanks to a ground source heat pump installed by the renewable heating experts Finn Geotherm.

annah Kelly, owner of Wood Farm Vets, started the practice in 2014 to care for large and small animals. Initially, Hannah ran the practice from her home, a farmhouse in Wymondham, South Norfolk, but rapidly outgrew the premises. “The vets really started in the back of my car but quickly moved into my farm office,” explains Hannah. “We soon began taking over the various other rooms in the house, from the kitchen to the hallway, as more and more patients came in. When my lounge became the waiting room, I knew we had to find a better solution.” Hannah began to renovate a grade two listed former corn barn on her land to create a modern mixed practice, capable of treating all manner of animals from horses to hamsters on-site. As part of the renovation, Hannah needed a heating and

hot water system that would be able to cope with the demands of her busy business, as well as also servicing her house, which had previously relied on an oil boiler. Wood Farm Vets wanted a sustainable and future-proof solution so ground source heating was ideal. With a generous amount of land available for a 1700m collector loop, Finn Geotherm specified and installed two Lampoassa Esi 14 ground source heat pumps with a 1000litre Superheat thermal store. A former outhouse, complete with built-in bread oven, was transformed into the plant house for the pumps and thermal store. The vets had both underfloor heating and radiators installed to work with the new heat pump, while Hannah’s house used its existing radiators. While the single phase electricity in the premises initially presented Finn Geotherm with a bit of a challenge, the careful specification of a system with two

heat pumps working in tandem achieves outputs of around 30kW, which is way above other similar systems. “I am so pleased with my ground source heat pump,” said Hannah. “The entire practice is warm – even dogs in the kennels can enjoy underfloor heating – and my team and I have access to up to half a tonne of hot water in one hit if we need it, which is brilliant when we’re dealing with larger animal patients. My house has never been warmer too so after a hard day at work, I know I can return to warm home and don’t even have to think about lighting the fire.” The installation at Wood Farm Vets and Hannah’s home will also benefit from the government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a government financial incentive which rewards people and businesses for opting for renewable energy. www.finn-geotherm.co.uk

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Energy Management

Ten ways to keep your energy costs under control Phil Griffiths, Carbon Psychologist at npower Business Solutions

he energy industry is more complicated and volatile than ever, with concern for energy security at the epicentre of policy and change. The UK now faces a string of important negotiations following Brexit, which could lead to unforeseen regulation and policy energy changes which may impact businesses. It is therefore crucial that businesses are advised on where and how they can regain control of their energy in order to make changes and cut costs. In this tough economic climate, businesses can make a real difference to their bottom line through investing in cutting their energy consumption. I have been a ‘carbon psychologist’ for four years, helping my clients to reduce their energy costs. Our unique approach has generated significant results; over the years, we’ve delivered £26 million of savings. I often get asked what advice I’d give to firms who are looking to cut their energy costs; here are my top ten tips to get your business on the right track. 1.

Avoid all seeds of doubt. Doubt is the enemy of any behavioural project; accurate measurement systems need to be put in place, along with a sophisticated form of reporting. As an industry, there is an over-reliance on self-reporting measures which is often unreliable and can lead to risky and flawed recommendations. Projects must be data driven and focused on tangible and scalable energy savings rather than theoretical models and projected figures. Measure the behavioural constructs that are active within your environment. There are generally two different ways of tackling energy loss; an HR style campaign or more ‘psychological’ behavioural campaigns. The latter is generally more successful, as it allows for a clearer analysis of where the problems reside, as well as identifying which behavioural drivers need to be adjusted. This enables you to select interventions based on scientific evidence as opposed to throwing as many projects as possible at the problem. If CAPEX is limited, this approach is not possible.

Use all the scientific tools at your disposal. We regularly use quantitative and qualitative methods, both separately and combined. This enables us to verify our measurements and observations. For example, we often compare the results from a thematic analysis (through interview data) with results from semantic questionnaires. This ensures a greater likelihood of truthful results and leads to an increased intervention success rate. Awareness and feedback is critical. Some research claims that awareness raising is not that effective, and that people are irrational with regards to how they make decisions. However in the industrial and commercial field we have found raising awareness via dashboards can have a positive effect. The dashboard can start out as an awareness campaign to influence attitudes but can easily turn into a useful feedback tool if simple KPI’s are attached (i.e. what constitutes a bad, OK and great day with reference to energy use.) Ensure you secure buy-in and trust at the highest level. Trust is essential to the success of energy saving initiatives and senior leaders need to have confidence in the credibility and value of the data they receive. Best practise is to anonymise behavioural data, so that clients can still derive its value without identifying individuals. Unfortunately, politics is a part of business and so you need to make sure that you have all of your key stakeholders on board. Build a team around you. It is exceptionally difficult for one person to both create and deliver a programme of energy management. Accept that you cannot do it all and that sharing the workload is essential. npower offers its own Energy Management Qualification, to help energy managers learn more and get accredited. Through building dynamic teams around each behavioural intervention, you can create the momentum you need to tackle the issues impacting your business. Do not ignore other KPIs. Energy consumption is of course a hugely important KPI, however truly successful

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

programmes go beyond this to look at the other inefficiencies that feature within production, such as quality, cost, waste and production throughput. Looking at this process as a whole (through Lean and Six Sigma Principles) can highlight considerable opportunities for secondary energy savings. 8. Nudge rather than nag. Whilst one option is to put a single person in charge of compliance, this can only get you so far. An assigned energy supervisor cannot be everywhere at once and people often resent being repeatedly told what to do. The use of ‘nudging’, to change behaviour, will have a longer lasting effect, which will be maintained even without supervision. 9. Embrace your fieldwork. Accept that you are in a business, not a laboratory, and that there will sometimes be variables that are difficult to control. Use all the tools science can offer, but you cannot employ ‘one size fits all’ models; you need to ensure they match your environment. 10. Use bias to your advantage. There are many biases that can adversely skew your results; however they can be used to your advantage if you are aware of them. When people know they are being studied and when they are told they will save energy, we often see savings before our projects even commence. As long as you are able to identify this ‘placebo and observer effect’, you may find that the process of being audited alone can lead to positive results and give your project a head start. It often surprises businesses to find out that that non-technical savings like these can have such a huge effect on their bottom line. Through learning about your energy habits, it is easy to make subtle, low-cost and effective changes to help keep down your costs. It’s already produced clear and proven benefits for firms, both big and small; through remembering these top tips it could do the same for you too.

Energy Management

The energy management revolution Rob Morris, Country Manager for Powervar UK explains how innovations in facilities management can help businesses strive for a more energy efficient way of working.

The confusion of power waste It is 2016 – the time in which companies need to consider their energy use. In the past it has been tricky to monitor the energy use of entire buildings. This is made harder as they are often split into different spaces and used by different businesses. All of these businesses use different amounts of energy. For example, if one part of the building was rented by a call centre business, a vast amount of energy may be used in this part of the building due to phones and computers, especially if it’s a 24-hour customer service line. However, the next office space along may belong to an office unit that uses less energy per day as a result of smart lighting mechanisms and switching off desktop computers after hours. This means that when trying to calculate the output of the building to create an energy strategy the measurements may be skewed. This results in misjudgments of the requirements for different businesses within a given building. Unfortunately, every day wasteful energy use occurs causing facilities managers (FM) to lose more and more money. This is not only detrimental to businesses but also to the environment. Thus it is vital that companies should begin to consider a smarter and more effective type of power management.

IoT transforms power usage Thankfully IoT (Internet of Things) has become more prevalent and cloud technologies are commonplace. This means that now a building-wide intelligent energy management system can allow FM to effectively and precisely identify areas for improvement. In raw format, this data can be confusing and difficult to understand. Yet development of user-friendly systems now allows FMs to make informed decisions based on data which is presented clearly in graphs and charts – making it considerably easier to understand. In order to improve FMs’ understanding of their energy usage Powervar created a smart monitoring system

to work with IoT-enabled sensors and power management devices. This gives FMs a fuller view of their facility, including equipment and environment. ATLAS FA and Latitude FMS (a hardware unit and software package) work together to allow facilities managers to record and store information surrounding their energy use. As a result, faults and inefficiencies in energy usage can be identified by monitoring day-to-day energy usage. A key example of this type of equipment being used was in a national convenience store chain in the USA. The company was unaware that the outdoor freezer units storing soft drinks and ice were using masses of energy, particularly in the hot summer months. This, in turn, was costing them more money than they were making from the products sold in the freezers. It was only when a tailor-made energy management system was installed that this problem came to light and the chain began saving 20 percent on their energy bills.

Facilities management future It is clear that the information gleaned from IoT and Big Data is opening doors for facilities managers. By combining real insight into the state of equipment in each facility and the surrounding environment with a smart monitoring system, FMs can really see what’s going on in their facility. Although the journey to a Big Data and IoT-focused business is daunting and an intimidating task, the benefits outweigh any concerns. The development of user-friendly energy management systems allows FMs to save money, monitor performance and make informed decisions surrounding their energy usage.

been put in place with a number of energy saving measures. Local planning authorities will need to ensure that new developments are energy efficient. Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are also now more user friendly due to a number of improvements. However, it is vital that more is done to ensure existing buildings can become efficient in their energy use to not only save money but to meet government energy targets. These energy targets include a global commitment to limit global warming to two degrees celsius from 2020. Building-wide intelligent energy management systems are more important than ever. We are now in the age of the IoT economy. Smartphones are replacing hotel keys, and FMs are beginning to notice the benefits in using Big Data to monitor customer behaviour in hotels, shops and restaurants. Employee engagement and wellbeing in offices are also being monitored in this way. As the world of technology develops FMs should take full advantage to ensure that energy bills, as well as carbon emissions, are being reduced. This means not only better business but a better world.

Education of energy needs Energy system modernisation is vital as buildings are expected to be the largest consumers of energy by 2025. This is more than the transportation and industrial sector combined and does not bode well for the level of greenhouse gas emissions which will be produced. To combat this, new legislation has

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Energy Management

Reducing DUoS Red Band charges

What is DUoS?

Implications

DUoS (Distribution Use of System) charges are levied by the UK’s regional DNOs (Distribution Network Operators) and have an impact on electricity costs. These costs go towards the operation, maintenance and development of the UK’s electricity distribution networks. DUoS charges are paid by the end user to the supplier who will then pass them on to the relevant DNO. DUoS charges only appear on Energy-only contracts (pass-through contracts) as itemised charges. Fully inclusive tariffs have these charges built into the unit price. During the weekdays certain times of the day are considered peak times and are categorised as Red Band. Other times during the day are categorised as Amber (daytime) and Green (night time). Amber and Green bands are much cheaper compared to Red Bands, with Amber Band charges being higher than the Green Band. (See graph). Few users are aware of what the Red Band is or the opportunity that it presents to make savings. In addition to these costs there is also the cost of the energy, standing charges, capacity charges, data collection charges, feed in tariffs & government taxes that make up the final unit rate cost. Unlike procuring energy costs, it is not possible to choose the most cost effective DUoS provider. DUoS rates are determined by geographical location and are not negotiable. The best way to reduce the impact of the DUoS charge is to be smart with how and when energy is used.

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DUoS charges during the Red Band can be significantly more expensive than other periods. These charges are likely to rise as demand increases. This presents an opportunity to reduce costs by shifting electrical load away from that period. Savings can be made without significant capital outlay.

Examples of large plant which could be load-shifted: • • • •

Chillers. Air Handling Units (AHUs). Humidification plant. Testing an emergency generator during the peak periods.

Other examples of reducing load: •

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Installation of solar generation can also assist by using less energy in these peak periods. Using Laptop computers on batteries can also reduce load during the Red Band.

How STC can help STC Energy have developed their own software (NAVSQL) to analyse 30 minute profile data usage. Our Profile Viewer tool allows data to be visualised to see what load is being used during the DUoS Red Band periods. NAVSQL also acts as a resource by storing DUoS costs and time periods for all DNO areas across the UK. This allows us to calculate the cost of energy used during the Red Band times.

Different Areas: The DUoS Red Band costs and time periods are different across all DNO areas. •

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There are different charge bands for High Voltage & Low Voltage supplies. For example, in the London Power Network area, the Red Band charge for a Low Voltage supply without a Sub Station on site is currently (4.246p per kWh) but covers wide time periods (Monday - Friday 11:00 – 14:00 & 16:00 – 19:00 including bank holidays). For the same type of supply in the Electricity North West area of England the Red Band is more expensive at (11.332p per kWh) but covers a shorter period (Monday – Friday 16:00 – 19:00 including bank holidays).

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Our software enables us to analyse this data and determine what load could be moved to other times and recommend actions to reduce consumption during this peak period. The results can then be monitored to see the impact of the actions taken. STC’s Energy Management & Compliance team can carry out site surveys, (undertaken by one of our CIBSE Low Carbon Consultants) to identify key plant which could be time-controlled to reduce Red Band consumption. A full report would be produced showing our recommendations that would include: • Calculating cost savings that would result from different alteration scenarios. • Sharing of technical/practical good practice information. • Benchmarking against similar sites who have successfully made alterations.

The Future DUoS costs are likely to increase further as management of the distribution system becomes more challenging. Other pass-through elements charged according to usage at specific time periods are also likely to be added and existing ones modified. The example below shows the DUoS charge bands for the London Power Network Area. For further information on how STC Energy can help your company to save money, simply call us on 020 8466 2915 or visit our web site www.stcenergy.com

THE event for everyone responsible for reducing their organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy consumption.

In partnership with

EMEX is the energy management show that connects all energy users with hundreds of leading suppliers, policy makers, engineers and experts. This marketplace includes a free to attend CPD accredited conference programme and an exhibition that will help you control energy costs, gain industry insights, source innovations, share knowledge and stay up to date with the latest and upcoming legislative changes. EMEX will host the PSS Awards Ceremony on 17th November. On behalf of my fellow board members of the Energy Managers $VVRFLDWLRQ ,ÂˇG OLNH WR LQYLWH \RX WR EH SDUW RI (0(;

Lord Redesdale CEO, Energy Managers Association

It takes 2 minutes to register for FREE at www.emexlondon.com

The Energy Management Exhibition EXCEL, LONDON Q 16-17th NOVEMBER 2016 As well as a great line up of speakers, exhibitors, partners and supporters fellow attendees include:

emexlondon.com emexlondon.com

MONITORING/METERING

Tudor ship the Mary Rose finally released from her ‘hotbox’ and revealed dry for the first time since 1545

n important new milestone in the conservation of the famous 16th century Tudor naval ship, Mary Rose, has been reached this month. The Mary Rose was built in 1510 and was in service until she sank in 1545. The sunken ship then lay beneath the water for more than 400 years until she was discovered in the Solent in 1971 by a project team initiated by Alexander McKee and the Southsea branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club and finally raised in 1982 by more than 500 divers, archaeologists and scientists who developed new techniques in diving and conservation. A ‘ship hall’ was actually constructed over the ship in the dry dock, located in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, in an ambitious and challenging conservation of this officially-listed monument and 2013 saw the opening of a wonderful new museum. During the museum’s construction the ship’s hull was contained inside a sealed ‘hotbox’, and in April 2013 the polyethylene glycol (PEG) sprays that gradually replaced the water within the timber were turned off, and the process of controlled air-drying began. Ducts were placed evenly around the ship for the air-drying process to ensure that the ship dried evenly, minimising distortion and cracking of the wood that would occur if some sections dried faster than others. Specialist engineers from Hanwell – part of the British-based IMC Group – were called in to install the firm’s sophisticated technology and 30 environmental monitoring sensors were placed on or near the hull, continuously checking and recording temperature and humidity. The ship is now sufficiently dry to remove the ducts, lower the intensity of the drying system, and open the museum up further to the public. IMC’s Hanwell technology continues to play a crucial role in protecting the historic ship’s safe passage back into the limelight, explains the Trust’s Head of Conservation & Collections Care, Eleanor Schofield. “The Hanwell monitoring system was easy to set up to give us all the data we needed and we link it to alarms, which are set so that if one sensor reports an environmental factor has become out of tolerance we can react

Culmination of a 34-year restoration project with 16th century maritime engineering protected by The IMC Group’s 21st century Hanwell technology

quickly. We currently have the limits set at 50-58% RH and 18-20C and we’ve had a few alarms, but the system enables us to get the problem sorted quickly, as well as helping us with routine maintenance.” The IMC Group’s Engineering Director, Dr Martin Hancock said: “Because of the unique nature of the project, we had to design a unique solution. The technology that we introduced gave the conservation team a form of insight and measurement that hadn’t been available to them before, and has proven crucial to the successful completion of their work.” Now, the ‘hotbox’ itself has finally been removed and for the first time since 1545 the ship will be revealed dry, along with many of the artefacts recovered from within the ship - fully integrated into the museum environment dedicated to the warship and the historical context in which she was active. Until now the public have had only a limited view of the ship due to the tightly-controlled environment. Now that the ship is sufficiently dry, it is possible to open more of the ship to visitors. The salvage team discovered only half the ship so as part of the £35m project, galleries representing the lost half of the ship were created, to give visitors a real insight in to what life on board the Mary Rose was like. There are three viewing levels: The top level is a balcony looking down on the ship, the other two levels allows visitors to view the remaining hull on one side and the artefacts found on the Mary Rose on the

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

other side, such as weapons, the crew’s possessions and even musical instruments, all of which help to capture the atmosphere and complete the story. Hanwell monitoring will continue. “It’s a vital integral part of the conservation programme, added Eleanor Schofield. “The Hanwell system has been a key indicator in monitoring the drying of the timbers – if something had gone wrong it would have affected the whole ship but there were no isolated areas of concern and we continue to experience a good working relationship with IMC and support whenever needed. Our need to monitor and control the stability of the environment of course continues, measuring and reacting to how changes in weather, visitor traffic and so on affect the ship, so our Hanwell system will continue to be crucially important to the Mary Rose.”

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Monitoring/metering

New EkkoAir thermal monitoring solution is world’s first IoT system used to measure data centre cooling loads in real-time

ata centre thermal risk expert EkkoSense has launched EkkoAir - the world’s first IoT monitoring solution to track data centre cooling loads in real-time. EkkoAir, which can be simply fitted to any cooling unit in moments, wirelessly allows operators to monitor thermal instabilities right across the data centre, enabling them for the first time to balance thermal profiles so that only those cooling units that need to be working are actually active. By concentrating on actual cooling duty information, EkkoSense estimates that data centres can improve their overall energy performance by up to 30%. Unlike traditional data centre cooling approaches that are still built around the nominal main plate ratings declared by cooling equipment manufacturers, the EkkoAir monitoring solution is unique in offering true real time cooling duty information. This helps data centre operators to: • Reduce risk by identifying those faulty or non-performing cooling units that don’t get picked up under routine maintenance • Optimise capacity by accurately identifying spare capacity based on actual cooling duty loads

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Improve overall data centre energy performance by up to 30% by focusing in on inefficient or redundant cooling units “Building a cooling strategy based on plate ratings might have once seemed smart, but it’s an outmoded approach that has systematically led to both under-cooling or over-cooling, resulting in either unacceptable thermal risks or unnecessary energy consumption right across our industry,” commented EkkoSense’s Chief Technical Officer, Dr. Stu Redshaw. “Thanks to innovations in low-cost sensor technology, IOT, gaming technology and cloud, EkkoSense has now been able to bring a completely new level of thermal monitoring performance to market, providing data centre operators with the ability to not only visualise and understand their own data centre thermal instabilities, but also identify the individual cooling units that are causing the problems in the first place. By taking the guesswork out of data centre cooling, EkkoAir provides operators with the real time information they need to really start addressing the inefficiencies that currently make cooling their largest operational overhead.” By capturing information that was previously unavailable, and by being able to track temperature differentials either at an

Takes the guesswork out of data centre cooling – reducing risk, and enabling operators to improve energy performance by up to 30% individual unit or data centre level, operators can now track motions of heat across the floor – revealing new insights into the underlying physics of cooling data centres. EkkoAir works in parallel with the powerful EkkoSense Critical solution that takes advantage of powerful 3D gaming technology to offer the industry’s first true 3D view of real-time data centre physical and thermal dynamics. www.ekkosense.co.uk

MONItoring/Metering

C.A 1950

Simple ergonomics for a Chauvin Arnoux® thermal camera which is an essential part of any toolbox

00% French! The brand new thermal camera designed and developed by Chauvin Arnoux, the DiaCAm2 C.A 1950, is particularly simple to use. Its ergonomics has been designed for a comfortable grip, with direct access to the functions using one hand only. It offers an exceptional battery life of 13 hours without wasting any time, as it starts up in 3 seconds. The DiaCAm2 is balanced: it doesn’t move even when stood on a benchtop. The display uses a wide 2.8 inch screen with automatic brightness adjustment. The C.A 1950 is focus-free with a 20° x 20° field of view. The flap protecting the lens is built into the instrument, so it does not get in the way and cannot be lost. Contextual help guides users to limit the risk of error. The C.A 1950 is a communicating camera which can simultaneously recover the necessary measurements (current, etc.) from current clamps and multimeters via Bluetooth. In this way, users can link

to the thermograms the measurements made simultaneously with current clamps or multimeters. The emissivity table can be completed as required. It is also possible to rename the images and thermograms by site and record voice comments for easier follow-up. This rugged, IP54 instrument can withstand falls of up to 2 m. No problem when you throw it into your toolbox. With its Eco-Conception (eco-design) labelling, the C.A 1950 camera from Chauvin Arnoux meets the environmental requirements and is designed to allow recycling of its parts.

Applications The C.A 1950 is ideal for all the applications in the building, electrical maintenance and mechanical maintenance sectors: • Thermal audits • Troubleshooting: thermal bridges, infiltrations, presence of humidity • Electrical maintenance: detection of

faulty contacts, unbalance, etc. Mechanical maintenance: detection of wear points, motor overheating, lubrication problems, etc It is also possible to record and store in memory the configurations for each application (building, electrical cabinet, etc.), thus saving additional time. The CAmReport software provided free of charge can be used for automatic generation of reports which can be exported in Word or pdf format. This makes printing and archiving much simpler. The C.A 1950 is delivered ready to use in a site-proof case with all its accessories, including the Bluetooth earphone. •

info@chauvin-arnoux.co.uk

C.A 1510

Monitor ambient air quality: CO2, temperature and humidity

he level of CO2 is an excellent indicator of air quality and the effectiveness of air renewal solutions. Simple and user friendly, the C.A 1510 can be used to measure and record three parameters (CO2, temperature, humidity) and can monitor air quality criteria based either on the level of CO2 or on a combination of the three physical quantities measured. Its multiple functions are ideal for the needs of certification organizations, laboratories, environmental engineers, etc. The C.A 1510 complies with the functional and metrological requirements for CO2 measurement stipulated by French decree no. 2012-14 in the context of indoor air quality monitoring for buildings open to the public. The rear panel of the compact, stand alone C.A 1510 is equipped with a magnet

and an insert for hanging on a wall. It can also be fixed on a wall mount with a padlock (available as an accessory) or on a desktop stand. Its memory is capable of storing more than one million measurements in the form of several campaigns and the display and keyboard can be locked during recording. Equipped with a large two colour backlit display, the C.A 1510 simultaneously shows the level of CO2, the temperature and the humidity. In addition to its portable function, it can be used intuitively as an indicator; as soon as a parameter moves outside the recommended conditions, the backlighting changes colour and a L smiley is displayed (the value involved is indicated). In ECO energy saving mode, it has a battery life of one year. Available in two colours (white or black), the C.A 1510 is equipped with USB and Bluetooth communication interfaces.

The interface tools (AQR software delivered as standard or 1510 application available from Play Store) can be used to configure the recordings, display the results remotely on a PC or Android™ tablet, view the data as graphs or value tables, export data into Excel and calculate the confinement index with selection of the periods when people are present.

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Cover Story

Sollatek Lighting: 10 years of LED Street Light design leads to major expansion Ralph Scrivens, EM Magazine Editor

have known of iVolt and their great work for some time having seen them break into the Voltage Optimisation market in 2011. Their technology is advanced and solid state, uniquely recording the kWh savings in real time through the patented IRT (Intelligent Real Time) function. What I didn’t know however was that iVolt is made by Sollatek, iVolt’s parent company and they have much bigger plans within the energy reduction arena. I was invited to Sollatek Group’s HQ in Berkshire to see what they have been working on. I am greeted in the boardroom by iVolt’s Sales Director Neil Underwood who goes on to explain their plans. “It had become clear to me over the last few years that Voltage Optimisation (VO) was in decline. The poor press and emerging technologies such as LED lighting had taken their toll and it’s difficult to get the payback model to work in general office environments that have converted to LED lighting” “Sollatek have produced LED street lighting for about 10 years so I felt the best strategy would be to propose to the Board that we develop an extended range of LED luminaires for both the interior & exterior of buildings that could initially be sold to iVolt clients but then widened as interest grew. Our first success was a major wholesale group with 170 outlets and we are currently in the first year of a three year programme with them. We have also been able to convince some of our VO partners to use our LED lighting range and these range from Global FM companies such as Bouygues to

major energy providers like EDF. As a large amount of our business comes from these companies and their specialism is the Public Sector, we believe we are ideally placed to provide a great solution with two energy reduction technologies. We have won business in NHS Trusts, Special care units & local government education. VO still has a place as it deals with all the motor loads (that are not speed controlled) in a building, add to that our LED lighting and you have a major energy reduction and a compelling business case”

Sollatek’s products are all designed in the UK by a team of highly experienced R & D engineers. They have electrical, electronic, mechanical and firmware engineers. They also have software writers and test engineers.

I was shown a brief presentation on how Sollatek do their design process and what investments they have made to ensure their LED products are of the highest quality but at a competitive price. For their fast moving product lines, such as battens and 600x600 panels, all the products are tested 100% optically on line. This ensures that things like colour rendition index, Kelvin rating, Efficacy and power output are all checked before going into a box for shipping.

“Sollatek is a global designer and manufacturer of electronic products for both energy and power quality sectors. They have been around over 30 years and over this time have amassed an enormous amount of knowledge of PSU’s (Power Supply) Heatsinks and PCB boards. Basically an LED light is just this, the driver is the PSU and LED chip set is selected from our partners at CREE & Lexistar who are world renown for their quality, we understand about heat dissipation and the PCB board can then be

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

What really impressed me was the speed that Sollatek have developed this range, in little over a year they have created around 10 product lines with multiple offerings in each. I asked Neil how they did this,

Cover Story to the refrigeration industry and confidentiality is key. As R&D showed me a test procedure, I saw glazed units from a majority of the major drinks companies being tested. R & D is split into 4 areas – electronics, electrical, mechanical and firmware/software. Neil took some time talking through new and upcoming products in the Sollatek range and I was particularly taken by a new design for a lighter street light. Although it was only in prototype stage, its features and benefits left me with a keen interest when it progresses. I asked Neil how he thought Sollatek would compete in a very crowded market with some established players already in place. “If you take the Chinese on one end of the price/quality measure and companies such as Phillips & Trilux on the other we sit somewhere in the middle in terms of price and very much closer to Phillips type companies in terms of quality. We can compete because our price point is very attractive; we prefer to pass on all the discount to the end user or client instead of working through wholesalers. Therefore we can offer significant savings. When we were chosen as partner to the Wholesale Group we were measured against two of the largest most established names in the industry and we beat them, not just on price but also on efficacy and overall quality.

programmed using firmware/software which we have written”. We also use rapid prototyping techniques to produce pre-production products very quickly and get them through a validation process. We have invested in a new ProLumen sphere (spectral analyser) to ensure light performance is consistent” As I entered the Lighting Application Showroom I was immediately taken by how many products were on display. Neil went through each range from down lighters to various size drop in panels, from high bays to spotlights and floodlights, explaining the power output and the efficacy. Efficacy for those not familiar with the term is the amount of wattage required to illuminate to a certain light (lumen) level. The higher the efficacy the greater the savings will be as it takes less power (watts) to provide

the desired light output. Some of Sollatek’s products have as high as 145 lumens per watt, which is remarkable. Sollatek have 3 hour emergency, DALI and 1-10v dimmable in all their ranges with some encompassing in-built PIR/Photocells. All of the luminaires have a standard 5 year warranty and Sollatek also offer a lighting design service using Relux/Dialux software. They have an in-house engineering support team to carry out lighting audits and ensure your project runs smoothly. After a demonstration of all the luminaires (most of which were mounted and lit), I was given the opportunity to see the R & D department. Neil explained that normally people aren’t shown around these areas, as a lot of work done by the Sollatek Group is for large clients. For example, Sollatek are an OEM supplier

We do not need to make the margins that lighting companies have traditionally made as Sollatek’s revenues come from 5 divisions but we are still small enough (around 400 staff globally) to act quickly to market conditions and keep developing our product range. We already have several new ranges on the drawing board” It was clear from my time at Sollatek that they are a very well-resourced engineering group who have invested a considerable amount in developing their LED lighting division. With their principle of design in the UK and manufacturer in one of three global plants they can keep the prices very keen but still maintain a high level of quality. That was one of the things I took away from an interesting day at Sollatek. They have all the tools to provide an extremely compelling case to use their products and I won’t be surprised if we are hearing a lot more about Sollatek’s LED lighting range in the not too distant future. For more information, please call 01753 214 500 or visit www.sollatek.com

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Lighting

VENTURE CREATES BESPOKE LIGHTING SOLUTION FOR COSTCO UNDERGROUND CAR PARK

enture Lighting Europe has supplied a purpose-made retrofit gear tray to help a Costco store in Birmingham reduce its energy consumption and improve the lighting of its underground car park. The company, working with lighting maintenance contractors Solent Lighting, developed a 50W LED retrofit gear tray to replace 300 150W Metal Halide lamps whilst still utilising the existing fittings to generate an estimated 70% energy saving.

The 300 fittings are located in the store’s underground car park, which required high levels of light to promote a safe and customer-friendly environment. Due to the nature of the car park, fixture replacements would have been extremely expensive and would have required extra drilling into the concrete structure, creating a lot of mess and disruption to the car park. Venture’s retrofit solution eliminated all of this whilst keeping the costs and installation time to a minimum.

Baber Zaman, Store Manager at Costco Birmingham, commented “As part of a general improvement to the warehouse we decided to switch to LED with the help of Solent Lighting to reduce the running costs of the car park lighting, which was being used as much as 20 hours a day. Solent chose Venture’s LED gear trays as the best solution for our requirements. With the new LEDs we are now getting improved light levels at a lower usage and we are very pleased with the new lighting so far.” The 50W LED retrofit gear tray was created by Venture to meet the light and performance demanded by the car park, and is purposely designed to fit the existing luminaire body. Comprising three of Venture’s high performance linear LED modules and a 50W fixed output driver, the new gear tray delivers excellent and reliable light, with an efficacy of up to 148 lumens per circuit watt. The new LEDs also offer a light life beyond 60,000 hours to eliminate any lamp failures and replacements. In using the LED retrofit gear tray, the store was able to keep its existing IP65 non-corrosive fixture which is best suited for the application. Being an underground car park it was important to the store to use a robust luminaire that is dust and water resistant and can withstand various temperatures and conditions. The retrofit solution allowed the store to keep the existing fittings, all of which have proved effective since the original installation. The store’s existing non-corrosive luminaire uses a prismatic polycarbonate refractor to allow for excellent control of light distribution. This cover is also designed to be extremely robust and vandal resistant to ensure no damage can be done to the luminaire which may compromise the performance or distribution of the light. The modules and driver used to create the gear tray is amongst many different options developed by Venture for similar purposes. The company offers a range of LED lighting, including square and linear modules and various fixed output or dimmable drivers to create high efficiency and high performance luminaires for the commercial and industrial markets. For further information call 01923 692600, email info@venturelighting.co.uk visit www.venturelightingeurope.com

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Lighting

Tamlite ushers in cost-efficient new lighting era for Bristol college

he number of schools, colleges and universities exchanging inefficient conventional lighting technology for next-generation LEDs and fluorescents continues to increase as educational establishments look to reduce their operational expenses and carbon footprints. Based near Bristol, Patchway Community College is one of the latest recruits to the cause, enlisting UK Energy Partners to design and implement a comprehensive overhaul of its aging lighting infrastructure. The desire to achieve long-lasting energy savings was the primary impetus for Patchway CC to begin contemplating the replacement of its existing fluorescent tubes. Future reliability was also a significant concern – some of the tubes were more than 35 years old. Decision made, the college enlisted the services of energy efficiency experts UK Energy Partners to design and propose a new system. The company has a long history of delivering full Condition Improvement Fund applications for its clients, free of charge, and in this case all of the capital required for the project was sourced from Salix Finance. With the finance in place, UK Energy Partners was able to set about implementing a design that relies exclusively on products from long-established, Shropshire-based lighting manufacturer Tamlite. In fact, Patchway CC was only the latest in a lengthy sequence of projects for which Tamlite equipment has been specified. “We have used Tamlite products on most of our lighting installations,” confirms Adam May, Energy Efficiency Operations Manager, UK Energy Partners. “Operating in the education sector, it’s paramount that we are using the best on the market. Tamlite products have proven to us that they can perform as expected, and we have complete confidence installing their products on future projects.”

High efficiency, optimum performance Specified throughout the college, the new lighting installation revolves around two key products from the current Tamlite range. Micro LED is a high-performance LED batten whose feature-set includes: wide beam (80°) or narrow beam (35°) coverage; LED modules designed for optimum

Patchway Community College is predicted to enjoy a £63,091 reduction in energy bills over an 8-year period following the installation of Tamlite LED lighting performance (>100 lm/W); long life expectancy of 50,000 hours (L70/B50); a high CRI of >80Ra; and outstanding lumen efficacy of up to 103Lm/W. Also selected for the project was the MODLED PRO professional recessed LED panel with remote driver. A very popular item in the Tamlite range, the MODLED PRO’s features include: a high performance LED module and driver; the latest SMD LED chips; a first-class opal diffuser for even light distribution; long life expectancy of 50,000 hours (L70/B50); a CRI of >80Ra for a high quality lighting installation; and lumen efficacy of up to 88Lm/W. Designed and built for versatility, the MODLED PRO’s modular dimensions allow it to be installed quickly and easily in most exposed T-bar ceilings. Reflecting on the choice of products for the Patchway CC project, Tamlite Head of Sales, Marketing and Product Development Colin Lawson comments: “The Micro LED and MODLED PRO products can now be found in schools and colleges throughout the UK. Not only can they help reduce energy expenditure and carbon consumption by a significant margin, they can also deliver improved lighting conditions that benefit both students and teachers.”

Outlining the positive reaction to the new installation, as well as the expertise contributed by UK Energy Partners, Patchway CC Business Manager Juliet Camilleri comments: “Our governors have asked me to pass on their thanks and congratulations regarding our lighting project. They were impressed with the professionalism that UK Energy Partners displayed, and are very pleased with the work carried out. We look forward to reducing our power consumption.” Summing up, Colin Lawson says that he is “delighted by Patchway Community College’s response to the work of UK Energy Partners and the installation of such an extensive new Tamlite infrastructure. These robust, long-lasting LED systems will guarantee high quality lighting into the future for the college’s pupils and staff alike. It’s a pattern that we are now seeing repeated at educational establishments throughout the country as the transition to next generation lighting systems accelerates.” www.tamlite.co.uk www.ukenergypartners.co.uk www.patchwaycc.com

Long-term outlook The long-term forecasts for the college certainly look very compelling. According to UK Energy Partners’ calculation, Patchway CC is bound for a saving of £63,091 in energy costs over an 8-year period. Project ROI is expected to be a mere 4.87 years, while the college is likely to benefit from a yearly carbon emission reduction of 65 tonnes – a saving of just over 37% on the current figure. In the meantime, college personnel have already commented about a notable improvement in lux levels throughout the Patchway CC site. There is also a feeling that the new lighting systems help to lend the school a more attractive and contemporary ambience.

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Lighting

LED Eco Lights launches intelligent LED lighting battens • LED lighting battens provide 65% energy savings • Twin-tube fluorescent luminaires can be upgraded in ten minutes

ED Eco Lights has added SMART Sensor technology to its Goodlight™ G5 LED battens, allowing the luminaires to be grouped and respond intelligently to a building’s lighting needs. Warehouses and industrial sites can reduce their lighting energy bill by up to 65% by replacing fluorescent lighting in offices, production areas, warehouses, car parks, loading bays and other areas with SMART Goodlight G5 LED battens from LED Eco Lights. Goodlight G5 battens now feature SMART Sensor, a built-in RF wireless sensor which allows full control of the luminaire. The sensor not only allows the luminaire to respond directly to occupancy, motion and light levels, but also allows it to communicate with other grouped luminaires. G5 LED battens can be grouped together, with one master controlling the behaviour of multiple slaves. The feature allows lighting to be controlled much more intelligently. For example, lights can be switched on in anticipation of occupants entering an area for example as they

progress along a corridor or up a flight of stairs. The Goodlight SMART Sensor includes Daylight Monitoring and Tri-level Dimming. All options and settings can be programmed and adjusted by simple remote control. Goodlight G5 LED battens are a direct drop-in replacement for standard 2ft, 4ft and 5ft length single and twin tube fluorescent fittings, but draw just 20W, 30W, 40W or 50W respectively – 65% of the energy of the fluorescent equivalent. The G5 has a lifespan of 50,000 hours, over triple the typical fluorescent tube, giving site operators further savings in maintenance budgets. The G5 delivers very high levels of light output, offering 110 lumens per Watt with a 120° beam angle for optimum spread. Light replacement can be funded from operating budgets using a pay-as-you-save lease option. Housed in a sleek body, the Goodlight G5 is shielded by a high density rubber seal, giving it fivefold protection against the environment. The seal offers IP65 protection against water, dust and corrosion plus the

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

fitting can withstand exposure to frost, snow and ice. It can operate in extreme temperatures from -20 to +50°C, and is suitable for use in cold storage areas. The G5 fitting is glass-free making it suitable for food and drink production environments. It has an impact protection rating of 1K08. LED Eco Lights are specialists in LED lighting for retro-fit applications, and estimates an existing fluorescent batten can be replaced with a G5 luminaire in just ten minutes. The G5 can be recessed, suspended, surface-mounted or seamlessly linked and is supplied with stainless steel mounting clips as standard for quick and simple installation. Goodlight G5 LED batten luminaires are available in three colour temperatures: daylight, natural and warm white. They are fully dimmable, and can be controlled via a DALI or 0-10V interface in addition to the RF wireless remote. An optional emergency backup battery is available. Commenting, Saima Shafi, sales and marketing director at LED Eco Lights said, “Goodlight LED lighting technology offers more efficient light at lower cost, without the drawbacks of other low energy lighting technology. Our LED lamps and luminaires reach full brightness instantly, and are virtually maintenance free with no ballasts or starters needed. They are also free of the migraine-inducing flicker of traditional tube lights, and contain no heavy metals making them easy to dispose of safely and are much less hazardous in the unlikely event of a breakage.” Businesses are able to fund lighting replacement programmes from their operating budgets by taking advantage of the company’s BrightPlan LED leasing scheme. This allows the replacement lights to be paid for directly by the energy savings and the customer will own the lights outright at the end of the lease. LED Eco Lights is offering businesses a free site survey which will provide a detailed breakdown of suitable replacement light fittings, the installed cost and the return on investment from savings on energy and maintenance costs. They also guarantee the G5 and other Goodlight fittings for five years, making installation risk-free.

CHP

Making CHP Accessible by Paul Hamblyn, Managing Director, EuroSite Power

hile most public sector energy managers understand the benefits that CHP systems can provide, the capital costs can traditionally prove prohibitive when it comes to getting a decision from senior management to adopt the technology. Energy managers can be hard pushed to persuade cash-strapped senior managers to make large capital investments now, even with the promise of long term savings in the future. However, with some smart financial and technical thinking by CHP providers, public sector organisations can harness the benefits of CHP in a way that makes sense not only to energy managers but to budget controllers too. An on-site utility works for many buildings that require a constant supply

of hot water such as leisure centres or hospitals, particularly those with a relatively modest but stable base load. A CHP system or gas-engine chiller installed inside the building can be used to meet its base power, heating or cooling requirements, with the variable additional demand being met by the building’s regular energy providers or existing plant. By having the base load supplied at a lower and more visible price, costs become easier to manage and operators can effectively hedge the risk of future energy price rises. CHP can also be used as a stand-by provider during a power outage with a wave form that is compatible with all types of everyday appliances, including advanced IT systems. An appropriate system should be able to act entirely independently of the building’s main utility, with low fault current contribution and no reactive power draw. The system should also be microgrid compatible and be able to be used alongside other equipment with DC outputs such as solar panels or wind turbines. To get the full benefits, it is essential that the CHP system specified delivers a stable and predictable supply of both electricity and heat. By refocusing on heat, a properly applied system can provide greater certainty about the savings generated. Such matters are bread and butter to energy managers, but can be difficult to

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

explain at senior management level, where the focus is so often on upfront cost and returns projected in simple terms. And even where the cost can be spread over the life of the contract, for instance through lease financing, risks such as variable gas prices, maintenance, shut downs and inefficiency, can mean there is a danger the CHP system becomes a burden to the customer, who may not have the technical expertise to ensure the correct return on investment. The solution for overcoming these potential negatives is for CHP providers to “put their money where their mouth is.” Instead of charging customers for installation of the equipment, CHP providers can achieve greater market penetration and overall adoption of the technology in the public sector by providing solutions that deliver the savings promised from day one, in a way that is as easy to understand as possible. Under a long term agreement, the CHP provider installs and maintains the CHP system without charge to the customer. Covering the capital costs, and taking responsibility for all testing, maintenance and repair, the CHP provider buys the gas used by the system. It then sells the electricity and heating produced on-site to the customer, at a price that provides the immediate energy bill savings promised by the CHP system. That means the CHP provider takes the price risk away from the customer with a typical energy bill saving of 10% which is fixed for the contract life – usually 15 years. The logic of this methodology has proved extremely popular in the US for on-site utility providers like American DG Energy, which was the first to launch the idea, and has already been adopted by some big names in the UK, including major hotel and leisure centre chains. As well as a number of council-run leisure centre, pioneers of this system in the UK public sector include Clifton Hospital near Blackpool, Lancashire. With up to 200 hospitals in the UK appropriate for this type of scheme, the benefits are there to be harnessed, providing unprecedented cost efficiencies and green benefits, and a solid, sustainable way to promote CHP adoption across the public sector.

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Procurement

The compelling business case for improved heating and ventilation in schools

mproving the energy efficiency of heating and ventilation in school buildings presents school managers with a golden opportunity to obtain substantial savings in financial terms, while also supporting sustainability.

Like many public sector bodies, schools must implement energy and cost saving technologies, where it is often necessary to have upfront capital in order to pay for the installation of such measures. However, by employing simple measures to improve heating and ventilation equipment, for example, energy spend can often drop significantly, thereby providing financial savings that can be allocated to other resources and areas of need. Whilst it is recognised that reducing energy consumption in schools can bring with it a whole host of social, environmental and economic benefits, one of the most welcome benefits is a reduction in the size of their energy bills. One of the most effective ways to reduce the energy consumption of heating and ventilation is by using energy efficient technologies that can ensure quantifiable cost savings. Implementing carbon reducing projects is a highly effective way of lowering bills across the board. This understanding has led many schools across the UK to recognise the benefits of investing in energy efficient heating technologies as an effective means of driving down energy bills. Due to the financial barriers involved, a large number of schools, colleges and universities are looking for alternative methods of funding for such projects including the support of an interest-free government loan. This interest-free financing is available via Salix Finance to public sector organisations that wish to pursue energy efficient upgrades. One school leading the way in its use of energy efficient heating and ventilation is Meon Junior School, a primary school in Portsmouth, which has over 300 students. The primary school was looking for an effective way to drive down its energy bills while switching to a less carbon-intensive fuel source.

Like Meon Junior School, many schools across the UK have the opportunity to use these alternative sources of funding to install new technologies, which are often the most effective way to install new initiatives. After searching for an effective solution to manage and replace their heating, the school approached Salix Finance. Meon Junior School received a 100% interest free loan of £18,400 which funded the installation of gas burners for the school, enabling them to implement a less carbon intensive fuel source than the original oil burners. The transition resulted in significant annual energy cost savings of nearly £5,000. In addition to this, the scheme is estimated to save approximately 12 tonnes of carbon each year. By converting from oil to gas burners the school has reduced its energy costs per pupil by over £15 per annum, saving an impressive 51% on their overall annual heating bill. The structure of the Salix loan means that the school will pay the loan back between 4 and 8 years dependent on the individual project payback using the savings made from the schools heating and energy bill. This means that the loan is of no additional expense to the school, leaving the funding available to be spent on other vital resources and education.

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Meon Junior School is just one example of many energy efficiency projects in schools across the UK funded by Salix Finance. Salix has been working with schools for more than 10 years during which it has helped schools to invest over £38 million on more than 2,500 projects designed to save £8.7 million annually. Salix Finance is an independent, not-for-profit organisation and is funded by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Education, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government. For more information on the projects Salix have worked with please see www.salixfinance.co.uk

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Water Management

Myth busting water competition in England

ames Cardwell-Moore, Commercial Director at Business Stream explains why it makes sense to get ready for April 2017, and answers some of your frequently asked questions.

Isn’t this going to benefit only the biggest organisations? The biggest water users are already able to switch water supplier. This change is aimed at opening up the benefits of competition to companies and public sector bodies of all size. It’s important to remember that, while lower costs are a potential advantage, the new market is aimed at improving innovation and customer service, helping organisations to become more efficient in their water use, reducing costs, time and environmental impact.

The new market is unproven so aren’t the benefits in doubt? The opening up of the English market is a response to the success of competition in Scotland, where the world’s first non-domestic water market was created in 2008. Over the last eight years, our customers have benefited from more than £133 million in savings. At the same time they’ve saved more than 24 billion litres of water and 42,000 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent to taking 11,700 cars off the roads. The customer service benefits are also proven, with more than 65% using our online account management platform. We also introduced ‘Rant and Rave’ instant feedback technology which has helped us to improve our responses to customer questions and concerns. Based on the Scottish experience, competition will encourage all water suppliers to offer more benefits to customers, including reduced costs, improved service levels and lower management overheads.

The new market is months away. What’s the point in thinking about it now? It’s true that the market is only due to open in April 2017 but to get full advantage of the potential benefits on offer we strongly recommend preparing for

this now. We’ve produced a step-by-step ‘switchfit’ guide to help organisations prepare, but in summary you should take time to understand your current water usage and bills, take stock of your trade effluent arrangements, and think about what the future holds for your business. All this will help to determine your water management strategy and the supplier relationships you need to support your business.

It’s only water – how much of a difference can there really be between suppliers? There might not be much difference in what comes out of the tap but that’s only a small part of the picture. Creating a partner relationship with your supplier, rather than being satisfied with a transactional association can make the world of difference to your organisation. Do they understand your operation and what you need to succeed? Can they help you identify and solve problems? Do they have the products and services that meet your requirements? Are they easy to do business with? Also, there are huge differences in wastewater and this is a crucial element of your water management strategy. There are regulatory and cost risks in getting this wrong, but saving and efficiency gains in getting it right. Does your supplier have the expertise to help, and most importantly, will they bring real value to your organisation?

Unit cost is the only thing that really matters. Surely the rest is just window dressing? It’s true that many organisations, especially SMEs, have relatively straightforward water and wastewater management arrangements. But equally there are many where water supply and trade effluent is absolutely critical to their core business. Any disruption or problems can have a real impact but a good supplier can not only solve these issues but anticipate and prevent them. And for all organisations, efficient meter reading and account management arrangements including consolidated billing can avoid wasted management time.

Energy Manager Magazine • September 2016

Won’t it be a hassle to change? In the vast majority of cases it’s an incredibly straight forward process. And even where your site or facilities set-up may be complex, a good supplier will support you throughout the process. The key point is to make sure that you’ve satisfied yourself that you’ve identified a supplier who is a good fit for your organisation. (In doing so, make sure you’re comparing like-withlike.) If you do decide to switch, typically it’s easier and quicker than you think.

With multiple sites, isn’t it just too complex for us to even think about our water management arrangements? We’ve worked with many large organisations, including local authorities and NHS bodies, with diverse and extensive properties. So, we know from experience that although it can be challenging, an expert supplier can help you make sense of your estate, and audit your current water and wastewater set-up to understand what you’re using and discharging. That insight then leads to opportunities to identify potential improvements and cost savings.

Our biggest utility bills are for energy so surely there’s not much point in worrying about water? You might be surprised at how much you are spending and the potential savings. Also, with tough economic times and the pressure on public finances likely to continue, even marginal gains can be important. The key to this is to work with a trusted provider that can audit your current arrangements and help you understand the benefits on offer and how to achieve these. Business Stream has a team of dedicated experts who can explain what’s possible and design the right solution for your requirements.

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