The Australasian Building Services Journal 2008_3

building higher standards Soho Projects is a Project

Management, Design and Construction company that provides Interior Fit-outs and Refurbishments, specialising in the Hotel, Retail and Commercial sectors.

trust, respect, innovation is just the beginning.

Soho Projects TM 118 Bronte Road Bondi Junction 2026 NSW Australia PO Box 403 Rose Bay 2 T 1300797646 E info@sohoprojects.com www.sohoprojects.com.

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dBOURNE P U B L I S H I N G

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www.adbourne.com

Adbourne Publishing 3/1527 Burwood Hwy Tecoma, VIC 3160 PO Box 735, Belgrave, VIC 3160 Melbourne Office Neil Muir Ph: (03) 9752 6933 Fax: (03) 9752 6944 Email: neil@adbourne.com

4 State News

15 Building Regulatory Update 16 Inefficient Lamp Phase-Out

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Soho is ‘good-o’ for refurbishments

22 A New Energy Initiative

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Production Claire Henry Tel: (03) 9752 6944 Email: production@adbourne.com Administration Robyn Fantin Tel: (03) 9752 6426 Email: admin@adbourne.com

Printing PMS Lithography 32 Union Street Brunswick VIC 3056

7 The 2020 Challenge

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Adelaide Office Robert Spowart Ph: 0488 390 039 Email: robert@adbourne.com

Marketing Tania Lamanna Tel: (03) 9500 0285 Email: tlamanna@bigpond.net.au

National Report

27 Using a CMMS 33 Practical Evaporative

Cooling Solutions

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Common-Sense Facility Maintenance Automation System Combining Software and PDAs

40 Chasing sustainability ratings

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and asset value – the new frontier in property and facilities management

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Case Study: The Coast Golf Club

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Earth to Air Systems - Advanced Geothermal Heating and Cooling

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Product News

DISCLAIMER Adbourne Publishing cannot ensure that the advertisements appearing in The Building Services Journal comply absolutely with the Trade Practices Act and other consumer legislation. The responsibility is therefore on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertisement(s) for publication.

Adbourne Publishing and The Institute of Plant Engineers of Australasia reserves the right to refuse any advertisement without stating the reason. No responsibility is accepted for incorrect information contained in advertisements or editorial. The editor reserves the right to edit, abridge or otherwise alter articles for publication.

All original material produced in this magazine remains the property of the publisher and cannot be reproduced without authority. The views of the contributors are not necessarily those of The Institute of Plant Engineers of Australasia or the publisher.

Adbourne Publishing seeks to provide a forum for expression of ideas and opinions from companies and individuals. By presenting these articles the publisher in no way endorses any particular ideology but gives the reader the opportunity to access a variety of different views.

National Report Greetings to all Members and readers, Firstly a sincere thank you to all members, for your support in my executive election recently at the 2008 National AGM. Amongst the troubled global issues surrounding Australia currently, the forecast for our industry within the Building Services Engineering sector has never looked so bright. With the housing and accommodation sectors showing signs of slowing the major commercial entities are continuing to provide steady future planning and construction. This will provide growth into the future for the crucial building services for which a majority of our members represent; reassuring signs for us all.

Another long term positive injection is the increase of apprentices within our industry.

This valuable resource had until recently, sadly diminished over the previous 15 years.

Let’s hope that this resurgence will bring with it the numbers of quality trades people that we all depend upon in supporting our businesses.

A growing number of our members including myself have been involved with market leading projects delivering Green star, ABGR (NABERS) and Energy solutions within the industry. The depth of expertise that these members possess, not only in theory but in delivery, is a very impressive; hence I encourage you all to come along to site visits and committee meetings to meet and gain exposure to our evolving industry and the services we deliver.

Feel free to contact me for an update, chat or visit our web site for the latest events as they come to hand. www.ipea.org.au

Michael Josephs National President IPEA

State News Victoria The three months since the last report have been an extremely quiet time for the Victorian Division with little activity.

The Victorian Committee on behalf of our members wishes to congratulate the newly elected 2008 / 2009 IPEA National Executive and especially congratulate Roz White from South Australian division. Roz in her position as National Treasurer is only the second female in the history of IPEA to have held or hold a position on both state and national committees.

With the warmer weather approaching we are hoping to see an increase in activities and meetings in the Victorian

South Australia Since my last report I have been actively promoting the IPEA to many of my clients & associates, hopefully some of this work will result in increased membership over the next few months.

I, along with my wife Roz, attended a group presentation & viewing of the new SA Water Head Office at the $140 million dollar VS1 building. The event was very well attended & again

Division. We also take this opportunity to ask for feedback from our members in relation to having an annual BBQ / picnic as we have had in past years.

For members who are still receiving information by post and wish to receive information by email, please send your email address and contact details to the email address shown below and we will add your information to our IPEA mail out data base.

There is a lot on offer for anyone seeking training or information updates with many seminars and presentations arranged by CIBSE, AIRAH and others.

All industries ensure that all information is available and up to date for those interested so that the technical

shows the amount of interest currently occurring in our industry.

We also attended a presentation & viewing of the new Adelaide Show Grounds Building which was very well attended. Their rain water collection tanks were rapidly filling due to the very large roof area & heavy rains.

I would like to thank Les Gurney for up loading the National & South Australian committee photos on to the National website.

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information the recipient may pass on is correct. IPEA assists and supports with promoting training programs and seminars that will benefit our members and readers.

Please view our web site www.ipea.org.au for National IPEA information.

If you require any state information, please do not hesitate to contact me at the following email address barry.wilding@hydrochem.com.au or my mobile 0419 306 963.

Best regards, Barry Wilding Secretary – IPEA Victorian Division

Work wise, Roz & I have been extremely busy with the new South Australian Legionella control regulations which commenced 1st October, 2008.

I look forward to catching up with members & their partners at our Christmas function.

Best regards, Craig White President – IPEA SA Division

Application for Membership

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NATIONAL EXECUTIVE PO Box 4182 Knox City Centre Vic 3152

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IPEA Office Bearers

TITLE President

NAME PHONE Michael Josephs 0412 978 548 mjosephs@tacpacific.com

FAX (08) 8362 9909

Vice President

Ian Patterson Ian.Paterson@colliers.com

Secretary

Barry Wilding (03) 9553 1011 barry.wilding@hydrochem.com.au

(03) 9553 1387

Treasurer

Roz White (08) 8297 4099 Roz.White@hydrochem.com.au

(08) 8297 4709

Public Officer

Barry Wilding

MELBOURNE EXECUTIVE PO Box 4182 Knox City Centre Vic 3152

You are cordially invited to become a member of the Institute by completing the details below.

This form will be passed to the respective division and following acceptance the Secretary will contact you. Current Membership fee is $84.00 and includes certificate, and 4 copies of the Institute Journal. I agree to abide by the current rules of the Institute.

Please provide the following contact information:

First Name

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President Vice President

Miron Krzywinski

(03) 9751 4111

Secretary

Barry Wilding (03) 9553 1011 barry.wilding@hydrochem.com.au

Treasurer

Jeff Fraser

(03) 9553 1387

Craig White 0408 544 599 Craig.White@hydrochem.com.au

(08) 8297 4709

Secretary

Les Gurney 0413 151 763 lgurney@aircomfortservices.com.au

(08) 8360 5253

Treasurer

Roz White (08) 8297 4099 Roz.White@hydrochem.com.au

(08) 8297 4709

Membership Officer

Ian Patterson Ian.Paterson@colliers.com

Meetings Coordinator

Peter Otten 0413 027 675 peter.otten@ap.joneslanglasalle.com

Cliff Harper

(02) 9931 9959

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Country

SYDNEY EXECUTIVE PO Box A 720 Sydney South NSW 2000 Treasurer

City

Postcode

(08) 9327 3233

(02) 9931 9995

Journal Editor for IPEA Inc Douglas Lee – doug.lee@shell.com Contact Ph: (03) 9666 2868 Fax: (03) 9666 2872

Web Master Les Gurney – lgurney@aircomfortservices.com.au

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State

PERTH EXECUTIVE C/O 113 Mickleham Rd Morley WA 6062 (08) 9327 3200

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Street Address

President

Lynn Callcott

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(03) 9837 5774

ADELAIDE EXECUTIVE PO BOX 8053, Station Arcade SA 5000

President

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Forward form to: The National Secretary IPEA PO Box 4182, Knox City Centre, Vic 3152

The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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The 2020 Challenge

By ROMILY MADEW

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here is one year that has every Australian focused – 2020.

It all started for me, earlier this year when I was selected to participate in the Rudd government’s 2020 Summit. I am amazed at the attention that one idea has had on galvanising a nation.

88 George St 5 Star Green Star – Office Design

Carbon Neutral buildings had been identified as a key strategy for the property industry in the fight against climate change and it all began as part of a discussion between some of our country’s leading figures.

The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd in his 2020 welcome, said we were in a time of “new directions” which needed a “new way of governing...the challenges we are facing (are) unprecedented in complexity, we need to anticipate the change ahead otherwise we will be swamped by it”.

His final comment to all the naysayer’s: “What is there to be lost from trying?”

Senator Penny Wong reminded all delegates to think about what our children would say in 2020. Further, she reminded us that Australians needed a “new sense of responsibility - in how we use the earth’s resources.”

What was achieved at the end of the summit was remarkable. There, of course, were delegates who were dissatisfied that the final report either “did not go far enough” or “went too far”. The final report captured as many ideas as possible. The Chairs of the sub-streams had the difficult task of letting everyone whilst trying to garner consensus.

I believe today, as I said at the 2020 summit, that buildings (homes, schools, hospitals, shops and offices) should be green buildings by 2020. The built environment is worth more than $2.7 trillion, about 250 per cent of GDP, and $158 billion will be spent on new construction in Australia in 2008, so we must get it right from today. > The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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| Volume 3 – 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

Darling Island Stage 3 (Workplace 6) 6 Star Green Star - Office Design v2 (World Leader) First 6 Star Green Star Project in NSW

Passive design is the simplest ways to reduce carbon emissions in new and existing buildings, and refers to the use of simple design techniques that assist in controlling ventilation and the temperature of a building, without the use of any mechanical systems.

Proper site orientation ensure occupied areas are facing north and all services are located to the south, east or west, adequately sized, properly shaded operable windows to the north, and using the right insulation will create the right climatic conditions and ensure the building’s internal temperature stays at a comfortable level without the use of air conditioning.

The source required for on-site energy generation can vary from scheme to scheme, and provider to provider. However, the overriding principle is that the fuel source is “renewable”, be it the sun, the wind, the tide, the waves or even the crops we grow.

6 Star Green Star certified projects, CH2 (Council House 2) in Melbourne and workplace6 in Sydney, have included on-site generation of energy from renewable sources in its design.

< continued from page 7 Green buildings are designed, constructed and operated in ways that minimise their impact on the environment and on the building occupants, but they are not necessarily carbon neutral.

I am positive about the growth and penetration of green buildings in Australia and will continue the work started at the 2020 summit.

Carbon Neutral – What does it really mean?

Since the 2020 Summit, the Green Building Council of Australia has received numerous queries on the topics of ‘carbon neutral’ and ‘zero net operating emissions’ as projects pursue these goals. The challenge has now been set for the property industry to take a closer look at how the buildings can be carbon neutral by 2020, but the concept of carbon neutral and how this relates to sustainability in the built environment needs further exploration and clarity.

It is understood that for a building to be carbon neutral it has to have no net negative impact on the environment over its lifetime. It will, as such, have a zero carbon footprint in its construction, operation and embodied energy to be truly carbon neutral.

In Australia, new and existing buildings have already taken steps towards becoming carbon neutral, or what may become known as ‘Carbon Lite’ by including a range of initiatives and technologies, such as passive design, onsite generation of energy from renewable sources, efficient appliances and light fittings, and optimising, upgrading or removing HVAC systems.

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Through the use of alternative energy, including a co-gen unit that does not rely on the grid at peak times, use of gas and solar power and good design, workplace6 were able to achieve not only a 6 Star Green Star rating but a 5 Star NABERS energy rating plus a 40 per cent improvement.

Efficient light fittings in combination with intelligent control systems can significantly decrease the energy consumption associated with lighting in buildings.

The traditional light bulb can be replaced by efficient fluorescent lights, or even more efficient LED lights. These fittings produce a similar quality of light while using less energy.

An example of intelligent control systems is a motion sensor system, where the lights are automatically switched off when the space is unoccupied. Another example is individually controlled workspace lights - only the workspaces that are occupied are lit at appropriate levels.

Appliances in offices and homes are assessed under the Energy Star rating system, which is an international standard for energy efficient office equipment including computers, printers and photocopiers, as well as home electronics. More information about Energy Star can be found at www.energystar.gov.au. Specifying appliances that are labelled with Energy Star ensures that energy efficient appliances are installed.

There is potential to decrease energy consumption by optimising the operation of the existing HVAC system. This might have significant impact depending on the current

< continued from page 10 state of the HVAC system. An additional benefit of this approach is that it doesn’t have to require any capital investment.

The efficiency of HVAC systems has been improved significantly over recent years, with new HVAC technology that has been developed. Replacing an existing HVAC system with a newer model might be a worthwhile energy initiative, however it might be worth consider what can be done with the existing equipment in terms of tuning and installing advanced control systems. It is important to plan how the equipment that is discharged can be recycled or responsibly disposed.

The 2020 Challenge

Proving that it is possible to go green in existing, and even heritage buildings, Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority have taken on the challenging task of utilising the existing resources of around 100 heritage buildings in New South Wales, with a further aim to reduce the carbon footprint of their precincts of up to 80 per cent by 2020.

An energy initiative that has been implemented at Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority’s 5 Star Green Star - Office Design v2 certified project Bushell’s Warehouse in Sydney, was to remove the existing inefficient HVAC systems and replace them with innovative energy efficient solutions. Energy savings were assisted further by the heritage building’s heavy stone façade offering good insulation and openable windows to capture the sea breeze to cool the building.

Going a step further, the planned Harbour district cooling system will use water from harbour to cool the building and the surrounding buildings.

The Green Building Council of Australia’s Green Star rating system has set down practical and achievable performance standards which provide a framework for the journey that has only just begun. To reach the ultimate goal of truly carbon neutral, we as an industry, should continue to strive to reach beyond the benchmarks set by Green Star and other rating tools.

How can buildings go carbon neutral including embodied energy?

Embodied energy is all the energy required to produce a building. This can include energy required for producing and transporting building materials, on-site processes for constructing the building, as well as demolition of the building when the time comes.

There are some things that can be done now to reduce the embodied energy in buildings, such as re-using and reducing the materials used including steel and cement, reusing and refurbishment of existing buildings as opposed to constructing new buildings, and source materials from closer to the site or consider how the materials are transported.

The 2020 Summit was an event that shaped the thinking of the government, the property industry, and the wider community over the past few months and into the future, as we develop the agenda for tackling the difficult issues we all face.

I came away with the feeling that the cup was half full not half empty and that by coming together the challenges weren’t insurmountable. As a nation we have the skills, technology and understanding to meet these challenges head on and, at the same time, grow our economy. As a property industry we must continue our push towards designing, constructing and managing greener buildings and look for every opportunity to do so.

Over 620 buildings have taken up the challenge, and registered for Green Star certification, with a further 94 projects having already achieved a rating. The Green Building Council of Australia has released Green Star tools for a variety of sectors including commercial offices, existing buildings, education, retail, healthcare, multi-unit residential, and most recently, industrial, allowing the industry to consider the next generation of green cities.

I look forward to seeing the impact the 2020 Summit and ultimately Green Star has on Australia’s future. I hope this feeling of ‘acting now’ stays with us all and the networks that have been created between developers, owners, architects, engineers, project managers, manufacturers and other industry professionals help the idea of carbon neutral grow into reality.

For more information on the Green Star tools, latest news on certified projects, and the up-to-date events calendar visit the new-look Green Building Council of Australia website www.gbca.org.au n The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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Building Regulatory Update

By DEREK HENDRY

A Ten Percent Chance of Trouble During our essential safety measure inspections we are noticing a number of clients have enclosed part of a storey (usually a basement or carpark area) and are using the area as a store or workshop. The Building Code of Australia allows up to 10 percent of a floor area of a storey to be used as a different classification, but this is contingent on an authority’s approval.

Not only are these enclosures rendering a number of essential safety measures inoperative, but the existence of the enclosure is illegal. In the aftermath of an emergency a property owner may be called to account by authorities or an insurance company. Engineers need to be diligent in this area and ensure tenants (occupiers) do not compromise the building owner’s asset.

Building Alterations Costing Owners Engineers should ensure their consultants, contractors or tenants’ contractors know when ‘fire-rated wiring’ is required. A problem occurs when a tenant instigates a new fit out and finds out the existing cabling does not comply.

A request for the owner (engineer) to upgrade the noncompliant cabling is then made, causing all stakeholders to study the lease conditions. A number of tenants can experience significant inconvenience through contractors installing incorrect cabling for safety measure items (eg. emergency lights, EWIS systems, etc), when rewiring has to occur in adjoining tenancy areas that are not associated with the tenant undertaking the works.

Annual Essential Safety Measures Report The main changes to Victoria’s Building Regulations now make it compulsory for all building owners to provide an Annual Essential Safety Measures Report (AESMR) each year. The AESMR is now applicable to all buildings in Victoria (except houses) no matter when the building was constructed.

Building owners are required to prepare the AESMR on all buildings by the 13 June 2009. The catch is, to sign the AESMR on the 13 June 2009 you must be capable of providing the maintenance/ inspection records for the proceeding 12 months, which commences on the 13 June 2008.

Fire Lines - Disconnected Telstra has advised that a number of its fixed line customers will be disconnected by 31 December 2009.

These Dedicated Lines are extensively used by various organisations (building owners) for monitored fire alarm systems in all states, wherever fire alarm systems are connected and monitored directly by the fire brigade (NSW regional, VIC, QLD, NT, SA and WA). Management should ensure an alternative is put in place.

Insurance and Electricity Engineers are advised to read the fine print when they receive a copy of a building’s insurance policy. Some underwriters include as a condition, the requirement to provide a current electrical safety report (and a requirement to act on any maintenance items mentioned). It should be obvious that if a current electrical safety report is not obtained (and acted upon), that from a risk and insurance perspective, the building owner is exposed.

A fire in the building caused by a malfunctioning electrical system that could have been foreseen in an electrical safety report would, as a consequence most likely result in the rejection of a claim under the building’s insurance policy.

BCA: Poor Fitting Out Some engineers entering into building contracts are finding themselves financially embarrassed after completion of a fit out in their building. Problems can be traced back to the specification provided to the designer/ builder because the criteria mainly concentrated on the building fabric and not the potential internal tenancy layouts. A partition layout (plant or storage layout) can cause the building to no longer comply with the regulations for items such as exit travel, excessive fire loads, inadequate emergency lights and exit signs, insufficient hose reel and hydrant coverage as well as an inadequate sprinkler system originally installed. Engineers should insist that design and construction contracts (new buildings or alterations to existing) take into account the future use and include in the tender documentation of all internal plan details. n The Hendry Group pioneered the private certification of building approvals in Australia. Derek’s nationally based Group (includes Essential Property Services) provides building control and essential safety measures audits. The Group’s monthly e-newsletter can be viewed on www.emau.com.au and BCA Illustrated (BCA Online with 3000 illustrations) on www.bcai.com.au

The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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Inefficient Lamp Phase-Out

By BRYAN DOUGLAS Chief Executive Officer, Lighting Council Australia

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n June 5, World Environment Day, the Australian Government announced it would proceed with the phase-out of inefficient lamps first announced by the former government in February 2007. From November this year it is expected that the most common incandescent lamps will be banned from import and from November next year will be banned from sale. The 12 month delay from import to sale ban is intended to facilitate the orderly removal of banned product from the marketplace.

Lighting Council Australia, the peak body for Australia’s lighting industry, has welcomed the announcement.

Incandescent lamps consume up to five times more electricity than their main replacement technology, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). CFLs last up to 15,000 hours, whereas an incandescent bulb has an operational life of around 1,000 hours. It has been estimated that phasingout incandescent lamps in Australia will eventually save four million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year, or the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road.

Phase-out of inefficient lamps Enforcement date for import

Enforcement date for sale

Lamp products

November 2008

November 2009

• GLS

Scope of MEPS Under the phase-out, mandatory minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) will apply to a range of incandescent lamps, to CFLs and to extra low voltage converters (also referred to as transformers) used in conjunction with tungsten halogen lamps. The scope of the regulation is defined by the following standards. All have been published except for those for extra low voltage converters, which are currently in draft form.

• AS 4934.1: Incandescent lamps for general lighting purposes -Test methods -energy performance • AS 4934.2: Incandescent lamps for general lighting purposes - minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) requirements • AS 4847.1: Self-ballasted lamps for general lighting services -Test methods - energy performance • AS 4847.2: Self-ballasted lamps for general lighting services - minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) requirements • AS ... :Performance of electrical lighting equipment Transformers and electronic step-down converters for ELV lamps - Part 1: Test method-Energy performance.

• AS ... :Performance of electrical lighting equipment - Transformers and electronic step-down converters for ELV lamps - Part 2: Energy labelling and minimum energy performance standards requirements.

• ELV halogen non-reflector • CFLs November 2009

November 2010

• 40W candle, fancy round, decorative lamps • Mains voltage halogen nonreflector (G9 base excluded) • ELV halogen reflector

November 2010

November 2011

• CFL, refector

November 2011

November 2012

• Mains voltage reflector lamps including halogen (PAR, ER, R, etc) • 25W candle, fancy round, decorative lamps

To be determined – date dependent on availability of efficient replacement product

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To be determined – date dependent on availability of efficient replacement product

• Pilot lamps 25W and below

| Volume 3 – 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

The phase-out will eliminate from the Australian marketplace both conventional GLS lamps and lower efficiency low voltage tungsten halogen lamps. These types of lamp are used predominantly in dwellings and to a lesser extent in commercial and industrial buildings. The measures will not affect the following activities with intensive or special lighting requirements: - traffic management - operating theatres - stage productions - photography and movie-making - activities requiring enhanced spectrum lamps, such as speciality horticulture and aquaculture >

Inefficient Lamp Phase-Out (continued) Trends in Energy Consumption from Electrical Appliances

Suppliers are concerned that consumer dissatisfaction with poor quality CFLs will threaten the energysaving lamps’ spectacular growth in Asia.

The Asia CFL Quality Charter will be developed as a tool for identifying quality CFL products. It is intended for use by the market at large, including bulk purchasers, utilities, national programs and consumers. The goal is to develop a brand for quality, like the US Energy Star, that will become well known across the region.

Ensuring quality of CFLs in the Australian marketplace

Source: Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts The above chart shows trends in energy consumption in Australia to 2020 from a number of common household appliances. Lighting is represented by the dark blue band (second from top). The steep trend line shows why regulators are targeting lighting in their attempts to reduce greenhouse gases.

International developments Over 40 countries have followed Australia’s lead and announced they will phase-out inefficient incandescent lamps. Australia has taken a leading role in encouraging other countries in this endeavour, particularly developing countries in Asia. The Australian Government, through the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, was primarily responsible for organising Phase-out 2008 – a conference in Shanghai in May 2008 that brought developing countries, NGOs, lamp manufacturers and industry associations together to discuss issues associated with removing GLS lamps and replacing them with CFLs. This work is timely.

According to the International Energy Agency, global consumption of electricity used for lighting could rise to 4.2 billion kW by 2030 – double the consumption in 2005.

CFL Quality Charter The Phase-out 2008 conference in Shanghai led to a proposal for

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introducing a quality regime for CFLs. Organisations with a strong interest in lighting and energy efficiency, including leading lamp manufacturers and industry associations, met in Manila in June and signed a charter. Under the new agreement, called the Asia CFL Quality Charter, lighting suppliers in Asia will develop performance levels to rate CFL quality, a system for product marking and a regional database so consumers can identify which CFLs meet quality standards. The new quality system will be voluntary and will be based on International Electrotechnology Commission safety and performance test standards IEC 60968 and IEC 60969.

The CFL Quality Charter is a reaction to concerns about the proliferation of shoddy lamps in the Asian market.

A recent report by the USAID ECOAsia Clean Development and Climate Program found that as many as half the CFLs sold in Asia are substandard – producing less light or burning out more quickly than advertised.

| Volume 3 – 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

While the Asia CFL Quality Charter will attempt to establish a quality regime for Asia, it is important to note that Australia now has its own quality standards for CFLs. These will be called up in state regulations. Minimum energy performance standards for CFLs in this country will specify quality requirements including: • • • • • • •

start time lifetime lumen maintenance power factor colour (xy, CCT and CRI) mercury content EMC

It is expected that these standards, when called up in regulations, will assist in overcoming any lingering negative perceptions of CFLs among consumers. n

ADVERTORIAL

Soho is ‘good-o’ for refurbishments

By MAX AGNEW

The front reception of Soho Projects on the upper floor at 118 Bronte Road, Bondi Junction

T

he best barometer of a construction company’s expertise with a tricky project is best gauged by two facts – ensuring the job does not go over budget by completing all work within schedule, and of course, the quality of the workmanship.

When the North Sydney Harbourview Hotel earlier this year bypassed some well known big construction players and awarded the multi-million dollar contract to a newcomer to hotel refurbishment, it raised a few eyebrows that Soho Projects could knock over all 14 floors and carry out a complete refurbishment for a luxury 4 star hotel in such a short time as The View Hotels Group stipulated.

Soho Projects completed this remarkable job with more than a week to spare. The overall result and the

smoothness for how it all ran under Project Manager Shay Nassi, was a pleasant surprise to many of the 40 or so various subcontractors employed on the project.

Nassi had introduced several interesting ideas that were new to most of these subcontractors. These ideas enabled them to demolish a floor every week and complete a floor each week for this large building, an icon in this area overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Soho Projects was founded less than 10 years ago by Josh Nassi. He had come to Sydney after learning the construction business in Israel where his father was a major property developer. Josh joined here by his brother Shay, who became the second director of Soho Projects. He had brought with him considerable expertise and a few new ideas about construction. > The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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The Board Room where the two directors meet and where clients detail their needs to the designers

< Tradition in the construction business is something that tells you where you came from – not always where you are going in this changing world.

What had been for many years an old two-storey warehouse on Bronte Road, Bondi Junction, it included a mechanical garage at street level.

As the project manager, Shay introduced ideas that might have seemed complex in their conception, but proved straightforward for subcontractors when put into place.

On completion of the job, hotel management found they had backed a real winner with this company’s first hotel refurbishment.

Their own designers came up with detailed plans to make the entire 290 square metres of refurbishment an organic environment area. “Everything we used involved ‘green’ material,” explained Josh Nassi.

That was several months ago. Soho Projects has since not sat on its laurels. While sending a team of their designers and project managers to Victoria for refurbishments at Ballarat and Melton, the Nassi brothers decided to refurbish its very own offices at Bondi Junction.

The staircase, taking you to the offices on the upper floor

The plans included a number of completely new offices for their project managers, architects etc, two directors, general office space, and also included three bathrooms, toilets and showers, along with a kitchen and an area for staff to relax.

The new staircase leading up from the ground floor began next to a large display area for the benefit of clients viewing various stages of previous projects the firm has carried out.

Such a refurbishment for this building one would normally expect to take three to four weeks. The Soho Projects team remaining in Sydney, completed it within two weeks!

The only outside work the company brought in for this job was the electrical work and wiring, carried out by a Melbourne firm.

Josh Nassi explains that Soho Projects is keen to concentrate on quality refurbishments of corporate buildings, offices and hotels, with no upgrading of any building too large of a commitment by this experienced team in extra quick time. n

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| Volume 3 – 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

A New Energy Initiative According to KARL MAHONEY, Marketing Director – Honeywell Building Solutions, Asia Pacific, energy performance contracting delivers big business and environmental benefits

E

nergy is a hot topic. There is no getting away from the global imperative to reduce energy consumption and cut carbon emissions. The call for conservation is here to stay – and accelerating fast. But how to best strike a balance between environmental targets and prudent financial decisions?

That is the question facing business leaders.

Cost is a huge driver for change, and energy is a big operational expense often exceeding 25 percent of a building’s operational budget. It’s also one of the least predictable, so it follows that rather than buying it cheaper, focusing on reducing the energy consumed offers a lot of scope for efficiency gain and cost savings – as long as neither comfort or productivity are compromised.

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Legislation is an important factor too. The National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 is increasing the reporting burden on organisations. By the 2010-2011 reporting period the legislation is expected to directly affect around 700 medium and large corporations.

Market drivers are another consideration. Building performance standards such as Green Star and NABERS Energy (ABGR) are becoming increasingly important criteria in the selection of space tenants lease. Buildings owners must meet these market demands by ensuring their property attain and retain these standards.

Corporate accountability – the need to be a good neighbour – is also bringing pressure to bear. The McKinsey

Institute’s two-year Greenhouse Gas Abatement Mapping Initiative1 cites energy efficient buildings as a cost-effective conservation measure estimating that facility-focused improvements could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 870 megatonnes by 2030. Put another way, that equates to taking 170 million vehicles off our roads annually. The 2007 Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) is a conscious effort to address this issue, teaming up companies like Honeywell – to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and cut carbon emissions through retrofit programmes. So far 40 of the world’s largest cities are committed to making this change.

Balancing Targets and Prudent Financial Decisions But how to reduce your organisation’s energy demand – let alone ensure sustainability and long term energy efficiency – if you don’t have either the budget or technical know-how to implement facility improvements? The answer rests with an Energy Performance Contract (EPC).

Put simply, an EPC uses guaranteed future savings in energy consumption to finance practical, engineered improvements to energy plant and systems – without the need for up front capital. It is a self-funding initiative, the capital improvements to bring about reduced energy demand being provided by the future savings accruing from the modernisation program.

With your chosen EPC partner guaranteeing the savings over the period of the contract, the risk transfers to them – with the outcome meaning no financial risk to the customer organisation.

Should your supplier fail to deliver contracted results, they are bound to make up the shortfall. Conversely, if accrued energy and operational savings exceed expectation, then the money is yours to keep! That said, there is no doubt that any upgrades made will go on generating savings long after the EPC ends.

It is a win-win scenario and an innovative way for public and commercial organisations – schools, hospitals, Government institutions, Local Authorities, industry and commerce; to reduce the financial risks associated with energy consumption and access a rich vein of skilled energy expertise.

Energy Performance Contracts In Practice Launceston General Hospital (LGH), Tasmania is a good case in point. Managing energy cost as a percentage of overall expenditure – without compromising patient comfort – was a key concern for the management team. It had neither the staff nor the resources to bring about change, understand existing energy patterns, identify where energy savings could be made and, most importantly, how to make them happen.

In order to overcome this barrier to conservation, it asked Honeywell a leader in energy solutions, to identify the right

mix of retrofits and upgrades to reduce consumption, and deliver technology optimisation to its energy mix.

In keeping with best practice, Honeywell adopted a ‘report to results’ approach. The project was kick started with a detailed survey of the hospital buildings to identify where and how to reduce energy consumption and to establish a mutually agreed baseline. Thereafter, Honeywell’s skilled energy engineers used their knowledge of automated control technologies, energy plant operations and building management systems to implement practical engineered solutions. This included optimisation of the chillers, load optimisation of the unitary systems, installation of ‘right-size’ pumps and drive transmission retrofits of the air handling units (AHUs) and cooling towers and new lighting. Relatively simple actions maybe, but they all share a common theme – they are technical solutions designed to accelerate better energy-demand management. And that they did. LGH saw an immediate and measurable improvement in comfort levels, energy efficiency and cost reduction. And, with the upgrades paid for from future savings accruing from the upgrade, Honeywell shouldered all the risk!

Clearly the structured retrofit program approach to energy demand conservation – as championed by the CCI – makes sound business sense. It strikes the right balance between energy saving and prudent accounting. EPCs in particular enable organisations to upgrade their buildings with modern, energy efficient equipment; reduce energy consumption by at least 10 percent; meet their carbon emission targets at no additional cost, and make major facility improvements without the need for upfront capital. And let’s not forget that any modernisation program can only increase the value of your real estate.

A paper prepared for the Green Building Council has shown that if non-Green Star buildings fail to maintain rental growth in the face of tenant preference for green, owners of such buildings will be confronted with a significant loss of value – modeling shows that a fall from 3.5% rental growth to 2% rental growth would wipe off almost $13 million from the value of a $100 million property2.

But back to basics. First, you will need to understand the energy requirements of your organisation and the technologies available to you. In this respect the expertise of a proven energy management solutions supplier – one that can factor in your financial goals and need for legislative compliance – adds significant value. Look for an experienced partner that can conduct comprehensive energy audits and identify ways to optimise consumption.

They should also have the engineering competency to roll out practical, engineered solutions to reduce consumption as well as measure and verify that savings have actually been made. Then, of course, there is the need to shoulder The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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A New Energy Initiative continued < the technical and financial risks that come with a commitment to guaranteed results and ensure the savings stick. In this respect, staff energy awareness campaigns and training should not be overlooked. They can go a long way to changing inefficient behaviour and building an energy efficient culture throughout an organisation.

As a recognised global leader in energy management solutions, Honeywell is helping its customers to address environmental concerns. Having completed more than 5000 energy efficiency projects around the world, it can guarantee the results, assume the performance risk and fund improvements from the savings it delivers. To date this exceeds $3bn in sustainable energy and operational savings. n

1

http://www.mckinsey.com/clientservice/ccsi

2

Valuing Green â&#x20AC;&#x201C; How Green Buildings affect property values and getting the valuation method right (2008)

Using a CMMS

By DAVID POWELL Third City Solutions Pty Ltd

O

ver recent times, I am finding more and more companies turning to a CMMS as their tool for managing maintenance. This has been very slow in coming and we still have a long way to go. Australia can take heart that we are not the only ones slow to take up using a CMMS, as now that our international market is growing we find many companies in the same boat around the world.

That said, the level of use of a CMMS in companies ranges from minimal to having a fully functional and well managed system in place. This article was written to outline the benefits of using a CMMS in more areas than just knowing what was done to what asset. An ‘asset’ can be anything from plant, equipment, vehicles or guest rooms and everything in between.

With different industries using a CMMS in all sorts of ways, it still comes down to achieving the same thing at the end of the day. We want assets to be ready to perform whenever they are called upon. Breakdowns happen – that is the nature of the business we are in – but we can manage them and be ready to move quickly by being prepared. Having our PM program running and our history data recorded we will see that using a CMMS saves more than it costs.

Some of the key requirements of a CMMS is to • Reduce costs • Reduce breakdowns • Manage companies Asset Maintenance • Structure PM • OH&S - Keep Staff and Assets Safe • Reporting

Reduce Cost This is done a number of ways when using a CMMS in combination of modules with the program. Inventory is an area that will save large amounts of money if set up and procedures are in place.

The graph shows the money saved in both the amount of inventory required to be purchased and the time saving in not having to looking through the store for parts. Having items that you do stock entered into the system will save hours of searching over the period of 1 year. Staff will be able to quickly look up the part and see not only where it is, but how many are in stock. These hidden costs add up over the year and can make a huge difference to the bottom line.

Setting up the Inventory module, which should be standard in all good CMMS programs will allow the user to find and monitor all parts on hand. Having minimum levels set up will have the CMMS tell you before you run out and will keep the downtime to a minimum whilst waiting for the parts to arrive.

A little later on I’ll talk about setting up the PM and this is an area where we add the inventory for “Just in Time” ordering.

Inventory that does not need to be sitting on the shelf can be triggered just prior to when the PM Service is due, allowing for the parts to be ordered and arrive before the job starts.

Tracking History This is when the Job is completed. Entering information like “Fixed” or “All Done” as a history journal is fine to say you did it, but does nothing for the next person who may have the same or simular problem. Taking an extra minute to add additional information now will save a lot of soul searching next time. This is a simple example but you will see my point.

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Using a CMMS < If the problem arises again or something simular happens then the staff can look up what has happened in the past and view how it was fixed and act accordingly.

Staff will not need to solve the problem all on their own as the history will help speed up the repair time, thus improving the downtime of the asset.

Reduce Breakdowns Another way a CMMS saves you money is by reducing the breakdowns and increasing the availability of assets. Careful planning of your PM program will ensure that your assets availability is high. You will know your PM budget and that can be managed, but breakdowns are a huge expense in running any business. Performing good PM on assets will not only keep the availability up, but the knock-on effect is this will reduce the breakdowns dramatically. You will see an increase in Corrective maintenance due to finding the problems before they arise, allowing it to be schedule for repair before they fail. OH&S jobs have also been shown to drop as staff are now more aware that during routine PM inspections by operators to ensure items are in place and operational.

Recording the type of work being done will show you how it is all being played out. We need to tag each job with a Job Type that best describes the work that is being performed. I

have noticed that the word request is used in so many jobs because they come from an operating department as that.

This is true as they are requests until they become a job where they should then be classified as the type they are.

My take on Job Types is not to have too many. You need to make them meaningful and everyone needs to understand the terminology used so again continuity is kept. If someone calls it a repair and another calls it corrective then you will have information shown in different counts and may distort the actual data. Restrict the number of > The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2008 |

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Using a CMMS < entries in the list to choose from will ensure everyone uses the same terminology. If you are doing PM service and find that additional work is required to correct a problem or potential problem, recording that differently with new Job Type like corrective will show you that PM is working and saving money. It does not take as long as you think and again you will benefit from this when reporting and monitoring your work.

PM = Preventative Maintenance Corrective Maintenance = Jobs that are scheduled to fix a problem before it causes a breakdown Breakdown = When an asset is not working due to a problem.

OH&S = Safety related jobs where injury to asset or person may result.

Capital = Jobs that are being paid for from the Capital budget Modification = Job that involve making a change to the original design of the asset Request will become one of the above when carrying out the work. This will ensure when reporting is done the jobs are grouped into the correct heading. Reporting on the number of requests submitted should still be available by filtering on the method in which the job was reported.

Managing Company Assets Scheduling Jobs to be performed during a time that is suitable to the operator and the maintenance staff is

important and will benefit all by working together. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t just keep the information to the maintenance department, share it with the operating departments so they know what to expect. This can simply be done by entering information in about how long the work will take as well as how long the item will be out of action is very important. For Example, Painting a guest room is 1.5 hours but the actual time out of action to the operator is 12 hours before they can sell it, or inspections on boilers may only be an hour job but allowing for cool down and then bringing back up to pressure takes additional time so having this recorded will allow for reports to be sent through to these departments quickly.

Structuring PM Work on assets as per Manufacturers Recommendations, Local Standards and legislation requirements.

Having the PM up and running is paramount to a successful maintenance management program. The CMMS will hold the information that is required to be performed as well as manage the frequency of when each asset is due. Getting this right will allow any changes for assets using the PM to be updated easily.

Setting up in the Recurring Job what needs to be done, Type of trade / technician needed and what inventory is required will see all this information be put into a job each time it is due.

Having the instructions in the PM routine will also ensure continuity with what is done each time. Even having contractors perform the work still requires that you record what they did.

OH&S - Keep Staff and Assets Safe Now that we have implemented the CMMS we can feel good knowing that the assets and the staff operating them will be doing so in a safe work environment. All work performed is record by who did it, when and what material they used during the repairs and maintenance. This will ensure only qualified people are doing the work and that the correct parts are being used.

Tracking jobs that are related to OH&S is all in a days work for a CMMS. From major safety issues to the routine Test and Tag of electrical items your CMMS will have this information at hand. Displaying what needs to be performed on the Job or Inspection, not only to fix something but to state the requirements, how to perform it and where to find any additional relevant data should come from the CMMS as this is all important when handing a Job to a technician.

It has been shown time and time again that just saying you have fixed an issue and having a record of that does not necessary mean the authorities will see it that way. They

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want documented prove of not only who did it, but when, where, did the job show him/her what to do, (Even if you prove that they was qualified to do the work) or where to go and find that information, were the correct parts used.

All these items have been brought up when investigations/ audits are going on. For the small amount of time it takes to have it set-up it far exceeds the pain and grief of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;If only I did it this wayâ&#x20AC;? syndrome.

Reporting Now that we have the CMMS working and data is being collected having it reported on should be a simple matter of a few clicks.

A Good CMMS will have reports standard for the majority of needs, with the ability to filter them as required. Reports should present data giving you access to what work is scheduled, completed, put on hold and in-progress. As well as who is doing what and when, what assets are down etc. Remember if you want a specific outcome each month start with what you want and work backwards to the beginning. For example if you need to know how many jobs were completed in a given date range with how many

hours were used to achieve them as well as what inventory was used, then we implement a procedure that the workers must complete the job details with that information each and every time. This way at the end of each reporting period your report will be accurate.

Conclusion After all that is said about Maintenance being an expense department, which it is to a point, what we have seen is by spending the maintenance budget in a controlled manner, managing the budget, managing the assets, we see that maintenance can make money by ensuring equipment is kept in top operational condition at all times. Working closely with operations will see an improved work place as everyone will know what is happening, when and schedules are made with this in mind. Remember maintenance issues are not normally because of what happen in the last few months, maintenance is an ongoing requirement and sometimes it will take a while for the neglect of maintenance in some areas to surface. How many times have we seen the outcome of poor management by not investing in their maintenance department? n The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2008 |

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Practical Evaporative Cooling Solutions

By DENNIS VINSKI, Balitcare Pty Ltd

BAC HFL Hybrid Water Saving Fluid Cooler and its principle of operation

W

ater conservation, waste management and more so energy efficiency in the built environment are key sustainability issues facing the building industry. Evaporative heat transfer product manufacturers are well placed to meet these current needs with innovative product solutions.

According to recent studies by the Equipment Energy Efficiency committee (E3) of the Ministerial Council on Energy (HESS), energy consumed by HVAC services in the non-residential sector in Australia is on track to produce at least 21 million tonnes, or more than 3.5.% of total national greenhouse gas emissions in 2010. HVAC services outside the residential sector presently consume an estimated 9% of all electricity generated in Australia and hence are a major target for Governments looking to reduce greenhouse emissions in cost-effective ways.

Considering the major impact on greenhouse gas emissions and water conservation, below are some practical evaporative cooling solutions available.

The Open Circuit Cooling Tower The benefits that open cooling towers offer over competing heat rejection systems are energy savings, space and lowest first cost. The disadvantage is that they use water.

In HVAC applications that utilise a cooling tower and a chiller there is a potential opportunity to incorporate a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;free coolingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mode into the system design. During periods when the wet bulb temperatures have dropped sufficiently for the cooling tower to produce a leaving water temperature beforehand only achievable by the chiller, the chiller can be bypassed (and stopped) and cooling of the load can be achieved by the cooling tower water alone. This method may prove > The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2008 |

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Practical Evaporative Cooling Solutions < beneficial for hotels as the heat load peak generally occurs during the lower wet bulb temperatures in the early evening or night and may not prove to save water but will lower energy usage.

Incorporating a simple fan motor control by means of a variable frequency drive and temperature sensor installed at the return connection of the cooling tower could yield further energy savings. When wet bulb temperatures drop in the evening or during cooler months, the motor can by controlled by the VFD in relation to a set point by ramping off and on depending on the signal returned by the sensor.

Closed Circuit Coolers In terms of energy savings, a closed circuit cooler may be equal to that of an open cooling tower. The environmental benefit may be greater as there would be fewer chemicals required to treat the open water circuit within the cooler versus the entire volume of an open system.

A closed condenser water loop allows the use of variable speed pumping in the condenser loop as a means of reducing system-pumping energy. Variable speed pumping in a closed loop does not create problems with light water loading on an open cooling tower such as scaling of the fill which reduces tower efficiency.

There is also a greater potential to save water with a closed circuit cooler. Baltimore Aircoil has developed patented high efficiency hybrid wet-dry cooling equipment that combine the advantages of both evaporative and air-cooled heat rejection devices resulting in much lower cooling temperatures than can be achieved with conventional air-cooled systems, with the added ability to provide water savings of up to 70%.

There are three B.A.C. hybrid closed circuit cooler configurations available to suit almost any application, the low profile model HFL for height sensitive installations, the VXIS-H for plant room installations and the HXI combined operation technology crossflow type cooler. The illustrations provide an example of a HFL hybrid wet-dry cooler and its principle of operation.

Materials of Construction The minimisation of PVC and other hazardous substances is also a major issue in the Green environment.

Dual Channel Temperature Data Logger Inside & Outside Inlet & Outlet Before & After Fridge & Freezer T-TEC 7-3F Dual channel data logger with display that alternates between the 2 channels 10,500 logs for each sensor Range: -40 +85째C Both curves appear on same screen Operated by the T-TEC software with features like zoom, plot and statistics

Temperature Technology Tel: 08-8231 1266 Fax: 08-8231 1212 email: sales@ t-tec.com.au www.t-tec.com.au

Available from refrigeration wholesalers

In relation to the materials of construction of evaporative cooling equipment, the FRP or fiberglass cooling tower is proving very popular in recent years however it has the potential to be an environmental hazard when being disposed of. Products manufactured using galvanized or stainless steels however will by their nature be recyclable.

Evaporative cooling products manufactured using steels may have up to 50% recycled content within its structure and heat transfer (coil) section when it is due to be replaced.

In the Green environment, the application of these or other practical operating strategies and the use of innovative products has the potential to produce environmental benefits now and into the immediate future. n

“A

fan’s a fan.” That’s what some contractors say when choosing an air mover for their water damage job. If only it were that simple. As with any piece of equipment it is important to consider your application to find out what works best for you. There are three types of air movers that are being used in the water damage restoration industry: traditional snail shaped carpet dryers, low amp axial fans and high volume axial fans.

Additionally, the placement of your air movers is important in getting the most from your unit. We’ve done testing and have found that the best results using our fans were produced when they were angled 30 degrees towards the wall. As you well know this gets covered more extensively in the Water Restoration and Applied Structural Drying Courses.

High Volume axial fans push a high volume of free air and are used for crawl spaces, ducted drying, directing air into hard to reach areas and positive or negative air set up.

Traditional carpet dryers or centrifugal fans are often used to float carpet or move air across carpet or floors, and often placed at a 45 degree angle to walls and used to dry walls. These air movers put out about 30-35 cubic metres per minute (CMM) and draw from 2 amps to as high as 7 with most being in the 2.0 to 4 amp range.

Centrifugal fans were created to float carpets, which require a lot of static pressure to lift the wet carpet.

Then in the late 90s new drying equipment began to emerge— Low amp drying using large axial fans. Axial air movers put out twice as much CMM as traditional carpet dryers and pull half the amps. This makes them more efficient and makes your job easier.

Because this is a simple set up, you get more air flow. More air flow enhances evaporation, and you’re putting out less heat which is important when you don’t need the heat. The heat that they radiate is at a minimum.

Whether you’re using a traditional carpet dryer, low amp axial fan or high volume axial fan remember to think about your application, choose the equipment that is the right fit and you will get optimal results. n

Dry Air Technology is a leading manufacturer who designs and engineers air movers, ventilators and dehumidifiers. Each of our units, like the new FORCE 9 is carefully engineered and built tough for demanding jobs. Dry Air Technology strives to provide the best in high quality products and superior customer service.

Dry Air Technology air movers, portable ventilators and accessories will be available mid July 2008 from AIRMOVERS on 02 6650 9691. AIRMOVERS is a division of The Moisture Meter Company Pty Ltd.

Common-Sense Facility Maintenance Automation System Combining Software and PDAs

By NAAMAN SHIBI, Techs4Biz Australia Pty Ltd (www.pervidi.com.au)

A

Facility Maintenance Automation System (FMAS) is an essential operational and management tool for managing asset preservation, ensuring that production systems operate as required, and minimizing downtime. An effective FMAS should be able to support these functions by automating administrative tasks, as well as by gathering relevant information in order to perform this processes. If you do not have an FMAS, should you be considering one?

If your organization has an FMAS, are you optimising its benefits and its return on your investment?

Let’s try to answer these questions:

Why use an FMAS? The primary purpose of an FMAS is to manage, capture, and track inspection, maintenance and repair activities of an organization. In real terms, most FMAS solutions perform the basic function of providing work orders to cover repairs and maintenance of buildings, plant and equipment. They provide a scheduling facility for maintenance for planned preventive work on maintainable assets. And they also generally collect costing details for the labour and materials related to the work performed.

However, advanced FMAS solutions can also improve many other aspects of your daily activities, as well as provide you with the tools to understand and analyse your maintenance and repair processes and trends. They can eliminate your manual data entry, incorporate alerts, triggers, and escalation procedures, and shift your focus from unnecessary administrative tasks to performing maintenance activities.

They can also assist you in planning and predicting future needs, prolonging the life expectancy of your assets, and managing your processes.

Combining FMAS software with proven technologies such as handheld devices and PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant such as a Palm or Pocket PC) can substantially increase your benefits from your FMAS solution:

• Incorporate barcodes to increase accuracy and efficiencies; • Update information electronically, eliminating unnecessary paperwork and data entry; • Capture timestamps and signatures; • Provide maintenance personnel, engineers, and inspectors with electronic ‘intelligent’ work orders; • Automatically track and manage inventories and timesheets; • Equip staff with easy-to-use tools that enable them to focus on their expertise and work activities, rather than on administrative tasks and paperwork.

General Considerations in Justifying the Need for a FMAS Solution The first consideration in choosing an FMAS is whether to keep maintenance information in a database on a computer?

Some people will say that it depends on the size of the organization and its assets. Others will say that it depends on the number and quality of staff available to resource the FMAS. Also there are those who would argue that it could all be done on paper.

I am sure that in the past, many of you who were required to prepare reports for your manager, spent hours sorting through maintenance requests and maintenance filing systems to try to find the answer(s)… or worse, just gave an educated guess.

Only a well-designed and easy-to-use FMAS solution can improve daily activities as well as index and sort through years of information related to the maintenance, cleaning and strategic planning of buildings, plant and equipment. In reality, regardless of the size of an organization, you need to maintain a database of the work performed. Automation includes improvement of daily activities, automatic tracking of inventories, better work assignments, and shift of your focus towards exceptions, not routine matters.

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Common-Sense Facility Maintenance Automation Systems (continued) Breakdown Maintenance It could be that the entire maintenance plan is one of “breakdown maintenance”, where people call someone as and when needed. Breakdown maintenance defers repairs and allows damage to accumulate, compounding an organization’s problems. On the other hand, regularly scheduled equipment inspection and maintenance not only prevents sudden and unexpected equipment failure, but also reduces the overall cost of the building and equipment.

In my opinion the management of these programs, in particular reporting their current status and future needs, requires an FMAS. Managing the operation of on-site maintenance staff and contractors is a daunting and difficult task, however, if there is a corresponding record within the FMAS then this tracking and management is much easier.

Even if you are duplicating data to what is in your contractor’s FMAS (the contractor’s FMAS may not be on your premises), it is extremely important that you have your own copy of data. Your contractor may cease to exist and for the sake of future reference and reporting it is essential you have your own FMAS populated with your own data.

What information should be captured?

Further consideration should be given to what information do we WANT to keep, and more importantly, what HAS to be kept?

In addition to manufacturer’s specifications and management requirements, there are many statutory requirements and regulations that impact on this question such as fire safety, Essential Services, OH&S and environmental legislation.

Statutory requirements (programs) could be entered into a FMAS as a scheduled maintenance plan with labour, materials and costs for projecting estimated future costs.

By keeping a corresponding record in the FMAS and using the job number as a cross reference to the paper record, the organization is able to quickly report on the status of the statutory work in preparation to annual signoffs and/or audits.

Those of you who have had work place safety audits are aware that the first question asked is ‘Where are the maintenance records?’ A maintenance plan that includes estimated costs can be compared with the actual costs to ensure the effectiveness in the cost of asset preservation.

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Using PDAs to dramatically improve activities and efficiencies Additional considerations include the use of handheld devices that in recent years have become very popular as they keep millions of people organized. By extending the use of standard PDAs to business applications, users can quickly improve their daily activities.

Including handheld devices in your FMAS solution will migrate your organization from using ‘paper-based’ FMAS software to a more comprehensive automation solution.

Handheld devices can verify your data input, suggest possible outcomes to a task, suggest a course of action, or print a report. They can also automate your specific processes, include information about your assets and equipment, automate your inventory cycle count process, and provide easy-to-navigate functionalities, minimizing ‘keystrokes’ and maximizing productivity.

Selection Process So where do you start looking for the right FMAS package for your organization?

• Look within your own organization and determine what is happening with the maintenance and inspection functions. Check if there is an existing maintenance program in place, check its functions and who manages the information gathering process.

• Determine what maintenance is required to be performed on the building, plant and equipment that make up your facility.

• Prepare some sort of brief as to the facility’s minimum and optimum requirements for a FMAS, the resources to manage the database and time frame for implementation.

• Research between 3 and 5 providers. Have them present their product to assess the package in terms of ease of use, functionality and ability to meet your requirements.

• Evaluate each proposal for specific FMAS functionalities: • Does it address your specific requirements?

• Does it minimize unnecessary or duplicate data entry?

• Can it automate administrative tasks, reminders and notifications of upcoming events?

• Do you have built-in dynamic escalation procedures?

• Can you incorporate inspections, and other activities in your FMAS? • Can you manage and track inventories?

• Is there an ability to collect requests for work to be done directly into the FMAS via electronic means (such as PDAs or web portals)?

â&#x20AC;˘ Is there the ability to transfer work assignments to technicians via electronic means?

3 Let your staff spend more time performing service activities and less time on paperwork and data entry.

â&#x20AC;˘ What is its ROI (Return-On-Investment)?

3 Improve strategic and business planning; Analyse records, needs and patterns.

This is a simplistic approach to the selection process; however, it will give most managers a good starting guide to the selection of a FMAS.

Benefits of Using Enhanced FMAS Solutions 3 Guarantee that all required tasks and activities are completed on time.

3 Incorporate various mechanisms to ensure execution of tasks, including automatic listing of activities, reminders, alerts, escalation procedures, and easy access to information.

3 Improve reporting and analysis capabilities.

3 Comply with OH&S and other safety Regulations.

3 Improve planning and make informed decisions.

3 Identify trends and highlight potential problem areas.

3 Improve controls and accountability; Lead to better quality of work.

3 Ensure that service is performed according to warranties, guidelines and regulations.

3 Receive customized reports delivered to your email.

There are many additional benefits of using a system using handheld devices, in comparison with manual or paper-based processes: minimizing errors, increasing accountability, and having the ability to quickly turn data into useful information.

Last, solutions must be cost effective and providers must be able to demonstrate their business case and ROI. n

3 Improve operational efficiencies.

3 Increase productivity and profitability.

3 Perform activities effectively; simplify repeatable tasks; provide your staff with easy to use tools that focus on performing tasks.

Techs4Biz develops and sells technology solutions for improving workrelated activities and processes, combining software with handheld devices.

Specifically designed for facility and property managers, Techs4Biz offers an easy-to-use system that increases productivity, decreases costs, and can quickly store, analyse and disseminate information.

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Chasing sustainability ratings and asset value – the new frontier in property and facilities management

By KRISTIANA GREENWOOD

S

ustainability has already become one of the quickest and most effective commercial initiatives that can be undertaken by any organisation individually, and the country as a whole.

After years of advice from scientific and engineering groups, legislators are generally accepting they have to bring in building codes and emission standards that reinforce society’s increasing environmental demands of their infrastructure.

The real change in this area though needs to be made in the disciplines of property ownership and stewardship.

Sustainable practices used in construction, refurbishment and operation of Australia’s commercial and industrial property is a major factor in the country’s total effort to combat climate change.

And therefore it’s a major opportunity to carve a very real competitive and performance difference between one property and another, between one property developer and another and between one property manager and another.

Sure, the Federal, State and Local level are critical to the agenda of getting all players taking the sustainability agenda in their teeth. They need to provide a concerted set of financial incentives and legislative frameworks in which the commercial property and facilities sectors can maximise the sustainable technology that is available in its operations.

But some players might just be starting to recognise the gains that can be made from the sustainability agenda.

It is simply making increasing sense from a competition perspective and a genuine advantage in property management, property revenues and property sale value.

As many in the industry know, during the 90’s and into the early 2000’s property ownership meant cutting costs in every way possible, regardless of the outcome. ‘Tomorrow will look after itself’ was the adage, and as a consequence

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property asset maintenance budgets were reduced to below minimum levels in many cases.

We saw many shortcuts being taken to reduce maintenance costs and thus improve service delivery margins. Over time, all this had an impact not just on property assets but also on the way the industry operated. That culture still exists in some organisations today.

The change in this approach and its inherent faulty premise began to be exposed when OHS and essential service compliance legislation (among other workplace initiatives) were gradually introduced and monitored by government agencies.

There followed court cases which helped define our current workplace and safety environment.

It is this very same path that both owners and operators are faced with in the sustainability legislative framework introduction in the coming years.

The challenge is the creation and the retention of asset values over this period of dramatic change and beyond. It is how to build new assets that are good investments and that make good commercial sense within a very competitive marketplace.

Sustainability of the property is at the heart of this challenge.

The property asset has to meet all these performance requirements - not just when it was designed and built, but for the length of its useful life.

For new or refurbished buildings, this issue can be solved with engineering designs that address the technical construction, building systems that capture real time information and measurement systems and operational procedures that improve ongoing building management.

Increasingly, facility services and their components are recognised as factors to manage well from the outset.

Managing the performance of the facilities within the property impacts returns from the property, the sale value of the property and addresses an increasing awareness of sustainability environmental agendas.

But this has all changed in the last 12 to 18 months. We will see the impact on asset values accelerate in the next five years, where property values will be directly linked to the amount of greenness they attain.

So an emerging trend in property, whether existing or new, is the proactive inclusion of what’s inside a property into the greater CFO-level meaning of ‘assets’ and ‘asset management’.

The managers of these assets will need to maintain the values for owner client and tenants will need to play their part.

As one of a number of developers of facility management software, we can attest to this increasing demand for richness of data from properties. We’ve seen the value that can be obtained from it for the facility manager, asset manager, CFO and CEO working more and more in concert.

Green buildings have increased efficiency with which they harvest energy, water and materials thereby reducing building impacts on human health and the environment. This is managed through better locating, better design, better construction, better operation, maintenance and removal – in other words, a complete building life cycle.

In the last ten years the property and facilities industries have been slow to implement, on a large scale, real initiatives in either construction, refurbishment or in ongoing property management as many would have liked.

The property owners, for the most part saw no real gain in asset values if a building was built with a green focus in mind.

Care for the environment will become an operational KPI that must be reported upon and proven with systems and measurements that are indisputable.

New construction now has to meet Green Star ratings, and that only makes up for about 5% of our building stock.

But improving the environmental performance of Australia’s ageing commercial buildings is the key to greening our cities and leveraging them. That 5% figure will rise very swiftly, and with it the competitive and financial gains from openly chasing the sustainability bandwagon. n

For further information on sustainable asset management solutions for both new and existing building assets, please contact: Kristiana Greenwood, Director, FM Innovations kgreenwood@fminnovations.com.au

The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

41

Case Study:

The Coast Golf Club

W

hen The Coast Golf Club needed to install an air conditioning system they faced more than the usual challenges. Situated at beautiful Little Bay just east of Sydneys suburb of Port Botany, the golf club’s heritage listed building had never had a large scale air-conditioning system for the club house and function centre. Situated 12km south of the Sydney CBD, the course is located on what was once Prince Henry Hospital. Opened on the in May 1965, the club house has seen major renovations since being converted from the laundry building of the hospital and now houses The Coast Restaurant which caters for a variety of functions.

With considerable residential developments close to completion near by, the club sought to meet the demands of their increasingly event focused clientele by installing a system that could not only cool but reduce the humidity which caused considerable discomfort in the summer months. Bringing in well respected and innovative Australian companies Quantum Air-conditioning and Summit Matsu Chilling Systems, The Coast Golf Club was able to install

a custom made chilled water air conditioning system to withstand the demands of the coastal environment.

Facing the challenge The Coast Golf Club’s heritage listed club house which was built in the 1890s is now used as much for its function centre as for its golf club. Until the installation of the new air conditioning system the Club had been naturally ventilated.

Although the summer temperatures continued to be over 30 degrees C, the often strong sea breeze caused function managers to close the windows for the comfort of restaurant patrons, which made other areas of the club house hot and stuffy for both staff and guests.

The Club had tried to cool some of the smaller back of house areas with small split system air conditioners, but the close distance to the ocean had taken its toll corroding the systems. There was so much corrosion to the condenser coils and cabinets on the outdoor units, on some units after only 3-4 years, that it was clear that a standard direct expansion package air conditioning system or standard chiller would only have a limited life. > The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

43

< An air conditioning system was required that could withstand the demands of the environment, be quite and efficient, be aesthetically unobtrusive, and allow for possible future expansion.

The equipment installed: The system design and project management was undertaken by Quantum Air Conditioning. Because of the heritage value of the building a chilled water system was chosen because of the minimal space required inside the building compared to conventional ducted systems, and because of the ability to locate the chiller out of sight.

The fan coil units were supplied by Fan Coil Industries.

The club house was divided into a number of different zones depending on the usage of the bar, function areas, and restaurant.

Bob Pickering, the past president of The Coast Golf Club emphasized the importance of the customized cooling zones. The club frequently had functions in different parts of the club house meaning that the interior temperature differed from room to room as more guests congregated in particular areas. To address this, the system was designed with independent cooling zones and separate controls allowing staff to control the temperature of particular areas of the club without affecting the comfort of guests in less crowded rooms.

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| Volume 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

The Coast Golf Club

chiller installation The expansive glass windows of the club house provided a spectacular view of the coast line but also caused a high level of solar loading of the panels – resulting in significantly warmer temperatures for tables near the windows especially in the eastern end of the club house. To combat this, the system was designed with high vent points to channel the air flow along the ceiling so cool air would flow over the windows, lessening the solar load. This allowed customers to sit comfortably at the restaurant’s window tables even on the hottest days.

The chiller was supplied and manufactured in Sydney by Summit Matsu. The chiller was air cooled, with 2 x 125kW screw compressors. Corrosive environment options included copper finned condensers with brass end plates, frame from hot dipped galvanized sand blasted black steel, body panels from 304 stainless steel, drain tray from 304 stainless steel and PVC, compressor enclosures from 304 stainless steel, and the electrical box from 304 stainless steel. All fasteners used were stainless bolts with an aeronauticalgrade electrolysis preventing paste used to prevent corrosion between metals.

Profile of the suppliers Summit Matsu is a chiller manufacturer located in Alexandria, Sydney. The company specialises in chillers for the Australian environment, with shorter delivery times than most other suppliers. The company has over 45 years manufacturing experience supplying to some of Australias largest companies like BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Alcatel, and many hospitals. Summit Matsu’s unique product and service offerings include design and manufacturing, delivery and commission and maintenance. The success of the harsh environment chiller designed for The Coast Golf Club has meant that these corrosive environment options are now available as an option to customers with challenging natural settings.

Quantum has offices in all states as well as New Zealand and is dedicated to providing a combination of innovative, value adding solutions and customer service. Their full range of services include preventative maintenance and breakdown services, construction and project management, capital asset funding and service management and asset software.

Positive impacts for the Club Robert Kelly, General Manager of the Coast Golf Club acknowledges that both staff and customers have benefited since the air-conditioning system was installed.

He added that before the installation, the club had been losing bookings in the warmers months which meant considerable lost revenue during the peak period for weddings and corporate Christmas parties. Recalling the extreme temperatures of New Years’ Day of 2006 before the installation of the chiller and air-conditioning systems, Robert noted that the working conditions for staff had been greatly improved and that the system was working extremely well in maintaining a comfortable temperature and humidity level in the club house. The new residential development surrounding the golf club means that club’s clients are quite diverse and the club has to tailor their offerings to many different groups and manage changing peak demand periods. The design of the chilling system has meant that The Coast Golf Club is able to seasonally adjust the temperature and air flows making the experience a much more enjoyable one for both customers and staff.

The system installed at The Coast Golf Club has been a continuing success. The patrons, staff and management have benefited from the installation of the chiller and airconditioning system making the club house a much more comfortable and enjoyable space. n

Quantum Air-conditioning is a division of Siltech Pty Ltd which has been operating in Australian for 25 years.

The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

45

Earth to Air Systems Advanced Geothermal Heating and Cooling

G

eothermal heating and cooling systems are gaining rapid acceptance in many small to medium commercial and public facility projects seeking environmental credentials.

As an Australian company, Earth to Air Systems Pty Ltd is finding new applications for the first deep well direct exchange geothermal system in the world. Originally developed in the USA, the system has proven its efficiency and reliability in Australian homes, schoolrooms and multilevel office buildings.

Deep Well Direct Exchange (DWDX) Technology uses geothermal heat pumps and ground loops to deliver a waterless geothermal platform that can be used for heating and cooling in a wide array of applications.

Rather than using water to transfer heat, Earth to Air’s DWDX system circulates refrigerant gas through ground loops installed to a maximum of 90m. Each ground loop has a capacity to reject heat of 9kW or more depending on ground types.

According to the Managing Director of Earth to Air Systems, Australia, Mark Langdon the installation process is relatively simple, with drilling works the only step that requires specialist equipment. “When we entered the business we recognised from the start that we needed to be in full control of all drilling and installation of external works to satisfy industry requirements and ensure the management of quality control for our clients”.

“As a result we felt it imperative to invest heavily in both drilling rigs and associated equipment. We took delivery of our first specialist drilling rig in June 2007 and have further units on order to satisfy our demand”.

DWDX Technology has minimised the usual cost and installation challenges associated with geothermal systems.

This result, a product that is significantly superior in both cost and efficiency to established water source geothermal application.

Earth to Air System at 3950 Pacific Hwy Loganholme There are 19 geothermal ground loops installed below the car park in the foreground

Earth to Air Systems Australia has completed a number of installations to date including private and public school buildings across Brisbane. The system is specified in projects across NSW and Victoria including tertiary education facilities, council buildings, a large police station and for indoor pool heating. Current installs underway include a large Science Building at a private school and an administration building at an oil terminal.

DJ Builders are both a pro-active and innovative company with a commitment to delivering environmental solutions across project.

When first introduced to the Earth to Air System they were extremely impressed. Recognizing the enormous energy efficiencies and cost saving benefits the System offers, they embraced the concept, wasting no time applying this technology in one of their projects.

The first DJ Builders project to use an Earth to Air System is situated at 3950 Pacific Highway and consists of a 3 storey office complex with 12 separate tenancies. Each tenancy The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

47

< required specific cooling and heating loads determined by aspect and size. The mechanical design was completed by Peter Eustace and Associates, with an evaporative chiller originally specified.

The building required an Earth to Air System with a total of 32 wells drilled with ground loops installed. All the ground loops were installed around the perimeter of the building approximately 8 metres apart.

Ground loops at the building entry point The 19 geothermal ground loops enter the building in the basement carpark. These were later enclosed with access panels provided for servicing.

Earth to Air System ground loops consist of copper vapor lines and fully insulated liquid lines. Once installed each well is back filled with a special grout called Grout 111. Developed by the Brookhaven Institute in the USA, Grout 111 was specifically developed for geothermal applications.

Once ground loop installation is complete the refrigerant lines are run in trenches to access points of the building.

This particular site required 19 wells to be drilled at the rear of the building and 12 to the front which required access points to the building in both areas.

Distributors were then installed for both the liquid and vapor lines so that only single lines were required to be run into the building for multiple wells. As an example, an 18kW system requires 2 wells at 90m in depth.

For this building the install was below the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s car park. To accommodate this, ground loops and trenches were installed at a depth of 1500mm ensuring future earth works associated with the car park could be undertaken without compromise to the System installation or impediment of construction of the car park.

Earth to Air System Compressor Unit

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| Volume 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

All trenches were backfilled with a compacted road base to safe guard against any subsidence and trench work was carried out in accordance with requirements of the projects structural engineer. All copper lines were fully insulated within the trenches using 20mm closed cell insulation.

Each of the copper lines are fully insulated and distributed throughout the building tenancies with the Earth to Air Systems compressor units installed in bulkheads above the toilets.

the temperature of the refrigerant is greatly increased. This resulting hot vapor is sent to the ground where the excess heat is removed and the process is repeated.

System compressors are contained in stainless steel enclosures. Each unit weighs approximately 90kg. The units are manufactured to ETA specifications and the compressors themselves are high efficiency Copeland Scroll units.

A building is therefore cooled with minimal expenditure of energy required to operate a compressor and air handler.

System Operation – How it Works In Cooling Mode In the cooling mode, the hot refrigerant vapor line with the hot vapor is sent into the earth, where the excess heat is naturally absorbed and taken away by the much cooler subsurface temperature. For example, you may have a hot vapor with a temperature of 85° C leaving the compressor unit and traveling into the underground copper ground source heat exchanger.

In Heating Mode In the winter, the expanded and cold vapor refrigerant is circulated within highly heat conductive copper tubing and absorbs the approximately 19° C heat naturally supplied by the earth. This 19° C heated refrigerant vapor is compressed, and the resulting now hot vapor is circulated within an air handler, where the cold return air from a building is also circulated by means of an electric fan.

Thus the heat supplied for interior air is in effect, supplied by the natural and renewable temperature of the earth.

This 65°C is much hotter than the 19° C ground. If we again apply the principle that heat will always travel to cold, we can understand that the ground will remove the heat and begin to cool down the hot refrigerant vapor.

With the excess heat in the refrigerant vapor removed by the earth, the cooled refrigerant condenses into a liquid. The cooled liquid refrigerant is then expanded, by means of an expansion device, into a lower pressure, which causes the temperature of the refrigerant to drop even lower.

The only expense is the cost to operate a compressor to raise the temperature of the refrigerant, and the cost to operate a fan to transfer the heat into the interior air.

An Australian made air handling unit is specified that has additional finned tubing and TX valves installed. Refrigerant lines run between the AHU and the compressors to complete the loop. All internal ductwork and ventilation is conventional and requires no special alteration.

The now cold refrigerant is next circulated through the finned tubing in the air handler inside the building. The cold refrigerant absorbs the excessive heat from the interior air, as the heat in the air naturally travels to the colder refrigerant.

The refrigerant that has absorbed the excessive heat from the interior air now expands back into a vapor. The warmed vapor, having absorbed the excess heat from the interior air, is compressed by the vapor compressor, and

The Earth to Air System operates using R410a refrigerant and all refrigerant lines are R410a grade refrigerant copper.

R410a is inert and has a low ODP (ozone depleting potential), so there will be no effect on ground water in the unlikely event of loop failure.

Once the installation was completed, the System is charged with the prescribed amount of refrigerant gas and commissioned.

Earth to Air Systems utilise a simple electronic controller, however this can be varied to meet individual project requirements and integration with BMS units if required. > The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

49

Earth to Air Systems

Advanced Geothermal Heating and Cooling Advantages < The Earth to Air System has certified COP ratings of 5.8 and over, higher than most chillers and other high efficiency air conditioning systems.

Additionally, the low start up load required for the System significantly reduces peak load demands for any building, contributing to significantly reduced operational costs, as well as reducing the amount of power required to the building.

On the DJ Builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project the Earth to Air System replaced the originally planned evaporative chiller. On top of all the benefits an Earth to Air System offers it will additionally dramatically reduce water consumption, a key issue, for regions on heavy water restrictions across Australia.

Earth to Air Systems offers the one of the highest efficiency heating and cooling solutions currently available anywhere in the world. It is environmentally friendly, requires minimal footprint, all ground works are invisible and air quality improved.

However the most significant benefit of this System has to be the enormous, measurable operational efficiencies and operational cost savings that can be realised.

Good news for any companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s triple bottom-line, as both corporate social responsibility and financial objectives can be enhanced without compromise.

For more information go to www.earthtoair.com.au or email enquiries@earthtoair.com.au n

configured to one of three popular ballast control and monitoring broadcast protocols--1 to 10V analogue control, ‘digital serial interface’ (DSI), or ‘digital addressable lighting interface’ (DALI).

The VLT® HVAC Drive now range up to 1.2 MW VLT® HVAC Drives are built on the same common control platform as other VLT® Drives. The latest “next generation” technology has been applied resulting in the highest efficiency on the market - higher than 98 %. At 400 V, the drives provide 500 to 1000 kW. At 690 V they provide 710 kW to 1200 kW - at normal overload.

IP21 and IP54 The new drives come in the enclosure classes IP21 (NEMA and UL Type 1) and IP54 (NEMA and UL Type 12).

Low risk drives Built-in DC Link Reactors ensures a low level of harmonic disturbances compared to other high power drives. PCB’s are conformal coated per IEC 60721-3-3, class 3C3 (standard on VLT® all High Power drives) Class A2 RFI filters are standard, and Class A1 filters optional for the 380-480V platform.

Innovative cooling The innovative back-channel cooling in the HVAC series is consistent with other VLT® high-power drive series.

Built in options Several options are factory integrated, such as fuses, mains switch/disconnect, contactors, circuit breaker, cabinet light & outlet, space heaters & thermostat, door interlocks, manual motor starters, auxiliary low voltage power supply, integrated emergency stop pushbutton, and external temperature monitoring.

been unveiled by lighting control and automation group, Dynalite. Leveraging the labour-saving and flexibility of structured wiring connectivity, the Ecolinx solution-set provides luminaire-byluminaire dimming and on/off lighting control for the widest range of commercial environments, from small offices to campus-sized installations.

“Energy efficiency and sustainable design are no longer options in the commercial building domain; they are absolute essentials,” said Laurence Coote, Sales Director Dynalite. “Dynalite Ecolinx-with its highly granular luminaire control and monitoring functionality, plus powerful installation flexibility and scalability--is an important new tool in this quest. It has been designed to empower commercial building owners and occupiers to realise truly effective lighting energy management strategies and sustained demand reduction.”

The fundamental building block of Ecolinx is the Dynalite DBC905 high-frequency ballast controller--a versatile lighting control module that boasts nine separate structured wiring lighting circuit output channels. Measuring just 35mm thick, the compact DBC905 is housed in a robust and striking green thermoplastic enclosure. Output channels are available in either the popular Wieland or modular wiring/CMS Electracom connector formats.

The Ecolinx system is founded on Dynalite’s world-renowned distributed control philosophy, where control intelligence is distributed about the network in a modular fashion and linked via Dynalite’s sophisticated peer-to-peer communications serial bus network, DyNet. The DBC905’s DyNet connectivity underpins powerful design flexibility and scalability that span the building occupancy lifecycle. As a result, the Ecolinx system can easily ‘evolve’ to meet the needs of the building occupants and their everchanging interior space requirements.

Dynalite Ecolinx offers ‘plug-and-play’ energy management

All wiring connections to the DBC905--whether mains input, lighting circuit outputs, or the unit’s total of ten control and network inputs--are facilitated by tool-free structured wiring ports.

This ‘plug-and-play’ approach permits installation and postcommissioning adaptation of any Ecolinx lighting system to be carried out quickly and easily by semi-skilled or unskilled crews.

This ensures optimal flexibility, speedy deployment and significant installation and maintenance labour savings over the life of the building, particularly in high labourcost markets.

A unique ‘plug-and-play’ lighting energy management solution for commercial environments--the Ecolinx solution-set--has

All nine DBC905 output channels can be individually and independently software

Supported by VLT® software The high power HVAC drives are supported by the VLT® Setup Software MCT 10 and the VLT® Harmonics Calculation Software MCT 31. www.danfoss.com

“This inherent flexibility of broadcast protocol provides enormous advantage over competing HF ballast controllers, where a change in broadcast protocol demands a completely different piece of hardware,” said Coote. “Now, designers and developers can postpone deciding on the lighting system broadcast protocol to the very last minute. Indeed, it permits a building’s lighting system to evolve from protocol-toprotocol--say from analogue ‘1 to 10V’ to a DALI system--as and when the need arises.”

The Ecolinx system boasts DALI-like granularity of luminaire control and monitoring, without the complexity and heavy reliance on skilled trades typically associated with a full DALI system.

Ecolinx controls the lighting system’s dimming and on/off status on either a luminaire-byluminaire basis, or in unison across softpatched control groups. It also supports DALI back-channel interrogation and monitoring of ballast diagnostics. By relying on the distributed intelligence resident in the DBC905 rather than the ballast itself, complex re-enumeration and rebinding of ballasts are avoided in postcommissioning ballast/luminaire changeouts.

Current rated to 5A maximum (to a total controller load of 16A), each DBC905 output channel connector port is physically offset from one another across the fascia. This unique design avoids fouling of the connector clamp and permits individual disconnection/reconnection without disturbing adjacent channels. Three easily replaceable onboard HRC fuses (one per three output channels) provide for convenient circuit protection discrimination, and can permit costsaving cable gauge-breaks for all nine output channels.

The DBC905 boasts four RJ12 DyNet input ports plus an RS485 DyNet serial input port that can support up to 20 multi-function sensor inputs, such as motion, photoelectronic illuminance, and infrared detectors, plus smart panels and other interface devices. A further bank of Wielandcompatible plug connectors provide interface for up to four 3-pole connectors, for local switching and dimming via two-way and off retractive switches. www.dynalite.com.au

The Australian Building Services Journal | Volume 3 – 2008 |

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Air Movers

Lewis Pulleys

As the sole agent in the Pacific region for the VTP (Ventilated Turbo Pulley) we can now offer a vee belt drive unsurpassed by any other currently on the market.

This is achieved in a number of ways.The unique design of the VTP is such that the drive runs up to 17c cooler, this carries with it huge benefits towards extended belt life.Coupled with material quality, (GGG 60) and a superior casting technique, we now see VTP drives extending belt life up to 5 times longer than running a standard grey iron pulley.Reduced downtime equals higher productivity.

Another advantage of the VTP is weight reduction, 50% to 60% lighter than grey iron. This decreases bearing loads, therefore extending bearing life.

Material integrity is such that we can now design an off the shelf drive capable of 100m/s as opposed to the usual 35m/so in grey iron. As an added benefit, all pulleys are coated with ACC (Autophoretic Coating Compound) for improved rust protection.

Lewis Pulleys 200 Wyndham Street, Alexandria, NSW 2015 www.lewispulleys.com.au Tel: (02) 9319 5541, Fax: (02) 9319 6455

Bosch Water Conservation Plan Re-uses Eleven Million Litres Per Year * $300,000 invested in water saving projects * Environmental training for all staff Water restrictions are now in force across the majority of Victoria as we face one of the driest periods on record.

Bosch has successfully exceeded its goal of reducing annual water consumption by achieving a 30 per cent reduction over the past twelve months.

The most significant water reduction initiative has been a Water Recycling Plant for De-ionised water production. This process allows the re-use of eleven million litres of water on site. That’s eleven million litres of water Bosch no longer sources from Melbourne reservoirs each year.

Bosch Australia proactively encourages further water saving by conducting environmental awareness training for all staff on site. The training sessions outline the current state of the environment in Australia and around the world, and importantly Bosch’s role in contributing to environmental protection. Employees are informed and enter into discussions on how individuals can make a huge difference to the environment by making small changes in the workplace, as well as at home.

“Corporate responsibility goes beyond just the business interests. It involves the interesection of business, society and the environment.

Bosch has as one of its core values a mandate to respect our environment and minimise our resource requirements, says David Robinson, President of Robert Bosch Australia. “It is therefore not only a good business practice but an obligation or ours to pursue conservation strategies for water.”

The Bosch Australia site in Clayton has waterless gardens and lawns, flow reduction in bathrooms and kitchens, as well as dual flush toilets being rolled out across the site. Water is re-used in cooling towers, toilets and other non potable processes which are estimated to save over one million litres of additional water annually.

Bosch Australia will continue to identify and implement further water saving initiatives. Our slogan “Invented for life” conveys the ambitious standards we have set ourselves and the values that we have long stood for. Invented for life stands for reliable technology designed and built to last.

At the same time it embodies innovations and technology that contribute to the conservation of resources, sustainable development, as well as helping people improve the quality of life, both for themselves and others. www.bosch.com.au

At Bosch Australia, water is a vital resource for the manufacturing of automotive components, thereby making it one of Victoria’s top industrial water users. Bosch has spent over $300,000 over the last three years to reduce the amount of water required for all processes, as well as investigating further reduction opportunities.

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| Volume 3 – 2008 | The Australian Building Services Journal

“A fan’s a fan.” That’s what some contractors say when choosing an air mover for their water damage job. If only it were that simple. As with any piece of equipment it is important to consider your application to find out what works best for you. There are three types of air movers that are being used in the water damage restoration industry: traditional snail shaped carpet dryers, low amp axial fans and high volume axial fans.

Traditional carpet dryers or centrifugal fans are often used to float carpet or move air across carpet or floors, and often placed at a 45 degree angle to walls and used to dry walls. These air movers put out about 30-35 cubic metres per minute (CMM) and draw from 2 amps to as high as 7 with most being in the 2.0 to 4 amp range.

Centrifugal fans were created to float carpets, which require a lot of static pressure to lift the wet carpet.

Then in the late 90s new drying equipment began to emerge—Low amp drying using large axial fans. Axial air movers put out twice as much CMM as traditional carpet dryers and pull half the amps. This makes them more efficient and makes your job easier. Because this is a simple set up, you get more air flow. More air flow enhances evaporation, and you’re putting out less heat which is important when you don’t need the heat. The heat that they radiate is at a minimum.

Additionally, the placement of your air movers is important in getting the most from your unit.

We’ve done testing and have found that the best results using our fans were produced when they were angled 30 degrees towards the wall. As you well know this gets covered more extensively in the Water Restoration and Applied Structural Drying Courses.

High Volume axial fans push a high volume of free air and are used for crawl spaces, ducted drying, directing air into hard to reach areas and positive or negative air set up.

Whether you’re using a traditional carpet dryer, low amp axial fan or high volume axial fan remember to think about your application, choose the equipment that is the right fit and you will get optimal results. n Dry Air Technology is a leading manufacturer who designs and engineers air movers, ventilators and dehumidifiers. Each of our units, like the new FORCE 9 is carefully engineered and built tough for demanding jobs. Dry Air Technology strives to provide the best in high quality products and superior customer service.

Dry Air Technology air movers, portable ventilators and accessories will be available mid July 2008 from AIRMOVERS on 02 6650 9691. AIRMOVERS is a division of The Moisture Meter Company Pty Ltd.

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Head Office: 59 Kylta Rd, West Heidelberg, VIC 3081 03 9459 4411 NSW: 02 9647 2770 SA: 08 8340 9999 WA: 08 9249 7922

Allan Powell: QLD: NT:

03 6334 2992 07 3348 2666 TBA