View from the Top

VIEW FROM THE TOP James Page is head of engineering at Joju Solar

These proposals don’t go far enough

It is 20 years since I started to take an active interest in the idea of planning regulations requiring renewables in new buildings, as a means to reduce carbon emissions. The subsequent headway made by the London boroughs of Richmond, Merton, as well as the Greater London Authority and others, was at first promising.

However, it only takes a glance at new housing rapidly being built across the country to see that the take up of solar panels is still woefully low. And where they are installed there are frequently a minimal two or three panels on a roof large enough for many more. Rather than an opportunity to add value to the house the developer sees the regulations as a steer to provide the minimum required. And if it is possible to avoid solar altogether by providing a green roof or heat pumps as alternatives, the developer will do so. If this approach were ever justified on the grounds of the cost of PV panels it is no longer, as the costs have plummeted. However, it is the regulator’s job to address the issue. James Page believes that the proposals for the Future Homes consultation do not go far enough and may even be a retrograde step. They could be seen as a steer to provide the bare minimum required

It’s true that adding renewables will add a small cost to the house price (it may cost a little more, but it does add to the value). In many parts of the country this will be almost negligible but the proportion of the cost will clearly vary in different regions. This is just one reason why the GLA should be allowed to continue to set standards above the national minimum (to say nothing of their democratic right). They also need the right to ensure the panels are actually working and continue working, at least for a reasonable period. I’ve come across large systems that have been switched off for years, or never been turned on. The developer has sold the property and the new owner has no interest in the solar.

The Future Homes consultation proposals do not go far enough, and in some ways go back. This is not just to say that we need to do all we can reasonably do to reduce carbon emissions. The proposals appear to give developers the choice of triple glazing, heat pumps or solar PV (or perhaps other technologies, but these are all mentioned as options). The clear indication is that all three will often be perfectly feasible but the reduction targets will only require the most cost effective to be deployed (subject to tenant ‘affordability’ constraints).

The document also implies that triple glazing and solar will not therefore normally be required to meet the 31 per cent reduction. If the 31 per cent was a figure determined by what is reasonably practical and economic, and solar is considered to be so (especially when installed at the outset while scaffolding is present etc) does having a ‘choice’ not imply that the 31 per cent is not ambitious enough? There may be a few buildings where solar doesn’t make sense at all, but not many. Especially if it is considered in the design stage.

Moreover, the life-time of the panels will on average far exceed that of a heat pump - a factor that will often not be taken in to account by a developer looking for the lowest up front cost, and can only be addressed by regulation.  Page: 'I've come across large solar systems that have been switched off for years, or never turned on' In June last year the UK became the first major economy to pass a net zero emissions target into law. The 2050 target is an ambitious one and government are keen to reduce emissions quickly. Both new and existing homes account for approximately 20 per cent of UK carbon emissions and although much has already been done in this area to reduce emissions (introduction of the Clean Growth Strategy, Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards etc), it is evident that more is needed.

The Future Homes Standard Consultation, released in October 2019, presents a proposal from government to introduce a new Future Homes Standard, and to make relevant changes to Approved Document Part L1a (Conservation of fuel and power in new dwellings) as well as Part F (Ventilation). The government proposes to simplify the guidance presented in both approved documents and also presents its ambition to tighten ‘transitional arrangements’ to ensure that all homes are built to new energy efficiency standards.

The consultation outlines two options to uplift energy efficiency standards and requirements for Part L of the Building Regulations in 2020: • Option 1 - Future Homes Fabric: 20 per cent reduction in carbon emissions delivered primarily through better building fabric; and • Option 2 - Fabric plus technology: 31 per cent reduction in carbon emissions delivered predominantly through carbon-saving technology and fabric improvements.

The government prefers option 2 as their 2020 ‘stepping stone’ for the Future Homes Standard. This option delivers greater carbon savings and lower fuel bills, but would introduce higher build costs for developers.

The government is proposing that the Future Homes Standard will be implemented fully by 2025, with an intermediate uplift to energy efficiency standards in mid/late 2020. It is anticipated that any new build homes constructed to this standard will produce 75-80 per cent less carbon dioxide emissions then one built to current standards/ requirements. What is the Future Homes Standard consultation?

For further information on BuroHappold visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 132

Mark Dowson is an associate in the BuroHappold Sustainabilityand Building Physics team

A building twinned with the future

Mark Dowson examines how one building in the north east is a living laboratory designed to enable research and learning in the field of energy management F or those working in design engineering, Building Information Modelling (or BIM) is one of the most disruptive technological innovations seen in recent years. Its use helps simplify the design process and enables us to construct complicated, complex structures. But the collection and use of ‘building information’ needn’t stop when construction ends. Through the creation of smart buildings, BIM can go on to inform ways to optimise efficiency, manage energy consumption and improve ongoing building performance.

A case in point is Newcastle University’s Urban Sciences Building. Located in the city’s new Helix quarter, a city-centre development fast becoming renowned as a global centre for innovation, the 12,800m 2 Urban Sciences Building (USB) houses Newcastle University’s School of Computing alongside a series of innovative labs focused on research into the urban environment.

Opened in 2017, it has set a new benchmark for building design. Not only is it an exemplar of sustainable construction and electrically led design, it is also a ‘living laboratory’ – a smart building designed to enable continuous research and learning in the field of energy management. In a feat of engineering, the university installed over 4,000 digital sensors throughout the building to constantly monitor environmental conditions and energy use. Data collected from these sensors is creating some fascinating outputs which we believe are a first in building management.

Through a collaboration between the university’s estates team and PhD researchers, with support from the wider project team, a 3D digital twin of the entire building has been created. This enables live data from the thousands of sensor points to be visualised in a 3D visualisation model. Using this digital twin, the university’s facilities and building managers can focus in on a specific room, floor or area of the USB and look at how internal environmental conditions are performing to within seconds of the reality. From an FM point of view, this means that if someone complains that an environment is too hot, they can instantly review the temperature in that space to see if it has in fact increased, and adjust it accordingly, or whether that person just needs to take off their jumper. This is a real leap forward for facilities management and potentially, energy efficiency. Importantly, the modelling enabled by the sensors in the building also helps the University’s researchers to forecast how the building will behave under future scenarios. An example of this is in the University’s EPSRC funded ‘Building as a Power Plant’ project which we are supporting. Here, PhD researchers are looking at evaluating the building’s potential to provide rapid demand response when the national electricity grid comes under strain through the removal of the smaller, non-critical energy loads of individual buildings. Although this kind of scenario testing has been done on a mass scale, for very large Newcastle University’s Urban Sciences Building has set a new benchmark for building design The Urban Sciences Building is an inspiring exemplar of sustainability and energy management

energy consumers, it has never before been tested with a single building – another first for the USB. Through extensive engagement with the university’s researchers and the design team working in collaboration with Hawkins/Brown architects, we embedded and enabled a host of technologies within the building into the design concept which would directly support academic work. For example, sensors in concrete floor slabs measure the temperatures to enable monitoring of the thermal mass and associated night-time purging; the soil moisture levels of the building’s green roof are constantly monitored; supercharging points for electric vehicles are linked to a microgrid within the building and solar photovoltaic-thermal (PV-T) panels on the roof generate renewable electricity and heat.

In yet another first, the building also houses a unique energy storage test bed, connecting multiple battery and super-capacitor packs to the main grid, which also feeds power directly to a DC micro grid serving one floor of the building. But, a truly smart building isn’t solely focused on managing the current status quo, it is also a building that can flex and adapt to future uses. Early on in the process of designing the USB, we worked with both the university’s estates team and groups of academics who would be using it day-to-day to get a detailed understanding of their differing needs. This allowed us to create the building with them in mind, meaning it wasn’t overly customised for any one group. It also put our focus firmly on flexibility, so large portions of the building’s fit-out elements are reversible meaning entire floors can easily be reconfigured, giving it longevity. The information that data can provide to a building’s managers is a way to add real value to its day-today operations. Bricks and mortar are static, but the data that flows through them can help us adapt the built environment around us to changing times. The USB is a really exciting building and is an inspiring exemplar of sustainability and energy management. And, with the University team’s focus on ongoing improvement and the development of new energy innovations, its green credentials will only get better and better over time. 

Smart Buildings For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/ enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Gateway supports EnOcean devices

To ease the integration of EnOcean devices into a BACnet system, Contemporary Controls is making available its EnOcean to BACnet Gateway.

With its non-proprietary, webbased remote commissioning of EnOcean devices, the gateway supports most common EnOcean wireless sensors and actuators out of the box, making it ideal for most automation projects. The EnOcean devices can be discovered or manually entered into the gateway. If a device equipment profile is not supported in the gateway, a web-based firmware update can be provided. EnOcean analog and binary input/output devices will communicate wirelessly to the gateway where the selected devices will appear as virtual BACnet devices with their own objects representing the EnOcean point data.

The gateway also supports EnOcean remote commissioning, allowing some devices to be configured and bound to other EnOcean devices wirelessly. An EIA-485 serial port is provided as well. Network communications of the EnOcean to BACnet Gateway include BACnet/ IP and EnOcean wireless, making the gateway a flexible gateway device for EnOcean to BACnet applications. All configurations of the gateway occurs via a standard web page and no special applications or EnOcean devices are required to discover EnOcean devices and configure the gateway.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 133

Controller developed to save time during commissioning of a BEMS

Phoenix Contact is offering the ILC 2050 BI, a controller developed and designed to save time and space in installation and commissioning of a building automation system. The software is based on Tridium’s Niagara framework, developed to provide integration of the standalone systems.

With a design width of just 80mm the controller can be installed in a small footprint panel. In addition, the input/output terminals are a little over 10mm per terminal.

Some of the technical advantages of using the ILC 2050 BI include: • connection to up to 63 terminals directly; • reduced commissioning time and costs; • support the application using our extensive couplers; • improve security by isolating the building network; and • easy identification with colour-coded modules.

For further information on Schneider Electric visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 135

Pradyumna Pandit is vice president of Digital Energy UK and Ireland at Schneider Electric

Time for a smart building revolution

As a younger workforce grows more digitally native, worker expectations evolve. Pradyumna Pandit explores why a comfortable work environment is a basic requirement T he workplace building plays an increasingly vital role in the satisfaction and productivity of younger workers. However, about 35 per cent of the EU’s building stock is more than half a century old, and 75 per cent is energy inefficient. Workplaces are crucial in attracting and retaining the best talent, and companies are becoming increasingly aware of it. The competition for new employees will only grow fiercer as the global labour market contracts. Between 2015 and 2030, the world’s working age demographic will only grow at half the pace it did between 2000 and 2015. In the UK and other developed economies, demand for talent will outstrip the growth in supply, especially in the technology sector.

The dearth of skills necessitates an appeal to young people who are early into their careers or who are just entering the workforce. However, these millennials are very different to their parents and grandparents. The first generation to grow up with digital technologies from an early age, these cohorts expect the latest services, digital amenities and conveniences. Businesses need to find ways to deliver these services. Ageing buildings fail to appeal Organisations trapped in inert, poorly connected and ageing buildings will struggle to appeal. Digital services require an immense amount of real-time data to provide the best experiences. This can only be achieved with technologies connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), exchanging information between devices and systems.

Smart, IoT-connected sensors embedded throughout a building are an effective means of collecting the data digital services require. When connected to a smart, centralised building management system (BMS) data flows quickly and easily between the different building functions, allowing everything to run smoothly. Central to the effort to engage with the young is the adoption of technologies that promote wellness, satisfaction and productivity. The global market for wellness is worth around $4.2tr, and it’s being driven by young people. As understanding grows around the mental and physical impacts of a sedentary, office-based lifestyle health will become an even greater concern for the young. Employers that show they can look after their employees physically and mentally will be an attractive prospect.

There are also other benefits to taking in-work health seriously. According to PwC, absenteeism costs UK businesses £29bn per year. Wellness initiatives that reduce the number of sick days make sensible investments that can significantly boost business performance. With Smart building systems and sensors create valuable insight to optimise businesses

The innovative use of smart sensors and data is exemplified by the Edge, an office building in Amsterdam and one of the world’s smartest and most sustainable buildings. Within the structure, a variety of services are available via an integrated building app. Occupants can find working spaces, reserve meeting rooms and even locate their colleagues simply by using their smartphones. Even better is that once you have entered your meeting room the BMS will automatically adjust lighting and air conditioning levels to suit your individual preferences, maximising comfort and productivity. Sensors lead to one of world’s smartest buildings

salaries and benefits comprising around 90 per cent of the operating costs of any typical large business, even modest increases in productivity arising from better working environments can significantly improve the bottom line.

Improving employee fitness, access to natural light, good food and healthy temperatures are playing a more important role in workplace design due to their impact on absenteeism and staff turnover.

Employee physical activity Gartner, a global research and advisory firm, estimates that 10,000 companies gave fitness trackers to their staff in 2014 in order to combat sedentary lifestyles. Some have even trialled fitness bands that capture data on employee physical activity. Sensors have also come to the market which help prevent back, neck and muscle pain, and for good reason. The Office for National Statistics reports that in 2013 30m work days were wasted due to musculoskeletal problems. Addressing these problems now is important not only for impressing young workers, but for keeping them engaged and healthy into the future.

Air quality can also impact the productivity and wellbeing of occupants. High CO 2 levels have been shown to increase feelings of tiredness and negatively affect decision-making in a number of studies. To prevent this, many firms have installed sensors to detect and measure levels of CO 2 , allowing the BMS to adjust heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) settings when needed. Natural ventilation or mixed-mode conditioning can bring about a number of benefits, including savings on health costs, HVAC energy, and increased productivity.

Smart building systems and sensors create insight to optimise businesses and help them attract the next generation of young, tech-savvy workers. The notion of the office as a ‘dumb’ space for work, is being shaken by agile workplaces that use data to enable new services, augment wellness and improve performance. Smart, young people won’t put up with old, dumb workspaces. The businesses that realise this now are the only ones that will stay relevant for years to come. 

For further information on Comms365 Ltd visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 125

Nick Sacke is head of IoT and products, Comms365 Ltd

Break down the barriers

Reaping the benefits from smart buildings will require cultural change, education and a change in the perception of high cost, believes Nick Sacke S ince 2015, analysts have been talking about the Internet of Things delivering new types of ‘smart buildings’ that are able to provide a better experience for tenants and a more efficient, highly monetizable set of building management services to facilities managers. The picture now emerging is one of digital transformation at building level. The benefits of this approach are translating into a huge market opportunity, estimated at $31.74bn by 2022, to deploy, and make useful, smart technology in buildings.

There is now a much greater availability of lower cost IoT devices that in their millions can harvest data at scale. As a result, integration of local area and wide area wireless communication networks to relay sensor data, enhanced data processing via cloud-based data analytics, and mechanisms to enable action from insight, the design of commercial, industrial, buildings and their operations blueprint has changed. So what are the opportunities that smart building technology can offer and how can the barriers to adoption be overcome to ensure the growth of the IoT market continues at its predicted rate? Cultural barriers to break down One of the most significant barriers to adoption within the smart building market is cultural. The UK is one of the most CCTV-intensive nations in the world and, in recent times, we have become used to our movements constantly being observed. However, when the subject of ‘big brother’ is raised, the majority are of the opinion that 24/7 monitoring makes people very nervous, especially when it comes to the issue of data protection. In order to realise the true benefits that intelligent building technology can provide, a wide range of data measurements need to be taken and this could cause concern for those who are apprehensive about having their personal data recorded. For an environmental monitoring solution, for example, information such as energy usage, humidity, carbon monoxide and acoustics needs to be monitored. But what happens to that data, and who owns it? Many do not understand how smart technology can have a positive impact on elements such as energy usage, not just in terms of lowering bills but in turn reducing the impact on the environment and many more subsequent benefits. Without this insight, the automatic response to new technology can be nervousness and scepticism. Education is therefore key to overcoming these cultural concerns and by encouraging collaboration between all parties at an early stage of the plans, the benefits can be clearly explained. The potential cost of an IoT implementation can also be a perceived barrier, but in the majority of cases the cost benefit analysis can present significant financial savings. For example, IoT technology can help to lower the maintenance quotient of a building by monitoring key parameters such as water usage, temperature and movement of people. With this approach, ‘But what happens to all the environmental monitoring data?’

maintenance can be performed swiftly when it is required, rather than waiting until a system breaks down. IoT technology can also aid in energy reduction, by helping to identify the causes of energy spikes and in turn resulting in an overall decrease in energy bills. By interfacing IoT-enabled devices to a building management system, key data parameters can be used to anticipate needs, take the requisite action and control the entire process from end to end e.g. turning the air conditioning on or off when required – without the need for human interaction. While this involves monitoring a level of personal information, with data protection legislation in place individuals cannot be identified but can still play their part in the smart building measurement model.

Wafer-thin sensors There are many new developments that may stir the market of intelligent buildings, including wafer-thin sensors that can be placed unobtrusively in challenging areas, robotic assistants that are able to ‘walk’ with you around a facility, tiny drone surveillance of perimeter security, and many, many more. These new developments seem to be focused on a single main objective: improvement of operational processes with the attendant commercial impact and increase in user satisfaction. A good example of this is shared office facilities in the Nordics where resources are dynamic, flexing desk space and facilities for tenants and guests based on actual demand on any given day. In the near future, we expect this flexibility to go even further, with an increase of highly customisable buildings that will provide individualisation and personalisation of the environment for the individual user, bringing together multiple ergonomic parameters that can be customised at will. For example; technology that matches the seating settings in your car to your desk chair, individual temperature zones by desk, digital image overlays around the user and adaptive lighting to positively impact mood will all work together to provide a more productive, pleasing and personalised environment for each user. 

eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 25

For further information on ADEY Commercial visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 136

Ian Roberts is managing director at ADEY Commercial

Holistic approach holds key

When it comes to protecting commercial central heating systems adding value is crucial to demonstrate its widespread benefits. A total system approach offers the greatest chance of success, says Ian Roberts it should be serviced once a year. A chemical inhibitor is added which helps protect against corrosion and limescale deposits, before a water test is carried out with options for both chemical and microbiological testing available.

The role of water testing has become increasingly important as engineers look for a fast and reliable way to test samples. Regular, ongoing monitoring of a system is regarded as best practice but there are also situations in a commercial context where water testing is a must have before a system is given the green light.

Before a new closed system can be commissioned for use, there is a range of tests that should be performed to ensure that the system is clean and in optimum condition; this testing is set out in the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) guidance, namely BG29 and BG50. This sets out the parameters that should be monitored along with the pass and fail limits associated with them. A system must pass all requirements prior to being commissioned as part of the handover process.

The scope of water testing services has widened with both chemical and microbiological options available. The former helps detect a broad range of chemical compounds that might affect system performance while the latter has an essential safety role to play. In the healthcare sector for example, the presence of Legionella bacteria in the system can cause Legionnaire’s Disease so vigilance is required. The tests can also analyse for the presence of coliforms, pseudomonads, anaerobic colony counts and closed system bacteria such as nitrate reducing bacteria and sulphate reducing bacteria.

While the sector is making strides to embrace the role of a complete water treatment programme, ongoing education will help to improve understanding of how solutions can work together to achieve the best results.  W hile the domestic sector has been quicker to embrace the adoption of preventative system maintenance, momentum is now gathering on the commercial side which is helping to drive demand. This means knowledge and expertise are even more important as decision makers look to prioritise heating system protection and ensure that the most effective measures are in place.

While progress has undoubtedly been made, education still remains a key ingredient to ongoing success, not only to ensure the benefits of magnetic filtration are understood, but to explain how it’s just one part of a sustained and planned programme of system maintenance. Looking at the system as a whole and considering how solutions can work alongside each other will prove most effective in the fight against the damaging effects of magnetite. The ability to understand how commercial systems work is crucial alongside the impact of more modern technology, which while welcomed in some respects, has also caused its own problems. Newer boilers are more efficient but less tolerant than their cast iron predecessors, which makes protecting them even more important to ensure the risk of breakdown is mitigated.

We know that greater pressure is also being put on budgets, with facilities managers and procurement teams needing to make cost savings. Any investment that is made in the heating system needs to be justified as the installation of a new boiler represents a significant cost. This should put protection at the very forefront of commercial heating system management which means ensuring it is fitted to a clean system, that the correct filter is fitted, the system dosed with premium chemical and water quality is regularly tested. A dirty system that isn’t properly protected is also likely to break down more regularly, and in a worst-case scenario, could result in total system failure. This has a cost implication as well, so it makes sense to put measures in place that are going to help prevent any issues. While specifying magnetic filtration from the start is the most effective way to ensure proper protection, solutions can also be retrofitted. As the name would suggest, magnetic filtration has magnets as its core. These are usually powerful neodymium magnets which are tolerant to high temperatures and available in different sizes depending on the size of the system. The filter can easily be fitted to the pipe work and this can be done on a brand-new heating system or retro fitted. The filter will also need to be monitored, emptied and serviced as the sludge collects around the magnets. Some filters also offer greater flexibility, with both side stream and in-line installation being possible. Holistic, best-practice approach It’s important though that fitting a filter isn’t considered in isolation and we encourage engineers to take a holistic, best-practice approach for maximum results. The first step is to clean the system with a premium chemical cleaner which will help dislodge any system debris that has built up and make it easier to collect. A system flush should then be carried out to properly clean the system and ensure it is free from magnetite. A magnetic filter is then installed to collect the sludge and The scope of water testing services has widened with both chemical and microbiological options available

A dirty system that is not properly protected is likely to break down more regularly

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For further information on Xylem UK visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 137

Steffen Rüting is AOP process engineer, Xylem Services GmbH, Wedeco Products and Beatrice Martin is business development manager - water treatment, Xylem Water Solutions UK

One size doesn’t fit all

There is a growing need for advanced water treatment processes to address micropollutants and disinfection in water supply, say Beatrice Martin and Steffen Rüting I t’s common for micropollutants, such as traces of pesticides or pharmaceuticals, including disease-carrying pathogens, to make their way into drinking water, affecting its quality and compromising its safety.

And just as the advancing capabilities of analytical and treatment methods have made us more aware of the dangers these compounds pose, it has also highlighted that there is no off-theshelf approach to removing them. Each area faces different challenges and is at risk of different micropollutants. Extremely sophisticated treatment options are available, but different compounds require differing doses and approaches. Experts will usually recommend a combination of techniques depending on the use case. That each utility will face a unique challenge is no surprise when we consider how micropollutants enter the water supply.

There are several expressions known for (potentially) harmful chemicals present in waste and drinking water in the typical concentrations of microgram and nanogram per litre: e.g. trace substances, organic micro pollutants (OMP) or contaminants of emerging concern (CEC). The latter comprise non-regulated micropollutants which are supposed to have negative health effects on humans and/or animals and the environment even at such low concentrations. Therefore they are watched closely by the water industry.

CECs may include compounds from pharmaceuticals, industrial products, pesticides, cosmetics or personal care products. All of these can cause harm when ingested, particularly in high quantities. Many are known to be nonbiodegradable and bio accumulative, meaning they can build up in the body, and are highly hazardous to humans, animals and aquatic species alike.

To mitigate safety risks, provide quality water and ensure regulatory compliance, water managers are increasingly turning to advanced oxidation processes (AOPs).

AOP describes a set of chemical treatment procedures that use oxidation to remove OMPs including CECs from drinking water and pretreated wastewater, but there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Experts will often recommend a combination of treatment methods, carefully designed to meet the needs of each specific application, but only after an extensive process of research. A good amount of experience is used to determine the process, but a lot of work is guided by piloting. Some compounds are not strippable, absorbable or biodegradable, so they need to be oxidized and then captured, for example, while some compounds have only one appropriate treatment technology. Biological make up of water Water technology companies carry out extensive testing to determine the precise chemical and biological make-up of the water present, before designing a bespoke AOP system. Designing an UV-based AOP usually consists of a collimated beam test which uses a laboratory UV bench equipment to determine the base UV dose response curve for a particular water matrix including the addition of an oxidant like hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) or sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). The UV light activates the oxidant to form hydroxyl radicals (OH-radicals) which are extremely powerful in oxidizing and removing even recalcitrant OMPs which are not targeted by other treatment technologies. Another mainstay of AOPs is ozone, which uses a tri-atomic gas created from oxygen. Ozone itself is used for disinfecting, as well as colour removal, chemical oxygen demand removal, micropollutant reduction, and odour removal. Depending on the required reductions and the kind of micro pollutant, ozone-based AOP is applied. In contrast to UV-based AOPs, ozone activates H 2 O 2 to produce OH-radicals. Ozone / NaOCl do not exist, because it doesn’t work. These technologies may also be combined with processes such as chlorination or biologically active filtration (BAF) to achieve the best results.

Health and regulatory concerns are not the only consideration for water utilities tasked with supplying quality drinking water – customer satisfaction is also a priority.

In 2013, Anderson in the USA, encountered a problem with green-blue algae blooms in its lakes. These blooms, which are also called cyanobacteria, release a number of toxins, including microscystin, which can damage the liver, geosmin and MIB, both of which impact the taste and smell of the water.

Attempts to treat the lake, first with copper and then with powderactivated carbon, proved successful in reducing microcystin levels to within US EPA standards. But while the water was safe to drink, MIB compounds were still giving it a muddy, earthy taste.

Xylem was called in to conduct a series of on-site and on-lake tests. These included laboratory and pilot studies that compared how different processes could be used to reduce the taste and odour compounds in the water.

UV AOP, ozone AOP were compared at different ozone concentrations and it was discovered that Ozone AOP at an applied dose of 2mg/l ozone and H 2 O 2 , was able to reduce MIB levels by 90 per cent. In response to this finding, Anderson took delivery of two PDOevo 900 generators, capable of producing 38kg of ozone per hour. Now, the plant typically applies between 2mg/l and 2.5mg/l to its water as part of its treatment process, effectively eliminating the MIB taste and odour compounds.

Utility managers have moral, legal and business reasons to remove micropollutants from the product they provide – but there’s no one-sizefits-all solution to doing so. 

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For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Wastewater treatment plant is the toast of Scottish distillery

Leading solutions provider in the water sector, Alpheus Environmental, has toasted another major contract win working with Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain.

Alpheus Environmental will operate and maintain the wastewater treatment plant for the distillery, responsible for the production of the world-renowned single malt whisky, driving down operational costs.

In addition, as the treatment will incorporate an anaerobic digestion process, green energy will be generated as a by-product of this which will be returned to the distillery, enhancing its already strong sustainability credentials.

Three full time Alpheus members will be employed onsite, supported by other engineering resources.

The contract win provides for a longterm commitment between Alpheus and Glenmorangie enabling the delivery of long-term sustainable value to the client.

Through adopting technologies and processes developed in the water sector such as advanced water and waste water monitoring and treatment processes, increases in production can be delivered in more sustainable manner. Through its Innovation Group, Alpheus will also be working with Glenmorangie on delivering this increased level of sustainability in treating their wastewater stream on site.

Commenting on the win, Declan Maguire, managing director of Alpheus Environmental and Celtic Anglian Water said: “In addition to protecting the Dornoch Firth, the recovery of energy from the treatment process feeding back into the distillery makes it highly sustainable and beneficial for the environment. “We are always seeking to bring the new innovative water and waste water treatment technologies and processes developed in the Group to other industrial, commercial and municipal clients in the UK and Ireland.” “Businesses have always had challenging

growth objectives, however, now more than ever there is an increasing demand to deliver this growth in a sustainable manner. One way of helping to achieve this is by managing the treatment of the water and wastewater streams using the most advanced technologies available. We endeavour to do that in a cost effective way for our clients.” 

ONLINE ENQUIRY 138

Solar power harnessed to bring desalinated water to smart city

Technology researched at Cranfield University that harnesses concentrated solar power to desalinate sea water is being adopted by a new smart city under construction in Saudi Arabia.

NEOM – a region in northwest Saudi Arabia on the Red Sea being built from the ground up as a living laboratory – has signed an agreement with Solar Water plc to build the first ever ‘solar dome’ desalination plant.

Solar Water’s groundbreaking carbon neutral approach was developed through a Cranfield master’s group project and represents the first large-scale use of Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technology in seawater desalination.

Professor Chris Sansom, head of the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems at Cranfield, and currently a consultant to Solar Water, said: “Research for this technology began as a group MSc project five years ago and we are delighted to see it now being rolled out at full-scale.

“The adoption of solar dome desalination in NEOM will be a trailblazer for other countries struggling to generate environmentally safe and sustainable sources of fresh water. The process could be used to produce clean water for a range of uses including farming, reforestation, biotech consumption, or use by high-tech industries that rely on pure clean water for their manufacturing.”

The Solar Water process involves seawater being pumped into a hydrological ‘solar dome’ made from glass and steel, before it is heated, evaporated and eventually precipitated as fresh water. The technology also reduces the total amount of brine that is created during the water extraction process and prevents any damage to marine life as no brine is discharged into the sea. The heat that accelerates the evaporation of the seawater is harvested from a concentrating solar thermal field of mirrors next to the desalination dome.

David Reavley, CEO of Solar Water, said: “Currently, thousands of desalination plants around the world are heavily reliant on burning fossil fuels to extract water, poisoning our oceans in the process with excess brine. Our gamechanging desalination technology is 100 per cent carbon neutral and entirely sustainable.” 

Christopher Black is global director of automotive business development at TR Fastenings

For further information on TR Fastenings visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 140

A light touch needed

The journey to EV batteries will have profound effects on the supply chain, notably on the development of lightweight components, believes Christopher Black A s the automotive market continues to evolve and environmental and economic pressures increasingly demand a shift towards sustainable solutions and lower carbon emissions, Electric Vehicles (EV) is one of the fastest growing markets to have emerged in recent years. As this sector adapts to public and market demands, the whole supply chain is working to flex to these changes, with considerable developments being made in technology, cost-saving initiatives and lightweighting techniques. The role of fasteners in EV is not insignificant: not only are they needed for the vehicles themselves, but charging units, EV battery casings and general infrastructure equipment all require high quality fastenings to provide robust and secure settings for this valuable technology.

The growing consumer demand for EVs, coupled with the rapid development of EV and EVB technology has enabled TR Fastenings to combine our extensive fastener product range and breadth of knowledge into the ideal package to support and contribute to these ground-breaking sectors.

The EV and EVB markets are such exciting, fast-moving sectors and the resulting impact on global supply chains in both the automotive and electronic industries has been huge in terms of demand and opportunity. It’s a real privilege to be involved in such a cutting-edge field, delivering our products and knowledge to start-ups, OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers developing transformative technology such as longer lasting batteries, lightweight solutions and connected devices.

According to BloombergNEF’s latest EV Outlook report, 57 per cent of all global passenger vehicle sales and 30 per cent of the global passenger vehicle fleet will be electric by 2040.

Two million EVs were sold worldwide in 2018, and this number is expected to rise to 10m by 2025, 28m by 2030 and 56m by 2040. The growth in this sector has been rapid, rising quickly into the millions, a far cry from 2010 when only a few thousand EVs were sold across the globe.

However, infrastructure still remains a major challenge for the sector, as the chicken and egg dilemma of supply versus demand continues to amount to far fewer charging points than needed being installed. Charging infrastructure For the electric car market to grow at a sustainable and profitable rate, investment must be made into growing the charging infrastructure across Europe and, crucially, awareness of the charging network. Once consumers are satisfied that there are sufficient charging points, we will likely see an uplift in electric vehicle adoption.

According to the UK charging point platform, Zap-map.com, there are currently (as of 31 May 2019) 23,417 charging connectors, in 13,788 devices, at 8,614 locations across the UK. The total number of connectors has increased from just over 13,000 in November 2017 to over 23,000 in May 2019, a 57 per cent increase in just 18 months. The global charging landscape looks healthy as well. There are 630,000 public charging points installed globally, as well as commercial charging points serving the utilities, oil and gas and automotive sectors.

Although charging infrastructure continues to grow, resources and investment are also being routed towards battery development, exploring different options in battery Investment must be made in the EV charging infrastructure Worldwide sales of EVs are expected to hit 10m by 2025

types, materials and longevity.

The battery sector is naturally the major focus for growth, as battery and lithium prices continue to drop and significant investment is made into new chemistry and technology, such as single state battery development.

According to Bloomberg’s EV Outlook forecast, “Lithium supply looks sufficient until at least the mid-2020s, but new cobalt and nickel mining capacity will need to come online to meet growing demand.” According to Bloomberg, China is expected to continue leading the market in battery manufacturing capacity for the foreseeable future, with Europe as the second largest region in this regard.

In an effort to speed up the discovery and development of the ideal battery solution for the EV market, European governments are coming together to fund research and production in this area. In early May 2019, it was announced that France and Germany were forming a consortium and launching a multi-billion Euro initiative into EV battery research, sourced from private European companies such as Automotive OEMs and energy businesses.

Another concern in terms of EVB is lightweighting: as one of the heaviest components in an EV, the electric battery runs the risk of negating the idea of carbon emission reductions if the vehicle’s weight increases energy consumption.

As a result, fastener companies and other suppliers are constantly looking at ways to achieve gains in lightweighting, and looking at other industries for inspiration.

In aviation, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is constructed largely of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics instead of the traditional aluminium, which is inspiring automotive firms such as BMW to look at carbon-fibre for its new electric vehicle, in order to reduce the vehicle’s weight and enhance the driving experience. At TR, we work with Tier 1 suppliers to ensure that where possible, lightweight solutions, such as the Mortorq screw we are licensed to manufacture by Phillips Screw Company, are used throughout vehicle applications to make weight savings and counterbalance the impact made by the battery weight. 

For further information on Enel X UK visitwww.eibi.co.uk/enquiriesand enter ENQUIRY No. 141

Andrew Toher is head of customer insights Enel X UK

A no-regrets EV infrastructure

As the government looks to bring forward the ban on sales of new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles, businesses are turning their attention to the infrastructure needs of EVs, says Andrew Toher

EV charging. However, it may be more difficult to realise benefits from off-peak time-of-use tariffs as EV charging becomes the norm. If everyone is charging at off-peak, it’s probably not going to be off-peak any more.

Using EVs for energy storage requires vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology and the ability to discharge the car’s battery to the grid. While there has been a raft of successful proof-of-concept V2G trials, there are some practical barriers to implementing V2G today. Support for bidirectional charging is currently limited to CHAdeMO, the Japanese standard. The Combined Charging System, or CCS, is the fastcharging standard for Europe, North America and some other countries. CharIn, which is the association that promotes and supports CCS, recently stated that bidirectional support is still five years away.

Implementing a bidirectional V2G charging capability will add a cost premium to the charging hardware. Until volume manufacturing delivers V2G at scale, the cost of adding V2G functionality to hardware could be relatively high. Implementing V2G also needs to take into account the effect on the driving experience. Exporting electricity from batteries back to the grid may heighten range anxiety.  O rganisations are seeing an increasingly attractive business case for electrifying their fleets. Companies who have already committed to EVs are realising savings on fuel and maintenance costs. For some businesses, becoming an early adopter of zero-emission transport is a tangible demonstration of their commitment to combat climate change. For delivery firms and logistics companies where transport is the core of the business, those who can offer a net-zero service first will attract new customers. A potent combination of government legislation and user demand are compelling drivers for businesses to act on EV charging. Some of the key issues include: site capacity and load; choosing the right charger; taking a modular approach to design; identifying grid balancing opportunities and signing up to the right supply contract.

For many sites, considering the impact of adding EV charging stations on site power load is fundamental to the feasibility and cost of the project. While a basic parking facility might have a power load of just 5-10kW for features like lighting and barrier entry, adding a single rapid charging unit will increase the peak power load for that facility by 5-10 times. Providing workplace charging for EV fleets introduces a key challenge – how to manage overall power loads at facilities.

Large sites with half-hourly billing will have agreed a maximum import capacity (MIC) with their supplier. Capacity needs to be in line with demand, and exceeding the MIC incurs financial penalties. There may also be a risk of exceeding total supply capacity by using EV charging stations while operating normal electrical loads in buildings. The Distribution Network Operator will be involved in looking at worst-case power load scenarios to assess whether network upgrades are required, which can take many weeks and require significant investment if the business has to pay for reinforcing the network. The extent to which the customer has to pay for these connection costs is under review as part of the Access and Forward Looking Charges Review and could be more onerous in future. Remote monitoring of charging By monitoring the building’s energy consumption, the charging process can be remotely managed in real-time while making the most of the existing available power. This approach can avoid the need for expensive network reinforcement, enabling optimal use of charging infrastructure while minimising costs through dynamic load balancing.

Rather than taking a one-sizefits-all approach, it is necessary to consider the needs of users and the potential business models when specifying charging solutions for public and private infrastructure. For example, a 50kW fast charger may be too fast for a shopping centre or a business park, where visitors are expected to stay on-site for a number of hours.

A retail park, pub or motorway service station will have different business requirements that are met by different charging solutions. Some operators of public charging infrastructure earn revenue by renting parking spaces from the site owners for a fixed annual fee, while the site owner benefits from an additional customer amenity and, in some cases, a share of the charging revenue.

Anticipating and balancing the needs of users with a design that satisfies those needs will be challenging for any business committing to providing EV infrastructure for employees. There are many variables at play, including the rate of uptake of e-mobility, EV battery range, technology advances and driver behaviour (for example, how drivers choose to charge their cars; whether keeping them ‘topped up’ or recharging from empty). Rather than attempting to predict the future, the no-regrets strategy would be to take a modular approach to specifying on-premise EV charging. By planning for future expansion while implementing what’s needed today, businesses can review usage patterns and power loads so that decisions about future needs are based on real data. Most appropriate supply Another consideration for businesses is whether they are signed up to the most appropriate supply for EV charging. Some energy suppliers are introducing innovative tariffs that are highly suited to smart Considering the impact of adding EV charging stations on site power load is crucial to the feasibility and cost of the project