April 2021

APRIL 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Boilers & Burners Building Energy Management Systems Compressed Air CPD Module: Behaviour Change

Control in the classroom How BEMS can cut costs

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The challenge of future heat Is there still a role for gas?

Sum of the parts Select the right compressed air equipment

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APRIL 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Boilers & Burners Building Energy Management Systems Compressed Air CPD Module: Behaviour Change

Control in the classroom How BEMS can cut costs

The challenge of future heat Is there still a role for gas?

Contents

www.eibi.co.uk

Sum of the parts Select the right compressed air equipment

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APRIL 2021

21

28

FEATURES

10

Boilers & Burners

Terry Sharp discusses the importance of training and what lockdown has taught us about effective building management (22)

Maintaining process heat is crucial for many sectors. Hans Bahnsen discusses why having a reliable, efficient boiler is essential for your manufacturing plant

Schools need to take advantage of new innovative technologies in building automation and control to drive down energy costs and reduce carbon emissions (24)

Tom Murray looks at the opportunities ahead for energy managers to reduce emissions from heat and how the humble boiler is evolving to meet immediate and future requirements (12)

As lockdown restrictions draw closer, George Catto looks at how energy managers are facing the challenge of how best to prepare their buildings (26)

New boilers provide heating to Leeds offices while a new range of industrial process boilers comes to the market (14) Efficient production of bulk hot water is vital for many commercial buildings, but with so many options, what should specifiers look out for? Mark Ferris outlines the approaches available (15)

Energy 21 Building Management Systems The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is perhaps the biggest trend since the transition from steam to electricity. It has much to offer industry and buildings in terms of energy management, as Kieron O’Toole explains

A cloud-connected BACnet controller has helped update a BEMS for a Florida-based organisation (27)

28

Compressed Air Roy Brooks and explains why operators should consider all parts of a compressed air system during the specification process Energy costs make up over three quarters of a compressor’s total cost of ownership. Alexander Pavlov examines the economics of investing in green compressor technology (29) David Bruchof discusses how oil-free compressed air solutions can help energy and facility managers save money while improving site efficiencies too (30)

REGULARS 06 News Update

32 Products in Action

Government pulls the plug on the Green Homes Grant, while a boom in energy efficiency jobs could be on the way if the Government sticks to its commitments

A new housing development in Lincolnshire is feeling the benefit of air source heat pumps

33 ESTA Viewpoint

09 The Warren Report A report from the National Audit Office acknowledges the benefits of taxation on organisations but questions what specific effects they achieve

16 New Products New for the energy manager are an improved range of stainless steel calorifiers and an all-electric water heating option for commercial premises

17 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning Behaviour change offers around 50 per cent of the total potential energy savings. James Brittain, John Mulholland and Jes Rutter examine ways to exploit this resource

COP26 in Glasgow is just a few months away. But is the Government setting the right course to ensure the UK is on track to meet its climate obligations?, asks Mervyn Pilley

34 Talking Heads Paul Ruddick calls for buildings of the future to truly embrace modern methods of construction to deliver more efficient, better-performing environments

Follow us, ‘like us’ or visit us online to keep up to date with all the latest energy news and events www.eibi.co.uk APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 03

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Editor’s Opinion

www.eibi.co.uk

Follow us on @ twitter.com/eibi and twitter.com/eibi_magazine

Gone but not forgotten

I

guess we could have predicted its demise

the country’s 29m homes. We have been left

a whole lot earlier. Like its predecessor, the

speechless by this news, which comes just days

Green Deal, the Green Homes Grant has been

after the Environmental Audit Committee sent

unceremoniously put out of its suffering.

a clear message to government that if we are to

The Government has blamed the scheme’s

meet our legally binding target to be net zero

poor performance on low levels of public interest

carbon by 2050, urgent action is needed to

and an unwillingness to allow tradespeople into

improve energy efficiency of homes this decade.”

their homes at the current time. But the evidence

Heating our homes is currently the second

does not support this. Well over 100,000

largest single source of UK greenhouse gas

applications were received but only 2,700

emissions (after passenger vehicles), so it is

installations completed. Installers have gone

crucial that we change the way we do it if the UK is

bankrupt waiting for payments.

to meet its net zero target. There is clearly demand

Unfortunately, it proved to be neither the

to do so, and the Green Homes Grant should have

short-term stimulus for the economy nor one

been an effective mechanism in the medium-term

of the building blocks for building back better.

to grow a strategically vital industry.

It was the product of the coming together of

It is essential for confidence to be rebuilt among

two Government departments with different

the suppliers and installers and for government

ambitions – the Treasury was desperate to get

to understand that a large-scale roll out of heat

money into the economy while BEIS (hopefully)

pumps is anything but a long-term project. The

had its thoughts turned towards the long-term

money that has been denied to the Green Homes

project of decarbonising our homes.

Grant should be reallocated to develop the supply

Inevitably, the demise of the scheme brought

chain not just across the narrow range of products

almost universal condemnation. Julie Hirigoyen,

and services it encompassed but other energy-

chief executive at UK Green Building Council,

saving products such as lighting. Not for the short

said: “Slashing more than £1bn in funding

term but for the coming ten or twenty years.

for energy efficiency is an absolute travesty, for households wanting to take action and for businesses trying to plan ahead, and has

MANAGING EDITOR

created yet another roadblock for decarbonising

Mark Thrower

The EiBI Team Editorial Managing Editor Mark Thrower tel: 01483 452854 Email: editor@eibi.co.uk Address: P. O. Box 825, Guildford GU4 8WQ

Advertising Sales Managers Chris Evans tel: 01889 577222 fax: 01889 579177 Email: chris@eibi.co.uk Address: 16-18 Hawkesyard Hall, Armitage Park, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1PU Russ Jackson tel: 01704 501090 fax: 01704 531090 Email: russ@eibi.co.uk Address: Argyle Business Centre, 8 Leicester Street, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0EZ Nathan Wood tel 01525 716 143 fax 01525 715 316 Email nathan@eibi.co.uk Address: 1b, Station Square Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1DP

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THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY When we think of boilers we understandably think of heat and how boiler technology contributes to keeping us warm. However, in industry, boilers can have other important uses, which aren’t necessarily related to providing heat and hot water.

One such application is process heat.

This is where industrial-sized steam or hot water boilers, are utilised in production lines within manufacturing facilities. Maintaining process heat is crucial for many sectors.

Hans Bahnsen of Bosch Industrial & Commercial discusses why having a reliable, efficient boiler is essential for your manufacturing plant.

See page 10 for more details Photo courtesy of Bosch Industrial & Commercial

Publishing Directors Chris Evans Russ Jackson Magazine Designer Tim Plummer For overseas readers or UK readers not qualifying for a free copy, annual subscription rates are £85 UK; £105 Europe airmail; £120 RoW. Single copies £10 each.

Published by: Pinede Publishing Ltd 16-18 Hawkesyard Hall, Armitage Park, Nr. Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1PU ISSN 0969 885X This issue includes photographs provided and paid for by suppliers

Printed by Precision Colour Printing Origination by Design and Media Solutions ABC Audited Circulation Jan-Dec 2020 11,721

04 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2021

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news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk

Government ‘lacks clear net zero strategy’ As it gears up to host the international climate summit COP26 a few months from now the UK Government lacks a plan for how it will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 despite setting the target - in law almost two years ago, according to the Public Accounts Committee.

Government “intends to publish a plethora of strategies this year” setting out how it will reduce emissions in different sectors ranging from transport to the heating of buildings, but at present, there is no coordinated plan with clear milestones towards achieving the target, the Committee says.

Departments across Government are not yet sufficiently considering the impact on net zero when taking forward projects and programmes.

The Treasury has changed the guidance on policy appraisal to ensure departments place greater emphasis on the environmental impacts, but also hasn’t set out how this will work in practice.

Government is not yet ensuring its activities to reduce UK emissions are not simply transferring emissions overseas, which would undermine global efforts to tackle climate change.

As much as 62 per cent of the future reduction in emissions will rely on individual behaviour including day-to-day choices to one-off purchases such as replacing boilers or buying an electric vehicle.

FUNDING GAP ON HOMES EFFICIENCY

Time called on Green Homes Grant Having slashed £1bn from its funding the government has now called time on the Green Homes Grant scheme. It closed to new applications at the end of March and the £300m previously allocated for the GHG will now go into a programme administered by local authorities, targeted at lower income households.

The government said many households were reluctant to apply for the grants - up to £10,000 because they feared catching Covid from contractors coming into their homes. However, in some parts of the country installers were actually overwhelmed with demand.

Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng emphasised the transfer of cash to the local authority fund, rather than the scrapping of the GHG. “Upgrading the country’s homes with energy efficiency measures means we can cut emissions and save people money on their energy bills,” he said.

“Today’s funding boost will

Bristol receives cash as it heads towards net zero Bristol’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 has been further enhanced after the city was awarded £6.9m to help reduce emissions from its public buildings.

The central government funding will be used to extend the Bristol Heat Network to nine sites.

The money will be used to improve existing connections the heat network and to fund the replacement of existing gas boilers with low or zero carbon heat sources, allowing rapid growth in the numbers of buildings connected to Bristol’s Heat Network.

mean even more households across England are able to access these vital grants through their local authority.

“This latest announcement takes our total energy efficiency spending to over £1.3bn in the next financial year, giving installers the certainty they need to plan ahead, create new jobs and train the next generation of builders, plumbers

and tradespeople.”

Matthew Pennycook, the shadow minister for climate change, said: “The funding announced doesn’t even come close to plugging the investment gap created by the government’s decision to slash more than £1bn from its Green Homes Grant scheme and then scrap it altogether.”

Julie Hirigoyen, chief executive at UK Green Building Council, said: “Slashing more than £1bn in funding for energy efficiency is an absolute travesty, for households wanting to take action and for businesses trying to plan ahead, and has created yet another roadblock for decarbonising the country’s 29m homes. We have been left speechless by this news, which comes just days after the Environmental Audit Committee sent a clear message to government that if we are to meet our legally binding target to be net zero carbon by 2050, urgent action is needed to improve energy efficiency of homes this decade.”

Italy to offer ‘exemplar programme’ for efficiency The new Italian Government is offering a grant worth 110 per cent of the total sum spent improving the energy efficiency of any home.

Householders can install measures drawn from a long list of eligible measures, covering structural improvements that reduce energy consumption. This includes all types of insulation, glazing, heating and cooling systems, photovoltaics, lighting systems, and electric car recharging points.

It is already being billed as an exemplar programme for other EU countries as part of the European Green Deal initiative, leading to net zero carbon by 2050.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi, former president of the European Investment Bank, has introduced several options covering the extra financial compensation. For renovations originally costing the householder €100,000, the beneficiary can reduce the amount of tax paid by €22,000 over each of the next five years- effectively providing the householder with an annual reward of €2,000 for participating in the scheme. Those not paying taxes can receive the sum

either directly or via the contractor employed to oversee the work.

In contrast, the now-defunct Green Homes Grant offered just 65 per cent of total householder costs, up to a maximum of £5,000. It also had a very limited and prescriptive list of qualifying items, excluding lighting, boilers or electric car recharging points.

But there is one way in which the

2021 UK Budget announcements do reflect the same concept of extra rewards for those who make investments that the Government wish to encourage. Chancellor Sunak has announced his intention to provide 130 per cent tax relief upon first year capital allowances for companies - which can certainly include major electrical and lighting retrofits.

06 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2021

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news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk

GOVERNMENT IGNORING ENERGY-SAVING MEASURES

IN BRIEF

Calculations ‘favouring’ heat pumps

New executive officer at the BCIA

Government calculations to assess which measures to prioritise, so as to reduce carbon emissions in homes, are deliberately promoting heat pumps over established energy-saving measures.

This is because the carbon savings for all types of heat pump are assessed on the basis that no additional improvements to existing energysaving measures would be made in the building in which it is installed.

This exclusion inflates the potential reduction on emissions that any heat pump can have. Consequently it encourages the installation of larger heat pumps than strictly necessary, adding considerably to the capital cost of reducing carbon emissions, by devaluing the savings that can be achieved by installing established energy saving measures.

These calculations have been revealed in debates in the House of Lords and a meeting between the energy minister Lord Callanan and

The Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) has appointed George Lee as its executive officer, following the retirement of Roger Borer who has been in post for the last four years.

Lee is an experienced Trade Association executive having previously been CEO at Highways Term Maintenance Association and Road Safety Markings Association, during which time he also founded stakeholder, public relations and communications consultancy Blue Symmetry.

crossbencher Lord Knebs (above), a former board member of the Committee on Climate Change. This was convened to discus the policy decision to divide products included in the Green Homes Grant scheme into primary and secondary measures.

Subsequently, an explanatory table, setting out the potential carbon dioxide savings ascribed by

the Government to different product options, was sent to Lord Krebs by Selvin Brown MBE, the director in charge of energy efficiency at the BEIS department. The table reveals that a ground floor heat pump is deemed to be 17 times more valuable in carbon saving terms in the average house than installing triple glazing in windows, 23 times more than installing loft insulation or heating zone controls, and 39 times more than draft proofing.

In his covering note, Brown concedes that “these carbon savings do not reflect the cost of installing each measure.” Additionally, he concludes blithely that “more generally, a larger heat pump can be installed if insulation levels are low.”

In 2019, just over 40,000 heat pumps were installed in British homes. Last November Prime Minister Boris Johnson promised that by 2028, there would be 600,000 heat pumps being installed each year.

Industry prepares for first auction under new UK ETS On May 19 the first ever auction of allowances available under the UK’s independent carbon emissions trading scheme (UK ETS) will take place. This will involve some 14,000 industrial or electricity generation sites.

The scheme is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting a cap on the levels heavy polluters can produce, forcing them to buy carbon credits to cover their annual outputs. For the past 15 years, these companies have been participants in the world’s largest and most influential carbon trading scheme, the EU: ETS. UK participants have been warned that, for 2021, only 156m allowances will be issued. This is 5 per cent lower than the amounts that would have been available had the companies been able to continue operating within the EU scheme. In addition, the Business Department has announced that in two years time this number will be “tightened.” It is then set to decline by around 2.7 per cent each year “for the immediate future.”

In contrast, the legal position of the current (fourth) stage of the EU: ETS is that the total allowances available annually will remain constant until 2026.

Last year EU ETS emissions fell by 11.6 per cent for stationary emissions, and overall (including aviation) by 13 per cent. For the first time, total emissions from industry overtook those from electricity generators.

The UK will continue offering some free allowances to sectors likely to be damaged by competitors not bearing similar financial burdens, although the government is concerned “this may overcompensate for the risk of leakage.” It intends to use these free allowances as a “mechanism to support decarbonisation,” to incentivise heavy polluters like the steel industry to shift out of coking coal towards no fossil fuel electronic arc furnaces. If so, it may find itself out of alignment with the EU, which now seems perversely

to be advising free allowances for smelting with coal, but not with electrolysis.

There is growing concern about the “inherent incompatibility for unpriced emissions” from companies based outside Europe.

In June the European Commission is set to publish proposals for a new “carbon border adjustment mechanism” to encourage other countries to impose similar taxation arrangements which effectively increase the costs of emitting excess carbon.

• The European Commission is also offering an open contract worth €5m, for consultants to create a viable “emissions trading dialogue” with China.

New underfloor heating service UnderFloor Climate Management, part of the Polypipe group, has set up a new service to work with architects, developers and contractors to help deliver integrated underfloor heating systems for commercial projects including residential apartment buildings, hotels, student accommodation and office developments.

The service is headed up by Rachel Smith, UFCM managing director, who has a broad range of experience within the built environment sector.

UFCM has been developed as a solution to the fast evolving landscape of the HVAC sector with Net Zero Carbon targets, a move towards more renewable energy sources and a changing building design process drastically affecting the demands on heating design.

Sewage to power London homes Excess heat recovered from the sewage treatment process could be used to power more than 2,000 homes thanks to a new carboncutting partnership between Thames Water and Kingston upon Thames Council.

The 7GW scheme is the first of its kind in England. Under the plans, heat recovered from the final effluent of the sewage treatment process at Hogsmill will be captured before water is returned to the river, concentrated and supplied to local buildings.

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news update For all the latest news stories visit www.eibi.co.uk

Energy efficiency jobs boom could be on the way Almost 1.3m jobs in energy efficiency and low-carbon heating could be created if the Government delivers on its commitment to the Net Zero Balanced Pathway in the Sixth Carbon Budget, to which it committed at the end of last year.

This is a key finding of a research report, Greening the Giants, from think tank, Onward. In addition, there is the potential for the creation of 367,000 jobs in electric vehicles and 36,000 jobs in lowcarbon power.

In terms of economic value, this explosion of decarbonisation activity is the equivalent to an increase in annual turnover for low carbon heating and efficiency from £19bn in 2018 to £173bn in 2030, or for electric vehicles and infrastructure from £4bn to £158bn.

In total, it could generate over £330bn in additional economic value by 2030.

The report finds that the Government will not deliver on its commitment to net zero by 2050 without taking radical action to decarbonise the 12 most carbonintensive industries, which together represent three-fifths of UK emissions and employ one in every five jobs.

The analysis finds that just 12 industries – which include aviation, agriculture, steel, manufacturing and construction – make up 62 per cent of all UK carbon emissions. However, decarbonising these industries will likely have a disruptive effect on the UK economy: these industries represent around 23 per cent of UK output and 21 per cent of current UK jobs.

The report puts forward 25 recommendations for the Government to green the giants and ease the transition for these high-emitting industries, while maximising the domestic economic potential of the transition to boost jobs and growth, including the requirement for a proportion of the materials in net zero technologies to be sourced from the UK supply chains, to reduce import emissions and boost UK industry, building on the offshore wind sector deal, which committed industry to using 60 per cent UK steel by 2030.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF IMPROVING HOSPITALS

Energy renovations cut hospital stays Holistic energy renovations of office buildings increase productivity by 12 per cent while major energy renovations of hospitals and other health institutions reduce the average patient length of stay by 11 per cent.

These startling findings come from a study of actual energy saving programmes across 15 countries, undertaken by the Buildings Performance Institute for the campaign Renovate Europe. The study also examines the detailed health benefits of improving energyinefficient homes.

As well as personal economic benefits, researchers also concluded that society at large is also advantaged. A subsequent decline in absenteeism, plus increased productivity has been established.

Elimination of poor-quality housing has been shown to be benefitting the French economy by as much as €20bn each year.

The analysts stress that these findings are not theoretical. They have been based on actual measured consequences of specific policies or programmes introduced in one or more of the 15 counties studied.

But funder Renovate Europe stress

that, in order to meet net zero carbon targets, the number of deep energy retrofits of commercial and residential buildings undertaken each year between now and 2050 will need to triple from the present day onwards.

Irish government passes legislation for 2050 net zero

The Irish government has approved legislation for a reduction in the country’s emissions of 51 per cent by the end of the decade and to reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

Two five-year carbon budgets will be proposed by the Climate Change Advisory Council to reach the 51 per cent reduction relative to a baseline of 2018. The government must adopt carbon budgets that are consistent with the Paris agreement and other

international obligations. All forms of greenhouse gas emissions including biogenic methane will be included in the carbon budgets. However, it is up to government to decide on the trajectories for different sectors. The Government will consult on how to apply the carbon budget across the relevant sectors, and what each sector will contribute in a given five-year period.

The preparation of the 2021 Climate Action Plan will involve a major public

consultation. The government is inviting climate scientists, experts and industry to share their databased technical proposals to support development of the Plan. It also wants to hear from households and communities about what Government can do to further support them as part of Ireland’s journey to net zero.

In the past two years emissions have fallen by 4 per cent and 6 per cent, but the Government says that Ireland needs to reduce emissions by at least 7 per cent per year to ensure a 51 per cent reduction by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050.

The Taoiseach, Micheal Martin, said: “This is a landmark day for Ireland. We all know that Climate Change is already happening, and the time to act is now. The Bill we are publishing today affirms our ambition to be a global leader in this field. As we begin our journey towards net zero emissions, the government is committed to tackling the challenges, and embracing the opportunities, this transition can bring our economy, our society and our country. We must continue to act, across Government, as there is no time to waste when it comes to securing our future.”

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THE WARREN REPORT

Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

Environmental taxes work – but we’re not sure how A report from the National Audit Office acknowledges the benefits of taxation on organisations but questions what specific effects they achieve

T

he National Audit (NAO)

has produced a fascinating report. Blandly entitled “Environmental Tax Measures”, it reveals that in 2019 eco taxes and charges - as defined by the Office for National Statistics - raised some £51.6bn. Threequarters of which came from energy use, and almost all the rest from transport taxes.

This report examines how HM Treasury and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) manage tax measures with environmental objectives, including the work undertaken to design, monitor and evaluate them.

The NAO looked in detail at the oldest of these taxes, the Climate Change Levy (CCL). First collected in 2001, it now costs business users and public sector organisations “around” £1bn a year. Together with the Carbon Price Support, introduced in 2013, the two taxes raise a very precise £2.091bn per annum.

The objective of the CCL is to “encourage businesses and the public sector to use energy more efficiently, and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Has it worked? Well, the amount of energy used by industry to produce a unit of output has fallen by two-thirds.

Curiously, little attention is paid to the 51 industrial sectors which have established Climate Change Agreements, whereby they commit to improving energy efficiency in exchange for receiving a discount on the levy, which costs the Exchequer £260m a year. Many earlier studies have concluded how effective these Agreements are.

But as the Treasury acknowledges, given its longevity, the CCL “has had most of the behavioural effect for many businesses” and thus “ongoing monitoring provides limited insight into the Levy’s effect.”

The NAO is rather scathing that neither they nor HMRC “hold data, or undertake analysis to help understand how the taxes effect business decisions.” It has now been agreed, to address potential compliance risks, that VAT-related visits should include data on the CCL, particularly “for larger suppliers.”

The NAO has even more question marks about quite why since 2014 highly energy-intensive sectors like the mineralogical and metallurgical industries have avoided paying the Levy altogether. This includes cement manufacture and operation of blast furnaces. Such reliefs cost the Exchequer approximately £210m each year.

Unclear future for support scheme The Carbon Price Support mechanism has coincided with a huge drop in coal-fired electricity generation. But other policies like emissions trading systems and renewables tax breaks have also contributed. So, as new coal generation will be illegal from 2024, the NAO pointedly concludes, the “future role of Carbon Price Support is unclear.”

It is the way in which differential tax rates are charged for similar activities that particularly concern the NAO. They highlight that by failing to levy the standard 20 per cent VAT rate on domestic fuel, the Exchequer forgoes £5bn each year. The reason given is “to

‘The scale of government's ambitions means that it must employ every tool at its disposal if it is to succeed’

reduce fuel poverty”.

Reducing fuel poverty is also the policy reason given for the absence of fuel duty on the use of kerosene as a heating fuel (the Treasury forgoes £2.5bn). That is also apparently the justification for many energy-saving measures also being charged VAT at 5 per cent (costing the Exchequer £70m a year). Actually, the reason given by the then Chancellor was to ensure that energy conservation was taxed at the same rate as energy consumption.

Taxation of natural gas usage differs enormously, depending upon where it is used. Industry pays three times as much tax per gigajoule of energy use as do commerce or public services. But industry in turn pays just one-sixth of the amount levied for gas used in electricity generation.

Positive impact of taxes Overall, the NAO acknowledges there is some evidence of the positive impact that taxes do have upon the environment. But too little is known about their specific effects.

The exchequer departments tend to focus more on the revenue that environmental taxes raise, rather than the environmental impact they achieve.

The NAO reckons there are other measures – both taxes and tax reliefs – which impact upon government’s wider environmental objectives but which are not recognised as “environmental” in nature. As such, the exchequer departments do little to identify these measures, or assess their relevance to government’s environmental goals, though the NAO concede they do consider environmental impact in some significant cases when advising ministers.

The scale of government’s environmental ambitions, particularly on net zero, means it must employ every tool at its disposal if it is to succeed. The exchequer departments need to fully understand the relationship between existing taxes and these ambitions, to ensure the taxes contribute as intended, and to learn lessons for any future taxes which may support wider environmental strategies.  APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 09

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Boilers & Burners

Hans Bahnsen is UK & Ireland sales manager for industrial boilers for Bosch Commercial & Industrial

When reliability is top priority

Maintaining process heat is crucial for many sectors. Hans Bahnsen discusses why having a reliable, efficient boiler is essential for your manufacturing plant

W

hen we think of boilers we understandably think of heat and how boiler technology contributes to keeping us warm. However, in industry, boilers can have other important uses, which aren’t necessarily related to providing heat and hot water to buildings.

One such application is process heat. This is where industrialsized steam or hot water boilers, not dissimilar to the ones you see in district heating networks, are utilised in production lines within manufacturing plants and factories.

It’s the application of heat for industrial processes.

Two obvious sectors are the food and beverage industries. However, some others not so obvious like a car manufacturer which may have a paint shop within their production line which requires hot air to fix the paint to the car.

Boilers are used to generate that hot air through generating hot water and passing it through a heat exchanger. It is a similar process to heating a commercial building with a different end use.

So, with that in mind, boilers can be at the heart of any production facility that uses hot water or steam.

So if the boiler shuts down the consequences can be catastrophic.

To emphasise the importance of the industrial boiler let’s look at the food and drink industry. Most industrial boiler applications are through generating steam, which is used as a means for transferring energy within a factory setting.

So, as an example, think of a dairy product company who pasteurises milk. When the factory opens the boilers are switched on and begin burning fuel to generate steam, creating a cycle of heat. This steam takes heat energy and transfers it to the area of the factory where the milk is pasteurised.

This is one part of the production process for the dairy company, but a critical one if this company has

The simplest way of preventing boiler downtime is to have back-up, also known as redundancy

millions of bottles of milk leaving the factory door each day. Let’s say that its industrial boiler breaks down and stops working. This will halt the production line and could result in tens of thousands of pounds of lost revenue per every hour of boiler downtime.

This situation can of course be prevented however, if the right steps and options are made to begin with.

More than one boiler installed The simplest way of preventing boiler downtime is to have back-up, also known as redundancy. Many manufacturers have more than one boiler installed, which is a very sensible system to have. If a boiler fails, or has a service, then another can be switched on to take its place and ensure the production line isn’t affected.

However, there are more robust and efficient ways to prevent possible failures thanks to the technological advances in controls. Through smart controls facility managers can monitor a system’s use, identify any issues and even pre-plan boiler

servicing and downtime.

There are other benefits, like boiler efficiency levels. So far we’ve discussed the loss of revenue if a production line stops. However a faulty, old or leaking system can have an adverse effect on energy bills in the long term.

You can have the most efficient heating system from day one but what if nobody looks or monitors it in over a year? There may be issues that have cropped up during that time or the overall efficiency has reduced. By opting for boiler systems which have robust, smart monitoring technology it is possible to identify and resolve any possible efficiency issues.

Another area to be aware of is how future policies and technologies related to heating and processed heating will come to the fore. The UK has set an ambitious target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and there are many steps that need to be taken for that to become reality.

As industrial process heat is one of the biggest contributors to the UK’s carbon footprint, policy

and regulations are already being put in place, which favour the use of alternative fuel to gas, such as hydrogen.

To stay ahead of that curve, manufacturing plants could opt for hydrogen or bio fuel-ready boiler systems which burn 100 per cent hydrogen (once the fuel becomes available on the gas grid). With only a simple change required, the boiler doesn’t need to be replaced later down the line saving on doubling up on initial purchase cost of a boiler system.

Finally, when searching for a new boiler for your factory opt for companies that offer bespoke services and products. No industrial boiler should be available ‘off-theshelf’. Each and every manufacturing plant will have specific requirements so opt for a site visit where the boiler manufacturer can evaluate your needs, the space available and other technical points.

By taking the time to choose the best, most efficient boiler for the job will help save a lot of hassle down the line. 

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Boilers & Burners

Tom Murray is specification director at Baxi Heating

The challenge of future heat

Tom Murray looks at the opportunities ahead for energy managers to reduce emissions from heat and how the humble boiler is evolving to meet immediate and future requirements

A

s sustainability rises up the business agenda, heat, which accounts for 37 per cent of total UK emissions, is becoming an increasingly hot topic for energy managers. The Government has set decarbonising heat in buildings at the heart of its ten-point plan for a green industrial green evolution, with heat pumps and hydrogen highlighted as being pivotal to achieving its ambitious goals.

The focus to date has largely centred on the UK’s circa 28m homes but reducing demand in commercial buildings is clearly critical if we are to achieve our 2050 net zero target.

With that in mind, what feasible opportunities are available for energy managers? And what part will the boiler play in heating our commercial buildings – now and in the future?

Heating presents particular challenges as older, poorly insulated commercial properties will have very different requirements to thermally efficient new buildings, making a single ‘silver bullet’ approach to decarbonisation impossible.

Instead, applying a mix of different technologies and techniques – including heat networks, heat pumps and hydrogen – will offer a solution.

Energy efficiency will also be key, as it’s the most cost-effective resource available to meet our energy needs.

A pragmatic approach for energy managers is to identify both longerterm measures and immediate actions that together will set their buildings on the path to net zero.

In well-insulated buildings that are designed to require less heat, the merits of applying heat pumps are well established. We view air source heat pumps (ASHPs) as the most popular and cost-effective choice of heat pump and will soon be offering them as part of our portfolio of cleaner, greener

Operators of older commercial buildings are going to be using gas for many years to come, the trick is to use it as efficiently as possible

commercial heating and hot water solutions.

We also see multivalent heating systems that include both boilers and heat pumps as a natural next step to deliver an efficient and costeffective heating system all year round – at least until heat pump technology evolves.

But without funding, the technically and economically viable solutions in our older and less thermally efficient building stock are currently constrained.

Retrofitting heat pumps, for example, may not be an option at present as heat pumps typically optimise their efficiency at low flow temperatures (around 30-55ºC).

‘Hard-to-tackle’ buildings So what alternatives are there for energy managers in these ‘hardto-tackle’ buildings? One low disruption, medium- to longerterm solution is to repurpose the gas grid to transport green gas – which leads us to hydrogen boilers.

As hydrogen is a gas, it can capitalise on existing infrastructure while transitioning us to a cleaner fuel source. Baxi Heating and BDR Thermea Group

‘Applying a mix of different technologies will offer a solution’ have been working with UK Government to trial hydrogen boilers in a number of projects.

20 per cent hydrogen blends are being demonstrated using current boilers at the HyDeploy project at Keele University. We are also demonstrating prototypes of 100 per cent hydrogen boilers through the UK government Hy4Heat programme, with larger scale trial projects in development.

The government has committed £81m investment from this year to develop hydrogen generation capacity. It is also pioneering hydrogen heating trials, starting with a hydrogen neighbourhood and scaling up to a potential hydrogen town by the end of the decade.

It isn’t far-fetched to envisage businesses heating their buildings with hydrogen or hydrogen-ready boilers long before 2050.

But what about the here and now? With many businesses financially impacted by the COVID crisis, energy managers may struggle to balance environmental and economic concerns when the heating system needs upgrading.

This is supported by the findings of a recent survey of 1,000 organisations by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to understand how businesses are managing the transition to net zero by 2050. The ‘Net Zero Barometer’1 found that cost was named by 44 per cent as the largest barrier to achieving net zero. Additionally, 68 per cent said that their plans and progress had been set back by the COVID-19 pandemic.

When it comes to heating, many operators of older commercial buildings are likely to continue to use gas for heat for the next ten years or twelve years. The focus, therefore, must be on using this energy source as efficiently and effectively as possible. The cheapest and cleanest energy choice is, after all, not to waste it.

Upgrading any ageing or inefficient boilers to high efficiency condensing boilers will considerably reduce emissions associated with heat. At the same time, condensing boilers are a core component in hybrid heating systems and heat networks. For this reason, we are continuing to evolve condensing boiler design to enhance the heating systems of today, all the while we innovate with hydrogen boilers.

With advanced condensing boilers providing immediate, achievable opportunities for energy and emission savings and futureproofed hydrogen boilers leading businesses to net zero, boilers continue to have an important role to play in heating. 

Reference 1) https://www.bsigroup.com/en-GB/ topics/sustainable-resilience/net-zero/ netzerobarometer/

12 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2021

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Boilers & Burners

Hoval launches second generation UltraGas Hoval has launched UltraGas® 2, the latest generation of gas condensing boilers, which brings even higher efficiency to the popular features of the first UltraGas® generation

T

he UltraGas® 2 is Hoval’s latest generation of gas condensing boilers for heating and hot water generation, available with output ratings from 125 kW to 1550 kW (250kW to 3,100kW as a double boiler). Based on the first generation of UltraGas® condensing boilers – which have been tried and tested for many years – the successor model boasts a patented Hoval TurboFer® heat exchanger for even greater efficiency, combined with a future-proof and compact design, setting the new benchmark in large-scale renovation and new-build projects.

The UltraGas 2 boiler can operate on biomethane or hydrogen, equipping it for the energy transition

Built to last Like all Hoval products, the UltraGas® 2 system boiler was built to last, with the motto “ready for future” in mind. Each individual component and material was designed and selected for a long service life – which is why we opted for highquality stainless steel on the hot water side. This promise is supported by an extended warranty on the boiler body. All of these factors make the UltraGas® 2 a future-proof investment.

Patented heat exchanger The TurboFer® heat exchanger is the brand-new, patented core component of the boiler. The unique design of the heat exchanger and its special injection technology generates turbulence on the heating gas side, increasing heat transfer and boosting efficiency. In combination with other UltraGas® features, such as high and low temperature return flow, a large water capacity, the Ultraclean® combustion system and the TopTronic® E system controller, the TurboFer® heat exchanger guarantees an optimum condensing performance.

Key features of the UltraGas 2  New TurboFer® heat exchanger for an even more efficient performance and enhanced cost-efficiency

Compact, lightweight and easy to install

 Secure investment, equipped for future challenges or hybrid systems  Compact and lightweight design for effortless installation and commissioning

Future ready As well as natural gas, the UltraGas® 2 boiler can operate on biomethane and hydrogen, equipping it for the ongoing energy transition from gas to biomethane and for a hydrogen-powered future.

Alternative, sustainable energy sources, such as solar, pellets and heat pumps, are easy to integrate into the new generation of system boilers.

System integration Thanks to the standardised Hoval TopTronic® E controller, UltraGas® 2 boilers can be easily combined with any type of heat generator and solar energy

system to create an integrated heating system where all the components work together to optimise efficiency.

TopTronic® E delivers a completely new level of simplicity, modularity, connectivity and user experience without compromising on control functionality. As such, it eliminates the inconvenience and risk of trying to work with different controllers for different appliances and system configurations.

Featuring ‘plug and play’ modular hardware, TopTronic® E allows easy extension of an existing system with additional Hoval components (e.g. solar thermal panels or an additional water heater). It can also operate alongside the new TopTronic® Supervisor within a fully scalable system for the real-time visualisation, monitoring and optimisation of district heating networks.

UltraGas 2 units are compact enough to fit through any standard door

When designing the new generation of boilers, ensuring that the UltraGas® 2 would be as easy as possible to install was high on the agenda. As a result, there is no need for system components such as a circulating pump or a hydraulic separator. We also reduced the amount of pipework in the TurboFer® heat exchanger to keep the weight down.

All of these measures produced a lightweight design that takes up significantly less space. UltraGas® 2 models up to 450kW are less than 800mm wide – compact enough to fit through any standard door. And a compact design means that less installation space is required, too. Larger models usually take up just half of the space of other gas condensing boilers.

This makes the UltraGas® 2 the perfect choice for large-scale renovation and new-build projects.   For more information: boilersales.uk@hoval.com APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 13

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Boilers & Burners Next generation gas condensing boiler range makes servicing easier Viessmann has introduced the next-generation of its most popular gas-condensing boiler, the Vitodens 100-W. The WiFi-integrated Vitodens 100-W’s new control platform makes commissioning and servicing the boiler easier. It is now possible to monitor and make adjustments to customers’ boilers remotely. No thirdparty controls are required, meaning a Vitodens boiler with ViCare Thermostat provides homeowners with a load-compensating smartphone-controlled heating system.

The mechanical design of the Vitodens 100-W has reduced the number of spare parts typically needed for routine maintenance by about 50 per cent, meaning Viessmann installers should be able to carry less stock.

At the same time as the new-generation Vitodens

100-W series goes on sale in April, Viessmann will also launch the new Vitodens 111-W wall-mounted combi boiler. Intended for family homes where there is high hot water demand, the 111-W features a cylinder loading system and 46-litre integrated stainless steel storage tank, allowing it to provide a flow rate of up to 181 litres in 10 minutes. Outputs range from 3.2kW to 32kW (and with an 11kW version now added to the range), the Vitodens 100-W series is suited to a much broader range of homes and ideal for installers searching for boilers to match heat loss calculations.

Two further versions of the Vitodens range will be introduced by September, in time for the 2021/2022 heating season: a heat-only 100-W, and the new Vitodens 050-W. 

New warmth for Leeds offices

Low NOx steam process boilers

Six TRIGON XL boilers from ELCO are providing the office tenants of 7 & 8 Wellington Place in Leeds, with heating and hot water.

Home to the Leeds Government Hub, the new 35,000m2 commercial development is the biggest ever office pre-let in the area and is expected to bring over 6,000 civil servants to the city centre.

Developed by MEPC on behalf of the joint venture between Hermes Investment Management and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), the buildings offer grade A office accommodation with an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating.

To fulfil the development’s requirements, three 500kW ELCO TRIGON XL floor standing condensing gas boilers were specified and installed in a roof top plant room to supply 7 Wellington Place, prior to three additional 570kW models being fitted in building number 8. The whole process was undertaken and managed by construction, development and property services specialists Wates Group.

Matthew Bell, project engineer at Wates said: “This was a prestigious project and therefore required a carefully designed, high quality heating system. We selected ELCO boilers for a number of reasons, but one of the most important was the longevity of the units, as well as the guarantee that parts would be available for many years to come. We had already used ELCO on a previous part of the Wellington Place project, so were confident that their boilers would achieve the required BREEAM rating and NOx emission targets.” 

Industrial process heating equipment and solutions specialist Babcock Wanson has launched the SteamPack range of Fire Tube Steam Boilers, for steam outputs from 3,500kg/h to 8,000kg/h.

SteamPack boilers feature unique Babcock Wanson technology in the form of three-pass design and a water tube flue gas reversal chamber for operational flexibility, very high long-term efficiency and reliability and low operating costs. The chamber is welded outside the pressure part body, and does not require any furnace tie rods or reinforcement, giving exceptional flexibility to the shell and furnace expansion allowing large steam load changes with minimal operational stress.

The dedicated burner combustion head design, linked to very high turndown ratios, provides accurate control of excess air and minimum start/stop cycles. This design reduces fuel consumption while ensuring excellent performance across a wide process operating range. It can be further enhanced with a Babcock Wanson flue gas heat recovery system adapted to the process at hand. A range of compatible flue gas heat recovery systems is available, including economisers and combustion air preheaters.

Also notably low with SteamPack boilers is emissions, including NOx. SteamPack boilers not only readily meet the latest European environmental legislation and when fitted with Babcock Wanson combustion equipment they exceed regulatory requirements.

All boilers in the range come with comprehensive instrumentation and controls as standard, including Babcock Wanson’s exclusive three- and seven-day unattended operation modes.

The SteamPack range includes options including a condensing economiser, combustion air pre-heater, dual and mixed fuel firing, O2 and CO trim. 

Combined heat and power units meet technical connection parameters Hoval Ltd says that its PowerBloc combined heat and power units meet all of the technical parameters and considerations relating to connection to the networks of licensed electricity distribution businesses throughout Great Britain.

The company has confirmed that

its PowerBloc EG43 to EG530 units are now fully compliant with the latest Engineering Recommendation (EREC) G99 standard.

EREC G99, issued by the Energy Networks Association, ensures harmonised network standards (Requirements for Generators) are

incorporated into Great Britain’s distribution and grid codes for CHP and other power generators with capacities between 0.8kW and 1MW. Managing director, Ian Dagley commented: “Onsite power generation with CHP as part of the energy mix is set to make a major distribution to the

‘greening’ of the UK’s grid electricity.

It will also help end users reduce their energy costs and dependence on the national grid.

“The assurance that G99 compliance brings, therefore, will make an essential contribution to meeting the UK’s carbon reduction targets.”

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Boilers & Burners

Mark Ferris is specification manager for ELCO Heating Solutions

Specifying for hot water demands Efficient production of bulk hot water is vital for many commercial buildings, but with so many options, what should specifiers look out for? Mark Ferris outlines the approaches available

F

rom healthcare facilities to leisure centres, hotels to larger residential schemes, the efficient delivery of domestic hot water (DHW) is crucial for day-to-day operations.

There are, of course, a variety of tried and tested methods that can be taken to fulfil the requirements of a high demand for instantaneous hot water. However, as is so often the case in the commercial heating and hot water industry, there isn’t a ‘one product that fits all’ solution.

Before considering the different types of hot water units available, there are some fundamental aspects that need to be assessed in order to help identify the best product for the job. The first question should be on the building’s peak flow rate, its predicted demand and existing/predicted usage patterns.

Regardless of the size and scale of a commercial project, the equipment will need to deliver sufficient hot water during the building’s busiest periods – and these will differ widely depending on the application.

For example, a school is likely to have a fairly predictable pattern of usage; after all, it has set opening and closing times, with a defined timetable of activity where peak demands can be calculated, whether it is for a canteen during lunch or after-school sports clubs.

Conversely, when you consider a hotel, which is not only open 24/7, but can also have vast disparity in occupancy, DHW demand can vary from day to day. However, a hotel will always experience a peak in demand during the mornings when guests get up and have a shower, so the worst-case scenario for a fully occupied venue can be calculated.

Other information useful in determining the right product for the application includes how often peak delivery is repeated during a day and the average continuous DHW demand in a 24-hour period.

Both these factors will give further

Before considering the different types of hot water units available there are some fundamental considerations to examine

evidence to the demand profile of a commercial building.

Referring to any existing or estimated patterns of usage from the outset will also help to narrow down the options and identify products that can cope with the peak demand. And this task shouldn’t be taken lightly, as under-sizing the system could result in not enough hot water being available for the building’s occupants, whereas oversizing can cause a vast amount of energy to be wasted. But, ultimately, occupants should never have to wait for the equipment to become operational.

Direct and indirect delivery There are two distinctive appliance types for hot water delivery, direct and indirect. These two categories, and the products associated with

them, will have their own pros and cons depending on the type of commercial building in which they are to be fitted. A direct unit has an integral heat generator, e.g. a gas burner, which directly heats the water flowing through it.

Some products, such as ELCO’s new Tudor NHREC, will transfer heat into a stored volume of water that surrounds the firing tube, whereas other direct products will utilise a heat exchanger to the point of use.

The benefit of these types of unit relates to their design, which is dedicated to the efficient generation of hot water. This ensures they generally provide far quicker response times compared to indirect units, as well as reduce the potential for heat losses in pipework, such as that between a boiler and calorifier, for example.

Furthermore, the latest direct-fired gas water heaters are condensing appliances, incorporating a room sealed pre-mix combustion system.

This ensures that much of the latent energy (present in water vapour discharged through the flue) is recovered and not lost to atmosphere, allowing for delivery of gross thermal efficiencies up to 96 per cent. In addition, this type of condensing water heater considerably reduces NOx emissions, making it ideal for new build properties.

When considering the demand for delivering DHW directly to the point of use, there are two different mechanisms. The first is instantaneous, whereby water is heated as it is being delivered; a good commercial example is a health club, which has a swimming pool that needs to maintain a set temperature. In this instance, the water is often heated directly and transferred straight to the point of use, which requires a direct fired unit, such as ELCO’s TRIGON XL Water Heater (model ZW) - which is specially designed for swimming pools and to deliver a high volume of DHW per hour. Although highly effective and often considered for this type of application, the capital costs of this approach are at the upper end of the scale, due to the size of unit required.

As a compromise in some projects, an alternative approach may use a combination of instantaneous DHW generation alongside a stored volume that is held at a set-point temperature. So, when there is high instantaneous demand occurring over a relatively short period of time; this is best met by using both the stored volume of DHW and that generated by the instantaneous hot water heater. Consequently, the plant can be suitably sized to recover the volume of stored DHW over an acceptable period of time, relative to the application.  APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 15

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New Products

Efficient all-electric water heating solution Stiebel Eltron has launched the SNE 5t ECO GB, a new all-electric water heating option for both domestic and commercial schemes.

The SNE is claimed to be the first fully electronic small storage tank water heater available in the UK offering both efficiency and comfort with precise temperature selection, configurable timer programmes to suit every environment and user-friendly digital controls via a clear LCD interface.

The product also includes an ECO mode to save energy, accompanied by a specific hygiene function that heats the water to 73oC for 30 minutes once a week to prevent the growth of bacteria.

A thermostop function bolsters the product’s renewable credentials, preventing heat loss from mixer taps. The product also features anti-drip technology that reduces limescale deposits – saving water in the long run.

Mark McManus, managing director at Stiebel Eltron UK, said: “As the UK works towards the 2050 net zero target, with new legislation such as the Future Buildings Standard, we anticipate that renewable electric options will only grow in popularity.

Embracing these heating methods will be a key element of the decarbonisation of our built environment.”

Improved performance from calorifiers Hamworthy Heating has improved its range of stainless steel calorifiers to now include models with a twin coil and five additional storage tanks. The new models offer better hot water performance and system security for large demand premises.

The two coils in the new versions of the Halstock calorifier can be connected in series to improve the hot water performance as there is a larger surface area for heat transfer giving faster heat up times of 19-31 minutes and higher continuous output flows – up to 2,106 l/h from the largest model. Alternatively, the calorifiers can be connected to two different heat sources such as a solar collector array and a gas boiler. This means that end users can use free solar energy when available but also connect to a boiler for back up or top up to the heat supply. This allows greater control of the heat input and gives you the flexibility to choose how you heat your system.

There are five calorifier sizes available from 300-965 litre with single and twin coil options. To complement the range and provide additional storage, and therefore system security, for high demand hot water applications, five buffer vessels/storage tanks have been added. These also range from 300-965 litre capacity.

“ Energy in Buildings and Industry and the Energy Institute are delighted to have teamed up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative ” MARK THROWER MANAGING EDITOR

SERIES 18 | MODULE 09 | BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

Plan for behaviour change

by James Brittain, John Mulholland and Jes Rutter, Approved EnCO Practitioners

L

eonard Bernstein, the wellknown American composer, once said: “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time”.

The time organisations have to accelerate towards Net Zero is shrinking. As part of this, there are increasing pressures on energy users from employees, customers, shareholders, regulators, and other interested parties to significantly improve levels of energy efficiency throughout their operations and processes.

Evidence suggests that behaviour change offers around 50 per cent of the total potential energy savings available. The other 50 per cent comes from technology and yet, as important as it is, technology typically gets 95 per cent of the focus.

A better balance is required to ensure that the hidden and largely untapped savings available from behaviour change are realised.

Behaviour change is considered in its broadest sense, targeting attitudes, behaviours and decisions implemented by those who influence energy performance as well as those who have direct hands-on control of equipment and systems. Getting behaviours right also enhances and protects the legacy benefits of technology investments as they rely on sociotechnical systems for success.

Energy Conscious Organisation (EnCO) is a framework developed

by Energy Services & Technology Association and the Energy Institute to help incorporate people measures into energy management strategies and plans.

The vision is to excite and equip enough colleagues to challenge the norm and to encourage widespread adoption of energy efficiency good practices throughout the organisation.

At the heart of the EnCO framework is the EnCO Matrix.

This can be used to review the effectiveness of approach across five key pillars: engagement, alertness, skills, recognition and adaption (EASRA).

The matrix is based on the concept of ‘congruence’ to facilitate balance across the five pillars so behaviour change interventions support and reinforce each other holistically.

A visual profile is made by marking points across the grid for each pillar against the improving scale of achievement. The shape of the profile then demonstrates how strategies can be better balanced and improved in delivering outcomes.

Fig. 1 (see page 18) shows the EnCo matrix with an example ‘jagged’ profile.

Learning objectives include: • consider the imperatives for change; • describe how to highlight reality; • explain key features of a balanced approach; and • create a plan that propels momentum.

A useful feature of the Matrix is that it facilitates conversations with colleagues about current levels of energy performance, opportunities and challenges. One helpful way to do this is to focus on capabilities, opportunities and motivations to

change behaviour (COM-B).

The matrix is sufficiently simple that any organisation can adapt the wording to better suit their goals, culture and operations.

The imperative for change, of course, is not driven by Net Zero targets alone but also needs to take into account and balance other stakeholder needs and expectations such as better customer service, cutting costs and enhancing reputation.

You could ask three questions: • if we are to achieve Net Zero, where on the Matrix do you need to be? (B) • where are we now? (A) • how do we get from A to B? In practice, there can be significant differences in observations described by a target audience, particularly from those with differing roles and perspectives. A constructive use of the matrix is to take the differing views, discuss why they are different and use this discussion to form a consensus reality position on the EnCO Matrix. This will give agreement on ‘where are we now?’

The EnCO profile and score, often along with anecdotal observations, forms a benchmark to measure future progress against.

A Balanced High EnCO profile across all pillars is associated with

Produced in Association with

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a mature energy management programme that accelerates progress towards sustainable Net Zero goals.

Low scores across some or all pillars are indicative of significant opportunities to improve an approach.

A strategic gap analysis is therefore used to compare the ‘desired’ position (often targeting three to five years ahead) with the current profile, to feed into the development for the catalyst for change.

To bridge the gap, change makers need to understand what motivates the people involved on a personal level. People’s actions are often driven by emotive connections that come about from connecting with colleagues, having fun, a better workplace, better skills, achievement, recognition and reward. A successful catalyst often includes targeted co-benefits resulting in a ‘win-win’.

The business case is set up by focusing on the key strategic activities which make the biggest difference in delivering the required goals. This should address the organisation’s readiness to deliver change (available resources, knowledge etc), key barriers (capabilities, attitudes etc) and its ability to sustain change.

To develop a good plan, focus on overcoming any deficiencies across the EASRA pillars, rather than specifically following a framework.

Figure 2 shows the variety of different possible Matrix profiles.

1) ‘Balanced Low’ Profile 1 is uniformly low across all pillars. This is often underpinned by low overall engagement. Energy performance, for example, may have been marginalised because it has been overly delegated to a specialist, service partner or aM&T system.

Having top managers on board is essential. They need to demonstrate their commitment by defining a compelling vision, providing the resources needed and taking interest in progress made.

There also needs to be a strategy to engage Significant Energy Users (SEUs), those who can impact on or influence significant energy use.

This includes HR, procurement and development colleagues as

Fig. 1. The EnCO Matrix with a ‘Jagged’ profile

well as building users, facilities and operational teams. Don’t forget consultants, suppliers and contractors.

All Energy Users (AEUs) also need to understand the energy policies in place, the benefits of improved energy performance and their roles and responsibilities.

The overall plan and channels used should achieve engagement and also momentum for a balanced approach.

A high profile launch event can create a good splash to raise awareness but has little momentum.

Digital or print communications also

Fig. 2 The variety of different possible Matrix profiles 1) Balanced Low

2) Unbalanced

3) High Peak

4) Low Valley

5) Jagged

6) Balanced High

often have limited shelf-life. Training, performance appraisals, incentives and suggestion schemes are all examples of channels that offer more momentum.

2) ‘Unbalanced’ A profile highly developed in Engagement and Adaption but which lags in other areas operates in a positive atmosphere but lacks substance.

Colleagues being alert to avoidable energy waste, before investing in clean and green technologies, is a fundamental principle of the energy hierarchy.

AEUs need to be alert to the impact of their activities on energy performance. An SEU may negatively impact on overall performance, due to increased energy use, when making operational decisions for seemingly good reasons.

Command and control approaches with too many organisational procedures can reduce alertness. Nudge, prod or persuasion techniques are generally more effective; sharing energy consumption profiles, for example, can help highlight opportunities.

Critical mass theory implies that we need at least 2-5 per cent of colleagues taking simple actions

every day to reach a tipping point of energy consciousness for lasting change. For an organisation of 4,000 people, this means involving at least 80 SEUs. Energy champions can influence others by example. A network of volunteers can promote energy saving values and connect colleagues together. To be effective, they need to be carefully recruited, trained and supported.

For a balanced approach, colleagues need to be highly motivated and highly aware. Asking people to rate their awareness and motivation levels can be a useful way to track levels of alertness while getting them to think more about opportunities and getting new champions on board.

3) ‘High Peak’ Profile 3 is highly developed in one pillar only. This could be any element and is most commonly related to the style or strengths of the manager leading the programme.

As well as motivation and opportunity, people need to have the capability to deliver change. Teams need to have a balance in skills to implement an integrated approach, highly developed across all pillars.

Training is often a key strategic

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activity that helps raise the other pillars simultaneously. A training strategy should be driven by a training needs analysis, mapped across the key audiences. Colleagues need to know what they are expected to do and be competent so actions are quick, easy and intuitive for those involved.

The whole team has a key role to communicate the vision and to lead by example. It is important to be able to communicate well with colleagues to gain and build trust. Collaborative workshops and events are effective ways to bring people and teams together to develop alertness, desire and capability and trial solutions at the same time.

HR colleagues are often essential key connector champions for continual learning and up-skilling.

4) Low Valley Highly developed in all but one pillar highlights the need to develop this one aspect to fully benefit from the other activities.

This could be any element but quite often what’s lacking is recognition. Robust data systems are needed to track savings against baselines and targets. Ideally, this should disaggregate interventions for detailed evaluation. Longer-term monitoring and targeting is essential because impacts can dissipate over time, but this doesn’t have to be complex.

Full adherence with the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) is desirable but is not always practical; it is the most widely used protocol for quantifying results from investments.

A measurement and verification (M&V) plan should be agreed prior to the programme. Involving stakeholders to develop the methodology ensures it’s owned by the people involved. Methods to adjust baselines for both routine (e.g. weather) and non-routine adjustments (e.g. changes in floor area) should be considered.

A balance of measures is also required to sustain and propel momentum. At high level, energy performance can be measured in absolute terms at whole-facility level.

This verifies total savings but, as this is a lagging (output) measure, this

can’t influence momentum.

Indicative measures are used to explain why performance has changed. System energy productivity or utilisation intensity measures require investment in sub-metering and a sufficient run-up period to calibrate baseline models.

Leading (input) indicators offer an opportunity to control momentum but do not guarantee success; it can be difficult to define which measures are best. Scorecards can track observed behaviours and team actions against targets. The repertoire would be specific to the organisation, site or team.

Dashboards, balanced scorecards or crediting systems can be used to help facilitate quicker and better decisions, incentivisation and celebrating success. Do not rely too heavily on incentivisation as there’s a risk of reversal if the incentive is taken away.

Focus on a simple strategic set of concise measures for which everyone understands how they contribute to strategic goals. Beware of data overload, data rich and information poor (DRIP syndrome).

5) ‘Jagged’ A mix of some developed pillars with others not so developed is likely to be typical for most organisations.

An uneven profile highlights the weaknesses that can undermine the strengths.

Organisations need to be able to continually adapt to plug the gaps and respond to minimise risk and maximise opportunities in a timely way to sustain and propel momentum.

The energy landscape is continually changing and this is becoming more dynamic as the pressures to improve energy performance increase.

Surveillance controls monitor changes in stakeholder requirements as well as internal factors and external threats. Continually check that goals are still realistic and achievable, now and in the future.

A good plan needs to be agile focused on the key strategic activities, with a clear line of sight to the strategic objectives.

Adaptations are about continually increasing the means and reducing barriers to increase capability,

opportunity or motivation.

ISO 50001 is the energy management system standard that helps target the key activities. As well as energy policies, processes and action plans, the standard focuses on operational controls and design procurement standards to sustain behaviours. Energy and management reviews, objectives and targets and strategic controls are used to self-propel momentum.

General George C Marshall, famous for his World War 2 planning and his plan to rebuild Europe, said: “The one great element in continuing the success of an offensive is maintaining the momentum.”

6) ‘Balanced High’ Highly developed across all pillars generally at levels 3 or 4 is indicative of the well balance and mature approach of an EnCO. EnCOs are more sustainable, cost effective and collaborative. The business case for interventions to get to the EnCO level comes from defining and questioning reality by asking the right questions at the right time, and the EASRA framework can facilitate this process.

Is everyone engaged in the right way? Are all teams alert to the energy opportunities? Do they have the right skills to exploit them? Are you recognising, measuring and reporting results? Do you need to adapt your policies/ processes to drive continual improvement? What’s next to guarantee momentum?

There needs to be a compelling vision and clear balanced plan in place with the sense of urgency.

Align big ideas with strategy in a way that will excite decision makers and colleagues alike.

There also needs to be a strong team in place, with clear roles and responsibilities. Remember people often don’t like change. Don’t expect results too quickly – it may take time.

Don’t overcomplicate it, keep it simple. Aim to balance quick wins with longer-term actions. Pareto’s 80/20 principle encourages us to target the 20 per cent of the scope that yields 80 per cent of the results.

Overall, the plan will depend on the organisation; there’s no silver bullet, every organisation is different. The focus often should be on blending people and technical solutions, with

targeted organisational strategic controls alongside.

Tactical techniques support strategic activities and there are many to choose from; EnCO defines over 140 different interventions.

Organisations will need their own unique combination to deliver change for themselves.

Any organisation can become an EnCO by demonstrating ‘Balanced High’ achieving outcomes cross the five EnCO pillars: Engagement, Alertness, Skills, Recognition and Adaption.

EnCO registration and display of the logo act as evidence of good practice to shareholders, regulators, customers and colleagues through externally verified recognition.

Becoming part of the wider EnCO community also enables sharing of good practice to further drive the continual improvement mindset needed.

Registered EnCO Consultants (status gained through training) and Approved EnCO Practitioners (with proven experience) can support organisations to achieve the EnCO status.

Further reading • Case-studies and process, EnCO Website at www. energyconsciousorganisation.org.uk • Making change the norm, by Jes Rutter, Energy in Buildings and Industry Magazine, Feb 2021 • Energy consciousness has never been more important, by Jes Rutter, Energy World, Jan 2021 • Tools and techniques to deliver behaviour change, by James Brittain, CPD module 06, Series 16, Energy in Buildings and Industry Magazine, Nov/Dec 2018 • Energy management systems – Requirements with guidance for use, BS EN ISO 50001:2018 • International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol, Core Concepts, EVO 10000 – 1.2016 • Behaviour change for low-cost energy savings, by James Brittain, CPD module 02, Series 14, Energy in Buildings and Industry Magazine, June 2016 • Ten steps to change, by John Mulholland, Energy in Buildings and Industry Magazine, July/August 2014.

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 20 APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 19

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SERIES SEPTEMBER SERIES 18 17 | MODULE 03 09 | MARCH 20202020

SERIES 18 | MODULE 09 | APRIL 2021

ENTRYFORM FORM ENTRY

SMART GRIDS SPACE HEATING

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the answer sheet, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable.

QUESTIONS QUESTIONS

1) The establishment of the main QUESTIONS 1. Which is the most common heating media in

transmission grid began in which systems?

1) Whatwet does EnCO stand for? decade?

Conscious Operative ■ Energy ■ High temperature hot water ■ 1940s ■ Conscious Organisation ■ Energy Steam ■ 1930s ■ Low temperature hotOrganisation water Conscious ■ 1960s ■ Environmental ■ Cold water Community Obligation ■ Environmental 2) Which key parameters need to be controlled by smart grids?

2.is What the mostused common space heating 2) What the isacronym by the EnCO and frequency ■ fuelVoltage in the UK? framework?

■ Frequency and current ■ Fuel oil ■ AESRA ■ Voltage, current and frequency ■ Electricity ■ EASRA Naturalthe gas ■ What’s ■ SRAEA 3) main source of large-scale Coal ■ renewable generation connecting to ■ EARAS the grid?

Biomass 3.percentage What is a typical dry bulb space temperature ■ 3) What of total available forWind a home?

■ savings canfarms be delivered through farms ■ 160Cchange?

■ Solar behaviour 190C ■ 5 per■cent 4) 220Care the main forms of variable ■ What cent ■ 15 per electrical loads connecting at the 240C ■ household cent ■ 50 per level? cent vehicles and heat pumps ■ 95 per ■ Electric 4. What is currently the most common ■ Smart meters construction material for panel radiators?

■ Hometoautomation 4) According the Energydevices Hierarchy which iron normally be prioritised ■ Cast activities would Pressed steel ■ What 5) is the main threat to smart grids? first?

Castof aluminium ■ Cost implementation ■ alert to avoidable energy waste ■ Being Copper ■ Cyber attacks ■ in clean technologies ■ Investing experience expertise ■ Lackinof green energyand sources ■ Investing 5. Whichgreenhouse of these is a key gascomponent emissionsof a ■ Offsetting mechanical system?of smart 6) What are ventilation the main benefits A fan ■ grids?

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energythe users ■ Actual connection of distributed ■ Facilitate

6. Which thegeneration ‘delivery end’ ofvariable a vapourloads renewable and energyisusers ■ All

compression heat pump system? such as electric vehicles and heat pumps ■ The evaporator 7) does the abbreviation VPP stand for?

The condenser ■ What ■ The ■ Volume 7) Who arecompressor notpurchase generallyprogramme considered to be protection programme ■ The slinky ■ Voluntary significant energy users?

■ Virtual power plant managers ■ Top 7. Which of these factors is used by a weather compensation controlbe system?

8) Electricity cannot stored in large staff ■ Operations quantities by householders?

Building thermal inertia ■ ■ Energy champions only large utilities and industrial/ ■ Time as of day ■ False ■ Everyone commercial energy providers can provide Outsidefacilities air temperature ■ storage ■ Date ■ False 8) Who areas thehouseholders people we need to engage to can store electricity ■ True 8. Which of theseacross factors is used by ancharging optimum raise alertness an organisation? in standalone batteries or when start control system? their electric vehicles ■ Top management ■ Level of building occupancy staff ■ Operations Outside airmain temperature 9) is the benefit of smart meters?

■ What Boileravoid capacity the need for meter readers ■ They ■ champions ■ Everyday Boilerprovide flow temperature ■ They accurate and timely ■ ■ Everyone information on power flows across the smart grid 9. Which types of space heating system can They facilitate the systems export of surplus ■ building management beand used to control?

9) What aspect of measurement electricity from household solar PV panels ■ Any verification (M&V) should be done prior to systems ■ Wet any programme?

10) What does the technology VtG represent?

■ Air handling plant Geometry Turbochargers party verification of reports ■ Variable ■ Third Boilers to allow the effective aspect ■ designed

■ Actionable energy undertakings

Plan ■ M&V ratio of a turbocharger to be altered as 10.conditions Whatadjustments is a thermostat? change ■ Routine

ofadjustments Trapped Gas associated with ■ A temperature sensitive switch ■ Volume ■ Non-routine

A temperature sensor ■ respiration to Grid enabling EV batteries to ■ A proportional control device ■ Vehicle discharge to the of grid tomost ‘smooth’ highused 10) ■ What is thedisplay name the widely A digital device electricity peak demand profiles.

M&V protocol?

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6) What does ‘AEU’ stand for?

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How to obtain a CPD accreditation How the to obtain CPD accreditation from EnergyaInstitute

from the Energy Institute

Energy Energyin inBuildings Buildingsand andIndustry Industryand andthe theEnergy EnergyInstitute Instituteare aredelighted delightedto to have up you this Development Energy in Buildings and Industry and theProfessional Energy Institute are delighted to have haveteamed teamed upto tobring bring you thisContinuing Continuing Professional Development initiative. teamed initiative.up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative.

This module ininthe eighteenth series and focuses onon Smart Grids. It This the ninth module the seventeenth series and focuses Space Thisisisisthe thethird ninth module in the eighteenth series and focuses on Behaviour is accompanied by a set of multiple-choice questions. questions.

Heating.

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To certificate readers must submit at eight of To qualify for CPD certificate readers must submit atleast least eight ofthe the Toqualify qualifyfor foraaaCPD CPD certificate readers must submit at least eight of the ten ten of from this series modules to EiBI for tensets sets ofquestions questions from this series of modulesto toEiBI EiBIfor forthe theEnergy Energy sets of questions from this series ofof modules the Energy Institute to Institute to Anyone at of correct Institute tomark. mark.

Anyoneachieving achieving atleast least eight out often tenanswers correctanswers answers on mark.

Anyone achieving at least eight outeight of tenout correct on eighton separate eight articles qualifies for an Institute CPD This can eightseparate separate articles qualifies anEnergy Energy CPDcertificate. certificate. canbe be on articles qualifies for an Energyfor Institute CPDInstitute certificate.

This can beThis obtained, obtained, and obtained,on onsuccessful successfulcompletion completionof ofthe thecourse andnotification notificationby bythe theEnergy Energy successful completion of the course andcourse notification by the Energy Institute, free of Institute, Institute,free freeof ofcharge chargefor forboth bothEnergy EnergyInstitute Institutemembers membersand andnon-members. non-members. charge for both Energy Institute members and non-members.

The articles, written by a qualified member of the Energy Institute, will appeal The articles, written by a qualified member of the Energy Institute, will appeal The articles, written by a qualifiedand memberwith of the Energy Institute,the will appeal to to tothose thosenew newto toenergy energymanagement management andthose those withmore moreexperience experienceof of the those new to energy management and those with more experience of the subject. subject. subject.

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SERIES17 17 SERIES SERIES 16

MAY 2019 - APR 2020

MAY MAY2019 2018--APR APR2020 2019

Batteries & Storage 111 Batteries BEMS & Storage 2 Energy as a Service 22 Energy as a Service Refrigeration 3 Water Management 33 Water Management LED Technology 4 Demand Side Response 44 Demand Side Response District Heating 5 Drives & Motors 55 Drives & Motors Air Conditioning 6 Blockchain Technology 66 Blockchain Technology Behaviour Change 7 Compressed Air 77 Compressed Air Thermal Imaging 8 Energy Purchasing 88 Energy Purchasing Solar Thermal 9 Space Heating 99 Space Heating Buildings 10 Smart Data Centre Management 10 Centre Management 10 Data Biomass Boilers

SERIES 18 SERIES SERIES18 17

MAY / JUNE 2020 - MAY 2021

MAY JUNE- APR 20202020 - MAY 2021 MAY/2019

Energy Efficiency Legislation 11 1Energy Efficiency Legislation Batteries & Storage 2 Building Controls 22 Building Controls Energy as a Service 3 Smart Grids 33 Smart Water Grids Management 4 Lighting Technology 44 Lighting DemandTechnology* Side Response 5 Heat Pumps 55 Heat Pumps* Drives & Motors 6 Metering & Monitoring 66 Metering & Monitoring* Blockchain Technology 7 Air Conditioning 77 Air Conditioning* Compressed Air 8 Boilers & Burners 88 Boilers Burners* Energy&Purchasing 9 Behaviour Change 99 Behaviour Change* Space Heating 10 Combined Heat & Power* 10 Heat & Power* 10 Combined Data Centre Management*

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Kieron O’Toole is head of IIoT at Abtec Building Technologies

Building Energy Management Systems

Making the right connections The Industrial Internet of Things is perhaps the biggest trend since the transition from steam to electricity. It has much to offer industry in terms of energy management, as Kieron O’Toole explains

D

efinitions are wide and varied but, in short, the IIoT (or Industry 4.0) refers to the connection of physical assets, analytics and people to improve insight, automation and outcome.

In more simple terms, some view it as the ‘nervous system’ of a factory or building, and of the business as a whole. Such is its potential that the European Parliamentary Research Service suggests governments are expecting a 10 per cent lift in GDP from digitalisation, while a report by McKinsey estimates that value created from the IIoT will hit between $1.2 and $3.7tn by 2025.

There are a multitude of drivers at work here, including technology advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), current economic uncertainty, and the desire for better energy and CO2 management. Effective energy management is a real pain point as, on average, around 3 per cent of total business costs are attributable to energy consumption. However, by moving to smart infrastructure, energy savings in the realm of 30 per cent are commonplace.

A simple example of the IIoT in practice is the use of sensors to detect and monitor the amount of natural light present in a space.

This data can help determine how much supporting artificial lighting is required, with the same thinking applicable to heating.

For many, shifting to the IIoT can appear daunting, especially for manufacturers busy trying to uphold stringent delivery schedules. For this reason, the expertise of a full-service building technologies specialist can pay dividends with regard to accelerating and simplifying the entire process, particularly through the provision of thought leadership at each step of the project: design, implementation and ongoing system support.

Rapid growth in the IIoT is coinciding with a technology shift in building management systems

In practical terms, the first stage of any transition to intelligent building automation is the underpinning of IIoT infrastructure, which includes best-practice cyber security. With the core digital infrastructure in place it is possible to introduce functionality such as condition monitoring, way finding and asset tracking. By tagging goods, companies can improve their movement through facilities and along supply chains.

Sophisticated functions The natural progression of IIoT projects can subsequently expand to more sophisticated functions, such as energy usage, personnel presence maps, and workflow. A factory building, for example, can start using its digital twin (a digital version of the entire system) to try new layouts and flows (without incurring large real-world costs) to see which result in the greatest efficiency and productivity gains.

Ultimately, the IIoT generates highly intuitive improvement in how staff interact with their work, while simultaneously becoming more people-centric, via functions

‘The IIoT unlocks innovation and business agility’ such as tracking, safety, personal environmental control and workspace analytics.

It is clear that the IIoT extends way beyond energy management and CO2 reduction, although these factors remain major drivers. Even energy management functions can expand past lighting, heating and ventilation control by, for instance, identifying parasitic loads such as energy-waste hotspots. An example being coffee machines or PC screens left on standby. Here, the IIoT would reveal the amount of energy consumption and its associated cost, prompting action where appropriate.

Landmark IIoT projects within our own portfolio include The Crystal, a building on Royal Victoria Dock in east London that houses a sustainable development exhibition. The Crystal, owned by the Greater London Authority and operated by Siemens, utilises a fully integrated building control system featuring KNX technology

to facilitate one of the greenest buildings in the world. Control of internal and external lighting, heating, variable air volume and windows are among the many functions.

Another example is the 21st century Eclipse factory of brick manufacturer Ibstock in Leicestershire, where sustainable infrastructure in energy utilisation and management is saving 50 per cent in lighting costs alone thanks to technologies such as automated natural light sensors and LUX adjust.

Rapid growth in the IIoT is coinciding with a technology shift in building management systems (BMS), which today use more IP-based Ethernet networks to accommodate different communication protocols.

These systems are becoming increasingly complex, particularly when factoring in cyber security and other sub-systems, such as heating control. Comprehensive support for factories and buildings beginning their journey to the IIoT and ongoing efficiency optimisation, is therefore essential.

Previously, advanced manufacturing led the way on the IIoT as the efficiency gains and value-added to the end product and profits were so significant, but now every sector in the economy is seeking the same step change in value creation through smart IIoT infrastructure, smart buildings and smart spaces. Manufacturing, healthcare, services, retail and consumers have all started this change at scale in the past two years – you just need to look at the rows of smart bulbs now available on supermarket shelves. The advantages of the IIoT are not just improved energy and operational management, but in how it unlocks innovation and business agility, and leverages an organisations investment in assets, workforce and partnership. 

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Building Energy Management Systems

Training for a new normal Terry Sharp discusses the importance of training and what lockdown has taught us about effective building management

T

he world is certainly a very different place today than it was a little over a year ago. As we need to learn to adapt so too do our buildings. Many will have been left empty for some time and a good proportion of general office spaces will still only be operating at a much-reduced occupancy level. The current crisis situation aside, the principles of automatic adjustment based upon demand has been at the heart of building control philosophies for years. Scaling a setpoint back or ramping a speed up based on a sensor measurement is exactly what building controls do.

Keeping occupants at a comfortable temperature is a given, but we also consider the amount of fresh air, the humidity, light levels, noise, smells and the new agenda topper... occupancy level!

Where once owner occupiers were concerned about people density per square metre, it is now a case of space between people….per square metre. Where once building control technology was used to guide an occupant to a free hot desk, this same technology can be used to guide occupants through less dense areas of a building, avoiding crowds to clear, and cleaned, work spaces.

All of the above relies on the building control systems, the vast majority totally hidden from sight.

Doing all of the above efficiently relies on the skills and experience of the control system design engineers.

To achieve logical operation is one thing, to achieve that in a superefficient way requires training, experience and the tools, software and equipment that deliver reliable and precise control of the mechanical and electrical systems within our buildings.

There is a common assumption that a building energy management system (BEMS) will magically take care of the running of a building, whether it’s occupied or not, and lockdown has exposed some of the disconnect between building control

Coronavirus has emphasised the need for healthier and better ventilated indoor spaces

systems, occupation and comfort.

Many unoccupied buildings still appeared as though they were fully open for business during lockdown because they still had all of their lights on. In contrast, building managers with secure remote connectivity in place were able to make immediate adjustments and scale everything back to a more stable pattern based on little or no occupancy.

Ability to respond quickly Facilities managers with the ability to self-serve without the need to call on systems specialists were able to respond very quickly as they had the controls to put their building into setback modes or vacant modes easily. Clients without that level of integration had to call out different specialists in various disciplines.

‘The value of good training should not be understated’ With an already heavy workload there were inevitably going to be delays in getting the required work scheduled. The same problem would also present itself when people start returning to work and they need to recommission the control systems and bring them back online.

Coronavirus has of course emphasised the need for healthier and better ventilated indoor spaces, and these will be vital factors for building owners to consider going forward. At the same time, we mustn’t lose sight of the long-term aims of building controls as we look to reduce the energy wastage

Terry Sharp is president of the Building Controls Industry Association

and carbon emissions from our built environment. We should use this time to simplify our buildings’ operation and change some attitudes towards efficient building management.

The industry is ever-evolving and the need for the existing pool of engineers to upskill and adapt is just as important as the training of young talent embarking on a career in building controls. The BCIA’s ambition is to ensure that the industry has access now, and in the future, to the skills and talent it needs for continued success by helping to unlock opportunities across all areas of the industry.

To help promote this ambition, and to commemorate its 30th Anniversary, the BCIA has nominated 2021 as its Year of Training. The value of good training should not be understated, and the interruption brought about by COVID-19 has of course affected the education sector significantly.

Last March, as we headed into lockdown for the first time, schools, colleges and training centres all over the UK were forced to close, including the BCIA’s own training centre in Peterborough. Fortunately, we were able to move all of our courses online very quickly, which allowed our aspiring engineers to continue with their development.

However, as brilliant and vital as the Internet continues to be in helping us through this pandemic in many ways, online learning is not the same as sitting in a room with classmates, whether it’s at primary school or college. I am sure teachers and students alike will agree.

Many BEMS companies carry out their own in-house training, which can provide huge benefits for both the trainer and the trainee.

By shadowing their seniors, apprentices not only learn practical skills first-hand, they can also develop important relationships with their colleagues and clients.

The learning doesn’t have to be all one way either. With the advancements in technology our school leavers have grown up with they are already well adapted to take advantage of the myriad innovations going into buildings to help them run more efficiently in the 21st century. 

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Building Energy Management Systems

Chris Irwin is vice president sales EMEA & VP global marketing J2 Innovations

Lessons in classroom control Schools need to take advantage of new innovative technologies in building automation and control to drive down energy costs and reduce carbon emissions.

S

chool improvement projects were given a major boost last year when a £560m fasttrack investment fund was given the green light by the UK Government1. The funding, allocated for 580 building projects at academies, sixth form colleges and voluntary aided schools in England, will transform facilities and improve school buildings.

Although a vital and welcome boost for the education sector and schools building programme, the cash-injection must also act as a catalyst for investments in innovative energy-saving technologies to help drive down costs and reduce carbon emissions. There will be projects to upgrade boilers to new green, energy-efficient models as well as the complete refurbishments of classroom blocks but it is possible that there could be an introduction of better controls for buildings. The implementation of ‘smart’ controls would allow schools to track and manage the energy performance of their building environments and improve the overall energy profiles of their sites.

Underserved market segment To address this underserved segment of the building automation market, J2 Innovations, creators of FIN Framework (FIN) - a state-of-the-art application suite for smart buildings, smart equipment and IoT applications, has developed FIN microBMS application suite - a compact feature-rich management system to control buildings across multiple sites. The entry-level FINbased system is a powerful simpleto-use plug and play solution for efficient building management that has removed much of the complexity found in many of today’s building management systems (BMS).

Maintenance staff can monitor, control and visualise all the operational and energy assets such

for education settings. Data about energy usage can also be more easily shared via a common data standard, enabling leadership teams to plan more effectively.

Natively built for tags and support for the Project Haystack 4 open standard, FIN provides an intuitive user-experience with intelligent data-management, analytics and simplified workflows.

J2 Innovations’ latest Edge2Cloud capability provides operators with a secure remote connection to the microBMS for accessing building data, servicing and upgrading of the system.

Outside contractor help

as HVAC, lighting and security systems inside a building or buildings across numerous sites to optimise the comfort levels, safety and energy efficiency. A dashboard flags the status or health of assets as well as the maintenance requirements of all the connected devices while trend monitoring and utility metering are reported by the system. Plug & play simplifies the installation of any

‘All schools will need to be connected by intelligent controls’

preconfigured hardware solutions.

FIN Framework interfaces with BACnet, Modbus, KNX, OPC-UA and MQTT for linking to almost any system.

Functionality retained This is by no means a pared-down BMS but a compact fully featured management system that retains much of the functionality found in costlier systems; making it ideal

Budget constraints have often meant school maintenance teams are smaller in size and reliant on the help of outside contractors to come onsite to address issues or breakdowns.

While this arrangement has sufficed, the remote management of heating and other controls will dramatically reduce costs and save time. FIN microBMS with Edge2Cloud technology allows engineers or subcontractors to simply log into an Amazon Web Services session to gain access to building systems where they can diagnose faults from anywhere and on any device.

Education set-ups, particularly schools are always under constant pressure deliver to greater efficiencies with limited resources.

In the future, we think all schools will need to be connected by intelligent controls to manage lighting, heating and cooling. The use of smart building controls will help us create modern, fitfor-purpose spaces that are more sustainable and meet the needs of tomorrow. 

Reference 1) https://www.gov.uk/government/ news/hundreds-of-additionalschool-improvement-projects-getgreen-light

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Building Energy Management Systems

George Catto is client services director at AMR DNA, Energy Assets

Look forward by looking back As lockdown restrictions draw closer to their end, George Catto looks at how energy managers are facing the challenge of how best to prepare their buildings as workers return to their desks

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ncreasingly, facilities management professionals are turning to advanced digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to ‘map’ different energy consumption scenarios that they can implement quickly as occupier levels change or production ramps up.

Many are looking forward by looking back, using AI to interrogate years’ worth of historic half-hourly gas and electricity data to create multiple energy consumption models that reflect differing prevailing operating conditions.

Analysing data on this scale manually would need an army of analysts – but with AI, it can be a matter of hours, even minutes to yield results.

For example, through its AMR DNA service, metering and data services specialists Energy Assets is enabling facilities managers in multiple sectors, including higher education, retail, local authorities

and commerce, to use AI to develop accurate scenario planning linked to the status of the pandemic.

This means managers can adapt quickly to changes in COVID rules and be confident that whether it’s a full lockdown, localised tiered restrictions, a ‘COVID-secure’ normal requiring social distancing, or a return to pre-COVID normality, they are in a better place to maintain optimal energy efficiency.

In scenario planning, Energy Assets uses kWIQly AI architecture to assimilate two years’ worth of half-hourly gas and electricity meter data into a performance model that can be measured against key criteria to identify waste.

Pressing challenge Identifying and eradicating this waste can be a particularly pressing challenge in an environment of

Covid scenario planning for energy in buildings Some buildings have always been intended for continuous occupancy, so it is not surprising that not all buildings respond to being unoccupied in the same way. However, given any set of buildings (and an energy management team) some patterns or norms emerge when occupancy levels fluctuate.

This raises questions such as: what is achievable in terms of energy reduction; is the optimal state applicable and uniform across an entire estate; where can it be improved; how will the estate respond to increased ventilation under colder external conditions; and how can energy purchasing decisions best reflect the different scenarios?

What is needed is a strategic approach. These graphs from AMR DNA illustrate how AI can help.

Fig. 1 represents a set of buildings belonging to one owner where each dot is a gas meter. Some buildings have been switched off entirely (bottom line).

Fig. 1

While it can be seen that one very large building (top-right) and a handful of others have increased consumption, the majority have seen a 20-40 per cent reduction over normal operating conditions, depending on the level of turndown. Having this knowledge means that managers can assess opportunities for additional energy saving measures.

Fig. 2 shows on top a weather adjusted model by time of week and outside temperature (from which daily profile averages given forecast temperature can be calculated).

The section below shows the single daily profile of actual consumption (blue bars) compared with achievable (grey shaded). This immediately illustrates a problem; that although consumption inside occupancy (core hours) has improved, during evenings and before occupancy the consumption has risen.

Having this information to hand enables energy consumption under different scenarios across portfolios to be accurately tracked automatically, to identify not just the impact of turning down but also where buildings are not responding as anticipated.

As well as enabling follow-up action, this data can greatly assist with budgetary and forecast scenario planning.

Fig. 2

change, when building occupancy levels are fluctuating. In any portfolio, site-by-site performance varies with respect to its indicators, benchmarks and relative to prior performance. For example, by how much consumption falls overnight.

In the case of AMR DNA, AI finds and flags up areas for energy efficiency improvement because the system progressively ‘learns’ what best performance looks like.

From this benchmark, energy managers can use the AI-driven model to develop building profiles that fit multiple contingency planning scenarios and to sharpen their energy procurement strategies.

Since COVID, ‘what is necessary’ has changed, as have metrics of cost. Pre-pandemic it was enough to measure and predict kWh in terms of normal operations and interpret cost around carbon impact and money.

Rarely was health considered a ‘cost factor’. However, requirements to keep a building healthy have changed, and not in one dimension.

Today, COVID means that energy and facilities managers need to take account of ideal temperatures, air-change rates, humidity, fresh-air circulation, heat recovery strategy and even comfort. Why comfort?

- because breathing through PPE changes ambient requirements.

What is quickly becoming apparent is that COVID is challenging our conventional understanding of energy management systems and how meter data can positively affect scenario planning. This ability to forecast what the future can look like, and adapt quickly to changing circumstances, is gaining a lot of interest because no organisation can afford to burn money unnecessarily in today’s trading climate.

Being able to implement new scenario strategies quickly also gives managers the ability to revise their energy buying strategies with confidence, because they have a clearer understanding of their future requirements based on data-driven insights rather than guesswork. 

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Building Energy Management Systems

US company uses BACnet controller to bring BEMS up to current standard Contemporary Controls’ BASpi-Edge cloudconnected BACnet controller and BASview3 standalone, embedded, web-based graphical interface have been instrumental in helping Florida, USAbased Karl Corporation convert an older BEMS in a commercial multi-storey building to current technologies. Because Contemporary Controls is a long-time supporter of open software, the BASpi-Edge and BASview3 do not use proprietary programming languages, programming tools or have licensing restrictions.

Karl Corporation replaced the legacy system in a ten-storey, 9,300m2 commercial office building.

Ten BASpi-Edge units were used for the floors, plus one for rooftop control and one for a fresh air unit.

The BASpi-Edge series are hardened controllers with enhanced features and data processing at the Edge functionality, powered by Raspberry Pi. A typical floor has a single BASpi-Edge 6U6R for controlling individual or zoned HVAC units and lighting loads. A BASpi-Edge 6U4R2A was used

for control of the rooftop machinery including the fresh air makeup unit, where building managers tracked the temperature monitoring feature and stage on three compressors and two heater strips.

Additionally, the BASpi-Edge managed two cooling

towers with variable frequency drives providing control over speed and power; two circulation pumps on the tower; an air scrubber for restrooms; common rooftop lighting; and power control of the buildings fresh air makeup units.

A BASview3 was used for scheduling and trending. It simplified day-to-day operations, holiday exceptions, building overrides and trending services that are necessary with a large, busy building. The BASview3’s graphics made final management reports easy to generate and understand.

The BASpi-Edge handles requests from the tenant via a webpage on the internet. Used for after-hours A/C and lighting overrides, the BASpi-Edge allows the default energy consumption to be low. However, tenants can override those settings and that override can be tracked so the building owners can allocate costs. The tenant web-based A/C override uses the BASPi-Edge’s internal REST API, which can be used to interface between third-party, legacy, or non-BACnet devices, applications or data servers.

Compressed Air

Roy Brooks is technical development officer for the British Compressed Air Society

A standard set for success Roy Brooks explains why operators should carefully consider all parts of a compressed air system during the specification process

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n a typical compressed air system, there are a wide range of contaminants that require treatment if the system is to operate safely, efficiently and cost effectively. Selecting the right compressed air treatment equipment is essential as it can affect everything from maintenance schedules to the ongoing costs associated with achieving the required standards.

Compressed air can contain up to ten different contaminants, which need to be treated correctly.

These tend to be combined into three distinct categories: particles (including viable and non-viable microbiological organisms), water and oil. ISO 8573-1 refers to the main contaminants in this format.

When selecting purification equipment, it is important to note that contaminants will be in one of three different phases (states of matter). For example, water and oil in a compressed air system will be found in liquid form, as an aerosol (fine mist) and in a vapour (gaseous) phase. A different purification technology will be required depending upon the phase of the contaminant.

Depending on the application, there are number of different compressed air standards and best practice guidelines which can be used to assist.

ISO8573 series is the most commonly used standard for compressed air (excluding breathing air or medical air). It is made up of nine separate parts. Part 1 refers to air purity (quality), while parts two to nine provide details on the equipment and methodology to be used to measure for different contaminants in a compressed air system (and meet the air purity (quality) classifications shown in part one).

ISO8573-1 – International Standard Relating to Compressed Air Purity (Quality) ISO8573-1 provides guidance on specifying the air purity (quality) required for the entire compressed air system and/or for individual usage points, based upon

Check list: selecting the right compressed air treatment equipment is essential

application requirements.

In addition, there are also specific requirements for compressed air that comes in to direct or indirect contact with food or beverage products as well as the HTM02-1 purity recommendation for medical and surgical air and HTM2022 for dental air. Finally, BS EN 12021:2014 is the standard for breathable air, indicating maximum permitted contaminant levels in the UK and EU.

Define the air purity required Whether designing new systems, or reviewing existing systems, the first step should be to define the precise compressed air purity (quality) requirements for the application.

For example, where compressed air comes into direct contact with food/beverage, in particular during

production or processing, this requires a much higher level of contaminant control. Particular attention needs to be placed on sources of contaminants entering the system, that may be added during compression or emanating from the distribution system.

Due to the variations in the design of compressors, some require oil in the compression stage, and some do not. For food/beverage production where the compressed air comes into direct contact the amounts of oil present and type of oil allowed are subject to strict controls.

To achieve the degree of air purity (quality) specified by ISO8573-1, a careful approach to system design, commissioning and operation must therefore be adopted.

Best practice is to treat compressed

air prior to entry into the distribution system and at critical usage points and application, to ensure that contamination already in the distribution system is removed.

Purification equipment should ideally be installed where the air is at the lowest possible temperature, i.e., downstream of air receivers, but also protected from freezing. Point-of-use purification equipment should be installed close to the application.

To allow correct sizing and selection of purification equipment, operators should have the following operating parameters to hand: • the maximum compressed air flow rate into the filters/dryer; • the maximum operating temperature into the filters/dryer; • the maximum ambient air temperature where the equipment is to be installed (required for some dryer technologies); and • the required dewpoint (dryers).

Individually, each of the primary operating parameters can influence product sizing. However, collectively they can have a major impact on product sizing and performance.

Many manufacturing plants only need a proportion of the compressed air to be treated to a very high purity (quality). In these cases, excellent savings are achievable by treating all the generated air to the minimum acceptable level and improving the purity (quality) to the desired level at the usage point.

To assist users BCAS has launched its new, blended learning workshop for ISO 8573 (http://bit.ly/BCASISO8573), now available with 25 per cent off course fees for customers of BCAS members.1 This latest course in the Society’s portfolio explains the importance of considering all parts of a compressed air system during specification, for suppliers, energy consultants, service providers or end users alike.  • Follow the link to learn more about the course https://bit.ly/BCAS-ISO8573. In addition, detailed guidance can be found in the ‘Filtration and Drying of Compressed Air - Best Practice Guide 104 at www.bcas. org.uk/airtreatment.

Reference 1) The free associate membership and 25 per cent discount offer is only available to end-user customers of BCAS members.

Trade customers are not eligible.

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Compressed Air

Alexander Pavlov is general manager, Atlas Copco Compressors UK

Compressed air and green production Energy costs make up over three quarters of a compressor’s total cost of ownership. Alexander Pavlov examines the economics of investing in green compressor technology

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ecent studies by the Carbon Trust have revealed that despite pandemic disruption and extremely challenging market conditions, over 70 per cent of companies are continuing to prioritise sustainability and environmental management issues.

Since 10 per cent of global electricity consumption goes to generating compressed air, a place where air compressor manufacturers can make a real difference is in developing solutions that make compressing air more energy efficient and that support manufacturers in their journey towards carbon-neutral production.

Energy costs make up 80 per cent of a compressor’s total cost of ownership. So, investing in environment-friendly compressors, and optimising existing air systems that use significantly less energy, can sharply reduce both the production cost of compressed air and a company’s carbon footprint.

Higher purchase price But how much energy can be saved by going green? This is a particularly important question for smaller companies, which may be concerned about the higher initial purchase price of an energy-efficient compressor. To some, it might seem that the “safe” option would be to take the risk of keeping on using their old compressor even though it attracts a disproportionately high electricity bill.

The fact remains that not switching to environment-friendly technology is much riskier. It invites a degree of uncertainty about equipment reliability and ability to maintain production processes.

Green air compressors provide stability. They guarantee that a company will lower the production

cost of compressed air, protected from fluctuating energy prices. A green compressor offers greater reliability, longer maintenance intervals and ensures compliance with all current and upcoming emissions standards.

Pick the right model While environment-friendly compressors are all about efficiency, picking the right model still matters.

That means buyers have to be aware of their compressed air needs. How much airflow and pressure do they need and for which applications?

Will the compressor run constantly or intermittently? How important is air quality? Does the air demand fluctuate or remain steady?

Carrying out a non-intrusive energy audit to measure the efficiency of an existing compressed air installation, involving the use of data logger, is the best way to discover possible energy savings from a compressed air system.

Combined with plans for specific future requirements, this data allows plant operators to understand and improve their system’s energy efficiency.

It also answers many of the

questions that help to determine the ideal size and type of compressor − whether a model with variable speed drive is better for fluctuating air demand, whether a piston compressor is sufficient for intermittent use and limited air demand, or is a rotary screw compressor best suited for the application need.

If an application requires a constant speed at all times, then a fixed-speed compressor will often get the job done. Once it is switched on, it gives full power. Most industrial applications, however, have a fluctuating air demand. In that case, a variable speed drive (VSD) compressor is the better choice because it matches output to user demand and will realise considerable energy savings in the long run.

Compressors are a prime example of how pronounced the difference can be between initial investment and the total cost of ownership.

This comprises the cost of buying, owning, and operating it during its lifetime. As a rule, because of manufacturers’ technology developments embodied in advanced, environment-friendly compressors, these units may carry

Compressors are a prime example of the difference between initial investment and cost of ownership

a higher price tag, but they also offer much lower operating costs, which provide payback in the long run.

In fact, the initial investment constitutes only a small fraction of the TCO. Energy costs make up the bulk of it and will likely become an even more important issue in the near future. Therefore, premium quality compressor products capable of energy-saving operation must offer the best investment option.

Apart from the basic function of providing an air supply to production processes, green compressor technology can contribute to comfortable workplace environments while at the same time achieving significant energy savings.

This is when its heat recovery role comes into its own.

Instead of letting it go to waste, purchasing a compressor with integrated energy recovery or installing a heat recovery system between the compressor and the cooling- and heating circuits will recover and re-use 70-94 per cent of the energy required to run a compressor. The hot water, heated up to 90oC and recovered from the compressed air system, can be used for sanitary purposes and space heating but is particularly suitable for process-heating applications.

Regular maintenance A compressed air system should be regularly maintained, continually monitored, and carefully controlled.

While the support of the supplier’s scheduled maintenance plans should be mandatory, to ensure the system’s overall health and performance, the compressor user’s day to day operational vigilance is equally crucial.

A simple example is that of the working air pressure. A higher pressure means increased energy use, which means higher production costs. An increase of just one extra bar of pressure results in an average of 7 per cent more power required.

The best way to manage a compressed air system is to install a state-of-the-art master control system that monitors its efficiency, availability, and reliability. Not only can it detect problems, but it can automatically reduce the working pressure – and energy costs - when the air demand is low.  APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 29

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Compressed Air

David Bruchof is product manager for oil-free screw compressors at CompAir

Opting for oil-free David Bruchof discusses how oil-free compressed air solutions can help energy and facility managers save money while improving site efficiencies too

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ften referred to as the ‘fourth utility’, compressed air is vital for businesses in industry. Any supply of compressed air must be consistently available in high volumes, while being of sufficient quality too. This quality is even more important in sites where goods absolutely cannot be compromised, such as in the production of electronics or healthcare sites.

Contamination can disrupt processes such as product drying, material handling and process air, as well as damage air curtains, control valves and cylinders, alongside other tools. As such, this can be a significant challenge for energy managers, with issues resolved at potentially great expense.

Avoiding process contamination is a necessity for sites using compressors. Fortunately, there are rigorous standards in place governing compressed air performance and provision in these environments, ensuring processes remain free from contaminants – or they are reduced to acceptable levels – while minimising unscheduled downtime and the associated costs, too.

These regulations include ISO 8573, a group of international standards stipulating compressed air purity and quality. ISO 8573 consists of nine separate parts, with part one identifying contamination levels that can be tolerated within a single cubic metre of compressed air. Specifically, part one identifies permitted particle count, pressure dewpoint and amount of oil allowed within this sample.

The other eight parts detail testing methods for a range of contaminants, including solid particles, oil vapour, organic solvents, microbiological contaminants, liquid water and gaseous contaminants, alongside humidity levels and aerosol content.

They also ensure that air quality test results are comparable within a given tolerance of measurement.

Staying in control: many businesses are switching to oil-free compressors

By design, ISO 8573 is very strict and thorough. However, many site owners and operators are going beyond its standards to guarantee high-quality compressed air, instead adopting the principles of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP). This ensures facilities are complying with hygiene legislation and either eliminating any potential hazards or reducing them to an acceptable level.

In some cases, high-quality air is achieved by using oil-lubricated compressors, which rely on filtration to protect products and equipment from contamination. However, to guarantee air purity, many businesses are switching to oil-free compressors.

Oil-free systems use a range of technologies that bypass the need for oil. With oil-lubricated compressors using oil in the compression chamber to cool and seal the compressed air, oil-free solutions will never use oil here. This eliminates the risk of contamination and ensures guaranteed air purity.

There are many benefits to oil-free technology, which can help energy managers make valuable cost savings while improving operational efficiencies too. Whole life costs are reduced, with businesses able to

save on the cost of oil replacement.

Unlike oil-lubricated systems that require oil change intervals throughout their service life, there is also no need to purchase equipment that would clean and separate oil from air, such as oil separators, filtration equipment and condensate treatment.

Improve site efficiencies The latest oil-free solutions take advantage of innovative technologies to help improve site efficiencies, too.

CompAir’s Ultima compressor, for examples, uses its efficient U-Drive concept to maximise compressed air production. Traditional two-stage compressors use a single motor and mechanical gearbox design to drive the low and high-pressure air-ends.

In contrast, Ultima replaces the gearbox and single motor with two

high-efficiency, permanent magnetic motors, allowing for performance optimisation throughout the complete volume range. This technology offers energy efficiency savings of up to 13 per cent when compared with other traditional, two-stage oil-free compressors. The motors are powered by two separate inverters, so they can be individually driven at different speeds depending on demand. An intelligent digital gearbox design then monitors and continuously adjusts the speeds of each aired, ensuring maximum efficiency and pressure ratios at all times. Most importantly, the compressed air it delivers is 100 per cent oil-free.

Other benefits include its bestin-class noise levels and footprint, which is 37 per cent smaller than the industry standard, as well as the digital platform iConn, which Ultima comes with as standard. This enables operators to take advantage of real-time data to better manage and monitor energy consumption, improve process efficiencies and limit any risks.

Should organisations want to improve their green credentials even further, then heat recovery is also an option, on both air-cooled and watercooled models. With 94 per cent of compressor-generated heat capable of being recovered, this can prove invaluable for businesses looking to make efficiency gains.

The Ultima compressor also comes with a six-year extended warranty, completely free of charge, including all main components such as airends, motors, inverters and coolers.

Finally, with many businesses faced with ambitious sustainability goals, deciding on an oil-free solution is the most eco-conscious choice, and can help contribute towards a site’s green credentials. For example, while oil-lubricated compressors mean oil or oil-contaminated condensate will need to be disposed of, impacting the environment, this is not a concern with oil-free technology.

To conclude, air purity is crucial for many industries. And for environmentally responsible businesses that want to be assured that contamination is eliminated from their compressed air processes, oil-free can deliver a real range of benefits. 

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Products in Action

Lincolnshire homes feel the benefit of air source heat pumps Marshgate Properties has recently completed a new housing development of two detached four-bed properties and six semi-detached three-bedroom homes in the village of North Kelsey, Lincolnshire.

Installer UK Alternative Energy has provided each property with renewable energy heating thanks to Panasonic’s Aquarea Mono-bloc air to water heat pumps which supply heating and domestic hot water to each home.

With the new development’s rural location, mains gas was not an option as an energy source.

Marshgate Properties has chosen to continue specifying the Panasonic Aquarea range of renewable air source heat pumps, making the move away from fossil fuels, and to help reduce the carbon footprint of each property, as well as providing on-going efficiencies for residents.

Marshgate Properties approached UK Alternative Energy again for the design and installation on this second project with the company. Secon, an authorised Panasonic distributor specialising in supplying high quality renewable solutions,

supplied the Panasonic units for the project. After an initial consultation with the team from Marshgate, Secon and UK Alternative Energy regarding the development, heat loss calculations were carried out for each property, and a mixture of 5kW and 9kW Panasonic Aquarea Mono-bloc HP models were selected as the best solution for the varying demands of each different sized home.

All the homes on the development have underfloor heating to the ground floor, with radiators to the first floor, with heating and hot water supplied via the Panasonic Aquarea Mono-bloc air source heat pumps and unvented heat pump compatible cylinders.

Derrick Denton of UK Alternative Energy further added, “The main benefits for the selected Panasonic units were their high SCOP figures at the design temperature, resulting in low running cost for the home-owner, plus of course the extra space made available within the property due to the main heating components being integrated within the Panasonic outdoor unit.”

ESTA VIEWPOINT

For further information on ESTA visit www.estaenergy.org.uk

Plotting a course for Glasgow COP26 in Glasgow is just a few months away. But is the Government setting the right course to ensure the UK is on track to meet its climate obligations?, asks Mervyn Pilley

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great deal has happened since my last column.

The budget came and went. Unfortunately, there was very little in that document relating to energy efficiency and a green recovery. There was an announcement of a new UK Infrastructure Bank due to be based in Leeds, which will have £12bn in capital with an aim of funding £40bn worth of public and private projects.

Unfortunately, as so often is the case, there is a lack of detail around the announcement. It is not clear that the infrastructure projects will all be based around achieving the most environmentally friendly, sustainable outcomes.

There has already been a big debate about the announced increase in road building projects with campaigners pointing out that miles of new roads will not help cut down on car journeys and resulting emissions. £15bn of green bonds are to be created, including for retail investors to help finance the transition to Net Zero by 2050. It is clearly a good idea for individual investors to be able to help fund environmentally friendly projects, but again we await the detail.

Having removed the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme last April a super allowance scheme allowing companies to reduce their taxable profits by 130 per cent against investment in capital equipment was announced in the budget. Unfortunately, unlike the ECA that was specifically tied into the Energy technology List (ETL), that listed energy efficient equipment, it appears that the new scheme will cover any capital expenditure including distinctly non energy efficient equipment. In addition, the new version of the ETL is not proving to be the driving force to get businesses to invest in energy efficiency measures that was intended. We are exploring ways of providing an end user friendly interface into the list using our planned end user information hub. A customer should not

‘There is still so much focus on supply and not demand side’ need a PhD in energy management to be able to use the list.

On the subject of using the tax system as a way of incentivising energy efficiency measures, many have pointed out the missed opportunity of not having a lower VAT rate for installing energy efficiency measures. This is an especially relevant discussion as one of the key reasons cited as a benefit of leaving the EU was the fact that the UK Government would have more freedom to set its own VAT rates.

Abolition of the Green Homes Grant The failure and abolition of the Green Homes Grant has been a huge area of worry. Of particular concern to someone like me who has been actively involved with an SME installer company in the past is that with schemes like this not working effectively it is very unlikely that SMEs will want to get involved in the future. Companies may invest in training and scheme administration only to find that the work does not exist. This clearly has a potential impact on the green jobs creation that the public believes should be a key pillar of a post-pandemic recovery. At the time of writing there

Mervyn Pilley is executive director of ESTA (Energy Services and Technology Association)

are various rumours circulating that the Government has realised that any retrofit scheme does indeed need to be a very much longer-term project.

All of a sudden everyone, certainly the Government, seems to have woken up to the fact that COP26 is only seven months away. Having failed to take full advantage of the enforced delay from 2020 all sorts of activity has opened up. Businesses are being encouraged to sign up to various ‘charters’ around carbon reduction.

The Cumbrian coalmine opening has been referred back to the planning approval process but licences for North Sea exploration for oil and gas are being extended. The Industrial Decarbonisation strategy has been issued. For all of that activity a great deal of the 2019 £9bn manifesto commitment remains unspent and as far as ESTA is concerned, energy efficiency - actually using less energy and using the energy that you use more efficiently - has sadly not moved up the agenda to the place it deserves. There is still so much focus on supply and not demand side. At ESTA we are working on an energy efficiency manifesto to present to the COP delegates highlighting all of the options available and also reiterating the need to bring into play the UK’s nondomestic, commercial building stock.

In addition to the manifesto, we have put in two bids for space at the external events being held in Glasgow one on our own account and one on a joint basis with BESA. We hope that we will be successful in our bid although the rumoured £14,000 cost for a hotel room in Glasgow may mean tracking down those Scottish relatives to put us up.

While on the subject of COP we are also looking to play an active role in a virtual roadmap of events being organised by the Italian Exhibition Group leading up to the pre-COP events taking place in Milan.

I have been to Glasgow in November before, but my last trip was certainly not as important as COP26 is going to be. It is hard to argue with those commentators who say that this COP is a last chance to get the plan right.  APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 33

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TALKING HEADS Paul Ruddick

Paul Ruddick is CEO, Reds10

When every building is a prototype Paul Ruddick calls for buildings of the future to truly embrace modern methods of construction to deliver more efficient, better performing environments

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n the last year, the built environment sector has faced its biggest challenges yet, from site closures and materials shortages, to restrictions on meetings to collaborate on design and delays on projects as a result. It has had to reinvent the wheel and in some ways has been successful, yet I can’t help but feel disappointed. I believe we could and should have moved further forward, towards a process on every project that cuts out waste, drives efficiency and delivers high-performing, energyefficient environments that promote health and wellbeing.

Let’s start with the positives. The industry has finally begun to wake up to the fact that we can’t keep doing things the way we always have. It has taken some steps in digitalisation, using virtual tools and BIM to keep projects progressing. It is highlighting the waste in our construction process and is starting to look more favourably at the potential of modern methods of construction (MMC), not least because it provides safer, controlled environments where construction can still deliver at pace.

However, looking at options and talking about change simply doesn’t go far enough.

A survey of procurement trends by cost management and quantity surveying experts Rider Levett Bucknall in February this year showed, despite concerns over shortages of materials and labour, 113 main contractors said MMC take up had only gone up 2 per cent since 2019. The use of BIM is only “creeping up” at tender stage and the ‘Construction 2025’ report noted that twothirds of construction contracting firms are not being innovative enough and are halting technological progress within the sector.

We need affirmative action. The Government is taking us in the right direction, with new regulatory requirements designed to revolutionise construction for the better. The Construction Playbook, for example, sets out 14 policies that will drive innovation, encourage standardisation, speed up delivery, promote MMC and improve how the supply chain works

Ruddick: 'the industry has finally begun to wake up to the fact we can't keep doing things the way we have'

together. Critically, it will also push better building and workplace safety, drive us on our journey to net zero by 2050 and promote social value. While this exists for the public sector, it should change processes and behaviours across the industry, which will positively impact commercial and private sector development too.

Changing mindsets of end users Another big driver comes from our customers, the end users of our buildings, whose mindsets have changed. They no longer want to be guinea pigs in the building process, where the wheel is reinvented every time and they don’t want to have the hassle of procuring, commissioning and operating buildings either. They want buildings that are not just fit for purpose, but also high quality, low carbon, low maintenance, agile and resilient. They want a service that delivers on all these priorities where they can go about their business unhindered. The only model that can achieve this is MMC. There are two basic differences between traditional construction and MMC. One is the integration, control and management it guarantees. The other is that it creates products whose material, design, transportation, and embodied and operational energy are optimised around a series of standard details and materials.

It is process-based, so as well as delivering a new building every 4-6 weeks, it lends itself to continuous improvement in design details, materials and manufacturing processes, enriching the BIM model each time. Airtightness is a good example. The factory production environment means modular buildings now regularly achieve levels of 3m3/hr/m2, heading towards Passivhaus requirements without any special additional measures.

Then there are the elements that deliver a better service. Vertical integration streamlines the process, and collaboration with suppliers and designers leverages the benefits of standard details and maintains architectural integrity, core functionality and building performance. Quality is controlled, costs saved, programmes cut, sustainability optimised, and all with a smaller team.

The buildings delivered are more intelligent, with the ability to embed monitoring in operation and create a SMART building that can run optimally without too much intervention, driving up efficiency in use, while gathering data about performance so improvements can be made.

There is also the potential for more, far reaching benefits, particularly in response to the climate crisis. We are currently working on the Ministry of Defence’s Net Carbon Accommodation Programme (NetCAP), which involves delivering new carbonefficient accommodation blocks across the UK Defence Training Estate. To date we have been able to deliver accommodation blocks with EPC ratings of 12, -5, -7 and most recently -9, meaning they actually generate power for the site. We also achieved a reduction in embodied carbon (tCO2) of some 130 tonnes at no further cost when compared to the first iteration of the building. By treating every project as a prototype for the next, there can be continual product improvement. We’re now exploring how developments can be taken off grid and the scope for neighbourhood buildings to share power.

We want others to follow suit to accelerate change. We accept that there is a long way to go, but we have the data to do the following, which is game changing in itself: • control carbon in use within net-zero targets; • reduce maintenance costs; • prove the link between internal environment and end user satisfaction, wellbeing and productivity; • extend the resilience and economic life of critical plant; • identify redundancy in design and alter future projects; and • assure a building’s performance during the operations phase.

Imagine if the whole industry turned its focus to the customer, not the process, investing in compelling propositions supported with the right technology and business models. 

34 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | APRIL 2021

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DIRECTORY CONTACTS

To advertise in this section contact classified sales on Tel: 01889 577222 Email: classified@eibi.co.uk www.eibi.co.uk

Air Conditioning

Compressed Air, Industrial Gases & Vacuum

Energy Monitoring & Targeting

Industrial Thermometers

Meters - Water, Oil, Gas & Heating

Lighting Controls

Meters - Water, Oil, Gas & Heating

TURNKEYaM&T Meter and monitoring any utility. In house designed hardware and software.

SME’s, City Wide Projects, Large Organisations. Pulse, Modbus, Mbus. www.energymeteringtechnology.com enquiries@energymeteringtechnology.com Tel: 01628 664056

Cooling

Heating & Hot Water

Control & Automation

Meters

Controls & Inverters Heat Networks

METERING DOCTORS

Temperature Sensors

LET US SOLVE YOUR METERING PROBLEMS

EMT resolve issues with meters and aM&T systems that have been badly fitted and are inappropriate or wrongly installed, systems that have never functioned properly and unsuitable or wrongly configured software.

We have considerable knowledge and can help assess, recommission or replace any aM&T system to render them as useful tools for your utility management needs.

For more information on how we can help, Tel: 01628 664056 Email: enquiries@meteringtech.com www.energymeteringtechnology.com

APRIL 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 35

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