October 2021

OCTOBER 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Building Energy Management Systems Lighting Technology Water Management CPD Module: Combined Heat & Power

Low-energy lighting Squeeze more savings out of LEDs

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The carbon in water What’s your organisation’s impact?

Energy managers turn to AI Making more sense of data

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OCTOBER 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Building Energy Management Systems Lighting Technology Water Management CPD Module: Combined Heat & Power

Low-energy lighting Squeeze more savings out of LEDs

The carbon in water What’s your organisation’s impact?

Contents

www.eibi.co.uk

Energy managers turn to AI Making more sense of data

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OCTOBER 2021

06

14

FEATURES

11

Building Energy Management Systems

A new lighting scheme for Scottish trade association while signify and LEDVANCE expand their LED product ranges (26)

Energy managers can now turn to machine learning to optimise energy consumption. George Catto examines the possibilities for this emerging technology Building operators should consider investing in cloud-based building management ahead of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, writes Gavin Holvey (12) Data glues intelligent systems together. Jamie Cameron examines how these systems can lead to more efficient, healthy and user-friendly buildings in the future (14)

22 Lighting Technology

28 Back-up Power Supply

Paul Brickman asks whether companies fit and forget their back-up power. Careful commissioning must be followed up by a rigorous maintenance programme

29 Water Management

Stephanie Allchurch discusses the two main physical methods that can be used to disinfect a water systemchemical disinfection and thermal disinfection

With the influx of LEDs to the commercial market, Leighton James examines how energy managers can squeeze more savings out of their low-energy lighting

Karma Loveday reflects on how the water market has coped with Covid pressures to date, and what kind of deal business customers are getting now (30)

As the construction industry emerges from a period where building safety has been questioned John Allden explains how emergency lighting can play a role in restoring confidence (24)

When it comes to net zero, you may be wondering on the impact water that’s being used at your organisation use has on emissions. Barry McGovaney explains (32)

REGULARS 06 News Update A new building energy labelling scheme is unveiled while the public ‘lack information to green their homes.’

09 The Warren Report The National Audit Office’s damning report of the Green Homes Grant debacle should act as a guide for future Government assistance for domestic energy efficiency

17 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning Combined heat and power is a key tool for organisations to reduce their environmental impact. Gareth Veal looks at factors to explore when contemplating investment in CHP technology

21 ESTA Viewpoint Energy monitoring and conditionbased maintenance are two of the unsung heroes of good energy management. Vilnis Vesma looks at how energy managers can benefit

33 New Products Deer Technology says its LimpetReader cost-effectively converts analogue electricity meters to smart meters simply and quickly. Meanwhile, CompAir has launched its 160, 200 and 250kW FourCore compressor range

34 Talking Heads Laurent Bataille believes that all buildings must become value-added generation assets to play a greater role in fighting climate change

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 OCTOBER 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 03

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Editor’s Opinion

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

Everybody needs…

I

’m sure I would not stir up a hornets’ nest

The rating system for NABERS UK (see page 7)

of controversy by saying that our current

works as a star system for the performance of a

system of measuring buildings’ energy

building at an operational level, with the scale

performance hasn’t been a roaring success.

ranging from 0-6. Traditional design-based ratings,

The UK’s current main method of assessing

such as EPCs, do not consider all sources of

a building’s energy efficiency has significant

energy use within a building and overlook many

problems. Energy Performance Certificates

important loads.

(EPCs) are often criticised for simply not being

NABERS UK measures and verifies recorded

sufficiently accurate, partly due to the fact that it

energy usage from existing buildings, rather

is incredibly easy to become a qualified assessor.

than estimates, to provide more accurate

An EPC provides a view on how a building’s

energy performance data for building owners.

design suggests it could theoretically perform.

Additionally, NABERS UK also covers a Design for

What it doesn’t do is measure how a building

Performance (DfP) framework for developers that

actually performs.

can help in putting actual energy performance

The UK came close to adopting an in-use

targets into the delivery of new projects. DfP

certification scheme under the coalition

attempts to simulate the office space as it is

government. Display Energy Certificates (DECs)

expected to operate.

were due to come into play and would have been

The system appears to be a major step forward

compulsory for all commercial property, but this

to clarifying and simplifying the whole system.

was ditched at the 11th hour. However, DECs are

The question is who is going to adopt it. The get

compulsory for larger public buildings.

a scheme such as this up and running it needs to

Now, energy professionals have to contend with

be adopted by either a group of the UK’s largest

another rating system. The National Australian

property owners or by Government. The ideal

Built Environment Rating System, or NABERS

would be the two could come together and ensure

for short, was introduced back in 1998 and has

we have a system that is clear, understandable

gradually established its reputation as a strong

and, most importantly, universally adopted.

influence on new build and as a force for good for encouraging retrofit improvements. Now, it is

MANAGING EDITOR

being rolled out in the UK.

Mark Thrower

www.eibi.co.uk

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

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THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY Signify has introduced the first Philips LED A-class bulbs that meet the EU Ecodesign and Energy labelling regulations. The new Philips LED bulbs with a longer lifespan provide consumers with a good investment for both planet and purse. The LED bulbs are available in 40W and 60W equivalents.

For an A-class rating under the new regulations, lighting products have to reach an energy efficiency of 210lm/W. Signify has developed and designed four regular A-shape light bulbs that meet these criteria, meaning they consume 60 per cent less power to achieve the same light output.

See page 26 for more details Photo courtesy of Signify

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 | OCTOBER 2021

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News Update

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

UK mortgage holders are living in more efficient homes

Within the owner occupier sector there are significant differences in energy efficiency between those who own their property outright, and those still buying with a mortgage. A survey by the Nationwide Building Society has revealed that just 31 per cent of properties owned outright by owner occupiers have energy performance certificates (EPCs) between A and C. Whereas 42 per cent of those owning a home with a mortgage still being paid off hold EPCs of C or above.

Those owning outright are also more likely to live in the least efficient homes - 18 per cent of those owned outright are rated E to G, compared with just nine per cent of those owned with a mortgage.

A survey of home sales found properties with an EPC rating of A or B attract a 1.7 per cent premium compared to those with the most common rating of D. In contrast a rating of F or G lowers the value of a home by 3.5 per cent. Nationwide senior economist Andrew Harvey, said: “Overall, our research suggests that, for now at least, energy efficiency has only a modest influence on house prices for owner occupiers, where an impact is only really evident for the best and worst energy efficiency ratings.

“However, the value that people attach to energy efficiency is likely to change over time, especially if the government takes measures to incentivise greater energy efficiency in future to help ensure the UK meets its climate change obligations.”

Around 40 per cent of homes sold in 2019 were rated C or higher, compared with 14 per cent in 2009.

But 60 per cent are still rated D or below.

Harvey added: “The government aims to update as many homes as possible to energy efficiency rating C by 2035 ‘where practical, costeffective and affordable’, and aims for all fuel poor households, and as many rented homes as possible, to reach the same standard by 2030.

“Energy efficiency is better among the social rented stock (i.e.. properties owned by local authorities or housing associations) due to tighter regulation”, his survey concluded.

POOR MARKETING SKILLS OF SUPPLIERS, INSTALLERS

Britons ‘lacking information’ to go green The British public lack the information they need to “green” their homes, according to Lord Deben, chairman of the Climate Change Committee - and former Conservative environment secretary. The chair of the government advisory body said recently: “Not only do we have a government that isn’t getting the information out, but we also have an industry that can’t do it.

They can do it in Germany, they can do it in Scandinavia. Why the blazes can’t they do it here?”

Citing his own experience, the chairman of the Government advisory body criticised in particular heat pump installers, contrasting their marketing skills unfavourably with electric car makers. He explained in his own rural home “how difficult it was to get this thing to work, whether it would fit, what I needed to do, how it happens.”

Lord Deben added that the UK must also urgently “set out its strategy for how it will turn its plan for getting the country to net-zero emissions into action.” He was very critical of former Chancellor George Osborne, who had unilaterally scrapped a long-standing policy which would have mandated zero carbon homes from 2016. This was the “most disgraceful history of all.”

Consequently, 1m homes had been built that now “would have to be retrofitted”. He accused housebuilders of “handing to their purchasers a bill”

that the builders should have paid at the start by including the necessary energy efficiency improvements. He cited his experience as Secretary of State that “whatever you suggested, it was impossible as far as the housebuilders were concerned.”

He expressed anger that “some housebuilders are still trying to stop the future homes standard.”

Giving evidence to the House of Commons Housing Committee, Lord Deben also criticised a lack of explicit climate change commitments in planning regulations, which he said made it difficult for local authorities to make decisions that

took the environment into account.

He highlighted the initial decision by Cumbria County council to greenlight the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years. Lord Deben said authorities must think about everything they do through the prism of climate change, such as not building in areas where everyone would have to commute by car, or saving energy by not installing streetlights.

He praised the National Audit Office report into the failed English Green Homes Grant scheme as “sensibly written”. It offered some “very salutary lessons” that the Government must heed, he concluded.

UK lagging behind European neighbours on heat pump sales The UK sells and installs fewer heat pumps per household than Poland, Slovakia and Estonia, as well as most other European countries, according to an assessment of the most up-to-date data by Greenpeace UK. The data, which was provided to Greenpeace UK by the European Heat Pump Association, shows how the UK is seriously lagging behind its European neighbours when it comes to switching to clean sources of home heating and decarbonising its housing sector.

Of the 21 countries for which data was available, the UK came joint last on heat pump sales last year, with just 1.3 heat pumps sold per 1,000 households. The UK was second to last when it came to total installations, with just 10 installations per 1,000 households.

The UK’s heat pump sales figures per household were three times lower than in Poland, ten times lower than in France, and 32 times lower than sales in Norway.

The disparity is even greater for installations. The UK installed more than five times fewer heat pumps than Lithuania, more than 30 times fewer than Estonia and 60 times fewer heat pumps than Norway - who topped the charts both in sales and installations.

This slow rollout of clean sources of home heating in the UK is not only a missed opportunity to create new long-term, green jobs, and boost economic growth, but

it also risks jeopardising plans to decarbonise housing and derail the UK’s climate commitments, believes Greenpeace.

Greenpeace UK’s policy director, Doug Parr, said: “The UK already has the draughtiest homes in western Europe, now we’re last when it comes to clean heating too. We perform better in Eurovision than we do decarbonising our homes, and that’s saying something.”

06 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | OCTOBER 2021

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News Update

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

NABERS INTENDED TO BRIDGE THE PERFORMANCE GAP

In Brief

Energy efficiency scheme rolled out A new energy efficiency rating scheme for offices is now being rolled out across the UK. Following a launch last year, NABERS UK Energy for Offices is intended to bridge the gap between the design and in-use energy performance of offices.

Administered by BRE, the scheme will enable asset owners, operators and managers to assess and improve the energy efficiency of the office buildings in their portfolio. It is based on an established and successful Australian scheme.

The rating system for NABERS UK works as a star system for the performance of a building at an operational level, with the scale ranging from 0-6. Traditional design-based ratings, such as EPCs, do not consider all sources of energy use within a building and overlook many important loads.

NABERS UK measures and verifies recorded energy usage from existing buildings, rather than estimates, to provide more accurate energy performance data for building owners. Additionally, NABERS UK also covers a Design for Performance (DfP) framework for developers that can help in putting actual energy performance targets into the delivery of new projects. DfP attempts to

Updated guidance on heat pump technology

The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has updated its technical guidance on heat pumps.

The Guide to Good Practice for Heat Pump Installation (TR/30) identifies and explains all the different types of heat pump available and clarifies which version to choose for each application.

The guide, available to buy from the BESA website, also explains how to avoid the design problems that have impaired the performance of some systems.

simulate the office space as it is expected to operate.

The scheme also rates the performance of the ‘base’ building (including central services such as heating and cooling systems and lifts and lobby lighting) enabling building owners to clearly delineate the energy consumption under their control.

This allows office buildings to be rated and compared based on landlord services, providing occupiers, investors and other stakeholders with a clear

indicator of the energy efficiency of the building.

Dr Shamir Ghumra, head of building performance services at BRE, said: “Having a building that has a lower environmental impact and lower running costs, and being able to communicate that with confidence and simplicity is going to stand building owners in good stead over the long-term – and the new NABERS UK Energy for Offices scheme will help them facilitate this.”

Armstrong Fluid Technology marked the latest phase in its UK expansion with the opening of a new Systems Manufacturing Centre in Droitwich.

Armstrong Fluid Technology manufactures intelligent fluid flow equipment, for use in HVAC, applications. The move provides additional space for operations to accommodate growing demand for off-site manufactured plantrooms and energy centres.

Haven changes its name to Drax

‘A million homes a year require retrofitting’ to hit net zero

A million homes a year will have to be retrofitted for the UK to reach its net zero target, according to a report from Bankers for Net Zero and the Green Finance Institute.

The paper also states that retrofit industry, which today is made up mostly of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), will need to grow by at least a factor of 10 to achieve this ‘retrofit revolution.’

It sets out a clear plan for scaling up the retrofit industry in order to decarbonise an estimated 29m homes - a plan fundamental to the UK reaching its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.

Heating and powering homes makes up 23 per cent of the UK’s carbon footprint and contribution to climate change. Scaling up the retrofit industry will tackle these emissions while creating green jobs and supporting thousands of small to medium sized businesses across the UK. The paper, Tooling up the Green Homes Industry: Financing the Retrofit Supply Chain, lays out the barriers to retrofit industry investment and growth. It also provides six high-potential solutions for the investment and finance industry, and relevant business groups, to act on: • increase access to sustainability-linked loans for SMEs; • create dedicated “Green” or “Transition” SME funds; • add green criteria to existing public finance schemes and use guarantees to “crowd in” private capital; • create advisory hubs that bring together customers,

HVAC specialist expands in Midlands

B2B renewable energy supplier Haven Power is changing its name to Drax, to deliver the products and services businesses and organisations need in order to support UK efforts to reach net zero.

Haven Power was acquired by Drax Group in 2009 and supplies more than 20,000 large industrial and commercial customers.

suppliers and finance providers; • create the rules and protocols to enable more accurate, real-time assessments of property performance’; and • strengthen the ecosystem of SME accelerators and growth hubs.

The paper also shares key principles for new government policy in this area: • front-load market support – using the funds already committed to the decarbonisation of social housing and public buildings to pump prime the market; • set out a clear regulatory pathway for energy performance standards for all building types; and • set out an overarching strategy for applying an adequate and consistent carbon price to every tonne of CO2 emitted in the UK.

Chemicals companies ‘will hit 2021 targets’

Nearly two thirds of energy and chemicals companies in the UK expect to meet their climate targets this year, according to a sentiment survey carried out by Independent Commodity Intelligence Services.

The survey included over 1,000 UK executives within the energy and chemicals sectors of which 71 per cent said their organisation has publicly stated targets regarding climate impact reduction. This is the highest figure in Europe and compares with 15 per cent of respondents in Germany.

OCTOBER 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 07

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News Update

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

GHG scheme ‘not executed to an acceptable standard’

The Green Homes Grant Voucher Scheme was delivered to an overambitious timetable and was not executed to an acceptable standard, significantly limiting its impact on job creation and carbon reduction. That’s the damning verdict in a report from the National Audit Office.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy originally expected the scheme to support up to 82,500 jobs over six months, and enable up to 600,000 households to save up to £600 on their energy bills. The scheme did not deliver the expected number of energy efficiency home installations, or support the expected number of jobs, says the NAO. In total, the Department estimates that it will spend £314m of the £1.5bn funding available, of which £50.5m (more than £1,000 per home upgraded) is on administration. It forecasts that the scheme will eventually support efficiency measures in 47,500 homes, and create up to 5,600 jobs over 12 months.

Many homeowners and installers had a poor experience using the scheme. There were delays issuing vouchers to homeowners and paying installers, causing frustration.

Homeowners also found it challenging completing applications, and were often asked for more information, which took time. From October 2020 to April 2021, over 3,000 complaints were made to the Department and the scheme administrator.

But the NAO says HM Treasury gave the Department an overambitious 12-week timescale to design the scheme, consult with stakeholders and procure an administrator. This came at a time when the Department was supporting vaccine procurement, and undertaking activities related to leaving the EU. The Department accepted that delivering the scheme within this timescale posed a high risk, but judged it was justified by the need to support businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

€11.5BN ALLOCATED FOR BUILDINGS ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Germany ups spending on efficiency Germany will spend an additional €5.7bn on making buildings more energy efficient after emissions in the sector exceeded government targets last year.

The sum agreed by ministers comes on top of another €5.8bn allocated earlier this year which was deemed insufficient by the government’s Council of Experts on Climate Change. It brings the total for 2021 to €11.5bn.

Energy minister, Peter Altmaier (right), said the measures represented “record sums never seen before,” adding it was “money well spent on climate protection and jobs.”

The money will support improvements to window glazing, insulating exterior walls and roofs, and installing heat pumps, as well as other steps to ensure lower energy use.

“A huge opportunity was lost to bring the funding programmes in line with the climate protection goals.

This must become a priority task for the new federal government”

Government gives reassurance on following European efficiency standards The Government has provided its firmest pledge to seek to adhere to standards being set within the European Union for energy-related products. Confirming new lighting requirements, Business Minister Amanda Solloway, confirmed in Parliament that the intention is for regulations to ensure that each “avoids technical barriers to trade between GB and the EU.” Taken together, the policies make “an important contribution to energy use, improving environmental outcomes and cutting energy bills.”

She reckoned that the full suite of ecodesign and energy labelling policies in force in Great Britain is saving consumers £75 on their

energy bills and 8 megatonnes of carbon dioxide during 2021.”

The amendments this instrument makes cover “servers and data storage products with respect to ecodesign, and electronic displays, household refrigeration, dishwashers, washing machines and washer-dryers with respect to energy labels.” So far as lighting is concerned, “by setting ambitious boundaries for the A to G classes on the energy label”, the Minister assured MPs that this policy will “spur the innovation and design of lighting products, as manufacturers compete to achieve the highest energy efficient ratings.” In addition to rescaling the energy label for lighting products, the Union flag, rather than the

But green group Environmental Action Germany (DUH) said the spending will do little to lower emissions, as the government should have refocused existing modernisation programmes and raised construction standards instead.

“A huge opportunity was lost to bring the funding programmes in line with the climate protection goals. This must become a priority task for the new federal government,” DUH said.

Green Party energy policy spokesperson Julia Verlinden also said the outgoing (and now interim) government had prevented real emission cutting progress in the sector for years, and was now “desperately pouring billions” into a lost cause given that building standards are out of date. The building sector exceeded its 2020 Climate Action Law budget of 118Mt by 2Mt.

European Union flag, must now be displayed on the label for products on the GB market.

According to Solloway, the measures introduced by the lighting products regulations alone will continue to provide carbon savings of approximately 1.8 megatonnes in the UK by 2030, which will increase to 2.6 megatonnes of carbon dioxide by 2050. On top of that, she reckoned “the resultant reduction in energy use will cut £s from household and business energy bills.” It is a key part of “delivering the carbon budget and net zero target.”

“The lighting products regulations will raise the minimum energy efficiency of lighting products on the market in Great Britain. That will phase out the least energy efficient lighting products—in other words, the costliest and more environmentally damaging products to run. The lighting products regulations will replace the existing energy label for light sources and rescale labels, moving from the A++ to E scale to a simpler A to G scale, making it easier for consumers to identify the most energy efficient lighting products”, the Minister concluded.

The firmness of the product energy standards policy was endorsed by all the Opposition spokespersons. It seemed a long way from the initial commitments to return to incandescent lightbulbs originally promoted by many Brexit supporters.

08 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | OCTOBER 2021

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10.21

THE WARREN REPORT

Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

A lesson in how not to run an energy efficiency programme The National Audit Office’s damning report of the Green Homes Grant debacle should act as a warning and guide for future Government assistance for domestic energy efficiency programmes

T

he National Audit Office (NAO) has seldom issued a more excoriating report than their recent critique of the English Green Homes Grant GHG) debacle. It sets out the declared objectives, enunciated both by the Prime Minister and the Chancellor. And then compared them with the end result.

The scheme was originally supposed to make 600,000 homes more energy efficient. It may just have reached 47,500.

It was meant to create somewhere between 100,000 and 140,000 jobs, depending upon which Minister was speaking. The NAO reports that the Government think it may have sustained 5,600 people in employment.

It was supposed to last 18 months. It was ignominiously abandoned over a weekend, after just 6 months.

Its allocated budget was £1.5bn. In the end, it cost the taxpayer £314m, of which just £256m will go on actual energy improvements “should all current applications be processed.” Even five months after its plug was pulled, by August 2021 less than £83m had actually been paid out to contractors. With £50.5m of that going on “programme management and administrative expenses,” this amounted to expenses of more than £1,000 per home upgraded.

Effectively, the NAO reckon “the rushed delivery and implementation of the scheme has significantly reduced the benefits that might have been achieved, caused frustration for homeowners and installers, and had limited impact on job creation for the longer term.”

But as the NAO acidly points out, this particular report is being issued “against a backdrop of previous problematic attempts by Government to implement

domestic energy efficiency schemes.” This is the fourth such NAO Report has published on this policy area in just over a decade. Each has dealt with programmes ostensibly intended to revolutionise aspects of parts, sometimes all, of the residential building stock’s energy performance.

So, this time round this latest report also concentrates upon “identifying lessons for future schemes.” Whatever replaces the GHG, Government must “engage with the installer market on the proposed design of any future scheme, and base its planning upon a realistic assessment of how long it will take the different segments of the market to mobilise the skills and capacity to meet demand across all parts of the country.” This did not happen with the GHG.

Clash of departments' priorities The NAO sets out how the Treasury’s priority (employment under Build Back Better) and the Business Department’s concentration upon achieving zero carbon society, clashed. The strong recommendation is henceforth to “ensure the different policy objectives of a scheme are reconciled and translated into clear targets as part of the scheme design, with an agreed understanding of which objectives should be prioritised should trade-offs need to be made.”

Instead, sectors with large established workforces and consumer assurance systems were either made “secondary” participants (like glazing). Or else excluded altogether (like lighting or high efficiency boilers). According to the NAO, the Business Department deliberately “deprioritised measures which have established, larger-scale supply chains, and often require less specialist skills, and hence are easier to scale up quickly in terms of jobs supported.”

The Business Department argued that focusing on less developed “primary” measures like heat-pumps and solid wall insulation would have “the biggest carbon impact and reduce the potential for paying for doors and windows that people would choose to install themselves”.

However, the NAO is clear that the “scheme’s primary aim was intended to be an economic stimulus to support jobs.” It acknowledged that the Business Department “recognised that for many of the primary measures, the capacity of the supply chain would need time to build up”, time that the GHG scheme was never allowed to have.

The NAO states that, to achieve its objectives, the Government must in future “ensure that installers had the capacity and

‘The GHG was originally supposed to make 600,000 homes more energy efficient. It may just have reached 47,000’

skills to provide energy efficiency improvements. It also needs to ensure that the Scheme is attractive to homeowners.”

To achieve this, it is vital to ensure that the Government “deploys, alongside policy makers, people with technical, delivery and commercial experience to provide input at the earliest stages in the conception of new schemes.”

It is now well over half a year since the plug was unceremoniously pulled on the Green Homes Grant scheme. There had been a five-year hiatus between the similar decapitation of its predecessor Green Deal scheme, and announcement of the ambitious GHG scheme.

The NAO Report ends with a set of instructions. “The Department should set out by the end of 2021 how its various home energy efficiency schemes fit with its overall plans for decarbonisation, setting out timescales in a more detailed and longer-term plan. This will help to promote interest in future schemes from consumers and installers.”

In designing any new schemes, the NAO advises the Government to take three overt policy steps: a) “test from the start what is being expected of householders and installers. The aim should be to simplify processes, enabling all parties to complete stages right first time as far as possible”; b) “consider what risk appetite is appropriate to balance making the scheme accessible and efficient, with managing the risk of poor-quality workmanship and fraud,” and c) “take a staged approach to launch, to ensure the processes and systems are working efficiently and effectively, and can scale up.”

Personally, I entirely endorse these recommendations. Which, as it happens, bear a remarkable similarity to the ones that members of the British Energy Efficiency Federation were making directly to Business Department staff when the GHG scheme was originally announced.  OCTOBER 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 09

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George Catto is client services director at AMR DNA, an Energy Assets service powered by kWIQly

Building Energy Management Systems

Could artificial intelligence transform the way energy managers are able to interpret data?

Let the machines do the work

Energy managers can now turn to machine learning to optimise energy consumption. George Catto examines the possibilities for this emerging technology

S

ix in 10 managers responsible for energy performance in buildings believe that artificial intelligence (AI) could transform the way they interpret data to improve efficiency.

A snapshot poll of participants attending an Energy Assets’ webinar also found that less than one in ten currently have capacity to review consumption data more than once a week.

The poll reflected the challenge for energy managers in analysing the huge volume of data now available through half-hourly automated meter reads. This underlines that manual interpretation of big data simply cannot identify the fingerprints of energy waste hiding in plain sight in a timely way without an army of analysts – and that simply is not practical.

One of the most powerful tools emerging in the armoury of energy managers in industrial and commercial (I&C) sectors is the application of machine learning, informed by AI, to enhance energy performance based on half-hourly data from automated meter reading (AMR) systems.

With machine learning, it is possible to interrogate years’ worth of historic half-hourly data in seconds.

Taking this as an absolute reference

point, the AI system can be used to spot tell-tale signs of energy waste unique to each building through pattern recognition – flagging up equipment running needlessly, heating controls incorrectly set for example. From this, a checklist of priority actions can be created to drive out waste and reduce carbon output.

This innovative approach has been adopted by The Energy Consortium (TEC), a contracting authority owned by its members which delivers a wide range of services in energy procurement, data reporting, risk management and cost reduction on a not-for-profit basis for its predominantly university sector

membership. TEC, which currently risk manages 11TWh of gas and power across 10,500 meters, is partnering with Energy Assets AMR DNA energy data service, powered by kWIQly, to apply machine learning across a number of HE campuses.

Multi-faceted buildings

Pinning down energy waste and improvement opportunities over an estate of complex, multi-faceted buildings, requires rock-solid benchmarks to compare like-withlike. It then becomes possible for the AI driven system to progressively learn what best performance for each building looks like.

Energy managers are AMR DNA can spot patterns outside the expected norm well used to monitoring performance through multiutility data portals, but without a data validated benchmark, managers won’t know that a building is performing poorly, even if event exception alarms are integrated. And even when an issue is flagged, finding the cause can be like finding a needle in a haystack, whereas AI can also provide a diagnosis.

With AMR DNA, analysis of consumption data linked to a set of variables, such as weather information and comparative building

performance, enables the system to spot patterns outside the expected norm. Once learned, the AI analyses half hourly data overnight and provides a daily checklist of potential problems for investigation.

For example, in the case of one school, AMR DNA flagged that the heating system was operating from 4am and that the boiler was firing at the end of the school day.

Investigation revealed that opening external doors at home time was activating the thermostat – a problem that AMR DNA analysis revealed was prevalent in 30 per cent of schools in the portfolio. An algorithm was written to address the issue.

The system also places simplicity at its core. For example, for a supermarket chain an out-of-hours turndown load report is colour coded to quickly show whether they are beating efficiency goals (blue) or failing (red). Energy managers can then investigate and either take action or identify reasons for the consumption change (a new in-store bakery for example). If it is the latter, an AI informed system will ‘learn’ this new profile for future reports.

In short, AI does the heavy lifting for energy managers when it comes to making sense of data, freeing up time to enable skilled professionals to get on with managing energy rather than looking at data, which in turn opens up more opportunities for efficiency gains and carbon reduction.

Taking TEC as an example, the application of machine learning has enabled its members to achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency.

A study of the full TEC portfolio showed that an annual saving potential of £6,000,000 could be achieved if all buildings that do not turn consumption down to 50 per cent overnight were to do so. Obviously in the case of TEC there are a number of buildings that are not able to do this, however the software allows the addition of markers to support necessary filtering.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that energy managers in I&C settings have a critical role to play in greening Britain’s economy. The good news is that the enabling technologies that can manage energy efficiency in buildings more effectively already exist. There are signs, too, that the financing and investment tools needed to drive these changes are gaining traction at energy generation source and from network to meter. 

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Building Energy Management Systems

Gavin Holvey is Priva UK & Ireland general manager

A cloud-based BMS can be accessed and analysed from afar round-the-clock

Blue sky thinking on cloud-based BMS Building operators should consider investing in cloud-based building management ahead of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards, writes Gavin Holvey

T

hese are highly uncertain times for commercial property owners and landlords. Prepandemic there was already a trend towards increased working from home, while demand by some sectors – especially high street retail – had been in decline for years. But with many companies likely to continue with WFH or hybrid working after Covid-19, a general shift towards smaller premises is beyond doubt.

Adding to this already substantial in-tray is the need for landlords to make sure they are prepared for the forthcoming introduction of new Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES). Due to be implemented from 1 April 2023, the tough new requirements – affecting all privately rented commercial property – will make it an offence to continue to let premises with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating below E (1).

While there are some exemptions, they have to be applied for with evidence, and will only last for five years – following which the landlord has to improve the EPC rating or re-apply for an exemption. For the majority of commercial property owners, however, there will be no

alternative to ensuring their rented buildings have the necessary energy rating. Failure to do so could be extremely expensive, with penalties of between £5,000 and £50,000.

A recent study of the London market by leading commercial property specialists Colliers confirms quite how much of the current rental stock is likely to be affected by the new regulations. At present around 1.86m m2 of London’s office space – equating to almost 10 per cent of stock – has an EPC rating of F or G that would make it potentially unusable come 2023. Indeed, the majority of central London offices fall into the D to G categories, with only 20 per cent classed as A and B. Therefore, while the forthcoming regulations will present challenges enough, any future extension could render thousands more properties unrentable.

Raising the baseline The new regulations – which have already been applied to the residential sector – confirm the determination to raise the baseline for commercial property throughout the UK. And while this might initially seem

daunting to landlords, it can also be seen as an exciting opportunity for change when viewed in the context of the developments now occurring throughout the world.

In particular, it makes a lot of sense for property owners to think about utilising the cloud more extensively – if they aren’t already doing so.

With so much work being done out of the office now, or as part of more unpredictable occupancy patterns, the cloud can provide the kind of consistent and reliable remote access to systems and archives that would be challenging with traditional onpremise IT infrastructures.

Moreover, in terms of energy efficiency, a cloud-based building management system (BMS) can be accessed and analysed from afar round-the-clock – allowing systems to be fine-tuned (not least to save more energy) and for potential problems to be detected as early as possible.

Above all, these latest technologies can help minimise the need to take the highly carbon-intensive strategy of demolishing or building from scratch.

Not only do these practices have an environmental impact, they also typically involve multi-year design

and build periods. With the kind of imminent deadlines commercial property is currently facing, that’s not going to be feasible as a general strategy.

By taking steps such as installing more powerful building control systems and using cloud-energy management, there is much that can be done to optimise the buildings we already have. Properly deployed and supported by an experienced vendor, a current BMS can routinely achieve 40 per cent savings on energy bills during the operational phase of the building.

This can also serve to bring existing facilities closer to the operating performance requirements of modern Grade A structures. In essence, it can be a genuine short cut to a significantly more efficient building.

One of the other great aspects of the latest wave of BMS is their ability to be installed as part of retrofits.

For instance, Priva’s present suite of building control technologies can be used in conjunction with existing legacy BMS technologies – for example, by reusing existing cabling, sensors and field devices. All of this has positive practical, financial and environmental benefits.

Given the ability of these systems to offer a ‘win-win’ to all kinds of landlords and building owners across the commercial sector, it’s been no surprise that the level of enquiries has increased steadily over the last few years. Now, with the increase in hybrid working, it’s apparent that their ability to provide efficient support for more unpredictable working practices is going to heighten their popularity even further.

The scale and speed of climate change and the challenges surrounding Net Zero ambitions – something that has been brought home to us all repeatedly over the last 18 months – means that finding more sustainable approaches to the use of the built environment has to be top priority from now onwards. The move away from commute-based working has to be good news, but it demands a flexibility that only a cloud-based infrastructure can deliver – and go on delivering, no matter how the needs of people and place change in the future. 

Sources: 1) https://www.lexology.com/library/detail. aspx?g=06ac4f5f-0832-4224-91c8-2a07885a8fa6 2) https://www.colliers.com/en-gb/news/09-0821-10-percent-of-london-office-stock-may-becomeunusable-in-2023-due-to-low-epc-rating

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Building Energy Management Systems

Jamie Cameron is director of digital solutions at Johnson Controls UK&I

A bright future through smart buildings Data glues intelligent systems together. Jamie Cameron examines how these systems can lead to more efficient, healthy and user-friendly buildings in the future It won’t be possible to achieve net zero without the data and technology that helps you see and understand how your building is performing

W

e’re running out of time.

That’s the sobering message from the world’s leading climate experts.

It’s a warning aimed at us all, but one that has a particular significance to those looking after the buildings we live and work in. According to the United Nations, almost 40 per cent of carbon emissions come from the planet’s buildings.

With the right outlook, resources, and technological expertise, buildings needn’t be part of the problem, but a key part of the solution. In some cases, this will mean dazzling new builds, filled with the latest and greatest in sustainable innovations. Equally, though, it’s about looking at the old and seeing what processes can be refined. To improve efficiency and sustainability in our offices, hospitals, homes, schools, and supermarkets, they must first be worthy of the most desirable of monikers: smart.

Smart lighting systems that activate (and deactivate) as and when they’re needed are commonplace. Likewise intelligent, connected heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) solutions can alter how they work dependent on occupancy levels

or predicted schedules, meaning they aren’t heating or cooling rooms more than necessary. These intelligent setups can cater to a building’s numerous and often varied clientele, offering each a different experience based on their particular needs, but always functioning with energy efficiency in mind.

As a starting point for smart building innovation, such setups are laudable — they help lower emissions and cut costs. But all too often they operate in silos, able to optimise within the confines of a specific remit, but no further. They can’t engage in clever interaction or communicate with one another to finesse functionality and deliver even greater efficiency.

Clever, but not yet smart Imagine a smart building of yesteryear. A room clears of people and the lights click off — with no one present, there’s no need for illumination, saving a little power.

Clever. But that’s it. The projector’s still running, casting an image that nobody will see. Worse still, the HVAC remains on, seeping unnecessary air into an empty room.

‘Smart technologies can create value in their own right’ Not so clever, nor economical.

Now imagine the same scenario, but with a smart setup of the future.

Sensors are constantly checking the room for activity. Detecting none, they send word to a central, autonomous operating system. In a blink of an eye, it has computed all possible sources of energy waste. That, of course, is just a single example; it could be a clever ventilation control program that ensures airflows are in line with indoor air quality and room occupancy levels.

This sort of intelligence is being primed as we speak. Infused with data-driven insights, smart buildings will soon be cleverer than ever, able to leverage an array of synchronised solutions in a single, digital ecosystem.

It won’t require a complete rip and replace, either — existing systems can be tied together with automationbased software, utilising every byte of data the original smart architecture has to offer.

Through the use of AI, systems can automatically learn and improve from exposure to more data without being explicitly programmed. Building managers can utilise this data to benchmark building performance, monitor building equipment, ensure occupant comfort and forecast operational budgets. This empowers building managers to understand operations more systematically for greater visibility, enhanced performance, proactive planning, and overall building optimisation.

All of this has a huge impact when it comes to energy efficiency – just as well, since our research found that energy efficiency will be building decision-makers’ biggest concern in five years’ time. In ten years’ time, the broader impact of ESG and net-zero targets will overtake that. Put simply, it won’t be possible to achieve these goals without the data and technology that helps you see and understand how your building is performing.

Data is the glue that binds these intelligent systems together, allowing them to synchronise and run seamlessly in the background.

It’s therefore crucial that building managers can ‘see’ data through automated visualisation so decisions on maintenance, energy efficiency, and sustainable development can be made without delay.

Offering a holistic, 360o view of the smart building is of equal importance — which is why ‘digital twin’ technology is such an appealing prospect. Just think of it: a structure mapped out in its entirety, showing assets, devices, processes, people, and places together in a 3D virtual replica. With visualisation like this, data silos, system bottlenecks, and safety issues are easy to identify – in some cases, before they’ve even happened. Add a helping of sophisticated automation to the mix, and you’ve got a system steeped in smart diagnostics – which protects your business from costly disruption when things go wrong.

Smart technologies can create value in their own right through increased employee satisfaction. Setting to one side the comfort and convenience afforded by smarter buildings, today’s workforce – particularly those of a younger generation – hold green credentials in high esteem.

If a business can demonstrate its commitment to sustainability, it can hope to become a more desirable employer and achieve higher levels of productivity. 

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Combined Heat & Power

Combined heat and power – the view from 2021

This month's CPD Module is sponsored by

by Gareth Veal PhD, MEI, CEng, Chartered Energy Manager

C

ombined heat and power has been a strong card in the energy manager’s deck for several decades now.

However, the context within which CHP sits is shifting and this article explores some of the factors that anyone currently exploring a potential CHP investment will find relevant.

Traditional cases for CHP, in both cost and environmental terms, have been with reference to a National Grid dominated by fossil fuel generation.

In this comparison, a grid-scale fossil fuelled power station without heat recovery will typically reject significant quantities of heat to the atmosphere.

In the case of CHP, such waste heat is recovered and used to meet on-site heat demands. The performance of CHP versus this reference case is illustrated in Figure 1.

Two options for meeting a local heat demand of 160kW and a power demand of 100kW are compared.

The left-hand side shows the CHP option, where an engine is used to generate electricity, and waste heat is captured for use on site. For any given hour, the CHP system requires a primary energy input of 325kWh to supply 260kWh of useful energy, so the efficiency of this system is 80 per cent.

The right-hand side of Figure 1 shows the alternative of using an onsite boiler to meet the heat load, plus grid electricity to meet the electrical demand. The waste heat from a traditional ‘thermal/‘fossil fuel’ power station is typically not recovered.

Transmission and distribution losses of ~7.5 per cent are also incurred in the delivery of the electricity to site. In this case, for any given hour, the 260kWh

Figure 1: Energy balance of Onsite CHP vs. Boiler plus Grid Electricity

of useful energy requires an input of 465kWh of primary energy, delivering a system efficiency of 56 per cent.

This reference case has been appropriate over recent decades.

However, it is timely to revisit it, since the penetration of renewables has increased and the greenhouse gas content of grid electricity has reduced dramatically.

The latter part of this article explores the implications of these changes for the environmental benefits of CHP going forwards. Also considered is CHP’s attractiveness when viewed against alternatives, such as the use of heat pumps to meet local heat requirements, paired with grid electricity supply.

However, before we explore these new dynamics the traditional considerations when reviewing the case for a CHP investment still stand, and are worth revisiting, as summarised in Figure 2.

Energy efficiency first

Figure 2: Standard considerations during a CHP investment appraisal

1) CHP under consideration:

• ENERGY HIERARCHY: exhaust all viable efficiency opportunities first;

• Site plans? Significant changes anticipated in scale/occupancy / activity types?; • Significant heat load onsite, or nearby?; • Appropriate infrastructure in place?; • Existing energy contracts?;

• Regulatory considerations?; and

• Reference options to consider e.g. heat pumps, traditional condensing boilers, joining local heat network, etc?

2) Developing the operating model / business case: • Gather energy data;

• Develop heat and electricity demand profiles;

• Establish estimated energy, maintenance and capital costs; • Review environmental performance considerations;

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see ENTRY FORM and details on page 20

• Construct draft operating model;

• Use model to optimise CHP size and investigate the potential for including a thermal store / tri-generation; and • Final feasibility model reported.

During the early stages of considering a CHP investment, the following factors are important: • One of the most common issues with a CHP project is that of ‘oversizing’.

When considering an investment in CHP, it is important to bear in mind the energy hierarchy and exhaust all viable energy efficiency opportunities first. For example, typical estimates are that zero- to low-capital energy efficiency investments can reduce a site’s demand by 5 per cent to 30 per cent. As well as offering highly attractive savings, if these projects are implemented after the CHP is installed, then they will alter the site’s demand profiles and most likely render the CHP oversized and incorrectly specified.

• It is also important to check for any anticipated changes to the site’s occupancy levels, or activity levels and types. Any significant changes on site will change the heat and electricity demand profiles and should be taken account of as the case for CHP is developed.

• A site must also have a fairly constant heat demand to make use of the heat recovered by a CHP system. A rule of thumb suggested by the Carbon Trust is that CHP is worth investigating when Produced in Association with

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Combined Heat & Power operating hours are anticipated to be more than ~4,500 hours per annum.

• A successful CHP project will require some basic infrastructure to be in place or available. For example, a CHP is likely to reduce electrical demand and increase demand for the CHP unit’s fuel, which is typically gas. It is important to check that the required gas, or other fuel supply, is present or available to meet the increased demand. Furthermore, if the business case includes a proposal to export some of the power generated, then it will be necessary to check with the local distribution network operator that they have capacity to accept this export. Further considerations such as the age and condition of existing boiler plant and plant room configurations will influence the case for CHP. It can be beneficial at an early stage of the project to invite a few potential providers to perform initial site visits and review these considerations.

• The cost of gas and electricity in both relative and absolute terms will significantly impact the business case for CHP. It is worth checking the current energy contract unit rates and the contract durations. CHP is likely to decrease the site’s electricity imports- making it important to check for any long-term electricity contracts with ‘take or pay’ clauses that impose a penalty for not meeting the anticipated electricity consumption agreed with the supplier. If such a contract exists, it may be worth exploring the potential options to alter it. Alternatively, the contract’s expiry date can be taken into account when planning the timing of a CHP investment.

• It is important to consider the regulatory requirements governing your proposed project to see what their implications might be for CHP feasibility. For example, CHP in London faces a significant hurdle in that the London Plan is targeting reduced local air pollution and is also introducing climate targets that potentially favour electric-led building services via heat pump technologies.

• A sound business case will not be constructed to ask ‘CHP: yes or no?’

Instead it will explore the relative merits of a number of options. These reference options could include, but are not limited to: focusing first upon efficiency projects to drive down consumption, heat pumps, traditional condensing boilers, or joining a local heat network.

When developing a CHP operating model and business case the first step is to gather site energy data on

Fig 3a: CHP GHG emissions Onsite Consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

325

0.184

Gas

GHG consumption (kg CO2e) 59.8 59.8

Fig 3b: Reference case GHG emissions: boiler plus grid electricity Onsite Consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG consumption (kg CO2e)

Gas

200

0.184

36.8

Electricity

100

0.256

25.6 62.3

the electrical and heat demands that detail their scale and also their ‘shape’ over the year. The starting point is that CHP applications are typically sized to meet the continuous or baseload site requirements, with back up boilers topping up heat demand and incoming electricity supplies topping up electrical demand. This is because CHP business cases tend to require long hours of operation to achieve acceptable payback periods, so sizing for relatively infrequent peak loads would result in a system that is oversized and less financially attractive.

The more granular the data, the better the confidence in the CHP sizing process will be. This will help with the identification of demand profiles within cycles such as: day-night, weekdayweekend, and across the months and seasons of the year. Half hourly data is the ideal level of granularity for the development of CHP modelling. Where sufficient quality data is not available, it is worth installing temporary metering to fill any gaps and give adequate confidence in the demand profiles and hence the CHP sizing.

Anticipated energy costs

The final costs required for the draft operating model of the CHP will also include the anticipated energy costs, plus the O&M and capital costs. These should not be underestimated, both in terms of cost, but also operational risk. A common challenge with the operation of CHP is in achieving the levels of reliability required to deliver the operating hours necessary for acceptable payback periods that justify the investment.

Once this basic operating model has been constructed and initial options have been identified, then the next level of detail can be added and

“A sound business case around CHP will not be constructed to ask: 'yes or no?' ” eventually an operating model should be able to: • determine whether the CHP is worth operating, based on the relative fuel and electricity prices in each time period considered; • determine whether the output of the CHP is to follow the heat demand or electricity demand, taking account of part-load operation, and hence the CHP fuel used; • establish the heat needed from the peak and standby boilers and hence the boiler fuel used; • make allowance for CHP downtime for maintenance; • include any constraints on number of starts; • model the operation of a thermal store; • determine the net import or export of electricity and the costs / revenue implications; and • calculate the operating costs and other financial metrics to compare with the non-CHP reference scenarios.

The model will also be useful in testing the sensitivity of the findings to key variables, such as: • heat and power demands; • gas and electricity prices; and • capital costs.

While all of the traditional considerations given above still stand, it is also important to explore the changing context for CHP, as grid electricity shifts towards renewables,

and also as other technologies such as heat pumps gain momentum.

The calculations below compare the GHG emissions from the two scenarios described in Figure 1, i.e. an onsite CHP option versus the reference case of purchasing grid electricity and using an onsite boiler for heat generation.

These calculations show that, using DEFRA’s 2019 GHG reporting factors, the CHP will achieve a reduction in emissions of 2.6kg COe per hour, or approximately 10.5 tonnes COe per annum. These values are reached by assuming annual CHP operating hours of 4,031h, the average observed in data from the government’s CHPQA programme which monitors CHP performance in the UK. The hourly COe emissions for both cases are calculated as shown in Figs 4a and 4b.

These GHG savings are significantly lower than they would have been historically. Reference to Figure 4 shows that the 2.6kg COe per hour saving using DEFRA’s 2019 factors would have been approximately ten time greater, at 25.5kg COe per hour when calculated using the GHG factor for grid electricity as of 2009. Although there have been some changes to how the GHG intensity of grid electricity has been calculated over the past decade, the numbers are still indicative of the overall trend in the decarbonisation of the UK’s grid electricity.

Future climate performance

The future climate performance of CHP becomes increasingly challenging when taking into account the government’s projected reductions in the GHG intensity of grid electricity over the coming decade.

Reference to Figure 3 shows that the anticipated GHG performance of the CHP is actually worse than that of the reference case of using grid electricity and an onsite boiler; giving an increase in GHG emissions of 13.0 kg COe per hour when calculated using the projected GHG factor for grid electricity for 2029.

These modelled results correspond with measured trends in performance, for example as reported in the 2019 Digest of UK Energy Statistics: “The absolute CO savings delivered by CHP in 2018 were lower than in 2017.

This is due to the provisional values for CO intensity of electricity displaced

by CHP electricity being lower in 2018 than in 2017, rather than falls in the outputs of CHP, or efficiency of operation.”Figure 4: Comparing the GHG performance of CHP to Air

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Combined Heat & Power Figure 4: Comparing the GHG performance of CHP to Air Source Heat Pumps using historic, current, and forecast GHG factors for grid electricity

2009 VALUES2

2019 VALUES3

2029 VALUES4

REFERENCE (BASE) CASE: Boiler for heat demand, plus grid electricity Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG emissions (kg CO2e)

Gas

200

0.184

36.7

Elec

100

0.485

48.5

Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG emissions (kg CO2e)

Gas

200

0.184

36.8

Elec

100

0.256

25.6

85.3

Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG emissions (kg CO2e)

Gas

200

0.184

36.8

Elec

100

0.100

10.0 46.8

62.3

OPTION 1: CHP Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

325

0.184

Gas

GHG emissions (kg CO2e) 59.7

Gas

Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

325

0.184

GHG emissions (kg CO2e) 59.8

59.8

Gas

Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

325

0.184

59.8

GHG emissions (kg CO2e) 59.8 59.8

OPTION 2: ASHP* for heat demand, plus grid electricity: *, e.g. the Mitsubishi Q-ton heat pump: https://mhiae.com/q-ton/ (COP 4.3) Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG emissions (kg CO2e)

Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG emissions (kg CO2e)

Energy consumption (kWh)

GHG factor (kg CO2e/kWh)

GHG emissions (kg CO2e)

Elec to ASHP

37.2

0.485

18.0

Elec to ASHP

37.2

0.256

9.5

Elec to ASHP

37.2

0.100

3.7

Elec to site

100

0.485

48.5

Elec to site

100

0.256

25.6

Elec to site

100

0.100

10.0

66.5

35.1

13.7

CHP saving (kg CO2e):

25.5

CHP saving (kg CO2e):

2.6

CHP saving (kg CO2e):

-13.0

ASHP plus Grid elec saving (kg CO2e):

18.7

ASHP plus Grid elec saving (kg CO2e):

27.3

ASHP plus Grid elec saving (kg CO2e):

33.0

Source Heat Pumps using historic, current, and forecast GHG factors for grid electricity.

Heat pump technologies offer two attractive possibilities that are bringing them to the forefront of discussions as to how to meet future heat demands for domestic and commercial properties. The first is the consideration that, as they run on electricity, they offer the potential to track the decarbonisation of the grid as a low carbon source of heat.

The second is that they do not create

any local combustion emissions, an important consideration in urban areas where air quality is becoming an increasingly pressing issue.

With respect to their GHG performance, the bottom section of Figure 5 explores how an air source heat pump solution might compete with the CHP installation illustrated in Figure 1.

A reference example of a Mitsubishi Q-ton heat pump designed for applications such as hotels is explored.

To meet the hourly 160kWh heat load,

Figure 5: Comparison of carbon intensity of different heat sources (GLA study of heat pumps)

the unit’s COP 4.3 is used to estimate a requirement for 37.2 kWh of electricity to drive the heat pump. The 100kWh of electrical demand is met by the national grid.

Using the 2009 grid GHG intensity factor, the CHP comfortably outperforms the ASHP solution.

However, using 2019 factors, the ASHP solution delivers approximately ten times the carbon saving of the CHP system. This performance gap grows further when projected 2029 factors are applied, with the CHP becoming more carbon intensive than the reference case, while the savings offered by the ASHP solution continue to rise.

Potential of heat pumps

These observations are consistent with the finding of a study of examining the potential of heat pumps to provide low carbon heat as a policy recommendation under consideration by the Greater London Authority, as summarised in the figure below.

With these findings in mind, it becomes clear that a heat pump solution should be appraised as an alternative ‘reference’ option to the installation of a CHP. This is especially true if climate change mitigation, or local air quality objectives are driving the project; either for internal organisational reasons, or as imposed

by external authorities such as during planning applications.

Finally, it should be noted that this discussion has assumed the GHG emissions factor related to natural gas remains relatively stable. There is ongoing research that may cause this assumption to fail, for example into the potential to develop ‘green gas’ such as ‘biomethane’ which can be produced via anaerobic digestion, or to modify the gas network to carry hydrogen.

While this observation simply provides more uncertainty, it is another example of how the base assumptions underpinning historical business cases for CHP require careful examination and that the assumption that energy, carbon and cost savings will go hand in hand for a CHP project can no longer be taken for granted.

REFERENCES 1) See CIBSE AM12: ‘Combined heat and power for buildings’ for more detail https://www.cibse.org/knowledge/knowledge-items/ detail?id=a0q20000008I7nsAAC 2) https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov. uk/20120312120248/http://www.defra.gov.uk/ environment/economy/business-efficiency/reporting/ 3) www.gov.uk/government/publications/greenhouse-gasreporting-conversion-factors-2019 4) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/794590/ updated-energy-and-emissions-projections-2018.pdf 5) https://mhiae.com/q-ton/ 6) https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/low_carbon_ heat_-_heat_pumps_in_london_.pdf

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Refrigeration Combined Heat & Power

ENTRY FORM

Please mark your answers below by placing a cross in the box. Don't forget that some questions might have more than one correct answer. You may find it helpful to mark the answers in pencil first before filling in the final answers in ink. Once you have completed the answer sheet, return Please mark your answers below by placing a cross in the box. Don't forget that some questions might have more than one it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable. correct answer. You may find it helpful to mark the answers in pencil first before filling in the final answers in ink. Once you have completed the answer sheet, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable.

Questions

savings high enough to pay back the capital investment.

1) Define combined heat & power Questions CHP is a term used to refer to processes that require both

□ Because they impact upon the likely hours of operation of backup plant such as gas boilers.

□ 6) What site characteristic represents an essential part of an power and heat to drivefor them.

6) What is a typical 1) electrical Refrigeration accounts what percentage of attractive CHP business range case? for COP? involveselectricity the simultaneous □ CHPglobal total use.generation of usable heat and □ 1-3 A site must a peaky 03 and heat demand SERIES 18 | have MODULE SEPTEMBER 2020 that SERIES 17 09 intermittent | MARCH 2020 power a single process. perincent allows the CHP to cycle in a fashion that increases its efficiency. □ 10 □ 1-4 CHPper refers to dual fuel energy contracts that can often deliver □ 14 A site must have a fairly constant heat demand over large parts cent □ □ 2-5 cost savings. of the year to make use of the heat recovered by a CHP system. per cent 3-10 □ 17 □ CHP is a means of providing efficient supplySMART of energy to sites □ 19 GRIDS□ A site must have a heat demand that is closely controllable and SPACE HEATING per cent □ that are geographically very remote.

Please mark your answers below by placing a crossofinsite theactivity. box. Don't forget that some largely independent Please mark your answers7) below by placing a cross the box.

Don't forget that some Which of these isinnot a type refrigeration questions might have more than one correct answer.

You may find itof helpful to mark the questions might have more than one correct answer. You may find it helpful to mark the 2) How does a CHP unit reduce total energy use, as compared to answers in pencil first before filling type in theof final answers in ink.the Once you have completed compressor?

2) What percentage of a supermarket’s energy 7) What data represents ideal basis for modelling answers in pencil first before filling in the final answers in ink. Once you have completed electricity from the grid and heat from a boiler? the answer sheet, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable. likely CHP performance? the answer sheet, return it□ to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable. use is accounted for by refrigeration?

Scroll CHPper rejects the waste heat generated locally to avoid problems □ 70 cent □ □ Screw Estimates based upon long-term ‘hands-on’ knowledge of the withper heatcent utilisation.

QUESTIONS Script site. □ 60 □ QUESTIONS CHP plant tends to use cleaner fuels which burn more □ 50 Half hourly data. ■ Facilitate the connection of distributed per cent Reciprocating □ □main 1) The establishment of the efficiently than those used in grid scale power1.plants.

Which is the most common heating 6. Which is thegeneration ‘delivery end’ ofvariable a vapourloads transmission grid began□in whichmedia renewable and Meter reads.in 40 per cent □ wet systems? compression heat pump system? decade? In the such as electric vehicles and heat pumps □ A fossil fuel power station will reject heat to atmosphere.

8) What savings could be expected from a 1oC 8) Which of the following infrastructure considerations evaporator High temperature ■ Thesite case of CHP, waste heat is recovered and used■■ to1940s meet on-site hot water 7) doeshead the abbreviation VPP stand for? reduction from when floating pressure control?

3) What is the most common type of refrigeration ■ Steam Theexamining condenser ■ 1930s ■ What should be reviewed the case for CHP? heat demands. purchase programme ■ ■ Low temperature hot water The compressor ■ 1960s ■ Volume cycle? per cent □ Check that the required gas, or other fuel supply, is present or □ 2-4 3) What is the primary consideration when reviewing ■ The slinkyprotection programme ■ Colda water ■ Voluntary Absorption cent □ □ 3-5 2) Which key parameters need to beper to available meet ■ theVirtual increased powerdemand. plant potential CHP investment? controlled by smart grids? 4-6 condensation per cent Check with the local distribution operator that they □ Vapour 2. What is the most common□ space heating 7. Which of these network factors is used by a weather To avoid siting the CHP in a location that spoils■fuel future Voltage and frequency □ Vapour in the UK? compensation controlbe system?

8) Electricity cannot stored inexports. large compression 5-7 per centto accept have capacity any planned electricity □ □ Frequency and current ■ aesthetics of the site. by householders?

Building thermal inertia ■ Fuel oil evaporation □ Both of the above■■ quantities □ current and frequency ■ Voltage, only large utilities and industrial/ To make sure that the CHP unit fits with the corporate image. □ Vapour Time as of day ■ Electricity ■ False commercial energy providers can provide 9) Increasing a condenser size by 30examine per cent 9) What trend is making it important to closely the To take account of any changes anticipated with regards to the Natural gas Outside air temperature ■ ■ □ 3) What’s the main source of large-scale storage facilities might realise savings of?

4) Which part of the refrigeration system uses Coal Date ■ ■ GHG/climate to performance site’s occupancy levels, activity levels, or types ofrenewable activity. generation connecting ■ False of CHP? the grid? the input energy? cent □ avoid any conflicts of interest between the organisations True householders can store electricity □ Tomost GHG intensity■8.ofWhich gridaselectricity is falling asbywe transition □ 5Theper Biomass 3. What is a typical dry bulb space temperature of these factors is used ancharging optimum ■ in standalone batteries or when per cent that occupy the site. □ Evaporator □ 10 away from fossil fuels and towards renewables. forWind a home? start control system? farms ■ their electric vehicles Compressor cent conventions □ □ 15 GHGper reporting have changed in a manner that farms ■ 160C occupancy ■ Solar ■ Level of building 4) Why is it important to understand and minimise site loads Condenser 20 per cent Outside airmain temperature 9) is the benefit ■ 190C ■ What reduces the apparent attractiveness of CHP.of smart meters? □ □ before considering a CHP investment?

4) variable 220Care the main forms□ofCHP Boileravoid capacity They theintegrated need for meter readers ■ What units are now■■available with carbon capture. □ electrical loads connecting at the To follow the ‘energy hierarchy’ and ensure that■all efficiency □ Defrosting 240C Boilerprovide flow temperature accurate and timely ■ They ■ household level?

10) What percentage of recovered heat could information on power flows across the be opportunities, are implemented before finding new ways to pumps ■ Electric vehicles and heat 10) What potential developments theheating gas delivery network smarttypes grid ofin 5) COSP is short for 4. What is currently the most‘high-grade’? common 9. Which space system can supply energy.

■ Smart meters They facilitate the systems export could challenge assumptions behind the of answer the construction material for panel management besurplus used totocontrol? of System 5radiators? per cent the■building □ Coefficient □ To avoid oversizing the CHPPressure unit which will make it difficult to automation devices ■ Home electricity from household solar PV panels previous question?

Cast iron Any ■ ■ ofeffective Systemfashion.

Performance per cent operate in a cost □ Coefficient □ 10 Pressed steel systems ■ What ■ Wet Development gases’ such as ‘biomethane’, or mixing 5) is the main threat □ to smart grids? of ‘green What does the technology VtG represent?

To allow the business model for the CHP to factor in seasonal of Specific Performance 15 per cent 10) Air □ Coefficient Castof aluminium handling plantmay reduce the GHG ■ Cost implementation□ of hydrogen in the■mains ■ gasGeometry supply Variable Turbochargers ■ and other time-based fluctuations in site demands. per cent Copper Boilers to allow the effective aspect ■ Cyber □ Coefficient of Specific Pressure □ 20 attacks ■ designed emissions of mains■gas, altering the GHG balance of CHP To achieve all of the objectives listed above. □ ■ Lack of experience and expertise ratio of a turbocharger to be altered as applications.

5. Which of these is a key component of a 10.conditions What is a thermostat? change 5) What is the primary reason that the anticipated operating GHG intensity■■ofVolume mains of gas is rising asassociated gas is supplied mechanical system?

6) What are ventilation the main benefits of smart □ The Trapped Gas with from A temperature sensitive switch hours are important to a CHP business case? ■ grids? respiration further afield. ■ A temperature sensor A fan Reduce the need for centralised power tomay Gridmake enabling EV batteries to ■ Vehicle An atrium gas-fired CHP less they determine energy below use of thein■■ CHP. A proportional control device □ Because Please complete yourthe details block capitals. □ Security of supply■concerns generation discharge to the grid to ‘smooth’ high chimney ■ A to A digital display device ■ viable in the future. deliver □ CHP feasibility relies upon high hours of operation electricity peak demand profiles.

■ Encourage connection of electric vehicles

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“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

How to obtain a CPD accreditation from the Energy Institute This is the second moduleininthe thenineteenth nineteenthseries seriesand andfocuses focuseson fourth module on Refrigeration. is accompanied by a set of Combined Heat &ItPower.

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To Toqualify qualifyfor foraaCPD CPDcertificate certificatereaders readersmust mustsubmit submitat atleast leasteight eightof ofthe the ten tensets setsof ofquestions questionsfrom fromthis thisseries seriesof ofmodules modulesto toEiBI EiBIfor forthe theEnergy Energy SERIES JUNE 2021 � MAY 2022 Institute to Anyone achieving at eight of Institute tomark. mark.19 Anyone achieving atleast least eightout out often tencorrect correctanswers answerson on eight articles qualifies eightseparate separate articles qualifiesfor foran anEnergy EnergyInstitute InstituteCPD CPDcertificate. certificate.This Thiscan canbe be 1. Electric Vehicles obtained, obtained,on onsuccessful successfulcompletion completionof ofthe thecourse courseand andnotification notificationby bythe theEnergy Energy 2. Refrigeration Refrigeration Institute, Institute,free freeof ofcharge chargefor forboth bothEnergy EnergyInstitute Institutemembers membersand andnon-members. non-members.

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ESTA VIEWPOINT

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

implicitly absorbed by each solvent plus the increase in sensible heat implicit in the temperature change from input to output.

These 20-minute estimated heat demands were then aggregated into weekly-expected consumptions and could be compared with actual weekly steam use.

Expected steam consumption

One route to avoid catastrophe Energy monitoring and condition-based maintenance are two of the unsung heroes of good energy management. Vilnis Vesma looks at how energy managers can benefit

D

uring and immediately after World War II, energy management (or “fuel economy”) was mission-critical to manufacturers operating thermal processes. Widespread shortages at the time meant that wasting fuel could force temporary closures. Today, we don’t face the same constraints, but when I’m teaching people how to detect and diagnose avoidable waste, what still makes some of them sit up and take notice is the idea that idle running —one of the common causes — also uses up maintenance life. Maintenance managers know well that the premature failure of a piece of ancillary equipment that has been needlessly churning away can bring an entire production line to a halt.

But spotting the onset of idle running is not the only way that energy monitoring can help, as the following story illustrates.

I had been invited to train the energy managers of a multinational manufacturer at one of their factories in Sweden In preparation I analysed the host factory’s data so that I could illustrate cusum analysis in the context of their own operations. Among the information were total figures for consumption and output of their air compressors. Most of their other historical information was bang up to date, but recent compressor data were missing. This was very frustrating because the latest available figures showed that

something had lately gone wrong and they’d started using too much electricity.

However, lacking the subsequent observations I was unable to analyse how the new, worse, performance differed from normal behaviour. When you can do it, a differential regression analysis can be a very helpful diagnostic aid. Anyway, on the day of the training I asked if we could look in the compressor house for clues. “Sorry, it burned down,” they said. Readers will form their own conclusions.

Highly automated process On a happier note, I was tasked some years ago with setting up energy monitoring and targeting on a set of distillation columns.

Just to provide some background, unlike in some energy-intensive processes, energy consumption (steam in this instance) was not correlated with product output. The process was handling a blend of three fluids, one of which was the desired product while the other two were volatile solvents. The energy went mainly into boiling off the solvents. How to calculate expected steam consumption? Being a highly automated process plant it was well provided with temperature and flow measurements that were being logged at one-minute intervals. My approach, which was based on school physics, was to sample the flow and temperature data at 20-minute intervals, and using the reported blend proportions, compute the latent heat

Vilnis Vesma is a former council member of ESTA and a member of its Independent Energy Consultants’ Group

The primary purpose was to detect and quantify deviations from expected steam consumption. Excess consumption was always a risk, and was likely to arise because of degradation or fouling of the columns’ internals. Distillation columns with sufficiently costly excess steam use could then be taken out of service early for maintenance, with production shifted to the most energy-efficient alternative units.

Now these distillation columns were high-temperature, high-pressure vessels that ran continuously. They would operate for nine months at a time between scheduled maintenance shutdowns and there was potentially a lot of money to be saved by postponing maintenance where it was safe to do so. Unfortunately, there is no way of directly observing such vessels internally, so the owner had previously spent tens if not hundreds of thousand of pounds on experimental condition monitoring systems using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse the real-time plant data, in order to determine if the columns’ internals were in good condition.

This had not proved effective. However, my energy monitoring and targeting scheme gave them condition monitoring free of charge. Any internal changes within a column would change its energy demand characteristic for the worse, but if a column continued to consume steam in line with expectations, it could only be because it was internally intact and did not yet need to be stripped down. Thus they were not only saving energy costs by allocating production to the least loss units, but also cutting maintenance costs by not dismantling units that didn’t need it.

Returning to the air-compressor story, the moral is that energy monitoring and targeting, when properly implemented, will alert its users to unexpected excess consumption, which in energy-intensive processes might signify incipient catastrophic failure. It doesn’t get much more mission critical than that. Meanwhile the distillation column story shows that even though you may have detailed real-time data, an AI solution isn’t necessarily the answer.  OCTOBER 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 21

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Lighting Technology

Leighton James is product & marketing director, TRILUX Lighting UK

LEDs represent approximately 90 per cent of the commercial/ professional market

Take LEDS to the next level With the influx of LEDs to the commercial market, Leighton James examines how energy managers can squeeze more savings out of their low-energy lighting

T

he development of LED lighting has been rapid - they have gone from a small indicator life to now being one of the main ways people light their homes, offices, schools, and hospitals. The small light emitting diodes have played a significant role in helping companies reduce their energy consumption in the workplace, be it the traditional office, retail, industry, and even education establishments. Buildings have been seeing energy reduction, in some cases up to 90 per cent.

But with the recent influx in LED lighting manufacturers have we reached a plateau in terms of energy efficiency? LED technology, in terms of energy efficiency, is default now as LEDs represent approximately 90 per cent plus of the commercial/ professional market.

Today, it is about how we use, control, and network luminaires to maximise energy savings and create more comfortable sustainable environments. Of course, LED has been the gateway for advanced lighting control and we can do much more with light in a more sustainable way.

A recent Electrical Review article1 predicts that LED technology will likely become increasingly dominant in the lighting market and be used almost universally by 2024.

Modern LED luminaires are already contributing to environmental and

climate protection thanks to their high-energy efficiency compared to conventional solutions. But what is the next step?

In 2017, TRILUX launched the European project, Repro-light. It aimed to support the European lighting industry in moving towards a more sustainable and competitive future. The project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. It investigated sustainability and circular economy, the modularisation of luminaires, and a smart production scheme.

The researchers conducted a life cycle assessment that quantifies the environmental impact over a luminaire’s entire life cycle (from production, to use, through to endof-life).

Saving energy even through using materials efficiently and conscientiously is vital. Our research showed that the electricity used during operation of the luminaire has by far the most critical impact on the environment. It makes up 99 per cent of the energy consumed in the entire life cycle of a luminaire. Therefore, making luminaires as energyefficient as possible is of the highest importance, but to further improve efficiency, light management systems have to be considered.”

Energy use can be reduced even further with some modifications to

luminaire performance, components, and use. Energy consumption was reduced by 11 per cent by increasing luminaire efficacy from 157 lm/W to 179 lm/W, but an additional 30 per cent reduction was achieved using a light management system including daylight & presence control.

However, there is always room for performance improvements. By incorporating a complete controls system even at the most basic level, customers are finding more savings, which gives new life to the plateau we are experiencing with just LEDs alone.”

Highest BREEAM rating V.Offices, a newly completed office development in Krakow, Poland, recently received the highest ever BREEAM rating for offices in the world. For a BREEAM score as high as 98.87 per cent, V. Offices had to optimise all aspects of the building.

In terms of lighting, this meant using the most energy-efficient luminaires and making sure that they were only turned on when necessary. Therefore, lighting control in the common areas is based on DALI modules linked to movement detectors. The outdoor lighting relies on dusk sensors reducing light pollution to a minimum.

Light management has many facets, from simple control via sensor or app to Human Centric Lighting

(HCL) and complex cloud applications such as predictive maintenance.

In addition, “non-lighting” IoT applications can be implemented as infrastructure, expanding the possibilities of energy reduction beyond lighting.

It is now clear that we are long past the stage where designers are working towards energy goals alone. The combination of LEDs and controls together holds enormous potential for creating greater, more holistic workplaces.

A recent project for German logistics company Kühne+Nagel, where it replaced all conventional lighting systems with energyefficient LED technology plus light management, resulted in a significant reduction in operating costs in both its locations. Electricity costs decreased by approximately 30 percent. At the same time, the quality of light has been increased, with sometimes surprising effects.

At the Obergeorgswerder site, deaf employees feel much safer in their work environment thanks to the higher lumen packages. And when it comes to future viability, with heat mapping, Kühne+Nagel has already implemented a locationbased service for the lighting, and the systems can be upgraded with additional IoT components at any time via plug and play.

With a powerful light management system, the lighting becomes an intelligent partner that can be perfectly adapted to the user’s needs.

Sustainable solutions offer far more than just customised light.

Human Centric Lighting is a complex interplay between the human day-night rhythm and dynamic lighting parameters.

Research has shown that lighting that follows the body’s natural rhythm can greatly affect employees’ health and wellbeing.

The principles are just as applicable to office, industry, and retail.

In addition, trends such as digitalisation, globalisation, and networking have profoundly changed how we work in structural terms.

Since the pandemic, large employers are focussing more on their employees’ health and wellbeing and are using new strategies to provide the workplace of the future. 

Reference 1) Electrical Review: https://electricalreview. co.uk/2020/07/31/led-lighting-continues-to-growin-popularity-with-uk-households/

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Lighting Technology

John Allden is managing director of Tamlite Lighting

Lighting the way to building safety As the construction industry emerges from a period where building safety has been questioned John Allden explains how emergency lighting can play a role in restoring confidence

O

ver the last few years, the safety of buildings, and the people occupying them, has rarely been out of the headlines. While there had been a long-held feeling throughout the construction industry that something needed to be done to guarantee greater consistency in the design and construction quality of buildings, the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June 2017 brought things into a terrible focus.

In the aftermath, Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations - ‘Building a Safer Future’ - concluded that major reform was needed. Many of her recommendations regarding the delivery of a more robust regulatory system were reflected in the Government’s Building Safety Bill, giving residents more power to hold builders and developers to account, and toughening sanctions against those who threaten their safety.

However, more recent fires at New Providence Wharf in London and Regina Road in Croydon, are further examples where building safety has once again been called into question.

Such is the level of concern, London’s fire commissioner has called for urgent change after it was revealed that the number of buildings that have abandoned their ‘stay put’ strategy has passed 1,000, because the building has been deemed too unsafe to stay in if a fire breaks out.

It once again highlights the work that needs to be done, and the importance of everybody in the supply chain working together to make way for a safer future. One of the biggest concerns is the need for greater accountability at every stage of the construction process, establishing a chain of custody and holding those in charge throughout the various

stages of the building’s existence accountable for any mistakes.

The appointment of a Chief Inspector of Buildings to lead and set up the new Building Safety Regulator (BSR) will ensure the new rules are enforced, and action taken against anybody deemed to have broken them. While accountability throughout the lifecycle of a building plays a key role in restoring confidence in the design, construction and maintenance of high-rise buildings, further initiatives will focus on the products being used, ensuring they are fit for purpose.

Collectively, this provides precisely the kind of transparent reassurance that has been sought for many years. Critically, for building occupiers, it will provide long-term reassurance about the quality targets for, and development history of, a given building. The message is clear: not only do construction firms and their partners need to do everything they can to make new builds as safe as possible – they need

Emergency lighting should provide adequate lighting levels and directional illumination in the event of a mains failure

to be seen to be doing so.

Given the essential role emergency lighting plays in providing vital time for the safe passage of occupants out of a building in the event of an emergency situation such as a fire, it would be easy to assume that it is a de facto priority in the development and maintenance of all buildings.

Victim of spec-breaking Regrettably, lighting has often been an area that has fallen victim to specbreaking, and it is arguable that the issue has become more acute in the LED era with a fresh wave of lowprice – but not always high-quality – luminaires hitting the market.

More than ever, making the case for the long-term benefits of higher-end solutions is going to be critical – we can no longer aim for minimum compliance to get the job done.

The case for high quality solutions which enhance building safety can be highlighted when it comes to the installation, ongoing testing, and maintenance of emergency lighting.

To industry outsiders, it would be easy to assume that emergency lighting is a priority in the development and maintenance of all buildings. Now required to be installed and tested in line with British Standard BS 5266:1 2016, emergency lighting should provide adequate lighting levels and directional indication in the event of a mains failure, allowing occupants to move around and/or exit the building without accident or injury. The risk with value-engineered solutions is emphasised in terms of warranties.

While the emergency luminaire may have a five-year warranty, the ‘life saving’ battery is far less.

Unfortunately, our experience indicates that, all too frequently, emergency lighting is still an issue that is being tackled in the later stages of a project; and sometimes by those with inadequate knowledge of the technical and legal requirements.

This must change. There must be no compromises.

To achieve this, collaboration is essential. Everybody across the building services sector needs to work together to maintain building safety and offering the highest levels of accountability. As a manufacturer we have an important part to play in educating the market and will be working hard to communicate a clear case for quality solutions that deliver excellence, consistency, and peace of mind.

There is no doubt that it will take some years for the public in general to feel confident about the safety of buildings. But along with building and construction managers, lighting engineers, and contractors, collectively we can all play a key role in constructing a culture of responsibility, providing the way forward to a brighter, safer future. 

24 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | OCTOBER 2021

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Lighting Technology Complete package of LEDs launched for road and parking

LEDVANCE has extended its range of LED luminaires, advanced LED lamps, intelligent Smart Home and Smart Building solutions, introducing a complete package for road and parking lighting.

Available with two beam angles, three light colours and seven LED configurations, the Streetlight Flex range from LEDVANCE offers a matching solution across a wide variety of applications. These include parking areas and motorised traffic areas (M class), conflict areas (C class) and pedestrian and low speed areas (P class), according to the European road lighting standards (DIN) EN 13201. Delivering 1650 lm to 24450 lm, the LED lamps are available in colour temperatures of 27000K, 3000K and 4000K with

efficiency ratings up to 155 lm/W. The Streetlight Flex family provides energy-saving solutions across a wide variety of applications where uniform light distribution is crucial, whether for streets, car parks or outdoor urban areas. Options include small, medium and large luminaires, all with a choice of two uniform light distribution patterns.

Models RW25ST are designed for normal roads with single side placement, 1m overhang and up to 10 degrees incline of the luminaire head. These units provide ideal illumination for rectangular parking areas in front of the pole, while the RW35ST version enables two-sided installation with offset luminaires, and cares for dual carriageway roads up to 17m wide using 10m poles. 

LEDs to meet Ecodesign regulations SIGNIFY has introduced the first Philips LED A-class bulbs that meet the more stringent EU Ecodesign and Energy labelling regulations that came into effect on September 1, 2021. The Philips LED bulbs with a longer lifespan provide consumers with a smart investment for both planet and purse. The LED bulbs are available in 40W and 60W equivalents.

For an A-class rating under the new regulations, lighting products have to reach an energy efficiency of 210lm/W. Signify has developed and designed four regular A-shape light bulbs that meet these criteria, meaning they consume 60 per cent less power to achieve the same light output and quality as

Lighting upgrade for Scottish trade association HQ

When Scotland’s largest trade association, SELECT, required an upgrade for the lighting in its headquarters, its former president and experienced electrical contractor John Noble invited THORN LIGHTING to provide an energy efficient solution.

Working on a brief to modernise the spaces while taking into consideration daylight levels, Thorn supplied a variety of luminaires in the entrance foyer, main office, car park and subsidiary offices.

Founded in 1900 as The Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, SELECT became the first trade association in the world to serve the electrical industry.

The main challenge for the lighting design at The Walled Garden in Penicuik, outside Edinburgh, was to

provide a new dimmable solution in a continuous row system without introducing any additional wiring. The chosen solution was Thorn’s IQ Wave suspended continuous luminaires with integral through wiring, dimming gear and mini sensors.

IQ Wave is an intelligent lighting system with integral controls that responds to presence/absence detection and the amount of daylight in the space.

IQ Wave suspended LED

luminaires have provided the optimum solution in the main office by offering a seamless lighting solution with clean, flowing lines.

Incorporating Thorn’s patented MV Tech Optic the luminaire allows for excellent uniform light distribution and glare control UGR<19 and is available in 3000K/4000K colour temperature, CRI>80, with a lifetime of 50,000 hours.

Up to 40 per cent energy saving is achieved with the MWS Microwave

standard Philips LED bulbs.

The new bulbs are claimed to be the brand’s most energyefficient lamps in this shape yet.

Consumers can benefit from a 3.5 times longer life span than Philips LED’s regular A-shape equivalents as the new bulbs are able to shine light for approximately 50.000 hours. This translates into an average lifetime of 50 years, which provides consumers with a smart investment in the long run, for both the planet as their purse.

“With this technological breakthrough, we created our most energy-efficient lamp in this shape,” said Michael Rombouts, business unit leader LED Lamps and luminaires at Signify. 

Sensor for presence detection and with the HFSX Dual Sensor up to 70% energy saving is achieved, while the integrated sensors allow flexible lighting control.

Thorn’s ability to achieve an optimum lighting solution in the main office also allowed for a full package offering for the other spaces at SELECT HQ. To create a consistent look throughout the building, IQ Wave recessed LED luminaires were installed in the back-office spaces, focusing on intelligent controls, optics, design and installation.

Lightweight Chalice 200 LED2000 downlights now illuminate the main entrance foyer at SELECT HQ. With an IP44 rating as standard, this delivers an efficacy of >100 Llm/W and a low maintenance lifetime of 50,000 hours.

Thorn’s R2L2 road lanterns also now illuminate the car park at The Walled Garden. The R2L2 offers excellent lighting performance up to 153 lm/W. 

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Back-up Power Supply

Paul Brickman is sales and marketing director at Crestchic

When backup power is not enough Paul Brickman believes too many companies fit and forget their back-up power. Careful commissioning must be followed up by a rigorous maintenance programme to prepare for any eventuality

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n today’s ever-connected world, most of us can’t even begin to imagine our lives without electricity. From the basic necessities of heat, light and utilities and the abundance of consumer tech that we’ve become accustomed to, through to the steady growth of electric vehicles and massive growth of power-hungry data-centres.

Hand in hand with this increase in demand, the UK’s energy mix is going through a transition from fossil fuel-generated electricity to an increased reliance on renewable sources - posing challenges to the National Grid when it comes to balancing demand with ensuring a stable, consistent supply. In environments that rely on electricity to operate, the consequences of even a short power system failure could at best have a significant financial impact and, at worst, be a threat to human life.

Many businesses and facilities managers are well aware of the impact of a break in missioncritical power - from machinery in industrial settings, computers in banks, financial institutions and data centres, to the need for constant power in our hospitals and operating theatres. While many look to alleviate this risk by ensuring that they have backup power in place, an astonishing number fail to implement a robust testing regime - making an assumption that the backup will kick-in if an outage occurs.

Varying on-site conditions Most backup generators and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems are tested by the manufacturer in the factory prior to delivery. Many people wrongly believe this to be enough to ensure that the equipment will operate effectively when installed. However, with on-site conditions such as temperature and humidity often varying between locations, not to mention the impact of lifting, moving and transporting sensitive equipment, the manufacturerverified testing may be thrown off kilter by on-site conditions or

even human intervention during installation. Crucially, fuel, cooling and exhaust systems may all be different from the systems used at the factory. For this reason, it is absolutely critical that backup power systems are commissioned accurately and tested in-situ in actual site conditions using a load bank.

Where buildings and businesses rely on power to remain operational, having backup power such as a generator is crucial. Wherever there is standby power, there is also a need for a load bank - a device that is used to create an electrical load which imitates the operational or ‘real’ load that a generator would use in normal operational conditions. In short, the load bank is used to test, support, or protect a critical backup power source and ensure that it is Manufacturer-verified conditions may be thrown off kilter by site conditions and human intervention during installation

‘Often those in charge of backup power have no regular testing schedule’ fit for purpose in the event that it is called upon.

Properly planned and implemented, preventative maintenance strategies can minimise the likelihood of unscheduled breakdowns and outages, effectively negating the potential risk of costly commercial, reputational and legal issues.

However - it is vital that this doesn’t become a tick-box exercise

- implementing a testing regime that validates the reliability and performance of backup power must be done under the types of loads found in real operational conditions.

Ideally, all generators should at the very least be tested annually for real-world emergency conditions using a resistive-reactive 0.8pf load bank. Best practice dictates that all gensets (where there are multiple) should be run in a synchronised state, ideally for eight hours but for a minimum of three.

Capable of testing both resistive and reactive loads, this type of load bank provides a much clearer picture of how well an entire system will withstand changes in load pattern while experiencing the level of power that would typically be encountered under real operational conditions.

The inductive loads used in resistive/ reactive testing will show how a system will cope with a voltage drop in its regulator. This is particularly important in any application which requires generators to be operated in parallel (prevalent in larger business infrastructures such as major telecoms or data centres) where a problem with one generator could prevent other system generators from working properly or even failing to operate entirely. This is something which is simply not achievable with resistive-only testing.

Where a resistive-only loadbank is used (1.0pf), testing should be increased to 2-4 times per year at 3 hours per test minimum.

The reality is, in many instances, that those in charge of maintaining backup power have no regular testing schedule. By not testing the system adequately, the generator is put at risk of failure - with the fuel, exhaust and cooling system untested, along with the potential for embedded moisture, putting the system in the very high-risk category.

In carrying out this testing and maintenance, the system can be effectively tested and system issues can be uncovered in a safe, controlled manner without the cost of major failure or unplanned downtime. 

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Water Management

Stephanie Allchurch is product development manager at Altecnic

Water system safety in healthcare

Stephanie Allchurch discusses the two main physical methods that can be used to disinfect a water system - chemical disinfection and thermal disinfection

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ontrolling the safety and hygiene of any water system is not as easy, with a number of factors for healthcare facilities managers (HFMs) and water safety groups (WSGs) needing to consider.

Water safe plans (WSPs) must be integrated to ensure the most effective means of continually providing safe, wholesome drinking water. Most importantly, a WSP should aim to control waterborne pathogens (including pseudomonas aeruginosa), which can pass from a water system and then from patient to patient.

Chemical disinfection, often called ‘biocidal treatment’, of a water system involves contractors introducing chemicals, often chlorine dioxide, into the water system and running the taps through all the pipework within the water system. The taps are then closed to allow the chemicals to kill live pseudomonas within the water system.

However, the selection of appropriate chemicals is extremely complex and is dependent on a number of factors, of which are much more prevalent in a healthcare setting. For example, often biocides introduced into hot water systems are ‘gassed off’, and when they are placed in cold water systems (more specifically drinking water systems) they must be monitored to ensure that they do not exceed prescribed concentrations for drinking water.

The Health Technical Memorandum 04-01 Part A- Design, Installation and Commissioning (HTM04-01-Part A) suggests: ‘Where biocides are used to control microbial growth in water systems…meticulous control and monitoring programmes should be in place if they are to be effective.’1 As well as impact on the water quality, the components within the water system can be badly impacted by poor choice of acidic chemicals, causing them to deteriorate. HTM0401 Part A states, ‘the detrimental effects of biocidal treatment, such as corrosion of metal components… should be taken into consideration as biocide use may shorten the lifespan

of particular components.’ 1 Proving that, no matter the quality of the components within the system, chemicals can cause the water system to completely breakdown causing additional operational issues.

Fewer limiting factors It is widely known that Legionella, and other pseudomonas, grow in water systems where water is stored at between 20 – 60°C. Thermal disinfection, however, allows water temperature to be increased to above 60°C, killing the pseudomonas.

Although this has far fewer limiting factors to the chemical disinfection of a system, thermal disinfection poses a scalding risk to the end user. For example, Health Building Notes 00-10 Part C – Sanitary Assemblies2 advises

‘Chemicals can cause the system to break down’ that outlets above 46°C present a scalding risk and should be labelled as such. It also advises that thermostatic devices, such as thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs), should be used at each outlet remove scalding risk.

To safely use water at temperatures that will thermally disinfect the system, WSGs must specify a TMV that adheres to the testing regime of the TMV3/NHS D08 regulatory standard to ensure the safety of the end user.

The TMV3 approval scheme provides assurance that a TMV is tested and deemed safe to use in a NHS

setting. These valves offer a high level of protection, reacting much more quickly in shutting off the flow of water if the cold water fails, or a safe temperature is exceeded.

As well as allowing for thermal disinfection, the fitting of a TMV that adheres to these standards prevents the end-user from scalding. ‘Risk of scalding’ is still on the NHS ‘Never Events’ list3, which was last updated in February this year.

Although most TMVs installed within a healthcare setting, as long as they adhere to the previously discussed standards, disinfect 95 per cent of the water system, there are still places where pseudomonas can potentially form and grow. A common area is a dead-leg where either pipework has been altered and no longer in use.

A full thermal flush of a water system, right up to the outlet is advised to remove the pseudomonas present in the terminal fitting. To do this, each valve will need to be bypassed in order to successfully complete the thermal disinfection.

However, this task can be reliant on resource and time, meaning it is costly for trusts.

Instead, WSGs and HFMs should aim to source TMVs that allow a thermal flush to take place right to the outlet. The Mixcal Careflo Plus TMV has been designed to meet the requirements of BS 7942:2000 and the NHS model engineering specification D08 for use in healthcare settings, hospitals, care homes and schools.

This model allows a facilities manager to use a special tool and the manual override function, which ensures thermal disinfection is performed through to the outlets, enabling a complete rather than a partial flush.

There are new components being developed, and some already available, which will help to limit the risk to the safety of an end-user while also allowing the best system hygiene to be maintained.

As we move forward, new methods of disinfection may be developed to ensure the safety of an end-user is ensured, while also keeping the water system hygienic. 

Further reading 1) HTM 04-01- Department of Health and Social Care, April 2017- Safe water in healthcare premises (HTM 04-01) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 2) HBN 00-100- Department of Health, 2013- HBN_0010_Part_C_Final.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk) 3) NHS Never Events- NHS Improvement, Jan 2018 (UPDATED Feb, 2021)- 2018-Never-Events-Listupdated-February-2021.pdf (england.nhs.uk) OCTOBER 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 29

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Water Management

Karma Loveday is water advisor, Major Energy Users’ Council

Water in the ‘new normal’ Karma Loveday reflects on how the water market has coped with Covid pressures to date, and what kind of deals business customers are getting now

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lthough hidden from public view, the impact of the pandemic on the water market was profound.

All sorts of emergency provisions had to be rushed through last year, both to support business customers whose revenue had fallen off a cliff from water bills based on historic consumption patterns they could not pay, and to shore up water retailers whose financial vulnerabilities were exposed.

The efforts by and large paid off, and water wholesalers did a commendable job of keeping customers on supply throughout, despite the exceptional circumstances.

With life now returning to normal, or at least a new normal, the market is trying to get back onto something of an even keel and catch up on activities – especially meter reads – that were halted because of the restrictions. One silver lining has been an unexpected opportunity to identify and address leakage, where consumption has been recorded while businesses have been closed or operations reduced.

The main hangover issue now is dealing with customer bad debt that has accrued as a result of the pandemic. Water regulator Ofwat will allow retailers to increase maximum prices for businesses who have not contracted with a retailer (those on default tariffs – most of the market) for at least two years from April 2022 to socialise the burden.

Setting these exceptional Covid impacts aside, how is the water market performing for customers as it approaches its fifth birthday next year? Ofwat is due to publish a ‘State of the Market’ report this autumn which will set out the regulator’s view on this. We are safe to assume that many of the problems identified in the 2020 version – so called ‘market frictions’ – will remain evident and that the customer experience is unlikely to have turned around.

The statutory customer watchdog in water, CCW, gave us a glimpse of this in September with the publication of complaints data from business customers in 2020-21. Complaints had crept up on the previous year, and remained well above premarket opening levels – though it is

worth noting that there was a wide gulf between the best and worst performing retailers, suggesting maturing differentiation.

Table 1: Market performance of the UK’s larger water retailers

Better deal from switching This differentiation is evident too in the latest market performance data, which tracks the extent to which retailers and wholesalers are keeping up with the tasks expected of them.

Market wide, large retailers scored 87.7 per cent in 2020-21 up from 80.9 per cent last year, with individual scores ranging from a high of 95.1 per cent to a low of 78 per cent.

It has also become increasingly evident that customers who have switched or negotiated a contract with an existing retailer are securing better levels of service overall than those

who haven’t, suggesting the principle of competition is working.

In more positive news, there is a suite of activity going on at

Table 2: Complaint performance of medium and large providers 2020-21

the moment which should lead to improvements in service for customers. This includes: Revamped market governance: on 1 September, the panel that oversees the market was overhauled and weighted in favour of non-water industry members, and a primary principle of advancing customer interests was introduced to guide all activities.

Strategic Metering Review: getting good quality, timely and reliable consumption data is a priority for all customers, as the basis of accurate bills and any water management/reduction activity.

For many of our MEUC members, the market is currently falling very short. A particularly stark statistic is that 23 per cent of all non-household meters have not been read in the last year. The operator of the water market, MOSL, is part way through a wide ranging review of metering in the market which will take both quick-fix and strategic actions to improve this situation.

Bilaterals hub: since market opening until now, there has been no standardised way of wholesalers and retailers interacting to process operational transactions on behalf of customers – say, to fix a broken meter. This has been a source of cost, complexity and delay. MOSL has corralled the market to invest in a centralised bilaterals hub through which such transactions will be mandated to pass through in future.

The first process went live on 22 September, with more to follow in coming months.

Market Improvement Fund: MOSL put £1m on the table last month to fund ideas beyond work in train already to make the market work better for customers.

Self-supply: this market – where customers (large ones) have opted out of having a water retailer altogether in favour of securing a retail licence to supply themselves directly from the wholesaler – is thriving.

Self-suppliers lead the market on performance – for instance, meters unread for a year in the community stand at around 2 per cent.

Alongside Ofwat’s State of the Market report, other things to look out for in the coming months include further pressure on wholesalers from Ofwat to support market improvement; more detail on Covid bad debt arrangements; and, in 2022, a Retail Exit Code review which will include a review of price caps. 

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Water Management

Barry McGovaney is sustainability lead and innovation & technology manager for Water Plus

for updates throughout 24 hours of operating.

Here’s some of the eye-watering opportunities and savings from looking at water more closely: • a large data logger project this year found a site owned by a major multisite distributor had seen a jump in usage. An extra 1,000 litres were being used over three days, in June 2021, due to several toilet leaks - allowing them to react in a 24-hour period, rather than a month later. The water issue was fixed within 24 hours; and • during this year’s lockdown (in January 2021) a gym chain had five sites losing more than 1,000 litres an hour – a total of 9,800 litres an hour across the sites. This would cost around £700 a day for the supply of that water – around £248,000 if they ran for a year.

Water-efficient taps

Where’s the carbon in water?

When it comes to net zero, you may be wondering what impact the water being used at your organisation has on emissions. Barry McGovaney explains

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here are carbon emissions linked to each cubic metre (every 1,000 litres) of water you use at your organisation - and there’s a way to calculate what it is.

In fact, there are more carbon emissions linked to every 1,000 litres of wastewater that leaves your site, than every 1,000 litres of water you’re getting through your pipes.

As there is carbon associated with both – it shows why being wiser on water helps organisations deliver net zero and other targets under the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

According to the latest greenhouse gas reporting conversion factors, there is 0.149kg of CO2e in each 1,000 litres which is measured as one cubic metre on bills and water meters.

When it comes to the wastewater at your site – from the water that goes down the drains in kitchens or sinks, to flushes from the toilets and urinals – it’s 0.272kg of CO2e in each cubic metre, according to the conversion factor covering emissions from treating it.

This shows that by just boiling the water you need in work kitchen kettles - to reducing water waste from any leaks, including dripping taps, running toilets from cisterns - and

elsewhere at your site – it soon adds up to lowering running costs and creating less carbon overall.

It’s estimated the emissions from fuel combustion and product use in industrial and commercial sectors alone accounted for 17 per cent of the UK’s net greenhouse gas emissions in data published this year. In addition, the public sector contributes, along with some others like waste management and land use, 10 per cent, it’s worth exploring what to do, whichever sector you’re in.

Water may be in Scope 3 on the emissions list – but it shouldn’t be looked at last. Some simple steps can be taken straightaway to help reduce

the impact your organisation is having on the environment – and save on running costs in the future.

Monthly water use As your business – or public sector organisation - is billed for every 1,000 litres of water used (a cubic metre), measured through your water meter, it’s worth looking closer at what water you use each month, as a good first move, if you’re not already doing this.

Noting a meter read each month, if it’s safe to access, allows you to track your use and spot water issues early – and data loggers on your meter can also help identify opportunities, with information fed into an online portal

Cutting hot water use has a direct impact on energy costs too – and means less carbon being created too.

Hot water can cost between 2 to 4 times more than cold water, once energy costs are considered, and water-efficient taps, showerheads and other measures can all help there.

There are big tax deductions available for organisations investing in equipment including fittings in their buildings so now is a good time to consider low-cost, water-saving technology.1 With environmental reporting requirements2 for organisations and interest in reducing impacts on natural resources increasing3, it’s a good time to get ahead of the curve.

Plus, with colder winter months ahead in 2022, it’s worth reviewing or introducing a water emergency plan for your site/s, so your employees know what to do if water was to stop suddenly at the workplace. Around one in five businesses have had a water issue on site with almost one having to shut their site for an hour or more after a water issue.4 Knowing what to do and where you’d get water if you need it is essential. 

References

Noting a meter read every month is a first step to spotting possible problems

1) https://www.gov.uk/guidance/superdeduction 2) https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/uk-joint-regulator-andgovernment-tcfd-taskforce-interim-reportand-roadmap 3) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/ chancellor-sets-out-how-uk-financialservices-can-create-prosperity-at-homeand-project-values-abroad-in-first-mansionhouse-speech 4) https://www.water-plus.co.uk/wateruse

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New Products

Compressor range combines greater energy efficiency and small footprint COMPAIR has launched its 160, 200 and 250kW FourCore compressor range, combining best-in-class compressed air efficiency with a small footprint and sustainable design for eco-conscious businesses.

The FourCore range offers all the capabilities of a two-stage compressor, but with only the footprint of a single-stage unit. When compared with previous single-stage compressors in this size range from CompAir, the new models are up to 8 per cent more efficient, offering a best-in-class oil-lubricated solution for decision makers.

At the heart of these latest models is CompAir’s new GD10-DS airend,

From analogue to smart meters DEER TECHNOLOGY says its LimpetReader cost-effectively converts analogue electricity meters to smart meters simply and quickly.

The LimpetReader is attached to the faceplate using optical adhesive or tape. If desired, a meter can still be read manually without disturbing the LimpetReader.

Deer Technology has designed the unit to be compact so that it fits within a meter cabinet. A key element of the opto-electronic device’s design is multiple microcameras that capture date- and timestamped images of the meter’s register.

These are sent automatically to Deer Technology’s secure servers using GSM technology over any of the UK’s mobile phone networks. Once on the server, the

which is where the range takes its FourCore name from. This compact, two-stage airend uses four gears rather than three, to deliver flexible rotor speed adjustment at both low and high pressures, as well as the best possible performance at different discharge pressures and shaft speeds.

When compared with a conventional two-stage compressor, the new 200 kW model uses 22 per cent less materials and can help cut waste by up to 19 per cent. Predicted payback periods are between one to two years. To help deliver further energy efficiencies, integrated heat recovery is offered as an option on the new range.

individual images are stitched together with image processing software to create a single, distortion-free register image. This is converted to a numerical value for the electricity consumption.

Customer benefits include accurate billing based on realtime data not estimates, the ability to choose read frequencies, and better visibility of data that can help cut consumption, save costs and reduce carbon footprint. If different areas of a site have separate meters, energy usage can easily be allocated to relevant cost centres. Similarly, building owners can use LimpetReaders for sub-metering and billing tenants.

TALKING HEADS

Laurent Bataille is EVP of Digital Energy for Schneider Electric

Laurent Bataille

From passive to energy generating assets Laurent Bataille believes that all buildings must become value-added generation assets to play a greater role in fighting climate change

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s restrictions begin to lift in some countries, businesses will re-open and welcome their employees back to the workplace. It’s possible to transform office spaces into buildings of the future that generate their own clean energy, and manage spaces in a healthy, safe and energy efficient and cost-effective way. This doesn’t mean throwing out the old and replacing it with the new. The interior of old buildings can be digitally retrofitted while preserving and improving its original design. New cuttingedge technology, digitisation and software will be at the heart of this transformation, making whole neighbourhoods and cities smarter and more sustainable. Buildings – and companies that own and manage them - have a huge role to play in fighting climate change and protecting not just the health of the people – but also that of our planet.

The concept of smart cities has become more widely known across the globe in the last fifteen years. As well as transforming existing buildings, brand new smart city ecosystems have been designed and built from scratch. One example of this is Masdar City in Abu Dhabi which is a hub for research and development and offers more green and sustainable urban living and is due to be completed in 2030. Cities have historically been more advanced than countries in moving towards autonomous and sustainable buildings in places such as Paris, Hong Kong, New York, London or Singapore. What’s good is that software and digital technologies create the ‘second mover advantage’. Any urban centre can benefit from such technologies – an emerging or centuries old one.

Rethink needed on decarbonisation Why do we care if our cities are sustainable? It’s simple. Cities only cover around 3 per cent of the Earth’s land, but they produce around 72 per cent of its total greenhouse gas emissions. We have to rethink how we can decarbonise our built environments, particularly when cities continue to grow so rapidly.

My belief and hope is that with the help

the status and condition of the network to identify abnormalities and problems.

Using this information, the grid can agilely and accurately isolate network failure and react to protect the power infrastructure. This intelligent automation allows more effective monitoring and decision making without human intervention. The overall result is a more reliable grid that maximises uptime and increases the efficiency and security of your smart building systems.

Digital transformation

Bataille: 'technology can transform our cities, building by building, home by home'

‘With the help of new technologies self-sufficient and self-healing buildings will soon emerge’ of modern technologies self-sufficient and self-healing buildings will soon emerge, especially in “sunshine” states and countries where the renewable energy generation aspect of urbanisation is more easily imagined. Scientists have been developing ways in which buildings could repair themselves to overcome the wear and tear over time caused by weather conditions and cracks from natural shifts in the earth. Innovative projects include Cardiff University investigating ways to use bacteria that can turn into hardened calcite to enable buildings to repair themselves. This could prove very useful for infrastructure and places that are hard to access such as tunnels and bridges.

However, before we are able to achieve this dream, all buildings must become value adding energy generation assets, which they can already do today through microgrids, which can also feature self-healing properties. Allowing for continuous self-assessments that inspect, analyse, react to, and automatically respond to problems, they would be able to minimise blackouts as well. This is possible through the widespread deployment of sensors and other intelligent devices and automated controls that check and evaluate

What does a self-sufficient building look like? In recent years, Swire Properties decided to leverage Schneider’s Ecostruxure system to transform certain buildings within its portfolio into smart buildings. The digital transformation of these buildings made them more energy efficient and sustainable.

It also enabled the building managers to monitor the data of multiple properties across different locations. Using AI and analytics, Swire Properties can now identify actionable insights leading to further reductions in energy expenditure as well any improvements in operational performance.

Our own offices in Singapore which act as an office space and innovation hub were made into a carbon neutral building at the middle of 2020. It now runs on solar power during the day time and has been equipped with around 3000 sensors allowing us to collect useful data to optimise the way the space is used and to reduce its energy consumption as much as possible.

Recently, Schneider was selected as one of the four winning proposals for the Helsinki Energy Challenge. The ‘Hot Heart’ concept brings 10 giant sea water basins (each measuring 225m in diameter) off the shores of Helsinki that act as thermal batteries and create the same effect as a tropical island. Acting as a giant battery storage, the project promises to save residents 10 per cent on their heating bills while using the power of seawater heat pumps, solar and wind energy to decarbonise the city’s district heating by 2028 and balance the grid.

Four of the hot water reservoirs are enclosed with domes and used for recreational purposes with pools and tropical forests and plants the Finns can enjoy throughout their Northern winters.

This is just one example of technology and software transforming our cities, building by building, home by home without compromising on sustainability or comfort. 

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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

OCTOBER 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 35

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