June 2019

JUNE 2019

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Data Centre Management Heat Pump Technology CPD Module: Energy as a Service Energy in Hospitals & Healthcare Indoor Air Quality

Turning data centres green The hidden cost of IT growth

Clear head, clear minds Indoor air quality for our workplace

Holistic approach to health Cutting costs for our care

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Are Your Organisation’s Profits Simply Going Up In Smoke?

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JUNE 2019

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

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In this issue Data Centre Management Heat Pump Technology CPD Module: Energy as a Service Energy in Hospitals & Healthcare Indoor Air Quality

Turning data centres green The hidden cost of IT growth

Clear head, clear minds Indoor air quality for our workplace

Contents

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24 47

Holistic approach to health Cutting costs for our care

JUNE 2019

FEATURES

12

Data Centre Management From former nuclear bunkers under the Alps to the seas off Orkney data centre operators are going to great lengths in their attempts to be green, says Carlene Huckerby Climate regulation is vital to the running of a reliable server and storage system. Andie Chessun advises on the issues (14) Building management teams may not have the necessary skills to optimise the performance of a smaller data centre.

Dr Stu Redshaw suggests that help is out there (17)

18

Sebastian Gray of 2EA looks at how increases in the Climate Change Levy will hit hospitals and GP practices in the pocket Dr Alex Mardapittas explores how energy managers in the sector can maximise smart energy solutions (34)

40 Indoor Air Quality

Buildings can be greener if smart technologies are integrated into the design of HVAC systems, explains Robin Vollert

Heat Pump Technology

Can people make good decisions in your meeting rooms? It may be dangerous to assume they can, says Jonathan Copley (42)

What is the best way to facilitate a greater uptake of heat pumps?, asks Dr Matthew Trewhella

Concerns over impact of poor air quality have led to a growing demand for monitoring. Tim Hooper weighs up the options (44)

Nicky Cowan believes water source heat pumps could be a key technology in decarbonising the urban environment (20)

Good indoor air quality is a fundamental contributor to comfort.

But, as Peter Dyment explains, it can also help protect HVAC equipment (46)

The heating and hot water industry has a number of solutions that should be acceptable to climate change protestors and politicians alike, according to Steve Addis (22)

30

33 Energy in Hospitals

Water Management

47 BCIA Awards Night

The 2019 BCIA Awards was a night to rival all others celebrating the stars of the show in the building controls industry

Water hygiene compliance and the need for constant management oversight is critical, says Andrew Steel

REGULARS 06 News Update

The UK lags behind Europe in its zerocarbon plans; nuclear power should be banned, says US expert

25 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning

10 The Warren Report

Government projections of future energy use have been shown to be less than accurate. But unless new policies are put into place forecasts of growing energy use will prove correct

24 Products in Action

James Brittain examines how energy may be regarded as a service for us all in the future

A BMS for French television headquarters and pipe and ductwork insulation at a major Manchester refurbishment

48 New Products

New for the energy manager this month is a new generation of lighting modules and a range of brazed plate heat exchangers

50 Talking Heads

With the huge growth in renewables forecast for the coming years changes will be needed to the tariff structure to encourage investment incentives right across the sector, says James Cox

38 ESTA Viewpoint

SMEs play a crucial role in the economy of the UK but they are often overlooked when it comes to energy saving. A new initiative may help set right that record, says Mervyn Pilley

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editor’s opinion

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Follow us on @ twitter.com/energyzine and twitter.com/markthrower1

An unlikely hero

I

the EiBI team editorial

wish I had a £10 note for every conversation

Don’t get me wrong. The UK has a decent record

I’ve had with anyone interested in promoting

in energy efficiency. Since 1990 our emissions have

energy efficiency that contained the phrase:

tumbled. We now use no more fuel than we did 50

‘If only we could get a big name personality

years ago. This is despite our population having

involved.’ For years the industry has dreamt that a

grown by 40 per cent, and the number of households

name from the world of entertainment or politics

having gone up by 49 per cent. Our gross domestic

could put the energy efficiency agenda firmly on

product is almost three times higher.

the map. Despite lobbying by small trade bodies, the

Throughout this century final energy consumption

voice of energy efficiency was always drowned out

in the UK has been falling. And falling. This has been

by the shouts of the supply industry.

true for every consumption area: industry, services,

Well, suddenly the industry has a champion.

Someone who has put climate change in the minds

homes, and transport.

But the actions of Greta Thunberg have finally

of us all and made governments sit up and take

prompted the UK government to declare a climate

notice. Not a politician, not an actor, not a singer.

emergency. Which is just as well as we have a

Instead she’s a frail-looking Swedish schoolgirl

mountain to climb to reach the goal of a zero-carbon

whose one-girl protest has snowballed into a

economy by 2050 (see page 6). Most European

worldwide avalanche. I’ve no need to mention

countries are way ahead of us in preparation. The UK

her name. Already she has appeared on the cover

is doing particularly badly on policies and measures

of TIME magazine and may well win the Nobel

designed to achieve savings beyond the emissions

Peace Prize. We’ll have to wait until September to

trading sector.

Managing Editor Mark Thrower tel: 01483 452854 Email: editor@eibi.co.uk Address: P. O. Box 825, Guildford GU4 8WQ Social Media Assistant Sam Jackson tel: 01889 577222 Email: info@energyzine.co.uk

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

find out. And she’s not even old enough to vote.

Greta Thunberg has awakened interest but it’s up

It’s a movement not led by the energy efficiency

to the politicians and the rest of us not to let down the

or environmental industries but by today’s

voters of tomorrow.

classified sales

Witness the recent European elections when Green

MANAGING EDITOR

circulation

candidates made huge gains, not just in the UK.

Mark Thrower

Sue Bethell Tel: 01889 577222 Email: circulation@eibi.co.uk

Sharon Nutter Tel: 01889 577222 Email: classified@eibi.co.uk

young people. And because they are the voters of tomorrow our politicians have taken notice.

administration/ production Fran Critchlow Tel: 01889 577222 Email: info@eibi.co.uk

THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY From former nuclear bunkers under the Alps to the seas off Orkney data centre operators are going to great lengths in their attempts to be green.

The most aesthetically pleasing data centre has to be Pionen located 30m below Stockholm in a former nuclear bunker. It features waterfalls, greenhouses, simulated daylight, a huge salt water fish tank and two submarine engines that are used for backup power.

See page 12 for more details Cover photo courtesy of Bahnhof AB

04 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

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 2018 12,179

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Cost concerns hit decentralisation Energy security and cost concerns are highlighted as key barriers for UK industry to realise the benefits of decentralised energy, according to a report launched by Aggreko.

Entitled ‘Bridging the Energy Gap,’ the new report is the result of 200 key energy decisionmakers across industry offering their views on decentralised energy in the UK. It finds that energy security remains a major or significant concern for most respondents (82 per cent), while reducing energy consumption is viewed as a medium or high priority for the vast majority (94 per cent) of correspondents.

The report points out that many energy users across industry are now finding themselves caught between this desire to reduce their costs and environmental impact, while also navigating the technical and financial issues these solutions must solve.

The report addresses this situation and engages with a number of concerns, including electricity pricing, energy security and usage, attempts to reduce consumption, the appetite to move towards a decentralised solution, and barriers to adoption.

Decentralised energy solutions are identified as a potential answer to industry cost and consumption concerns, provided barriers surrounding its adoption are overcome.

Nearly half the respondents cited prohibitively high investment costs as a reason why they had not adopted decentralised energy technologies, such as solar power, CHP, gas generation and wind power.

The document highlights that by hiring these solutions instead of purchasing them, companies could enjoy the benefits of decentralised energy without being bound by capex restrictions.

It also suggests that hiring can help energy users avoid the long payback periods that may otherwise deter them from implementing new, energyefficiency technology and decentralised energy solutions.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS MISSING FROM UK PLANS

UK lags in plans for zero carbon 2050 The UK Government is currently one of the worst positioned in Europe to reach the goal of a zero-carbon economy by 2050.

Published by the European Climate Foundation (ECF), the assessment of each official plan to achieve this ranks the UK at 21st out of 28 EU countries, with a total progress score of just 21.1 per cent. This is below the European average. Both Spain and France are scored at well over 50 per cent.

These assessments have been based largely upon analysis of the draft 2019 national energy and climate plans (NECPs), as published by each European Union government.

According to the ECF, these “chart the intended next steps on the road to a climate-secure future, and to reap the economic and social benefits which come from that.”

The UK scores particularly badly on policies and measures designed to achieve savings outside the emissions trading sector. Subsequently, the UK

06 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

is set to quit the EU:ETS at the end of next year. Decisions have yet to be made as to how the anticipated energy and carbon savings from involvement in this scheme might be replaced. The Committee on Climate Change has been asked to advise on how a UK-only scheme might function.

The UK NECP is described as “appearing to present a lot of information - but omitting essential elements - including the UK’s 2030 non-ETS emissions target, and the 2030 energy efficiency contribution [where] existing and planned policies are missing.” The current UK energy

efficiency results are described as “even worse than for renewables,” achieving in some cases “negative” contributions towards zero carbon.

The review is also scathing about the lack of information about the level of subsidies still available for fossil fuels, and the “absence of any plans for a phase-out schedule.” One exception is the planned phase out of coal use by 2025. The ready availability of investment data is also singled out for praise.

By the end of June, the European Commission will have to submit formally its recommendations on the draft NECPs, The new Governance Regulation has given the Commission extra powers and duties: it has to assess the draft NECPs and issue publicly its recommendations to ensure agreed EU targets are met.

National governments have to take due account of the recommendations, and justify why they may not have been taken on board.

Bureaucracy holding back appetite for clean energy There is huge corporate appetite for clean energy yet bureaucracy and complex regulations are holding back full potential, according to a report from German renewable supplier BayWA r.e.

Its Energy Report 2019, which analyses the attitudes of 1,200 European corporations towards renewable energy, concluded that 89 per cent of all those surveyed agreed on the leading role corporations must play in driving the energy transition, 76 per cent identified bureaucracy and complex regulations as major barriers that are hindering further investment in renewables.

For the majority of corporations, the benefits were clear – almost 90 per cent felt the use of renewables resulted in a better public image and 80 per cent felt it gave them a business advantage. And when deciding to invest in renewables, 92 per cent did so to reduce energy costs.

However, a perception of long payback periods (44 per cent) and high investment costs (38 per cent) were identified as barriers by corporations across all surveyed

countries. At just under 50 per cent, the perception of investment costs as a barrier was highest in Poland and the UK. While companies in Germany, the UK and France mainly focus on greenhouse gas emission targets, companies in Poland, Italy and Spain aim to increase the overall use of renewable energy.

“Individuals and companies want to take climate action by investing in renewable energy generation and sourcing renewable energy. A simple and inclusive legal framework is essential to accelerate the transition

to an affordable and clean energy market. This will enable many more people to live better lives within the limits of the planet,” commented Karol Gobczynski, head of climate and energy at Ingka Group, IKEA’s largest franchisee.

Over half of all surveyed corporations were planning to use renewable energy or install their own renewable energy facilities within the next five years. Spanish corporations were particularly ambitious with 76 per cent planning to increase their use of renewables, while Italian corporates recorded 70 per cent.

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DISCREPANCY BETWEEN COST OF UPGRADING HOMES

IN BRIEF

Who’s correct? Britain or Ireland?

Local community funding awards

There is a major discrepancy in the cost required to make the average Irish home energy efficient, compared with the average UK home. Both housing stocks are among the least energy efficient in western Europe.

To improve the UK’s housing stock to energy performance certificate (EPC) band level C will require between £35bn and £65bn worth of investment. These are the estimates provided to the House of Commons business committee by Claire Perry, the minister for energy and climate change. This is the standard to which the Government is committed to raising the entire housing stock to by 2035, as part of its Clean Growth Strategy (see EiBI Dec 2017).

In Ireland, the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar (above), is estimating that “it will cost €50bn to bring all homes up to required...standards.”

UK Power Networks is awarding over a quarter of a million pounds’ worth of funding to help boost energy efficiency within local communities.

Launched earlier this year, the power company’s Power Partners community investment fund aims to support organisations that work to alleviate fuel poverty, support people in vulnerable circumstances and make community buildings warmer and cheaper to heat.

The fund, which is administered in partnership with leading energy justice charity the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) has selected 16 recipients from across UK Power Networks’ distribution area of the East and South East of England and London.

• The UK Power Networks’ Power Partners scheme will reopen for more applications later this year.

Visit the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) website for updates:https://www.cse.org.uk/ projects/view/1356

At first sight, these spending estimates may appear compatible.

But not when the total numbers of households under consideration is brought into the equation.

According to analysis drawn from the 2016 Irish census, Dublin’s Central Statistical Office estimates there are fractionally over 2m homes available for occupancy in Ireland, of which just 1.69m were actually occupied on census night. In contrast, the UK now has 27.2m recorded households.

This means that whereas Varadkar reckons that improving each home will cost around €25,000 (£22,000), Perry is estimating that in the UK it will require spending only between £1,287 and £2,390 to make the average home suitably energy efficient to meet zero carbon aspirations.

In addition, Perry told Parliament that “ the overall expenditure figure could be much lower”, if a strong energy efficiency push from government helps drive down the cost of installing greater energy efficiency.

To that end, she is launching a Whole House Retrofit competition.

This offers £9.4m to projects covering 200 homes or more that can demonstrate “cost reduction though process innovation.” Such projects must obtain EPC level B, rather than the level C upon which Perry’s cost estimates have been based.

UK should create market for ‘negative emissions’ To achieve ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, the Government should create a market for so-called ‘negative emissions’ that result from the removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, according to a report published by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the London School of Economics and the Political Science.

The report also warns that the UK Government will need to increase the price of carbon in key sectors such as aviation, vehicles, and agriculture, to phase out emissions that are driving climate change. However, the target of net zero emissions could be achieved with a carbon price of up to £160 per tonne of carbon-dioxide-equivalent (tCO2e), including the cost of ‘negative emissions’.

It concludes that the UK Government could encourage emission reductions from UK industries through putting a more effective price on the damage that emissions cause, such as a tax on red meat, an increase in fuel duty, a tax on aviation fuels and a tax on the carbon content in waste disposal, the research suggests.

Chief executives ‘should take lead’

The report proposes that the Government could set up a public procurement system in which it uses the revenue from carbon taxes to pay negative emission providers for the amount of carbon dioxide that they remove from the atmosphere.

Alternatively, the report recommends creating a regulated offset market, in which businesses could buy negative emissions instead of paying the carbon price.

Sectors with significant residual emissions – such as aviation – would pay negative emissions providers to offset these emissions.

Transparent wood stores and releases heat Scientists looking for eco-friendly building materials have created a form of transparent wood that not only transmits light, but – unlike glass - can also store and release heat.

Developed at the Wallenberg Wood Science Center in Sweden, the material has been made by removing the lignin (which gives wood its colour) from the wood. This allows

light to pass through it.

The delignified wood is then infused with acrylic mixed with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a polymer that melts when heated to relatively low temperatures (30oC) – and in the process absorbs energy. When the temperature falls back down, the PEG solidifies, and releases this energy.

PEG-treated wood, which evolves

from semi-transparent to transparent when warmed, can trap the sun’s warmth during the day, keeping a building cool. And then release it into the interior at night. The scientists’ next step is to find a means of further lowering the melting point of PEG, so that the material can be used commercially in countries with milder climates than Sweden.

Over half of the UK public want chief executives of corporations to be in he vanguard of the fight against climate change, a survey by consultancy Kin&Co has found.

Almost 70 per cent of the 3,300 adults surveyed agreed that climate change is now an “urgent issue” for large brands, rather than something likely to affect them in the distant future. Almost 60 per cent said they would like to see their favourite brands declare a Climate Emergency.

Over a third of respondents said they want their employer to take bolder and more ambitious action on climate change, with 30 per cent saying they would respect their organisation’s chief executive more if they led on this agenda.

This sentiment was particularly pronounced among the millennial generation – those aged 25-34 – with one in five willing to take a pay cut to make this happen, and one in seven having already considered changing jobs to work for a company with stronger environmental credentials.

JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 07

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JAPAN EMISSIONS IN STEEP FALL

Time is right ‘to ban nuclear power’ Nuclear power should be banned, according to the man who was America’s chief regulator of the industry under President Obama.

Instead, far more attention should be paid to the more cost-effective option of saving energy.

Gregory Jackzo, a physicist, has written a lengthy and blistering attack on nuclear power, in a signed article published by the New York Times.

Countering arguments from Microsoft founder Bill Gates, he concludes that: ”the danger from climate change no longer outweighs the risks of nuclear accidents.”

He was chairman of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission when Japan suffered the Fukushima nuclear disaster. He has written: “For years, my concerns about nuclear energy’s cost and safety was always tempered by a growing fear of climate catastrophe.”

But Fukushima provided a good test of how important nuclear power was to slowing climate change. After the accident, “all nuclear reactors were shut indefinitely …. eliminating 30 per cent of its total electricity production.”

His concern had been that shutting down plants would substantially increase greenhouse gas emissions.

This did occur initially. Would that continue? “Eight years after Fukushima, that question has been answered. Less than 20 per cent

of Japanese nuclear reactors have resumed operations, yet the country’s carbon emissions have dropped way below levels before the accident.”

Dr Jackzo states this remarkable achievement occurred because subsequently “Japan has made significant gains in energy efficiency and solar power.” He concludes that: “relying upon nuclear energy is a bad strategy for combating climate change. One accident had wiped out Japan’s carbon gains. Only a turn to renewables and energy conservation brought the country back on track.”

Throughout the 1990s, Japan was celebrated for the remarkable energy efficiency of its heavy manufacturing industry. Since the Fukushima accident, increasing attention has been focussed on improving the energy intensity of the lighter and service industries, of transport and in buildings.

its tradition of manufacturing

Nuclear ‘still has role, despite uncertain future’

high-efficiency heating equipment with the Vision

With nuclear power facing an uncertain future in many countries, the world risks a steep decline in its use in advanced economies that could result in billions of tonnes of additional carbon emissions, according to a new report by the International Energy Agency.

The future of nuclear power is uncertain as ageing plants are beginning to close in advanced economies, partly because of policies to phase them out but also as a result

ErP-compliant range of radiant tube heaters. The units deliver exceptional performance in terms of efficiency and the potential to reduce energy costs.

The foundation of this development is a high efficiency advanced burner.

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of economic and regulatory factors.

Without policy changes, advanced economies could lose 25 per cent of their nuclear capacity by 2025 and as much as two-thirds of it by 2040, according to the new report, Nuclear Power in a Clean Energy System.

The lack of more lifetime extensions of nuclear plants and new projects could result in an additional 4bn tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Some countries have opted out of nuclear power in light of concerns about safety and other issues. Many others, however, still see a role for nuclear in their energy transitions but are not doing enough to meet their goals, according to the report.

“Without an important

contribution from nuclear power, the global energy transition will be that much harder,” said Dr Fatih Birol (left), the IEA’s executive director.

“Alongside renewables, energy efficiency and other innovative technologies, nuclear can make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable energy goals.”

If other low-carbon sources, namely wind and solar PV, are to fill the shortfall in nuclear, their deployment would have to accelerate to an unprecedented level. In the past 20 years, wind and solar PV capacity has increased by about 580GW in advanced economies. But over the next 20 years, nearly five times that amount would need to be added.

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AI use begins to grow in utilities, energy sectors The global energy and utilities sector is making increasing use of intelligent automation, including a significant rise in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, executives are underestimating its full potential with large-scale projects taking a back seat, states new research from the Capgemini Research Institute.

The “Intelligent Automation in Energy and Utilities: The next digital wave” study found that nearly half of respondents have under-estimated the benefits they derived from their intelligent automation initiatives, while only 18 per cent of organisations are deploying quick-win use cases. Just 15 per cent said their company is deploying multiple intelligent automation use cases at scale.

08 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

The report highlights that the traditional energy and utilities business model is under pressure worldwide, with technological changes and increased competition making their presence felt. It cites that automation and AI will also be instrumental in helping these companies to meet climate change goals and the growing demand for clean, cheap, reliable energy.

The report also shows significant regional and sub-sector disparities in the scaling of automation. In the United States, 23 per cent of energy and utility companies have deployed intelligent automation initiatives widely at scale, as have 16 per cent in both France and India, compared to just 8 per cent in the UK.

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

LPG supplier to offset emissions

PROFESSOR SEES RECYCLING AS MEANS OF SURVIVAL

New future for British steel industry?

As British Steel collapses into insolvency, a Cambridge University professor of engineering has charted a lifeline that could turn the troubled UK steel industry into both an economic and an environmental success. He believes the UK should specialise in the recycling of used steel.

Current estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from steel production of 7m tonnes are around 17m tonnes per year, making the UK one of the most energy-intensive and emission-heavy producers of steel in the developed world. Including imports, total emissions from steel consumption in the UK are now around 26m tonnes of CO2 per annum.

Two-thirds of worldwide steel is made from primary production. Most of the rest comes from off-cuts of the steel-making process. But global production of recyclable steel is expected to rise sharply in future.

According to Professor Julian Allwood, the potential for recycling

steel is such that the need for primary production could diminish to nearly zero by 2050. That would save vast quantities of energy and hence carbon.

This is because electric arc furnaces, required for the recycling of steel, are far less energy intensive than the blast furnaces that produce virgin steel from iron ore.

“We must move our steel industry away from primary production towards recyclable steel,” writes Allwood in his report “Steel Arising.”

He continues: “This green steel model is the only future compatible with our goal for zero emissions.”

Consequently he estimates that emissions from the steel sector could be reduced by about three-quarters.

Supermarket chain introduces ‘invisible’ doors Waitrose & Partners is to introduce an ‘invisible door’ that has the potential to save British retailers a combined £1.5bn per year by reducing their energy bills.

Wirth Research’s AirDoor concept prevents warm air being lost from the store during colder temperatures and cold air being lost during warmer temperatures as customers enter and leave, meaning doors are often left open for long periods. It will perform particularly well in instances of extreme temperature or pressure differences as well as strong winds.

The AirDoor provides an archway that sits outside the store, located around the frame of the existing entrance.

It is designed to help tackle the estimated £1.5bn annual cost to British retailers caused by avoidable energy loss at the door.

It incorporates an array of sensors to detect airflow in both directions, which is then counteracted by an opposing, self-generating wind. The result is an invisible, active ‘barrier’, preventing unwanted outside air flowing into the building and inside air escaping. There is minimal disruption to the customer and it negates the need for revolving doors or lobbies.

It is scheduled to launch at the supermarket’s

Berkhamsted store later this year and, if successful, there are plans to roll the AirDoor out to more Waitrose shops.

Nick Wirth, president and founder of Wirth Research and a former Formula 1 team owner, said: “AirDoor is a response to a global and increasingly urgent issue – and there is no direct competition. It represents a solution that improves the customer experience, delivers annual energy savings and reduces carbon emissions – exemplifying Waitrose as a standard-bearer in the supermarket industry when it comes to ‘green’ thinking.”

Distributor agreement for standby power supplier Flexible energy generation and storage specialist, Ylem Energy Ltd, has signed a deal to regionally distribute a range of industrial natural-gas-fuelled generators produced by Pramac – a supplier of standby power. The systems will be primarily offered to businesses as a clean and efficient alternative to diesel back-up generators, along with use in behind-the-meter optimisation applications.

Ian Gadsby, Ylem Energy’s managing director, said: “When used alongside our advanced battery energy storage systems, we can create hybrid solutions that further benefit half-hourly-metered sites - lowering their energy costs, improving the resilience of their supplies and potentially opening up opportunities for generating additional revenue streams.”

With the Pramac generators,

Ylem Energy will also be assisting sites affected by the introduction of the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD), as its onerous emissions abatement requirements can affect older diesel generators.

Replacing these diesel systems with Pramac’s gas generators offers a cost-effective route to compliance, as their low NOX and particulate emissions fall within the permitted values of the MCPD.

LPG supplier Flogas Britain has announced that it will offset its 2019 carbon emissions as its 2040 Vision outlines plans to build a lower-carbon future for off-grid homes and businesses across the UK. Flogas’ 2040 Vision document, ‘Future Ready: Transforming Off-Grid Britain,’ outlines the crucial role LPG will play in the UK’s future energy mix, particularly in helping achieve government plans to decarbonise heat and transport. It also announces Flogas’ ambition to provide 100 per cent renewable energy solutions by 2040 and reduce its own environmental impact year-on-year – including offsetting all its Level 1 and Level 2 CO2e emissions for 2019.

David Taylor, head of corporate affairs and innovation at Flogas, commented: “With the Committee on Climate Change urging government to legislate as soon as possible to reach net zero emissions by 2050, the coming years are critical ones for the UK’s decarbonisation. Heating is one of the biggest challenges we face on the road to net zero. As the cleanest, most efficient and effective conventional off-grid fuel, LPG is uniquely placed to help meet 2050 targets.

“As a business, at Flogas we’re also committed to cutting our own carbon footprint, which is why we will be offsetting all our 2019 Level 1 and 2 carbon emissions by the end of the year. Our carbon offsetting programme will have an immediate impact: supporting emissions-reducing projects, and reducing the business’ overall carbon footprint at the same time.”

Flogas’ 2040 Vision also cements the long-term significance of biopropane (or BioLPG) in the transition to a renewable future. As a liquefied petroleum gas produced using biological sources (such as waste, sewage and energy crops), biopropane is a chemically identical, renewable alternative to LPG.

JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 09

THE WARREN REPORT

06.19 Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

Don’t let these energy use predictions come true Government projections of future energy use have been shown to be less than accurate. But unless new policies are put into place forecasts of growing energy use will prove correct

T

he official forecasts regarding future energy consumption rates are always important. Without fail, all government forecasters seem to overestimate future demand. Past projections have long prompted far too many political interventions designed to solve a perceived problem that actually seldom exists.

Tax breaks galore have been offered up to energy suppliers – contracts for difference, depletion allowances, capacity markets auctions. Each designed to encourage more and more energy supplies. Each minister is urged to back these, fundamentally for fear of being the politician in charge should the proverbial lights go out.

But in the real world, we now use no more fuel than we did 50 years ago.

This is despite our population having grown by 40 per cent, and the number of households having gone up by 49 per cent.

Our Gross Domestic Product is almost three times higher.

Throughout this century final energy consumption in the UK has been falling.

And falling. And falling. This has been true for every consumption area: industry, services, homes, and transport.

The only recent exception has been in personal transport, where two-thirds of fuel consumption is oil used in private.

Overall UK energy consumption is now almost one-fifth lower than at peak. Largely thanks to deliberate energy-saving efforts and programmes.

Each year the energy ministry (now called BEIS) publishes its Updated Energy

and Emissions Projections. The latest one has just emerged.

Looking at the projections to be found in this, and tellingly its various predecessors during this century, paints a fascinating picture.

Initially, there were attempts to peer into a crystal ball half a century ahead. As recently as 2010, the incoming Conservativeled government was officially planning on the basis of a possible “doubling, even tripling” of electricity consumption by 2050.

Even then, in practice electricity generation was already falling year on year.

Forecasting exaggeration of over 30 per cent The 2005 Energy White Paper had reckoned that by 2020 electricity consumption would already have increased by 15 per cent.

In reality it has decreased by 16 per cent. That is a forecasting exaggeration of over 30 per cent.

Today’s official forecasters are now working from a far lower initial consumption baseline. Past experience has made the gungho a little more chastened. Nowadays primary energy demand is forecast to keep falling, by a further 11 per cent to 2025. But after that, we revert to the bad old ways. Government forecasters reckon that we shall return to the world as they used to know it. The decline in consumption will suddenly cease, and within ten years it will be back not just to today’s levels, but to 2 per cent more.

Final UK annual consumption in 2035 will apparently go right up again, from 135 to 141mtoe (million tonnes of oil equivalent).

Incidentally, that is still 12 per cent down on the almost 160mtoe in 2005. But as the official commentary smugly observes (word for word both this year and last) “a fundamental assumption of this approach is that the historic relationship is valid for the duration of the projections”.

How is this “return to normality” justified? Consumption is apparently set to start increasing again after 2025 “as the effects of included policies diminish; and macroeconomic drivers continue to increase demand.” In other words, back to business-as-usual, due to no further demand-side policies. And energy growth mirroring GDP growth.

Over the next 15 years, the really big growth sector for energy consumption will apparently be in housing. Its usage will increase from 29 per cent of total energy usage, to 34 per cent -

‘What the forecasters are telling Ministers is that past energy-saving policies have been rather successful’ 10 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

when it will be double industry’s (falling) percentage. Transport and the services sector’s proportion will apparently both remain constant (at 40 per cent and 13 per cent respectively).

Why will this happen? Even during the past year, between 2017 and 2018, “reductions in policy savings result in an increase in projected emissions.” It warns that each future Carbon Budget will be damaged by this absence of demand side activity. This lacuna will lose the Third Carbon Budget (2023-2027) potential savings of 24m tonnes of carbon dioxide, the Fourth Carbon Budget (2028-2032) some 25m, and the Fifth Carbon Budget (2033-2037) will lose 28m tonnes. That is even though a policy like the Carbon Emission Reduction Target, abandoned back in 2012, is still set to be delivering 21m tonnes worth of savings during the Fourth Carbon Budget.

This is serious stuff. Among the reasons given for these shortfalls are the switch of the Energy Company Obligation from prioritising carbon/energy saving to be ‘focussed purely on tackling fuel poverty.”

And big cuts in anticipated savings from smart meters. This will be due to “an update to rollout assumptions”- in other words, enormous delays.

Effectively, what the forecasters are telling Ministers is that past policies introduced to save energy have been rather successful. That is one of the main reasons why demand for new energy supplies is falling.

But, Ministers, you have systematically been removing these policies. Find some new ones that are effective. Otherwise that trend of energy, hence carbon, reductions really will go into reverse. The last thing anyone wants is for the official forecasters at last to be proven accurate. 

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Data Centre Management For further information on LG Energy Group visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 126

Carlene Huckerby is bid support executive, LG Energy Group

What is a green data centre?

From former nuclear bunkers under the Alps to the seas off Orkney, data centre operators are going to great lengths in their attempts to be green, says Carlene Huckerby

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quick browse of the internet will bring up numerous definitions of a green data centre, all with similar themes. However, let’s say it is one which has the same features and capabilities as a ‘traditional’ data centre, but has been designed to operate in an environmentally friendly manner. The design will typically result in a reduction in electricity consumption, for both the computing infrastructure and cooling and lighting. Heat generated by the facility will be reused where its practical to do so for either cooling or for a local heat network.

In addition, the building itself will be designed to have minimum visual impact and be constructed from low emission building materials. Wherever possible they will operate on low carbon or preferably green renewable energy from solar, wind or hydro sources.

The alternative to using renewable source is carbon offsetting through the purchase of certificates from re-forestation projects, where the trees being planted soak up an equivalent amount of CO2 to which was contained in the electricity consumed by the data centre. The emphasis on sustainability remains throughout the life cycle of the facility, with minimal e-waste being generated through the recycling of equipment as it reaches the end of its useful life.

In an article from Google titled “Powering a Google Search” written in 2009, Google claimed that a typical search on their platform produced 0.2 grams of CO2. In itself it does not seem a lot, however when multiplied by the number of searches performed across the planet can be seen to build serious volume which impacts the very climate we live in. It is therefore unsurprising that a number of these IT behemoths have philanthropic arms looking at ways to reduce their environmental impact.

The location of a green data centre is a major consideration, either in

The Pionen data centre is 30m below Stockholm in a former nuclear bunker

cooling. The design uses fans to direct cool air through the servers and into a central “chimney,” through which warm air travels upward by natural convection into the penthouse that gives the building its chicken-coop look. Once at the top, the air is either absorbed for recirculation or pushed outside.

Almost a year ago Microsoft sunk a data centre the size of a shipping container in the sea just off Orkney.

“We think we actually get much better cooling underwater than on

terms of availability of renewable generation sources or the ability to utilise natural sources of cooling in innovative designs, such as underground and undersea.

Natural cooling available By having a data centre located in an environment where natural cooling is available throughout all seasons, this eliminates or reduces the need for mechanical cooling, as a result there are lots of data centres located in cold climates. The freezing cold air outside helps to cool the data centres more efficiently and cost effectively.

Google use ice cold seawater to chill the thousands of servers inside an old paper mill data centre in Hamina, Finland, on the Gulf of Finland.

Google is set to use 50 per cent less power than comparable facilities and the company also recycles 100 per cent of its electronic equipment.

Facebook has a third data centre under construction just 70 miles away from the Arctic Circle in Lulea, Sweden. All the data centres in this area take advantage of cheap electricity and low temperatures.

There are also two highly secure data centres underneath the Swiss Alps that were former military bunkers known as the Swiss Fort Knox. This data centre holds the highest protection against nuclear, chemical and biological attacks and it uses glacier water from the underground lake for cooling.

The most aesthetically pleasing

12 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

data centre has to be Pionen located 30m below Stockholm in a former nuclear bunker. It features waterfalls, greenhouses, simulated daylight, a huge salt water fish tank and two submarine engines that are used for backup power.

Yahoo has a “chicken coop” designed green data centre in New York close to Niagara Falls.

The building is shaped similar to a chicken coop and uses outside air for Among the features of Pionen is simulated daylight

land,” says Ben Cutler, who is in charge of what Microsoft has called Project Natick. The data centre structure also created a shelter for local wildlife (see https://natick. research.microsoft.com/).

Much closer to home there is the eco-friendly Hewlett Packard data centre based in Billingham, County Durham. It uses the cool air from the North Sea for cooling and collects rain from the rooftop to use for humidification purposes. The site reportedly produces around 50 per cent fewer CO2 emissions and has used 40 per cent less energy than a comparable facility.

It is clear the direction of travel for data centres has been set, the target is a carbon neutral facility, whilst retaining all the functionality, reliability and resilience of existing data centres. To reduce your carbon footprint is good for people, business and the planet. 

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Data Centre Management

Andie Chessun is national sales manager at HygroMatik and FETA’s Humidity Group chairman

For further information on HygroMatik visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 127

Keeping data centres cool Climate regulation is vital to the running of a reliable server and storage system. Andie Chessun advises on the issues surrounding the building and operating of data centres

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o meet the rising demand for data processing and storage capacity, big companies are investing in facilities to deliver web-based services to an increasing number of users.

At these facilities the provision of the correct indoor temperature conditions and air humidity is imperative for maintaining equipment and operations.

An ambient temperature of 18-21°C and a relative humidity of over 45 per cent is needed for most servers and storage systems to operate reliably. Air conditioning is absolutely essential to achieve this. Traditionally, computer room air conditioners and close control units have been the most widely used solutions to cool and humidify data centres. However, with continuous technological developments and a focus on energy saving things have changed.

Nowadays, adiabatic humidification systems are generally favoured as the easiest and most cost-efficient way of regulating humidity and room temperature for data centre needs.

Adiabatic systems improve equipment efficiency by leveraging water evaporation to reduce the temperature of the air. High- and low-pressurised water systems create a humidifying mist whereby the fine atomisation of water droplets produces a cooling effect. A simple adjustment to the airflow of the cooler controls the temperature.

The systems greatly reduce energy demand, as they do not require an external or dedicated energy source to convert water into vapour for humidification. Data centres are provided with the most energy efficient air conditioning solution, which in turn reduces running costs and offers the least environmental impact.

The relative humidity of air decreases as a room heats up which means it can fall below the desired

By using adiabatic cooling the risk of server downtime and data loss are reduced

With this in mind it is recommended practice to regularly measure the power consumption of items such as the racks and servers. This helps to confirm if the humidity and temperature controls in place are operating effectively and identifies where improvements can be made.

Convincing the IT team to dispose of old equipment though is a different matter.

Close to the workloads

level. If the air is too dry, the risk of static electricity is increased which means the provision of sufficient air humidification in the server rooms is necessary to counter the development of electrostatic discharges.

Damaging expensive hardware If operators get the humidity right they also avoid the risk of damaging expensive hardware or valuable data. By using adiabatic cooling the risk of server downtime and data loss are reduced along with the potential impact that can have on operations and business.

Humidification and maximising cooling efficiency is often more than just having the right equipment. Making a few layout changes to the data centre set up can also have a role to play.

According to industry professionals the first port of call to efficient data centre cooling begins with appraising the physical integrity of the facility. Identifying and plugging any gaps that allow air to escape and penetrate the facility is an obvious initial step but one that is often neglected.

When new equipment is brought in to data centres and old

14 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

‘Humidification and maximising cooling efficiency is more than having the right equipment’ equipment is moved around, the holes punched throughout the facility to accommodate conduits also influence humidity levels and compromise the vapour barrier. If humidity is of particular concern, it’s important the vapour barrier remains intact as it is critical to maintaining humidity and ensuring energy is not needlessly wasted.

Having tackled any leaks in the building it is also recommended to be mindful of legacy equipment.

It is common to find old data centre technology that has been kept running by the IT team for fear of upsetting operations. This redundant equipment is likely to clash with the responsibilities of the facilities manager who will be more concerned with implementing energy efficiencies.

To further reduce the overall work adiabatic equipment has to do, locate the cooling as close to the workloads as possible. This can mean shifting perimeter units to the end of a rack row and may require supplemental cooling for localised areas.

As with all equipment with moving parts, maintenance is key to keeping things running smoothly. Humidification units do not function efficiently when dirty, so be sure to clean the filters and to follow maintenance instructions accordingly. Also, if a data centre has windows do bear in mind that sunlight contributes to the total heat load and so drawing the blinds or installing a darkening window screen can help reduce this.

In addition to meeting the specific requirements of data centre equipment, maintaining the right level of humidity in a room is also paramount to the health and wellbeing of company employees.

Optimum humidity is the ideal basis for a comfortable and healthy workplace climate. The Health and Safety Executive identified 25.7m working days lost to workrelated ill health in 2016/17 and so the influence an unhealthy work atmosphere can have on productivity and the bottom line is evident. Getting the air humidity and temperature right is just as important to data centre equipment as it is to the people who work in the facilities that house them. 

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Safety, availability and energy performance of your electrical installations.

Power Switching, Monitoring & Conversion Energy Storage - Expert Services

www.socomec.co.uk

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Stuart Redshaw is joint founder and chief technology officer of EkkoSense

Data Centre Management For further information on EkkoSense visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 128

Bringing performance optimisation Building management teams may not have the necessary skills to optimise the performance of a smaller data centre. Dr Stu Redshaw suggests that help is out there

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here’s no getting away from it – the amount of energy used by today’s data centres is embarrassingly high. And despite improved hardware, software and networking performance improvements, projected growth in IT demand means that overall energy consumption is still set to double on an annual basis.

At the top-end of the scale, the larger facilities such as hyperspace centres and co-location facilities are doing as much as they can to help optimise performance. Indeed PUE – the industry’s Power Usage Effectiveness measure – is continuing to fall across the world’s biggest data centres. However, operators will have to keep on improving performance if they are to keep pace with the insatiable processing demands of today’s cloud-first world and its digital transformation agenda.

But it’s smaller to mid-size data centres where there’s a more pressing need to optimise performance. These operations are frequently located in mixed use buildings, and while they might represent only 1 per cent of a building’s overall space, our experience from surveying data centres across Europe is that they can easily account for 30 per cent or more of the overall energy being consumed building-wide. Indeed, it’s often hard to grasp that a small, but busy IT/communications room can easily consume the same energy as a major call centre with over 1,000 busy agents.

Yet, despite their disproportionate power usage, resource-hungry data centres are often given a free pass by building management teams, as they’re largely working as they’re meant to, and there are real concerns about introducing risk into what is a critical part of the business.

This caution is often counterintuitive, particularly as data centres

3D monitoring can provide management teams with clear recommendations of actions to be taken

are continuously evolving. What may have been a fully optimised resource when new can gradually transition towards sub-optimal performance.

Despite best efforts, even today’s leading data centres can still have cooling and thermal management issues. Recent UK research suggests that even though cooling currently represents around 30 per cent of a data centre’s overall operating costs, most organisations are spending much more than they need to on expensive data centre cooling hardware.

No room for complacency It’s easy to see why, as thermal issues are the second largest cause of data centre loss of service – so there’s no room for complacency.

Unfortunately, to improve performance, many centres just keep on adding more and more cooling

equipment when they don’t need to. Instead the focus needs to be on improving the utilisation of existing cooling equipment. Get this right and it’s possible to not only reduce data centre risk, but also to save between 20 to 30 per cent of data centre energy costs.

While there are clear data centre environmental guidelines available – such as ASHRAE TC 9.9 which is now the de facto ‘standard’ for EU data centres – it’s perhaps unrealistic to expect building management teams in mixed-use buildings to have the deep expertise needed to optimise data centre performance.

As these teams are busy dealing with a broad spectrum of energy usage and building operations, it would be unusual for them to have the skills necessary to optimise and thermally manage the data centre up to best practice. However, it’s also

unlikely for them to engage expert thermal optimisation teams unless there was a critical requirement with their data centre cooling.

The good news though is that significant data centre performance improvements are available. For example, with the latest release of our cloud-based data centre 3D monitoring, management and optimisation software, EkkoSense is introducing the world’s first integrated Cooling Adviser capability, providing building management and energy teams with clear recommendations of actions they can take now to help maximise their data centre’s operational performance.

This could involve identifying data centre floor tiles or grilles that need changing, giving guidance on immediate adjustments to cooling set points, and also advising on those CRAHs (Computer Room Air Handlers) that aren’t actively cooling and could be suspended.

It’s this kind of accessible, practical insight that can make a real difference for data centre operators in mixed-use environments – giving them greater control over their critical facilities and significantly reducing the risks associated with potential thermal failure. Acting on Cooling Adviser recommendations will provide organisations with data centre cooling energy savings of at least 10 per cent without the requirement for further specialist data centre thermal optimisation services. Reducing the cooling load will also enable data centres to add more IT capacity without needing to add to their existing cooling infrastructure.

And for organisations that want to take things further, building and energy teams will be keen to take advantage of the latest Autonomous Cooling Functionality that gives the fail-safe autonomous cooling as our software links directly with your existing BMS and cooling units across your data centre as part of an integrated continuous operations strategy. With features such as cooling adviser and autonomous cooling it’s now possible for data centres in mixed-use buildings to deliver levels of performance optimisation that have previously only been the domain of much larger dedicated facilities. 

JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 17

Heat Pump Technology

Dr Matthew Trewhella is managing director, Kensa Contracting

For further information on Kensa Contracting visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 129

Roll out the heat pumps The decarbonisation of heating is high on everyone’s agenda. So what is the best way to facilitate a greater uptake of heat pumps?, asks Dr Matthew Trewhella

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K Parliament recently passed a motion declaring an ‘environment and climate emergency’, and many major British cities have stated their intent to become zerocarbon within the next 20 years. It is clear from the recommendations published by the CCC that electrified heating, such as ground source heat pumps, has a critical role to play in providing a more sustainable infrastructure to heat our homes.

A paper that was recently published in the international peerreviewed journal, Energy Policy, examined the impact of the largescale deployment of heat pumps and found that the electrification of domestic heating on the grid is far less problematic than previously thought. Decarbonising domestic heating: What is the peak GB demand?, concluded peak heat demand is 170GW, around 40 per cent lower than previously thought, and the maximum ramp rate is 60GW/h, around 50 per cent lower. The paper says, “the difficulties surrounding the electrification of heat are far less profound than previously assumed” and “a shift towards heating GB’s homes using electricity rather than natural gas will therefore put much less pressure on the electricity supply system than previously anticipated.”

The rapid decarbonisation of the electricity grid over the last five years has added more momentum towards the electrification of heat. Concerns have been expressed that shifting load from fossil fuels such as oil, LPG and ultimately mains gas, will unduly increase the strain on the electricity grid beyond its capacity – particularly at peak times.

However, unlike direct electric, heat pumps produce more heat than the electric that they consume, and therefore actually reduce the load imposed on the grid. When using ground source heat pumps in particular, this strain is further reduced because they are typically 20-25 per cent more efficient than air

The electrification of heating in the UK will be driven by changes in technology including heat storage and dynamic tariffs

source heat pumps.

Energy Policy’s paper acknowledges that “the electrification of heating nevertheless remains a significant challenge, and is likely to result in considerably greater peaks in electricity demand and seasonal variation.”

However, Kensa argues that the way in which UK housing stock is set to evolve, advances in heating technology, and changes to the UK demographic, will mitigate this. The emergence of dynamic tariffs (which vary electricity charges depending upon the time of use), heat storage products, smart controls and battery storage, will ease capacity problems, and further enhance the cost and carbon benefits.

By using smart controls that learn the occupant’s preferences and

18 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

building heat physics, it is possible to avoid the peaks of grid strain and shift load to the times when the grid can best accommodate it.

Ground source heat pumps have more potential to participate in load shifting initiatives than air source variants as the ground is a stable temperature heat source. This means the heat pump can be run at the same efficiency at any time.

Add in energy storage If you combine some energy storage local to the heat pump, it is possible to even further reduce the peak demand. This will have a dramatic improvement on the amount of further generating capacity required to meet demand and will facilitate the use of more intermittent generation (e.g. wind power) and steady state generation (e.g. nuclear).

This means that ground source heat pumps transform from being a potential strain on the grid to becoming part of the solution.

A prime example of how ground source heat pumps can be used with grid-scale energy storage and load-shifting initiatives is the ground-breaking Energy Superhub being built in Oxford. Earlier this year Oxford City Council declared a climate emergency and committed to improving public health and reducing citywide emissions by 40 per cent of 2005 levels by 2020. The £41m project will accelerate a switch to electric vehicles and decarbonising heating for homes and buildings.

From 2020 to 2021, Kensa Contracting will install over 300 ground source heat pumps for the Oxford project and install an innovative shared ground loop array system; allowing each household to have an individual Kensa heat pump connected to a larger ambient temperature district heating network. This will result in 25 per cent lower running costs than traditional gas boilers.

Smart software will manage the energy trading and storage, as well as controlling the timing of the electric vehicle charging and ground source heat pump activation to maximise value to the end customer and reduce strain on the grid. This optimisation platform is expected to cut heating bills and carbon emissions by a further 25 per cent. It will develop a tailored plan for each home based on its individual heat profile, taking advantage of time-of-use tariffs to shift heating demand away from expensive high carbon times, and make the most of low carbon, cheap off-peak power.

The University of Oxford will evaluate the performance of the system, and assess the environmental, social and economic impact on local stakeholders.

Learnings from this project will support the roll-out of similar initiatives elsewhere in the UK, and around the world. 

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Heat Pump Technology For further information on Star Renewable Energy visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 130

A river runs through it Most major cities are built beside a body of water. Nicky Cowan believes water source heat pumps could be a key technology in decarbonising the urban environment

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t would be a safe assumption to state that almost everyone knows about wind turbines and solar contributing to decarbonising electricity. Large wind turbines and solar panels are now part of the urban and rural landscape, so everyone is aware of this type of renewable energy. Electric cars and hybrids are also playing a part in removing pollution from our roads and neighbourhoods, but with heating accounting for the majority of carbon emissions in the UK, how many people are aware of a 2050-ready solution to successfully heat our buildings that exists now?

We require a technology that can be zero carbon, efficient, scalable, suitable to retrofit properties, that does not require the burning of any kind of fuel (especially if it’s imported or removes our natural carbon capture and storage devices, known simply as trees) and makes the UK self-sufficient. There is a technology out there that was first discussed in 1852, in Glasgow, and now has millions of installations worldwide – heat pumps.

Star Renewable Energy is currently installing Scotland’s largest water source heat pumps (WSHPs) in Clydebank for the Queens Quay regeneration project (previously the John Brown Shipyard). The project consists of two 2.6MW WSHPs generating heat up to 80°C (the network will initially be 80°C/60°C

before dropping to 75°C/45°C) utilising the thermal energy stored in the River Clyde. It will provide heat via a 2.5km district heating network to 1,400 homes, 46,500m² of commercial space, a hotel, a health centre, a college, a leisure centre etc.

Could district heating networks such as this example in Clydebank be the solution the world needs to replace the unsustainable carbon footprint of heat and hot water?

Let’s go through the list above, and examine the properties our futureproof technology requires.

Can heat pumps be zero carbon?

Yes, they can. By only consuming electricity, their carbon footprint is directly tied to that of the grid. As the UK deploys more wind and solar, the grid decarbonises therefore the heat pump’s footprint reduces. By deploying a solution like this the

20 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

UK can become self-sufficient and save billions by no longer having to import gas for burning in our homes.

Three units for one Large heat pumps producing heat up to 80°C have, on average, a Coefficient of Performance (CoP) of 3. That’s three units of heat for one unit of electricity, plus two units of cooling. Strategically deploy the heat pumps to utilise both heating and cooling ends, and you have five thermal units for your one electrical unit input. Energy efficiency is a key part of our future energy mix that heat pumps can help deliver on.

If we do a quick example of gas heating compared with WSHP in terms of Carbon emissions (using SAP 10) then we see mains gas at 210gCO2/kWh and electricity at 233gCO2/kWh. We have to apply

Star Renewable Energy is installing Scotland’s largest water source heat pumps at Queens Quay

Nicky Cowan is a technical engineer at Star Renewable Energy

some efficiency factors, so say the gas boiler is 90 per cent efficient and the heat pump is running at a COP of 3.

This means my carbon footprint for burning gas is 233.33gCO2/kWh and the heat pump is at 77.66gCO2/kWh – that’s 66.72 per cent less carbon intensive.

When looking toward the 2045 deadline in Scotland (2050 for England and Wales) and the fact that Glasgow and Edinburgh are pushing to be Net Zero by 2030, the technology to help people achieve these targets must be scalable and suitable for retrofitting. WSHPs can deliver on this as well. Let’s take Glasgow for an example; it’s similar to almost every other major city in the world – it’s a dense urban area built on a river with a huge heat demand. Can we decarbonise this city completely in the next 10.5 years?

By implementing WSHP led district heating throughout the city you stand a chance of meeting the ambitious targets. Rules and regulations will have to evolve to ensure they allow delivery of projects on this scale, quickly and affordably. Modern heat pumps for district heating systems can achieve temperatures up to 85°C (temperatures up of 90°C have been achieved to heat the town of Drammen, Norway, with a population of 60,000 using a fjord) while causing minimum disruption to existing buildings.

There is enough thermal energy in the river Clyde to heat Glasgow multiple times over. Just as there is if you use the Firth of Forth at the Leith docks for Edinburgh or the Thames in London or pick an example and calculate it yourself.

The important thing to note here is that what is being deployed in Clydebank is not a unique oneoff thanks to a bunch of special circumstances; this solution can work for any location next to a body of water.

To achieve the implementation of big, city-wide district heating schemes using WSHPs there is going to be a lot of hard work ahead for all of us. The deadline to hit carbon reduction targets feels like a long way off but we have to take immediate action to even come close to reaching them. 

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Heat Pump Technology For further information on Lochinvar visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 131

Steve Addis is product manager of boiler, water heater and heat pump company Lochinvar

Compromise through flexibility The heating and hot water industry has a number of solutions that should be acceptable to climate change protestors and politicians alike, according to Steve Addis

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limate change activists like Extinction Rebellion have done a great job in getting low-carbon issues back to the top of the political agenda.

However, they want to see real, practical action and our industry has plenty to offer.

A range of factors have contributed to the 44 per cent drop in carbon emissions since 1990, but improvements to heating and hot water technologies have been significant and the CCC particularly highlighted the potential of heat pumps.

However, the key to achieving the long-term goals the activists are looking for in a reasonable timeframe will be the ability to take a flexible approach.

The availability of condensing technology means that many gas-fired heating and hot water products are already close to their maximum level of efficiency.

Increasingly, we will need to adopt hybrid systems in which conventional and renewable systems are combined to hit more ambitious targets.

Surge in popularity Heat pumps have seen a surge in popularity in homes in recent years, but many are installed with back up from immersion heaters to ensure they are able to deliver hot water in the coldest conditions and when demand is high. This approach is not always practical in commercial buildings where hot water demand is much

higher.

To stay within closely controlled budgets, specifiers often revert to tried and tested methods of providing heating and hot water by using traditional gas-fired methods. However, they could use heat pumps or solar thermal in the same system with the gas-fired systems as back up for times of highest demand.

This type of integrated or hybrid solution is a good way to keep initial capital outlay relatively low and means some end clients, who might previously have considered renewables to be beyond their budget, can afford a renewable element. This may also help them satisfy planning requirements, meet their CSR obligations…and cut carbon.

Until recently, it was hard to make a commercial case for a heat pump in a straight comparison with condensing gas-fired boilers in UK weather conditions. On a cold winter day, the carbon impact and the energy cost were likely to favour the boiler when compared with an electrically powered ASHP. However, one particular technical advance is tipping the argument in favour of heat pumps: ‘economised vapour injection’ (EVI).

Systems that use EVI have a much more efficient refrigeration cycle because the compression process is separated into two stages within a single compressor.

As a result, most of the refrigerant is cooled during compression,

22 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

A hybrid solution incorporating heat pumps and traditional heating solutions will help cut carbon

which reduces the electrical energy consumed.

The evaporating effect This is particularly beneficial at lower evaporating temperatures, i.e. when the outdoor air temperature is around 0°C or below. It also increases the evaporating effect – the useful amount of heat that the refrigerant can extract from the outside air.

In applications where the building relies on electricity from the Grid, there is an even greater advantage in operating a modern ASHP at even lower temperatures, and it is significantly more carbon efficient than using other fossil fuels, such as oil and coal.

Gas Absorption Heat Pumps (GAHP) also have potential and are capable of delivering impressive gas utilisation efficiencies (GUE) of 140 per cent compared with an average of 96 per cent for boilers. Their efficiency is also less affected by changes in outdoor temperature. A gas absorption system will only lose around 10 per cent of its operating capacity when outdoor temperature falls from 5°C to -5°C, but an equivalent electrically powered heat pump may lose more than 30 per cent.

GAHPs work particularly well if they are integrated with condensing boilers to provide low temperature hot water for underfloor heating or low temperature radiators, and the use of weather compensation

control in the heating mode will also significantly enhance system efficiency. GAHPs can also be used to supply pre-heated hot water to a gas-fired condensing water heater They can be used as part of multi-valent systems that can receive heat from a variety of sources. However, in such systems, the use of a suitably flexible and properly sized thermal store becomes the critical element. If the system is sized and controlled correctly, this will ensure the non-renewable plant only runs when required – so minimising fossil fuel use.

The use of a thermal store capable of accepting multiple energy sources, in tandem with the latest heat pump technology, allows the design engineer to provide an extremely flexible, but high-output solution. The thermal store acts as a large, low-resistance header that can accept heat from up to three sources.

Integrating technologies in this way requires good control strategies and a proper commissioning period to ensure the various parts of the system work in correct sequence. The system should be set up to ensure the renewable technologies are the first to respond to any call for heating and hot water, with gas-fired boilers acting as backup and firing only for periods of particularly high demand.

This is just the kind of practical action climate change activists should be delighted to see. 

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

Building management system for French TV headquarters The successful Regional French television channel, France 3 Normandie, is moving its headquarters to a new building in Rouen. Once the space is delivered in June 2019, its occupants will benefit from a state-of-the-art building management system that integrates a range of Sontay Smart sensors.

The building has a space of 2,100m2 for hundreds of journalists, technicians and administrative staff.

The GTB Niagara system was installed and commissioned by the French integrator FLH Energie. More than 80 ST-TOUCH-P touch thermostats using Modbus have been deployed on this project.

“It’s a smart building that has been developed with the occupants in mind and meets a very innovative specification,” comments Franck Lecouflet, director of FLH Energie. “It is in this spirit that we have selected ST-TOUCH from Sontay. They allow employees of France 3 to easily control each space using a touch interface in the room. The offices are mostly open-plan and it is very important to be able to adjust the temperature per zone in an open space environment.”

FLH Energy also installed more than 80 VZ-2N-15 zone valves equipped with VZ-SM230 engines. Sontay zone valves are developed for on/off control of fluid flow for any heating or cooling application, such as air handling and fan coils units. They have a synchronous motor and spring return mechanism for greater reliability in case of power failure and are equipped with a standard auxiliary contact. This allows the heating to be safely distributed in the building and improves comfort.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 103

Pipe and ductwork insulation at Manchester refurbishment Kingspan’s pipe and ductwork products have been installed on the Grade II-listed Hanover at NOMA in Manchester to provide space-saving insulation which enhances the performance of its building services.

Hanover comprises a former Edwardian drapery warehouse and office block, linked by an atrium. The development team at NOMA wanted to ensure the regeneration of the eight-storey structure preserved its heritage character, whilst creating efficient Grade A office space to complement its retail and leisure facilities.

M&E consultants, Walsh Integrated Building Services, worked with Russells Construction to develop a specification which delivered modern levels of performance within the restraints of the existing building’s design. To help deliver this, Cilex Insulations Ltd installed 7,000m of Kingspan Kooltherm Pipe Insulation and 500m2 of Kingspan Kooltherm Duct Insulation on the internal ductwork of the building, including the plant rooms and within the service void of a Kingspan Access Floors raised access flooring. 500m2 of Kingspan Therma Duct Insulation was also used for the external ductwork on the roof.

Brett Carroll, from Cilex Insulations, discussed the specification: “For this refurbishment, we needed a solution which helped the client maximise lettable space but also performed to a high standard. Kingspan products are our number one choice when it comes to premium projects and have been for many years. Their technical support team is always on hand to provide any assistance or additional information that may be required by the client.”

ONLINE ENQUIRY 104

Gas boilers for hotel and golf resort Viessmann has been selected to provide environmentally friendly heating solutions to The Belfry Hotel & Resort, the scene of more Ryder Cup golf tournaments than any other venue in the world.

Two Viessmann Vitodens 200-W gascondensing boilers were installed recently during renovation of a plant room that serves one of the hotel’s three 16-bedroom “pod” accommodation wings, which stand separately from the main building.

The new arrangement will be replicated in the plant rooms serving the two other accommodation pods this summer.

To instantaneously meet hot water demand, the pair of wall-hung, cascaded 49 kW boilers feeds a Vitotrans 222 80 kW plate heat exchanger, which heats a 500-litre Vitocell 100-L DHW cylinder. The pod’s low temperature hot water system provides space heating for radiators spanning two wings of the building via two individual Divicons, which have a mixer valve and pump packaged in to achieve variable flow temperatures for each zone.

The system is managed by Viessmann’s Vitotronic 300-K control system and includes weather compensation controls.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 105

SIMPLE or SMART Energy Saving Controls?

DANLERS high quality stand alone lighting controls have been simply saving energy and money for our customers for nearly 30 years. DANLERS have now introduced SMART network control solutions suitable to work wirelessly with Ecosystems such as CASAMBI, SILVAIR or WIREPAS. Whether WIRED or WIRELESS communication is required we have control solutions suitable for: OFFICES SCHOOLS & COLLEGES FACTORIES & WAREHOUSES HOSPITALS HOTELS & LEISURE COUNCILS / LOCAL AUTHORITIES CAR PARKS STUDENT ACCOMMODATION MANY OTHER APPLICATIONS Contact us or visit our website for more information on our energy saving controls.

DANLERS Limited, DANLERS Business Centre, Vincients Road, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6NQ Tel: 01249 443377. Email: sales@danlers.co.uk |

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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

SERIES 17 | MODULE 02 | ENERGY AS A SERVICE

Think of energy as a service

By James Brittain, director of the Discovery Mill and freelance energy consultant

B

ack in the late 1980s Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute in the US first used the term ‘negawatt’. The story goes that he spotted a misprint in a utilities report and coined the term to describe the unit of power saved through energy conservation and energy efficiency activities (saved MWs). His premise was that this one concept could drive the change required to reduce our dependence on consuming excessive amounts of energy within our society.1 There is still so much opportunity to reduce energy consumption today. The UK’s Clean Growth Strategy (2017) is targeting at least a 20 per cent improvement in energy efficiency within the business and industrial sector by 2030. Many energy systems are left ‘on’ most of the time to maximise service availability or for perceived better reliability. Engineers designing energy systems naturally err on the side of caution in their assumptions about operations, perceptions and behaviours which means they often over provide. For example, it has been found that UK buildings consume two or three times more energy than their equivalents in Melbourne, Australia, where the best buildings are using five or six times less energy than the UK average.2 This inevitably means there is often significant avoidable energy waste across our facilities and operations. This is much more widespread than most people think.

Whether this situation stems from our energy supply models, design approaches, low energy prices or other barriers, our progress to be more efficient has been hindered. Somewhere along the line, energy and service have become disconnected.

Amory Lovins argues that customers want energy services such as lighting, heating, hot water, cooling, entertainment, etc, rather than buying kWhs of energy. By concentrating on the overall service, the focus for energy then is shifted to delivering better overall value for the customer rather than just managing energy supply and consumption in isolation by itself.

Focusing on continually better energy service productivity is what generates the negawatts that Amory Lovins visualised. If we get this right, this can bring about large social, economic and environmental benefits. For the last 35 years, Amory Lovins has been dreaming of a negawatt revolution worth gigabucks.

Delivering best value In its simplest form, energy as a service (EaaS) is a philosophy that re-orientates an approach to energy management to focus on service and delivering best value. Partnering up with specialist energy service partners can help organisations enhance their energy management strategies, target the avoidable energy waste, upgrade energy service assets, accelerate energy efficiency programmes and deliver large energy savings at scale.

At its most extreme, EaaS can mean an energy services company (ESCO) is providing specialist energy services, without the consumer needing to own the service systems or pay for the direct operational costs of those services, including energy.

To understand the concept of energy as a service a change in mindset is required. It doesn’t have to be complicated. This CPD article aims to explain the concept as well as giving an overview of how

approaches are applied in practice.

Learning objectives include the following: • understand the drivers for energy as a service; • explain total service life cost and value; • identify ways to partner with specialist service providers; and • review key aspects to consider when setting up an energy services contract.

The time for the negawatt revolution is now. Pressures to reduce consumption have never been so strong including: •we have increasing urgency to deliver our climate change goals (UN 2019 report); • the UK has recently declared a ‘climate emergency’ (May 2019); • the Climate Change Committee has set out the case for a net-zero carbon target by 2050; • there’s an ever increasing threat of rising wholesale energy prices; and • increasing pressure on our infrastructure from electrification of heating, transport, etc, is also likely to lead to higher energy prices in the long-run unless we significantly reduce our existing consumption.

Many in the industry, such as Amory Lovins, have been arguing for years that we already have the technology and approaches to deliver huge savings across our economy. Many organisations have demonstrated savings in the range of 10 to over 30 per cent by exploiting efficiency measures such as lighting, behaviour change, building systems control and optimisation, and upgrades in motors and drives, etc. Most programmes payback, on average, in approximately four years3 but many can pay back in significantly less. The industry continues to find more opportunities, Produced in Association with

JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 25

SERIES 17 | MODULE 02 | ENERGY AS A SERVICE

as technologies and approaches develop and improve, and as we better understand how energy performance can be optimised for better service.

More end-users, in recent years, have been looking towards energy service models to help fast-track energy efficiency projects, clear maintenance backlogs, replace old assets and/or to install embedded energy supply infrastructure.

Good practice is to target energy conservation and efficiency measures first in line with the energy hierarchy. This change in approach has been led by the public sector, but more private sector companies are beginning to follow suit.

The opportunity for energy service models is to help optimise energy performance for a wide range of different types of organisations. If they get this right, these strategies can help drive value beyond just energy through, for example, delivering better customer service, better security of supply, better system resilience, reducing overall service costs, improved environmental impact and better organisational reputations.

Back in the 1880s, when pioneers likes Thomas Edison marketed new electric products, the propositions were about supplying a service.

When procuring a new service, to make the best value decision, a consumer needs to optimise across all their objectives, including across both the capital cost of equipment and operational costs. This is the value of energy as a service and it is this approach that incentivises reducing energy consumption.

As a simple illustration, Table 1 shows example costs for a range of different fridge freezer models, all rated at the same service level, considering capital and running cost and combining them in equal terms in the form of a total service life cost (ignoring discount rates/inflation).

In simple terms, there are two approaches to procurement: • buy the product: energy use is usually invisible at time of purchase so our decision is based on capital cost alone – we tend to buy the cheapest, the A model.

• buy the service: if total service cost (say over 10 years) was packaged up in one sum – we are more likely to buy the most economic option, the

Table 1: illustrative costs and energy savings for a range of fridge freezer options

A++ model; this costs 18 per cent less in total cost and 50 per cent less in energy consumption.

Unfortunately, most of us still generally procure using Approach 1: the desire of both developers and construction clients, for example, to keep product project costs down generally overrules. Many projects still don’t forecast operational energy use and cost. Consequently, there’s a general lack of awareness of the benefits of more efficient options. Enhanced energy efficiency measures are seen as discretionary and so they can be engineered out as service value isn’t properly understood. These awareness barriers mean that customers end up paying the cost of inefficiency over the service life.

Energy service pricing models are based on selling the customer an end service for a periodic fee, e.g. based on a monthly cost. These can take into account other monetary equivalent value such as reduced maintenance costs or improved service levels. For many energy services, energy consumption tends to account for a large proportion of Figures 1: typical financial model for EPC4

total cost so this model opens up the opportunity to reduce energy service cost (and so increase the value of the service) by targeting avoidable waste and enhancing energy service productivity.

When considering energy as a service, a consumer would naturally switch to another energy service option if it would deliver better service at reduced cost (the Win Win).

According to ESTA’s Energy Services Contracting Group, an ESCO is an Energy Services Company that offers a turnkey service to the client to identify, implement, operate and maintain energy cost saving or revenue generation measures in the form of an energy performance contract (EPC) or energy supply contract (ESC) depending on the scope of services4.

This may be for a whole building/ facility or for a proportion of the energy services. ESCOs typically operate on an agnostic technology or solution basis, bringing together specialist sub-contractors depending on the specific project requirements; they are often offered by existing facilities management, engineering

or energy management specialists.

As such, energy expertise requirements, life cycle cost analysis and technical, performance and/ or financial risk exposure can be transferred by the client to an ESCO so the approach has the potential to overcome the awareness and risk barriers associated with traditional approaches to procurement.

ESCO provision through EPCs in the UK is currently valued at approximately €100m a year5.

There are two common EPC models in the UK that can either be used separately or in combination: • guaranteed performance model – typically based on an upfront capital payment and/or a regular service fee in return for implementation of new assets and/or energy-saving measures, with a guaranteed minimum level of energy cost savings and revenues. This is the main approach used in the UK; it’s the basis for programmes such as Refit, the Scottish non-domestic energy efficiency framework, etc.

Financed projects allow clients to avoid up-front capital cost, in preference for a monthly positive cash flow. The guarantee means the provider covers any short fall below the guaranteed level such that the project’s financial performance is always maintained; • shared savings model – the provider is paid based on a percentage share of delivered cost savings and/ or revenues. Even though more popular in Europe, in the UK this is generally used in combination with a guaranteed performance model with shared savings providing a bonus level for any over performance, such as for the Carbon and Energy Fund framework for the NHS/public sector.

Figure 1 shows a typical finance model for an EPC illustrating how guaranteed cost savings and revenue pay for the cost of the service. In most cases, the contract term is set to exceed the payback period of the investment.

On average, typical UK EPC projects have a capital outlay of €1-5m and a contract length of 5-10 years (20 per cent of EPCs are for less than five years). Also, they use a guaranteed savings model and are paid for using the client’s internal funds or debt arrangements5.

An energy supply contract (ESC) could be considered to be a subset of

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 28 26 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

SERIES 17 | MODULE 02 | ENERGY AS A SERVICE

an EPC and usually takes the form of a long-term contract to supply useful energy to a site in the form of steam, hot water, coolant or electricity.

Depending on the nature of energy supplies, this may be referred to as heat supply, energy services or a power purchase agreement. A rate is agreed that provides savings to the client in return for commitment to a minimum level of consumption, while the provider guarantees minimum energy supply service levels and availability.

Figure 2 illustrates how an EPC may typically be implemented in five common steps. Approaches used will depend on the scope and programme chosen.

The QualitEE project is focused on quality assurance for energy efficiency services across Europe.

Their research has identified key elements for quality in EPC projects.

Top-rated UK aspects include: a robust preliminary technicaleconomic analysis and energy audit, good communication between provider and client, measurement & verification (M&V), transparency and completeness of contracts, implementation of technical measures, and achieving expected savings levels5. This research is being used to set new guidelines for quality evaluation of EPCs6.

It is important that there is a clear understanding of the brief and roles and responsibilities at the start. Top management needs to be on board by setting out key requirements, appointing an internal project manager and ensuring appropriate targets are stipulated. Different people are likely to be involved in the process; for example financial managers (interested in cost) and property managers interested in technical specifications and service levels. Clients need to have the procurement (and contract management) capabilities to ensure appropriate risks are truly transferred to the provider.

Commonly, the provider takes on project, technical and performance outcome risks. Some risks will need to be shared or taken on by the client. These may include energy unit price changes, weather impacts or impact of major changes in customer building/process use (both the latter can be accounted for in the M&V process). Upfront assumptions

need to be transparent and clearly documented.

An investment grade audit, used to identify and set specifications for energy conservation measures, can be quite involved (and expensive) especially where assumptions need to be made up front for a long-term commitment.

Defined and measured Service level requirements need to be defined and measured, depending on the services in scope.

For example, building user comfort requirements may be specified using objective measures (temperature, air quality, lighting levels, etc.), supported and evidenced by collective user customer feedback.

Energy consumption should be understood in terms of its driving factors. For instance, units produced is often important in manufacturing sites, covers in restaurants, and external temperature for supermarkets with high refrigeration load. This can help understanding of energy service productivity, drive continual improvement and form the basis for M&V. For better insight into effective energy savings measures, it is important to involve local maintenance and operations teams who are closest to and so best understand the (changing) needs of their customers. Beware, without a

collaborative ethos, an EPC model can cause conflict with incumbent service providers. The secret is often to blend the technical and peoplebased approaches, with good energy management ISO 50001 system controls alongside.

The M&V plan to verify energy savings delivered needs to be developed early so sufficient baseline information can be collected. A gap analysis identifies existing metering and where upgrade provisions are necessary. The International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP)7 defines good practice in M&V. Raising finance can be seen as a barrier for UK projects5, even though there is a wide range of finance options available. Debt finance is often used, for example from Salix Finance for public sector projects.

Where necessary, clients use independent EPC facilitators for project development, provider selection, M&V, behaviour change or other ways to add value.

The energy as a service approach has the potential to offer significant benefits for end user organisations for a wide range of applications.

Recognising energy as a service means that energy use can be viewed holistically, with the end point of the value chain being the end service rather than the energy meter.

This means avoidable energy can

more easily be targeted, generating the negawatts that Amory Lovins believes are one of the biggest opportunities in our economy today.

At its best, optimum energy service productivity can be considered to be the point that the organisation is confident its systems and practices are using only what they need.

You will know what works best for your organisation, whether it’s contracting services out or working with specialists on particular areas and engaging, empowering and incentivising the teams involved. This can be structured under the wider remit of an EPC8 or set up through in-house initiatives such as energy crediting (bottom-up tracking of savings linked to people and teams).

The overall package needs to be right so it that delivers enhanced value for the customer, reduced energy consumption and cost and benefits for the parties and people involved (the ‘Win Win Win’).

If service pricing is competitive, more organisations will get buy-in.

A culture of continuous learning, creativity, innovation and leadership is what typically drives enhanced levels of quality and service for customers and colleagues.

To succeed the approach needs to be desirable, focused, (relatively) easy and continual, but most importantly it needs to be owned by the people involved.

Figure 2 Energy performance contracting in 5 steps

References 1) The Negawatt Revolution, Amory Lovins, the Conference Board Magazine Vol. XXVII No. 9, September 1990 2) Reach for the stars, Energy efficiency, design for performance, CIBSE Journal, December 2018 3) Energy Efficiency Trends Vol. 26 Essential insight for consumers and suppliers of non-domestic energy efficiency in the U.K. March 6, 2019, EEVS and BloombergNEF http://www.energyefficiencytrends.com/ 4) Energy Services Contracting Group (ESCg) Booklet, Accelerating the energy transition, ESTA, 2019 5) QualitEE, UK Country report on the energy efficiency service market and quality, https://qualitee.eu/gb/, February 2018 6) QualitEE, Draft Guidelines of European Technical Quality Criteria for Energy Efficiency Services, https://qualitee.eu, November 2018 7) International Performance Measurement & Verification Protocol, https://evo-world. org 8) European Code of Conduct for EPC, www.theema.org.uk

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 28 JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 27

SERIES 17 | MODULE 02 | JUNE 2019

ENTRY FORM ENERGY AS A SERVICE Please mark your answers on the sheet below by placing a cross in the box next to the correct answer. Only mark one box for each question. 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 in ink, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable.

QUESTIONS 1. According to Amory Lovins, what is the definition of a Negawatt? n Saved MWh n Saved MW n Negative MW n Neutral MWh 2. What is the UK’s Clean Growth Strategy target for improvements in energy efficiency (within the business / industrial sector) by 2030? n 5 per cent n 10 per cent n 20 per cent n 30 per cent 3. n n n n

What does ESCO stand for?

Energy supply company Energy services company Energy scalable committee Energy sources committee

4. According to Energy Efficiency Trends market research [3], what is the approximate average payback of energy efficiency programmes in the UK? n 1 year n 2 years n 4 years n 5 years 5. What of these drivers is the key objective for a total life service cost assessment? n Increasing urgency to deliver our climate goals n Reducing risks associated with rising energy prices n Reducing overall service cost n For better energy system resilience 6. According to the Energy Hierarchy, which energy performance improvement measures would normally be targeted first?

n Embedded new energy supply infrastructure n Carbon offsetting n Energy conservation and energy efficiency n Procuring green tariff electricity 7. Which challenge can limit the energy performance of a product only approach to procurement? n Lack of awareness (of benefits) of more efficient options n Beliefs that investments in energy efficiency are not justified n Lack of awareness of what other organisations are doing n Conflict with previous efforts and investments 8. In context of energy services models, what is an EPC? n Energy performance certificate n Energy performance contract n Energy product code n Energy process control 9. Which of the following is not an EPC partnership model? n Energy supply contract n Portfolio purchasing n Guaranteed performance model n Shared savings model 10. According to ESTA’s Energy Services Contracting Group, what are the five common steps of an EPC? n Partner – Energy review – Energy audit – Investment approvals – Energy management n Getting started – Option evaluation – Investment grade proposal – Implementation – Service delivery n Brief – Identify – Implement – Operate – Maintain n Plan – Do – Check – Act – Continual improvement

Please complete your details below in block capitals Name.......................................................................................................................................................................... (Mr. Mrs, Ms).....................................

Business.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Business Address.................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ .................................................................................................................................. Post Code ...............................................................................................

How to obtain a CPD accreditation from the Energy Institute Energy in Buildings and Industry and the Energy Institute are delighted to have teamed up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative.

This is the second module in the seventeenth series and focuses on energy as a service. It is accompanied by a set of multiple-choice questions.

To qualify for a CPD certificate readers must submit at least eight of the ten sets of questions from this series of modules to EiBI for the Energy Institute to mark. Anyone achieving at least eight out of ten correct answers on eight separate articles qualifies for an Energy Institute CPD certificate. This can be obtained, on successful completion of the course and notification by the Energy Institute, free of charge for both Energy Institute members and non-members.

The articles, written by a qualified member of the Energy Institute, will appeal to those new to energy management and those with more experience of the subject.

Modules from the past 16 series can be obtained free of charge. Send your request to editor@eibi.co.uk. Alternatively, they can be downloaded from the EiBI website: www.eibi.co.uk

SERIES 16

SERIES 17

MAY 2018 - APR 2019

MAY 2019 - APR 2020

1 BEMS 2 Refrigeration 3 LED Technology 4 District Heating 5 Air Conditioning 6 Behaviour Change 7 Thermal Imaging 8 Solar Thermal 9 Smart Buildings 10 Biomass Boilers

1 Batteries & Storage 2 Energy as a Service 3 Water Management* 4 Demand Side Response* 5 Drives & Motors* 6 Blockchain Technology* 7 Compressed Air* 8 Energy Purchasing* 9 Space Heating* 10 Data Centre Management*

* ONLY available to download from the website after publication date

The Energy Institute (EI) is the professional body for the energy industry, developing and sharing knowledge, skills and good practice towards a safe, secure and sustainable energy system. The EI supports energy managers by offering membership and professional registrations including Chartered Energy Manager, as well as workshops, events, training and networking opportunities across the UK and overseas. It also produces a number of freely available knowledge resources such as its online Energy Matrix and energy management guide.

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VIEW FROM THE TOP

Cian Duggan is founder and chief innovation officer at Carbon Credentials

Going smart on three levels Brand, people and facility – those are the three levels that can gain from smart buildings. Cian Duggan examines how smart can go well beyond a better working environment and help attract top-level staff

T

here’s a real buzz growing around smart buildings as they continue to bring big benefits to a business through improved energy efficiency and reduced maintenance costs. But value doesn’t just come at a facility level, smart buildings can also bring significant value to a brand and a company’s people.

A Smart building attracts staff and improves the brand position of the business, as a responsible employer. It enables increased productivity at a lower operating cost and pays for these benefits from savings on energy and maintenance.

These buildings should gather and analyse the data that already exists from sources such as building management systems, lighting systems, occupancy systems, room booking systems and lift control systems, as well as create data from new sources like the myriad of IoT sensors and mobile devices. The better the data, the more informed an energy manager and building occupant will be to use this insight to make smarter decisions that drive value at the three levels of the business – the brand, the people and a facilities level.

• At a brand level: We are attracted to good stories, stories of companies doing great things, companies who are making a positive difference.

Smart buildings, which are using AI enabled platforms and crunching lots of data to create actionable insights and verifiable impact, have good stories.

The stories must be based in data and the claims must be demonstrable and auditable and not greenwash. We know the negative impact of bad sustainability stories, just remember the hit that the VW share price took over its emissions scandal.

We know intuitively that good stories are made around buildings that improve the lives of people who work in them or buildings that are running efficiently and using fewer resources. Look at the proliferation of stories about the Edge building in Amsterdam, one of the relatively few famous smart buildings in Europe.

With intangible assets now providing over 80 per cent of the overall value of

Duggan: 'a real buzz growing around smart buildings'

‘Millennials are increasingly vocal about their desire to work in pleasant, productive spaces’ many corporate balance sheets, the value smart buildings bring to a company’s brand reputation and business is over 10 times greater than the impact at the next level down - the people.

• At a people level: Simplistically, buildings exist and engineering systems consume vast amounts of energy globally in the built environment just so people can come to work and be productive in a well-lit, well ventilated, well-temperaturecontrolled environment. Unfortunately, all too often those three basic elements are absent from many places of work. For decades, the two main complaints about the built environment are that it is either too hot or too cold. For hotels, the common complaint is that bedrooms are too hot and too noisy. For public spaces such as theatres and lecture halls the air is frequently described as stuffy.

Smart buildings, well implemented, can fix these issues.

Smart buildings shouldn’t just be about the technology – or indeed about the building. It should be about the relationships between the various people involved in owning, running, and occupying them. Buildings are complex, with many stakeholders holding a part of the knowledge and a part of the solution - the data and insights from these smart buildings can provide the glue and the ‘one version of the truth’ to enable the buildings to work better.

Buildings also need a breath of fresh air, both metaphorically and in reality. For example, by assessing air quality data (done

quickly and cost effectively using well proven wireless sensors and secure gateways to extract data) and identifying practical opportunities for improvement, the wellbeing, comfort and productivity of occupants can be significantly improved.

Proving this is valuable for both the building occupants and building managers.

Given that energy is often little more than 1 per cent of an organisation’s costs, but people are upwards of 90 per cent of the operating costs for many businesses, the value for improving peoples’ productivity and wellbeing is approximately 10 times more than at a facility level.

• At a facility level: With smart building technologies and processes, we can reduce energy costs, increase space utilisations and enhance operational efficiency.

Many of us in the built environment have been doing exactly this for years.

For example, one of our clients, Village Hotel Club with 30 hotels across the UK has, to date, saved over £1m from a smart building programme that began in 2017. At a facility level, smart buildings are easier to operate for the facilities managers, engineers and managing agents. Knowledge about how the building is truly being used drives value for all in more efficient spaces and leads to lower operating costs. This is value worth extracting certainly but by no means the only value. If you focus on the value that operating a smart building can have at a brand and people level then the benefits at a facilities level will come naturally.

Over 50 per cent of the workforce will be millennials by 2020. They are increasingly vocal about their desire to work in pleasant, productive spaces, and for companies demonstrating corporate social responsibility. While not every organisation can, or needs to be a Facebook or Google type office environment, we can be practical. By wiring up your buildings so that you have quality insight on energy usage across your whole portfolio, organisations can make what they have, much better and work much smarter – which is the essence of sustainability.  JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 29

Water Management

Andrew Steel is managing director, Airmec

For further information on Airmec visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 125

Keep on top of legionella Legionella is an ever-present threat for many organisations. Water hygiene compliance and the need for constant management oversight is critical, says Andrew Steel

L

egionella contamination risk is a real, live management issue. You need to be on top of it at all times, not just sign off a two-yearly risk review.

How big a problem is it? Public Health England publishes regular figures. In December 2018 there were 63 cases in England & Wales, with a total for 2018 of 814. This does seem worrying in relation to a disease which is known to be potentially fatal and for which there is a comprehensive regulatory framework designed to prevent outbreaks. Additionally it is likely that most organisations affected probably thought they had their water hygiene processes under control.

So what’s going wrong?

Unfortunately, compliance can often be nothing more than a tickbox exercise. Real control and good water hygiene has to involve all appropriate staff in an organisation having a role and understanding what it ought to involve.

Everyone involved, from the CEO to the cleaning contractors, should be equipped with the knowledge they need to play their part in your water safety plan. Training can be tailored to specific job roles and responsibilities: the person charged with flushing the taps will not, for instance, need to know the ins and outs of how an evaporative condenser works.

Between 20°C and 40°C, the normal working temperature of everyday life, Legionella bacteria, if present, can multiply rapidly.

This temperature range may well be found in hot and cold water services, showers etc. and certainly will be in swimming pools and spas. Control in the everyday, working world is a constant process: you never eliminate the risk, you just keep it under control.

The law addresses the dangers with multiple statutes. Among them, however, the go-to touchstone is ACoP L8 (4th edition).

“Unfortunately, compliance can often be nothing more than a tick-box exercise” While it is in fact an Approved Code of Practice with associated technical guidance, it has special legal status. You would not want to be in front of an HSE inspector, and certainly not a judge, admitting that you had not followed this guidance. As part of your duties under the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act, COSHH and other relevant legislation and regulations you must comply with Approved Code of Practice ACoP L8 V.4 and its associated Health and Safety Guidance, the technical detail, in HSG274 Parts 1-3 inclusive.

Appointed competent person ACoP L8 now encompasses best practice for risk assessment, defining the specific role of an appointed competent person, known as the ‘responsible person’, the control scheme, review of control measures, duties and responsibilities of those involved in the supply of water system. These are all ongoing management issues – not just boxes to be ticked off.

Let’s look at what HSE inspectors, who can call at any time, will look for: • A risk assessment is not just a list. It needs to include details of what the risk is, why it has

30 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

been identified as such and the people exposed to it (Legionella preys especially on the elderly and immuno-suppressed, for instance). It must be demonstrably up to date, including changes in your infrastructure – that tap you replaced or the new water fountains - or the use of the building. It will need to be detailed enough to demonstrate that you, or your team, have really considered the risks, not just gone through the motions. The asset register that goes with it will need to demonstrate an up to date

understanding of your premises; • Prevention and control of risk is how you react to the risk assessment. It should involve reviewing infrastructure, and how and when equipment is used and by whom to reduce the risks you’ve identified. Have you looked for and implemented ways to avoid use of systems and work practices which present a foreseeable risk? Does everyone using equipment that could present a risk know what precautions to take and how to use it safely and correctly?; • record keeping is not about having evidence to defend yourself: it is about having an auditing system that shows up errors and issues in sharp relief as they arise; • ensure that you appoint a responsible person with a genuine interest in water safety; • link your control regime directly to the ACoP guidance: the descriptive and supportive text in guidance boxes will help you; • emphasise ‘continuous control’ not just ‘minimising the risk’: you really should keep your risk assessments and emergency management plan under constant review.

• ensure that all risks have been addressed according to their priority; • verify that the maintenance schedule is on track – there is plenty of guidance; • double check that you are maintaining microbial sampling and chemical monitoring wherever it is recommended in the HSG technical guidance; • train everyone actively involved with Legionella control, and ensure they have access to competent help and advice; • work with suppliers who adhere to a recognised Code of Conduct.

Where do you start? Ask to see a copy of your risk assessment today. Put yourself in the shoes of a member of staff, family or friend who may have been infected. Does it pass muster? 

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WE CHOSE IDEAL COMMERCIAL BECAUSE...

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SEE THE FULL STORY AT: idealcommercialboilers.com/industrytrusted

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Energy in Hospitals & Healthcare

Sebastian Gray is a director at 2EA

For further information on 2EA visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 132

CCL hits healthcare hard Sebastian Gray of 2EA looks at how increases in the Climate Change Levy will hit hospitals and GP practices in the pocket and what might be a good way of mitigating extra expenditure

W

e are now in the new financial year (2019/2020) and, at the beginning of April, the Climate Change Levy (CCL) increased by around 51 per cent across the nondomestic energy market. Hospitals saw an increase on average of 49 per cent but from a financial perspective were hit the hardest when compared to other sectors.

In the future, CCL on gas will increase by 3.9 per cent for 2020/2021 and a further 3 per cent in 2021/2022.

Electricity tax rates will slowly decrease to fall in line with gas.

Since its implementation, the revenue it brings in to the government has increased year-on-year. According to statista.com, in 2017, CCL brought in £1.8bn to the UK government.

With the upcoming rate increase introduced to balance out other energy taxes being abolished this is set to rise for the foreseeable future.

Since 2005, the rates of CCL have increased based on the average RPI. From 2020 the rates for electricity will decrease, while the rates for gas will continue to increase. This is so that within these years the gas rate reaches 60 per cent of the electricity rate by 2021/2022.

2EA has undertaken a study looking at UK hospitals and how the increase in CCL rates will affect their energy costs. We have taken actual consumption figures from the hospital sector and applied CCL to identify and understand the cost. It must be noted that energy prices and energy consumption of buildings may increase or decrease in the period and the calculations may not represent the sectors chosen.

Taking these annual consumption for electricity and gas and applying the CCL rates for 2018/2019 (the year prior to the significant rate increase) we can see the cost of CCL for the hospital is £81,853.23 and GP Practices £435.41 (see Table 2).

When applying the same figures to the rates of 2019/2020, we can

Hospitals have been hit hard by the Climate Change Levy

see the cost of CCL for the hospital is £122,013.06 (see Table 3). That’s £40,159.83 more than 2018/2019 – an increase of 49 per cent on CCL alone.

For GP Practices, the cost of CCL is £656.28. That’s a £220.87 increase compared to 2018/2019 - showing an increase of 51 per cent.

Table 4 shows the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 cost of CCL stays roughly the same. Further rates for years after 2021/2022 have yet to be announced.

There are several exemption and relief schemes for CCL. The most common are: Climate Change Agreements (CCAs) and on-site selfgeneration, such as the installation of a CHP unit and then registering it with the Government’s Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance (CHPQA) programme.

The CHPQA programme is a government initiative that aims to provide a methodology for assessing

all types and sizes of CHP schemes throughout the UK. Participation in the scheme is voluntary; however successful CHPQA certification grants eligibility to benefits including: • Renewable Obligation Certificates; • Renewable Heat Incentive; • Enhanced Capital Allowances; and • Preferential business rates.

Those operating CHP units could (and still can) obtain an exemption from CCL on the gas used by the CHP scheme by registering it with the CHPQA programme.

However, HMRC mandated the requirement that annual reconciliation should be carried out. This entails determining the CCL paid in the previous year and retrospectively applying actual exemption based upon an issued CHPAQ certificate.

Hospitals need to remember that CHP units can be classed as a specified generator, so this needs to be taken into consideration when determining their operating regime.

Energy is taking a more prominent position within the healthcare sector and CCL is a tax that is set to stay for the foreseeable future. It is crucial that more hospitals and healthcare facilities are made aware of these costs and how to go about reducing them, as well as how they can reduce their energy consumption and impact on the environment. 

Commodity

2018/2019

2019/2020

2020/2021

Electricity (£/kWh)

£0.00583

£0.00847

£0.00811

2021/2022 £0.00775

Gas (£/kWh)

£0.00203

£0.00339

£0.00406

£0.00465

LPG (£/kWh)

£0.01304

£0.02175

£0.02175

£0.2175

Table 1. Increasing CCL rates of gas and electricity

Sector Hospitals Sector GP Practices

Annual Consumption (kWh)

CCL Rates - 2018/2019

CCL Payable - 2018/2019

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Total CCL Payable

11,595,555

7,020,269

£0.00583

£0.00203

£67,602.09

£14,251.15

£81,853.23

Annual Consumption (kWh)

CCL Rates - 2018/2019

CCL Payable - 2018/2019

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Total CCL Payable

55,969

53,751

£0.00583

£0.00203

£326.30

£109.11

£435.41

Table 2. Current payments for CCL for hospitals and GP practices Sector Hospitals Sector GP Practices

Annual Consumption (kWh)

CCL Rates - 2019/2020

CCL Payable - 2019/2020

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Total CCL Payable

11,595,555

7,020,269

£0.00847

£0.00339

£98,214.35

£23,798.71

£122,013.06

Annual Consumption (kWh)

CCL Rates - 2018/2019

CCL Payable - 2018/2019

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Electricity

Natural Gas

Total CCL Payable

55,969

53,751

£0.00847

£0.00339

£474.06

£182.22

£656.28

Table 3. Future payments for CCL for hospitals and GP practices Sector

2018/2019

2019/2020

2020/2021

2021/2022

Hospitals

£81,853.23

£122,013.06

£122,542.24

£122,509.80

GP Practices

£435.41

£656.28

£672.14

£683.70

Table 4. Increasing CCL costs to hospitals and GP practices JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 33

Energy in Hospitals & Healthcare For further information on Powerstar visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 133

Dr Alex Mardapittas is CEO of Powerstar

Holistic approach to health The UK’s healthcare sector spends more than £500m per year on energy. Dr Alex Mardapittas explores how energy managers in the sector can maximise smart energy solutions

F

or today’s hospitals and healthcare sites, the cost efficiencies that can be achieved by reducing energy consumption with smart energy solutions are substantial. Estimated potential savings of around £125m per annum could be achieved, according to Centrica Business Solutions’ Powering the Future of Healthcare’ report.

By adopting proven smart energy solutions, the NHS could unlock savings that can be used to support frontline patient care. Savings that could be derived through energy reductions and optimisation could fund as many as 4,000 extra nursing roles across the UK, offering a vital opportunity to improve the quality of care provided.

The wide array of sophisticated, sensitive and energy-intensive equipment in operation on a dayto-day basis, heightens the risk to hospitals and healthcare sites from electricity outages and disruptions.

Additionally, the extended, often 24-hour operation of equipment such as life support machines, MRI scanners or medical laboratory equipment, naturally leads to higher electrical consumption and therefore costs.

With Industry 4.0 gathering pace across the sector, resulting in an increase in digital processes and reliance on electrical equipment in daily and critical operations, there is a growing need not only for energy reductions, but also energy resilience, particularly as organisations aim to minimise disruption to operations at a time when the security of supply is in doubt.

Despite the critical nature of their operations, and the potential consequences of power resilience issues and energy-related failures, a staggering 46 per cent of healthcare professionals reported suffering an interruption of energy supply due to external factors in the last 12 months.

Building in energy resilience to hospitals brings long-term operational savings

For managers seeking to enhance the resilience of healthcare estates, and ensure the security of supply required to power their buildings; there is now an opportunity to increase readiness for the energy transition, reduce environmental impact, and decrease consumption and the associated costs.

Stability of facilities Energy storage solutions with next generation, seamless Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) capabilities, such as Powerstar VIRTUE, can provide estate managers with substantial benefits when it comes to enhancing the operational stability of facilities.

The system also supports efforts to decarbonise, as well as maximising generation assets already in place, like combined heat and power (CHP) or solar (PV), to provide futureproof, smart energy measures with enhanced energy resilience.

For today’s managers, the latest developments in energy storage solutions exist to mitigate the threat of a potential energy gap, primarily in the event that demand for electricity outstrips supply in the coming decade. Such solutions combine the traditional proficiencies of storage assets, such as the ability to capture and store energy generated for use at a time most beneficial, with advanced

34 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

UPS capabilities to quickly support the load in the event of an energy failure, ensuring no downtime is experienced by any of the systems or processes on-site.

Furthermore, the integration of other technologies, such as voltage regulation, offers energy consumption savings to battle all parts of the equation.

In the event of a grid interruption, the site-wide UPS capabilities of leading-edge energy storage solutions enable the system to automatically and quickly support the load until connection to the grid can be re-established, at which point it re-synchronises without disruption. In some cases, a response to energy-related failures can be provided to sites in less than a second – imperative for healthcare sites where any power failures could have potentially life-threatening consequences for patients.

The magnitude of power failures was highlighted as recently as November 2018 when two hospitals in Southampton were forced to declare a major incident after a power outage caused major disruptions to procedures, with 99 patients having routine operations cancelled, 26 ambulances being diverted to other hospitals and a large number of outpatient appointments cancelled.

With the latest generation

of smart energy solutions incorporating integrated UPS capabilities in operation, sites can now ensure that all operations, across multiple departments, stay connected in times of energy failures and mitigate such negative incidents. This heightened energy resilience ensures greater peace of mind when it comes to managing energy-related failures. Such is the speed of the rapid response, that failures will often go unnoticed until post-event data is analysed.

By building energy resilience and sustainability into sites such as hospitals, through complete smart energy solutions with UPS capabilities, the long-term benefits of operational savings are significant. 77 per cent of healthcare professionals surveyed

by Centrica Business Solutions agreed that the cost of being energy resilient is far less than the impact of energy failure.

The remote monitoring capabilities of smart energy solutions can construct automated email alerts to notify users when dips in supply occur. Furthermore, the advanced software can be utilised to continuously monitor the grid. Detailed information into the on-site use of electricity can also be obtained, driving greater efficiencies than more traditional UPS systems, further supporting the decarbonisation goals of hospitals and healthcare sites.

Key asset performance data can be easily and quickly accessed and analysed from anywhere with a secure internet connection.

Through online capabilities, a virtual connection between a variety of energy management technologies can be established – be that voltage optimisation or smart distribution transformers. Managers can now gain a holistic picture of their site’s electricity usage by facilitating greater interaction between numerous smart energy solutions on site, identifying further potential optimisations. 

EIBI_0619_002-052 Edit_Layout 1 30/05/2019 12:11 Page 35

When drives are operation critical

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Danfoss AC drives enhance and support the operation and reliability of complex hospital HVAC systems. Regulating air flow, humidity and temperature, they ensure patient and staff comfort and safety â&#x20AC;&#x201C; also in the event of fire â&#x20AC;&#x201C; while optimizing conditions in operation rooms and wards.

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www.danfoss.com/en

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

Boilers for nursing home St Luke’s Hospital, Oxfordshire, has undergone a major site-wide refurbishment, with new Stokvis Energy Systems boilers being installed by Lowe & Oliver.

St Luke’s Hospital is a unique nursing home offering long stay nursing care and short stay post-operative care, rehabilitation and respite care, as well as having consulting rooms and clinics.

Stokvis Energy Systems’ Modupak boilers, comprising BV Series cylinders and an Econopress pressurisation unit, were specified by Paul Young of QODA Consulting.

The hospital needed to remain open during the refurbishment works, so the project needed reliable equipment of the highest standard that could be supplied and installed quickly.

The main plant-room now features six Stokvis Modupak solutions, including two Econoplate BV series cylinders for hot water systems and one Econopress pressurisation set, which are designed for floor or wall-mounting. The Econoplate units consist of plate heat exchangers, buffer vessels and circulation pumps and can be specified to provide high volumes of domestic ONLINE ENQUIRY 134 hot water or other services as required.

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VSDs help make big electricity savings in Sussex To assist Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals Trust to reduce its energy consumption, Efficiency Direct Ltd of Shoreham by Sea specified and managed the installation of dedicated VLT HVAC drives to hospital air handling equipment.

A trial area was equipped with Danfoss VLT HVAC Drives; which were connected to the hospitals’ building management system to respond to changes in outside air temperature, duct pressure and temperature. This provides the versatility needed for the challenging requirements of the environment found within a hospital.

The energy usage figures recorded before, during and after VLT HVAC drives were fitted demonstrates the dramatic reduction in electrical consumption (see graph).

NHS Trust energy manager, Dawn Moss, said: “The Danfoss VLT drives are part of a series of energy reduction projects being undertaken. The drives have proved to be reliable, versatile and efficient, and the project has been extended across our estate.”

The Trust has since ordered a further 88 units for its two major hospitals in Sussex. The installation has not only improved the hospital’s internal environment in the areas served but has resulted in a reduction in the electrical consumption in the plant room of more than 50 per cent.

This has been quantified as saving £48,000, 288 tonnes of CO2 and 533,000kWh of electricity per annum.

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSUH) is the regional teaching hospital working across two sites; the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath. The Brighton campus includes the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital and the Sussex Eye Hospital, and the Haywards Heath campus includes the Hurstwood Park Regional Centre for Neurosciences.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 135

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Finding the Finance For further info visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 137

New-look partnership to serve public bodies The Carbon Trust and Salix Finance are collaborating to relaunch the Public Sector Network

H

igh demand for the Public Sector Network, an online body that supports information circulation around the topic of climate change action, has prompted the Carbon Trust and Salix Finance to relaunch it with a new refreshed design developed to provide users with an innovative, sustainability-focused platform to support knowledge sharing and collaboration.

The network will deliver easily accessible information and engaging content within a range of topics, contributing to the wider green agenda and supporting the public sector in the reduction of its carbon footprint.

The network operates exclusively for public sector professionals, where users can share their questions, knowledge and experience surrounding all aspects of energy and environmental management, as well as a number of other sustainability issues.

The relaunched network’s new dynamic design presents users with various categories covering topics of interest, including; electricity, heat, water, waste, management & reporting, buildings, transport,

finance, and jobs. Users can start discussions, comment on existing conversations, create polls, and list relevant events. They can also see trending topics and directly connect to each other in private conversations.

On behalf of Salix Finance and the Carbon Trust, David Reilly, director of cities and regions at the Carbon Trust, said: “We are delighted to relaunch the Public Sector Network to help bring organisations together to take action on climate change and encourage learnings and experiences to be shared. The Carbon Trust and Salix Finance bring expertise and experience in enabling the UK public sector to deliver on its energy efficiency and environmental ambitions.

“We will use this network to create positive change, reduce emissions, make valuable cost savings and to improve our planet.”

• The Public Sector Network can be accessed at http:// publicsector.carbontrust.com.

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ESTA VIEWPOINT

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

A revolution for SMEs

SMEs play a crucial role in the economy of the UK but they are often overlooked when it comes to energy saving. A new initiative may help set right that record, says Mervyn Pilley

I

t was hardly been a quiet start since I took over as director of ESTA at the beginning of April. From the first days there has been a great deal of activity around social movements, protests, a CCC report and Government consultations to contend with. It all demonstrates how vital a role energy efficiency is going to play across all our working and personal lives.

Some of my earliest meetings have been with BEIS to talk about the consultation generated in response to the Chancellor’s spring statement where he stated that SME energy efficiency will play a major part in enabling the Government to meet its legal environmental targets.

Over the last twenty years I have been involved in a lot of Government lobbying. My main concern at the moment is that the Government is so clearly distracted by Brexit that it can only be described as ‘policy light.’ As I am writing this article there is every chance that a general election could happen within months and, based 38 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

on a leaked Labour policy document, Government policy on energy could be radically different to that currently being suggested through the consultation process.

My background, in terms of both membership organisation, working life and energy sector experience, has been based around the SME sector.

As someone who is passionate about SMEs, I think support for that sector is crucial in terms of the ‘save the planet’ discussion. Business owners are human beings and so everyone should be

Mervyn Pilley is executive director of ESTA

concerned about what we are doing to the planet.

SMEs are not generally fans of Government-driven support mechanisms. When you look at the ‘no deal’ Brexit ‘advice’ supplied by Government, in reality you can’t blame them. They need low-cost, high-value support delivered in a very easy to use way. Ideally, they will seek support and advice from fellow SMEs especially those from local and community-based sources. In terms of ‘carrot and stick’ policy some form of incentivisation potentially through the tax system would be helpful but I am aware that Enhanced Capital Allowances are being removed. The Treasury doesn’t seem to get the message that reduced energy costs will mean increased profits which means an increased taxation take.

ESTA is not standing still in terms of action now. Our behaviour change programme - Cognitive Energy - is launched this month. This is an ambitious programme and starting a revolution is never going to be easy even when we are working with many partners on the project. We are seeking support from the Government but their wheels tend to turn slowly.

We are also working on an ambitious, collaborative, SME aggregation scheme using trade associations, identifying the energy-using SMEs, and then building an aggregated buying group and supply chain in parallel. Trade associations are a good mechanism to use as they already have the communication channels in place so the message can get out quickly.

What is clear to me is that a disruptive approach is called for. I am fairly certain that won’t include me gluing myself to any buildings!

The supply chain needs to be trained in supporting SMEs and providing solutions. In reality we don’t have enough trained advisers on the ground.

Technology alone is not the solution and focusing on carbon reduction in the round and not just on energy efficiency means a combined technology/ behaviour change approach is needed.

One thing is certain we can’t sit around talking about the problem much longer. I hope that many will join us at the barricades. 

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Indoor Air Quality

Robin Vollert is managing director of Swegon UK&I

For further information on Swegon visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 138

Environment on demand Buildings can be greener if smart technologies are integrated into the design of HVAC systems. There are exciting implications for energy efficiency and comfort, explains Robin Vollert

T

he current global market for ‘smart building systems’ was estimated at around $7bn in 2017, but is expected to grow to beyond £30bn by 2022. That means this sector is outstripping any other part of construction by some distance.

Buildings are responsible for around 40 per cent of global energy consumption with HVAC systems the biggest contributor. A range of factors including climate, location, insulation levels etc. determine energy usage, but the availability of digital technologies means building services designers are gaining more control over how a building will perform in use.

Connectivity is the crucial change that allows designers to more closely match the performance of heating, cooling and ventilation systems to user demand. The availability of wireless networks means systems can be more easily configured, commissioned and controlled. They also give engineers a route to tackling the individual pieces of equipment that consume the most energy, such as fans and chillers.

Using demand control in ventilation can reduce the amount of fan energy used by as much as 80 per cent and the energy saving for cooling and heating can be up to 40 per cent. This is because air, cooling and heating are supplied in just the right amounts, at the right places and at the right time based on the user’s demand patterns. This cuts out unnecessary operating time.

Using intelligent networks also allows the building operator to manage a predictive maintenance programme so that systems are under surveillance 24/7 and any maintenance requirements can be addressed before performance starts to dip. In many cases, software updates can be transmitted directly to individual pieces of equipment to ensure they continue to operate as intended or adapt to new tasks if the usage

Connectivity is a change that allows designers to closely match the performance of heating, cooling and ventilation systems to user demand

of the building or occupied area changes.

At Swegon, we have been developing smart solutions within our GOLD air handling units for many years, but have recently made a breakthrough in wireless technology to create a fully digital, complete system solution for building ventilation, heating and cooling control.

The WISE demand controlled indoor climate system is designed to be simple and reliable. It uses a self-healing mesh network that ensures a wireless system cannot be undermined by any interruption or strength reduction in the signal it uses to communicate between different products installed throughout the building. As a result, the wireless installation is commissioned without communication cabling, which reduces time, cost and complexity while also making it very simple to operate and change in the future.

40 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

The WISE generation applies the technology across complete climate control systems for entire buildings seamlessly linking software with the hardware used for air and water building services systems.

Wireless communication The different pieces of equipment installed on the system communicate via wireless signal and, if there is a break in the signal, the network simply re-routes the messages so there is no drop in the system’s performance.

With this approach, we have something in common with The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest. They use similar technology within their setup to ensure they can build a temporary sound and lighting system that is completely reliable, but uses minimal hard wiring and If there is a break in signal a network can simply re-route messages

so is faster to build and adapt to the changing venues.

In our version, the WISE products, such as dampers and diffusers, communicate via integrated radio nodes. This means significant cost savings thanks to reduced cabling and it eliminates the risk of misconnections. The Swegon Early Stage Building Optimisation (ESBO) and the product selection software Indoor Climate Design (ICD) help the design team create a system from scratch that is exactly tailored to the needs of the building in question.

A configuration file is created by the ICD software, which is used to design and then eventually commission the system. The base products on the WISE network are interconnected through a hardwired IP network, but the majority of the system – the products distributed throughout the building to provide heating, cooling and ventilation in separate zones and rooms – are linked by the wireless radio network.

As well as a general lack of hard wiring throughout the network, the batteries that provide power to the individual sensors in each piece of equipment have an operating life of 10 years.

In order to ease commissioning, the original ICD file is loaded into a hand-held terminal, which can then be used to pair the products using their individual QR codes. The system then dynamically adapts to match the exact needs of the building occupants in the most energy efficient manner.

This approach radically reduces the time needed to install, set up and commission the system and cuts out many potential areas where faults can occur. It also means it is much easier to reconfigure the system when changes are made to room layouts or usage patterns.

The ease of installation and commissioning also opens up considerable possibilities in the retrofit market where the biggest energy savings and performance improvements are to be made. 

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DEMANDING BY NATURE

THIRD-PARTY CERTIFICATION DESERVES YOUR CONFIDENCE The labels, logos or ÂŤ certificate of excellence Âť are abundant, but they are not all equal.

When a manufacturer starts the process of Third-Party certification, they enter a process of quality for the benefit of all: end users, prescribers, insurers, investors and authorities.

The reliability of advertised performance, the readability and transparency of information, the regulatory compliance, the product energy efficiency, are some of the benefits resulting from Third-Party certification.

Our certification process is robust, rigorous and demanding: continuous testing, product sampling, factory audits, independent testing by accredited agencies and laboratories, selection software control as well as independent evaluation.

Since 1994 EUROVENT CERTIFICATION CERTIFICATION certifies the performance ratings of HVAC-R products for residential home and industrial facilities. Visit our website available 24/7.

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Indoor Air Quality For further information on Siemens Smart Infrastructure visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 139

Jonathan Copley is marketing manager, room automation, Siemens Smart Infrastructure

Clear air, clear minds Can people make good decisions in your meeting rooms? It may be dangerous to assume they can when carbon dioxide and humidity levels are high, says Jonathan Copley

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ack people into a meeting room and the longer the meeting lasts the higher the carbon dioxide (CO2) levels rise and the faster their cognitive ability declines – not just a little but some aspects by between 35 and 90 per cent. Meeting rooms are often not a good environment for making important decisions!

Every time we breathe in, we inhale about 400 parts per million (ppm) of CO2, when we breathe out, we exhale 40,000ppm of CO2 so it’s not surprising that CO2 concentration in a meeting room often rises far beyond the acceptable level of 1,000ppm. As the CO2 in the room climbs reaches 1,000ppm and then increases to 2,500ppm and beyond, our ability to use information drops by 60 per cent and our initiative crashes by 95 per cent.

Opening the window, particularly if your offices are near a main road or city centre, may just exacerbate the problem by introducing polluted outdoor air.

As if this were not enough, when the meeting room is heated in winter (increased by body heat output at around 90W per person) the atmosphere can become much drier and be perfect for the spread of viruses such as colds and flu, which hang around longer in the air when humidity is low.

Meeting rooms concentrate the problem but offices in general can suffer. Back in 1970 each office worker had on average two or three times more office space than we have now, meaning much more CO2 in a typical office today. This would be not be such a problem if ventilation rates had increased proportionately; but this is often not the case, and in fact many offices have completely inadequate mechanical ventilation.

In our efforts to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions modern buildings have almost become hermetically sealed. The air quality can quickly become very bad or even toxic. Even if there is a ventilation system, it is often poorly

Controlling the carbon dioxide levels in offices can help make big gains in productivity

maintained and with inadequate settings. Controlling the CO2 levels can produce anything from 2 to 18 per cent improvement in productivity. Controlling humidity can significantly reduce the spread of viruses. The solution starts with putting in a few, inexpensive sensors, so that you know what is happening in offices and meeting rooms.

Control may be as simple as opening a window for a while or setting the ventilation controls higher and temperature lower. Installing proper air quality control systems can quickly be paid for through increased productivity, lower employee turnover and a happier workforce”.

The top tips for getting top quality productivity from your staff are: • keep CO2 levels below 1,000ppm;

42 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

Good temperature and humidity control reduces the risk of falling ill

‘ In many buildings the air quality can quickly become very bad or even toxic’

• manage humidity and volatile organic compound (VOC) levels; and • if you work in a big city or industrial area check for fine dust particles which can cause respiratory diseases.”

Improving comfort levels Good temperature and humidity control greatly reduces the risk of falling ill while at the same time improving comfort levels.

Conventional thermostats measure and control only temperature.

Advanced versions are capable of both measuring and controlling humidity as well. The indoor humidity level of between 40-60 per cent relative humidity has been scientifically proven to combat airborne flu infections. As

heating systems often dry the air, so humidifiers are needed to maintain healthy levels throughout the winter.

According to the IAQ UK, an independent organisation that raises awareness about indoor air quality within the home and workplace, indoor environments are ten times more polluted than outdoors, which is a problem when people on average spend 90 per cent of their time in buildings. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognises indoor air quality as one of the top five health hazards. The health impacts of poor outdoor air quality are well documented and have been linked to respiratory tract infections, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Air quality improvements can be made through the deployment of advanced HEPA and carbon-activated air purifiers to screen harmful pollutants while air-quality monitors, sensitive to PM2.5 fine dust warn of foreign particles <2.5 micrometres that are small enough to travel deep into the lungs.

In Japan, 60 percent of all urban households are equipped with mostly standalone air purifiers. This creates an expectation that offices have the same, if not cleaner, air. However, today’s commercial ventilation systems typically do not screen out pollutants; moreover, they are often the main inlet for contaminated air.

Integrating purifiers into the HVAC systems offer advantages: a purifier cleans air by pushing it through a filter via a fan creating an air flow.

Modern HVAC systems incorporate measuring systems to monitor fine dust. Smart algorithms used within room automation controllers can ventilate offices during the night, when the pollution is typically low, or before an outdoor air temperature inversion traps fine dust in high concentrations close to the ground.

The air that we breathe has a significant impact on our health and productivity. Making a healthy office by creating the perfect workplace brings the best out of your people! 

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Indoor Air Quality

Tim Hooper is managing director of Elcomponent Ltd

For further information on Elcomponent Ltd visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 140

Data the key to air quality Concerns over the health and productivity impact of poor air quality have led to a growing demand for monitoring solutions. Tim Hooper weighs up the options available to energy managers

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ellbeing standards are driving property owners, property managers and tenants to consider the impact their buildings are having on their employees. Air quality of the building fabric as well as building operation over the long term, need to be measured. There are benefits for many stakeholders, so getting the monitoring right is increasingly important. One thing that is clear, having fit and productive employees is beneficial for both individuals and organisations alike.

The heightened interest in air quality is leading organisations to question what can be done and how they can understand and improve air quality. Participating in one of the emerging standards is an option (Well Building Standard or one of the RESET standards -‘commercial interiors’ or ‘core and shell’) or simply working independently to understand the working environment in more detail.

In all cases, the key to managing air quality in the working environment is data. Much like energy management and metering, data is essential if you are to have any chance of identifying, tracking and quantifying improvements.

It is therefore increasingly important to be clear about your requirements. It may be that an exploratory snapshot of data is sufficient or a fully automated monitoring and control capability is required.

Three areas need to be considered, ideally together as a project. They should not be viewed as and as three separate procurement exercises which will drive costs down but with the near certainty of reduction in usability, longevity and quality. The three are: • hardware (sensors); • installation; and • data collection and integration.

Heightened awareness is leading organisations to question what can be done to improve air quality

‘The key to managing air quality is data’ Hardware selection should be determined by the match of the specification to requirements.

Although in an immature market, greater diligence is needed to ensure the ‘end to end’ solution meets the project requirements.

Hardware solutions There are currently two types of hardware solution: • self-contained ecosystems – comprising of hardware sensors, communications capability, and proprietary app or web dashboard; and • stand-alone sensors normally fitted with industry standard connectivity (4-20mA, Modbus, etc.) to be used with new or existing data collection systems.

Both types have their merits. The former is usually a nicely packaged and simple to install solution with seamless compatibility to products within the ecosystem. However, it is worth noting that these ecosystems are usually proprietary.

Many ecosystems promise an application programming interface (API) which, in theory, can be easily integrated with other systems.

However, it is only true if you have software writing capability and resource to build and maintain

44 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

such an interface.

Stand-alone sensors with industry outputs can be read by BMS, data loggers and SCADA systems directly and at whatever intervals suit the user. Some caution should also be exercised with this option as the system being utilised for the data collection may need to be specially configured to talk to the sensors.

A key factor for hardware selection should be dictated by the data it provides and interoperability with future systems i.e. does it provide usable data for different users and systems within the organisation now and in the future?

Installation is an area often underestimated by customers and procurement teams. A good installer, one who is multi-skilled, diligent and committed to the project is invaluable, especially with immature technology.

Understanding the client’s requirements, the specifications governing the project (RESET, WELL etc.), and a technical understanding of measurement techniques, should be key attributes of your install partner.

Additionally, and probably the most important factor is the

installer’s commissioning process.

Our definition of ‘commissioned’ is when sensor data is accurately visible in the end system (screen, report, data base etc). To avoid substandard or incomplete work we would recommend invoice payment only when the system is commissioned.

The final area is data collection and integration. Air quality data in isolation is far less useful than when compared with other driving factors such as occupancy, energy usage, other environmental parameters, BMS data etc. So full consideration should be given to how the hardware/data collection can work with other systems.

If simply trying to get a snapshot of air quality, then portables or small ecosystem solutions might be the best way forward. From the data collected you can make the case for a more robust implementation.

For a complete system approach, a sensor network is likely to be required using new or existing data logging equipment. One option is the BMS, although most experiences show BMS systems can be substandard for large-scale data collection, so it is more likely that data loggers will be used.

There are three top tips when it comes to data collection: • the data collection system must provide data to the client’s chosen platforms now and in the future; • proprietary systems should be avoided in preference for systems that can send standard data to one or many systems; and • changing analysis platforms should not make your monitoring system redundant or require significant upgrade or reconfiguration.

Some care should be taken to fully understand the total cost of monthly subscriptions. This can often be applied for the eco system software and for an analytics platform. 

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

Air barrier improves passenger comfort at airport terminal Cold air ingress and thermal stratification meant it was proving difficult to maintain a heated set point temperature during the winter at the ground floor arrivals concourse at Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal.

High footfall through the 3.6m wide ground floor lobby entrances; with no internal door fitted to the internal entrance, meant the door openings were frequently left exposed to the external environment. During the winter when the terminal concourse was being heated, the presence of a significant stack effect through the stairwell to the upper floors escalated the thermal exchange of air throughout the space from the influx of cold air from the open doors. This made the concourse area difficult to maintain temperature

especially during extreme winter temperatures.

The airport’s main objectives were to: • improve HVAC efficiency; • increase and stabilise temperature throughout the ground floor entrances; and • improve comfort for passengers and staff.

An independent CFD (computerised fluid dynamic) report was commissioned by the client to help understand how much more effective an air barrier system performs under set conditions when compared to alternative overdoor heated technologies.

Following a detailed site survey and measurement of a slight negative pressure, CPA Engineered Solutions Ltd proposed the

installation of a Durashield air barrier system. The air barrier was manufactured to the exact door

width and horizontally positioned across each of the two internal lobby door openings. The air barrier is designed to create a seal by re- circulating the internal heated air across the open door.

This environmental separation between the external conditions and concourse reduces the ingress of external air and stabilises the internal temperature.

A post-installation temperature measurement shows up to a 7°C decrease in temperature within one minute of the air barrier being switched off. The client now intends to improve their HVAC heating close to the entrances to further increase the temperature and improve comfort.  ONLINE ENQUIRY 141

Exclusive agreement for manufacture of ventilation units Dunham-Bush has signed an exclusive agreement with EcoAirvent to manufacture and distribute their innovative, energy efficient Classmaster heat recovery ventilation units.

Classmaster has been developed specifically for classrooms and complies with the very latest BB101: ‘Ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality 2018’ and BB93: ‘Acoustic designs for schools, performance standards (2015)’ guidelines. With nine chassis sizes and airflows ranging from 50 to 600l/s, Classmaster delivers the very highest standards of air quality to meet every classroom requirement.

Key features include a patented variable air mass flow heat exchanger, which maintains thermal efficiency at both 100 per cent and 50 per cent airflow levels by cleverly keeping turbulent velocity airflow across the heat exchanger. This is not possible with conventional heat exchangers as airflow goes into a laminar flow with no exchange of thermal energy.

The unique configuration of the low resistance heat exchangers, used in conjunction with 100,000 hour long-life, low-energy EC fans, delivers minimal sound levels and an impressive heat reclaim efficiency up to 89 per cent.

In line with the latest BB101 guidance bulletin, Classmaster units have the option of ePM2.5 (F7) filters

for inner city installations.

With a low profile height of only 300mm, Classmaster can be installed within a ceiling void or surface mounted.

A space heating option is available with frost protection and a comprehensive range of heating coils pre-installed in insulated casings and matched flanges to

fit directly onto the heat recovery units.

The factory fitted Eco-Pro 3 controller offers a plug and play capability and is ideal where standalone control is required. Units can be activated either via volt free contact (VFC), from a time switch or BMS (enable/disable signal). The controller can give fault outputs either to the Eco-Fault panel or BMS panel.

Individually adjustable fan speeds on trickle and boost settings, with frost protection, automatic summer by-pass and night time cooling options are included as standard.

Fans switch automatically to boost speed when carbon dioxide is detected.

The factory fitted Trend IQ422 Controllerm offers individual and adjustable fan speeds on trickle and boost settings in all modes of operation. Frost protection, automatic summer by-pass and night time cooling options are standard.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 144 JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 45

Indoor Air Quality For further information on Camfil visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 142

Air filters can play an essential role in the smooth functioning of HVAC equipment in modern buildings

Healthy humans, healthy HVAC Clean indoor air is a fundamental contributor to the comfort and health of building occupants. But, as Peter Dyment explains, it also helps protect HVAC equipment

T

he quality of the air we breathe has an enormous impact on our health and wellbeing and that’s why the building services sector has maintained a sharp focus on ensuring indoor air quality (IAQ) in our buildings remains high.

But the health of building occupants is not the only thing determined by air quality; it can also have an impact on the operation of HVAC plant. Indeed, clean air is essential to HVAC plant operations and can lead to more efficient systems that save energy and suffer fewer breakdowns and associated cost implications and disruption.

The fine, airborne particle pollution that damages personal health mean that air filters need to be a minimum ePM1 (F7) class filter for urban locations that experience severe air pollution. As far as plant protection is concerned, Coarse 70% (G4) rated filters were previously the norm. If HVAC plant filters are improved to ePM1 (F7), however, then plant efficiency is improved further. To put filter performance into perspective, an ePM1 (F7) class air filter typically has to be eight to ten times more effective at stopping fine particles that would pass

through a Coarse 70% (G4) class filter.

These airborne particles pass through the HVAC plant and a proportion of them will be deposited in the plant and associated supply ductwork.

Provided filters are effective and located upstream of coil heat exchanger components they will offer effective protection. This protection will extend to any parts of the system in the downstream air flow, so it is important that good air filtration is at the front end of the air handling system.

This is important because, as energy prices rise and the demands

46 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

to cut CO2 emissions get tougher, the energy consumption related to air filters has become an increasing focus of attention.

New, precise classification Typically, air filters have been classified only by their average efficiency. However, a new energy classification is far more precise. The new Eurovent energy classification will make it easier for those responsible for selecting air filters to specify the right product for particular applications.

The classification (which grades

The role of air intake protection screens Surrounded by trees and busy roads, many buildings have rooftops easily accessible to debris from fauna, dust, pollen, and so on. Air intakes and coils quickly become fouled reducing the efficiency of the HVAC equipment, necessitating costly maintenance and wasting energy.

Air intake protection screens are simple to measure, install, and clean. The most popular installation option is the aluminium channel track mount system which is secured around the perimeter of the air intake or condenser coil.

Once the channel has been fitted, the air protection screen is positioned, and the easy twist-lock fasteners are turned to secure it to the equipment.

A quick visual inspection is all that’s required to check whether the screen needs cleaning. Removing debris only takes a few moments. Simply clean with a soft broom or brush or use a portable vacuum or hose. Even the rain can rinse the screen clean.

Air protection screens can be fitted to protect every type of HVAC plant including air handling unit and intake louvres, chillers, condensing units, and cooling towers.

Peter Dyment is technical manager for Camfil and an advisor to Clean Air London

filters from A+ for the lowest energy consumption to E for the highest), offers energy managers a good understanding of annual energy consumption, initial efficiency and minimum efficiency.

The energy consumption of air filters is a function of the volume flow rate, fan efficiency, operation time and average pressure drop.

The related energy consumption during a certain period of time can be calculated from the integral average of the pressure drop over this period.

The Eurovent energy rating, which came into force on 1 January, 2018, and has just been updated, confirms the performance ratings of products according to international standards. By so doing, it gives energy managers confidence that equipment will operate in accordance with design specifications and the energy cost will be correctly stated.

Air filters are graded from A+ to E using a coloured labelling system that many will be familiar with from its association with electrical white goods such as washing machines, fridges and freezers. The classification is designed to offer a better understanding of the annual energy consumption, average efficiency and minimum efficiency.

Under Eurovent, energy efficiency demands have increased so many filters previously considered A+ have been downgraded to A. Specifiers selecting air filters to Eurovent’s new test standard will save money and be assured of maintaining healthy IAQ. The Eurovent energy rating is now based on ISO16890:2016 test data, the international standard for particle filtration efficiency in buildings which came into force on June 1, 2018. Participants in the Eurovent energy classification are obliged to supply a full ISO16890 test report as a basis on which to calculate a filter’s energy consumption.

ISO16890 – which replaces two previous filter test standards: ASHRAE 52.2 in US and EN 779:2012 in Europe (both coexisting in Asia and the Middle East) – is globally applicable, eliminating confusion and invalid attempts to compare results between previous different standards. 

The 2019 BCIA Awards For further information on The 2019 BCIA Awards visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 143

A night to remember The 2019 BCIA Awards was a night to rival all others. The evening celebrated the achievements of the stars of the building controls industry - and this year there was more to celebrate than ever

T

he Building Controls Industry Association Awards evening has been running for 13 consecutive years and is ‘the’ night in the building controls industry. Held once again at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, the awards attracted a record number of entries for 2019, underlined the growing reputation of this event. Judges faced a tough deliberation process due to the high calibre of entries.

Multi-award winning comedian and writer Holly Walsh hosted the night’s entertainment which also included a casino. It was time for the industry’s finest to enjoy their well-earned moment in the spotlight and it was Eton Associates who clinched the first accolade on the night for Independent Building Controls & BEMS Installer of the Year, sponsored by Trend, as a result of the organistation’s lasting customer relationships, professionalism and understanding of clients’ needs.

Discovering new talent in the building controls industry has been high on the agenda of the BCIA. Therefore, it was fantastic to see another record broken, this time for the number of entries in the Young Engineer of the Year category and all 12 Young Engineer finalists were invited on stage in front of the large crowd. As the BCIA is joining the CIBSE Young Engineer Network, each of them was presented with Associate Membership to CIBSE in recognition of being a finalist.

Luke Williamson of Eton Associates was triumphant amongst fierce competition in the Young Engineer of the Year category which was sponsored by Schneider Electric.

Luke has been a key player in highprofile projects and has thrived under such demands using both his technical abilities and resilience.

Furthermore, he has successfully completed all of the BCIA courses as well as additional qualifications.

The Engineer of the Year Award was presented to Ian Dalby, a senior systems engineer for System Five.

One Sightsolutions claimed the honour of the Contribution to Training Award, sponsored by Siemens Building Products, with their newly available and free online training videos, demonstrating their ongoing commitment to further the knowledge of those within the industry.

Commitment and dedication

Champions all: category award winners gather to celebrate their successes at the 2019 BCIA Awards

Along with his enthusiasm, Dalby demonstrated exceptional attention to detail, outstanding customer service skills and a willingness to help others.

Optimised Buildings won the Energy Management Award, as sponsored by Priva, for the company’s energy-saving projects in Superdry Stores throughout the UK. Following new strategies implemented by Optimised Buildings, Superdry Stores saw a 14 per cent reduction in electricity consumption and a Return on

Belfield: ‘perfect opportunity to collectively celebrate achievements and successes’

Investment (ROI) in just four months.

Following this award, Demand Logic claimed the honour of the Best Service and Maintenance Provider Award, sponsored by Western Automation, which best demonstrates outstanding levels of customer care in the provision of long-term service and maintenance contracts for Building Energy Management Systems (BEMS) and building controls.

Innovation at the forefront Innovation is at the forefront of the building services industry and IAconnects emerged victorious in the coveted Technical Innovation of the Year – Products Award with their forward-thinking MobiusFlow Edge Gateway, an IoT solution that enables actuators, sensors and controllers to connect, control and communicate with each other and the Cloud.

Econowise Drives & Controls enjoyed the winning feeling in The Technical Innovation of the Year – Projects Award for their 99 Gresham Street Bubll Installation. Bubll has provided a very cost effective, fully featured wireless connected environment to allow full user interactivity and data harvesting.

The final award on the night was presented to Wendy Belfield of InTandem Systems for Outstanding Contribution of the Year. Wendy has demonstrated her ongoing commitment and dedication in making the BEMS Controls Engineer Trailblazer Apprenticeship Standard come to fruition, which will play a pivotal role in tackling the skills gap.

This will significantly impact the future careers of many people who have yet to enter our industry.

An impressive £3,152.97 was raised in aid of the charity Mind thanks to those who generously donated through the Heads and Tails game. Mental health problems can affect anyone at any time, whether at work or in our personal lives, so it is important to encourage conversation and highlight issues surrounding mental health.

Jon Belfield, president of the BCIA, said the Awards were a huge success that everyone can be proud of.

“Once again, the BCIA Awards Gala was a wonderful occasion and the perfect opportunity to collectively celebrate the many achievements and successes from the past year in the building controls industry,” he said. “I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to all of the winners and finalists and to thank all the sponsors and our media partners for their continued support.”

The 2019 BCIA Awards demonstrated that the dynamic building controls industry is in safe hands with the best minds and emerging young talent continuing to improve the performance of buildings and tackle the challenges we face. 

JUNE 2019 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 47

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DIRECTORY CONTACTS

New Products

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Air Conditioning

Extra corrosion resistance for range of BPHEs SWEP has launched a new range of brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHE) that keep tap water applications running efficiently for longer.

This is achieved with SWEP Sealix coating, a SiOՀ-based thin-film technology that increases BPHE corrosion resistance, protects against corrosion, fouling and scaling and increases durability.

The protective Sealix layer is applied to all inner surfaces of the heat exchangers in most of the HIUs and substations that encounter drinking water, to increase the lifetime and the operational safety of the entire system. This in turn reduces maintenance costs and unplanned downtime. The innovative self-cleaning coating minimises deposit formation and prevents contamination while protecting the surface.

SiOՀ-based coating is recognized worldwide and approved by the United States Food and Drug administration, the European Food Safety Authority and the ONLINE ENQUIRY 102 Japan Inspection Association of Food & Industry Environment.

Modules offer improvement in efficiency Tridonic’s fifth generation of the LLE ADV series offers an improvement in efficiency and incorporates new features for modules with widths of 16mm and 55mm. Combined with their narrow colour tolerances, the modules offer excellent quality of light and are perfect for use in commercial or educational establishments.

With an impressively high module efficiency of up to 203lm/W the modules are extremely durable with a life of 72,000 hours. They are available with different colour temperatures from 2,700 to 6,500K, in each case with a colour rendering index Ra > 80. The modules can be quickly and easily connected with each other via plug-in terminals. Even if several modules are connected one after the other the light always remains homogeneous.

The 16mm modules are now available in 70mm lengths, and 55mm modules are now fitted with holes for greater compatibility with commercially available lenses.

For compact linear luminaire designs - the 16mm modules in the LLE ADV 5 series have been created for non-SELV operation. They offer enormous freedom of design with four different lengths of 140mm, 280mm, 560mm and now 70mm. All the module versions can be freely combined with one another, giving designers a wide range of options. The 70 mm long modules fill small gaps in lighting strips so that a continuous homogeneous effect can be easily achieved. Depending on the version, the typical luminous flux is 325lm, 650lm, 1,250lm or 2,400lm. The pitch is the same as that of the previous generation so existing installations can be easily upgraded to the latest technical standard.

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Air Movement Solutions

Boilers

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TALKING HEADS James Cox

James Cox is a director and head of market analysis at Pöyry Management Consulting

PV or not PV? That is the question With the huge growth in renewables forecast for the coming years changes will be needed to the tariff structure to encourage investment incentives right across the sector, says James Cox

W

ith rapidly falling costs of solar, wind and batteries, it goes without saying that the energy market is changing faster than ever before. The price of renewables such as onshore and offshore wind have dropped by 40-50 per cent in the last ten years, while solar and lithium ion battery storage costs have fallen by 70-80 per cent.

But the future of renewable energy is uncertain. Some experts believe that large-scale onshore and offshore wind, solar farms and grid-scale batteries will become dominant, while others predict a shift towards ‘decentralisation’ – a takeover of small-scale, behind-the meter solar and batteries which give consumers the ability to generate and store their own energy, decreasing their reliance on the grid.

As part of a major multi-client study, Pöyry has investigated how rapidly falling technology costs could transform the global retail electricity market. Every household could have its own rooftop solar array, basement batteries and electric vehicles.

This raises the question: will we see a significant uptake in decentralisation in the next decade, or will changes in tariff structures and retail prices curb this natural development?

Retail prices paid by households and businesses are affected by several different elements. The primary part of the bill is the cost of wholesale electricity, but this is typically only a third of a consumer bill.

Large components of the bill cover the cost of the transmission and distribution network, policy support costs such as renewables subsidies, and taxes such as VAT. Despite the majority of policy support costs and network costs being fixed, on most consumer bills these costs are increased per kWh of electricity consumed.

As a result, consumers are incentivised to reduce the energy they buy from the grid.

In the past, this was logical as it encouraged 50 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JUNE 2019

Cox: 'rapidly falling technology costs could transform the global retail electricity market'

‘ Changing the tariff structure could radically alter the electricity market’ energy efficiency. However, with the rise of decentralised solar generation in countries such as Germany and the UK, consumers can opt instead to generate their own energy. By installing solar panels, they can avoid paying their ‘fair’ share of fixed system costs, but still rely on having a network connection.

This ‘free riding’ could not only lead to customers without solar panels subsidising the costs of those with panels, but it could also result in a deeply inefficient electricity system, where large amounts of money are spent on unnecessary and expensive behind the-meter generation.

Change investment incentives Changing something as simple as the tariff structure could radically alter the investment incentives and the electricity market itself.

Pöyry ran two different scenarios through its power market model, BID3. Modelling both wholesale and retail markets simultaneously, BID3 is a unique tool used for forecasting and analysis. In the wholesale market, it models both the dispatch of power stations and investors’ decisions to build new plants. In the retail sector, it models customers’ decisions regarding charging electric vehicles alongside their desire to buy solar panels and storage.

Different tariff structures mean that wholesale investors and retail customers have different incentives.

In north western Europe alone the current tariff structures could result in the production of 280GW of behind-themeter solar over the next 12 years. During the summer, large amounts of solar energy would cause electricity prices to frequently fall to zero because there would be a surplus. As a result, 30GW of gridscale batteries would be built by investors looking to profit from the high spreads available.

However, if regulators and governments altered tariff structures so that grid costs and policy support costs are paid on a perhousehold basis (rather than per kWh of electricity consumed) this would create a very different outcome.

In 2030, instead of 284GW of behindthe-meter solar, a mere 106GW would be produced instead. The change in tariffs removes the incentive for retail customers to invest in solar panels.

We would see an additional 10GW of large scale solar and 10GW of onshore wind instead, as returns on these investments improve because prices would drop to zero less often. Forecasts show that by 2040 there will be an even greater difference of 250GW in the amount of solar built, despite identical carbon emissions. These changes are shown in the chart.

In both scenarios the reduction in carbon emissions and the demand remain the same, but the investment would be much greater with a continuation of current electricity tariffs. In total, the savings from tariff reform could amount to €100bn, simply by encouraging more economic investment decisions across the sector. Furthermore, given the rapid take-up of new technologies, it’s estimated that by 2025, half of all houses in central and north western Europe could invest in rooftop solar on economic grounds alone, with the savings on their retail bill outweighing the costs of installation. There is also the risk of upsetting homeowners who decide to invest in solar panels, only to discover that changing tariff structures mean they no longer make economic sense for the consumer.

There is enormous value at stake, both financially and from the perspective of energy efficiency as we move towards a less fossil-fuel dependent future, which should encourage more governments to consider retail energy reform as soon as possible. 

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