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SOLUTIONS THE PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR 2016/17

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CONTENTS

ENERGY EFFICIENT SOLUTIONS Editor: Tim McManan-Smith tim@energystmedia.com t: 020 3714 4450 m: 07818 574308

Energy efficiency outlined Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Efficiency Landscape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Low Energy Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Building Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Industrial Efficiency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Building Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Compressed Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Policy & Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Sales director: Steve Swaine steve@energystmedia.com t: 020 3714 4451 m: 07818 574300

ESOS News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Policy & Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Sales manager: Harry Powell harry@energystmedia.com m: 07557 109476

Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28,29,30-31 Case Study: BiU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

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Compressed Air Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by individual contributors may not necessarily be those held by the publisher. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information published – this should be used at the readers discretion.

HVAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Monitoring & Targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Amorphous Transformers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Sub-Metering & Analytics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Training. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42

SOLUTIONS THE PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND THE PUBLIC SECTOR 2016/17

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INTRODUCTION

Cometh the Brexit, cometh the energy manager

ost-Brexit, the only certainty is uncertainty. The pound and the FTSE250 continue to slide and nobody knows what will happen to UK energy policy as it pulls away from the EU. Energy investors have been calling for certainty since electricity market reform (EMR) began almost six years ago. Now they have less certainty than ever. A weaker pound means more expensive gas, around half of which is imported into the UK, and more expensive oil. Within the department of energy and climate change, Andrea Leadsom was a vocal member of the Leave camp. Amber Rudd supported Remain. It will be interesting to see who remains after the inevitable reshuffle. Businesses have planned for a period of uncertainty, many hoping that those plans would not have to be enacted. For exporters, there is an opportunity despite the incoming recession predicted by many financial analysts. But the reality

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is that many firms will now hunker down and tighten belts until the dust settles. But given that commodity costs are likely to increase, businesses that double down on energy efficiency will reduce their cost base. As non-commodity costs relating to the contracts for difference and capacity market are also set to rise steeply over the next couple of years, any efficiency improvements made now will be even more valuable come winter 2018 onwards. With less money coming in and higher costs, boards may also become more likely to engage in non-core business matters such as energy. Even if boards are less inclined to signoff sizeable investments in the near-term, taking low-and no cost measures can lead to double-digit improvements in energy efficiency. Using lifecycle cost analysis

and tying procurement to maintenance are some of the things business should already be doing. But simply ensuring employees understand how their behaviour affects costs can also yield significant savings. Engaging employees in energy saving programmes is critical to success. At a time when many will be understandably concerned about job security, outlining plans to reduce waste and safeguard jobs in the new post-Brexit climate may drive greater change than in times of plenty. So while the next few years may prove difficult for many firms, there is an opportunity to emerge from the current period of uncertainty not only intact, but more robust. Now the best energy managers will show their worth.

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THE EFFICIENCY LANDSCAPE

Does energy efficiency really matter? The Energy Institute (EI) has recently published its second annual Energy Barometer, which reports on a survey capturing EI members’ views of energy industry issues. Gareth Parkes MEI, EI Knowledge Manager, reflects on the findings and examines in greater detail the feedback from demand sector respondents.

ast year marked the start of significant changes to the UK’s energy efficiency strategy, through the reorganisation of DECC’s Energy Efficiency Deployment Office, £70m in budget cuts for DECC, halting finance to the Green Deal Finance Company, and the end of the zero carbon homes plan. As well as asking questions around energy price, innovation and infrastructure, the EI wanted its 2016 Energy Barometer survey to canvass EI members about energy efficiency and where it sits amongst the sector’s priorities. Despite the policy changes in 2015, the messages voiced by EI members through both the 2015 and 2016 Barometer surveys remain: energy efficiency is seen as an important route towards reducing emissions; investment is needed in infrastructure, technology and workforce development to facilitate the implementation of efficiency measures; and policy should provide sufficient assurance and consistency to make an impact and provide confidence for investors. This last point is as crucial for the demand sector as it is for the energy industry as a whole.

The case for energy efficiency When asked about the biggest challenges to the UK’s energy system, EI members regularly mentioned improving energy efficiency and related demand-side measures. Respondents highlighted the significant contributions that improved efficiency and behaviour change for demand reduction can make to meet the challenges of energy security, sustainability and affordability. The EI’s Energy Barometer survey also asked members to identify the priority areas for investment over the next three years. They called for stronger financial support given to low carbon measures and those linked to security of supply. Over 70% of members believed investment

Views from UK energy professionals

should be increased across all forms of energy efficiency, from buildings, industrial processes and transport to changing people’s behaviour. They also saw making the electricity grid smarter to enable greater integration of demand-side measures as an area of significant need for additional investment. Similarly, when asked about innovation priorities, respondents pointed to the transition to a low carbon energy system and the protection of the UK’s security of supply as key objectives and highlighted energy efficiency as a field where greater innovation was particularly required to achieve these goals. The promotion of energy efficiency has been consistently recognised by members as one of the best measures to be taken by the 2015-2020 Government to make progress towards meeting the UK’s 2050 emission reduction targets. Six in ten members cited energy efficiency as having the greatest potential to contribute to decarbonisation by 2030. Efficiency in transport and related transport infrastructure improvements, as well as energy storage, featured among the most welcome measures.

Areas of greatest potential When asked to identify the factors with the greatest potential to reduce UK energy demand by 2018, almost 60% of respondents thought the greatest short-term gains can be made through higher efficiency in the built environment, including both domestic and commercial properties. This pattern was

more prominent for professionals who work in the energy demand sector, with seven in ten suggesting that, in particular, commercial buildings should be the focus of efforts to reduce demand. For all members, building efficiency improvements were closely followed by industrial process and transport efficiencies. When examining the differences between the responses of demand professionals and all other professionals, some of the largest relate to standards, with demand professionals placing a greater value on energy management standards, such as ISO 50001, and the need to raise professionalism. The potential of energy efficiency in buildings was further reinforced when identifying specific areas for development over the next three years. When asked to compare the potential for efficiency improvements in the building, transport, and industrial process sectors, buildings were emphasised by 46% of EI members, with the other categories at 27% each. This trend was more pronounced among those working within the demand sector; 57% of these members singled out buildings as having the greatest potential for improvements over the near-term.

Energy efficiency in buildings In the short term (next three years), retrofitting the existing building fabric was the most frequently mentioned area for making the greatest efficiency gains, with technology and equipment upgrades just behind. By 2030, respondents expect new build standards to have the most potential, followed by building fabric improvements.

“No single measure will deliver efficiency gains. A holistic approach [is needed,] which brings together fabric, services, controls and management, plus better understanding of user behaviours.” Survey response Continued on page 6 Energy Efficient Solutions

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THE EFFICIENCY LANDSCAPE Continued from page 5 Retrofitting was emphasised by many members, as the existing building stock will be present for decades to come. Building technology upgrades included efficient technologies in heating and lighting, such as heat pumps and LEDs, and smart energy controls that are usable by non-energy professionals. Controls and smart systems were also seen as key to getting the best energy performance out of buildings.

“Strict enforcement of existing build standards to effect real efficiency gains as opposed to tick box exercises such as installing technology in order to increase points.” Survey response The need for tighter commissioning and regulation requirements was also frequently mentioned, as was behaviour change and the potential for CHP and heat networks. Within building-related behaviour change, space heating temperature reduction triggered by increased awareness was identified as having the most potential for efficiency improvement.

Energy efficiency in industry Across industrial processes, the three most cited efficiency opportunities were technology and equipment upgrades, controls and smart systems, and behaviour change. Process efficiency is highly dependent on the process itself, but a

The Energy Barometer is an annual survey of EI professional and graduate members, assembled as a representative college, to gather their views on energy issues currently facing the industry. For more analysis and full results from the 2016 Energy Barometer, please visit www.energyinst.org/energybarometer To put forward suggestions for next year’s survey questions or to find out how you can get involved, contact the EI Knowledge Service at e: barometer@energyinst.org 6 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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common factor in many processes is the human element. The ‘people’ factor was highlighted as one of the most important aspects in influencing industrial energy use. Specifically, these behaviour changes included improving energy knowledge and attitudes, and integrating energy efficiency into everyday business activity.

“Currently the UK is coming to terms with low investment in industry. The first step would be to recognize a reduction in consumption through behaviour change.” Survey response

“I feel too many industrial processes are using old equipment without the modern energy efficiency upgrades that are available on the market today. Perhaps more could be done to reduce the cost of these upgrades, and enforcing their adoption.” Survey response Energy efficiency in transport To achieve greater efficiency within the transport sector, members cited hybrid and electric vehicles, changes to travel habits (and enabling infrastructure), and overall road vehicle efficiency. Within transport behaviour change, improvements in infrastructure were seen as enablers for reduced road vehicle use, increased use of public transport, and modal shift in transport types.

“100kg of human + bicycle will ALWAYS be more efficient than 1000kg of metal + human.”

positive impact it can have on areas not directly related to energy use. One of the most noticeable benefits across disciplines is the cost savings associated with reduced energy demand. Common measures in the built environment, such as improved building fabric and equipment, and better use of lighting, heating and cooling controls, can not only lower bills, they can also lead to health benefits for occupants, reduced winter mortality, increased comfort, and a lessening of fuel poverty for vulnerable consumers. Increased use of public transport, electrification of vehicles and behaviour change-enabling infrastructure can do more than just reduce fuel consumption. EI members point to health benefits from increased walking and cycling, reduced traffic congestion, and air quality benefits from lower-emission road transport. Within the industrial sector, energy efficiency can directly lead to greater productivity, higher product quality, reduction in labour and materials, improved site environmental quality, and reduced equipment downtime. These non-energy benefits, along with greater energy security, the potential to reduce and help manage energy demand, and contributions to decarbonisation are emphasised strongly by EI members from across the industry. The coming months will reveal a new direction for the UK’s energy efficiency strategy as DECC lay out their forward plans for this integral discipline. EI members have clearly stated their support for energy efficiency measures within a cohesive, consistent, and stable policy framework. In an industry with complex interactions, common benefits and other knock-on effects, it is important that a system-wide view is taken when designing policies. This will help ensure that energy efficiency and other energy policy achieves its high-level goals as well as improves the energy users’ circumstances.

Survey response A combination of measures from all these areas will be necessary to improve energy efficiency across the UK’s transport system.

Other benefits of energy efficiency A significant and often overlooked factor of implementing energy efficiency is the

The Energy Institute (EI) is the professional body for the energy industry, delivering good practice and professionalism across the depth and breadth of the sector. For more information, please visit: energyinst.org/energy-management

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LOW ENERGY CASE STUDY

A Stirling Performance Two years after it won the RIBA Stirling Prize Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre has won two more awards, this time from CIBSE for the building’s low energy performance writes Hywel Davies, Technical Director at CIBSE.

wo years after the Everyman Theatre won the Stirling Prize for architecture the Liverpool theatre has scooped two more accolades: Building Performance Champion and Project of the Year. These latest awards are from the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) in recognition of the scheme’s outstanding energy performance after it reported energy consumption figures of 159kWh/ m2/year, over 40% less than the Carbon Buzz good practice benchmark figure for theatres and significantly less than the CIBSE TM46 theatre benchmark of 550kWh/m2/year. Sustainability was integral the scheme from the outset. “The client wanted a sustainable, low energy theatre,” says Jonathan Purcell, director of building services for Waterman Building Services who worked with architect Haworth Tompkins on the project. The key to the scheme’s low energy design is a natural ventilation solution for the 400-seat auditorium. Engineering this

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was no easy task given that the auditorium is effectively a windowless box where ventilation openings would allow light and noise into the space. The solution developed by the design team was to introduce fresh air to the auditorium at low level which is allowed to rise up through the auditorium and out through its roof. The fresh air is drawn through an acoustic attenuator from a quiet street at the rear of the theatre. It passes through a giant concrete plenum buried in the ground at the back of the main stage, which helps cool the air in summer. From here it then passes through another acoustic attenuator and into a horseshoe-shaped plenum beneath the banked audience seating before and into the auditorium through perforated grilles beneath the seats. Once inside the auditorium the air is warmed by the 65kW of stage lighting on at any one time during a show (from a total of 140kW) and by 50kW of heat from the audience and other sources of heat. The warmed air rises up and out of

the auditorium through an acoustically attenuated exhaust air plenum above the auditorium ceiling, through a giant duct and then out through four giant cylindrical rooftop chimneys – nicknamed John, Paul, George and Ringo. The chimneys have been sized to ensure they pull sufficient fresh air through the auditorium to keep conditions comfortable and to meet the fresh air rate of 10 litres per second per person recommended in the Building Regulations. The rate of airflow through the auditorium is regulated by motorised dampers in both the inlet and exhaust ducts. In winter carbon dioxide sensors keep fresh air supply rates to a minimum based on carbon dioxide and temperature sensors. In summer the thermal mass of the underground concrete plenum and the 25000 reclaimed bricks that line the auditorium walls soak up heat to help keep the auditorium comfortable. The natural ventilation system is enhanced at certain times of the year by two air handling units (ahus) at the

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LOW ENERGY CASE STUDY insistence of the theatre’s trustees. The ahus are connected to two air source pumps to provide supplementary heating and cooling to the supply air. The units are hidden inside the concrete fresh air intake plenum. The automated auditorium control system regulates the air flow as follows: t Below 21°C the ahu supplies heat while keeping fresh air supply rates to a minimum t Between 21°C and 24°C the ahu is turned off and the natural ventilation rate is progressively increased t At temperatures above 24°C the ahu fan is used to help boost the ventilation rate. t Above 26°C the auditorium switches to mechanical cooling with minimal fresh air The theatre opened in March 2014. In that time the cooling system has run for a total of two hours on one exceptional Saturday in the summer after the stage doors remained open all morning to bring in staging for a show, this was followed by sell out shows in the matinee and evening. Monitoring has shown that the natural ventilation solution works well. The plots below of carbon dioxide concentration and temperature show the auditorium system performing effectively on Saturday 5th July 2014.

Internal Air Quality – Parts Per Million CO2

The times of the matinee and evening performances can be seen clearly on the carbon dioxide plot, as can the time of the interval. The plot shows carbon dioxide levels peaking briefly at 1000 parts per million at the start of the second act; the CIBSE maximum recommended concentration. Auditorium Temperature plot - Matinee and Evening Performance

The temperature plot shows the outside air temperature (blue line) peaking at 29°C at 2pm. Internally the temperature remains remarkably constant at approximately 22°C, with very slight increases at show time. The peak auditorium temperature is just below 24°C on the balcony (yellow line).

CIBSE promotes the career of building services engineers by accrediting courses of study in further and higher education, by approving workbased training programmes and providing routes to full professional Registration and Membership, including Chartered Engineer, Incorporated Engineer and Engineering Technician. Once qualified, CIBSE offers a range of services, all focussed on maintaining and enhancing professional excellence throughout a career. www.cibse.org Energy Efficient Solutions

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BUILDING EFFICIENCY

A straight forward approach to Energy management and building controls The control of energy in buildings is generally poor, despite the availability of a range of tried and tested systems, with guidance perceived to be over complicated explains Andy Lewry.

uilding controls, whether standalone units or full building energy management systems (BEMS), are designed to provide a comfortable climate for building occupants while consuming the lowest possible amount of energy. Controls can be used to manage heating, cooling, airconditioning and lighting systems, blinds, fire and security systems and lifts. They can also be used to collect and display data from meters. Energy information can then be displayed on the BEMS; having good-quality data about actual energy consumption is the key to achieving an energy-efficient building. Demand-based control is the most energy-efficient approach, which means turning systems off when not needed or, if this cannot be done, then at least turning them down. Energy can account for about 40% of the running costs of a building over its lifetime (Figure 1). Anything that can be done to help manage this effectively is a benefit to building owners and occupants. Any decision on what to specify should be based on lifecycle costs, not short-term thinking about the initial capital cost. Controls can be applied equally successfully to a new or refurbished building. A growing trend is greater integration, which can best be achieved through products which use open communication protocols such as BACnet, KNX, LON, Modbus and M-Bus. Remote access is also now possible, allowing a facilities manager or service engineer to interrogate the system remotely and diagnose problems. It may even allow for the plant to be switched on or off for special events without the need to be on site.

The author of this article has previously published a guide - Understanding the choices for building controls1 - that provides simple explanations of various types of controls, what they can do, and where and why they can and should be used - the pros and cons, and how to achieve an effective solution in practice. The process underpinning this can be broken down in tom the following steps: 1. Understand what controls you already have1 2. Determine your business needs1 3. Determine the functionality required of the controls1 4. Select an appropriate servicing strategy1 5. Match these against a class of BS EN 152322 6. Ensure the chosen class has the required functionality1 7. Produce a comprehensive specification1 8. Ensure the “10” key issues are addressed 9. Engage an expert(s) at the stage where internal capabilities are exceeded; this is not something you can learn as you go along.

There are ten key issues to address: t

Specification breaking – procurement routes and ’value engineering’ This is normally a cost-cutting exercise with the temptation to cut capital costs. Stand-alone controls are cheap, in the order of £250 installed, but several will be required. Pre-programmed BEMS have an installed price of around £1000. But

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to fully realise the potential savings from energy efficiency, you probably need a programmable BEMS which costs in the range of £3,500 and £5,000 installed. Occupancy patterns – schedules and density Knowledge of how the building is used improves the estimation of potential savings and, following installation, allows commissioning of the controls to fully realise the potential energy savings. These range, for offices, from a potential of 34% for zonal controls to 54% for a fully programmable BEMs Future proofing – flexibility and upgrades Technology soon becomes dated and to ensure that your system does not become redundant it needs to be programmable. A programmable system is likely to be flexible enough to take into account changes in usage and can be upgraded to benefit from technological and software advances. Links to monitoring and targeting (M&T) – optimisation systems Energy management relies on the old adage ‘if you cannot measure it, you cannot manage it’. This means that the control system (i.e. the BEMS) needs to be linked to the metering, so that all the monitoring and targeting M&T functions can be carried out in the same place, thus allowing management to be instantaneous. Verification/certification To justify business cases it is increasingly important for the performance of new assets, including control systems, to be verified. A fully integrated system can allow collection and analysis of this data, thus allowing this step to be simple and relatively painless. Commissioning – initial set-up and an on-going process3 It is essential to understand your business and building(s) when producing a Servicing and Controls Strategy. The next step is to ensure that the controls are installed and commissioned to achieve this strategy.

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BUILDING EFFICIENCY

However, it is an unending process to resolve operating problems, improve comfort, optimise energy use and identify retrofits for existing buildings and central plant facilities. Training3 Training is only as current as the last person trained, so, like commissioning, should be an on-going process to ensure that Facilities staff, the Facilities Management (FM) contractor (if you have one) and other users know how to optimise the use of the system. If knowledge is lost, the temptation is to use default systems which leads to inefficiencies and defeats the object of having a customisable programmable system. Maintenance requirements – planned upgrades3 This runs alongside ongoing commissioning, requiring the hardware to be monitored and upgraded where appropriate. This is especially true of sensors where the system will still run if they are damaged or have drifted due to old age, but not at optimal performance. The likely result is far higher running costs. Management reporting For energy management to be effective, the data has to be presented in a concise manner and in a form appropriate to the audience. What

is required for management of the system will be far more detailed than that required for the financial department to reconcile the bills on a monthly basis. Board reports need to be concise and to highlight any issues. Additional functionality – critical services/alarms When managing services you need to ensure that they are delivering the right amount at the right time. Modern systems can be set up to alert key staff by email when services fail to switch off when expected, use more energy than expected or when communications go down. This minimises risk to the business in terms of uncontrolled usage and possible damage to the asset.

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) is a former UK government establishment (but now a private organisation) that carries out research, consultancy and testing for the construction and built environment sectors in the UK. Among the BRE’s areas of interest are participation in the preparation of national and international standards and building codes, including the building regulations. bre.co.uk

Dr Andy Lewry is a principal consultant at the Building Research Establishment and author of a new briefing note, “Energy management and building controls”, on which this article is based. The full publication is available as a free download from http://www.bre.co.uk/ energyguidance

References: 1 Lewry, Andrew J. Understanding the choices for building controls. BRE IP 1/14. Bracknell, IHS BRE Press, 2014. 2 BSI. Energy performance of buildings — Impact of building automation, controls and building management. BS EN 15232:2012. London, BSI, 2012. 3 Lewry, Andrew J. Operating BEMS - A practical guide to building energy management systems. BRE IP 2/14. Bracknell, IHS BRE Press, 2014.

The Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA) represents over 100 major providers of energy management equipment and services across the UK. For more details visit the website at: www.esta.org.uk

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INDUSTRIAL EFFICIENCY

Driving efficiencies in industry Gambica looks at industrial energy efficiency and why there has never been a better time to look at savings when energy costs are predicted to rise

n a previous life, I worked as a project manager. A good proportion of the projects I managed were the design and build of bespoke equipment and facilities for third parties. Usually the requirement specifications for these projects were immense. The minuteness of detail defined by our customers, down to the size, position and font of labels, when printed out - if you allow me the hyperbole - will no doubt have decimated swathes of rainforest. However, within all these volumes of requirements I have never seen a requirement for energy efficiency. Not once. Similarly, as a part of my project manager role, I had a hand in writing business cases for upgrades to systems or new capital equipment. Again, I was required by the internal processes to define what needed, why it was needed and the purchase cost, but not the running cost. I have to admit, I never really thought about it. Which in hindsight is strange as I when I moved house or bought a new car, I wanted to know how energy efficient they were, I wanted to know how much these things would cost’s me to run. I suppose that when it’s someone else’s money, when you don’t have sight of the electricity bills and more importantly, when no one is asking you to reduce these bills, then it doesn’t cross your mind. So then, do companies not care? I doubt that the holders of the purse strings are happily frittering away money on electricity they don’t need to use. But there seems to be a disconnect between makes sure that the lights go off when no one is in the room and asking for energy efficient solutions in their industrial systems. It is an oft repeated statistic that the use of motors in industry accounts for 21% of the electricity consumption in the UK and has by far the biggest share of the country’s industrial electricity utilisation. When you consider that soft starts and variable speed drives can dramatically reduce the amount of electricity needed for these motors, the fact that this isn’t decreasing is surprising. Beyond buying efficient motors in the

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Figure 1 Saving in Energy by reducing motor speed in constant torque systems

Figure 2 Saving in Energy by reducing motor speed in variable torque systems first place, the mantra for energy saving is “Turn off and Turn down”. With soft starters motors can be turned off when not in use without the usual excess mechanical and electrical loads being placed on the motor while it tries to overcome inertia at start up – the reason many will avoid turning motors off. If you don’t need a motor to run 24 hours a day, then turning it off when not in use just makes sense and the savings made are obvious. Even so, to ensure I am clear, I

will state the obvious – if you turn a motor off when you don’t need it, you aren’t fruitlessly spending money. What is remarkable however, is what savings one can achieve by “turning down” where appropriate. Reduce the speed of a constant torque system, for example a conveyor, by 20% the reduction of energy consumption is also 20%. But for a pump or another variable torque system turning the speed down by 20% will save 50% of the energy.

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The purchase price is ony the tipe of the iceberg

If you don’t need your motor to run at 100% 100% of the time, why would you? Yes, more efficient systems and the addition of controls will cost more money to begin with. A high efficiency motor can add 20% to the price, while a variable speed drive can double the costs of the motor purchase, but depending on use, the savings in energy costs can pay for the extra investment within a year. Think therefore what it could do over a 10-15 year lifetime. This is why there needs to be a change in culture for the way in which businesses think about the cost of equipment and systems. Consider two scenarios; the Status Quo and the Ideal. With the Status Quo, a plant manager needing to replace an industrial cooling unit, may perhaps present a number of options all of which match the required technical specifications. It is likely the person who approves the purchase will go for the cheapest. Why wouldn’t they? Why have the balance sheet take a harder hit in that quarter than you need? In scenario two, the Ideal, the plant

manager presents a number of options, this time showing the cost for the lifecycle of the cooling unit. The approver will see that yes, the initial cost will be more but over a its lifetime the more efficient system will be cheaper. Showing the lifetime costs of a system makes for a far more compelling case for investment. Why is it important for companies to change their behaviour now? DECC report that demand for electricity will increase by nearly 20% between 2016 and 2035. And the National Grid forecasts that energy prices could as much as double in the same period. But even so, if we were to assume that energy prices were stay remain static, wasting money on unnecessary electricity is illogical to the point of being perverse.

It’s bad for the planet and it’s certainly bad for a company’s bottom line. So, companies need to start to think about energy efficiency. Senior management need to start to ask what is the life-cycle cost of their equipment and not just the purchase price. Those writing business cases for investment in processes need to start making compelling arguments for energy efficient solutions. Contractors need to understand that the total cost of an installation is more important than the price. The benefits of the technologies speak for themselves. Now we just need purchasing policies to catch up. The only down side is that those requirement specifications are going to get longer…

GAMBICA is the Trade Association for Instrumentation, Control, Automation and Laboratory Technology in the UK. The Association’s primary objectives are to further the successful development of the industry and to promote the competitiveness and profitability of member companies. www: www.gambica.org.uk Energy Efficient Solutions

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BUILDING CONTROLS

Controls and their use reducing consumption Malcolm Anson explains how building controls can contribute to better energy efficiency, but only if we change our focus from the capital costs of buildings to the long-term operational costs.

ne of the longestrunning bugbears for the construction industry has been its lopsided focus on the up-front cost of a project. There is a considerable body of research, compiled over many years, that shows the major effort expended to suppress capital outlay on building projects. It also demonstrates how comparatively little regard is given to the long-term operational costs. Evidence also clearly highlights that this is a false economy, that has a direct impact on building performance - driving down energy efficiency, reducing occupant comfort and generally ensuring that most buildings don’t perform as intended. The ratio 10-80-10 neatly sums up this situation. This ratio illustrates the costs of a building, with 10% spent on construction, 80% on operation and the final 10% on decommissioning. However much is saved at the construction stage, the fact that buildings stand for many years means that operational costs will always be a greater percentage - so this is where our focus should be when it comes to saving money. One of the areas to suffer from the capital cost-first approach is building controls. It is easy to ‘value engineer’ out elements of a control system such as sensors - but the long term impact of this money-saving has to be considered. A well-planned and executed controls strategy can provide effective automation and control of heating, ventilating, cooling, hot water and lighting systems that in turn help creates greater operational energy efficiencies and a far-improved working environment. The good news is that there is a British and European Standard that clearly demonstrates the impact of controls on energy efficient building operation. It can be used to help specify building controls, 14 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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or an entire building energy management system (BEMS). What’s more, it will also help to support that specification through the most rigorous value engineering process - because the impact on building energy efficiency of removing one of the elements of control can be clearly demonstrated. BS EN 15232 (2012) features an organized list of controls and building automation technologies which have a bearing on the energy performance of buildings and provides detailed methods to assess the impact of building controls on the energy performance of a given building. The Standard can, in effect, be used to show the energy savings of different types of building control, to compare against the costs. In the case of new-build projects this type of data can offer an understanding into the long-term benefit of avoiding the removal of even the smallest element of a BEMS from the specification. Each part of the controls can be shown to contribute to optimised long-term efficiency – helping to keep that 80% of costs at levels that are acceptable to building owners and managers. This Standard could be set to grow further in its importance to energy managers with the changes in energy legislation afoot. National Grid and Ofgem are seeking to move the UK to a ‘smart grid’ system in the coming years, a change that has the potential to bring some crucial changes to the way buildings measure and pay for their energy usage. One of the first steps this is the regulation P272. This ruling will require somewhere in the region of 160,000 business to settle their energy usage on a half-hourly basis. For businesses who find themselves in this half-hourly category, a number of rules on energy usage and costs will apply. Chiefly, the key factor is that those in the half-hourly metering market will pay prices for energy linked to the time-of-day that the energy is used. Peak periods are especially expensive. The ultimate objective for these changes to metering is to encourage promotion of energy efficiency - and it certainly has a string chance of achieving that.

Half-hourly metering will foster closer scrutiny of usage, and pinpointing a business’s energy use behaviour pattern will be a key initial step. One of the biggest benefits from being on half-hourly metering is that it will become easier to engage with demand response activities to shift energy demand away from those expensive peak periods. This is where BS EN15232 will play a crucial role in helping energy managers refine a demand-led approach to their controls and significantly boosting energy efficiency as a result. However, the capital cost of metering should not be at the expense of cutting back on the BEMS / sensors in a valued engineering situation. For building and energy managers confronting today’s energy challenges, the controls are their key tool. The first job is to identify and eradicate areas of energy waste – such as lights and cooling left on at the weekend when the building is empty; ensuring lights are set to auto-off; programming chillers so they can be turned off for ten minutes if practical; checking on systems that may have been operating on manual override for longer than needed. This may seem an obvious point, but it is surprising how much energy wastage a straightforward audit of areas such as sensors and detection devices can identity and cure quickly. A few additional low cost sensors in the appropriate place can tell us a great deal and make energy savings. With the knowledge that building operation forms the bulk of a building’s costs, and the fact that energy will be costly at peak times under new regulations, it should also not be forgotten that the UK has looming targets to meet when it comes to carbon emissions. The Climate Change Act established a target for the UK to reduce its emissions by at least 80% from 1990 levels by 2050. These targets, cast in stone for the UK to meet, have led to the administration focusing on the promotion of the most viable and reliable renewable sources of energy to help meet these goals, but with the industry’s reluctance to pay for costly

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BUILDING CONTROLS

new technologies as part of up-front costs, it is unlikely that these options will carry us over the line to this goal. As a more cost-effective way of getting there, controls are the answer. Then there is the encroaching deadline for commercial buildings to comply with the new Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). The Standards will make it illegal to let any property which has an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of less than a band â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. There will be a phased introduction of the MEPS, with the first enforcement to be made on new leases from 1st April 2018; and to all leases from April 2023. The overall aim of the UK Government is to see as many buildings as possible raised to EPC band E by 2020; and then an improvement to band D by 2025. The ultimate goal is to move the

commercial property sector to a minimum of band C by 2030. This is a key factor to consider for building owners and managers when weighing up their response to MEPS - the targets for energy efficiency will become progressively higher over the next decade. In summary, a well-planned and co-ordinated controls strategy can help building managers avoid the prices of high tariff time periods as well as improving building energy efficiency, and guide

them towards compliance with impending legislation. At a time when we could be facing volatility in energy prices along with increasing pressure to reduce carbon emissions, now is the moment to implement the changes that will put you in charge of your energy consumption. Malcolm Anson is President of the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) and Managing Director of Clarkson Controls.

The Building Controls Industry Association represents the interests of a wide range of businesses in the building controls industry. With its specialised programme of training, education and marketing, the BCIA upholds high standards of performance for organisations and individuals. For more information see www.bcia.co.uk Energy Efficient Solutions

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ISO 11011 – Putting compressor efficiency in the frame

Picture courtesy of Boge Compressors

COMPRESSED AIR

Guidelines from the British Compressed Air Society

ith the UK’s growing dependence on energy imports, concerns around supply shortages and the everpresent need to limit the effects of climate change, industry is increasingly driven to reduce its energy consumption. To help mitigate the effects of energy use, the EU issued the Energy Efficiency Directive (2012/27/EU), from which the UK Government implemented a number of measures; these being the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme (EEOS) and the Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS). For end-users of compressed air systems, any legislation designed to reduce energy use will impact on daily operations. However, with so many factors to consider - from compressor design, to air leakage, to air treatment, it can be hard to assess the real running costs (and therefore the energy performance) of a compressor. With this in mind, the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) instigated the BS IS0 11011 standard, now adopted as an International Standard (ISO 11011), which sets out a process-specific methodology for the assessment of the energy-efficiency of the system. In this article, BCAS will outline the framework for assessing compressor efficiency and how this can be implemented to improve overall system performance.

Understanding system efficiency In order to effectively manage the energy performance of a compressed air installation, it is worth exploring first the various factors that contribute to overall energy efficiency. 16 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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This requires a whole system approach by considering each component part of the installation and how it can be optimised to deliver air that is fit for purpose. Typically, this requires examination of the following factors: t Maintenance regime – all equipment should be serviced and performance tested regularly t System design – the system should be designed to minimise pressure drops with regard to its fittings, air treatment, piping and connections. For example, upgrading to an energy-efficient compressor will have limited impact if the flow is restricted by inadequate, leaky or incorrectly sized pipework. t Energy auditing – a programme of energy audits to assess energy efficiency should be implemented. It is important to remember that the system must be managed and operated in accordance with the requirements of the Pressure System Safety Regulations (PSSR), which also includes the requirement for a Written Scheme of Examination (WSE) if the pressure/volume relation is greater the 250 bar/litres. The WSE must be signed off and subsequently carried out by competent persons as defined in the PSSR. It is the responsibility of the owner/ user of the system to ensure compliance with this and the other legal requirements of the PSSR.

System management Reducing energy use, and therefore realising greater cost savings, is the goal for many operators. To achieve this, BCAS recommends setting realistic targets by establishing current energy usage and costs and then setting a realistic reduction of between five and 10% of the compressor’s demand. A competent compressed air supplier will be able to complete an energy audit to determine the demand profile, off-load running time, demand peaks and forecast

and the specific energy consumption required to produce each litre of air per second. It is usually best to start at the point of use as any improvement here affects the overall demand for compressed air.

ISO 11011 at work Once a business has a greater understanding of the areas that can impact on overall system efficiency, and therefore energy consumption, and has set a target for improvement, it becomes easier to begin implementing the ISO 11011 standard with a view to

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COMPRESSED AIR products for both end-use applications and compressed air waste. This approach provides a structured framework for a full system assessment, and then the subsequent reporting and documenting of findings. In doing so, it will enable end-users to set a baseline as identified above and then opportunities for improvement can be identified.

A range of methodologies Not all compressed air systems are the same. Some may vary in terms of age, application, size or location so the requirements for assessment will vary. To compensate for this variety, the standard also identifies the relevant methodologies that should be used for assessment, which might include observation and research, spot check measurements or data logging, including real-time trend analysis. This means that plant engineers or service providers can use the most appropriate methodology, either in part or full. So, for example, it may not be necessary to carry out extensive data logging if simple observations and existing data are enough to complete the assessment.

A whole system approach

improving compressor performance. So what is ISO 11011 exactly? The standard identifies the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the assessment, categorising compressed air systems in to three functional subsystems. The first of these is supply, which includes the conversion of the primary energy source to compressed air energy. Second is transmission, which takes account of the movement of compressed air energy from where it is generated to the point of use. And finally is the installation’s demand for air, including the total of all compressed air consuming

As with any industrial process’ analysis, factoring in a whole system approach, rather than concentrating on select, individual components, will enable a more comprehensive understanding of the energy performance of the installation. Typically this process would start with defining the scope of a full assessment of the system. This could include areas such as compressed air use and leakage, air storage and distribution, downstream equipment and air treatment as well as overall compressed air demand. Data and observations can then be collected from each area, assessed and remedial or upgrade work undertaken to deliver improved cost efficiencies. For example, the findings might be used to determine the air leakage rate. Fixing

a leak of just three millimetres could save a business more than £700 a year, and, with a number of unobtrusive methods now available to detect leaks, such as permanent flow meters, there is often no need to halt production for the survey to take place. Elsewhere, the assessment may help to identify if air distribution could be improved by minimising friction and pressure drops, whether the air is being over-treated or if the air storage system could benefit from being resized for average demand rather than maximum. ISO 11011 can also be used to identify simple steps to improve compressor efficiency by managing the air circulating through the system. For example, for every half bar reduction in pressure drop approximately three per cent of electrical power required by the compressor can be saved. Simple steps such as regularly checking the inlet filtration system for dust and dirt can help to avoid pressure drops. In addition, a four-degree reduction in the inlet air temperature leads to drier air at a higher density that can improve compressor efficiency by up to one per cent. Correctly sizing the air receiver is important as it has a direct impact on the reliability, consistent air delivery and efficiency of the compressed air system. The ISO 11011 standard can help identify if the receiver is under sized, which can cause the compressor to cycle in response to small changes in pressure, or if installing a more effective control system would help to balance the volume of air stored with the demand from the compressor. Many BCAS members can offer an assessment of the compressed air system in accordance with ISO 11011. BCAS also offers a one-day introduction to the standard for plant engineers and operations’ teams. For details of the day’s introduction and BCAS members visit www.bcas.org.uk

British Compressed Air Society Tel: 020 7935 2464 www.bcas.org.uk info@bcas.org.uk BCAS is the UK trade body which acts as a “onestopshop” for compressed air and vacuum. It has a range of fact sheets, publications, training courses and seminars. BCAS members be they manufacturers, suppliers or users of compressed air equipment, all benefit from specialist tailored advice on technical and legislative matters. Energy Efficient Solutions

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POLICY & LEGISLATION

Ramping up UK energy efficiency – encourage or incentivise? Post COP21 – a need for action not words

hatever your views on the outcomes and agreements from COP21 the messages around energy are clear. Produce renewably and, far more importantly, reduce and manage demand. As the UK reviews its position on fiscal treatment of energy this is not always the plain sailing you would perhaps expect. As a society we constantly find new ways to use more energy and, at a global level, this is partly linked to greater prosperity in developing countries but more so to exponential growth in population. Hopefully this will be balanced as least in part by technical improvement. A lot of noise is made around events such as COP21, which certainly raises awareness of issues, extravagantly & bureaucratically, and makes it increasingly important that nations drive their own efficiency programmes. While there’s talk of a lot of collaboration “management by committee” has never been a cause for celebration, or success. Speaking of committees, the EU is the master of bureaucratic confusion and demonstrates that “one size fits all” will never work. Not a recipe for getting things done successfully as I’m sure our own David Cameron will attest after his recent quaint attempts to persuade EU member states to change their ways to mirror our own rather inconsequential wants and needs.

So, the burning question, what should we do? Thinking primarily of buildings, which provide significant ongoing potential for savings, there are probably two sensible routes.

The new and refurbished Route 1 concerns new facilities, mainly buildings. Generally this, from observation, is on track, on the agenda and allows some of the most innovative technologies to be incorporated into designs. Encouraged and

pinned down by progressively tightening Building Regulations and commercial common sense new buildings are becoming ever more efficient and often incorporate renewable/shared energy generation as well as that improved efficiency. Similar efficiency is being driven through the transport and manufacturing sectors through their tightening of standards and increased expectations on performance and the economics which go with it. The UK uniquely has set itself apart by setting eye-watering targets for a number of energy-related aspirations, risking placing us at a commercial disadvantage and risking corporate exits to lower energy price zones around the globe. There is much hypocracy when comparing UK intensive user rates for energy against those in the rest of Europe. While much research, development, creativity and innovation have been, and are being, devoted in this space there are a number of ongoing flaws which must as a priority be remedied if progress is to continue apace. 1. Commissioning & handover of new schemes and buildings. Because of insufficient time allocation within project processes this area often suffers and sometimes doesn’t happen at all, meaning that the expected design efficiency is, in reality, way below the planned level and costs those paying the energy bills significantly more than expected. Surely the main contractors should pick up the tab for this? Penalties should most definitely be applied by clients for a shortfall in performance but how often does this happen? 2. “Value engineering” continues to reduce capital costs at the major expense of future running costs by taking out key energy efficiency components from new builds and refurbishments. See also “design & builds” where contractors skimp on energy efficiency systems and equipment. 3. Management of ongoing performance is often missing and results in excessive energy consumption and running costs. Skills and expertise in running buildings

effectively from an energy performance perspective are still far too scarce. 4. Innovative technologies often take far too long to become established and opportunities to introduce them earlier are missed. 5. Measuring and comparing energy efficiency still seems to be a major problem. Taking the (mandatory) Display Energy Certificates in the Public Sector one must lament their practical use for comparing energy performance – there is a need for urgent review which may come from the UK GBC’s recent initiative.

Moving to the existing stock The bulk of buildings, processes and vehicles – those that already exist – and with experience of the Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme, improving efficiency is probably more about the financials, ownership, energy management of assets and activities than it is about the actual technologies themselves. Some of the fundamental problems have been associated with a complete absence of meaningful data on which to base scientific audit routines. A screeching need for an appropriate level of granular metering which is standardized, easy to collect data from and link to management controls would save £billions very rapidly but again needs linkage to some accurate form of comparison. The current programmes are too slow. Lets not forget energy management skills. Very few buildings are run with energy efficiency as the prime driver - after core business of course. Energy management is often lumped in with FM, waste management, cleaning, sustainability and other activities which actually conflict with sound energy management. Take maintenance, for example, whereby plant and equipment is used well beyond its accounting life resulting in poor performance, breakdowns and additional cost rather than biting the bullet and replacing it. Similarly how many maintenance programmes are driven with energy efficiency as the prime consideration? Continued on page 20

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POLICY & LEGISLATION

What a difference a 50% cut in energy costs would make to most businesses – it won’t come from the supply side so has to come from a radical and persistent approach to reducing demand. Let us hope the Government’s current review drives an accelerating efficiency agenda – soon!

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POLICY & LEGISLATION

Continued from page 18 Energy management is massively influenced by finance. Whether it’s related to market commodity costs, infrastructural needs or equipping facilities with “state of the art” plant, systems, lighting and more the concerns are over: 1. Making cost reductions 2. Return on investment 3. Availability of capital 4. Avoiding thinking about life cycle costs This provides several potential areas where the Government may usefully intervene (lite) to encourage energy efficiency.

What can inform the revolution? I’d identify a number of key measures – mostly financial but some managerial – which would help: 1. Make energy efficiency a tax-deductible activity, any expenditure on efficiency schemes, R & D, monitoring and metering systems should be given a simple relief from Corporation Tax. This could even include the cost of energy management itself. 2. Measures should encourage, rather than purely incentivize, greater efficiency. Who needs subsidies when ROI’s can top 50% p.a.? 3. Penalties from schemes like ESOS, whatever is chosen as the future 20 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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demand side option, should be recycled into training, and licencing, qualified energy managers. 4. Perhaps a system of “energy efficiency capital credits” as a levy on I & C energy bills to artificially inflate the cost of energy and make efficiency more financially worthwhile. The credits could be used, perhaps through energy suppliers with services arms, to pay for energy efficiency work. Either way, a mechanism which rewards efficiency simply and quickly. 5. Replace the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme with one or more of the above. 6. Set tangible targets for energy reduction and make it mandatory to have an auditable energy management plan covering perhaps 5 years forward setting out potential savings and the cost to achieve them. This would be of far more practical use than the woollier aspects of ESOS and could be incorporated into ISO50001 easily. 7. Mandate landlords immediately to sub-meter tenants on a retrospective basis. Landlords are some of the biggest energy suppliers, to their tenants, and

don’t suffer the degree of regulation applied to primary energy suppliers – perhaps they should! 8. Finally, I would link energy efficiency to Business Rates much as Vehicle Tax is linked to emissions.

Marketing the benefits? Taking some of the grander aspirations of COP21 it surely isn’t sensible for a nation’s flagship energy efficiency scheme to quote the benefits of saving 0.7%, as DECC does. What about 40% or even 50% over a defined and manageable timescale with structured guidance, and incentives, for getting there? And extend throughout SMEs. What a difference a 50% cut in energy costs would make to most businesses – it won’t come from the supply side so has to come from a radical and persistent approach to reducing demand. Let us hope the Government’s current review drives an accelerating efficiency agenda – soon!

Mervyn Bowden Chartered Energy Manager FEI FIET Formerly Head of Energy Management for the Marks & Spencer Group Mervyn has extensive experience in both the supply & demand side of energy management as well as, more recently, in management consulting and the design & delivery of related training subjects.

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ESOS NEWS

ESOS – the proof of the audit is in the saving If anyone needs convincing of the value of ESOS, we have the evidence. Over the course of the first tranche of ESOS compliance, we worked with a number of organisations and identified hundreds of energy-saving opportunities, the potential value of which was millions of pounds of savings says Thomas Whiffen.

sing half-hourly energy data, utility bills, finance records and mileage claims, we identified energy savings totalling 29 GWh per year, the equivalent of £12.5 million per year off fuel and utility bills. One particular situation we experienced among our site visits and examination of various plant rooms across the country was at a commercial site where they had an onsite combined heat and power plant. Although they were using the power, they were dumping the heat into the atmosphere, only to use lots of energy heating hot water for their industrial washing facility. On top of that, there was no space heating in their centre during winter. The solution was to re-engineer the systems to produce space heating during the winter and deliver low-carbon pre-heating for the industrial washing facility. Together, these two solutions are set to save £40,000 and 1.7 GWh per year.

Our experience and top 12 ESOS insights: t There was positive engagement from the organisations we audited. t The ESOS process improved energy-use record keeping. t ESOS also improved energy awareness, and improving the visibility of their energy consumption helped organisations identify energy-saving opportunities. t Major energy-saving opportunities were identified through behaviour change initiatives in both buildings and transport – in the case of the latter through reducing the number of miles driven and incentivising improved driving techniques. t Major energy efficiency improvements were achieved through modernising the technology used to monitor and control energy, especially in areas of high energy demand. t There was scope for energy management behaviour to be improved

in all the buildings we audited. t Likewise, there was room for all organisations to improve the support they provided to their staff through awareness and training initiatives. t Lighting upgrades and boiler replacements reduced lighting and heating demand by 25-50%. t Those organisations using fuel card systems were able to provide energy consumption data for their transport systems more easily, and the availability of driver fuel-use data made it easier to undertake behaviour-change programmes. t The true benefit and power of ESOS compliance will be in the number and value of energy saving opportunities that are actually implemented. t Over the next few months, we’ll be

consulting with our clients, revisiting our original audits and working on strategies for implementing the savings we identified. We’ll also consider doing similar work for other ESOS-compliant organisations. t The next stage will be to measure the savings and, finally, to prove the business case. Looking ahead, the National Energy Foundation is leading on a new standard (ISO 17747: Determination of Energy Savings in Organizations) which is now at Final Draft International Standard stage. Once approved, it will provide us with a standardised and an internationally recognised method for measuring energy savings, and give us the ability for improved reporting to our clients.

NEF is an independent charity based in Milton Keynes and has been at the forefront of improving the use of energy in buildings since 1988. We aim to give people, organisations and government the knowledge, support and inspiration they need to understand and improve the use of energy in buildings. Energy Efficient Solutions

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HVAC

The impact of heating regulation While regulations relating to product performance predominantly impact manufacturers they can also have implications for building owners and energy managers. *Ross Anderson of ICOM illustrates this with reference to ErP regulations and the Medium Combustion Plant Directive

nyone involved in managing energy in a commercial or industrial facility will be aware of the significant contribution that heating makes to energy consumption and carbon emissions – as well as the organisation’s overheads. Consequently, regulations and directives that influence the design and specification of commercial and industrial heating plant will inevitably have implications for energy management in such buildings. As a result, it is as well to keep up to speed with developments in these areas. In response to changing regulations and standards, manufacturers are engaged in an evolutionary process of product design to ensure compliance and also exploit new technologies. In the main, these efforts are directed at improving energy efficiency and reducing emissions as these deliver both financial and environmental benefits. The result of this is that products have continued to improve and this is clearly a benefit to all concerned. When it comes to the development of EU regulations and directives, however, there is also a significant political element. This means that what is technically achievable or desirable does not always come to fruition as it is overruled by politics. This is evidenced by the ErP (Energyrelated Products) Directive, under which sit the Ecodesign requirements for energyrelated products. The purpose of these regulations is to ensure that products continue to improve and that manufacturers are required to comply with a standardised set of performance standards. Ecodesign has a number of sections, known as ‘Lots’, each of which has a fairly broad scope. Until September 2015 much of the attention from the heating industry was on Lots 1 & 2. Lot 1 covers the Ecodesign requirements for space heaters and combination heaters, which refers to boilers up to 400 kW operating on gas and oil fuels. Lot 2 relates to water heaters and storage tanks up to 400kW input or 2000 litres capacity. These Lots came into force last September.

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Lot 1 provides an example of how such regulations can affect both boiler manufacturers and their customers. This is because it requires that manufacturers of boilers with capacities between 70kW and 400kW to include information in the technical fiche. However, they do not need to comply with the more onerous labelling aspects of the regulations that apply to many other product - including boilers below 70kW. Currently, this means that the majority of commercial and industrial boilers will not need to comply with the Ecolabelling regulations, so users of such boilers will not need to concern themselves with this. However, it’s interesting to note that the improved thermal performance of buildings, combined with the growing use and integration of renewables, is leading to a general reduction in the size of boilers required for commercial applications. Looking to the future, this may well result in more sub-70kW boilers being used in these applications – though by then the regulations will probably have changed again!

by Lot 15 and the MCP Directive. In fact, the original draft document for Lot 15 had a scope up to 1,000kW but this was reduced to 500kW in a subsequent draft, to fall in line with the current standard – EN303. ErP Lot 15 has particularly serious implications for biomass and other solid fuel boilers, as the Ecodesign requirements set limits for emissions as well as efficiency. Under Lot 15, emissions levels are at such a low level that current designs will find

Lots of uncertainty As is often the case with such regulations, there are areas of uncertainty within these Lots. For example, when new boiler shells and burners up to 400kW are supplied separately, as it is still unclear whether these fall within the scope of Lot 1. In relation to upgrades, it has been confirmed that identical replacements items will be available up to the 26th September 2018. Another area of uncertainty is the status of the regulations for gas and oil boilers between 400kW and 1MW, and solid fuel boilers between 500kW and 1MW (the latter being covered under Lot 15). This is because larger boilers (1MW to 50MW) have to comply with the Medium Combustion Plant (MCP) Directive – so there is a large gap between the 400kW gas and oil boilers covered by Lot 1 and the 1 MW boilers covered by the MCP Directive. There is a similarly large gap between the solid fuel boilers up to 500 kW covered

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HVAC it very difficult to comply. For example, to ensure that biomass boilers meet particulate matter (PM) levels the most effective solution will be to add filters in the flue outlet on the boiler. These will require more plant room space and will add to overall costs.

Medium Combustion Plant Directive Many readers of The Energyst will also be affected by the MCP Directive, which will come into force for new equipment on the 1st January 2018 and be implemented through the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations. The MCP Directive covers all plant with a net thermal input between 1MW and 50MW that combusts any fuel (gas, oil, biomass etc.). As a result it applies to a wide range of equipment types, including boilers, CHP, diesel generators and incinerators.

While new equipment is affected from January 2018, for existing equipment above 5MW the deadline is 2025 and for equipment below 5MW itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2030. It has passed through the European Parliament and was submitted to the European Council of Members in December 2015. The details of how it will be implemented will be laid down by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) in the UK. It is estimated that 90% of the affected plant will fall into the 1MW to 5MW range. Of these, around 80% of these items will be boilers, the remainder being made up of engines and gas turbines. The requirements of the MCP Directive are currently focused solely on emissions of sulphur dioxide, NOx and particulates, referred to as Emission Limit Values (ELVs). While most modern gas and oil

combustion equipment will be able to meet the Directiveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ELV requirements, biomass boilers may require abatement and there will be implications for existing plant beyond 2025. There are a number of factors to be aware of in understanding the scope of the Directive. For example, in the past this plant has not been subject to monitoring but the MCP Directive will introduce a registration scheme that will include testing schedules. It is anticipated that this will build into a Europe-wide register/database as the Directive is rolled out across all EC members. At the moment the details of the registration procedure have not been fully determined. We know that building Continued on page 24

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HVAC Continued from page 23 owners will have to register their plant within four months of a certain date, and that date is likely to be the time of handover, but this is still subject to confirmation. The testing schedules will vary for different sizes of plant. Plant from 1MW to 20MW will need to be monitored every three years by measuring emissions and submitting them to the relevant body (which body is yet to be determined). For plant between 20MW and 50MW, testing will be an annual requirement. An important point is how the size of the plant is defined. For example, each item (e.g. boiler) is classified as an item of plant – so the MCP Directive does not apply to cascades of smaller boilers that add up to over 1MW. However, when several items of plant over 1MW share a common flue these will be aggregated. So, for instance, six existing 1MW boilers sharing a common flue would be classified as ‘over 5MW’ and would therefore fall within the remit of the Directive in 2025 rather than 2030. Any plant that fails the emissions test will need to undergo some form of rectification or, if this is not practical, it will need to be replaced. There will be penalties for the owners of any plant that does not comply, though what those penalties might be is also unclear at this stage.

Exceptions There are also some exceptions, including items of plant that are run for less than 500 hours per annum – such as many standby diesel generators. The Directive also makes allowance for exceptional circumstances by allowing this run-time to be averaged over a three year period. This means that if a major situation led to extended use of standby generators in one year the plant would remain exempt if the total use of that year and the following two years did not exceed 1,500 hours. When the details of the MCP Directive were first mooted it would have been difficult for many existing plant designs to comply. However, subsequent discussions between various groups, including ICOM, have led to less onerous requirements so that most modern gas and oil fired products will comply relatively easily. In the case of particulates from biomass boilers, however, it is unlikely that many of the standard cyclone filters currently in use will enable compliance, so more 24 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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efficient filtration methods will need to be introduced.

Implications Clearly these areas of uncertainty represent a major headache for the manufacturers as a lack of clarity makes it difficult to reach informed decisions about where best to make future investment in production. However, it is not just manufacturers that are affected as the absence of a clear policy potentially creates issues for building owners/operators and specifiers as well. For example, it could potentially encourage the use of less efficient boilers in the range between 400kW and 1000kW as these will only have to meet existing regulations. Similarly, if the specification is for a 1.2 MW boiler it would fall within the remit of the MCP Directive, whereas 2 x 600kW boilers would not necessarily be covered by the new regulations. Moreover, a specifier selecting

separate boilers and burners under 400 kW has no meaningful guidance as to what performance criteria will ensure compliance. This could lead to specifications as vague as ‘in accordance with the Ecodesign Directive’. However, the situation isn’t all negative. Ultimately these regulations serve to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, and progress is already being made with the issues described above. The Industrial and Commercial Energy Association (ICOM) is one of the key bodies representing UK interests on the various technical committees involved, working with other bodies to try to achieve the right balance between regulation and practicality. Compromise is inevitable but the overall direction is forward, and that’s what counts. *Ross Anderson is Director of ICOM.

The Industrial and Commercial Energy Association (ICOM) is a not-for-profit trade association, representing and promoting the interests of the non-domestic heating sector since 1933. By working closely with governments, professional bodies and associations at National and European level, our work generates tangible benefits for members and is instrumental in the development of product and installation standards. http://icom.org.uk

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POLICY & LEGISLATION

The good, the bad and the ugly: UKAEE reflections on UK Energy efficiency legislation

ove it or hate it any discussion about energy efficiency or carbon legislation tends to bring out a strong emotional response in anyone who has to work with it. With the recent announcement of the abolishment of the CRC from April 2019, and the ongoing energy efficiency taxation review, the UKAEE looks at the good, the bad and the ugly of the ever changing energy efficiency legislation landscape and what might develop in future.

Administration and Compliance Good CCL – easy to implement and understand and delivered directly to the bill Bad

ESOS – brought in quickly and allows for a lot of interpretation meaning both those who comply through doing the bear minimum and those that go the whole hog are not distinguished between externally

Ugly

CRC – burdensome and suffering from changes which undermined its credibility

Aims and Objectives

Administration and Compliance

All energy efficiency legislation is brought in with the aim of tackling the energy trilemma (whether you consider that to be economic, environmental and social; or security, sustainability and affordability/equity) and necessitated by the country’s commitment to meet legally binding carbon emissions targets. Even those that find such schemes burdensome or financial costly tend to agree with the aim and objectives, if not the delivery.

The scale of effort required to administer and comply with energy efficiency legislation varies considerably. Ranging from the basic and effective at the point of consumption (CCL) to the more complex cap and trade CRC and EU ETS schemes through to ESOS designed to identify opportunities and encourage rather than mandate investment in energy efficiency. The Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a financial levy on every kWh of electricity and gas consumed, which is delivered

straight to the bottom line through an additional cost line on energy bills. The Carbon Reduction Commitment_ Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC_EES) and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme are two different cap and trade systems with a number of similarities. They are seen as administratively burdensome requiring significant data reporting in a stringent format. In the first year of CRC compliance a feted league table ranking performance provided a real upside to Continued on page 26 Energy Efficient Solutions

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POLICY & LEGISLATION Continued from page 25

ESOS the new kid on the block

committed companies who saw it as a good PR opportunity. However this turned into somewhat of a joke as the first league table saw many companies achieving ‘equal’ performance and being ranked alphabetically. The second compliance period table never happened further denting the CRC’s credibility. What was originally a carbon reduction incentive scheme with some teeth, got diluted down into effectively just another tax. When the CRC_EES came into force, most reacted quickly and set systems and teams in place in order to develop their approaches to delivering the CRC. Scare stories abound with even a prison sentence a possibility for heads of organisations that actively flouted the CRC rules and regulations. A lot of ground had to be covered. Suddenly, departments within organisations that had not had to consider carbon before had to form cross-departmental teams to address the legislation. For the first time for many, they were reporting on carbon or energy consumption. This drove the need for carbon or energy management and the need of an Energy Manager role in the organisation was increased – no bad thing overall. Many opportunities arose from the compliance with the CRC scheme. All of a sudden, organisations started reviewing their inventories and estate portfolios and looked for ways to deliver energy / carbon savings. As the CRC requires engagement from the senior management team, it was the first time that many Directors had more direct sight of the energy spend and at the cost savings opportunities. It was also understood by many organisations that the financial benefit of achieving energy reduction could be translated to reputational benefit or brand marketing, something engineers tend to divorce themselves from but which is vitally important to corporate sustainability. The CRC worked as the lever for many organisations to set energy reduction targets and to publicly commit to savings via annual reports or annual Corporate Social Responsibility reports. But all the benefits above did not come easily. The complex legislation of the scheme required a considerable amount of administrative effort to either gather the data or determine whether a supply was reportable or not. This made organisations realise their energy spend and where/ what/why they were metered! The old adage: you cannot measure what you cannot meter became alive. 26 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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The Energy Saving Opportunities Scheme (ESOS) delivered more through guidance than strict rules, this requires energy data collation (although nowhere near as burdensome as the CRC) and energy audits covering 90% of energy used in a company’s buildings and transport fleet (with sampling allowed as long as all main various building and transport types are covered). Due to the tight timescales required for implementation, certain historic audits could be used for compliance in the first period.

Scope CCL applies to nearly all non-domestic energy users and they are all able to minimise its financial impact by reducing consumption. The CRC & EU ETS on the other hand are applicable only to significant energy users and can vary from applying to a whole organisation to one site within it. They cover both public and private sector that may be in neither, either or both schemes. Schemes are able to be “played” somewhat without achieving any direct carbon emissions reductions – the

Scope Good CCL – covering all Bad

CRC and EU ETS – loopholes meant some had to do more to comply than others

Ugly

ESOS – confusing criteria on who was captured, the university question rumbled on and on

“Thresholds can reveal contradictory compliance routes. Considering EUETS and CRC - if you are just over the border line for EUETS what is your incentive to reduce your demand, as coming out could mean being encapsulated in CRC which would more than likely cost more in compliance. The financial burden of energy legislation tends to be highlighted rather than the reduction in carbon and its environmental benefits.”

Eunice Mabey - Vice President UKAEE

whole purpose of the scheme. ESOS has somewhat overcomplicated rules related to company structures, partly due to it being applicable across the EU. In the main this applies only to the private sector, although universities with over half its income coming from private sources were covered (e.g. Oxford University).

Savings Delivery CCL has a 2-fold incentive to reduce energy consumption with every kWh avoided brings a direct financial saving of 0.59p (electricity) or 0.195p (gas) levy. For those in certain energy-intensive industries, the ability to join a CCA allowed additional CCL savings of up to 80% of the levy paid, requiring measuring, monitoring and committing to achieving year-on-year reductions. With the CRC & EU ETS, emission credits are required to match emissions made.

Savings delivered Good CRC and EU ETS – the cap helps UK plc achieve consumption reduction, with individual companies making their own decisions as to pay for credits or for consumption reductions initiatives Bad

CCL – direct financial benefit for every kWh saved direct in the bill, also weighted to encourage electricity savings which are more environmental damaging to produce/deliver to site but not necessarily any focus from directors/senior management level for top level buy in to reduce consumption.

Ugly

ESOS – compliance is perfectly possible without achieving any reductions at all.

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POLICY & LEGISLATION UKAEE covers a range of expertise in the energy management and energy efficiency sectors. It delivers a range of technical focussed seminars and offers excellent networking opportunities for energy and sustainability professionals.

While companies are provided with a certain ‘free’ allocation, any additional emissions must be covered by purchased emissions, which are cheaper at the beginning of a compliance period than at the end. This encourages companies to accurately forecast consumption and reduce it; however if a company is willing to they can simply buy compliance and not reduce consumption at all going against the thrust of the scheme to drive down emissions. With ESOS many have felt this was a real opportunity missed as the requirement is only to identify opportunities and not implement them.

What can we learn CCL is a good if basic means of encouraging energy efficiency through price mechanisms. Its importance will grow as CRC disappears but energy legislation should be smarter and go further. The CRC is seemingly both bad and ugly – as it is being phased out, suffered badly from the changes made, loss of league table turning it into a tax and its burdensome administration. However its aims were admirable and some of the ideas that it has lost, if implemented correctly could have been game changers. ESOS suffers from not requiring any actual consumption reduction, but is an administrative breeze compared with the CRC and good at raising energy efficiency profile with the required director level sign-off. A good start on the road to drive down energy consumption and spend in larger organisations.

Reforming energy efficiency legislation With the aim of “simplifying reporting and taxes to reduce administrative burdens” the Treasury- lead “Reforming the business energy efficiency tax landscape”

consultation was developed to reduce the current raft of carbon related reporting schemes and reduce administrative burdens. As the consultation develops in to actual legislation or reform, it is important that the benefits of the current schemes that have worked in a positive manner for many organisations should not be lost. Annual reporting requirements should be retained in order to maintain momentum and the senior management commitment as well as continue to develop deeper understanding of energy, fuel consumption and the associated carbon emissions in the UK. It should apply to both public and private organisations and introduce a financial reward for energy reduction measures. What is clear though is that we do need one simplified method of reporting carbon and energy savings that removes administration burden but encourages investment in a range of energy efficiency measures and demand side mechanisms that meets, exceeds and rewards those that go beyond, EU and national targets.

Future We need to be both consistent in legislation and in our approach to have a common method to report on carbon or energy use and savings – be it ESOS, CRC, or something else. Whatever the legislation there are a range of measures of good, bad and ugly in turn with certain key points of the different schemes. Picking the best bits out of all the recent energy efficiency related legislation to create a hybrid of some form could work

It offers Continued Professional Development opportunities for AEE certifications such as Certified Energy Manager, Certified Measurement and Verification Professional and Certified Energy Auditor. Membership to the UKAEE is currently free. For more information on UKAEE or how to join, please visit www.ukaee.org.uk and it will be interesting to see what finally emerges out of the energy efficiency simplification process lead by the Treasury. CCL monies could be made available for companies to implement the opportunities identified through ESOS, with others facing financial penalties for remaining inefficient and doing nothing to attempt to drive down energy consumption and demand in their organisations. Whatever develops in the coming years, and as the fallout from the UK EU vote unfolds, the role of the Energy Manager in delivering year on year reductions in energy consumption in UK organisations will remain critical in helping to maintain financial sustainability.

‘’CCL is sometimes used in an Energy Performance Contract model and therefore when CRC is added to this, it will in effect, make the EPC more attractive as the overall financial saving will be greater’’ Rajvant Nijjhar, President , UKAEE.

The UK Association of Energy Engineers is an organisation for individuals with an active interest in energy saving at work. UKAEE is also the UK Chapter of the Association of Energy Engineers. Energy Efficient Solutions

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FINANCE

Investors with €1bn to spend on energy efficiency seek UK projects

consortium of banks and infrastructure investors that aims to invest over €1 billion in energy efficiency projects launched in April. The Investor Confidence Project Europe has created the consortium in a bid to bring together those with capital and those with good quality energy efficiency projects looking for funding. ICP Europe has been working to standardise energy efficiency projects for some time. Last year, it created its first set of protocols in a bid to scale the market and make energy efficiency a more investible asset class. ICP Europe senior advisor, Dr. Steven Fawkes, told The Energyst then that a lack of data and standardisation was preventing otherwise viable projects from being bankable when presented to financiers. More robust data presented in a standardised format would de-risk projects and reduce transaction costs, he said, enabling an energy efficiency market to be created. With those protocols developed and in market, the Investor Network is ready to start scaling investment. Founder members include: Amber Infrastructure, which runs the London Energy Efficiency Fund as well as other listed Infrastructure Public Partnerships fund; The Carbon and Energy Fund; Cut Power; Cleantech Leasing; The European Energy Efficiency Fund; Energy Efficiency and Renewable Sources Fund; Joule Assets; Menhaden Capital; PIB Ltd ; The Royal Bank of Scotland; Suma Capital; SUSI Partners and Triodos Bank. Some of those member firms will offer developers incentives such as accelerated underwriting, reduced transaction fees, and preferable terms for certified projects. “The potential market for building retrofits in Europe is worth upwards of €100 billion per year, presenting a massive, untapped investment opportunity,” said Panama Bartholomy, Director of ICP Europe. “Offering investors a common language to compare risks and savings makes projects simpler, decisions easier, and project performance more reliable. We invite cities, building owners, and local governments that develop these types of projects to meet with our Investor Network to help finance them.”

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“As an alternative, innovative financing instrument for energy efficiency projects in the public sector, we in Europe, believe standardised energy upgrade approaches can accelerate project progress and facilitate a more structured project development approach to get access to financing,” said Lada Strelnikova, Director Deutsche Asset Management and Investment Manager for the European Energy Efficiency Fund. “The key obstacle that stands in the way of investors allocating capital to energy efficiency projects is the lack of any kind of

standardisation. The ICP Europe Investor Network is a key step towards turning such projects into an investible asset class,” said Ben Goldsmith, CEO of Menhaden Capital Management LLP. ICP Europe said it has also created strategic alliances with the financial, real estate, and energy efficiency sectors in the form of an Ally Network and Steering Group to continue developing and maintaining its energy performance protocols, and to make energy efficiency projects more market-ready and investorfriendly.

The Investor Confidence Project defines a clear road-map from retrofit opportunity to reliable Investor Ready Energy Efficiency. ICP aims to reduce transaction costs by assembling existing standards and practices into a consistent and transparent process that promotes efficient markets by increasing confidence in energy efficiency as a demand-side resource. www.eeperformance.org

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FINANCE

Landlords and investors ‘don’t trust energy efficiency solutions providers’

istrust in energy efficiency solutions providers and lack of a standardised methodology for appraising project viability are discouraging commercial landlords and property investors from making energy efficiency investments. According to a survey of property investors, the current regulatory framework is also too complex, government incentives are lacking and payback periods for many improvements are just too long. A survey of 600 property managers and investors by property consultants Tuffin Ferraby Taylor found the principle barriers to energy efficiency are financial, but that a lack of trust in available solutions is also an inhibitor. The survey found that 90% of respondents said energy efficiency was a higher business priority than five years ago. Three quarters of respondents have also undertaken energy audits of buildings and portfolios. However, only 35% have introduced a formal energy management system. While 60% of investors said energy policies and regulations have helped them become more energy efficient, 76% said current polices are too complex. Meanwhile, 82% of owners and investors in commercial property said that a lack of government incentives – e.g. tax breaks to direct funding – is now a major barrier to energy efficiency measures becoming significantly more widespread across the UK real estate. Eight out of ten investors cited budgetary restrictions as the principal barrier to taking action, and claim that energy efficiency projects do not meet financial criteria, and some respondents suggested investing in projects with long payback periods could even reduce a property’s asset value. Furthermore, three quarters of investors are concerned about a lack of impartiality in the market among advisors and stakeholders. Two thirds of investors indicated a lack of trust or confidence that end-users of buildings will have the correct support or incentive to implement energy efficiency measures.

“With the removal of government incentives, combined with the sheer complexity and scale of the myriad pieces of energy regulation and policy statements, we have the perfect storm creating an erosion of confidence in the sector that has become a major barrier to implementing efficiency measures,” said Mat Lown, partner and head of sustainability at TFT. “60% of investors can see the clear investment potential of energy efficiency projects but, to date, investment has been targeted towards the large-scale projects. We hope that with more mainstream banks beginning to provide funding,

smaller-scale projects will be able to attract funding streams. “Lack of confidence came across strongly among many respondents. The market could benefit from standardised methodology for appraising the viability of projects. Particularly among investors, knowing that the advice they were receiving is truly independent is clearly a high priority.” He added that remains to be seen “exactly how much European legislation will be retained and whether the UK Brexit vote means a more simple approach to energy regulation and policy”. Energy Efficient Solutions

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Salix – A financial success story Sustainable Energy Association’s Policy Advisor Fraser Wallace talks to Paul Smyth, head of programmes, Salix Finance about the public sector finance scheme

alix Finance is a Government funded organisation set up to enable public sector investment in energy efficient technologies. The programme has delivered interest free loans for more than 10 years and has financed over 13,000 energy saving projects, valued at £420million. Salix continues to have funding to support the public sector in delivering further projects. Here, Paul Smyth, the Head of Programmes, answers some frequently asked questions.

1. What was the motivation for the creation of Salix Finance? The public sector was recognised as a key element in delivering the UK’s Climate Change Programme, and their engagement on emission reduction was considered essential if the UK was to deliver its targets of a 20% CO2 emissions reduction by 2010. Although the public sector emitted a relatively small proposition of UK emissions, public bodies had the opportunity to take a clear leadership role by influencing carbon savings. There was also a growing need

Salix publishes research into energy savings, monitoring and reporting for Salix funded projects Salix today has published a research report which explores the extent to which predicted energy savings from Salix funded projects are realised in the view of the recipients of Salix funding. It also explores the methods employed by public sector organisations to monitor and report on energy and carbon savings. The research, undertaken by the UCL Energy Institute, found that the majority of survey respondents reported that energy savings from Salix funded projects have been in line with expectations or greater than expected. Nearly all survey respondents recognised the value of monitoring and reporting energy savings in order to justify the investments made and to provide evidence for future investments, and the report details the current energy monitoring and reporting methods that they have in place. This report follows on from previous research, also undertaken by the UCL Energy Institute, which demonstrated that Salix loan funding is ensuring that public sector energy-efficiency projects are able to go ahead in the absence of sufficient alternative funding. To date, Salix funding of over £450m has been provided to public sector organisations across more than 14,000 projects. It is estimated that these projects will save the public sector over £110m each year. All projects submitted to Salix for funding undergo an assessment process to ensure that estimated energy savings are reasonable for the project in question.

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to accelerate the update of low carbon technologies in the sector. The Carbon Management programme ran by the Carbon Trust demonstrated an appetite to engage in such work, however the public sector appeared to be hampered by a lack of consistent funding available for capital purchases. Unlike the private sector, the public sector was not able to benefit from some of the existing financing mechanisms designed to accelerate the uptake of low carbon technologies, such as Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA’s) and Action Energy Loans and so Salix was established. Salix Finance was therefore established in 2004 as a pilot programme of 19 clients and it was their success that gave government funders the confidence to reinvest in further programmes. 2. You mentioned Salix Finance was created as a pilot scheme. Can you give some indication of how the organisation has grown from there? From the pilot of 19 local authority clients, the company has now worked with over 1,500 clients throughout the UK. The funding has enabled the work with local authorities to provide internal loans for energy efficiency projects within their estate and local schools. Recycling Funds were established and financial savings delivered by these projects returned to the fund further projects. Reduced energy bills helped to protect front line services. Focus was on capital with paybacks of less than 5 years. The organisation has expanded into supporting other areas of the public sector with programmes for universities, colleges and hospitals and more recently academy schools. In terms of project value, the average total project cost has increased from approximately £10,000 to £200,000. Examples of large scale projects include a CHP solution costing £6.2million with the University of Liverpool and a £4.3million street-lighting programme with Bournemouth Borough Council. The latter project is expected to make £17million

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FINANCE

savings across its lifetime. Since 2004, Government funders have invested in Salix, which will generate ÂŁ1.4billion lifetime savings. For every ÂŁ1 invested in Salix funded projects, on average ÂŁ4 saved. 3. How does Salix Finance support clients, above simply providing capital injection? The relationship between Salix and the public sector is now very strong and well established. In particular, our website has been hugely successful in promoting this priority policy area of the Government. The knowledge sharing facility has over 300 project knowledge slides for public sector clients to share. There are also over 60 detailed case studies that are openly available. We regularly arrange regional workshops to support current and prospective organisations. This gives organisations a chance to present successful projects and provides support for clients looking to develop their projects and associated savings. When clients submit applications we always try to give feedback on their business cases to ensure successful delivery and reduced risk. When we have hosted technical workshops they have always been on topics where interest is expressed by the public sector bodies, for example, laboratories and street lighting. We are keen to promote the proactive work of our clients and there are a number of excellent education-focused films that highlight the energy saving potential for schools. Salix led Ministerial visits, such as visit to schools, always involve the students as well as the teachers. It is always our aim to showcase the good work they have been undertaking on their wider

energy and carbon agenda, not just the Salix projects. We regularly celebrate their successful work by tweeting about great projects and their associated saving as well as regular news updates. 4. Your activities are targeted at the public sector. Is there any means for private sector companies to support the more social goal of delivering energy efficiency in public buildings? Yes indeed, be it a consultant, contractor or supplier, all have the potential to work with the public sector to help them develop and deliver Salix funded projects. Our online loan application process is completed in five simple steps and private sector bodies can apply on behalf of the public sector clients. We provide guidance to private sector organisations and have a page on our website dedicated to advising them on the use of Salix. Our funding appeals to a very wide supply basis. We recognise that technology has evolved since 2004 and Salix currently finances over 120 energy efficient measures. These are a blend of replacing old with new technology, such as boilers

and lighting and also increasing the efficiency of existing systems and building stock, such as heating controls, insulation and variable speed drives. As well as the established technologies, such as the above, clients are moving into more innovative areas such as highly efficient ICT data centres and laboratories. These are particular areas of high intensity energy use and, as such, provide significant savings and potential for quick paybacks. In areas such as these, the funding is not just used for the replacement of equipment. It can be used to take new builds beyond their normal level of efficiency enabled by existing budgets, to go to the highest possible level of energy efficiency. Therefore the private sector has a strong role to play. Lastly, Salix continues to have funding to support further projects and more information can we found when you visit our website www.salixfinance.co.uk/ www.sustainableenergyassociation.com

Salix enables public sector organisations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to take a lead in tackling climate change by increasing their energy efficiency. Salix provides 100% interest-free capital for the public sector to reduce their energy costs by enabling the installation of modern, energy efficient technologies and replacing dated, inefficient technologies. www.salixfinance.co.uk Energy Efficient Solutions

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CASE STUDY

ESOS – A costly exercise or a cost-saving revelation?

hen ESOS was first launched back in 2014, many businesses seemed reluctant to go along with it. Some simply saw it as a box-ticking exercise while for others it was just another piece of legislation put in place for no solid reason. Many businesses who were eligible for the scheme did not want to spend any more time or money on ESOS than they had to. Fast forward to today and for the majority, this viewpoint has practically done a complete turnaround.

Creating an opportunity BIU started working with both existing and new customers from late 2014 and immediately saw the scheme as an opportunity to raise awareness of the potential improvements to energy consumption and efficiency. Having already carried out Energy Audits for a large selection of customers, ESOS was seen as a good way to stimulate energy managers into making operational and behavioural changes in the way they used their energy.

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The main factor that surprised ESOS customers was the scope of savings which could be made just by making simple changes. As the audits covered equipment, controls and behaviour, the opportunity for change was vast. This also put a different spin on energy usage which many companies had previously not thought about. For example, many had been tracking energy consumption for years with the presumption that all was sufficient, with the reality being that a consistency in consumption does not necessarily mean efficiency in consumption.

Common outcomes Some of the major areas identified by BIU’s energy audits were as a result of behavioural changes. For example, air conditioning units were being used while doors and windows were open, computers never being shut down and heating being left on overnight. All very simple solutions, which equally made them simple to rectify with impressive results being achieved. Other outcomes of the audits were more complex and recommended adaptions or complete replacement of equipment. As part of the audit reports, BIU provided a detailed proposal for the installation of new equipment, which included life-

cycle cost analysis, and projected energy savings. By working closely with external suppliers and installers, BIU can obtain the best energy efficient solutions and ultimately, achieve the best outcome One of the most common outputs from the assessments was LED lighting, a simple and perhaps obvious solution, yet one which most had not yet implemented. A major concern from many customers was the stigma surrounding LED lighting; Expensive to install, with a poor spread of illumination and unreliable colour rendition. With a little bit of education on the technological developments within lighting and the projected calculated savings, the majority have changed their view and are keen to install new lighting as soon as possible.

Empowering businesses When ESOS was first launched, one of the criteria was to ensure that sign off was granted from a senior director. This was a clever move from the scheme developers as it empowered energy teams to go forward with opportunities and recommendations they previously may not have felt they could. Many customers have stated that it helped to raise awareness of the energy consumption issues that their organisations faced and helped elevate energy as priority topic. So far, the process has resulted in most of BIU’s ESOS customers start the process of implementing some, if not all, of the energy saving recommendations that came about as a result of the Audit. Since launch, BIU have proposed recommendations that would deliver consumption savings of over 24GWh and more than £2m for our ESOS customers alone. This has the combined benefits of not only reducing energy consumption and cost, but also reduces the associated carbon emissions and CRC charges. One of the main stumbling blocks with implementing energy efficiency measures is the initial capital outlay. To ensure customers could make the most out of their ESOS Audit, BIU launched a finance type option. The initial expense is offset against the calculated savings that will be made once the changes are in force. For example, a new LED Lighting system may cost £200,000, which when financed

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CASE STUDY

would cost the customer £4,500/month. However, the calculated energy savings are £5,000 per month, meaning that the initial cost can be redeemed quickly and without any initial outlay from the customer.

“Reducing energy cost and consumption is one of our key objectives at BIU. The ESOS process has allowed us to educate our customers, particularly those where energy consumption was not a main priority, on the importance of implementing energy saving measures. We are extremely gratified with the outcome so far”. Martyn Gilbert, Executive Energy Manager and ESOS Lead Assessor at BIU

ESOS: The future

We are currently sitting in Phase 2 of the scheme with the next stage of surveys and evidence packs requiring submission by December 2019. ESOS is expected to run until 2023 and although part of an EU Directive, it does still sit under UK law so the assumption at present is to carry on as expected. The Environment Agency estimated that 10,000 UK businesses would be eligible for ESOS. This was later downscaled to 8,000. It is estimated that around 6,300 businesses have either complied or notified the EA of their intention to do so, leaving approximately 1,700 organisations yet to indicate their qualification status. It is anticipated that the majority of these are likely to be part way through obtaining ISO500001 certification and consequently will not need to comply with ESOS, meaning that most eligible businesses are up to date. There are monetary penalties in place for those who fail to comply, however, the current approach from the Environment

Agency seems to be to encourage those remaining to comply rather than enforce a fine on them immediately, with the premise that the potential savings alone will be enough of an incentive. If those remaining still fail to comply then it is likely the fine will be enforced. From a business point of view, BIU continue to work with all their ESOS customers to improve their energy efficiency and reduce cost and consumption. At the end of Phase 1 we saw a huge rush in last minute compliance by many companies. Now the majority of eligible ESOS customers are on board, we will hopefully avoid this late rush for the 2019 deadline.

For further information on ESOS compliance and Policy and Legislation within the energy sector, contact BIU on 01253 789816 or email energymanagement@biu.com Energy Efficient Solutions

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COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS

Efficiency under pressure When it comes to energy efficiency, schemes such as ESOS are putting businesses under increasingly intense scrutiny. With this in mind, rotary vane compressor manufacturer Mattei has invested heavily in research and development to produce the most energy efficient fixed speed compressor on the market today, as well as an innovative heat recovery prototype. Andy Jones, managing director at Mattei, explains more.

ince the original ESOS compliance deadline for eligible businesses passed last December, it is estimated that around 9,000 of the UK’s largest organisations have had to comply with the schemei. While only businesses with more than 250 employees or a turnover in excess of €50m are currently required to comply, there is a growing question mark over whether this should be extended to encompass smaller operations, which could mean many more will eventually be affectedii. In preparation for this, plans designed to cut carbon emissions, costs and energy usage are being developed by business owners as they work to optimise the efficiency of their processes. While it may not seem like the obvious place to start, updating a compressed air system can translate to serious energy savings. Often considered to be industry’s fourth utility, compressed air accounts for around 10% of the total electricity consumed in the sector. This means that choosing an efficient system could yield significant energy saving results. In light of this, most, if not all, compressor companies supplying the UK market have been looking at improving the energy efficiency of compressors for some time. However, most of this focus appears to have been on higher efficiency motors and motor speed controllers. At Mattei we have continued to invest in the research and development of our already very efficient compression units (airends) and have now taken them a step further with the launch of the Maxima Xtreme, which is the most energy efficient fixed speed compressor available, with a specific energy efficiency of just 5.2kW/ m³/min. This is around 1.5kW/m³/min better than a good average screw compressor, and around 0.8kW/m³/min better than the best figures claimed by the most efficient. This may not sound a lot, but for a compressor delivering 16m³/min on a 24/7/365 basis this could save around 112,000kWh per annum over its nearest rival. In short, Mattei has optimised the fluid dynamics within its compression unit and developed a new sprayed oil injection system, which, combined with a new high performance lubricant, helps reduce internal friction during compression. Another good energy reduction strategy for compressed air systems is heat recovery. Around 90% of the electrical input used to power a compressor’s motor is converted to heat, and of that, approximately 80% of the 34 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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waste heat could be put to use elsewhere. Standardly, this recovered heat is either used for local space heating, or alternatively, to generate hot water. But, these options aren’t always practical. For example, if the heat is required on the opposite end of the factory from the compressor, and needs to be transferred across, it may not actually end up being that efficient. What’s more, unless the factory or plant need for space heating or hot water is matched to the operating cycle of the compressor, there may still be significant energy wastage. To answer this issue, Mattei has developed the cutting-edge energy saving Xpander prototype, which converts waste heat into electrical energy. Designed to work with air compressors of 50-100kW, the Xpander recovers heat from hot compressor oil, which is ordinarily cooled by a fan, and converts it into electrical power. It can produce 3kWe, which can be fed back into the compressor. When the Xpander is cooling the oil, the compressor’s normal fan cooling system can be turned off, saving a further 2kW. The overall reduction in the specific energy efficiency of the compressor is around six per cent. Energy efficiency is a topic which is not going to fade away. While ESOS may not affect every business yet, it, and energy schemes like it, could well broaden over the coming years as the Government looks for further opportunities to reduce the UK’s overall energy consumption. To prepare for this, air compressor efficiency and waste energy recovery must be a core consideration when constructing energy reduction plans. For more information, visit http://www.mattei.co.uk/ i www.carbontrust.com/news/2016/03/esos-what-have-we-learned-current-energyefficiency-opportunities-large-uk-businesses/ ii www.esos.uk.com/could-including-smes-within-esos-bring-big-benefits/

Mattei Compressors Ltd Admington Lane, Admington, Shipston-onStour, Warwickshire CV36 4JJ Tel: 01789 450577 www.mattei.co.uk

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HVAC

Fine-tuning boiler room performance How can you achieve further energy savings even when your BMS, boiler and other heating controls have been optimised? *Tony Willis explains how

Lincolnshire CC reduces gas consumption by 15%

everal years into the ongoing drive for improved energy efficiency, many energy managers will already have implemented a number of measures to help reduce the energy consumption of their boiler plant. Obvious examples include regular boiler maintenance and perhaps installing automatic meters to help keep track of energy consumption. Other sensible measures would include checking that the building management system (BMS) is optimised and, if not already in place, introducing boiler sequencing and weather compensation strategies etc. However, these measures tend to focus on the overall performance of the combined heating plant, which will typically comprise several boilers. Typically, the BMS won’t be monitoring the boilers individually or fine tuning each boiler load specifically and this is where energy waste can often go unnoticed. Further savings can therefore be achieved by optimising each individual boiler to eliminate boiler dry-cycling, which can potentially deliver additional savings of 10-25% (depending on site and application) with payback typically less than 2 years. These levels of savings can be achieved over and above those being delivered by existing control strategies - and without causing any control conflicts. So when it comes to fine-tuning energy performance, boiler load optimisation is the next logical step.

Sabien’s popular M&V pilot expands

Why does boiler dry cycling happen? Once the building services have been satisfied the boiler or boilers will be at the required set point temperature and naturally begin to cool down due to standing heat loss. Once the temperature has dropped below the setting on the boiler’s thermostat (or as set by the BMS) the boiler will fire just to recover this heat loss. This is boiler dry cycling – the boilers are only firing to recover their own heat loss; there is no actual system demand from the building. If boiler dry cycling is prevented, significant cost savings and reductions in carbon emissions can be achieved. These issues have been recognised for many years but early attempts to tackle boiler dry cycling (some of which have re-emerged) relied on creating a delay between firing cycles or artificially lowering the boiler’s set point. These strategies have the potential to conflict with existing controls and compromise comfort conditions in the building – without delivering appreciable savings.

Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) has reduced its gas consumption by 15% across 23 properties by using Sabien’s M2G to control ‘dry cycling’ of its boilers. The payback for the project is estimated at 2.3 years and CO2 emissions are expected to reduce by 1,980 tonnes over five years. M2G was retrofitted to a total of 82 boilers in residential homes, libraries, registry offices and council offices and integrated with existing building management systems and other controls. Careful planning was crucial to the success of the project and Sabien worked closely with LCC to establish a clearly defined project plan.

Following the success of Sabien’s first FREE M2G pilot programme, which was fully subscribed, we’re planning a similar programme between October 2016 and April 2017.

What is the Pilot Programme? We will install M2G boiler controls in 3 of your buildings and provide measurement and verification in line with IPMVP over 30 days, FREE of charge.

What can you expect from the programme? Sabien will provide a detailed report, in line with the industry standard IPMVP, highlighting the energy and CO2 reduction benefits for those 3 pilot sites. If required, we will also provide a commercial business case for installing M2G across your estate. There is no commitment from you to enter into a commercial agreement with Sabien after the pilot period. Spaces are limited, so if you are interested in participating in our next pilot programme please email reduceC02@sabien-tech.co.uk Sabien’s patented M2G boiler load optimisation technology uses adaptive software. It analyses each boiler’s flow and return temperatures every 10 seconds, and measures the decay of the flow and return temperature every second to provide a true load profile of each individual boiler in real time. Just as importantly, it recalculates the values every time the boiler reaches its required set point temperature, so it adapts to BMS/optimiser variable set-points and does nothing to conflict with other existing controls such as weather compensation, demand control or sequencing etc. The boilers’ original designed set points are not artificially altered. Importantly M2G does not require any calibration or maintenance. The result is that the M2G will enable you to deliver additional savings and carbon emissions which are currently going unnoticed in your boiler room.

Sabien Technology Ltd 34 Clarendon Road, Watford, Herts WD17 1JJ Tel: 0800 082 89 89 Fax: 01923 252318 Email: reduceC02@sabien-tech.co.uk Web: www.sabien-tech.co.uk/m2g Energy Efficient Solutions

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HVAC

Stokvis ECONO-AIR Gas Fired air heaters For use in large open spaces such as factories, warehouses, sports halls, conference centres, exhibition halls, arenas or swimming pools. t Fully modulating burners giving accurate temperature control and high efficiency t High quality anodized frame and insulated panels providing high efficiency and long life t Minimal or no ductwork required t Pressurisation of space ensuring a clean and high quality atmosphere t Ventilation/cooling can be provided during summer months t Flexible installation options

o achieve the best solution for any large open space environment, careful consideration has to be given to a variety of factors, for two spaces of identical size and shape can present very different characteristics and requirements. Compare, for instance, an industrial warehouse where the majority of the activity involves semi-automatic fork-lifts carrying out ‘picking’ operations, with an exhibition space such as east London’s ExCeL Centre. Factors such as occupancy and lighting levels, as well as the size and usage of the entranceways could not be more different. It is vital for the specifier to not only calculate the heat load for the building accurately, but also to model the circulation in what is likely to be a very tall space. Furthermore, the requirements for ventilation, and the replacement of that air must also be taken into consideration. Many modern factories and warehouses feature the use of composite steel cladding panels whose insulated core cuts heat loss through the envelope to a good degree, but warmth will still be lost through ventilation. Where extraction is part of the production process – if dust is generated or fume cupboards have to be employed – this effect will be greatly pronounced. A supply of heated replacement air is therefore required to maintain comfort levels; and if it is not provided the extract system will perform inefficiently and a negative pressure can be created. This could lead to cold air being drawn in through leakage around the envelope. For new installations, the supply of heated make up air can often provide adequate ventilation, without the need to install additional extract units. However, where additional extract is deemed necessary, this can be integrated into the same unit to facilitate 36 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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both input and exhaust flows; with the option of mechanical heat recovery from the exhaust side. The latest gas firing air heaters can meet these combined demands economically, featuring efficiencies of 100 per cent (based on NCV) thanks to fully modulating burners and effective intelligent controls. Fully CE approved, the new Stokvis Econo-Air range of gas fired air heaters encompasses both direct fired (SDF) and indirect fired (SIDF) models which are able to achieve these multiple objectives. A turn-down ratio of 20:1 guarantees flexible response, while output rises from 15-900 Kw for the indirect units, and 30-1200 Kw with the direct firing options. There is also a comprehensive selection of accessories available, enabling the installation to be customised to the different requirements of the building concerned. For heating large open areas it is ideal to have a wide range of air distribution heads available in order to facilitate ductless distribution. This is achieved by slightly pressurising the internal space, to ensure even distribution both vertically and horizontally. This avoids the need for extensive duct runs or de-stratification fans. Where the building geometry does, however, demand ductwork, then Econo-Air units can be supplied with backward or forward curved fans to overcome resistance within the runs of up to 2000 Pascals. With businesses in all sectors seeking to demonstrate their sustainability credentials, and constantly rising energy prices impacting on their profitability, finding fuel efficient and reliable, low maintenance heating systems for their premises is more important than ever. And exactly the same considerations apply to specifiers in the public sector.

Stokvis Energy Systems 96R Walton Road, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 ODL Tel: 020 8783 3050 e-mail: info@stokvisboilers.com www.stokvisboilers.com

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MONITORING & TARGETING

Your energy solution Elcomponent has the resources and experience to provide a solution for all your energy monitoring requirements using both portable and fixed systems. It has supplied more portable energy analysers to UK customers since 1986 than any other single manufacturer, and since 1998 has supplied more than 200 automatic sub-metering systems to applications including MOD sites, government buildings, major supermarkets and a host of manufacturing plants

ll sub-metering systems satisfy the “requirement to monitor” aspects of the Carbon Reduction Commitment and are eligible for Enhanced Capital Allowance tax breaks. Elcomponent is passionate about helping its customers reduce their carbon footprint and cut their energy costs, and has a strong track record of doing so. Its products and services are based on the belief that carbon efficiency and cost reduction are not incompatible – both are realised by simply consuming less energy. By working closely with each customer, that goal is turned into reality. Its market-leading range of portable Energy Data Loggers offers a choice of very capable instruments to suit all applications and budgets. With the emphasis on safe, noninvasive operation all the loggers are suitable for use by nontechnical staff, and are shipped complete with everything you need to start work immediately, including the correct integrated software. The units are fully programmable for survey length and storage value, and feature large non-volatile memory for flexibility and data security. The 3 phase units are supplied with flexible CTs as standard for safety and ease-of-use, and as with all their instruments, full technical support is only a phone call away. Elcomponent’s managing director, Bill Gysin, believes that the SPC range represents outstanding value, not just because of the units’ low prices, but because of their effect on carbon emissions. “Portable data loggers are the gift that keeps on giving, from a carbon perspective,” he says. “You only have to buy the unit once, but virtually every time you use it, it will pinpoint some energy waste or inefficiency – a poorly controlled baseload or whatever – which means over time, a single logger can have a huge effect on an organisation’s carbon footprint.”

On the sub-metering side Elcomponent’s “MeterWeb” (www. meterweb.com) is the first aM&T package designed from the start to be accessible to all. Energy managers have known for a long time that there is only so much you can do with a “top down” approach. At some point, further improvements cannot be made without everyone in the business getting “onside”; becoming energy and carbon aware and pulling together to achieve better results. These results must be easy to access, and easy to understand. “MeterWeb” approaches this by providing multiple user-access levels, with the lowest level being universal. It’s a carbon footprint presentation that is designed to run in reception areas, or as a page on the company website – effectively a dynamic statement of carbon performance and aspirations. Other levels require a specific log-on, but can be tailored for departmental or individual relevance – the user only sees what is relevant to them. Full access is reserved for power users who are able to take advantage of the full spectrum of features, and if necessary, tailor the look and feel of the product for others.

Elcomponent Unit 5 Southmill Trading Centre, Southmill Road, Bishop’s Stortford, Herts CM 23 3DY Tel: 01279 503173 Fax: 01279 654441 Email: Debbie@elcomponent.co.uk Energy Efficient Solutions

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MONITORING & TARGETING

Energy management made easy At Utilitywise, we are embracing BeMS (building energy management systems) and IoT technologies Internet of things) with the launch of a new Energy Services Team.

he team boasts a wealth of expertise bringing together a heavy hitting blend of field operations, energy engineers, analysts and consultancy professionals. Coupled with the traditional utility procurement expertise, Utilitywise offers services and solutions from both sides of the meter. Supplying competitively priced energy procurement while at the same time, assisting customers by reducing demand. The team is 100% focussed on helping customers find new ways to save them time, money and energy. Knowledge of the key components of an energy bill (commodity and non-commodity costs) coupled with an understanding of a building/equipment’s performance and controls is crucial to reducing a growing energy bill. The Energy Services Team embrace leading-edge technologies and analytical software solutions to put business in control of their energy bills by not only reducing energy consumption through improved building controls but also moving consumption when non-commodity costs are higher (DUoS/ TRiAD); taking advantage of lower tariff periods thereby reducing valuable £s/pence. Lisa Gingell, Director of PR and Marketing comments that “Data driven decision making allows us to respond to market demand by integrating energy efficiency strategies with asset management; provide building optimisation and building/equipment maintenance services. A recent partnership deal with Dell and Intel will enable us to deploy Dell’s IoT hardware complete with the t-mac cloud-based software and apps to businesses small and large. The next generation BeMS, IoT platforms provide for greater connectivity to more devices, effectively, efficiently and at much lower costs. It is this greater connectivity that brings the granularity of data which our team is using to not only control equipment and utility consumption but gain insights into how systems work. We’re creating a platform to predict the future of utility demand; through connected devices we can align building and equipment operations with forecasted energy market changes. The next generation BeMS.” For Utilitywise, demand side reduction doesn’t start and stop with technology; people can also facilitate the reduction of business energy bills. To engage and educate building occupiers requires communications and visuals that inspire a ‘lifestyle’

change. That evokes empathy which comes from an understanding of how an action can cause a negative impact when considering energy consumption and carbon emissions. We know that one of the best ways to engage, educate and create empathetic building occupiers it to present data that is visual and meaningful. The Utilitywise Energy Services Team aims to encourage more businesses to undertake demand reduction activities; to reduce consumption as a whole but also against the makeup of the energy tariff. For HH billed consumers, load shedding and shifting during the DUoS time bands reaps significant rewards for businesses, as a kWh reduced at these times is worth twice that of any kWh at any other time of day. Add to this the winter TRiADS (the three highest peaks of electricity demand between November and February) the kWh saved during the TRiAD periods is worth substantially more to businesses.

Give our team a call to find out how we can help your business reduce consumption and costs today.

Utilitywise PLC Utilitywise House, 3 & 4 Cobalt Park Way, Cobalt Business Park, North Tyneside, NE28 9EJ Tel: 0330 303 0233 Email: info@utilitywise.com 38 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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2016/17

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LIGHTING

Carbon8Lighting serves up a treat for Harvest Fine Foods

arbon8Lighting’s Discus and Discus ZERO luminaires have enabled a projected 180,000kW reduction in energy consumption and an annual saving in running costs of £19,633 in a lighting upgrade for Harvest Fine Foods. Harvest was initially looking for a lighting system to go into a large freezer room and chiller room, each of approximately 8,000sq ft. One key criteria was to find a fitting that emits very little heat and another was low maintenance, as the facility operates 24 hours a day, 364 days a year without down time. Harvest Fine Foods is one of Southern England’s premier wholesale food distributors, providing a first class service to catering establishments and delivering an exciting range of quality fresh produce, fine foods and larder items. The company has excellent environmental credentials and a strong commitment to the environment. Richard Strongman MD at Harvest Foods added “As a green company with excellent environmental credentials, a low energy lighting solution was the preferred option. Ideally we were looking for a solution that would reduce energy usage and running costs with low heat emission, simple servicing and high ambient lighting levels”. Paul Lockyer, Harvest’s Operations Manager, was impressed by the proposal put forward by Carbon8 to use Discus ZERO 120W luminaires. This would have a positive impact on the running costs of keeping the refrigeration system at the correct temperatures, while providing the required lighting levels. He commented “We were looking for a very good spread of light throughout the warehouse without giving shadowed areas in between racking. This was well planned out byCarbon8Lighting with schematics and lighting positions”. Another consideration which had an impact on the decision to go with Carbon8’s scheme was to be able to integrate the fittings with motion detection – thus providing even more impressive savings in operating costs for the company and a major reduction in its carbon footprint. As part of the Discus LED range, Discus ZERO is specifically designed for use in large freezer and refrigeration areas, operating in

temperatures as low as -40°C. The driver is mounted remotely outside the freezer room, reducing the amount of heat generated in the freezer by the fitting, lowering the amount of energy consumed by the freezer. Maintenance is simplified with Discus ZERO, having the driver located outside the freezer, thus eliminating the need to have to work in the freezer and disturb operations in the unlikely event of a failure. Installation is simple with the use of a twist-in bracket. Also the slim profile of the luminaire offers less interruption of flow from the blast chillers. The installation was such a success that Harvest Fine Foods decided to roll out Discus throughout all of the ambient areas of the facility. Discus 70W and 90W LED High Bays were chosen for the remainder of the project for their excellent light quality, performance and colour rendition. The Discus range utilises a high performance LED chip that has been specifically designed with high bay application in mind. Even in wide ranging temperatures the phenomenal stability of this chip ensures that light levels will not decrease significantly during the life of the fitting. Temperature, voltage and current protection guarantee an unbeatable combination of performance and reliability. Robust polycarbonate, IP65 rated, 50W and 60W Carbon8Lighting Vapour Proof fittings were also installed in more hostile areas, chosen for their performance and durability. As well as the obvious benefit of energy savings, very low maintenance was a major attraction for Harvest. Paul Lockyer explains “Ongoing maintenance of the lighting system has always presented a problem as the lights are in constant use 24/7 and access to them is not easy, so the ease of maintenance is a real bonus. We are really pleased with the lighting system and would recommend it to any other similar warehouse operator – in fact, the warehouse lighting is the best we have ever seen”.

Return on investment period (Years) Annual CO2 Saving (kg)

1.6 103052.37kg

DEFRA CO2 per kW figure

0.55kg

The Discus range is offered as standard with Carbon8Lighting’s unique 5 Year Premier Care warranty package. Should a fitting require exchanging at any point during the warranty period, Carbon8Lighting will send an advance replacement fitting to site. Once exchanged the faulty fitting will then be collected by Carbon8Lighting, minimising down time. In addition to this Carbon8Lighting will pay up to £250+VAT towards the exchange of the faulty fitting.

Carbon8Lighting Unit 61, Tempus Business Centre, Kingsclere Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XG T: +44(0)1256 300 031 F: +44(0)1256 817 222 E: sales@carbon8lighting.co.uk W: carbon8lighting.co.uk Energy Efficient Solutions

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AMORPHOUS TRANSFORMERS

How Britain’s hospitals save energy with transformative thinking The University Hospital of South Manchester The University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) has been recognised as the “greenest” hospital in the UK having been acknowledged as the most environmentally friendly in Europe. The UHSM NHS Foundation Trust committed itself to a Carbon Management Programme in 2008 in an effort to mitigate the effects of rising fuel prices, while also seeking to limit energy cost increases and to engage positively with its wider community on sustainability issues and to reinvest funds in providing improved frontline patient services. UHSM has been recognised for its achievements by winning the Guardian newspaper’s Public Sector Sustainability Award and the Ashden Award in 2012 and the Public Sector Sustainability Award (Healthcare) in 2014. The Trust has also been recognised as the world’s 18th most environmentally friendly hospital by the United States Green Building Council. Having identified super low loss amorphous transformers as an extremely cost effective infrastructure upgrade that would not only provide guaranteed energy savings through reduced transformer losses for decades to come but deliver substantial additional savings through in-built voltage management capabilities, the trust sourced seven replacement supply transformers. Erika Wilson, managing director of Wilson Power Solutions said: “From placing sustainability at the core of healthcare provision the UHSM has become the UK’s greenest hospital, and we are proud to have played a part in that.”

The Data The detailed case study (available on request) provides power quality data for TX1 and TX2 replacement at the acute substation (pre and post install) as well as energy savings projections for annual savings from all seven transformers. The measurements show that the installation of the Super Low loss Amorphous Transformer, combined with a 6.3% (TX1) and 6.6% (TX2) voltage reduction, has reduced the kWh used. The measurements taken before installation and those with the super low loss transformer show a 5.9% (TX1) and 6.0% (TX2) reduction in kWh. The savings are estimated to be £31,010 p.a. total (based on 9p/kWh).

The Result The super low loss amorphous transformers supplied by Wilson Power Solutions have helped it cut its carbon emissions and realise energy efficiency savings that go straight back to improving its frontline patient services. The transformers have the ability to give a saving around 1 million kWh each year, with added benefits including reduced electrical stress on equipment which will in turn extend the lifespan and reduce maintenance costs.

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust In 2007 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) started a journey to improve patient experience, reduce its impact on the local environment and become sustainable. They were spending £4M on energy and utilities which included 15,000 MWh electric and 35,000 MWh gas. They implemented a variety of changes including developing a more efficient plant, capital investment, legislation and an environmentally aware culture. Adapting these would reduce their energy usage, reduce emissions and therefore save them a substantial amount of money. In this process they recognised that super low loss amorphous transformers are an extremely cost effective upgrade that would provide guaranteed energy savings through reduced transformer losses for decades to come. They decided to replace the transformers across their 5 sites with Wilson e2s.

Results In 2007/08 Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust (WWL) emitted over 20,500 tonnes of CO2 but with the improvements they put in place they currently emit 15,000 tonnes of CO2, which is a reduction of 27%. There are 5% savings from the installation of Wilson e2 transformers throughout their sites which produces a significant cost saving as well as reducing emissions.

The Technology The Wilson e2 transformer has the lowest combined transformer losses which already exceed 2021 EU Eco Design specifications. With at least 25 years life expectancy and payback on additional capital investment in under three years the Wilson e2 will deliver significant energy and carbon savings for decades to come. Therefore choosing a Wilson e2 transformer for capital replacement or new-build projects could be one of the best infrastructure decisions you could make.

FIND OUT HOW YOUR ORGANISATION CAN BENEFIT, CALL OUR ENGINEERING TEAM: CALL +44 (0)113 271 7588 www.wilsonpowersolutions.co.uk 40 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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SUBMETERING & ANALYTICS

Big Building Plant Room automated Submetering and monitoring - PFI London Hospital case study Author: Percy Albuquerque, Director/Project ManagerMetering, Monitoring and Analytics, Buildings + Sites, PA Energy London Overview Large infrastructure sites such as hospitals can use significant amounts of energy, including gas and water; in the generation of thermal energy for provision of heating (LTHW) and Hot Water (HWS). One such case was an NHS hospital located in London. The appointed Hard FM company had been contracted to manage the facilities under a PFI contract, provide KPI information on energy and water use as well as recommendations on energy efficiency as part of their management processes. The acute services and out-patient hospital serves one of Britain’s most diverse, fastest growing and youngest populations. The organisation is firmly focused on meeting the needs and priorities of the local community. The hospital offers a range of local services including a 24 hour Emergency Department, an Urgent Care Centre, a modern purpose built outpatient facility, Elderly Care unit and local stroke unit.

The need for sub-metering Site Facilities Management (FM) contacted PA Energy and at short notice required a comprehensive proposal to review the all fuels category metering in 3 blocks, identify problems with metering, provide a resolution fix and to also to automatically collect utility information for the provision of management reports. The existing BMS System was not suitable for this purpose. PA Energy was awarded the project for clarity of program to resolve metering problems, benefits of the REDSTS Cloud/web based metering data service that would also include the monitoring of main building electricity, gas, thermal energy (heat/chilled water) and water. The economic model and company’s experience with other similar site types was also seen as advantageous.

Delivery and sequence of the sub-metering arrangement - Determine the energy and water uses on site and enhance the existing metering arrangement; where possible utilising existing metering assets. - Resolve issues with the existing CHW (chilled water services), LTHW (heating) and HWS (hot water) meters to allow the FM to read the meters to provide Key Performance Information (KPI) to its client. - Supply and fit remote metering data collection to provide automated reporting for electricity and gas. - Install new heat and water services metering in a 2-level block including hospital-wide food and beverage catering unit. PA Energy supplied and commissioned new LTHW, HWS and CHW metering

using mag-flow technology as well as ultrasonic flow sensors with thermal integrators to calculate energy, wireless data monitoring and commissioned into the existing meters. Electricity , gas and cold water metering data outputs were also commissioned in. Because of stringent health and safety considerations in clinical services buildings, PA Energy had to carefully assess risk impact of the works in all areas including plant rooms and critical services switchrooms. PA Energy is accredited by Safe Contractor.

Benefits of the MeterWorks, EnerWorks & DataWorks The submetering system now allows the site team to supply automated monthly energy demand reports as part of its mandatory PFI contractual requirements, provide suggestions on energy efficiency improvements, measure those initiatives and identify which pieces of plant and areas are consuming significant amounts of energy allowing the Hard FM to better to engage with technical operation on energy utilisation and optimisation. LTHW/HWS/CHW flow rates are tracked to ensure that minimum flow is met to operate plate heat exchangers at optimum and that HWS temperatures are kept over 60˚C; The primary method used to control the risk from Legionella is water temperature control. The system also alerts the site to water leaks or abnormal use of water and gas.

About PA Energy Led by Percy Albuquerque, the firm has years of experience with a high quality client base in the public sector and blue chip companies who trust us with their critical services buildings and sites. Our clients often come to us through word of mouth or because no one else has been able to fix their problem. Being independent we use the best technology and people for client situations. PA-Energy designs metering arrangement in accordance with CIBSE TM39 guidance, installs and maintain water, gas, electricity, oil and heat energy sub-meters and remote monitoring for fiscal and sub-meters. This includes supply and installation of meter accessories such as pulse heads, pulse splitters, enclosures, current transformers/sensors and assemblies. We also repair/maintain meters and can offer calibration services and Independent Technical Expert (ITE) service.

PA Energy London Chester House, Kennington Park Business Centre, London SW9 6DE Contact: commercial@paenergy.co.uk Twitter: @PercyAlbuquerqu ENERGY www.pa-energy.london learn about sub-metering http://submetering.weebly.com Tel: 0207 193 7701

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TRAINING

Caveat vendor Selling bogus products? Vilnis Vesma has you in his sights Science, but not as we know it

ogus energy-saving products are a real scourge. They waste money, displace projects which could have been of real benefit, and if their ineffectiveness is exposed, they make management wary of energy-saving projects in general. They can even cause personal hardship, because sometimes the business model is for a master supplier to sell snake-oil franchises to people who don’t understand what they are buying into. The franchisees ultimately fail, losing their stake while the franchisors continue to live the high life. Suspect products come in many forms including such things as super-thin thermal insulation, boiler-water additives, magnets on fuel lines, systems to improve refrigeration circuits by injecting heat, and fins fans or foil to enhance the output of radiators (to name but a few). Some don’t make sense and could never work. Some are plausible but would yield only tiny savings. Some are even likely to increase energy consumption. Suspect products tend to display common hallmarks such as ease of installation, excessive reliance on testimonials, and patents and secret ingredients cited in advertisements. Unfortunately these hallmarks alone are rarely conclusive— honest vendors also rely on testimonials, for example. The only sure gauge is if they use bad science to explain how the product supposedly works. But how many of us can necessarily muster enough school and college science to refute, with any certainty, an absurd proposition, especially when it is laced with real scientific concepts? To help readers who feel they would like to improve their grasp of the basic science of Vilnis Vesma 42 | Energy Efficient Solutions

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energy, I have created a free on-line science course with a dozen or so modules which take around ten minutes each to complete. The whole programme is designed for people with no previous science knowledge, but even wellqualified energy specialists have said they enjoyed brushing up on the fundamentals. You can sign up at www.EnManReg.org/science. Of course it would be better if dodgy products weren’t being sold at all, and part of my wider mission as a specialist in energy efficiency is to root them out and try to suppress them. The Advertising Standards Authority is of great assistance here. When products are brought to my attention, my first step is to scan their advertisements and web sites for claims that appear to be unsupportable, and then to refer them the ASA which has its own retained experts who can examine and investigate false and exaggerated claims and issue rulings accordingly. For examples (although I cannot claim credit for reporting any of these cases) search the rulings on the ASA web site for “Chop Cloc”, “TRISO”, “Blue Carbon”, “Voltis”, “Green Frog” or “Magic Thermodynamic Liar, liar… Box”. About the author: Vilnis Vesma (vilnis@vesma.com) provides advice and training on energy management. He is a former energy manager.

Vilnis Vesma Email: vilnis@vesma.com Tel: 01531 821350

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