ISSUE 3 Public Buildings
SEPTEMBER 1993
lBUILDING TECHNOLOGY THERMIE PROGRAMME: promotion of energy technology in Europe EDITORIAL Buildings in the public sector are extremely varied in their functions and include educational buildings, hospitals, libraries, sports complexes, etc. In light of the fact that about half of the Community's energy is consumed in the heating, lighting and ventilation of buildings, the use of energy efficient measures can make a substantial impact. The construction of new public buildings provides an opportunity to integrate in the design techniques such as passive heating and cooling, natural ventilation and daylighting. These can supplement or even replace conventional systems thus providing significant energy and cost savings. Where there remains a need to provide mechanical and electrical services, the use of efficient systems and new and innovative technology can also contribute to reducing energy consumption. Many buildings in the public sector can be considered medium to large in size, so that energy management systems can provide a cost-effective means of improving energy efficiency. Energy reductions are often between 20 and 50%. An integrated approach to reducing energy consumption including passive design techniques, efficient engineering systems, energy control systems and general good housekeeping can lead to substantial reductions in all building sectors.
The O’Reilly Institute, Dublin, served by a groundwater / heat pump system.
FEATURES
IN THIS ISSUE ULTRASONIC C O N T R O L Building Technology looks at heating control by ultrasonics in a school, energy monitoring in Copenhagen, the use of groundwater and heat pumps in a university, a bioclimatic day-care centre, and passive/low energy design; plus forthcoming events.
THERMIE
An innovative project has recently been completed in Germany by the University of Paderborn and Innotech Microelectronic Gmbh. The project involved the de-centralised control of a heating system in a school. At present most control systems are served by a central processor and communication is via cabling. This can result in difficult and expensive installations. To overcome these problems, a new system has been
developed whereby the information is transmitted to rooms via ultrasonic signals through the heating pipes. The signal emitter is coupled to the pipework at a central point and so is available throughout the whole building. At radiators in rooms piezoelectric actuator-sensor-systems "listen" to the signals and act upon them as they are received. Fig 1. shows how this principle works. At each radiator the standard thermostatic valve is replaced with an intelligent ultrasonic-controlled valve. Within each room the temperature can be measured directly at the valve or by
Commission of the European Communities Directorate-General for Energy
a room sensor (fig 2.) which then sends the temperature reading to the valve sensor via an infra-red signal. A personal computer is used for the central control unit. This is connected to an ultrasonic transmitter which converts the control signal and passes it as an ultrasonic signal through the piping network to all thermostat valves. The central unit sends the desired room temperatures and addresses of valves in accordance with a time schedule containing all heating times.
Pipe-Material
Fluid
Pipe-Material Sensor
Actor Transmitter
Receiver
Signal Place B
Signal Place A
This new system is comparable to other control systems, with energy savings up to 40% when compared to conventional heating systems but lower capital cost. The project has received considerable attention since completion. The nearby town of Lohre plans to use the system to control the heating in the town hall. Further information is available from Roland Domer, Universitat-GHPaderborn, Abt. Soest, Steingraben 21, D-4770 Soest.
Fluid
Fig. 1. Principle of the ultrasonic transmission.
Lamp
220 V
Lamp
Room Temperature Sensors via Infrared Windows Thermostat Valve
Door
Fig 2. Measurement of room temperature directly at the valve or with a room sensor and an infra-red signal.
components into the structure.
ENERGYMONITORING &CONTROLSYSTEMS This Danish project monitored the efficiency of computerised central control supervision in reducing all aspects of energy consumption of public buildings in Copenhagen and its surrounding area.
One of a number of trend outstations used.
The project was carried out by comparing three groups, each group containing five buildings interconnected by telephone lines. The first group employed the energy monitoring control system (EMCS), the second group was manually supervised and the third group acted as a controller with no savings expected.
and transmitting data, was relatively inexpensive. This meant that other buildings could be added to the system for a minimal cost. It also emerged that buildings to be added should ideally be ones which are about to be fitted with new control systems. With the use of EMCS the new installation only requires an outstation.
A number of interesting conclusions emerged after the monitoring period had finished. It was clear that the larger the number of buildings served by the central control system the more cost effective the overall system would be. The central computer was seen as the most expensive component where as the outstation, used for collecting
The project also involved working with the building services personnel. By informing them of their monthly energy consumption and by providing consultant support, energy consumption was reduced by 15% in the EMCS group.
500
Further information is available from Odgarrd Mikkelsen, KKRI, Islands Brygge 37, DK-2300 Kobenhavn S.
450 400 350
PA S S I V E / L O W ENERGY DESIGN
300 250 200
Three blocks of apartments were involved, each of which were four floors high. In the first block, direct solar radiation together with a Trombe wall contributed 25% of the energy requirements. In the second block a contribution of 86% was achieved and in the third block a contribution of 78%. Improved levels of thermal insulation reduced the total demand by some 50%. With all results taken together an annual energy saving of 95MWh was achieved. Further information is available from Fernandes de Oliveira, Rue Campo Alegre 877, PO-4100 Porto.
B I O C L I M AT I C DAY-CARE CENTRE A recently completed northern Greek project involved the construction of a children's day-care centre in a rural environment using integrated bioclimatic systems for both heating and cooling. The aim of the project was to demonstrate the principle of bioclimatic design. Special attention was paid to comfort conditions in both indoor and outdoor spaces in relation to energy and lighting levels.
150 100 50 0 January February Adj. Consumpt.
March Expected Consumpt.
April
May Adj. Cons. Total
June
July Expected total
Results form monitoring period (MWh).
This project aimed to demonstrate how passive solar technology could be used to achieve the same standard of internal comfort as in a conventional building. The project was innovative in the method of integration of the solar
The building consists of two units organised about a high central space covered by a specially designed solar roof. Direct solar gain is used during the heating season in the classroom
spaces. Some areas are also connected to greenhouses (providing additional solar gain) for the children to grow plants. For the summer season an open evaporative cooling system is used to cool both indoor and outdoor spaces. In total, 52% of heating requirements are met by passive solar. The remaining demand is made up by an all-purpose air system using oil and wood chips as energy source. Further information is available from Despina Maggioros, Ariva Street 39, HE-45332 Ioannina.
S O L A R COLLECTORS A project involving groups from France, Spain and Portugal is working to stimulate the market for solar water heaters throughout the European Community.
HEAT PUMPS AND GROUNDWATER A project carried out in Trinity College Dublin and completed in late 1991 looked at the utilisation of ground water as a low grade heat source and the use of water-to-water heat pumps to replace conventional heating of the college buildings and thus reduce the use of fossil fuels. The project has been successful in installing five heat pumps which now supply heat to a mixture of four new and historic buildings. A large bore production well to the north-east of the site provides 30l/s of ground water at approximately 12째C for distribution to the electrically driven heat pumps ranging from 60kW to
130kW. These electrically driven heat pumps work with high coefficients of performance (3.5 to 4.2) and supply water at 55째C directly to existing heating systems. Peak heating loads in extreme weather conditions are met using existing oil and gas fired boilers. Primary energy demand has been reduced by approximately 25%. As a result of this project the Irish Minister for Energy has commissioned a study to identify other potential sites for replication. The project was not completely without technical problems but as a result a novel low cost design was developed to be used for future projects. Further information can be obtained from T. Cooper, Director of Buildings Office, Trinity College Dublin, IR-Dublin 2.
The project is innovative in its marketing strategy since each product will be sold on the basis of guaranteed solar output. Further information is available from SUNERGIE, Rue Francois Viete 5, BP 434, FR-66004 Perpignan.
F A C A D E R E T R O F I T In Tilburg, 48 dwellings in small apartment blocks were retrofitted by means of additional climate facades and conservatories together with higher levels of thermal insulation (100150 mm). A ventilated air collector was located on the south facade of the building. The supply of ventilation air ran through the ventilation air collector and was pre-heated before entering the house. With a height of 2 m there was sufficient thermal draught to regulate the air supply into the apartment. A valving arrangement allowed mixing of incoming air to prevent over-heating in the summer months. The apartment balconies were used in the conservatory's construction. These spaces provided increased passive solar gain as well as providing additional living space. The glass facade was provided with opening windows to prevent overheating. Further information is available from M. de Langen, Crabethstraat 38J, NL2801 An Gouda.
An atrium in one of four Trinity College Dublin buildings served by the new heating system.
E X T E R N A L I N S U L AT I O N A joint Danish and German project successfully completed in June 1992 aimed at demonstrating that the application of external insulation with prefabricated components could costeffectively reduce energy consumption. Two buildings were used in the project, the first in Kiel and the second in Haderslev. Savings were between 7.4 and 7.8 MWh/yr for a wall area of 120 m2. Further information is available from Kjfer Alice, SBI, P.O. Box 119, DK2970 Hoershlom.
NEXT ISSUE The next issue of Building Technology will look at combined heat refrigeration power generation in an administration building, co-generation in the municipality of Vicenza, district heating return water being used as a heat source; plus news and events.
EVENTS 22 October 1993 Sintra
Environmental Assessment Methods for Buildings
English, French and German with simultaneous translation. After the conference, tours will be organised to the Building Services Research and Information Association and the Building Research Establishment. Together with papers being presented orally there will be a further 230 poster paper presentations.
This workshop will be aimed primarily at Portugese building owners, developers and planners as well as architects and engineers. Delegates from other countries are also welcome and there will be simultaneous English-Portuguese translation. The workshop will address why environmental assessment of building work is becoming increasingly important, the key issues involved, and what tools are available to assess the environmental impact a building will have. Case studies demonstrating environmental assessment tools from at least three countries will be presented.
Further information is available from Carole Hewitt, c/o CIBSE, Delta House, 222 Balham High Road, UK-London SW12 9BS. 8 December 1993 Athens
Further information is available from Mr. Luis Silva, CCC, Estrada de Alfragide, Praceta 1Alfragide, P-2700 Amadora. 1 November 1993 London
CLIMA 2000
Solar Energy and Buildings The Symposium has three main targets: to promote passive and hybrid solar technologies and bioclimatic building design; to demonstrate the economic viability, including the social and environmental benefits of solar energy and finally to produce a video for the dissemination of practical information regarding the application of passive and hybrid solar technology and systems for the heating, cooling and daylighting of buildings
So far delegates from 22 countries have registered for CLIMA 2000, the international conference on engineering services in buildings.
Further information is available from the Academy of Athens, 28 Panepistimiou Ave., GR-106 79 Athens
Papers covering topics such as HVAC, lighting, energy use, BEMS and controls, fire and smoke control, health, building physics and computer modelling will be presented in
Please note that the Energy Efficient Urban Renewal Seminar highlighted in the events section of Building Technology Issue 2 has been postponed. We will inform you of a revised date as soon as it is available.
THERMIE THERMIE
THERMIE is a European Community initiative designed to promote greater use of existing European energy-efficient technologies and to encourage the development of new ones.
Building Technology is produced within the THERMIE programme by the Energy Research Group, University College Dublin, Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Ireland.
OPET OPET (Organisations for the Promotion of Energy Technology) is a Community-wide network of organisations working within the framework of the THERMIE programme for the promotion of European energy technologies on behalf of the Commission of the European Communities. Each organisation has particular experience in the field of energy technology. The type of organisation and the work it undertakes varies considerably. Both private and public companies are represented: some are consultants in the energy field while others have direct experience of working with energy programmes in their own country. At present the OPET network consists of 40 organisations located throughout the Community, with over 2000 experts engaged in the energy and related fields. Those OPETs active in the Building Sector include: Agence pour l’Environement et la Maitrise de l’Energie 27, rue Louis Vicat, F-75015 Paris, France. Fax: +331 46 45 52 36, Contact: Michel Viaud. Agence Régional de l’Energie Conseil Régional Nord-Pas de Calais, 2, rue de Tenremonde, B. P. 2035, F-59014 Lille Cédex, France. Fax: +33 20 60 67 80, Contact: Nathalie Dutremee. Agence Poitou-Charentes Énergie Déchets Eau 15, rue de l’Ancienne Comédie, BP 575 F-86021 Poitiers Cédex, France. Fax: + 33 49 41 61 11, Contact: Agnès Morel. BCEOM - Société Française d’Ingénierie, Place des Frêres Montgolfier, F-78286 Guyancourt Cédex, France. Fax: +331 30 12 10 95, Contact: Christopher Startford. BRECSU - Building Research Energy Conservation Support Unit, Garston, Watford, UK-Hertfordshire, WD2 7JR, United Kingdom. Fax: +44 923 66 40 97, Contact: Clare Carden. CCC / CEEETA / CBE, Estrada de Alfragide, Praceta 1 - Alfragide, P-2700 Amadora, Portugal. Fax: +351 1 471 13 16 / 395 24 90 Contact: Luis Silva / Philippe Bollinger. COWIconsult, Consulting Engineers and Planners Parallelvej 15, DK-2800 Lyngby, Denmark. Fax: +45 45 97 22 12, Contact: Britt H. Pedersen. C.R.E.S. - Centre for Renewable Energy Sources 19 km Athinon-Marathona Avenue, GR-19009 Pikemi, Greece. Fax: +30 1 603 99 04, Contact: Dimitris Papastefanakis. EAB - Energie-Anlagen Berlin, TU Berlin, Berliner Kraft- und licht, AG, Flottwellstrasse 4-5, D-10785 Berlin, Germany. Fax: +49 30 25 49 61 00, Contact: Frank Dittwald.
Energy Centre Denmark Suhmsgade 3, DK-1125 København, Denmark. Fax: +45 33 11 83 33, Contact: Flemming Øster. ENEA (Fire), Cre Casaccia - PB 2400, Santa Maria di Galeria, I-00060 Roma, Italy. Fax: +39 6 30 48 64 49 Contact: Walter Cariani. EUROPLAN, 630 Route des Dolines, Ophira II, F-06560 Valbonne, France. Fax: +33 93 95 83 71, Contact: André Jacquemart. EXERGIA, Apollon Tower, Energy Information Technology and Management Consultant, 64 Louise Riencourt Street, GR-11523 Athens, Greece. Fax: +30 1 649 61 86, Contact: Yannis Caralis. FAST - Federazione delle Associazioni Scientifiche e Tecniche, Piazzale Rodolfo Morandi 2, I-20121 Milano, Italy. Fax: +39 2 78 24 85, Contact: Paola Perini. GOPA - Consultants Hindenburgring 18, D-61348 Bad Homburg, Germany. Fax: +49 6172 3 5046, Contact: Hans-Joachim Siegler. IABPO - Friedemann und Johnson Pestalozzistr. 88, D-10625 Berlin 12, Germany. Fax: +49 30 313 2671, Contact: Hermann Homann. ICAEN - Institut Català d’Energia, Avda Diagonal, 453 Bis, Atic, E-08036 Barcelona, Spain. Fax: +34 3 419 72 53, Contact: Joãn Josep Escobar. ICEU Leipzip Auenstr. 25, D-04105 Leipzig, Germany. Fax: +49 341 29 09 04, Contact: Alexander Schmidt.
Editors Paul Kenny and J. Owen Lewis Design Pierre Jolivet For further information on the OPET network please contact: OPET-CS Avenue R. Vandendriessche 18 B-1150 Brussells. Fax: +32 2 771 5611
ICIE - Istituto Cooperativo per l’Innovazione Via Nomentana 133, I-00161 Roma, Italy. Fax: +39 6 855 02 50, Contact: Nicoletta Del Bufalo. IDAE - Inst. para la Diversification y Ahorra de la Energia, P° de la Castellana 95 - P. 21, E-28046 Madrid, Spain. Fax: +34 1 555 13 89, Contact: José Donoso Alonso. MARCH - Consulting Group, Telegraphic House, Waterfront 2000, Salford Quays, Manchester, UKM5 2XW, England. Fax: +44 61 848 01 81, Contact: Sarah Sidebottom. NOVEM - The Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment, P. O. Box 17, NL-6130 AA Sittard, Netherlands. Fax: +31 46 52 82 60, Contact: Ewoud Van Der Koogh. RHONALÉNERGIE - Agence Régionale de l’Énergie de la Région Rhône-Alpes, 69, rue de la République, F-69002 Lyon, France. Fax: +33 78 37 64 91, Contact: Christian Labie. TÜV RHEINLAND Sicherheit und Umweltschutz - Institut für Umweltschutz und Energietechnik, Am Grauen Stein, D-5000 Köln 91, Germany. Fax: +49 221 806 13 50, Contact: Jörg Bostel. University College Dublin - Energy Research Group, Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14, Ireland. Fax: +353 1 283 89 08, Contact: Mary Rigby. Zr-E - Zweckverband Regionale Entwicklung und Energie, Wieshuberstrasse 3, D-93059 Regensburg, Germany. Fax: +49 941 44691, Contact: Toni Lautenschläger.