NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY
Quantity Surveying: Advanced Measurement and Technology; BE0898 Building Design and Performance Critique: Ellison Building
Student ID: 07004101 Submission Date: 10/02/2015 Module Tutor: Alan Davies Word Count: 3,284
Advanced Measurement and Technology
BE0898
Contents 1.0
Aim .............................................................................................................................................. 3
2.0
General Information ................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 3.0
Property Address .................................................................................................................... 3 General Description and Design Considerations of Ellison Building ........................................... 3
3.1
Description of Property ........................................................................................................... 3
3.2
Approximate Age .................................................................................................................... 3
3.3
Building Fabric ......................................................................................................................... 3
3.4
Building Services ..................................................................................................................... 3
3.5
Ellison Building Location Description and Image .................................................................... 4
4.0
Design Considerations and Images of the Five Blocks of Ellison and the Plant Room ............... 5
4.1
Ellison Building Block A ........................................................................................................... 5
4.2
Ellison Building Block B ........................................................................................................... 6
4.3
Ellison Building Block C ........................................................................................................... 7
4.4
Ellison Building Block D ........................................................................................................... 8
4.5
Ellison Building Block E............................................................................................................ 9
4.6
Ellison Building Plant Room (PR) ........................................................................................... 10
4.7
Comments on Current EB Design .......................................................................................... 10
5.0
Ellison Building Energy Performance and Running Costs ......................................................... 11
5.1
Ellison Building Display Energy Certificate Information........................................................ 11
5.2
Sustainability Comparison: People & Planet Critique and Ranking ...................................... 12
6.0
Exploration of Recommended Improvements.......................................................................... 14
6.1
District Heating System and Combined Heat & Power ......................................................... 15
6.2
Upgrade Faรงade / Improved Natural Ventilation ................................................................. 16
6.2.1
Upgrade Faรงade Panels ................................................................................................. 16
6.2.2
Improve Glazing ............................................................................................................ 17
6.2.3
Window Coatings .......................................................................................................... 17
6.2.4
Improved Natural Ventilation ....................................................................................... 18
6.3
Install Phase Change Material (PCM) .................................................................................... 18
6.4
Increase Usage of Building Thermal Mass ............................................................................ 19
6.5
Photovoltaic electricity generating panels ........................................................................... 20
6.6
Install automated monitoring systems to lighting equipment ............................................. 21
7.0
Summary ................................................................................................................................... 22
8.0
Reference .................................................................................................................................. 23
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Advanced Measurement and Technology 9.0
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Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 26
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Aim
This report will critically analyse the design of Ellison Building (EB), with focus on the Performance, Functionality and Suitability. This report should grant the reader an understanding of EB as it currently is and how it could be. This report will elucidate current inefficiencies in the design and suggest cost effective remedies.
2.0
General Information 2.1
Property Address
University of Northumbria, Ellison Building, Ellison Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST
3.0
General Description and Design Considerations of Ellison Building 3.1
Description of Property
EB houses two faculties; Health and Life Science and Engineering and Built Environment. EB is Divided into five blocks; A (EBA), B (EBB), C (EBC), D (EBD) and E (EBE), it can be seen outlined in Red in figure 1. EB houses a range of functional spaces requiring different services, these include; scientific laboratories, computer laboratories, offices, flat teaching rooms and lecture halls as wells as, circulation space, reception areas and stairwells (Northumbria University 2012). Table 1: EB General Information Total useful floor area Building Type Building Environment Fuel Type
19,674.6m2 University Mixed-Mode with Mechanical Ventilation Natural Gas (Main Heating Fuel) Electricity (Grid) On-site renewable energy sources N/A (Adapted from: Team Energy Advisory Report, 2010 and Display Energy Certificate, 2014)
3.2
Approximate Age
Constructed circa 1960
3.3
Building Fabric
Concrete cellular frame, externally it has a concrete and single glazed faรงade on blocks A, B, C and D, Block E was refurbished in 2008 with double glazed windows and Aluminium faรงade. EBC has a partial metal pitched roof with a flat roof to the remainder of EB.
3.4
Building Services
Ellison building is serviced by the main plant room located in EBA basement. Hot water is generated by gas fired modular condensing boilers and pumped throughout the building. Ellison building is heated by wall mounted radiators however it was heated originally by radiant ceiling panels hidden by a suspended ceiling. EB is ventilated by a mixture of natural and mechanical ventilation the majority of the plant for the mechanical ventilation is located on the roof of EBA which service the laboratories, some areas have localised cooling. 07004101
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Ellison Building Location Description and Image
Located in the centre in the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, the immediate surrounding area of EB is University owned and predominantly populated by academic buildings Figure 1: Ellison Building Outline E
D C A
B
Ellison Building Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg=brw
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Design Considerations and Images of the Five Blocks of Ellison and the Plant Room 4.1
Ellison Building Block A
Table 2: EBA imagines showing Location, Façade and Thermal Performance of External Façade EBA location outlined in Figure 2: EBA Outline RED
A
Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg=brw East face of EBA indicates the scale of EBA
Figure 3: EBA Scale
(Foster, 2015) Close up of EBA general façade and thermal image from the same location displaying thermal perfomace of the Façade.
Figure 4: EBA Façade / Thermal
(Foster, 2015) Critique: Façade of single glazing and green slate infill panels on the East and West face, the North and South face appear to be fine white concrete blocks. Poor thermal Performacne, the bright colours in figure 4 are indicating high heat loss. Structural concrete roof. 07004101
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Ellison Building Block B
Table 3: EBB imagines showing Location, Façade and Thermal Performance of External Façade EBB location outlined in Figure 5: EBB Outline RED
B Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg=brw West face of EBB
Figure 6: EBB West Face / Scale
(Foster, 2015) Close up of EBB general façade and thermal image from the same location displaying thermal perfomace of the Façade.
Figure 6: EBB Façade / Thermal
(Foster, 2015) Critique: Critique: Façade generally of single glazing and fine white concrete blocks. Poor thermal Performacne, the bright colours in figure 6 are indicating high heat loss.Poor thermal Performacne, Bright Colours are indicating high heat loss. Structural concrete roof. 07004101
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Ellison Building Block C
Table 4: EBC imagines showing Location, Façade and Thermal Performance of External Façade EBC location outlined in Figure 7: EBC Outline RED
C
Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg=brw West face and roof of EBC
Figure 8: EBC West Face / Scale
(Foster, 2015) EBC general façade and thermal image from the same location displaying thermal perfomace of the Façade.
Figure 9: EBC Façade / Thermal
(Foster, 2015) Critique: Critique: Façade generally of single glazing, green slate infill panels to the West face and traditional brick and block to the remainder. Poor thermal Performacne, the bright colours in figure 9 are indicating high heat loss. Flat and pitched roof 07004101
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Ellison Building Block D
Table 5: EBD imagines showing Location, Façade and Thermal Performance of External Façade EBD location outlined in Figure 10: EBD Outline RED
D
Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg=brw South face of EBD
Figure 11: EBD South Face / Scale
(Foster, 2015) Close up of EBD general façade and thermal image from the same location displaying thermal perfomace of the Façade.
Figure 12: EBA Façade / Thermal
(Foster, 2015) Critique: Façade of single glazing and green slate infill panels on the North and South. Poor thermal Performacne, the bright colours in figure 4 are indicating high heat loss. Flat roof.
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Ellison Building Block E
Table 6: EBE imagines showing Location, Façade and Thermal Performance of External Façade EBE location outlined in Figure 13: EBE Outline RED E
Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg=brw North East face of EBE
Figure 14: EBE NE Face / Scale
(Foster, 2015) Close up of EBE general façade and thermal image from the same location displaying thermal perfomace of the Façade.
Figure 15: EBE Façade / Thermal
Open Window
(Foster, 2015) Critique: Façade of Alluminium clad infill panels and double glazing. Good/High thermal Performacne, the thermal image shows that little heat is being lost with the exception of the two open windows. Structural concrete roof 07004101
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Ellison Building Plant Room (PR)
EB is heated from the PR located in EBA (See Table 7), water is heated via 10 gas fired condensing boilers constructed in such a manner that prevents the boilers from condensing and reduces their efficiency to approximately 60%. Water is pumped throughout the building via the pumps shown in table 7 below. (Tindal 2015) Table 7: EB Plant Room Figure 16: PR Location
A PR
Adapted from: https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?output=classic&dg= brw Figure 18: EB Water Pumps
(Foster, 2015)
4.7
Figure 17: EB Gas Fired Combination Condensing Boiler (Foster, 2015)
Figure 19: EB Water Pump
(Foster, 2015)
Figure 20: electric main distribution panel
(Foster, 2015)
Comments on Current EB Design
EB is well suited for providing suitable teaching accommodation. The cellular concrete construction allows good room sizes. Internally many of the blocks have been refurbished, the majority of walls are lined with plaster, false floors and ceilings are present. The thermal imaging camera has displayed a vast contrast in thermal performance of EBE compared with the rest of EB and EBE demonstrates the level of thermal performance which could be achieved.
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Ellison Building Energy Performance and Running Costs 5.1
Ellison Building Display Energy Certificate Information
Table 8: EB Display Energy Certificate (DEC) 2014 Information Figure 21: Energy Performance Operational Rating: A visual representation of how energy efficient the building has been 100 would be typical for this kind of building
Figure 22: Total CO2 Emissions: Displays how much CO2 this building emits in tonnes
Figure 23: Previous Operational Ratings: How efficiently energy has been used over the last three years
Figure 24: Energy Consumption: How much energy is used within the building based on actual meter readings Images adapted from: (Houghton, 2014)
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The Display Energy Certificate (DEC) in Table 8 above shows energy performance of EB, which shows that EB is preforming as a typical building should although the Electricity usage is higher than typical. The DEC shows that although the CO2 emissions generated by EB have decreased over the last 3 years the overall rating of the building has fallen. The performance of EB will have a number of effects on Northumbria University as a whole in terms of annual running cost, university ranking and reputation and occupant psychological comfort (Waters 2003 and McMullan 2012).
5.2
Sustainability Comparison: People & Planet Critique and Ranking
Table 9: Sustainability and Energy Usage Comparison of Northumbria University and Ellison Building Comparable Plymouth Newcastle Northumbria University University University Rank (Overall) 1 12 40 Gross Internal Floor Area (GIFA) (m2) 127,937 439,325 242,575 Energy consumption natural gas excluding 10,367,826 73,730,714 33,878,787 that used as input for a CHP unit (kW) Energy consumption natural gas used as 2,742,253 48,803 1,980,769 input for a CHP unit (kW) Total natural gas consumed (kWh) 13,110,079 73,779,517 35,859,556 Ellison Building’s Gas Usage (kW) N/A N/A 4,033,293 Energy consumption grid electricity (kW) 13,797,364 28,482,238 57,323,673 Ellison Building’s Electricity Usage (kW) N/A N/A 1,928,111 Performance Energy Score 63% 76% 58% Onsite CHP Yes - (45%) Yes - (45%) Yes - (45%) Onsite Renewable Energy generated 0.02% 0.05% 0.00% - (0%) compared to Grid Consumption (18%) (13%) Percentage Purchased through Renewable 0.00% - (0%) 53.90% 41.07% - (13%) Green Tariffs (13%) (People & Planet , 2014 & Department of Energy & Climate Change 2014) Table 9 shows the sustainability ranking of Northumbria University (NU). The energy performance of NU has an impact on the annual running costs and their reputation. The row highlighted in Yellow shows NU’s Electricity usage and how in line with the DEC (Table 8) NU consumes more electricity than that of a typical similar building. The cost implication of this is displayed in Table 11 Below.
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Table 10: Prices of fuels purchased by non-domestic consumers in the United Kingdom (excluding the Climate Change Levy) Pence per kWh 2012
2013
2014
Fuel
Size of consumer
3rd quarter
4th quarter
1st quarter
2nd quarter
3rd quarter
4th quarter
1st quarter
2nd quarter
3rd quarter
Electricity
Very Small
12.3
12.5
12.0
12.0
13.0
13.9
13.2
13.4
13.7
Small
10.4
10.4
10.5
10.7
10.8
11.3
11.4
11.4
11.4
Small/Medium
9.1
9.2
9.5
9.7
9.6
10.0
10.3
10.1
10.1
Medium
8.2
8.5
8.6
8.8
8.8
9.3
9.5
9.3
9.1
Large
8.0
8.4
8.6
9.1
8.8
9.3
9.4
9.5
9.1
Very Large
7.8
8.2
8.7
8.8
8.5
9.0
9.0
9.1
8.7
Extra Large
7.9
8.3
8.2
8.3
8.5
8.7
9.0
8.7
8.6
Average Gas
8.8
9.2
9.3
9.5
9.5
9.9
10.1
9.9
9.9
Very Small
4.4
4.0
3.9
4.2
4.7
4.2
4.1
4.4
5.1
Small
3.0
2.8
3.0
3.2
3.5
3.1
3.1
3.4
3.5
Medium
2.5
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.9
2.9
3.0
2.9
2.6
Large
2.2
2.5
2.6
2.6
2.5
2.6
2.5
2.1
1.9
Very Large
2.09
2.2
2.3
2.2
2.3
2.3
2.2
1.9
1.8
Average
2.6
2.8
2.9
3.0
3.0
3.0
3.0
2.9
2.6
Adapted from: (Department of Energy & Climate Change 2014) Table 10 above highlights average prices institutions pay for energy from non-renewable sources not produced onsite. Table 11 displays how much NU would likely be paying for its energy usage and that of EB (individually) compared to that which Plymouth University (PU) and Newcastle University would be paying. The Total GIFA for NU and Newcastle University is 242,575m2 and 439,325m2 respectively, NU is almost 50% of the size of Newcastle University. Despite this Table 9 and 11 show us that NU is consuming twice as much as Newcastle University. Table 11: Energy cost comparison using 3rd Quarter 2014 UK average prices (Table 4) energy consumption (Table 3) Total cost for natural Total cost for grid Total cost gas and gas consumed (£) electricity (£) electric combined (£) Plymouth University 340,862 1,365,939 1,706,801 Newcastle University 1,918,267 2,819,742 4,738,009 Northumbria 932,348 5,675,044 6,607,392 University Ellison Building 104,866 190,883 295,749 NU is incurring a large amount of cost due to the higher than typical use of electricity, this is detrimental to their reputation as electricity production as a very low efficiency rating average of 40% (Graus & Worrell, 2006). NU is incurring high cost due to inefficiencies, Poor sustainability rating in the 2015 people & planet league table, Poor DEC rating and creates psychological discomfort for occupants. Energy efficiency measures are the most cost-effective route to a low-carbon future, however, installing solar and wind energy onsite generation is far less cost-effective than insulation retrofit for existing buildings (Livesey et al. 2013, p8)
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Exploration of Recommended Improvements
‘It should be possible to maintain a reasonably comfortable range of conditions without resorting to artificial cooling, by manipulating measures such as; shade, thermal mass air movement, light controls and low-energy lighting.’ (Harrison & Trotman, 2000, p.47) Team Energy (2010) highlighted possible improvements to EB to reduce the impact which EB has environmentally, along with operational costs and improve occupant comfort. Table 12 below lists some of those recommended upgrades that offer the greatest improvements (see appendix 1 for the full list) Table 12 Possible Upgrades to Ellison Building and Recommendations Recommendation Potential Impact Short Payback (less than 3 years) Install Automated monitoring systems to all MEDIUM electrical equipment and appliances Install timer controls to energy consuming plant MEDIUM to match occupancy levels Medium Payback (3 to 7 years) Introduce/Improve cavity wall insulation MEDIUM Long Payback (more than 7 years) Install Photovoltaic electricity generating panels MEDIUM Improve Glazing MEDIUM Upgrade ventilation to alternative solution MEDIUM Chosen Recommendations for EB District heating system – utilising district heating High between Northumberland Building / University Library Upgrade façade similar to Ellison Building E High Block, Aluminium infill panel system and Improve Glazing Install Phase Change Material (PCM) Medium/High Increased usage of Thermal Mass Medium Install Photovoltaic electricity generating panels MEDIUM Install Automated monitoring systems to lighting MEDIUM equipment Table Adapted from: (Team Energy, 2010) Burberry (1997) states when choosing changes to EB it is important to consider the following economic factors: 1. Initial Cost 1. Cost of installation 2. Cost of accommodation 2. Running costs 3. Cost of fuel (which will undoubtedly change over the course of the building life) 4. Repayment of loan charges 5. Inspection, maintenance and insurance
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District Heating System and Combined Heat & Power
“District heating, or the closely related community heating, is a method of providing space heating and hot water to a number of buildings from a central source” (Harrison & Trotman, 2000, p.47) EB had gas fired Condensing Combi Boilers (section 4.6) fitted in 2007, which are approximately 88% efficient (CIBSE, 2005). However they have been constructed in such a way that they are not condensing and therefore there is a reduction in their efficiency (Tindall, 2015). A cost effective solution may be to operate a district heating system and utilise the more efficient gas fired CHP already in use at NU. District heating is normally viable where energy is required on a large scale, similarly to combined heat and power (CHP). NU current has three buildings supplied from CHP plant; Northumbria Building Sports Central and Northumbria Library. When EB is upgraded it would be an opportune time to connect with the CHP plant and incorporate the benefits of using CHP and District heating. (Teekaram, Palmer & Parker,2007) “CHP is the generation of heat from the central plant combined with the generation of electricity, which enables heat and electricity to be produced with a lower fuel consumption that would be required to produce similar amounts of heat and electricity in separate plants” (Harrison & Trotman, 2000, p.47) A biomass boiler can often be used with CHP and District heating schemes, this is due to the reduced impact on the environment as it reduces the use of fossil fuels. However NU has a number of constraints on the site one of which is a ‘Smoke Control’ order shown in figure below and may not be suitable. Figure 25: Smoke Control
(Unknown, 2014)
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Figure 26: Smoke Control
(Unknown, 2014) CHP is highly efficient way of producing electricity that also captures the by-product of heat generated during the process. CHP can reduce carbon emission by 30% and is an efficient way of making use of heat that would normally be wasted. CHP can produce a cost saving of 20% on existing energy costs and gas CHP turbines can reach 94-98% efficiency. (Department of Energy & Climate Change, 2008) Utilising District Heating combined with CHP would off the potential to improve the efficiency of EB and reduce the running costs.
6.2
Upgrade Façade / Improved Natural Ventilation
For good thermal performance it is important to ensure the building is airtight and constructed with good U-Values and little to no cold bridges. When upgrading the Building envelope it is recommended to upgrade the entire façade, and contiguously improving the natural ventilation through improved design. (Harrison & Trotman, 2000) “Build Tight – Ventilate Right” (Harrison & Trotman, 2000, P, 103) 6.2.1
Upgrade Façade Panels EBE has a similar concrete frame to the rest of EB, however, in Figure:15 2008 it had an external façade retrofitted consisting of aluminium cladding and double glazed windows. Figure 4 For a concrete framed building Infill Panel are suited and can be used as a retrofitting solution (Cheeseman, 2013). The can be manufactured offsite to reduce disruption (Foster, 2015) and time onsite. When EBE was retrofitted (Foster, 2015) materials were manufactured offsite and the project took 21 weeks with a contract value of £922,000 and carried out with the building in occupation 07004101
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from cradle access. Figure 15 (section 4.5) shows the current thermal performance of EBE after being retrofit with the aluminium panels, whereas Figure 4 shows the thermal performance of EBA. The dark spots illustrate a lack of heat shown by the camera and the light / white spots show the area’s most heat is escaping. Show the difference in thermal performance of the two different facades. 6.2.2 Improve Glazing According to Harrison & Trotman (2000) windows account for substantial proportion of heat loss, double glazing will usually reduce this by about half. Currently the majority for EB (Blocks A, B, C & D) are singled glazed. This is echoed by McMullan (2012) and table 13 below is taken from his work on glazing U-Values.
Table 13 Window performance comparisons Windows
Older Single Glazed (Similar to EBA, B, C & D) Modern Double Glazing (Similar to EBE) High-performance Triple Glazing
U-Value 4.8
R-Value 0.21
2.0
0.37
0.80
1.25
(McMullan 2012) Thomas and Fordham (1996) says heat loss is matter of U-Values of glazed areas and less from insulated opaque areas such as walls, roof and floors. Windows must be incorporated as they are primary importance providing psychological comforts, occupant connection to the outside environment and Natural Ventilation (McMullan 2012). McMullan (2012) goes on to say that it would not be recommended from a feasibility perspective to upgrade glazing on an existing building, instead they should be replaced contiguous with repair work e.g. a broken window should be upgraded. This report suggests that the glazing should be replaced in contiguously with the external façade. 6.2.3 Window Coatings Thomas & Fordham (1996) elucidate that the South face of a building receives most of the suns energy and the West side of a building generally most uncomfortable in the late afternoon due to the solar gain. Sinopli (2010) recommends window coatings to combat solar gain, as they are “spectrally
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Figure 27 Image Taken from: Nachi 2015
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selective” and designed to selectively filter out frequencies of light that produce heat while minimising loss of visible light transmission. It is important to maximise natural light and minimise that heat gains because this reduces the lighting and cooling load of the building. 6.2.4 Improved Natural Ventilation Natural Ventilation (NV) is ventilation driven by natural forces of wind and temperature. It should be controlled unlike infiltration and NV can be augmented by the use of local extract fans (Harrison & Trotman, 2000, p.47). Thomas and Fordham (1996) agree with Harrison and Trotman (2000) that NV should be controlled and they note that if NV can’t be controlled by occupants it introduces an element of uncertainty posing problems of psychological perception of comfort. Thomas and Fordham (1996) recommend intelligent controls allowing occupants to override the automatic system for a limited period of time and then readjust according to conditions e.g. a lecturer could open a window during a lecture but the automatic system would close the window after the lecture or upon sensing rain. In urban areas such as NU is there will undoubtedly be negative impacts such as noise and external air pollution, appropriate window design should be employed to mitigate this (Harrison & Trotman, 2000). It is recommended to improve the façade as a whole especially thermal performance of the façade with infill panels and double glazing. When improving the Glazing ensure that the widows especially to the West face of the building incorporate a solar reflective film to reduce solar gain. A further recommendation would be to improve the natural ventilation through the incorporation of a SMART system. These measures will increase comfort for the occupants and decrease the overall running costs. In the case of EBE work can run contiguous with occupation reducing impact on students and staff.
6.3
Install Phase Change Material (PCM)
PCM allows the thermal storage capacity of a building to be increased without undue increase in building mass (Harrison & Trotman, 2000). According to Livesey (2013) PCM is not a thermal insulator but it can maintain a buildings temperature. CIOB (2011) wrote that PCM offers a great advantage to any building, new or existing as PCM can absorb greater amounts of heat and cooling loads than that of current building fabric, this is because it has the ability to phase change at room temperature, from solid to liquid and back again, this helping reduce (BASF, 2008) heating and cooling loads for the mechanical Figure 28: Knauf Gips KG's PCM equipment. This process is caused by an endothermic SmartBoard: here 3KG of Micronal PCM reaction, the PCM changes from a solid to a liquid is contained in the gypsum wallboard. A when heated allowing the material to absorb heat, wall with this fixed to both sides has the similarly when the building temperature drops the same heat storage capacity as a 140mm PCM through an exothermic reaction will solidify thick concrete wall again (Livesey et al. 2013). CIOB (2011) identified PCM’s greatest merit is their passive nature, requiring zero energy consumption to regulate the building temperature environment and no maintenance in operation. 07004101
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PCM is made by mixing materials with PCM either, inorganic based such as salt or organic based such as paraffin, however, paraffin has a low thermal conductivity and a large volume change over the phase transition (Solid to Liquid), and this limits their use as a building material (Livesey et al. 2013). PCM is well suited to buildings such as universities, Edinburgh Napier University’s new campus has incorporated PCM to improve occupant comfort and reduce the need for heating and cooling (CIOB, 2011). Harrison & Trotman (2000) also say PCM is suited to retro-fit applications. The BRE tested Datum PCM ceiling tiles in a school block converted to housing and in schools to combat overheating, they went on to say that PCM can also be incorporated into building materials such as wallboards and concrete, this is done by adding PCM pellets to the materials either wallboards of concrete.
Figure 29
(BASF, 2008)
PCM can help reduce running cost by reduce the load placed on the heating and cooling system by storing energy during the warm periods and releasing it in cool periods.
6.4
Increase Usage of Building Thermal Mass
‘The thermal mass of a building evens out the variations in temperature’ (Thomas and Fordham, 1996, p51) Thomas and Fordham (1996) state that when looking to use the thermal mass of a building to help regulate a building temperature, mitigation temperate peaks and troughs, it is important to select a material with high admittance. Concrete has the second highest admittance to water (Thomas and Fordham, 1996). Uncovered in-situ concrete is considered to have the highest admittance out of all different forms of concrete (Harrison & Trotman, 2000). High admittance means it absorbs a high amount of energy for every degree of temperature change, this can be seen in table 14 below comparing a high admittance material with a similar material which has be covered for an aesthetical purpose (Thomas and Fordham, 1996). Table 14: Thermal Mass Admittance Item Admittance (w/m2k) 200mm solid cast concrete 5.4 75mm low weight concrete 1.2 block with 15mm dense plaster on both sides (Thomas and Fordham, 1996)
Density 2100 600 concrete 600 plaster
Exposed in-situ concrete is of higher admittance than concrete which has been precast and covered with plaster. However, it is not always suitable to leave concrete uncovered, in a University it may be preferred for aesthetical reasons to decorate and cover the concrete with plaster, and it would be recommended in this case that PCM such as Gypsum wallboard (see section 6.3) is used.
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EB is a concrete framed cellular building and where possible designs should utilise high admittance materials by exposing them in an appropriate manner (Thomas and Fordham, 1996). Saulles (2004) recommended that false ceilings, raised floors and plastered walls should be kept to a minimum, increased floor to ceiling heights will provide more thermal mass for a given floor area. Increased thermal mass will mitigate the impact of unwanted solar gain and provide a more constant building temperature reducing running costs (Thomas and Fordham, 1996). Table 15: Thermal Mass Advantages and Disadvantages Direct Benefit Indirect Benefit Disadvantage Consistent Improve building Efficiency as Aesthetics temperature Occupants are more comfortable reduced visual it will reduce the need for Occupant comfort occupants to interfere with the comfort exposer of building building services such as TRV’s services Reduced and Natural ventilation both of running costs which can increase energy load Improved on the building services, reduce building energy efficiency, increase running costs performance and was energy. Increasing the Thermal mass of EB would facilitate running costs savings with low capital costs as the material is already in the structure.
6.5
Photovoltaic electricity generating panels
Photovoltaic Panels has been chosen over Solar Panels due to the requirements of EB which is relatively little heated water for washing hands mainly and heating the building, EB uses disproportionately large amount of electricity (see Section 5.0-5.2). The use of the CHP / District heating along with increasing thermal mass, improving façade / glazing and use of PCM would better reduce running costs. (Harrison & Trotman, 2000) Figure 30: Monocrystalline PV
Image Taken from: www.dev.msbs.net
PV installations produce low voltage Direct Current (DC) from panels which can be supported independently on the building (AECOM, 2010). The DC needs to be converted to Alternated Current (AC) using an inverter. One benefit to harvesting energy through PV panels is that if over generation occurs it can be fed in to the National Grid, as a source of income further reducing the running costs (Harrison & Trotman, 2000). Harrison and Trotman (2000) go on to say that another benefit of PV systems is that they have no moving parts and are nonpolluting. A disadvantage of PV is their cost to install (Harrison & Trotman, 2000)
The output of PV panels varies based on a number of factors, mainly the intensity and quantity of sun exposer they receive. Under maximum radiation non-domestic installations peak output ranges form 10-100kW. Designs require 6-10m2 of PV panels per kW of output. Peak output usually occurs during the summer months on cloudless day. Low output would be expected in winter months. A 07004101
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south facing wall of 1997 BRE office block produces 0.5kW on a cloudy day in winter. If installing these to EB then installation should be on the South facing external elements of the building to maximise efficiency. (Harrison & Trotman, 2000) Figure 30 is an example of monocrystalline silicon cells which are considered to have the best efficiency. Other types include Polycrystalline and Amorphous which are cheaper than the monocrystalline however this is reflected in their efficiency.
Figure 31: NU PV Faced Performance
The UK’s first PV façade was installed at NU in 1994 to the South face of (Pearsall & Wilshaw 1996) Northumberland Building comprising of 465 BP Solar BP585 crystalline silicon laminates. For the first 15 month the system operated with expected efficiency, however due to shading from the Urban area the performance has dropped. If used on EB this should be noted and designed against. PV panels will help reduce running costs and reduce requirement for electricty from the national grid. However, energy generated from the CHP may be more cost efficient due to the high installations cost of PV panels.
6.6
Install automated monitoring systems to lighting equipment
Sinopli (2010) estimated lighting accounts for 30-40% of electricity costs. Uncontrolled lighting wastes energy and increases operational costs. Furthermore, lighting can affect other building services such as the need and costs of cooling spaces where lights are over-lighting the area are unnecessarily producing heat and increasing the buildings cooling load, while reducing the occupants comfort (Sinopli, 2010). EB currently uses more electricity than a typical building (Table 8) furthermore NU in comparison to the 2 comparable Universities (see section 5.0) uses more electricity and spends more money in operation. Daylight harvesting would be one method to reduce usage and cost of electricity while improving occupant comfort through reduced lighting and temperature variations (Carbon Trust, 2015 & Harrison and Trotman, 2000). Daylight harvesting (DH) uses photoelectric controls strategically placed to reduce the need for artificial lighting. DH is suited to perimeter rooms, atriums or areas with skylights. They measure the level of natural light and ambient light in the located vicinity then adjust light brightness to maintain a constant level of lighting in the area. DH will help maintain a constant lighting level and reduce byproduct heat from unnecessary lighting in the room, overall reducing the energy requirement for cooling loads and lighting, reducing operation costs while increasing the users comfort level. (Sinopli, 2010 and Harrison and Trotman, 2000)
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Summary
Table 15 below priorities the findings of this report giving a level of importance to each recommended upgrade, 1 being the highest priority and 6 the lowest. Table 15: Priority List of Recommendations Element Priority (1 - 6 Most - Least Recommended) District Heating and CHP 4 Upgrade Façade 1 PCM 2 Thermal Mass 3 PV Cells 6 Automated Light Monitoring Systems 5 It is advised to renovate EB in phases for a number of reasons, mainly NU’s requirements for teaching space. This could be achieved by carrying out the work on each Block through the summer months when NU is at its quietest. This report aimed to critically analyse the design of (EB), with focus on the Performance, Functionality and Suitability. This report has elucidated current inefficiencies in the design (section 4.0-5.2) and suggested cost effective remedies (section 6.0-6.6). To summarise EB is currently suited to its function, with the majority of the building comfortable throughout the year, some rooms overhead due to the function in that space. The energy efficiency of EB is rated as slightly better than typical however, this report has identified the faced to EBA, EBB, EBC and EBD to be of poor thermal performance. Upgrading the Façade element should help reduce running costs and carbon emissions while increasing comfort levels for occupants and sustainability ranking of Northumbria University.
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Reference
AECOM (2010). Practice guidance - planning for renewable and low carbon energy: a toolkit for planners. Cardiff: Welsh Assembly Government . p1-200. BASF. (2008). Micronal PCM Intelligent Temperature Management for Buildings. Available: http://www.micronal.de/portal/load/fid443847/BASF_Micronal_PCM_Brochure%202009_English.p df. Last accessed 6th Feb 2015. Burberry, P (1997). Michell's Environment and Services. 8th ed. Essex: Addison Wesley Longman Limited. p97-190. Carbon Trust. (2015). Energy efficiency in further and higher education - cost effective low energy buildings. Available: http://www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/sector-based-advice/furtherand-higher-education. Last accessed 3rd February 2015. Carbon Trust. (2015). Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC). Available: http://www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/energy-efficiency/heating,-ventilation-and-airconditioning-hvac. Last accessed 3rd February 2015. Carbon Trust. (2015). Lighting. Available: http://www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/energyefficiency/lighting. Last accessed 3rd February 2015. Carbon Trust. (2015). Energy management. Available: http://www.carbontrust.com/resources/guides/energy-efficiency/energy-management. Last accessed 3rd February 2015. CIBSE (2005). Heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration. London: Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers . p1-200. CIBSE (2007). Guide to HVAC building services calculations. 2nd edition. 2nd ed. Berks: BISRA Limited. p1-200. CIBSE (2004). Energy Efficiency in Buildings CIBSE Guide F. 2nd ed. Norfolk: CIBSE Publications Department. p1-200. Cheeseman, B (2013). Designing and constructing for airtightness. Berks: BISRA Limited. p1-200. CIOB . (2011). Interest growing in heat-eating materials. CRI construction research and innovation cool it – the race to market for heat-eating materials. 2 (3), p16-18. Department of Energy & Climate Change. (2014). Gas and electricity prices in the non-domestic sector. Avalable: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/gas-and-electricity-prices-inthe-non-domestic-sector. Last accessed 6th February 2015. Department of Energy & Climate Change. (2008). CHP Technology A Detailed Guide for CHP Developers – Part 2. Avalable: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/345189/Part_2_C HP_Technology.pdf. Last accessed 6th February 2015. Foster, T. E. (2015) Own Photographs 07004101
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Graus, W., Worrell, E. (2006). COMPARISON OF EFFICIENCY FOSSIL POWER GENERATION. Available: http://www.ecofys.com/files/files/ecofyscomparison_fossil_power_efficiencyaug2006_02.pdf. Last accessed 6th Febuary 2015. Harrison, H. W., Trotman, P. M (2000). BRE Building Elements Building Services Performance, Diagnosis, Maintenance, Repair and The Avoidance of Defects. London: Construction Research Communications Ltd. pages 20-150. Houghton, J. N. (2014). Display Energy Certificate. Available: https://www.ndepcregister.com/reportSearchAddressListReports.html?id=da2b8326545feefcf0591f b2f90d96fd. Last accessed 5th Feb 2015. Team Energy. (2010). Advisory Report. Available: https://www.ndepcregister.com/reportSearchAddressListReports.html?id=da2b8326545feefcf0591f b2f90d96fd. Last accessed 5th Feb 2015. Tindall, J. (2015) Low Carbon Heating and Cooling Part 1 [Lecture to BSc Quantity Surveying Year 4], BE0898: Advanced Measurement and Technology. Northumbria University. 5th February Livesey, K., Suttie, E., Scovell, K., Thielmans, W. (2013). Advanced thermal insulation technologies in the built environment. Bracknell: BRE. p1-17. McMullan, R (2012). Environmental Science in Building. 7th ed. Hampshire: MacMillan Publishers Limited. p1-76. Northumbria University. (2012). City Campus Tour Guide. Available: https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/media/1078/citycampus_selftour.pdf. Last accessed 3rd February 2015. People & Planet . (2014). People & Planet University League 2015 tables. Available: http://peopleandplanet.org/university-league/2015/tables. Last accessed 5th Feb 2015. (People & Planet , 2014) Saulles, T. D (2004). Free cooling systems. Berks: BIRSA Limited. p1-200. Sinopli. J (2010). Smart Building Systems for Architects, Owners and Builders. Oxford: Elsevier. p4657. Teekaram, A., Palmer, A., Parker, J (2007). CHP for existing buildings. Guidance on design and installation. Berks: BISRA Limited. p1-200. Thomas, R., Fordham, M (1996). Environmental Design An Introduction for Architects and Engineers. 2nd ed. London: E & FN Span. p1-68. Unknown. (2014). 2014/0740/01/DET | Single storey ground level extension as amended by plan (drawing number received ) on 04/06/14 | Northumbria University Ellison Building Ellison Place Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST. Available: https://publicaccessapplications.newcastle.gov.uk/onlineapplications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=constraints&keyVal=N4UBZSBSKY400. Last accessed 4th Feb 2015. 07004101
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Waters, J. R (2003). Energy Conservation in Buildings - A Guide to Part L of the Building Regulations. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. p36-37.
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Bibliography
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