Reduce direct costs and save money By Dr DAVIDE ROSS Director, Pangolin Associates
In the current economic climate, reducing your direct energy costs has never been more important. From the reverberations of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the introduction of mandatory disclosure legislation and rising energy prices, the pressure to deliver on energy efficiency programs and cost savings is on in earnest.
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s a colleague succinctly stated, it appears that there are three patterns emerging:
1.
Energy audits up to and including Green Star or NABERS
2.
Best operation methods, including risk management
3.
The need to upgrade for mandatory disclosure
This neatly summates some recent topics covered in Vol 15, No. 1 Hotel Engineer; or Vol 2 Australian Building Services Journal. It has always made sound financial sense to conduct an analysis of energy expenditure, but oddly it has been treated as a very poor second cousin when faced against building construction and other operational priorities.
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Complacency is very easy when prices are low and especially if someone else is going to pay for it. It certainly hasn’t translated to necessarily meaningful actions unless we’re faced with hitting a speed hump or two, like past oil price shocks, current electricity price hikes or future government pricing of carbon pollution. For existing buildings, conducting a detailed energy audit, whether a level 1, 2 or 3 (as defined under AS 3598:2000), will help identify the sources of energy for a site, the amount of energy supplied, and what the energy is used for. It also identifies areas where savings may be made, recommends measures to be taken, and provides a statement of costs and potential savings. When conducting energy audits, Pangolin Associates have sought to use the following novel techniques and solutions to identify and target problem areas to save our clients money and improve building efficiency.
Thermography Thermography in Australia has been mainly used as a maintenance tool to check electrical switchboards. A professional electrical survey can be invaluable in identifying risks, assets to be repaired and assisting in insurance renewal, particularly in the hotel and entertainment industry. Thermographic images can point out insulation issues, thermal bridging, blocked pipes, moisture leaks or temperature differential in walls and
(Image courtesy of Thermoview)
windows. While it seems that it is a simple process and cheaper cameras make it appear that way, it is a sophisticated service, and there are sophisticated guidelines that should be used. The above image shows a section of an office after a new fit out, it identifies thermal bridging from glue, missing insulation issues with joins and a cold window. This type of survey requires an understanding of field of view, reflectivity and emissivity of building materials, and how temperature, wind direction and humidity may impact the outcome. The example shown highlights issues that can be easily addressed and can save many hours in trying to overcome a “it’s cold in here” cry from the tenant. Was it an unspecified short cut that the contractor glued to the wall rather than use framework and inserting insulation?
Voltage Optimisation Approximately 90% of buildings in Australia receive excess voltage, causing machinery to run inefficiently and energy to be wasted. An innovative high performance voltage optimisation device