May 2021

MAY 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Air Handling Energy in Universities Batteries & Energy Storage CPD Module: Indoor Air Quality

Striking a balance Energy use and occupant comfort

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On the curriculum Taking control of student rooms

Dangerous power Risk management of batteries

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MAY 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue

Contents

www.eibi.co.uk

Air Handling Energy in Universities Batteries & Energy Storage CPD Module: Indoor Air Quality

Striking a balance Energy use and occupant comfort

On the curriculum Taking control of student rooms

12

Dangerous power Risk management of batteries

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MAY 2021

33

FEATURES

Nigel Thomas examines how a 17-storey student block in Swansea will be equipped with the latest monitoring to ensure high levels of efficiency are maintained (23)

10 Air Handling

Students and staff at Barnet and Southgate College are benefitting from an outstanding indoor environment following the installation of a heat recovery air conditioning system (24)

Many offices will be depending on mechanical ventilation to help eliminate any viruses. Ian Jeffries explains what energy managers should be doing to control energy use

The University of Birmingham has installed a bespoke turnkey battery dry room and HVAC plant while SSE Enterprise is teaming up with Goldsmiths, University of London, to design a low-carbon campus infrastructure (26)

Ana Cross examines how to balance a building’s energy use with both the power input of air handling units (AHUs) and occupant comfort (12) How will COVID change the future of HVAC in buildings and what impact will that have on energy efficiency? Craig Needham gives his opinion (13) A number of innovations including a triple rotary compressor is ensuring high energy efficiency in a new variable refrigerant flow system. David McSherry explains (14)

22

Energy in Universities Adrian Barber looks at how a university has overcome lockdown to forge ahead with updating the control of a heating system in its student village resulting in annual savings of up to £75,000

29

Batteries & Energy Storage Lithium-ion batteries are such an important part of our home and workspaces. But proper storage and risk management are essential, believes Richard Poate Alexander Baal explains how deploying Lithium-ion-powered material handling equipment is one method that can support businesses’ CSR initiatives (30) Researchers at the University of Glasgow have designed a recyclable ‘veggie’ battery could power future devices more efficiently (32)

REGULARS 06 News Update

21 Products in Action

Scrapping of Green Homes Grant comes under scrutiny by the National Audit Office while skills shortages are beginning to appear in the building services sector

Controls are playing a key role at a flagship office development in Leeds while an Italian football club has installed a range of air purifiers

33 ESTA Viewpoint

09 The Warren Report A bold initiative is intended to meet head on the inherent trading incompatibility caused by unpriced emissions from companies outside Europe

15 New Products Among the new products for the energy manager this month are a new fan coil unit using three water pipes and a web platform for monitoring energy management systems

What does the UK Emissions Trading Scheme mean for British business?

John Field examines the changes ahead for energy users of all sizes

17 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning Paul Bennett takes a close look at the all-important topic of indoor air quality

34 Talking Heads Everything is labelled as ‘smart’ these days.

But what has got to happen for buildings to truly live up to that title?, asks Jamie Cameron

Follow us, ‘like us’ or visit us online to keep up to date with all the latest energy news and events www.eibi.co.uk MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 03

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Editor’s Opinion

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Follow us on @ twitter.com/eibi and twitter.com/eibi_magazine

Skills for the future

C

onstruction is booming. This will come

body blow to the retrofit industry. A massive gap

as no surprise to anybody involved in

exists between the UK’s current capacity to retrofit

the industry but will be no comfort to

homes and install heat pumps, and the sheer

those sectors still struggling to not just

volume of work needed if we are to achieve zero

emerge from the effects of the pandemic but to

carbon by 2050. According to the Climate Change

even survive. Demand for skilled tradespeople

Commission’s 6th carbon budget nearly 11m

in construction as well as engineering is surging

homes need to be retrofitted by 2035. There are

because these sectors are accelerating faster than

only 950 heat pump installers accredited by MCS

anticipated.

– the UK’s standards body in this area – compared

With unemployment expected to increase

to 96,000 installers of fossil fuel systems. The UK

in the UK overall in the coming months talk

Government said in Nov 2020 that 600,000 heat

of a skills shortage has reared its ugly head

pumps must be installed per year by 2028. There

once again. The Building Engineering Services

is a need for rapid re-training of workers if the UK

Association (see page 6) warns that without

is to come close to reaching this goal.

significant investment in upskilling existing

There is a massive opportunity for the

workers and adding to the sector’s headcount

government to fill these capacity gaps and create

the industry would struggle to keep pace as the

thousands of new jobs by creating a new, green

industry bounces back from the pandemic. BESA

workforce. Yes, there are innovators out there

added that Brexit is also squeezing the labour

training the next generation of installers but their

market and exacerbating skills shortages that had

efforts are just a drop in the ocean of what is

been building up in the years before the Covid

required. Targeted Government investment will

crisis.

bring a reskilling of the workforce and bring new

This is happening in the wake of the

jobs. In addition, with COP26 fast approaching it

Government’s announcement that it has

would clearly demonstrate the UK’s commitment

scrapped the Green Homes Grant scheme. Now

to being a leader in green investment.

the subject of an enquiry by the National Audit Office (see page 6), the grant could have been the kick start for a major resurgence of training

MANAGING EDITOR

in the green collar sector. Instead it has been a

Mark Thrower

The EiBI Team Editorial Managing Editor Mark Thrower tel: 01483 452854 Email: editor@eibi.co.uk Address: P. O. Box 825, Guildford GU4 8WQ

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THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY With lockdown restrictions easing and the vaccination rollout continuing, the focus for many organisations is now about considering the future of their working models. Will they be introducing hybrid working models where staff work from home for part of the week, or will employees return to offices on a permanent basis? Are they disposing of sites as part of an estate rationalisation drive?

Many offices will be depending on mechanical ventilation to help eliminate any viruses. Ian Jeffries of EEVS explains what energy managers should be doing to control energy use.

See page 10 for more details Photo courtesy of EEVS

Publishing Directors Chris Evans Russ Jackson Magazine Designer Tim Plummer For overseas readers or UK readers not qualifying for a free copy, annual subscription rates are £85 UK; £105 Europe airmail; £120 RoW. Single copies £10 each.

Published by: Pinede Publishing Ltd 16-18 Hawkesyard Hall, Armitage Park, Nr. Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1PU ISSN 0969 885X This issue includes photographs provided and paid for by suppliers

Printed by Precision Colour Printing Origination by Design and Media Solutions ABC Audited Circulation Jan-Dec 2020 11,721

04 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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

Upturn leads to skills shortages The speed of the economic recovery is already revealing cracks in the building services labour market, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).

During a webinar hosted by the Association, recruitment experts warned that without significant investment in upskilling existing workers and adding to the sector’s headcount the industry would struggle to keep pace as the industry bounces back from the pandemic.

They said demand for skilled labour was surging because the engineering and construction sectors were accelerating faster than expected. “If we don’t do something dramatic about upskilling over the next three to five years we will not have a workforce capable of taking on the work created by the economic recovery,” said BESA’s director of training and skills Helen Yeulet.

She cited a study carried out by the consultancy McKinsey in 2017, which showed that 14 per cent of the workforce would need to be completely reskilled and 40 per cent at least partially. “And that was long before we had a pandemic,” said Yeulet.

PROBE BY NATIONAL AUDIT OFFICE

Failure of GHG to be investigated The National Audit Office is to investigate the reasons why the English £2bn Green Homes Grant scheme was suddenly abandoned by the government after just six months. This high-level auditing exercise will consider in particular how the scheme was designed, and whether it could ever have met the objectives set for it by Chancellor Sunak last July, of assisting 600,000 households and ensuring employment for 100,000 people.

Another objective is to look at who precisely did benefit from the scheme, and which energy-saving items were actually installed under it. Just £191m has been spent.

While householders made 113,700 applications, only 55 per cent of these were ever approved by the scheme administrators. In the end, just 52,000 homes were improved only 8 per cent of the Chancellor’s declared target. Around 43 per cent of these were low-income households, where “double” grants of up to £10,000 were available.

Of the measures installed, 81 per cent were insulation, of which 27 per cent were for loft insulation, and 18 per cent for cavity wall insulation. Just 19 per cent were for low-carbon heating. There is little evidence of any installations of “secondary measures” like thermostatic radiator valves or double glazing.

CO2 emissions set to soar in 2021 Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are on course to surge by 1.5bn tonnes in 2021 – the secondlargest increase in history – reversing most of last year’s decline caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report from the International Energy Agency shows. This would be the biggest annual rise in emissions since 2010, during the carbonintensive recovery from the global financial crisis.

The IEA’s Global Energy Review 2021 estimates that CO2 emissions will increase by almost 5 per cent this year to 33bn tonnes, based on the latest national data from around the world as well as real-time analysis of economic growth trends and new energy projects that are set to come online. The key driver is coal demand, which is set to grow by 4.5 per cent, surpassing its 2019 level and approaching its all-time peak from 2014, with the electricity sector accounting for three-quarters of this increase.

New energy efficiency labels for electrically powered products The Government is to introduce a new “right to repair” law to come into force this September. Covering many electrically powered products, the new rules are estimated to reduce by 1.5m tonnes the amount of electrical waste reckoned to occur

in the UK each year. This is in line with changes being made in each of the 27 remaining European Union countries.

New energy labels have also been introduced for simplified energy efficiency labelling for products, with ratings running on a scale from A to

Proportionately the region with the highest uptake was the north west, with the lowest the other side of the Pennines, in the north east.

The NAO team are also set to examine in detail the procurement of the contract for the scheme’s IT platform, and its management. ”The Green Homes Grant was a good initiative, poorly implemented”, concluded the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee chair Philip Dunne (left) a Conservative MP. “This government’s green credentials risk being undermined.

Simply abandoning a critically important decarbonisation scheme when cracks appear sets a poor example in the year we aim to show climate leadership.

“Cutting emissions starts at home. The homes we live in contribute a huge amount of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, so undertaking effective retrofits and stemming those emissions is key to reaching net zero by 2050.”

G instead of up to A+++: These will cover the same 34 different product categories as before, ranging from domestic washing machines and cookers to commercial refrigeration Previously, many products now qualify for a classification that had fallen victim to confusing grade inflation, being frequently classed as A+, A++ or A+++. Overall efficiency standards have already increased enormously during this century, owing largely to these energy efficiency standards introduced by the EU. The simplified system is based on a newly calibrated A-G scale. A far higher standard will be applied for each grade, so that very few appliances will immediately make it into the top A group. These new ratings will apply in Great Britain, while EU rules will continue to apply in Northern Ireland.

The think tank Green Alliance has long pushed for a right to repair.

Its spokeswoman Libby Peake told BBC News: “This is good news – but it’s exactly what the government said it would do on leaving the EU. The big test is whether the UK will continue to keep track with future EU standards.”

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

FOUR PRODUCT AREAS TARGETED FOR IMPROVEMENT

IN BRIEF

COP26 to kickstart energy efficiency

Wayth takes the reins at the EI

A key objective of this November’s much-trailed intergovernmental conference on Climate Change, to be held in Glasgow, (called COP 26), will be to concentrate upon improving the energy performance of four specific product categories.

Each of these is responsible for substantial and unnecessary amounts of energy wastage. The energy efficiency in use of such products needs to be doubled globally by 2030.

Hosting the conference will be the UK Government. In charge of adaptation and resilience policies is the Energy & Clean Growth minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan (right). In recognition of the importance of her role, Mrs Trevelyan was invited to be the opening keynote speaker at the 2021 International Energy Agency’s 6th Annual energy efficiency conference.

The Minister devoted the bulk of her speech seeking to resuscitate an earlier IEA initiative, called the

The Energy Institute has appointed Dr Nick Wayth as chief executive following the departure of Louise Kingham.

Wayth spent nearly 22 years at BP plc in a variety of roles.

Most recently he held the post of chief development officer of alternative energy, where he led BP’s strategy and business development in a broad range of renewable technologies, including solar, offshore wind and digital energy. Kingham, who has headed the EI for more than 20 years, is stepping down to become UK head of country and senior vice president for Europe at BP.

Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment initiative, (SEAD). Her campaign will concentrate upon air conditioners, refrigerators, motors and lighting.

She said that: “We know that better international coordination is central in achieving energy efficiency gains and meaningful progress on emissions reductions across sectors, and such is the same for product efficiency policy.”

She explained that “ahead of COP26, we want to use this opportunity to raise international action and boost international coordination through SEAD.” There were two specific aims “the first is to strengthen the SEAD initiative, re-engaging all existing membership, bringing in new members and developing a longterm plan for action after COP26.”

The second was to “set the pace of ambition and put in place a process which supports countries to achieve increased action more quickly, easily and at a lower cost - and achieve the multiple benefits of doing so. This ambition is to double the efficiency of the key product beings sold globally by 2030 – focusing upon air conditioners, refrigerators, motors and lighting.”

Already, initiatives are being undertaken working together with the key relevant UK trade associations, like the Lighting Association and the British Pump Manufacturers Association.

Roadmap for hospitals to reach net zero targets Hospitals and other healthcare facilities worldwide can prepare better for both climate change and future pandemics by adopting green technology and cutting planet-heating emissions from their operations and supply chains, believe health experts, reports Reuters.

A new roadmap setting out ways for the health sector to reach netzero emissions said healthcare has a “substantial” climate footprint, accounting for 4.4 per cent of global emissions, mostly due to the use of fossil fuels for energy and products.

The new roadmap, launched at the Skoll World Forum, details national healthcare emissions data for 68 countries and recommendations on how to decarbonise the health sector.

It urges wealthy countries with big-emitting health systems to cut

Queen’s Award for HVAC specialist Armstrong Fluid Technology has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development. The award, the first for a company in the commercial-scale HVAC sector, recognises Armstrong’s leadership in sustainability, including improvements in daily operations, contributions to the sustainability of customers, and support for initiatives in local communities.

Of the list of 205 organisations recognised this year, Armstrong is one of only seventeen to receive an award in the Sustainable Development category.

In 2013, the company brought together its sustainability efforts to form a single global programme, called Planet Proposition, to drive progress towards more ambitious environmental targets.

Sustainable homes in, coal power out emissions the fastest and steepest, while calling on poorer countries to develop their health infrastructure using clean energy, such as solar power, and other green technologies.

Without action to shrink those emissions, they would more than triple by 2050, equalling the annual emissions from 770 coal-fired power plants, said the report from non-profit network Health Care Without Harm (HCWH) and engineering firm Arup.

Co-author Josh Karliner of HCWH

said the world was already experiencing twin climate and health emergencies, such as respiratory illness from fossil fuel pollution and injuries and smoke inhalation caused by wildfires.

“Health care bears the brunt of these two crises while also, ironically, contributing to them through its own emissions,” he said in a statement.

“It’s imperative for health leaders to lead by example and act now to reach zero emissions by 2050.”

ENGIE has been granted outline planning permission for the redevelopment of Rugeley Power Station in Staffordshire.

After three years of extensive community engagement and planning the company will now progress plans to transform the former coal-fired power station site, which it owns, into a sustainable, mixed-use development of 2,300 new lowcarbon homes.

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

Majority support green taxes Six in ten people support the principle of green taxes, that environmentally damaging behaviours should be made more expensive, and only one in ten oppose, according to the results of a recent survey of over 2,000 people by Green Alliance.

A majority think specific types of green taxes are good ideas, including carbon taxes on producers or consumers, greening the VAT system and implementing new material taxes. This gives government a mandate to start to green the tax system through Treasury’s imminent Net Zero Review.

The findings show that people want the government to do, and spend, more on the environment.

80 per cent believe the government should be responsible for dealing with environmental issues, and 62 per cent want higher government spending to address them.

People also believe responsibility extends to them: 63 per cent feel it is important to change their own lifestyle to tackle climate change and 64 per cent say they have already made some changes.

Green gas for offices, homes Homes and offices in the King’s Cross area of London are set to be powered exclusively on green gas.

This move will reduce the predicted annual carbon footprint of the neighbourhood by 50 per cent, saving an estimated 16,000 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the average annual carbon emissions of around 1,600 Londoners.

The deal, which has been facilitated and managed by Optimised Energy will see 40,000MWh of green gas delivered to King’s Cross per annum from an Iona Capital owned plant.

The plant generates green gas from its anaerobic digestion facility in Scotland, where waste and residues are broken down to produce clean energy.

The energy centre will then efficiently generate heating and hot water using large boilers and Metropolitan King’s Cross will then distribute the heating, hot water and electricity to 2,000 homes and 372,000m2 of offices using its estatewide district energy network.

HUGE CARBON COST OF ATTENDING CONFERENCES

Home energy consumption rises Abandoning physical attendance at conferences significantly reduces emissions per head by participants.

Those travelling to the average international 12-day conference – like the impending COP26 on climate change, due in Glasgow this November – will each score up an average of 2,961kg of carbon emissions.

The bulk of this, 2,300kg, will be due to flights. But even when locals attend such a conference, totalling up hotel accommodation, local transport of ten miles to the venue and conference venue, fuel will still come to 660kg per head, according to the Polish National Centre for Emissions Management.

In contrast, participation in a viral conference lasting 12 days – including emissions from home gas and electricity; computer manufacture; and use of networks and data centres - averages out at just 36kg per person. That is only 7 per cent of the carbon footprint of being at a local conference. And just 1 per cent of the emissions caused by attending an international conference.

However, working from home full time, as over one third of the British workforce did during this year’s

lockdown, increased home energy consumption considerably. Prepandemic, only around 5 per cent of people worked at home.

This has led to fears that British employees continuing to do so could be left colder and poorer in the longterm, unless more is done to retrofit draughty homes.

UK households used 14 per cent more heating this winter during weekday working hours compared to the same time last year, according to research by smart thermostat company tado°.

However, some European nations with well-insulated homes registered only a slight increase in home heating

use. In Germany heating use jumped by around 9 per cent, while Denmark and Sweden saw a rise of just over five per cent each.

Research by Energy Helpline estimates that the average homeworker’s energy bill could have risen by as much as £107 this winter, if working from home five days a week.

A hundred people working at home burn a lot more fuel than a hundred people in one office. If we are in a situation where the home office or flexible working is here to stay, this just might finally motivate the UK government to speed up energy renovations of homes.

Brick manufacturer aims for net zero factory in UK Brick manufacturer Ibstock plc is to make a major investment in its Atlas factory in Walsall, West Midlands.

The factory will be a pathfinder project to test and pilot operational efficiencies which, the company believes, will lead to Atlas becoming the world’s only Scope 1 and 2 Net Zero brick factory.

A combination of reduced process emissions and greater thermal efficiency will cut the carbon intensity of bricks produced at the Atlas site by 50 per cent compared to the existing factory. The remaining emissions will be offset using high-quality emission reduction projects. Once completed, Ibstock says Atlas will be an exemplar of British manufacturing and global environmental best practice in the construction products sector.

The Group’s Sustainability Roadmap to 2025 sets out ambitious decarbonisation plans. This Net Zero pathfinder project, along with a host

of other initiatives at other sites across the UK, marks the latest important step in pushing the business beyond its

Roadmap.

The new Atlas investment will be Net Zero for Scopes 1 and 2 emissions; Scope 3 will be addressed at a later date as part of the Group’s longer-term sustainability strategy.

To achieve its ambitions, the Group is utilising a standard methodology that aligns with the UK Government’s Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy.

Commenting on the investment plans for the Atlas Factory, chief executive officer of Ibstock plc, Joe Hudson (left), said: “The Net Zero journey is one we share with our customers. We have seen a transformational shift in attitudes from all of our key stakeholders; and there is a ‘sea-change’ in how our customers, and, in turn, their customers, view environmental issues. As the UK’s leading brick manufacturer we recognise that we have to adapt and respond – and this is reflected in our Sustainability Roadmap to 2025.”

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05.21

THE WARREN REPORT

Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

The EU’s new tool to create a level playing field A bold initiative is intended to meet head on the inherent trading incompatibility caused by unpriced emissions from companies outside Europe

T

his summer the European Commission is set to propose two major add-ons to its international carbon-saving showpiece, the Emissions Trading Scheme (EU:ETS).

The first will be to extend its reach beyond European heavy industry, air transport and electricity generators to cover surface transport and buildings. The second will have even wider implications.

It will increase the traded cost within Europe for the 80 per cent of global goods not subject to carbon pricing.

When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen first floated the idea in July 2019, she called it a carbon border tax. The concept has evolved since then, earning a new name: carbon border adjustment mechanism. Or CBAM. Whereas a tax could draw the ire of the World Trade Organization, which doesn’t like protectionism, a border adjustment mechanism will spare products produced in the small minority of countries that already put a price on emissions. Effectively, this initiative is intended to meet head on the inherent trading incompatibility caused by unpriced emissions from many companies based outside Europe.

The CBAM will function like a mirror image of the EU:ETS, for the past 15 years the world’s biggest carbon market. In such a “notional ETS,” importers of emissionsintensive goods will pay a charge linked to what they would have paid - had they been covered by Europe’s carbon-reduction laws in the first place. The price of emissions allowances in the EU:ETS is already surging in anticipation of stricter climate goals.

Designing the CBAM in a way that would make it compatible with the World Trade Organization (WTO) is difficult but doable, according to EU policymakers. Yet there are

more challenges Europe needs to address to implement the mechanism, ranging from major political issues to technical factors such as how to determine the precise amount of carbon embedded in a product, and how to credit countries like the UK outside the bloc.

This won’t happen immediately.

While the Commission will unveil draft regulations in June, the scheme needs approval from the European Parliament and the 27 EU governments to become law. That process will involve long and tedious negotiations. Meaning the CBAM realistically won’t take effect until 2023.

No free carbon allowances The Commission has repeatedly stressed that the introduction of the CBAM will mean an end to - or at least a phasing-out of - the free carbon allowances currently given to sectors like aluminium currently most disadvantaged by imports. Retaining such freebies would definitely make the CBAM incompatible with WTO rules.

Inevitably, some sectors want to have their cake and eat it too, expecting that free allocation of permits continue. This issue is sure to be one of the noisiest sticking points in negotiations about the final shape of the instrument.

Europe’s plans are already causing diplomatic unease in countries from Ukraine to Ghana to India to China. Last month, a three-cornered virtual conference between Merkel of Germany, Macron of France and Xi of China ended with the latter issuing dire warnings about possible trade implications. In that context, even America’s high-profile climate envoy John Kerry describes the CBAM as a “last resort.”

The planned levy will be proposed just five months before the crucial COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where

‘Whether the UK will follow suit with trading schemes for buildings and surface transport has yet to be confirmed ’

coalition-building will be key to ensuring major emitters step up their efforts to reduce emissions. Threading that needle will be tricky, but possible, at least in theory.

Money from the border adjustment is a potential new source of EU budget revenue—from €5bn to €14bn per year, the Commission estimates. The decision on what happens to that revenue could be a big problem, particularly if it ends up being pocketed by certain European governments. Making it a tax by any other name. Ideally, revenues should be channelled towards developing countries for climate abatement purposes.

The scope of the measure at the outset will be limited to a few sectors, with power, cement, steel, aluminium, and fertilisers the likeliest candidates. But the border adjustment mechanism will be designed to enable a gradual extension into other industries over the coming years.

Europe imports electricity from Russia, the Ukraine, and the western Balkans.

The biggest sources of cement imports are Belarus, Colombia, Turkey, and Ukraine, while steel is brought in mainly from China, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine. And from the UK. On May 19 the first ever auction of allowances available under the fledgling UK:ETS will occur. Those involved are the same sectors as were involved in the EU:ETS until this January. While the number of allowances will be proportionately 5 per cent lower, the system is basically a mirror image of its originator. So the chances are that steel imported from the UK will be able to avoid the EU’s “adjustment mechanism.”

Whether the UK will follow suit with trading schemes for buildings and surface transport, plus carbon surcharges for certain imports, has yet to be confirmed. As of now, London is simply an interested bystander.

Effectively, the EU is seeking a level playing field for its businesses while encouraging more climate action from countries outside the bloc. But if other nations step up, or if the proposal escalates irreconcilable trade tensions, the CBAM may wind up being a tool the EU wields, rather than something that is applied across the board.

If the debate leads to a more ambitious implementation of climate policies globally, the best CBAM may yet prove to be the one that is never rolled out in full.  MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 09

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Air Handling

Ian Jeffries is managing director, EEVS

Avoid the carbon rebound

Many offices will be depending on mechanical ventilation to help eliminate any viruses. Ian Jeffries explains what energy managers should be doing to control energy use if ventilation use rises

W

ith lockdown restrictions easing and the vaccination rollout continuing, the focus for many organisations is now about considering the future of their working models. Will they be introducing hybrid working models where staff work from home for part of the week, or will employees return to offices on a permanent basis? Are they disposing of sites as part of an estate rationalisation drive?

There is a potential scenario in which increased energy usage will lead to a carbon rebound as people return to offices. Many energy teams will already be focused on how their real estate strategy aligns with their corporate net zero vision. But they need to do this by preparing for a carbon rebound and, crucially, should now be making plans to mitigate it.

Why could we see an increase in carbon emissions? Building operators seeking to create safe working environments are likely to require more from their mechanical ventilation systems. The HSE guidance is clear that adequate ventilation reduces how much virus is in the air.

New Government recommendations made as part of the proposed Future Buildings Standard from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government will also increase usage.

The current regulations suggest a minimum air exchange rate of 10 l/s/p and the new report from the MHCLG recommends an increase of 50 per cent on top of this. The requirement to filter air and provide such high air change rates makes natural and passive ventilation strategies difficult to achieve. It is likely that some new buildings will have larger air handling units to pump air around buildings.

The MHCLG has suggested that larger equipment running at lower capacity will reduce the energy consumption required. This is

It is possible that as people return to offices energy use will soar, leading to a carbon rebound

debatable. Mechanical ventilation is already being used more energy intensively. Some offices are now operating ventilation over a 24-hour period and switching to 100 per cent fresh air, rather than a mix of fresh and re-circulated air – both of which are already driving up consumption.

For example, there are some offices that during lockdown had 80 per cent less staff but were only saving 10 per cent of energy compared to before the pandemic.

What in practical terms should energy teams consider to mitigate the impact of increased energy usage? When businesses consider the new workspace strategy for different occupancy levels, they should think about the energy dimension to that as well. Yes, space utilisation is key for a world where there is a need for new collaboration spaces and quiet areas for virtual meetings, but in many buildings it might not be practical or efficient to operate all floors and disperse people around the building.

The days of every floor in a multistorey office being operational every

day of the week might be over. Smart controls and understanding the performance data of offices and space usage will need to come to the fore.

To deliver meaningful action on carbon and energy consumption requires better reporting. Corporate reporting for many businesses is going to be ratcheted up because of the Government’s commitment to mandate carbon disclosure for listed and large private business.

Independent assessment Informed decision making will be key. One potential solution could be provided through building sensors.

Careful monitoring of air quality could provide data for facilities management (FM) providers to operate ventilation within a building in a more targeted manner.

Independent assessment of energy performance across a property portfolio is going to be crucial. The reality is that many businesses do not have a detailed understanding of energy performance or cost saving across their portfolio.

There are several examples of

FTSE-100 companies successfully incentivising their FM providers to save energy across their estates.

How they structure these innovative contracts – with their FMs paid to manage the energy consumption of buildings, including the operation of the internal environment – is key. Performance-based contracts incorporating financial rewards for over-performance provide a tried-and-tested solution. They also represent an area of significant untapped potential for both client organisations and outsourced facilities management providers.

With potentially greater ventilation demands and in some cases 24-hour use, organisations should also pay particular attention to contracts with M&E contractors paid to maintain their systems. Changes to these systems could well have interactions with performance-based FM operations, requiring relevant information to be shared and actions taken according to their governance processes, which may be further complicated if different suppliers are involved in providing these services.

Beyond putting in place appropriate contracts, there is a need for clients to have energy and cost-saving initiatives independently verified. A detailed qualitative and quantitative assessment of all the methodologies and calculations used to generate a savings figure is essential if an occupier is to truly understand how it has been calculated. It typically should involve a full review of all relevant contractual documentation, datasets and analytical processes.

We’re living in a time of unprecedented change and a climate emergency. Organisations are going to adjust to new working models.

Buildings in the age of Covid-19 will need increased ventilation and therefore energy. Government policy in the form of the Future Buildings Standard is evolving. As more businesses plot the return to the office, let’s do everything we can to prevent a carbon rebound. 

10 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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Air Handling

Ana Cross is AHU product manager at Elta Fans

Can you rely on fresh air?

Ana Cross examines how to balance a building’s energy use with both the power input of air handling units (AHUs) and occupant comfort

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ith many public spaces having closed down over the past year as a result of COVID-19, there remains work to do in order to restore faith as lockdown starts to ease. Indoor air quality remains at the heart of this process, especially given its role in minimising infection transmission.

A number of industry experts have called for this to serve as a reset when it comes to our approach to indoor air, harnessing the renewed focus to ensure ongoing quality into the future. It’s a sentiment echoed in a Government whitepaper1 from late last year, with ventilation now widely regarded as a key component of a building’s design.

One of the most common mistakes made when looking to improve IAQ in a building is to rely on incoming ‘fresh’ air from outside. But simply opening a window and relying on natural ventilation has the potential to bring in harmful pollutants from outdoors, particularly in urban areas where safety limits of outdoor pollutants, such as particulates and other combustion exhaust gases, are often exceeded.

The definition of what constitutes ‘fresh’ air remains a contentious issue, and there needs to be greater clarity on what it means. For instance, it should be noted that while CO2 remains a good and widely used indicator of the need to ventilate, a thorough assessment of IAQ should go beyond just monitoring carbon dioxide. Consultation documents for upcoming changes to Parts L and F of the Building Regulations hint at a more definitive answer, with some specific guidance on monitoring IAQ in offices.

Even in the absence of an airtight legal definition, it is clear that the general perception of ‘fresh’ air is not rigorous enough, and certainly not sufficient to make natural ventilation a viable option for densely populated areas. Even aside from air quality, opening a window will allow cold/

hot air to enter a building, which will inevitably lead to higher heating bills in order to maintain a reasonable comfortable temperature within a room throughout the year.

As such, those tasked with delivering IAQ in public spaces should take advantage of the latest AHU technology. These units remove stale air from indoor spaces, and use filtration to replace it with clean and filtered air. Crucially, by recovering heat/coolth from the incoming return air throughout the whole year, it ensures that neither energy bills nor thermal comfort are compromised.

This is important for energy managers, who must balance the justifiable need to improve IAQ while also providing ongoing ambient temperature in the most efficient

Central to the performance of an air handling unit is its control device

way possible. Just pumping large volumes of outdoor air into a room is expensive, and when you combine it with any associated heating and cooling costs, expenditure can quickly spiral out of control.

Three key delivery factors The latest technology, such as Elta Fans’ PREMA range of AHUs, is designed to deliver on the three key factors of quality, temperature, and efficiency. Through the use of a heat exchanger (which can also operate in reverse), the heat/cool within outgoing air is transferred to warm/ cool incoming air, in an automatic process that keeps the internal temperature at a user-defined comfort level throughout the year.

At the same time, sensors

monitor IAQ levels to either increase or decrease the amount of air coming into a building, reacting to the specific requirements of a space – this is known as demandcontrolled ventilation (DCV). This technology ensures air circulation can be adapted to meet a change in occupancy levels or alterations to the internal layout of a room, thus keeping IAQ sufficiently high but in a precise, targeted way that won’t incur unnecessarily high energy bills.

Central to the overall performance of an AHU is its control device, and energy managers should familiarise themselves with how these work in order to get the most out of their system. KINAIRTICO, for example, is the device found within Elta Fans’ line of AHUs, and incorporates sophisticated functionality to deliver optimum efficiency.

The ability to use pre-programmed settings based on occupancy levels and time of year ensures the appropriate amount of airflow at any one time, meaning that DCV works as effectively as possible. This can be programmed on an intuitive touchscreen interface, ultimately making the energy efficient management of IAQ straightforward and painless.

Providing a comfortable atmosphere within a building rests upon three key pillars: the quality of incoming air, the internal temperature, and the efficiency with which it is achieved. It is a challenging balancing act and one that can often skew in favour of one over the other.

IAQ is vital, but if this is at the expense of thermal comfort, then occupants will avoid using that space.

From both an environmental and financial perspective, energy managers have a critical role to play in delivering on all three of these factors.

Now more than ever, making our public buildings safe and comfortable should be a top priority. 

Reference 1) EMG: Role of ventilation in controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission, 30 September 2020 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

12 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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Air Handling

Craig Needham is CEO of Horizon Controls Ltd

A whole new role for HVAC

How will COVID change the future of HVAC in buildings and what impact will that have on energy efficiency? Craig Needham gives his opinion

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OVID-19 has transformed many parts of our lives, and with more than a year of living during a pandemic, what we do know is that indoor air quality is significant in the fight against the virus.

While the face mask is our own initial personal defence for filtering air and protecting us from COVID-19, the humble HVAC is the building’s PPE. Which is why awareness of IAQ and the role HVAC can play in making buildings COVID-secure will become common place.

In the building management and maintenance sector, one of the most important outcomes from the fall out of the pandemic is the renewed understanding of the importance of IAQ. HVAC’s role is to filter and move air around offices and buildings, but it has become apparent that HVAC and IAQ can play a significant role in the transmission of airborne particles.

HVAC can, at its best remove humidity and filter virus particles but at its worst it can act as a mode of transport for the virus helping it spread between rooms.

IAQ and the appreciation of the importance of the quality of the air, the temperature and humidity within a building is now crucial, particularly when we are getting used to a new normal and looking at ways to suppress the virus.

But what impact does the management of IAQ and the new ways of operating HVAC have on the energy efficiency in our buildings?

Best practice and strategies There are number of ways to control HVAC to ensure COVID-secure IAQ, instilling both best practice and new strategies and methods of operation that will help ensure that ventilation is at optimum levels.

Best practice includes: • stop recirculating air: As per CIBSE guidelines the removal of recirc mode is imperative and

moving away from traditional recirculation by closing dampers via BMS. Recirculated air from split air conditioning units, fan coils or any system that runs with a recirculation mode should be completely stopped and avoided where possible, unless in a single occupancy room with no one else present. In the rare circumstance that recirculation is unavoidable an increase in the number of air changes should be encouraged with outdoor air exchange by opening windows.

• bring in fresh air: fresh air ventilation and the increased frequency of fresh air change rates and the need to ‘purge’ the building with fresh air at the end of each day. To ensure less recirculated air higher fresh-air rates will be key.

• think COVID secure controls: for the HVAC controls, consider a change to the desired internal air temperature and a behavioural change from staff and their demands or warm air in winter and cold in summer. Speak to staff about why these changes to air conditioning and ventilation are being made. Reach a compromise that’s both efficient for energy and environment, effective for covid secure guidelines and acceptable to building occupiers for wellness and wellbeing inside the building.

‘There are a number of ways to control HVAC to ensure COVID-secure IAQ’

• keep on top of maintenance: it is imperative to ensure that any lapsed maintenance regime during lockdown is kept up to date on reopening. The maintenance of HVAC units and central plant in particular should be checked for leaks, legionella and dirty filters.

Dirty filters aren’t only hazardous to human health but make the HVAC work even harder, so a clean filter is a win for the occupier, the environment and those paying the utility bills. Deep cleaning of surfaces is just as important as a cleaning of HVAC systems. A new maintenance and regular service routine on HVAC will ensure filter, coil and water trays are given particular attention.

• embrace technology. Invest in IoT technologies and central BMS control solutions to help hoteliers remotely manage and maintain equipment to ensure that the internal air quality within each room is covid secure. Install sensors to monitor carbon dioxide,

humidity and pollutants to validate and alert on VOC and CO2 levels in the rooms. These can monitor air flow and occupancy levels in communal areas to keep viral load to a minimum.

• look closely at controls: turn off any demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) controls that reduce air supply based on occupancy or temperature during occupied hours. In homes and buildings where the HVAC fan operation can be controlled at the thermostat, set the fan to the “on” position instead of “auto,” which will operate the fan continuously, even when heating or air-conditioning is not required. This is particularly important for restaurant extracts as well as extracts in public facilities/ toilets and canteens. There is an opportunity to ensure that they are always on and operating with maximised air flow from outside the building for two hours pre- and post-occupancy.

The requirement to keep HVAC trickling throughout the closed periods is also a prerequisite of making buildings COVID-secure. An activity that was once considered an energy waste – running ventilation systems when the buildings are unoccupied, but without careful consideration, controls, specification and management a simple change of HVAC controls from efficiency recirc mode to full fresh air delivery could send utility bills through the roof.

Many of these practices are encouraging ventilation to be running, even at low levels constantly – which goes against the hard work and pre-COVID advice on energy saving. These measures could, if not managed correctly, increase energy and running costs and cause environmental harm. It’s important to recognise the need for managing internal air quality, running the HVAC for covid-secure internal spaces and at the same time ensuring energy efficiency is not negatively impacted.  MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 13

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Air Handling

David McSherry is Toshiba Carrier UK’s sales manager for Toshiba and DX

Pushing efficiency to new levels A number of innovations including a triple rotary compressor is ensuring high energy efficiency in a new variable refrigerant flow system. David McSherry explains

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he Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) segment is one of the most competitive in the building services industry.

And understandably so, given the increasing importance of the technology globally.

What began as the preferred approach to air conditioning in Japan and Asia has expanded dramatically over the past 50 years, in terms of both cooling/heating capacity and range of application. The result is that VRF now competes with chillers as the default solution in many sectors.

As one of the first European countries to adopt VRF, the UK has a reputation for its technical sophistication and high expectations of performance. Installers, consultants and end users are wellinformed about the technical aspects and operating characteristics of different systems.

Toshiba’s latest generation VRF, SMMS-u breaks new ground in terms of efficiency, connectivity, flexibility, compactness and ease of installation.

This is made possible by a number of innovations, including a new triple rotary compressor, developed in-house by Toshiba. This further improves energy efficiency and overall reliability, and with a refrigerant pre-charge almost 50 per cent less than the previous model, it also offers significant safety and environmental benefits.

Efficiency is boosted by the compressor’s multiport design, which operates with outstanding energy efficiency at part load conditions by precisely matching cooling and heating output to the current building load.

In terms of flexibility and connectivity, SMMS-u opens up new opportunities for installers.

Total system piping length has been increased to 1,200m, with 250m permissible from the outdoor unit to farthest indoor unit. This makes it possible to apply the system in an even wider range of building types and configurations.

The new maximum height difference of up to 110m between outdoor and indoor units gives project designers greater flexibility.

And with a 200 per cent diversity ratio for any single unit and 150 per cent for combined units, the combinations and options possible across buildings are multiplied.

With previous series of VRF systems, the total number of indoor units that could be connected in a single system were limited by the communications protocol. Toshiba has overcome this by developing a new communications platform called TU2C-LINK. This enables up to 128 indoor units to be connected, allowing use in larger buildings.

Performance and efficiency Performance and efficiency is further improved by a new intelligent, sensor-based defrost system. It continuously monitors the condition of evaporators and only initiates defrost when absolutely necessary.

While some other systems lose performance due to frequent defrosts, Toshiba’s system enables SMMS-u to maintain up to five hours of continuous heating, ensuring the comfort of building occupants at all times and reducing energy use.

In applications with multiple systems, the smart control system staggers defrost cycles across the combined systems to maintain

optimum overall performance.

Operating headroom at both the cold and warm ends of the ambient spectrum is important, as it gives air conditioning systems the ability to maintain performance and efficiency, whatever the weather. Therefore, it is reassuring to know that SMMS-u can continue operating in ambients from -25oC (for heating operation) to 52oC (for cooling operation), ensuring building comfort whatever the external conditions.

Over time, while building heat Toshiba’s new SMMS-u features a number of innovations including a triple rotary compressor

loads have gone up, plant room and roof space real-estate has become ever-more precious due to competing uses. To help address this, outdoor condensing units on SMMS-u have a completely redesigned and supercompact chassis. This enables greater cooling and heating power to be deployed in restricted spaces, and significantly improves logistics and handling on site for installers.

Access to system information and start test-runs via Toshiba’s Wave Tool Advance app gives installers rapid access to commissioning and performance data. A new intuitive service tool for use with laptop devices can be accessed from both outdoor or indoor locations.

Development is not confined to the outdoor side of the system. In addition to the full range of indoor units that can be connected to SMMS-u, including cassettes, ducted units, and ceiling, high-wall and console units, Toshiba has developed a new one-way cassette with ultraslim chassis, motion sensor and advanced filtration as an option for high indoor air quality (IAQ), further extending applications.

Believed to be one of the most compact units of its kind available, the new cassette is ideal for use in restricted space applications such as offices, local shops, dental surgeries and reception rooms.

Some 2,000 different system configurations can be created to meet customer requirements in terms of efficiency, capacity, refrigerant quantity and footprint.

The first-generation of Toshiba’s SMMS (Super Modular Multi System) VRF was launched in 1986. Today, the seventh-generation, SMMS-u, pushes efficiency, adaptability and connectivity to new levels, delivering class-leading performance in the highly competitive VRF sector.

It can now be applied in almost all commercial buildings, new build or refurbishment, and represents a full heating/cooling packaged solution that brings significant advantages to all stakeholders. 

14 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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New Products New condensing boiler suited for retrofit

Web platform for monitoring, control Carlo Gavazzi has launched the UWP 3.0 Edge universal web platform designed for monitoring and control of energy management systems, building automation and car park guidance functions. Powered by MAIA Cloud, it provides a secure and reliable system for remotely managing, setting and operating UWP 3.0 units worldwide as well as providing IoT cyber security rating by UL to Level SILVER for UWP 3.0 SE (Security Enhancement).

The 2 DIN wide UWP 3.0 Edge easily manages up to 5000 managed signals (including variables, I/Os) which could be shared among energy management, building automation and car park guidance applications, up to 128 Modbus devices connected to RS485 ports (64 devices each port), up to five users concurrently connected to the Web-App, up to 5 concurrent M2M connections (API connections, BACnet clients, Modbus masters), up to 150 different products from the Carlo Gavazzi range can be connected to UWP 3.0 and is BTL certified (max 500 BACnet points for used BACnet objects).

The customisable built in webserver provides the opportunity to display data, build charts, set alarms and control the system, which can be accessed locally or remotely anywhere in the world. New additional operational functions include a backup system, a smooth upgrade procedure and the UCS to UWP 3.0 bridging function for configuration of meters remotely.

Enhancements for power analyser Yokogawa has launched a new Current Sensor Element and upgraded the firmware for its WT5000 Precision Power Analyzer. The enhancements are designed to help companies improve performance when developing or evaluating electronic devices such as Electric Vehicle (EV) related equipment or systems for solar and wind power installations.

The new Current Sensor Element runs off the internal DC power supply of the WT5000, making external power supplies unnecessary. This makes set up for measurements easier as the only things required are the current sensor and a connecting cable.

Three sensor connection cable lengths are available - 3m, 5m and 10m. This helps take account of varying test bench layouts, where the power analyzer may not be located right next to the device under test. The three different cable lengths allow users to select the one most suitable for their set up while keeping the leads as short as possible.

Firmware is also upgraded, with the Data Streaming function now supporting a 50 ms to one second update rate. On the previous version, when using the Data Streaming function, the WT5000 only offered an update rate - measurement interval – of one second. This meant that all electrical parameters, such as power and Urms and Irms, were calculated over a period of one second.

Ariston has added the Clas ONE R to its ONE Series range of condensing gas boilers. Replacing the Clas HE R, the new regular boiler is quiet and compact, as well as a great retrofit product for use in an open vented system. It has an impressive, modern design, complete with a large backlit display, offering a wealth of energy-saving features.

Available as the Clas ONE R 24, this new boiler shares many of the advanced features for which Ariston’s ONE Series is renowned. These include the patented stainless steel, continuous coil proprietary XtraTech heat exchanger, complete with 40 per cent wider waterways, alongside low NOx ratings (53mg/kWh).

The boilers are also ‘A’ ErP rated for optimum energy efficiency and, for added peace of mind, are supplied with an 8-year manufacturer’s warranty as standard.

The wider waterways of the XtraTech heat exchanger allow water to pass through quicker and more effectively – ensuring less risk of blockages from debris. The component is robust and operates well in a wide range of pH values.

Easy to use and install, the new regular boiler benefits from Ariston’s ‘Auto’ function technology, which gradually increases a system’s water temperature until the central heating has reached its target. When used in conjunction with the company’s extensive range of controls, this function guarantees no excessive peaks in flow temperature, ensuring greater levels of comfort, as well as reducing energy bills.

Fan coil unit to help drive to net-zero Aermec has unveiled a new fan coil unit that only uses three water pipes and is aimed at helping customers achieve near zero energy buildings.

The 3WP system launched at Mostra Convegno’s on-line MCE event provides the advantages of refrigerant-based VRF systems with four-pipe hydronic FCUs. Traditional two and four-pipe hydronic HVAC systems are widely used, but Aermec’s three-pipe system uses less pipework, requires less investment and reduces the costs of installation.

The 3WP offers a cost-effective HVAC solution as one of the key benefits is that it offers greater flexibility in system capacity and distances, it is also easier to design and repair which reduces overall costs.

The 3WP system ranges from 40kW to 400kW in a single unit and up to 950kW in a cascade. The system’s internal heat exchangers operate on an extra elevated high ∆T and a significantly reduced mass flow.

Compared to previous technologies the performance and efficiency has significantly increased without compromising the thermal capacity.

Aermec’s 3WP has already been installed in an hotel in Milan, Italy, where it has delivered significant savings: • 29 per cent savings in installation costs; • €4,010 annual reduction in pumping energy costs (5-7 per cent less energy) • enhanced efficiency of the heat pump due to mild temperatures (± 10 per cent higher SCOP / SEER) ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021 | 15

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Installing Smart Meters

Get accurate energy bills with smart meters Avoid estimates and only pay for what you use. Ask your energy supplier if you are eligible for a smart meter.

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly challenging for businesses across Great Britain. As firms begin opening up amid continuing restrictions, many are assessing their financial situation and focusing on how to operate in this difficult new trading environment.

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16 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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“ Energy in Buildings and Industry and the Energy Institute are delighted to have teamed up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative ” MARK THROWER MANAGING EDITOR

SERIES 18 | MODULE 10 | INDOOR AIR QUALITY

The importance of indoor air quality

By Paul Bennett, managing director, BSSEC

I

ndoor air quality is the degree to which air is pollution free within and around building structures and ultimately affects building occupants’ comfort, productivity and health. The effects of poor air quality are felt by occupants for hours or years after exposure. Air quality can therefore have a long-lasting impact on the economy and the environment.

In this CPD article we will consider what the common air pollutants are in buildings, what the health impacts of these air pollutants are on occupants, what regulations and standards are in place to manage air quality and finally what control strategies can be employed to improve air quality in buildings.

The severity of air pollution has long been undervalued and for the first time in the UK air pollution was legally recognised as a cause of a person’s death. On the 16th of December 2020 legal history was made when a ruling was made that air pollution was the cause of the death of a nine-year-old girl, Ella KissiDebrah. Her February 2013 death certificate has now been legally changed to be caused by acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and air pollution exposure. It is now recognised that she was exposed to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) pollution in excess of World Health Organization guidelines, the principal source of which were traffic emissions.

Contamination of air can cause a number of different health problems to building occupants including.

To help reduce the risk of such problems an understanding of some of the common indoor pollutants is required.

CO (Carbon Monoxide), NO2 (Nitrogen Dioxide), and Nitrogen oxide (NOx). This type of air

pollution is most commonly found being dissipated from domestic appliances such as, boilers, heaters, fires, stoves and ovens. This is because these appliances typically burn carbon-containing fuels such as coal, coke, gas, kerosene and wood. Alternatively, these emissions derive from close proximity vehicle emissions which may also enter buildings through ventilation systems.

Carbon monoxide can cause chronic effects at low levels such as headaches, dizziness, nausea. It can also cause lethal poisoning at high levels which can ultimately lead to death.

Nitrogen Dioxide can cause inflammation of the airways, reduced lung function and increases the risk of an asthma attack (or asthma attacks). Nitrogen Dioxide can also increase the severity as well as the incidences of respiratory illnesses.

Particulate matter (PM, PM10 or PM2.5). This is essentially matter in the air that is not a gas. This includes natural sources like pollen, sea spray and desert dust. It also includes human-made sources like smoke and dust from vehicle exhausts,

brakes and tyres. PM can travel large distances with up to 33 per cent of PM2.5 originating from non-UK sources and around 15 per cent from natural sources. PM is classified according to size, with the smallest particles having the greatest ability to penetrate the body and thus impact on health. PM10 and PM2.5 is less than 10 and 2.5um (micrometres) across and are the main types of PM which are regulated.

Respiratory illnesses Particulate matter has been linked with a number of respiratory illnesses, including asthma and chronic bronchitis. Long-term exposure can cause premature death from heart disease and lung disease including cancer. Increased incidences of stroke have also been accredited to being exposed to higher concentrations of particulate matter for long periods of time.

Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is an acidic gas which can combine with water vapour in the atmosphere to produce acid rain. In indoor environments sulphur dioxide is an irritant that can affect airways, particularly in those who have asthma.

Produced in Association with

MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 17

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SERIES 18 | MODULE 10 | INDOOR AIR QUALITY

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). VOC pollution arises from cleaning and personal care products such as aerosol sprays, disinfectants, moth repellents and air fresheners. VOCs are also emitted from building materials, for example, in paints, paint strippers and other solvents and certain pressed wood products, as well as soft furnishings such as new carpets and sofas.

Moulds and bacteria are also sources of odorous volatile organic compounds in the indoor air that can be amplified by an increase in air humidity.

Volatile Organic Compounds can cause eye, nose and throat discomfort/ irritation, headache and allergic reactions. Higher concentrations of VOC’s can cause irritation to the lungs, liver, kidney and the central nervous system.

Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are organic molecules, which differ widely in their chemical composition but can display similar behaviour in the atmosphere. These include vapours from every-day products used at work or home like petrol, solvents, air fresheners, cleaning products and perfumes.

Carbon dioxide (CO2). Not only is CO2 a greenhouse gas that causes climate change it also effects concentration levels. CO2 is created when large numbers of people gather and exhale in a room. The normal outdoor level of CO2 is around 400ppm but in a building such as a school classroom this can climb as high as 2,300ppm and at such levels causes fatigue making concentration difficult.

Where CO2 levels increase concentration levels start to fade at around 950ppm with a 15 per cent loss of concentration to as much as a 50 per cent loss of concentration at 1,400ppm.

Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and secondhand smoke (SHS).

Tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars and pipes contains over 4,000 different chemicals, toxic gases and reactive compounds. Smoking at the back door or under a fan will not reduce the harm to occupants of the building caused by secondhand smoke. This is because secondhand smoke can remain in the air for up to five hours after smoking has

occurred.

Second-hand smoke puts people at risk of coughs, colds, ear problems, chest infections and potentially death.

Airborne Viruses. Airborne disease can spread when people with certain infections cough, sneeze, or talk, throwing nasal and throat secretions into the air.

The rapidly spreading coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes, COVID-19, has been responsible for millions of deaths globally in 2020 and 2021. While the coronavirus that causes COVID19 is not generally considered to be airborne, there may be some situations in which the virus can act like an airborne disease. These include certain clinical settings in which people are receiving intensive medical treatment. In usual situations, SARS-CoV-2 is spread through respiratory droplets after a person coughs or sneezes, but these droplets are larger than what is considered airborne.

Radon. This is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that is emitted from the ground (especially in defined areas - high levels can occur almost anywhere but are more prevailing when the ground is particularly porous and/or rich in uranium).

Exposure to radon gas can increase the risk of lung cancer. It is not a serious problem when radon gas is emitted into outdoor air spaces but becomes one when radon gas accumulates in indoor spaces where occupants can be exposed to high concentrations of radon gas.

Exposure to radon can cause increased risks of lung cancer. Some indicators to a heightened radon exposure can be a persistent cough, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing up blood, chest pain, frequent infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.

Regulators address air quality through guidance, standards and legislation. Examples of the approach that regulators take can be seen below.

Recommended limits The World Health Organization works towards setting recommended limits for harmful air pollutants in outdoor and indoor settings. This guidance covers concentrations of fine particulates, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide and ozone.

WHO guidelines also cover indoor humidity and mould levels, emissions of gases and chemicals from furnishings and building materials.

Indoor air quality has also been considered in recommendations surrounding household fuel combustion which outlines how to use clean fuel and sets limits on emissions on cooking and heating stoves/ ovens.

The Health and Safety Executive outlines specific substances in their Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) which is a legal requirement (2002) that requires employers to control substances that are hazardous to health to protect both themselves and employees. Within this law around

500 substances have been set legally binding workplace exposure limits.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has set The Air Quality Strategy 2007 which provides the policy framework for air quality management and assessment in the UK. The strategy describes the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) regime that has been established, whereby every authority has to carry out regular reviews and assessments of air quality in its area to identify whether the objectives have been, or will be, achieved at relevant locations, by the applicable date. The objectives for use by local authorities are prescribed within the Air Quality (England) Regulations and the Air Quality (England) (Amendment) Regulations.

The Air Quality Standards Regulations transposes the EU Directive 2008/50/EC into UK law.

They set limit values for nitrogen dioxide, PM10 and PM2.5. The limit values for nitrogen dioxide are the same numerical concentrations as the UK objectives, but achievement of these values is a national obligation rather than a local one.

There are also differences in where these standards are applied and how they are reported.

DEFRA has headed the “Clean Air Strategy 2019”. The Clean Air Strategy sets out the case for action and demonstrates this government’s determination to improve air quality.

In some cases the goals that have been set are even more ambitious than EU requirements to reduce people’s exposure to toxic pollutants

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 20 18 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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SERIES 18 | MODULE 10 | INDOOR AIR QUALITY

like nitrogen oxides, ammonia, particulate matter, non-methane volatile organic compounds and sulphur dioxide.

Ban on sale of cars and vans UK Government has ruled that new conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned from sale in the UK from 2030 to reduce emissions and reliance on fossil fuels causing climate change. This will open up the market for electric vehicles that are emission free.

The UK Building Regulations provide ventilation standards in buildings. The standard being Approved Document F – Ventilation.

The key aspects in relation to air quality include: • setting ventilation standards for domestic and non-domestic properties; and • setting maximum acceptable indoor levels for nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxides and VOCs. It should be noted that ventilation and air infiltration rates impacts a buildings energy performance and overall efficiency Building Research Establishment (BRE) has been working on researching the trade-off between airtightness and levels of ventilation.

This is a key issue in building development because highly airtight

buildings are energy efficient but as a consequence are less well ventilated and therefore are increasingly prone to the accumulation of air pollutants.

The demand for energy-efficient buildings is likely to increase in the coming years in response to concerns over sustainable design and climate change. However, BRE is apprehensive that increasing the airtightness of buildings will decrease the buildings’ ventilation levels and that this may have an adverse impact on indoor air quality.

Control strategies for reducing the concentration of air pollutants in the indoor environment depend on the type and location of the source and activity. Ventilation with outdoor fresh air will dilute and flush out pollutants derived from indoor sources but will not eliminate them completely. In fact, the incoming ventilation air may itself be polluted from outdoor sources, which will place an additional burden on indoor air. Hence, care needs to be taken in selecting the correct mitigation strategy to provide optimum indoor air quality for health and wellbeing.

Mitigation strategies include: 1) Outdoor Pollution Mitigants • removing source of pollutant e.g.

Government policy on diesel cars or a ban on outdoor smoking near to buildings;

• reduction of pollutants e.g. plan new buildings away from roads; • controlling the ingress of pollutants e.g. via building airtightness; • intake location and control e.g. sited furthest away from pollutant source like roads and boiler flues; and • structural ventilation e.g. if radon is present include replacing or adding ventilation bricks in the outside walls or installing a fan in the loft.

2) Indoor Air Pollution Mitigants • choice of products e.g. by specifying products that have lower levels of VOCs; • filtration of incoming air to reduce pollution levels e.g. using HEPA filters; • controlled ventilation rates using mechanical or natural ventilation; • increased per cent of filtered fresh air versus recycled air; • regular maintenance of plant and regular air filter changes; • disinfection and cleaning of air duct lines as older air ducts can contain mould and even dead vermin; • the use of plants and humidifiers; and • cleaning air using UV light.

Building services ventilation systems include filters that are used to physically remove particles, and in some cases environmental gaseous pollutants, from the air supply.

The UK standards for air filtration

‘The effects of air pollution kill an estimated 7m people across the world every year, according to the World Health Organization.

Ambient air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2m deaths per year due to stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases’

are BS EN 779, BS EN 1822 and BS EN 14387 (BSI, 2012a, 2009, 2008) and CIBSE Guide B (CIBSE, 2004).

However, air filtration is limited in its performance and is only effective at dealing with the pollutants for which they are designed. For example basic filters are used to remove large particles such as dust but they offer little protection against smaller, respirable particles. These are classified as ‘general’ or ‘G’ filters.

Higher specification particle filters are classified in increasing order of effectiveness as: • General (‘G’ type filters); • Medium (‘M’ type filters); • Fine (‘F’ type filters); • Efficient Particulate Air (EPA or ‘E’ type filters); • High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA or ‘H’ type filters) and • Ultra-Low Penetration Air (ULPA or ‘U’ type filters) More recently, in addition to the above filters NOx filters and whole-house ventilation systems are becoming a popular choice for domestic ventilation systems where buildings are located close to busy polluting roads.

Ultraviolet germicidal light Another approach that is being researched for building services applications is the ultraviolet (UV) germicidal light, produced by UV lamps to inactivate the bacteria and viruses present in airborne particles.

UV lamps are installed near the ceilings of rooms or in ducts that supply air to rooms. Systems installed in ducts can use UV light to disinfect wet cooling coils and drain pans used for air conditioning systems.

These systems can be very effective in reducing the growth of mould and bacteria on the surfaces of coils and drain pans.

UV germicidal lamp systems must be designed to minimise occupant exposure to the harmful ultraviolet light. Studies on the impacts of ultraviolet germicidal systems into people’s health has been inconsistent but there is enough evidence of potential health benefits to warrant further research.

It has been noted that ultraviolet germicidal systems would appear to be more effective in reducing respiratory infections when used in crowded spaces.

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see entry form and details on page 20 MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 19

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SERIES SEPTEMBER SERIES 18 17 | MODULE 03 09 | MARCH 20202020

SERIES 18 | MODULE 10 | MAY 2021

ENTRYFORM FORM ENTRY

SMART GRIDS SPACE HEATING

INDOOR AIR Please mark yourQUALITY answers below by placing a cross in the box. Don't forget that some

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QUESTIONS QUESTIONS

1) The establishment of the main QUESTIONS 1. Which is the most common heating media in

transmission grid began in which systems?

1) The wet World Health Organization estimates decade? that■ pollution kills how High temperature hotmany water people ■air1940s each year?

■ Steam ■ 1930s ■ 0.7m ■ Low temperature hot water ■ 1960s ■ 7m ■ Cold water ■ 77m2) Which key parameters need to be controlled by smart grids?

■ 777m 2. What is the most common space heating and frequency ■ fuelVoltage in the UK? ■ Frequency and current 2) Which theoilfollowing is an example of Fuel ■ of current and frequency ■ Voltage, Particulate Matter?

■ Electricity ■ NOx3) Naturalthe gas ■ What’s main source of large-scale ■ SO2■ renewable Coal generation connecting to ■ CO the grid?

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■ 400ppm ■ Electric vehicles and heat pumps 4.

What is currently the most common ■ 95ppm ■ Smart meters construction material for panel radiators?

■ Home automation devices iron of CO2 in a crowded 4) What■isCast the level Pressed steel ■ that 5) What is the main to smart grids? room causes a 15 threat per cent reduction Castof aluminium ■ ability in the to concentrate effectively?

Cost implementation ■ Copper ■ Cyber attacks ■ 950ppm ■ ■ Lack of experience and expertise ■ 400ppm 5. Which of these is a key component of a ■ 1,400ppm mechanical system?of smart 6) What are ventilation the main benefits ■ 2,300ppm A fan ■ grids? the need for centralised power ■ Reduce An atrium 5) How■many toxic chemicals are released generation chimney ■ aAperson when tobacco? connection of electric vehicles ■ Encouragesmokes ■ 4 ■ Opening windows

■ Facilitate the connection of distributed 6. Which is thegeneration ‘delivery end’ ofvariable a vapourloads renewable and heat pump system?

6) Iscompression COVID-19 an airborne disease? such as electric vehicles and heat pumps respiratory ■ No The evaporatordroplets are larger than ■ as considered tothe be abbreviation fully airborneVPP stand for?

7) does The condenser ■ What as scientifically ■ Yes purchase proven programme ■ The compressor ■ Volume ■ Maybe ■ The slinkyprotection programme ■ Voluntary power plant ■ Virtual in indoor situations ■ Only 7. Which of these factors is used by a weather compensation controlbe system?

8) Electricity cannot stored in large 7) Which of the following are health impacts of by householders? air pollutions (select all that apply)?

Building thermal inertia ■ quantities as only large utilities and industrial/ ■ of concentration ■ Loss Time of day ■ False commercial energy providers can provide Outsidefacilities air temperature ■ storage ■ Headaches ■ Date disease ■ Lung ■ False ■ Deaths ■ True as householders can store electricity 8. Which of these factors is used by ancharging optimum in standalone batteries or when start control system? their vehiclesa ban all new petrol 8) When is electric the UK putting buildingvehicles? occupancy ■ Level and dieselofengine Outside airmain temperature 9) is the benefit of smart meters?

■ What ■ 2035 Boileravoid capacity the need for meter readers ■ They ■ ■ 2025 Boilerprovide flow temperature ■ They accurate and timely ■ ■ 2030 information on power flows across the ■ 2050 smart grid 9. Which types of space heating system can They facilitate the systems export of ■ building management besurplus used to control?

9) Which one of from the following issolar also known as electricity household PV panels Anyefficiency particulate air filter? a■high ■ Wet systems ■ Basic 10) What does the technology VtG represent?

■ Air handling plant ■ General ■ Variable Geometry Turbochargers Boilers to allow the effective aspect ■ designed

■ EPA ratio of a turbocharger to be altered as ■ HEPA

10.conditions What is a thermostat? change ■ Volume of Trapped Gas associated with

AUV temperature sensitive switch 10) ■ Are lamps 100 per cent effective respiration A temperature sensor in■disinfecting andenabling cleaning air giving Vehicle to Grid EV batteries to ■ control device ■ A proportional protection against respiratory infections? discharge to the grid to ‘smooth’ high A digital display device profiles.

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How to obtain a CPD accreditation How the to obtain CPD accreditation from EnergyaInstitute

from the Energy Institute

Energy Energyin inBuildings Buildingsand andIndustry Industryand andthe theEnergy EnergyInstitute Instituteare aredelighted delightedto to have up you this Development Energy in Buildings and Industry and theProfessional Energy Institute are delighted to have haveteamed teamed upto tobring bring you thisContinuing Continuing Professional Development initiative. teamed initiative.up to bring you this Continuing Professional Development initiative.

This module ininthe eighteenth and focuses Smart Grids.

This the ninth module the seventeenth series and focuses on Space Thisisisisthe thethird tenth and final module in theseries eighteenth serieson and focuses onItindoor is accompanied a set of multiple-choice Heating.

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To certificate readers must submit at eight of To qualify for CPD certificate readers must submit atleast least eight ofthe the Toqualify qualifyfor foraaaCPD CPD certificate readers must submit at least eight of the ten ten of from this series modules to EiBI for tensets sets ofquestions questions from this series of modulesto toEiBI EiBIfor forthe theEnergy Energy sets of questions from this series ofof modules the Energy Institute to Institute to Anyone at of correct Institute tomark. mark.

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Anyone achieving at least eight outeight of tenout correct on eighton separate eight articles qualifies for an Institute CPD This can eightseparate separate articles qualifies anEnergy Energy CPDcertificate. certificate. canbe be on articles qualifies for an Energyfor Institute CPDInstitute certificate.

This can beThis obtained, obtained, and obtained,on onsuccessful successfulcompletion completionof ofthe thecourse andnotification notificationby bythe theEnergy Energy successful completion of the course andcourse notification by the Energy Institute, free of Institute, Institute,free freeof ofcharge chargefor forboth bothEnergy EnergyInstitute Institutemembers membersand andnon-members. non-members. charge for both Energy Institute members and non-members.

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SERIES17 17 SERIES SERIES 16

MAY 2019 - APR 2020

MAY MAY2019 2018--APR APR2020 2019

Batteries & Storage 111 Batteries BEMS & Storage 2 Energy as a Service 22 Energy as a Service Refrigeration 3 Water Management 33 Water Management LED Technology 4 Demand Side Response 44 Demand Side Response District Heating 5 Drives & Motors 55 Drives & Motors Air Conditioning 6 Blockchain Technology 66 Blockchain Technology Behaviour Change 7 Compressed Air 77 Compressed Air Thermal Imaging 8 Energy Purchasing 88 Energy Purchasing Solar Thermal 9 Space Heating 99 Space Heating Buildings 10 Smart Data Centre Management 10 Centre Management 10 Data Biomass Boilers

SERIES 18 SERIES SERIES18 17

MAY / JUNE 2020 - MAY 2021

MAY JUNE- APR 20202020 - MAY 2021 MAY/2019

Energy Efficiency Legislation 11 1Energy Efficiency Legislation Batteries & Storage 2 Building Controls 22 Building Controls Energy as a Service 3 Smart Grids 33 Smart Water Grids Management 4 Lighting Technology 44 Lighting DemandTechnology* Side Response 5 Heat Pumps 55 Heat Pumps* Drives & Motors 6 Metering & Monitoring 66 Metering & Monitoring* Blockchain Technology 7 Air Conditioning 77 Air Conditioning* Compressed Air 8 Boilers & Burners 88 Boilers Burners* Energy&Purchasing 9 Behaviour Change 99 Behaviour Change* Space Heating 10 Indoor Air Quality 10 Heat & Power* 10 Combined Data Centre Management*

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Products in Action Flagship offices benefit from controls The new Wellington Place development in Leeds is a flagship project for sustainable design both in terms of the way it was constructed and the comfort of occupants.

Distech Controls has worked with local system integrator Linear Control Systems Ltd to create a sophisticated Building Energy Management System (BEMS) for two buildings at Wellington Place, that all place the comfort and wellbeing of occupants at the forefront of the design.

Once the project is complete, Wellington Place will have 140,000m2 of commercial, retail, leisure and residential space. Developer MEPC says it will be one of the largest new city centre business quarters in Europe.

So far, four buildings on the site have been completed and are now being managed by CBRE. Distech Controls has worked with Linear Control Systems Ltd on buildings six and seven.

Each building features a four-pipe fan coil air conditioning system that is controlled by the Distech Controls ECB-PTU Series. This is a range of microprocessor-based programmable controllers designed to control powered terminal units such as fan coil units, heat pump units, and chilled beams. Each controller uses the BACnet MS/TP LAN communication protocol and is BTL-Listed as BACnet Application Specific Controllers (BASC) and WSP Certified.

Clean air at Italian football stadium Italian Serie A football club, Udinese Calcio, has installed the DEPURO PRO range of air purifiers and sanitisers by their main sponsor Vortice in its Stadio Friuli stadium in Udine, north east Italy. The air purifiers are used in the locker rooms, the entrance to the commercial area, as well as in the press room.

This is part of the efforts to make playing at and visiting the club as safe and hygienic as possible.

The DEPURO PRO EVO with photocatalysis module is claimed to kill up to 99.995 per cent of pathogens such as viruses and bacteria, thus ensuring people’s health and safety, constantly maintaining a good indoor air quality.

Tested and certified by the University of Milan in co-operation with the Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences of the Luigi Sacco hospital in Milan, the DEPURO PRO EVO is being utilised in a number of health and sports facilities, places of worship, schools and commercial buildings as the world continues to tackle COVID-19.

Energy in Universities

Adrian Barber is marketing manager at Prefect Controls

Student heating under control Adrian Barber looks at how a university has overcome lockdown to forge ahead with updating the control of a heating system in its student village, resulting in annual savings of up to £75,000

T

he University of the West of England has updated the heating system at its Student Village accommodation with the help of a new control system.

The university has introduced its ‘Strategy 2030 - Transforming Futures’ programme that outlines their ambition to be carbon neutral with net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2030 along with achieving ISO14001 to set clear targets to reduce water and energy use.

The Student Village built in 2006, on Frenchay Campus, is home to 2,000 students. The original heating system was becoming tired and inefficient to manage. Each room needed to be visited to programme the control with a handset, and the heater panels needed replacing. Kirsti Norris, energy manager, explained: “As panels failed, there was a risk of them getting replaced on an ad hoc basis with integrated control heaters, but we had always wanted a better way of controlling the heating and, having to enter students’ rooms, even before Covid, was not great.

We had a hotch potch of settings in rooms all over the place and no way to re-set them all at once.”

Norris and Melissa Clarke, energy projects officer, attended the Association of University Engineers conference in 2019 and stepped onto the Prefect Controls stand. Clarke stated: “When we saw the Prefect offering we thought that this is what we need. It offered more control, shorter running times, reduced energy consumption.”

Access via internet portal Irus is a centrally controlled system, accessed via an internet portal. It enables energy managers to set temperatures/times for the threestage student profile. Setback mode is the default setting (typically 18°C), but if the student requires more heat, they simply tap the ‘up’ button triggering boost mode (commonly 23°C). Boost runs for a pre-set time (45 minutes) before reverting to

The University of the West of England is saving up to £75,000 a year on student accommodation heating thanks to greater room control

setback. If the student leaves the room during boost, the PIR detects their absence and reverts to Setback, likewise if windows are opened heat input is reduced by 50 per cent. If rooms are vacant for longer periods (typically 12 hours), Frost mode is activated, maintaining at least 5°C. Irus also monitors humidity, light and decibel levels. “The accommodation team are very keen on the decibel monitoring feature,” Clarke added. “When they receive antisocial noise complaints, they will be able to determine exactly when and where the noise occurred”.

Being a centrally controlled internet system, universal adjustments can be made from anywhere. Clarke explained: “We are really keen on a reset button for the end of the year so that when students return to site in September all rooms will be back to the standard profile and we won’t have various different settings throughout blocks.

The main drivers for considering Irus were energy, carbon, and of course cost reduction.”

After a survey was commissioned, savings calculated, and quotations submitted. Norris had to convince

colleagues that disruption during the installation would be minimal.

“The biggest fear we had for this whole project was from the accommodation team,” she said “Considering we were planning the install around conference bookings they were really anxious about disruptions to residents. No matter how good the product is, it was the installation upset that could have blown the whole thing. To have the reassurances we received from Bangor and Bristol universities, who have worked with Prefect before, helped to get the accommodation team on board. That good reputation went beyond the product.”

Will Mills, project manager at Prefect, commented: “It all happened very quickly, and everything was slotting nicely into place. We were just about to embark on our biggest Irus project – then Covid struck!”

“The project stalled in February last year and, of course, budgets were frozen, added Clarke. “It was very frustrating because we saw all these buildings that were empty.

Usually in the summer we have conferences and we felt this was a real missed opportunity to get on

with the job – the quicker we make the projects happen, the quicker we make the financial savings. We are conservatively estimating saving 20-30 per cent - that’s over £75,000 per year!”

Mills added, “After lockdown and a return to the office, the university contacted us to say that they had the money, and want to try and do it this summer,” she said. “So, we rebooted the project and had six weeks to install as many rooms as possible. We managed 75 per cent, the rest will be completed during 2021.”

So, what was the Covid-effect?

“Covid hasn’t really affected the installation process too much,” said Clarke. “We have been working in empty blocks, but had to make a lot of considerations for safe-working.

Everything that is being done just requires an extra line of thought.”

One hidden benefit of the system that Norris has identified, was never even considered in her business case, “If we have students isolating and they have a problem with their heating we can deal with it without even entering the building, which is an added bonus in these Covid-times.” 

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Nigel Thomas is ABB’s national specification and projects sales manager

Energy in Universities

A new era for student accommodation

Nigel Thomas examines how a 17-storey student block in Swansea will be equipped with the latest monitoring to ensure energy efficiency is maintained

T

he latest addition to Swansea’s skyline is a £50m 17-storey purpose-built student accommodation block.

Developer RDE Silex and partner Fusion Students are behind the project, which will house up to 780 students.

The main building will be Swansea’s second tallest at 60m. Its cladding design has been altered with aluminium panels backed with mineral wool insulation rather than PUR as first planned.

Scheduled to open in September 2021, the development will feature 780 bedrooms, shared social and leisure facilities, as well as retail ground floor space.

Property developer RDE Silex and operator Fusion Students wanted infrastructure to provide comfort for students and cost-effective energy efficiency performance for sustainable living. They also wanted a building that would last for a long time while working towards environmental standards that may grow more stringent in the future.

Unlike offices and commercial buildings, this is residential so the electrical system’s design needed to allow students to control individual heating and lighting in each room.

Since operational costs typically make up 80 percent of a building’s lifetime cost, Fusion Swansea deployed the technology to gain better control over its energy bills and carbon emissions.

This meant adopting a system that would meet BREEAM certification.

To achieve this, the electrical system complies with Part L of the Building Regulations and meets the CIBSE TM39 guidance for energy metering in non-domestic buildings.

In addition, the system enables cloud-based remote monitoring capability and 24/7 alerts. This capability will support a shift to condition-based monitoring and

avoid unplanned outages. Fusion’s building managers will also be able to use this to check alerts, such as when energy consumption exceeds a pre-defined level. Building managers can log in from any device to access data to view equipment status and review and compare historical operating data, allowing them to make decisions confidently.

The hardware comprises everything that Fusion needs to control, monitor, and manage electricity from the incoming utility supply to individual circuits. To provide this, we supplied smart switchgear, including the latest generation of air circuit breakers (ACBs) and moulded case circuit

breakers (MCCBs) for the main low voltage switchgear panel, as well as automatic transfer switches (ATSs).

These all feature built-in communication modules to support energy metering, power quality, and analytics to monitor all the main circuits in the building.

In addition, we also supplied circuit monitoring systems, Internet of Things (IoT) gateways and energy meters to support the extensive monitoring that Fusion will need.

The devices are all linked to the cloud-based Ability Energy and Asset Manager platform for users to view and analyse data to optimise energy consumption in real-time.

The other benefit of the built-in

digital metering and communication technology is that it saves time during engineering design, installation and commissioning. The built-in capability reduces the need to select, purchase, install and test multiple individual components.

Fusion wanted to minimise the space required for building services.

Therefore, there was little space inside the riser cupboards that house the main panels that feed each floor.

A project like this would usually use energy meters, but they require a metering cubicle so to save space we provided energy sensors. These were compact enough to install inside the distribution panels and communicate directly with the digital platform so there is no need for a dedicated cubicle to house the meters or for a meter reading technician to access them. We also provided technical guidance on how to integrate the digital metering system.

The project shows how the latest technology can help developers create safe and sustainable student accommodation while keeping the lid on costs and complying with energy efficiency regulations.

However, with safety and energy efficiency requirements tightening, the real test is how well it will adapt in the future. For instance, we’re expecting to see the 18th Edition of the IET Wiring Regulations being changed with a new Part 8 covering energy efficiency.

Owners of large commercial and public properties are adopting low-energy building design. This is partly to reduce energy bills but also to meet UK targets for all new buildings to be net-zero by 2030 and for all buildings by 2050. Smart building technology will play a role in achieving this by using data to optimise energy consumption.

Scalability is another essential feature of future proofing. Over time, systems may need to meet tighter regulations, add new circuits or integrate extra sensors.

The digital twin concept is a big trend for Building Information Modelling (BIM). Digital twins are the online virtual versions of real-life buildings or other assets.

Ultimately, digital technology has a bright future ahead as it provides the data to measure, manage, and improve your buildings’ efficiency.  MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 23

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Energy in Universities North London college benefits from heat recovery air conditioning Students and staff at Barnet and Southgate College are benefitting from an outstanding indoor environment following installation of Toshiba’s heat recovery air conditioning system by Bry-Kol Building Services.

Barnet and Southgate College, a north London college with approximately 13,000 students across three campuses, recently completed a major upgrade of the main teaching block on its Southgate site. The project involved back-toconcrete refurbishment of facilities, including engineering, laboratory, administration and teaching spaces, and installation of new highperformance HVAC systems, headed

by Bry-Kol Building Services as mechanical services contractor on the project.

The high-efficiency Toshiba air conditioning solution chosen comprises Super Heat Recovery Multi (SHRM-e) Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems linked to Toshiba VN-M heat recovery ventilation units, along with SmartTouch controllers. Indoor units include mostly four-way ceiling suspended cassettes, plus high wall

units and concealed ducted systems.

The heat recovery ventilation system harvests energy that would otherwise be lost from the building when it is exhausted, and uses it to warm incoming fresh air to reduce the need for heating, saving energy and reducing the building’s carbon emissions.

The high performance Toshiba solution was selected by contractor Bry-Kol Building Services as it offered the outstanding energy efficiency,

noise and comfort characteristics required for the project.

“We know Toshiba equipment well and it is excellent, and backed by superb technical support,” said BryKol project manager Jason Taylor, who led the installation. “They are very proactive and anything we need from them, we get when we need it. Toshiba produced all the schematics for the project, and inevitably there were some changes to the design along the way. However, Toshiba were able

Modern UPS systems save university costs Achieving optimum power efficiency is a phrase that’s often associated with data centre infrastructure as they look to implement the most efficient equipment and reduce the all-important PUE ratio. However, this is particularly applicable across educational establishments.

However, just as power consumption has increased, so has the amount of wastage, believes Power Control Ltd, specialist in uninterruptible supply. Any wasted electricity not only contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and places added stress on the grid, but it’s also a major financial cost.

Out of all educational establishments, universities tend to be the largest consumers of power and so have the most pertinent need for upgrading to new, more

efficient technologies. Their need for power spans across a robust IT and networking infrastructure, research centres, emergency lighting, computers, and electronically controlled doors.

However, often hidden in server rooms and away from unauthorised persons, UPS systems are vital for protecting against disturbances and providing a consistent supply of power. While efficiency upgrades are

being made to most other devices and equipment that requires power, UPS systems are typically at the bottom of the list.

Energy efficiency simply means using less energy to perform the same task. Today’s UPS systems can achieve efficiencies upwards of 98 per cent, a figure that is also important for minimising running costs and achieving optimum battery runtime in the event of a power failure. An

to quickly update the drawings and provide us with updates – often within a day.”

The installation on floors two to five of the building took place while the first floor remained occupied and operational, requiring careful planning and management on site.

Toshiba’s SHRM-e three-pipe heat recovery VRF air conditioning system sets an industry benchmark for energy efficiency performance and continuous heating, achieving a world-first European Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ESEER) of 8 in most capacities.

The system uses an advanced rotary compressor, developed and manufactured by Toshiba, based on a two-stage compression process for improved efficiency and performance.

Wear surfaces on compression vanes are treated with a high-tech Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating, giving outstanding hardness, wear resistance and reliability. This enables a significant increase in compressor rotation speed, resulting in a higher displacement volume – up to 50 per cent greater than for the previous generation of VRF. 

efficient UPS consumes less energy throughout their service lives without sacrificing quality, meaning a significant reduction in spend on utility bills – a cost that is sky high for many universities.

Savings made on utility costs can also offset the initial price of investing in new UPS technology and therefore delivers a greater ROI in comparison to older, less efficient systems.

Given the range of critical applications a UPS must support, a balance needs to be met between availability, reliability and efficiency. Reducing a facilities carbon footprint is a consideration given by all facility managers, educational establishments included. Competitive pricing must compliment the savings made by installing an efficient UPS and above all flexibility and scalability is important so that UPS capacity can grow in line with the facilities developing requirements. 

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Energy in Universities Advanced climate control solution for university battery dry room Munters, a supplier of energyefficient climate control solutions, was approached by the University of Birmingham to build a bespoke turnkey battery dry room and HVAC plant for their vital battery research.

The Energy Materials Group at the University of Birmingham works with moisture sensitive materials such as lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and solid-state chemistries. All of these materials require very dry climate conditions to prevent damage, explosive reactions, and to ensure product integrity.

Munters agreed to be principle contractor for this project, and as the research team had worked in existing Munters low dew point facilities installed in other industry and academic settings in the past, expectations of a comparable facility here were extremely high.

One of the key challenges encountered during this project was

working within a grade II listed building.

“The added complexity of working within a listed building presented a number of challenges throughout the project, including working around pillars, matching existing building louvres that were over 20 years old, and complying with increased planning and

building regulations” says Paul Richards, Munters project manager.

The 50m2 dry room consistently maintains conditions to around -40°C dew point at a temperature of 20°C, with capacity for approximately six people.

These conditions are created and maintained by the Munters desiccant

University forges ahead with net-zero targets Energy solutions provider, SSE Enterprise, has signed a joint development agreement with Goldsmiths, University of London, to design and deliver a low-carbon campus infrastructure in pursuit of the university’s ambitious net zero targets.

The project will see SSE Enterprise’s distributed energy division look to consolidate all of Goldsmiths’ significant energy consuming buildings onto a centralised campuswide heat and power network. It is estimated that the first phase of the project will save the institution an average of 1,375 tonnes of CO2 per year – the equivalent annual energy use of 144 homes.

The project has a core focus to reduce the carbon emissions associated with heat, as the university pledges to become completely carbon neutral by 2025. The system will heat the buildings using a low-carbon heat pump, removing the majority of gas consumption on site and saving up to 7,850MWh of gas per year.

By integrating all power onto a

single private network, the university will be able to use a much higher proportion of any onsite renewables, without the risk of exporting that electricity onto the grid. The new power system will expand on the university’s existing solar resources, installing a further 400kW of solar PV into the new private network, which will then be used to supply the heat pump, further reducing carbon emissions on site.

Giles Newton, head of public sector and regulated markets at SSE

Enterprise, said: “By bringing the whole campus onto a centralised system, we are able to integrate more renewable generation into its buildings without having to upgrade each one individually.

While previous projects of this kind have focused on single technology solutions, we have chosen to adopt a whole systems approach. Integrating the entire system enables Goldsmiths to closely manage its carbon emissions and future proof the campus for renewable efficiency.”

dehumidification solution installed in the adjacent plant room.

“Having the dry room has certainly opened up new opportunities for us,” says Scott Gorman, research fellow and the dry room manager. “Around half of the projects that are carried out each year will use the dry room regularly.

It gives us a unique selling point, and allows us to bridge that gap between industry and academia.”

Munters and the university worked together to optimise the dry room design and ensure reliable climate control performance. The Munters system is high performing yet energyefficient, which results in a cost effective solution for the university. Low-leakage wall panels and ductwork and a positive pressure in the room are all also critical.

Munters optimised the room and ductwork designs using CFD modelling to ensure it would meet target dew point in all areas of the room. 

Everton Williams, deputy director estates at Goldsmiths, added: “We are excited to begin this journey with SSE Enterprise as they support us in our goals to deliver our PLAN25 strategy and achieve a completely carbon neutral campus by 2025. We have already made significant strides in this area with our investment in solar PV panels, but this new partnership will see us fully embracing a ‘whole systems’ approach by adopting and integrating other low-carbon technologies.”

SSE Enterprise have already designed a concept for the system and are currently supporting Goldsmiths with applications for grant funding to enable the construction of the network and potentially the long-term operation of the system over a 25-year period. The 1MWth heat pump set to be installed will supply 6,500MWh of low carbon heat to the site every year.

SSE has been confirmed as a major partner for this year’s COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow in November. SSE Group aims to deliver a £7.5bn low carbon investment programme, developing some of the assets and infrastructure required for the UK to reach its target of net zero emissions by 2050. 

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Corporate Power Purchase Agreements

Adam Clarke is senior manager of PPA and Sustainability Solutions, EDF

Corporate PPAs – a net zero opportunity Placing Net Zero at the heart of business decisions is a necessity. It’s what investors are looking for. It’s what customers are demanding. And ultimately, it’ll pay dividends for your bottom line, says Adam Clarke

E

nergy powers every business activity. So for any business, it’s the ideal place to start on the journey to Net Zero.

Organisations across the world are already committing to Net Zero, knowing it is better for people, for the planet and for profit. The time to go Net Zero is now.

By taking control of your energy you can unlock bottom-line value for your business. Using energy more efficiently enables you to save both money and carbon. Investing in decentralised opportunities, like on-site generation or Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs) can unlock new revenue streams and increase resilience.

And showing your brand is committed to sustainability will enhance your reputation as consumers and investors become more environmentally aware.

Crucially, understanding your energy needs can help you significantly reduce your environmental impact. Harnessing quick wins and having a smart approach to buying, using and managing your energy, will accelerate your organisation’s journey to Net Zero.

The opportunity is huge, but it can seem overwhelming to work out where to begin. We’ve learnt from deep experience with businesses across sectors that becoming sustainable cannot happen overnight. Going Net Zero is best done one change at a time, and your electricity supply is a great place to start.

Choosing a zero carbon supply option will have a positive impact on your business’ sustainability credentials, allowing you to report zero carbon emissions for your electricity use.

‘It’s essential you have a supply contract structure that suits you’ Depending on your business’ objectives, ambitions and capabilities there are a number of zero carbon options available.

If you’re looking for an option that’s quick and simple to agree, enabling you to purchase the volume you require over the short term, zero carbon supply backed by nuclear or renewable electricity could work for you. Both of these options allow you to report zero carbon emissions.

Rewarding complexity If your business is in a position to make a longer-term commitment, CPPAs provide an excellent option for showcasing credibility and authenticity in your commitment to zero carbon.

A CPPA is a direct contractual agreement between your business and a renewable energy generator. Your power would

still come via the grid (there’s no physical connection), but you are contracting with a named generator, enabling you to say that your energy is coming from a specific source.

CPPAs are more complex and long term than some businesses want for their energy supply. But, if you have long-term demand certainty, are comfortable managing a little price risk and sustainability is a top priority for your business, this could be the ideal solution for you.

These contracts can be complex and lengthy to agree and are usually between 10 and 15 years in duration. This longterm commitment and direct investment into the financing of renewable projects provides unique risks and opportunities.

Suppliers, like EDF, can help to minimise complexity in the

negotiation and contracting process and manage the contract throughout its duration. Their extensive energy trading experience means they will be able to support in managing your consumption profile against any intermittency or change in demand. You may choose to sign a CPPA for all, or a proportion, of your business’ consumption.

Whichever option works best for your business, your supplier can either make up any shortfall with electricity from other zero carbon sources or sell excess output on your behalf as required, allowing for flexibility in consumption. And, this longer-term approach can be a real advantage for mitigating price risk within your business, allowing long-term certainty on the price you will pay for your electricity, regardless of market movement.

Above all, CPPAs ensure high authenticity of carbon credentials.

They give your business real credibility in your reporting, ensuring you meet the carbon requirements for your portfolio.

A CPPA would allow your business to point to exactly where your power is coming from, so you can prove the source of your electricity to your stakeholders. And if you contract with a new asset that isn’t built yet, you’ll be striking sustainability gold - additionality.

You’ll be able to show that your business has been instrumental in bringing more renewable energy to the grid, having a real impact on emissions.

Every business is different.

And it’s essential that you have a supply contract structure that suits you, so a CPPA doesn’t work for everyone. But, although CPPAs are often more complex to arrange and require a longer-term approach to purchasing electricity, by signing a CPPA your business is making a commitment to achieving Net Zero.

We can help your business understand whether a CPPA would work for you or explore alternative zero carbon supply opportunities.

There’s never been a more urgent time to take action and accelerate your journey to Net Zero.  • Get in touch with us at letstalkpower@edfenergy.com

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Richard Poate is senior manager at TÜV SÜD

Batteries & Energy Storage

The danger within the power

Lithium-ion batteries are such an important part of our home and workspaces. But proper storage and risk management are essential, believes Richard Poate

L

ithium-ion batteries power our world. They are found in virtually all types of electrical and electronic devices, including consumer products, wearable medical devices, vehicles and advanced industrial equipment. They offer several advantages over conventional batteries, including greater energy density and cell voltage, and little charging capacity loss over time for rechargeable batteries. Without them, our ability to stay in touch and get things done would be very limited indeed.

However, the widespread use of lithium-ion batteries has also brought to the forefront concerns about their safety. While normally safe under most use conditions, lithium-ion batteries that are poorly designed or which consist of low-quality materials or have been assembled incorrectly or have been damaged can overheat and even explode, potentially resulting in catastrophic consequences involving life and property.

While lithium-ion battery technology development has advanced over the last few decades, it has also presented new fire and explosion risks. For commercial and industrial environments, the proper storage and risk management of lithium-ion batteries is therefore critical.

Lithium-ion configurations There are three major configurations for lithium-ion batteries: • the small format - batteries we are used to seeing in electronic devices and hand tools; • larger batteries - used in mobile equipment such as lift trucks and vehicles; and • very large-scale energy storage systems - typically used for uninterruptible power supplies or for electric power grid storage, often in conjunction with renewable power generation

‘The widespread use of lithiumion batteries has brought concerns over safety ’

equipment.

As well as many benefits, there are potential safety risks related to thermal stability and internal short circuits, which can cause overheating and even explosion.

Safety problems arise due to poor design, the use of low-quality materials, incorrect assembly, or damage. Even for lithium-ion batteries with integrated safety features, an unanticipated breach in the battery separator material can result in a high current that overheats the battery’s electrolyte.

While battery manufacturers and developers are continually improving lithium-ion battery design and performance, this can make them more vulnerable to small manufacturing defects or internal damage from the physical impact with another object. Variations in battery design, and the quality of materials and manufacture can also cause potential safety risks.

Of course, this problem will be magnified if large quantities of batteries are stored on-site or transported between industrial facilities. Fortunately, there are important steps that operators of industrial facilities can take to reduce the risks. This includes ensuring that the facility is equipped with suitable sprinklers.

Idle batteries in storage are

not typically subject to internal ignition. However, large-scale testing has shown that lithiumion batteries behave similarly to unexpanded plastic commodities in a fire. Therefore, sprinkler protection should be provided.

Risk of generating heat Fully charged lithium-ion batteries have a higher energy density and are therefore at greater risk of generating significant heat from short circuiting caused by internal defects. It is therefore important to ensure that lithium-ion batteries stored in the longer-term are charged at levels below 50 per cent charge capacity and kept at temperatures between 4-27°C. This will help to minimise the risk of thermal runaway from manufacturing defects or internal failures.

While usually safe, as lithiumion battery charging can cause safety problems, stations designated for charging large format batteries should be separated from other combustible materials by at least one metre.

For larger format batteries, such as those used in mobile equipment, battery chargers and batteries being charged should be separated from other combustible contents by at least one metre. Stations used for charging small format

batteries should be set on a firm, non-combustible surface and be separated from other combustible materials by at least 30cm.

Bins holding damaged or discarded batteries should be separated by at least three metres from all other storage areas, as well as bins holding other potentially combustible materials. This separation will help to reduce the risk of spreading a fire that might originate amongst discarded or waste batteries. In addition, these bins should be metal and have metal lids whenever practical.

Internal components and mechanisms in lithium-ion batteries are highly susceptible to physical or mechanical damage when the battery is subject to a severe external force or when it is dropped on a hard surface.

Any external evidence of damage should therefore trigger concerns about a battery’s internal integrity, and it should be safely disposed of in bins intended solely for damaged batteries.

For larger format batteries, such as mobile equipment batteries, ensure that battery chargers and batteries being charged are separated from other combustible contents by at least 3m.

As lithium-ion batteries bring so many positive benefits to product innovation, they will continue to evolve as manufacturers seek new ways to increase battery density and reduce size. Therefore, the safety of lithium-ion battery technology will continue to be investigated to address unexpected hazards that emerge. As we learn more about the risks associated with the use, bulk storage and recycling of lithium-ion batteries, changes in standards and best practices can be expected to change as well. It is therefore vital that the safety of lithium-ion battery technology and its storage remains under scrutiny so that these evolving hazards can be addressed.  MAY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 29

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Batteries & Energy Storage

Alexander Baal is director sales operations, Jungheinrich UK

Moving towards electricity Alexander Baal explains how deploying Lithium-ion-powered material handling equipment is one method that can support businesses’ CSR initiatives

E

nvironmental credentials are a fundamental component of corporate CSR initiatives.

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy to legislate an end to its contribution to global warming by 2050, requiring the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by this date.

After rising steadily for decades, global carbon dioxide emissions fell by 6.4 per cent, or 2.3bn tonnes, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic drastically restricted economic and social activities worldwide. A great reduction, but as the world reopens, will we see these numbers rise once more? Businesses bear the responsibility both to deliver the infrastructure and change that helps shape a modern, post-pandemic economy, while doing it in a way that effectively measures, evaluates and reduces carbon impact.

The market trend for businesses to move away from transportation and industrial equipment powered by fossil fuels has been gaining momentum for many years and this includes warehouse equipment such as forklift trucks.

When considering the area of materials handling equipment, great strides in innovation have been made in recent years to deliver an alternative to gas and diesel power that not only support the move to more sustainable energy sources, but also provide invaluable efficiency gains. The numbers speak for themselves that electric forklifts offer a significant positive effect when compared against their diesel or gas counterparts. For example, if a comparison is taken for a standard 2,000kg electric counterbalanced truck working 2,000 hours per year with its diesel and gas counterparts, we see that the electric truck would produce circa 4,600 kg of CO2 in that year compared to circa 13,980 kg for the diesel and circa 17,640kg of CO2 for the LPG. This means electric trucks provide a CO2 saving of 67 per cent per year against the LPG equivalent

There may be a higher outlay for electric forklifts but running and maintenance costs are much lower

and 74 per cent saving over the diesel truck counterpart.

It is true that an electric forklift embraces a higher initial outlay than its diesel or gas counterparts.

However, it also benefits from lower maintenance costs as there are fewer moving parts and hence fewer service items involved. While short-term savings can be made by the acquisition of the I/C engine trucks, the longer-term total cost of ownership of Lithium-ion-powered trucks can offer distinct value.

There will always be differences in the amount consumers pay for diesel, LPG and electricity. However, the pricing for electricity typically remains far more stable than the long-term pricing for any by-product of crude oil, which is an important factor when considering decisions for the business. Depending on how many forklifts are being serviced at any one time, the outlay for electricity comes up trumps in the fight against fossil fuels.

Support for business logistics The benefits for materials handling fleet operators to consider Lithiumion are considerable for both efficiency and reliability. Lithium-ion supports 24x7 logistics operations without the need for regular battery changes due to its short charging

times, high power and energy density, meaning there is no dropoff in power over the life cycle of the battery. Moreover, operators don’t need to factor machinery downtime into their operation, resulting in higher productivity throughput. Business savings are made as no maintenance is required and no period of battery resting is needed after each charge. During the recharge process, less energy is wasted as heat thus cost saving to further the business contributing to renewable energy, resulting in lower energy costs.

In order to become more sustainable, businesses will inevitably need to adapt to using cleaner sources of energy. Many will therefore need to overhaul their diesel equipment and consider more energy efficient power alternatives, such as Lithium-ion. EV Batteries will require less lithium by over half over the next decade. In addition, the amount of cobalt required will drop by more than three-quarters and nickel by around a fifth according to analysis by Belgium-based research body, Transport and Environment.

Compared to diesel or gas equivalents, electric machinery will consume far fewer raw materials, making it the clear choice for a sustainable future. Therefore, by

deploying a Lithium-ion powered alternative to warehouse equipment, businesses can increase efficiency and sustainability in the longterm, providing a key competitive advantage and advancing CSR goals.

The fall of carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the pandemic has provided a global opportunity for change and identified initiatives that can contribute to the continued reduction of CO2. Businesses have a crucial role to play to promote clean energy and deploy or scaleup new sustainable technologies to make equipment more energy efficient. Striving to deploy Lithium-ion powered handling equipment in future operations is one of the many proactive measures companies can take to ensure that their carbon footprint is reduced and sustainability is increased – especially with the significant rise of e-commerce which is set to continue, and from which many businesses have already benefited.

Crucially, businesses must capitalise on this opportunity for change for the better. Not just to support global sustainability efforts to save the planet, but realise the additional benefits that come alongside – including cost savings, productivity gains and no downtime. 

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The Heating, Ventilation and Energy Specialists • Energy and technical surveys to provide appraisals relating to heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

• Air handling unit refurbishment including changing belt drive fans to direct drive.

• Improve air quality within building whilst reducing energy consumption, in accordance with new COVID-19 regulations.

• Heating system alterations, including but not limited to, boiler replacement & pump replacement.

• Design, Supply and Install of renewable energy systems.

• Maintenance/servicing of AHU's, tailored to suit the functionality of the unit, and based on its true throughput and use.

Before

After

272 Bath Street,Glasgow G2 4JR Tel: 0141 483 2666 Email: enquiries@rpjenergysolutions.com For more information visit: www.rpjenergysolutions.com

Batteries & Energy Storage

The age of the recyclable battery Researchers at the University of Glasgow have designed a recyclable ‘veggie’ battery that could power future devices more efficiently

A

team of engineers led by the University of Glasgow has developed a new type of 3D-printed battery that uses electrodes made from vegetable starch and carbon nanotubes could provide devices with a more environmentallyfriendly, higher-capacity source of power.

It is hoped that more sustainable lithium-ion batteries capable of storing and delivering power more efficiently can be produced.

Lithium-ion batteries provide a useful combination of lightweight, compact form factors and the ability to withstand many cycles of charging and discharging. That has made them ideally suited for use in a wide array of devices, including laptops, and electric vehicles.

Like many batteries, lithiumion batteries comprise a positive electrode, often made from lithium cobalt/manganese oxide or lithium iron phosphate, and a negative electrode, often made from lithium metal. During charging, lithium ions flow through an electrolyte from the positive electrode to the negative electrode where they are stored.

During use, the ions flow in the opposite direction, generating energy to power devices through an electrochemical reaction.

One of the physical limitations on the amount of energy current designs of lithium-ion batteries can store and release is the thickness of their electrodes. Thicker electrodes restrict diffusion of lithium ions across the electrode, thereby limiting the specific energy of lithium-ion batteries. Increasing electrodes’ thickness also decreases their strain-tolerance, making them more prone to cracking. Once an electrode breaks, the battery is rendered useless.

Increased surface area The Glasgow-led team’s battery aims to strike a better balance between the size and the surface area of electrodes by introducing tiny nanoscale and microscale holes, or pores, into their design. By riddling the surface and interior of the electrodes with pores, they can greatly increase the surface area compared to a solid electrode of the same external dimensions.

To do so, the scientists used an additive manufacturing technique,

The 3D printing process gives control over the electrodes’ porosity

also known as 3D printing, to tightly control the size and placement of each and every pore in their electrodes. They loaded a 3D printer with a material they developed which combines polylactic acid, lithium-iron phosphate and carbon nanotubes. The polylactic acid is a biodegradable material processed from the starch of corn, sugar cane, and sugar beet, increasing the battery’s recyclability.

They experimented with making circular electrodes at three different thicknesses of 100, 200 and 300 microns. Each electrode was tested with different combinations of materials, varying the amount of carbon nanotubes in the material mixture from 3 to 10 percent by weight, and the porosity from 10 to 70 percent by introducing tightlycontrolled grids of holes throughout the electrode.

The team’s 300-micron electrode battery with 70 per cent porosity performed the best during testing, with a specific capacity of 151 milliampere-hour per gram, or mAh/g – the standard measurement of how much charge a battery can hold. That is around two to three times the performance of

Microscale pores were introduced into the design of the surface area

Dr Shanmugam Kumar is reader in composites and additive manufacturing, University of Glasgow

a traditional lithium-ion battery with a solid electrode of the same thickness.

The increased porosity, and thus the larger surface area, of the thickest 300-micron electrode also influenced the battery’s areal capacity. The thicker electrode was capable of storing 4.4 milliamperehour per square centimetre (or mAh cm−2) compared to 1.7 mAh cm−2 achieved in the 100-micron electrode, a gain of 158 percent.

The research was led by Dr Shanmugam Kumar from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering, alongside colleagues from Khalifa University of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, and Texas A&M University and Arizona State University in the USA. Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly common in everyday life and are likely to continue to increase in ubiquity as we move towards more electrification of transport and a more sustainable world. However, lithium-ion batteries have their own sustainability issues, so it’s important that we look to find new ways to make them better and more environmentally-friendly.

The 3D printing process used in this research gives a huge amount of control over the electrodes’ porosity, allowing the team to engineer very precisely a new metamaterial capable of addressing some of the shortcomings of the current generation of lithium-ion batteries.

They believe they have created a battery with a high specific capacity and areal capacity with excellent cyclability.

The team says that these are promising initial results, and they are now keen to continue to explore the possibilities that this kind of microarchitected materials offer to create better, more recyclable batteries for future consumers.”

The team’s full paper, titled ‘Additive manufacturing enabled, microarchitected, hierarchically porous polylactic- acid/Lithium iron phosphate/carbon nanotube nanocomposite electrodes for high performance Li-Ion batteries’, is published in the Journal of Power Sources. The research was supported by funding from the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. 

32 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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ESTA VIEWPOINT

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

Get to grips with the UK ETS What does the UK Emissions Trading Scheme mean for British business?

John Field examines the changes ahead for energy users of all sizes

T

he UK has been acting quickly to deal with an early Brexit “casualty” - the UK’s participation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) - by setting up the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). It is worth looking at operational aspects of the changes in post-transition periods. In addition, there is a whole new class of EU ETS participants who are low emitters and who will have reduced obligations.

It is likely that installations with mainly standby plant will be benefit from this change.

The groundbreaking EU ETS scheme has been justifiably touted as a key element of European environmental policy, requiring installations responsible for 40 per cent of EU greenhouse gas emissions to be permitted and then to measure, verify and report their annual emissions. If they exceed their nationally set emissionscap they have to buy traded emissions allowances to make up the difference.

The scheme – in 2005 the world’s first and currently the largest emissions trading scheme – targets large electricity generators and energy intensive industrial sites but many smaller operations have been caught in the net including data centres and offices with sizeable standby generators.

Supporting reductions initiatives As an example of the effect of the EU ETS scheme, it establishes a carbon emissions market and hence a carbon price in a fairly natural way. Many environmentalists and economists consider that a carbon price is all but essential to support global emissions reduction initiatives. The EU has some power to moderate the EU ETS carbon price upwards or downwards by changing the number of free allowances (tonnes of CO2 equivalent) annually allocated to member states who apportion them to individual installations. These

EU ETS registered accounts.

For the current emissions reporting year January to December 2021 we now have the UK ETS in place which largely replicates the EU ETS in operational terms.

The on-line registration of emissions and allowances is being developed by the government.

For one section of participants in the EU ETS things change significantly: a new category of so-called Ultra-small Emitters with emissions below a threshold 2,500 tCO2e has been created which has a reduced compliance burden as detailed in Schedule 8 of the new 2020 law shown above.

Ultra-small Emitters are “Article 27a” sites in a list downloadable from its official source: www.sepa.org.uk/media/504726/ukarticle-27-27a-installation-list.pdf. The first surprise is that Ultra-small Emitters are not in the UK ETS scheme at all and they are defined as those “excluded from the EU ETS under Article 27a of the Directive” by being in the list just above.

Self-verification of emissions

‘Many smaller operations have been caught in the net of the EU ETS’ allocations tend to form the target emissions for installations.

The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) has been rapidly developed and made into law to largely continue the operation and national benefits of the EU ETS. The UK could not participate in the EU scheme after the most recent emissions reporting year which was to 31st December 2020. The UK ETS was established in law in November 2020

by The Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020 which can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk/ uksi/2020/1265/contents/made.

Completion of reporting and any allowances trading for the January to December 2020 emissions year of the EU ETS should by law have been completed by the end of April as for previous years, using for the last time the UK technical registry ETSWAP and the EU-UK allowances registry. An exception was that allowances or credits from UK-based ETS accounts could not be traded after Brexit Transition - allowances had to be purchased in Europe or elsewhere from

John Field is director of NativeHue Ltd energy management and a past chair of the ESTA Energy Services Contracting group

Ultra-small Emitters have obligations but they do not require a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permit and their Permits were indeed revoked on January 1st 2021.

Despite that, under the order’s Schedule 8 their emissions must still be monitored in accordance with their “appropriate monitoring plan” which may be the existing 2020 plan and so still highly rigorous. The emissions monitoring must be self-verified but need not have the independent verification mandated up to 2020. Emissions are not reported annually unless they rise above the Ultra-small Emitter threshold (2,500 tCO2 per site).

An ongoing aspect of the new arrangements is the trading mechanism and the carbon price itself. The price might in principle float with a UK carbon market – possibly moderated by the government - or it could, if agreed with the EU, be firmly aligned by trading with the EU ETS. Alternatively, the price might be set periodically by the UK government at a level which maintains reasonable alignment with the EU price – this would render the scheme more like a tax than a genuine trading scheme.

So at present it looks like business as usual for participants, with a procedural benefit for some smaller emitters.

However, medium- and longer-term developments are less certain.  ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021 | 33

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TALKING HEADS Jamie Cameron

Are there really any ‘smart’ buildings?

Everything is labelled as ‘smart’ these days. But what has got to happen for buildings to truly live up to that title?, asks Jamie Cameron

I

n the sphere of technology, ‘smart’ is a term which has been heavily diluted. Smart watches, smart phones, smart lighting: the list goes on. Almost every new gadget and gizmo is labelled smart without any real thought into why it is or isn’t. While on a very different scale, the UK smart building industry is suffering the same fate.

There are many buildings in the UK that have been labelled ‘smart’. The truth is, there are no genuinely smart buildings in the UK. That’s not to say there aren’t any buildings making use of intelligent technologies – but flashy tech is not the beginning and end of smart, and most buildings are not doing enough to justify the ‘smart’ tag.

Owing to the widespread benefits of being connected smart buildings in London command a 5 per cent digital premium. This enables building developers to increase revenue on their spaces. But in such a ‘smart’ world, this is laced with irony. In reality, in the UK, most buildings haven’t even scratched the surface of ‘smart’. In fact, it’s possible that there aren’t any legitimately smart buildings in the UK. What’s also important to recognise is that people have been working from the comfort of their own home, able to control their own environment, for a year now.

Expectations have shifted and building decision-makers have a fight on their hands to convince occupants to return to their buildings and office spaces.

Of course, there are buildings with intelligent technologies fitted into them, but the reality is that they’re not being used effectively enough to create a genuinely smart building – one that thinks, responds, and adapts to its occupants’ needs. This disconnect is the result of implementing smart technologies as point solutions. The sum of all these individual parts does not constitute a smart building. To create a truly smart building, which can command even more than a 5 per cent digital premium, we need to redefine what we mean by ‘smart’.

Cameron: 'we have to get deep below the surface level of smart technologies and unlock the insights they create'

‘The truth is, there are no genuinely smart buildings in the UK’ We know that smart buildings bring benefits. Indeed, two-thirds of business leaders recognise that poor connectivity is detrimental to both work-life balance and mental health, and 81 per cent of companies believe that a well-connected office leads to a betterperforming business.

But ‘well-performing’ is starting to mean something new, with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) concerns now inherently linked to corporate success. To this end, companies are being tasked with the seemingly impossible objective of becoming carbon net-zero. That’s where smart buildings – truly smart ones, that is – come in.

Technologies that we see as smart, like facial recognition on entry, automatic lighting, and app-based temperature control are often seen as ‘enough’ – they wow visitors and do improve employee experience. But none of these technologies, smart as they are, are worth the investment if they don’t actually improve how a building is run, or its impact on people, places and the planet.

Challenge goes beyond turning lights on and off The real challenge goes far beyond opening doors and turning lights on and off. It’s about tapping into the building to ensure

Jamie Cameron is director of digital solutions at Johnson Controls UK & Ireland

everyone in it can be productive, healthy, and happy, while leveraging every piece of data the building holds to save costs, bring energy usage down, and help achieve ESG goals. That is the moment when a building becomes smart.

Right now, the data from each of these point solutions is siloed and disconnected.

This is preventing building managers, developers and owners from seeing the bigger picture, limiting them to small, incremental changes that don’t help realise the full potential of their investment in smart.

What’s more, many buildings house multiple tenants, with various needs that are subject to flux at any time. This will become truer than ever as businesses return to offices on a more flexible basis this year. For some tenants, regular heating will be less essential. Others may require less space or see cleaning requirements become more intensive. That said, some things will remain consistent: the need to drive down energy usage, move towards carbon net-zero, and provide an impressive and comfortable experience for occupants.

All of this is harder to achieve when a building’s data is sitting in silos, underutilised and unable to provide a 360o view of what a building can really offer.

To reach this potential, we have to get deep below the surface level of smart technologies to unlock the insights they generate. This happens when we connect smart technology systems together to create an ecosystem/platform for smart solutions, looking at the bigger picture.

The data and insights this creates can then be analysed to make vast improvements across a building, and even the whole enterprise.

To make this a reality, the data needs to be connected and easily accessible in the cloud. Then decision makers can analyse the data in its entirety and identify areas of improvement.

These changes may sound expensive, but they needn’t be. Many buildings already have the technology in place to transform into a genuinely smart building.

A 5 per cent digital premium is the tip of the iceberg in terms of benefits. So far, that’s been achieved with buildings that are faux-smart. Imagine what can be achieved – and who can reap the rewards – with buildings which are genuinely smart.

Only then will we really be seeing just how smart the UK can be. 

34 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | MAY 2021

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