February 2021

FEBRUARY 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Lighting Technology Combined Heat and Power & District Heating Heat Recovery & Ventilation CPD Module: The Importance of Ventilation

Heat network regulations Change is on the way

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Delivering hybrid working How lighting can adapt

Going back to basics Air quality and energy efficiency

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FEBRUARY 2021

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue Lighting Technology Combined Heat and Power & District Heating Heat Recovery & Ventilation CPD Module: The Importance of Ventilation

Heat network regulations Change is on the way

Delivering hybrid working How lighting can adapt

Contents

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Going back to basics Air quality and energy efficiency

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FEBRUARY 2021

14

21

FEATURES

10

CHP & District Heating

With working environments set to be used more flexibly, next-generation LED lighting and controls have a pivotal role to play in minimising energy consumption, explains Colin Lawson (24)

Denis Adelmant explores the benefits of coupling district heating with combined heat and power and the potential for zero carbon in the cities of the future

Siemens Campus Erlangen in Germany feels the benefit of intelligent light while Goodlight introduces a continuousrow lighting system (25)

New metering and billing requirements for heat networks have triggered a renewed focus on the role smart data can play in communal energy generation, says Lee Moran (12) Big changes are coming to heat network regulations.

Ian Allan explains the recent changes and the steps heat suppliers must take to reach compliance (13) Wayne Davies discusses the options available to CHP operators for improving efficiency and participating in new flexibility markets (14)

When it comes to “out of the box” lighting control systems, ease-of-use often comes at the cost of functional flexibility, says Karl Walker (26)

30

An upgrade in Sweden converts a biomass-fired plant to combined heat and power while apps bring customer benefits to two sites in the UK (16)

22 Lighting Technology

Energy efficiency is a key factor in lighting design. Beverly Quinn gives some guidance when it comes to choosing the appropriate technology

Heat Recovery & Ventilation UV systems safeguard indoor air quality and can help increase efficiencies of ventilation systems, says Clifford Saunders Correct ventilation system operation can help create a healthy and sustainable indoor environment. But are system efficiency and human health compatible?, asks Andrea Pagan (31) Andy Davis believes indoor air quality and energy efficiency are not mutually exclusive. But starting with the correct data is the first step on the road (32)

REGULARS 06 News Update Creating jobs in energy efficiency is a fast way to economic recovery, says a new report. Meanwhile the Green Homes Grant is likely to miss all its targets

09 The Warren Report Although the UK has set its own emissions trading scheme it is likely that the difference between its European counterpart will be little more than minimal

17 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning Mark Hobbins and Ray O’Connor examine the importance of

ventilation in our buildings during a time of pandemic

21 Products in Action

33 ESTA Viewpoint ESTA and the Energy Institute have developed Energy Conscious Organisation (EnCO), a new behaviour change initiative to tap into an ignored source of savings. Jes Rutter reports

34 Talking Heads

An air conditioning system forms part of a refurbished hotel in Manchester while a BMS brings control to London offices

28 New Products Hot water product manufacturer announces a big expansion to its range while a British company offers a plug-and-play CO2 monitor

Neil Spann believes that a new type of PV panel could change the way we view solar generation. And he has his eyes set on taking the technology around the world

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 FEBRUARY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 03

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Editor’s Opinion

Follow us on @ twitter.com/energyzine and twitter.com/markthrower1

A stumble, not a step

T

here was quite a fanfare when the Prime Minister launched his Ten Point Plan for a green industrial revolution.

He emphasised the employment potential of “making our homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient.” He committed the UK to reducing emissions by 68 per cent since 1990.

A key first step along this very long road is the Green Homes Grant. And it would appear that the Government has stumbled at the very first step. The scheme looks unlikely to deliver any of the objectives set for it during its first phase.

The scheme offers subsidy grants of up to £5,000 to individual householders, covering up to two-thirds of the costs of installing a limited range of renewable energy and energy-saving devices.

However, at the end of January, the scheme was two-thirds of the way through its first phase. It began on September 30 2020 and will finish on March 31 2021. Just before the end of January, the Business Department - which is administering the scheme - told the Guardian newspaper that around 17,000 households had been approved to receive vouchers. Sunak’s declared target, as announced in the House of Commons, was that 600,000 individual

households would benefit from the initial phase of the scheme. This means that it leaves 97 per cent of his declared objective that has yet to be met.

Now comes the news that, as expected, unspent funding in the first tranche will not be carried over to the extended scheme in 2021/22. The problems with take up have not been down to consumer apathy but delays of several months in householders and installers receiving payments. It is almost impossible for any company to get involved in the scheme. And more importantly to begin to create those crucial jobs retrofitting our homes. It is madness that so many energy efficiency improvements will be wasted. In addition, installers will be denied a potentially lucrative market and jobs will not be created.

One of the biggest challenges of the green industrial revolution is to retrofit our ageing and inefficient housing stock. The Green Homes Grant is clearly not working and the government should formulate a national strategy with clearer, longer-term goals. For a first step along the road to a revolution this is hardly a great rallying cry.

MANAGING EDITOR

Mark Thrower

www.eibi.co.uk

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 In recent years the Government, energy services companies (ESCOs), developers and housing associations have started to recognise heat networks as a viable option for reliable and affordable low-carbon domestic heating.

In the UK heat networks and district heating schemes currently supply around 447,000 homes and other buildings with networks estimated at 1,800km, and this number of connections represents and more than double the UK figure in 2013.

Denis Adelmant of Veolia explores the benefits of coupling district heating with combined heat and power and the potential for zero carbon in the cities of the future.

See page 10 for more details Cover photo courtesy of Veolia UK

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

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

Carbon border charge to finance EU green growth Revenues from the forthcoming European Union’s proposed carbon border charge can be used to help finance the bloc’s green transition.

But this will never be declared as the charge’s official objective, because the new levy must be created only for environmental reasons, to avoid contravening World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.

Steps being taken to tighten the trading price of carbon allowances within the European Union’s emissions trading scheme (EU:ETS) are set to increase the current price of between €25 and €30 per tonne.

Official forecasts from AEFP, the French equivalent of the CBI, reckon that these will reach a minimum of €40 per tonne by 2030 and above €230 per tonne by 2050.

Because these prices are borne only by European participants, this June the European Commission is set to publish a “carbon border adjustment mechanism.” The goal is to avoid carbon leakage, whereby companies relocate manufacturing abroad to countries where pollution costs are lower.

Two main options are under consideration. These are a border tax, which unless skilfully constructed may contravene WTO rules. Or a notional carbon levy mirroring the EU:ETS. Under this option, a benchmark of carbon consumption is created for a given product corresponding to the EU average. It is then multiplied by the current ETS traded price. Crucially, such an external allowance would not be tradable.

Amongst industrial sectors most likely to be covered initially are those designated as “raw materials”.

These include the cement, steel and chemical industries.

For so long as the new UK:ETS has trading prices on a par with the EU:ETS, it is not likely to have much impact on business based in the UK. It is clear though that, should significant divergences in the system take place, then the new arrangements would be imposed on UK-based firms.

Patrick Pouyanne, CEO of Total, endorsed the concept as a “very logical extension of the EU’s carbon price policy.”

REPORT STATES 2M JOBS TO BE CREATED IN DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

Jobs in energy efficiency set to surge Creating millions of jobs in energy efficiency is the fastest way to restore prosperity and combat climate change. It will deliver far more employment than any form of electricity generation.

That is the verdict of the International Energy Agency, which has already identified almost 2m jobs due to be created in the next two years in developed counties, with many more to come if governments create the right stimuli.

Two thirds of these jobs would be in the buildings sector. Most of these would be in retrofitting existing buildings. Over 75 per cent of buildings likely to be being occupied in 2050 have already been built.

One of the main beneficiaries of the scheme would be for people with few academic qualifications, currently the worst hit by unemployment. The remaining jobs would be found in transport (20 per cent) and industry (16 per cent).

According to the IEA, “as energy efficiency investments can be mobilised quickly, they are one of the most attractive investments in the energy sector. This is particularly

for governments seeking to protect existing jobs, or generate new jobs during the recession.”

The IEA estimates that in 2019, before COVID 19, there were 2.4m energy efficiency jobs in the US, only 750,000 in China, but approaching 3m in Europe. Of these, the UK Office of National Statistics identified 114,000 in the UK. According to the IEA, the remarkable labour intensity of many

energy efficiency upgrades means that spending £1m on improving energy efficiency will generate between 6 and 15 jobs, depending upon the sector.

Scaled-up worldwide there are potentially millions of jobs in delivering energy efficiency. It is billed as “the single quickest and cheapest way of reducing carbon emissions, since it both reduces existing demand for energy and renders many new power stations unnecessary.”

Sainsbury’s commits to reduce Scope 3 GHGs by 30% Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s has committed to set an absolute target to reduce its Scope 3 Greenhouse Gas emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, together with a net zero target for its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2040, in line with the Paris Agreement.

As part of Scope 3, Sainsbury’s will be working with selected suppliers to develop their own Scope 1 and 2 targets, and measure their performance through industry disclosures such as CDP and the Higg Index.

The retailer has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 42 per cent in the last 16 years despite growing as an organisation by 46 per cent.

Sainsbury’s worked with the Carbon Trust to define an ambitious Scope 3 target which requires the reduction of absolute GHG emissions by 30 per cent by 2030, to align to a well below 2°C scenario. This includes reducing emissions from purchased goods and services sold, upstream transport and distribution and the direct use of sold products.

Sainsbury’s will work collaboratively with its suppliers to deliver against their own Scope 1 and 2 targets to drive lasting change. By delivering against its Scope 3 targets by 2030, through innovation and collaboration, Sainsbury’s will endeavour to help customers make more sustainable product choices, helping them live well now and into the future.

Over the past year, a number of energy saving initiatives have been launched in Sainsbury’s own operations, including the installation last year of its one millionth Aerofoil in its Battersea Park Local store, keeping fridges

cool and aisles warmer and saving 15 per cent of the energy used by the fridge.

The strategies outlined to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions will see Sainsbury’s implement new initiatives within the refrigeration and lighting space such as LED technology, along with improving overall efficiency. The retailer’s Scope 3 efforts will focus on working with its suppliers to set their own carbon reduction targets and identify opportunities across product lifecycles.

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

ONLY £70M OF £2BN ALLOCATION SPENT

IN BRIEF

Green Homes Grant set to miss targets

Gemserv adds to energy expertise

The Green Homes Grant scheme is unlikely to achieve any of the objectives formally set for it during its first phase by Chancellor Rishi Sunak (right), when he announced the Scheme last July. The scheme offers subsidy grants of up to £5,000 to individual householders, covering up to two-thirds of the costs of installing a limited range of renewable energy and energy-saving devices. It provides the most generous use of public funds intended to help deliver sustainable energy for over 40 years.

Last July, Sunak stated that the scheme had several absolute objectives it would be expected to achieve. He gave a specific target for the number of homes that would be improved under the scheme, for the total amount of subsidy money that would be spent, and for the number of jobs that would be created. In each case, it is clear that as of now these targets will be missed by a mile.

At the end of January, the scheme was two-thirds of the way through its first phase. It began on September 30 2020 and will finish on March 31 2021. Just before the end of January, the Business Department - which is administering the scheme- told the Guardian newspaper that around

Professional services firm Gemserv has acquired Ecuity Advisory Ltd as part of its drive to expand services for clients seeking to accelerate the transition to net zero.

Ecuity’s extensive expertise in energy, mobility and environmental policy complements Gemserv’s established role as a manager of high-profile projects in the energy and other sectors.

The acquisition of the Birmingham-based firm, for an undisclosed sum, will create a combined group with some 220 staff and annual revenues of around £30m.

17,000 households had been approved to receive vouchers. Sunak’s declared target, as announced in the House of Commons, was that 600,000 individual households would benefit from the initial phase of the scheme.

This means that it leaves 97 per cent of his declared objective that has yet to be met.

At the time there were a further 65,000 applications awaiting approval.

Even if all these go ahead, that would still only mean that less than 10 per cent of the households target had been achieved.

Between them, the 17,000 households had received vouchers

worth just £70m. Sunak had allocated £2bn to this programme, to be spent by the end of this financial year in April. So there is still £1.99bn remaining that has yet to be spent.

Normal practice is for any spending Departments, that fail to use all the money allocated to their programmes, have to hand the unspent money back to the Treasury.

Sunak’s official target was that 100,000 jobs would be “sustained” by the Scheme. This is even though currently there are just 114,000 people currently employed in energy efficiency, and 49,800 in renewable energy, according to the Office of National Statistics. Whilst there has been no announcement yet regarding the numbers obtaining paid employment, given how few homes have yet been improved, it is unlikely to be anything like this number.

There are just 860 registered Green Homes Grants scheme installers across the entire country. Business Department officials rejected the proposal to utilise existing accreditation scheme overseen by established trade associations. Instead, they have insisted that TrustMark alone can decide which installers can pay to join.

Gas grid companies plan to deliver hydrogen towns Britain’s gas grid companies have set out their plans to deliver the UK’s first hydrogen town by 2030.

Published as part of Energy Networks Association’s Gas Goes Green programme, Britain’s Hydrogen Network Plan sets out the detail of the activity that all five of Britain’s gas network companies (Cadent, National Grid, Northern Gas Network, SGN & Wales & West Utilities) will undertake to turn Britain’s hydrogen ambitions into reality, as set out in the Prime Minister’s November 2020 ’10 Point Plan for A Green Industrial Revolution’.

Between them, the companies are responsible for owning and operating the pipelines and other infrastructure that currently deliver gas to 85 per cent of homes in Great Britain.

Britain’s Hydrogen Network Plan also sets out the work gas network companies will undertake to meet the UK’s other hydrogen objectives, including being ready by 2023 to blend up to 20 per cent hydrogen into local gas grids and to help the UK

meet its hydrogen production target of 1GW by 2025 and 5GW by 2030.

It sets out how they will help deliver a network of refuelling facilities for zero emissions heavy good vehicles, and connect the renewables production, carbon capture and storage and hydrogen use for industrial ‘SuperPlaces’, helping deliver two clusters by the mid-2020s and two more by 2030.

The plan explains how the companies, responsible for owning

and operating £24bn of energy infrastructure, will: • ensure the safe delivery of hydrogen through innovation projects. This includes work being undertaken by the Hy4Heat programme (led by BEIS), to test different household appliances such as boilers, heaters and cookers in variety of different settings; • maintain security of energy supply, to ensure gas networks have enough capacity to meet Britain’s energy demands using hydrogen; • work with people’s needs, to help reduce carbon emissions whilst ensuring that people and businesses have a choice of different low carbon technologies – in our homes, our offices and factories, as well as on our roads; and • deliver jobs and investment, including through the replacement of old iron mains gas pipes around the country with new, hydrogen-ready pipes instead. By 2032, the companies are planning to have invested £28bn in such projects.

HVAC specialist updates website International manufacturer of valves, sensors and actuators, Belimo, has updated its global website.

With its functional structure and updated design, the new Belimo website offers all users optimal service – regardless of which end device might be used.

New features and functions of the site include: • a clearer guide to what users are looking for faster with clearly structured and intuitive navigation; and • simplified valve selection as well as streamlined system planning; The new Belimo website is available online at www.belimo.co.uk

Updates to heat network code A major update to CIBSE’s Heat Networks Code of Practice provides extensive guidance for the design, installation and, critically, the ongoing performance monitoring of district heating systems.

CIBSE Code of Practice 1 (CP1 (2020)) now includes key outputs for each objective that can be used to demonstrate a heat network is performing as expected. This includes a series of checklists to allow clients to set an initial performance target and to monitor the system against this target throughout the design development process to give investors confidence in the system’s performance.

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

EV charging points set for hotel chain Whitbread – owner of the Premier Inn hotels - has appointed ENGIE to install high power GeniePoint charging points nationwide, with 600 committed across 300 hotels over the next three years.

ENGIE will begin installing the chargers in March, with the first scheduled in Enfield, London.

Access to the charging points will be for guests, as well as members of the public using the GeniePoint Network – one of the largest national EV networks. The company will install high specification 50kW+ chargers that replenish electric cars in just 30 minutes with 100 per cent renewable energy.

Sam Hockman, divisional CEO – futures at ENGIE UK & Ireland said: “A big factor for drivers considering the switch to EV is access to a broader range of charging options. This significant investment at Premier Inn sites will provide hundreds of new, convenient charging locations across the UK and also give customers access to ENGIE’s wider GeniePoint network.

“This important move by Whitbread highlights the key role the hospitality sector can play to support not only the uptake of EVs, but also the UK’s wider commitment to become net zero by 2050.”

Simon Leigh, procurement director at Premier Inn said: “Electric vehicles are one of the ways in which the UK strives for a greener future and we’re pleased to help drive this goal forward with what we believe is the UK’s biggest roll-out of rapid charging points to date.

“We know that ‘range anxiety’ is a real concern for many of our guests who own electric cars. Knowing that in many locations they will soon be able to arrive and have access to a high-speed charge point to quickly refuel their car while they relax and refuel themselves will be a great source of comfort.

ZERO CARBON STANDARDS TO BE MANDATED

Upgrade on the way for Part L Regs Part L of the English building regulations, covering the conservation of fuel and power, is to be upgraded so as to mandate zero carbon standards.

As well as tightening insulation standards, this will effectively ensure that no more gas boilers are installed in new homes. But not before 2025, nine years after this requirement was originally scheduled to become law.

The government has now confirmed this timing, overturning the announcement by the Prime Minister last September that such standards would be mandatory from 2023.

Back in 2010, it was the present Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, then the housing minister under the Coalition government, who confirmed that zero-carbon homes would “become the only home you can buy after 2016.” An interim step towards that standard was introduced in 2013.

But while in all devolved administrations the original timetable was retained, the agreed timetable was torn up after the Conservative Party obtained a majority in 2015.

Consequently, the interim 2013 standards are now set to remain largely in place (with only minor tweaking) for a 12-year period, during which the official UK aspirations regarding both energy savings and climate-related targets were tightened considerably. The UK’s current

emission target for 2030 requires a 68 per cent cut against 1990 levels by the end of this decade.

Additionally, house builders constructing a substantial estate have long been permitted to build all homes to the standards in operation when the first new home was built.

Surprisingly, no steps are to be taken to tighten this lax arrangement.

The Future Homes Standards document sets out plans to phase out any fossil fuel heating systems from new homes. According to the present housing Minister, Chris Pincher, “the radical new standards will ensure our new homes are fit for the future by reducing emissions from new homes by at least 75 per cent.”

Effectively, this high percentage claimed concedes that not only are

some new homes still being built to the even lower standards permitted prior to 2013 but also that many new homes today do not meet minimum standards. This is an issue often raised by the chairman of the Committee on Climate Change, Lord Deben, who as a former Environment Secretary used to be in charge of monitoring such compliance levels. The new document proposes no specific steps to ensure better compliance.

The document sets out some higher energy efficiency standards relevant to existing homes. These include parts for windows, heat pumps, cooling systems, and fixed lighting.

New requirements for additional ventilation and indoor air quality monitoring in high-risk commercial buildings like gyms are included.

Renewables overtake fossil fuels for power generation Analysis by Ember, an independent, not-for-profit climate think tank, reveals that renewables overtook fossil fuels as the main source of electricity in the UK last year.

With coal power already near zero, fossil gas was forced to a five-year low in 2020 by growth in wind power and below-average demand due to Covid-19. While UK renewables production is dominated by wind, it still remains overly reliant on risky bioenergy, which must be replaced with cleaner power to fully decarbonise the UK grid.

Renewables also overtook fossil fuels in the EU-27 in 2020, as well as separately in Germany and Spain.

A record 42 per cent of the UK’s electricity was generated by renewables in 2020, compared to 41 per cent by fossil fuels. Nuclear plants generated the remaining 17 per cent.

This was mainly driven by an increase in wind power. For the first time, a quarter (24 per cent) of the UK’s electricity was generated by wind turbines in 2020, doubling its share since 2015 and up from 20 per cent in 2019.

While wind showed impressive growth, solar and hydro were unchanged since last year, making up only 4 per cent and 2 per cent of the UK’s electricity production respectively. This is the second year running that solar has remained stagnant, reflecting the lack of a supportive

policy environment for the technology.

Bioenergy generated 12 per cent of the UK’s electricity in 2020, posting slight growth since 2019. However, bioenergy is a much higher risk source of renewable electricity – for both climate and environmental outcomes – than the other sources such as wind and solar.

Coal generated just 2 per cent of the UK’s electricity in 2020, falling rapidly from 2015 when it delivered 23 per cent of the UK’s electricity.

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02.21

THE WARREN REPORT

Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

The UK ETS may be independent only in name Although the UK has set its own emissions trading scheme it is likely that, as a result of Brexit trading advantage agreements, the difference from the European scheme will be little more than minimal

J

ust a few days before Christmas, it was officially confirmed that from January 1, the United Kingdom would have its very own emissions trading scheme.

To be called, with stunning originality, the UK ETS. All of the 1,400 UK installations, that had for the past 15 years participated in the European emissions trading scheme (the EU:ETS), overnight left that scheme.

And joined the UK version.

This should have come as a surprise to nobody. For most of the past three years, all participating companies had been working on the assumption that this was the timetable, largely because that marked the end of the third official phase of the EU scheme. Wherever possible, most of the former UK allowances had increasingly been held by other branches of each company, based elsewhere in the other 31 participating countries.

There were after all formal public consultations concerning the possible UK scheme held in 2019 via the Committee on Climate Change. Last June the Business Department issued a formal document about the UK ETS concept. It was intended to “ensure a smooth switchover for businesses, and a more ambitious limit on carbon emissions on our road to net zero by 2050.” The frontispiece even expressed an ambition of “reducing the current cap by 5 per cent.”

During October the House of Commons Business Select Committee held a series of oral sessions specifically based around the operation of the UK ETS. They were focussed around this formal document which largely retained a common framework with its original parent.

Certain key parts, like verification

of data, were to be retained wholesale.

Methods of reporting could be altered a bit. But the official line was that, while it would not be imposed, the potential should remain for the “possibility and consideration of a link” between the two systems “if this suited both side’s interests...” Everybody has been very aware of how the previously independent Swiss ETS was becoming merged with the EU scheme.

The MPs cross-examined at length the then energy minister (now Business Secretary) Kwasi Kwarteng on the subject.

He was very careful to say that, splendid idea as this might be according to the Business Department, it was not yet actually agreed to be Government policy.

Auctioning allowances delay And nor was it resolved as such until late December. A key reason why the all-important auctioning of UK ETS allowances has had to be put off until the second quarter of 2021. And there is to be a further consultation this spring, on how that promised 5 per cent reduction on the current “cap” will be handled.

When she had to announce the December decision, one of the key participants, Wales’ energy minister Lesley Griffiths, wearily admitted to the Senned that “unfortunately there remains uncertainty in relation to the prospect of linking the UK ETS to the EU:ETS. I continue to press for a linking agreement... it is clearly in everyone’s best interests.”

Why this delay in announcing?

Because in November 2018 the UK Parliament had voted to give the Treasury permission to replace the EU:ETS with a new domestic Carbon Emissions tax of £16 per tonne of

‘The UK has made it plain that its climate policy will be more rather than less ambitious than other European countries’

CO2 emitted from power stations and industrial sites.

That tax has yet to be introduced, but had been strongly promoted in the Treasury as another option, either in place of the UK trading scheme or, increasingly, additional to it. According to a Treasury technical notice issued when it was approved, “the new tax would maintain the carbon price for those stationary emitters currently covered by the EU:ETS.” Clearly, with the EU carbon price already fluctuating around €30 per tonne, that commitment became nugatory.

Simultaneously, increasingly loud noises were being made, both by national governments and by the European Commission, about the growing need to place import taxes upon those who seek to import into Europe goods and materials that do not reflect any pricing acknowledgment of their consequent carbon impact.

Since 2018, both the UK and the EU have adopted far more stringent carbon reduction targets, both for 2050 and now for the (far more immediate) 2030 target dates. This summer the European Commission is set to publish detailed proposals for border taxation on any and all goods and measures that are imported from countries where prices carry no comparable additions to reflect carbon emission externalities. There is every likelihood that such a border tax will be approved across the EU. It is inevitable that it will be opposed as anti-free trade by many outside Europe.

The UK has made it plain that its own climate policy will be more rather than less ambitious than those adopted by all other European countries. Under the terms of the Brexit agreement, we have also agreed not to diverge from EU policies that might provide a significant trading advantage. So I am prepared to bet that, by 2025, we will have introduced a very similar carbon border tax.  FEBRUARY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 09

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CHP & District Heating

Denis Adelmant is technical director – energy at Veolia

For further information on Veolia visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 125

Limited only by ambition

Denis Adelmant explores the benefits of coupling district heating with combined heat and power and the potential for zero carbon in the cities of the future

A

ccess to affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy has a direct impact on modern life and is linked to fuel poverty and carbon emissions, and heat networks are a well-established technology in other parts of Europe, but suffered in the UK due to the legacy of poorly implemented inefficient schemes. However, in recent years the Government, energy services companies (ESCOs), developers and housing associations have started to recognise heat networks as a viable option for reliable and affordable low-carbon domestic heating.

In the UK heat networks and district heating schemes currently supply around 447,000 homes and other buildings with networks estimated at 1,800km, and this number of connections represents more than double the UK figure in 2013. This is good progress, but is small in comparison to the use of this technology across the world, for example Veolia alone now manages 600 schemes covering 7,000km of pipe networks.

A key benefit lies in the fact that district heating can improve the efficiency of energy use, and this is extended when the central heating plant employs cogeneration technology to generate electricity.

With UK electricity consumption set to double by 2050 this aspect has become even more important to help achieve the Government’s latest plan to target net zero generation.

Combined heat and power plants (CHP) have now been used effectively in district heating for around 150 years. By simultaneously producing heat and power from a single fuel source, such as natural gas, biomass and non-recyclable household waste, this process increases fuel utilisation, thus shrinking the carbon footprint of the plant and network. Crucially, the heat that is produced as a byproduct of the electrical generation process is captured and used to heat water that is then distributed out into the District Heating Network.

Manufacturers of CHP units are making units compatible with new fuels that are coming to market

In the UK networks using CHP technology can range from those serving around 100 homes to those serving a few thousand. But as Europe has shown the scale is only limited by ambition, for example in the city of Łódz in Poland CHP based plant serves around 500,000 people, public buildings and industry by supplying renewable heat and electricity through delivery of 404MW of electricity and a 1624MW of heat.

Decarbonisation challenge Uncertainty about the way in which heat will be decarbonised present a number of challenges to policy makers. Many of the existing schemes use mains gas fired, engine based CHP units as their energy source as it represents a highly energy efficient low carbon way of delivering the energy flows. But the

natural gas network will reduce over time, potentially supplemented or replaced by biogas or hydrogen in order to meet carbon zero targets.

Around the world a green hydrogen race is underway, as many companies, investors, governments and environmentalists believe it is an energy source that could help end the reign of fossil fuels.

Europe and other countries are already providing funding for construction of electrolysis plants and other hydrogen infrastructure, and in parallel more Anaerobic Digestion plants are injecting renewable biomethane on to the grid. At the same time CHP engine manufacturers have reacted to make their units compatible with the new fuels and provide a long-term vision for the established technology.

Another form of CHP technology that is expanding its role in supplying

district heating is the use of energy from waste plants. These combust non-recyclable household waste as a fuel, effectively delivering energy for communities from the waste they discard. To virtually eliminate wastes and produce energy in its place is a win-win situation; by generating green electricity and heat from resources such as non-recyclable residual waste, resource efficiency is improved, landfill reduced and greater sustainability achieved as part of the circular economy. And with energy from waste plants poised to trial carbon capture the carbon advantages will be further enhanced.

As London’s first energy from waste district heating network the South East London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP) facility, based in Lewisham, marked 26 years of providing 60,600 homes with lowcarbon energy, and a sustainable solution for their non-recyclable waste. Further developments are currently in planning to expand the system to supply more residents, and to charge the new fleets of electric bin lorries using electricity generated from the household waste they collect, and boosting carbon savings even further.

By addressing industrial, commercial and domestic energy efficiency we already have the proven ways to make major cuts in emissions today, and are ready to apply the emerging new technologies to help achieve the target ahead of 2050. Ultimately the organisations involved in heat decarbonisation need to start the process now using available, and operationally viable, low carbon technologies as part of the two phase investment model between now and 2050. Waiting for the next technology to emerge simply means more carbon is released to the environment - and the planet can’t afford delay.

We need to act today. We can all go further, and by having a bold vision we can reap the environmental, community and financial benefits CHP based district heating can bring. 

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eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 3

CHP & District Heating For further information on Vital Energi visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 126

Lee Moran is associate director at Vital Energi

Smart data for better heat networks New metering and billing requirements for heat networks have triggered a renewed focus on the role smart data can play in communal energy generation, says Lee Moran

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eat network operators are looking to explore the benefits real time data can deliver when driven by smart energy platforms supported with end user apps and portals.

These platforms are helping network providers build a more accurate pattern of behaviour and energy consumption, allowing them to improve efficiency, lower carbon emissions and better serve customers across their network.

More than ever, integrated end user apps and portals are giving heat network customers greater visibility of their energy consumption and control of their spend at a time when fuel poverty is a major challenge for thousands of energy users and many of us find ourselves at home more often than before.

As COP26 beckons and with district heating networks set to play an important role in Britain’s Green Industrial Revolution, the ways in which smart data can help both network operators and end users improve energy efficiency, reduce wastage and combat fuel poverty by lowering bills, has never been more important.

Access to real time data is the key to network operators building a clear understanding of a system’s diversity profile. Visibility of energy consumption across a demographic allows for future energy usage to be more accurately predicted and this affects the size of both the infrastructure and energy supply needed to efficiently serve a system.

Historically, energy generation and district heating systems were often oversized because people didn’t really understand diversity across networks. As a result, boilers and low- or zero-carbon technologies supplying heat to the network were too big, controlled poorly and would often need to dump excess heat from the system.

Additionally, traditional heat meters would log readings only every 30 minutes and the data produced

Real-time data can help spot potential problems with district heating system performance

would be infrequently downloaded and reviewed by operators.

Fast forward to today and we understand both the importance of the efficiencies of these systems and regular engagement with meter data. Smart energy platforms can allow the gap between readings to be practically instantaneous, and operators can now view real time data instantly to drill down into the performance and use of a system.

By using this data to build a snapshot of geography and demographic, heat network operators can take the stress off demand peaks by incentivising end users to use heat and hot water when other people are not.

By setting cheaper tariffs during off-peak hours, operators can flatten the demand curve at key times across the day. With the increased visibility afforded by end user apps and portals, this has the added benefit of helping customers manage their energy spend more effectively, by giving them the

flexibility to use cheaper tariffs that can reduce their bills.

Additionally, if system operators can effectively spread demand like this, it allows existing infrastructure to be expanded to serve more people without the need for further investment to maximise a network’s potential. The more efficient operators can make a system ultimately has an effect on how much cheaper end users’ bills can be and, for those struggling with fuel poverty, these fractions can make a significant difference over both the short and long term.

Incentivising customers Many other utility sectors have been successfully incentivising customers to shift their energy consumption to off-peak hours like this for decades. What’s needed is for this to be more widely replicated across heat networks and there are potentially significant benefits for both operators and customers alike.

The analysis of smart data has tangible benefits beyond advising customers when best to turn heating on or take a cheaper shower. From a technical point of view, real time data allows systems to be optimised by identifying where a demand curve suddenly dips, spikes or goes completely flat. Regular data aggregation can help identify meter failure and allows for a significant portion of problems like these to be identified, remotely diagnosed and resolved quickly.

Previously, engineers would have to manually run diagnostic checks on site, download and review data information and then put a service plan in place - all of which is time consuming and potentially intrusive for the end user. Realtime data supported by smart apps and heat interface units negates the need for engineers to be on-site and, as a result, reduces costs for both operators and customers.

Additionally, this level of insight greatly increases the speed at which operators can react to system issues as a result.

Real-time data can also help spot potential problems not just with system performance but with irregularities in residential use. Heat network providers can proactively flag when meter readings from a property unexpectedly dip or stop altogether and this can help network operators ensure vulnerable end users who may be experiencing difficulties paying their bills are adequately safeguarded.

The increased visibility and insight that real time data and smart energy systems provide can be a catalyst for operators to take greater control of how they engage with both heat network systems and the people connected to them.

By using insight from the data they can work to improve system efficiency and engage meaningfully with end user behaviour to better serve customers. 

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Ian Allan is head of market strategy for Switch2 Energy

CHP & District Heating For further information on Switch2 Energy visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 127

All change for heat networks

Big changes are coming to heat network regulations. Ian Allan explains the recent changes and the steps heat suppliers must take to reach compliance

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n less than 10 months’ time, heat network suppliers must complete assessments to determine whether they need to retrofit heat meters to buildings supplied by district or community heating. This is one of the major new updates to the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations (HNMBR).

The regulations were first introduced in 2014 to align with the EU Energy Efficiency Directive.

HNMBR is enforced by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS), with civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance. Legislation applies to all sites that distribute thermal energy for heating, cooling or hot water from a central source to more than one end user, building or location.

The updated regulations, which came into force on 27 November 2020, introduce new arrangements relating to the legal requirement to install final customer meters on existing unmetered networks, where this is demonstrated to be cost effective.

It has been mandatory to install final customer meters on new builds and most buildings undergoing major renovation since the regulations were first introduced in 2014, but the requirement to install heat meters within existing properties was delayed. This was due to issues with a feasibility tool to assess the economic and technical viability of retrofitting metering.

The revised cost-effectiveness/ feasibility tool is now available, which enables operators and owners of unmetered networks to assess whether or not they are required to retrofit final customer meters or heat cost allocators into individual homes.

New building classes have also been introduced (viable, open and exempt), with a requirement that the cost-effectiveness assessment must be completed by 27 November 2021 for all buildings that fall into the ‘open’ class. Individual meters must always be installed in viable class buildings, but a small number

Heat network suppliers must complete assessments to determine whether they need to fit heat meters

of properties types, such as prisons, hotels and purpose-built student accommodation, will be exempt.

Other key updates relate to the heat network notification template, and guidance to help operators determine whether their network meets the criteria of newly created metering and billing exemptions.

To give heat suppliers time to comply with the changes, a ‘transition period’ (from 27 November 2020 to 1 September 2022) has been introduced. Any operators who are subject to the four-yearly re-notification deadline during this time must take action by 2022.

Corrective action to install heat meters or heat cost allocators into viable unmetered properties must also be completed by 1 September 2022. In addition, suppliers who installed final heat meters prior to 27th November 2020 must comply with meter accuracy requirements by this deadline.

Reduce energy spend by half Switch2 has identified that installing smart heat meters inside residences reduces energy spend by 35 to 50 per cent, compared to flat rate unmetered schemes.

There are three key aspects to the regulations:

• Notification: Heat suppliers must use the revised notification template to inform the OPSS about the location of any heat network or communal heating scheme – as well as its capacity and supply figures.

Each building that forms part of the network must also be identified and classified, along with the number of customers using it and details of the billing information they receive.

Registrations must be updated every four years.

• Metering: It is compulsory for all heat networks to install point of entry meters, or building level heat Smart heat meters in residences have been shown to reduce energy use considerably

meters, which record the amount of heat delivered into a building from the plant room or energy centre. In addition, the updated legislation will make it compulsory to install final heat meters, or heat cost allocators, in all unmetered properties. This applies unless it is economically or technically unfeasible to do so, or the buildings fall into the exempt classification.

Inevitably, this will mean making plans to install final heat meters in thousands of ‘open class’ properties that are currently unmetered.

Assessment will take time and it is vital that heat scheme operators and owners start the process soon to meet the strict regulatory deadlines and avoid non-compliance penalties.

There are two versions of the costeffectiveness tool. The reduced input tool is applicable where plant room fuel consumption is known and requires quotes for the installation of meters, while the full input tool applies where energy consumption is estimated. In most instances, heat suppliers will be able to use the simpler reduced input tool, which requires 29 inputs compared to 63 inputs for the more complex full input tool version.

If the tool shows that metering is not cost effective, the test must be repeated every four years and it is expected that all heat networks will need to be fully metered over time.

• Billing: End customers must be billed using actual meter readings (not estimates) at least once a year, but electronic bills must be invoiced each quarter. At a minimum, bills must contain current energy prices and total consumption figures (with previous year comparison, if applicable), together with general energy efficiency advice.

Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) smart meters can simplify the compliance process and drive behavioural change by giving customers full visibility of how much energy they are using and how much it’s costing them. 

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CHP & District Heating

Wayne Davies is energy markets programme manager at Enel X UK

For further information on Enel X UK visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 128

Trade your spare capacity Wayne Davies discusses the options available to CHP operators for improving efficiency and participating in new flexibility markets

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ost experts would agree that the key to achieving optimum efficiency from a CHP plant is to correctly size and specify it to meet site demand.

However, according to our research, four out of every five CHP assets in the UK were commissioned three or more years ago, and one in three were specified to meet the site’s past energy needs.

Energy managers who optimised their CHP to meet the site’s past needs may now find themselves with power capacity to spare, especially where energy efficiency measures have reduced demand.

This spare capacity can be traded in a number of ‘flexibility’ markets and become a source of revenue for the organisation.

Grid operators value sources of flexibility because they can call on it to help balance supply and demand.

Furthermore, flexible capacity is the key to enabling more renewable energy; it provides locational resources to grid operators allowing them to better manage the variable output from distributed renewable assets that electrify the wind and sun.

CHP units that haven’t been optimised to serve variable site loads typically operate at sub-optimal performance and therefore offer sub-optimal economic returns.

Generating heat and electricity that will be surplus to requirements simply wastes energy, reduces site efficiency and is bad for the environment.

By retrofitting intelligent software controls to optimise management of CHP plant, energy managers can improve the efficiency of their CHP units. Optimisation also maximises the revenues they can generate by trading surplus energy.

Compared with deploying a static operating schedule, using intelligent software to control the CHP unit dynamically minimises energy waste and maximises the value of flexible capacity (see box).

Today’s energy markets offer

CHP units that haven’t been optimised to serve variable site loads typically operate at sub-optimal performance and so offer sub-optimal economic returns

multiple value opportunities to trade flexible capacity. These include trading in the capacity market, ancillary market, spot energy markets and balancing mechanism.

As grid operators continue to deploy more renewable energy, they will need more flexible capacity to balance supply and demand. Aurora Energy Research forecasts that revenue for flexible technologies will grow 13 per cent (compound annual growth rate) to create a £2.3bn

market by 2030.

The GB electricity system has seen a number of price spikes in both spot energy markets and the balancing mechanism due to variable wind and load profiles. In September, for example, wholesale power prices peaked at over £500/MWh due to a combination of low levels of wind generation and high demand.

While these events are relatively uncommon, they do demonstrate the need for grid operators to maintain

Static and dynamic operating schedules The static schedule shows two CHPs – a 3.6MWe CHP unit in yellow and a 6MWe unit in orange, alongside the power price (blue line). The 3.6MWe CHP operates at 100 per cent output 24x7, while the 6MWe unit operates at 100 per cent during business hours. The dynamic operating schedule shows how the same units would respond to changes in power prices. The 3.6MWe CHP operates at 100 per cent during business hours (8am – 8pm) but reduces output midday on 2/04 and 2/05 reacting to a dip in power price. The 6MWe CHP operates at 100 per cent during business hours but shuts off completely midday 2/04 and 2/05 reacting to the dip in power price.

sufficient capacity to achieve a safe operating margin. Such events are an opportunity for organisations to monetise their flexibility capacity.

Businesses with small to mediumsized CHP assets, typically up to 10MW, may not have a specialist resource responsible for optimising the CHP. In this case, and where there is a need to augment the capabilities of the in-house team, a technologybased approach to optimisation and trading is worth considering.

Using intelligent software to combine knowledge of operating parameters with grid signals and market indicators, such as energy market price information, it’s possible to create the best running schedule for the CHP plant. The algorithms can then identify opportunities to trade any flexible capacity in the most appropriate markets.

Dispatch signals from the energy markets can be sent to CHP assets by interfacing with SCADA or local control rooms, making it possible to realise market value within short notice periods.

By optimising the operating schedule, organisations can maximise the return on their investment by fully utilising all of the capabilities of the assets. This approach enables new streams of revenue from trading excess capacity; a benefit often previously only available to larger teams.

Deploying intelligent, dynamic management technology increases control and monitoring over the whole CHP system. This enhanced level of visibility provides clarity over site energy costs; helps energy managers to understand and accommodate site and contract constraints; and minimises energy costs by reducing waste and inefficiencies.

This approach enables operators to identify when it’s best to plan maintenance to minimise revenue loss and provides insight into how to size new CHP plant to maximise profitable operation. 

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ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Transformer Technology For further information on Wilson Power Solutions visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 137

Get ready for transformer regulatory changes Big changes are ahead later this year in the transformer market. Don’t get left behind

T

ier 2 EU Ecodesign Regulation for transformer losses will become effective from the 1st July 2021 replacing Tier 1 that has been in place for the past six years.

From this date onwards, Wilson Power Solutions, along with all transformer manufacturers and distributors, will not have the right to transfer ownership or deliver any Tier 1 transformers.

Tier 2 was introduced to further improve the efficiency of transformers across Europe. The new specifications for transformer losses aspire to reduce the energy waste by 10 per cent compared to Tier 1 levels. There will be a few concession cases allowing for Tier 1 to be installed after that date. Just to mention a few, having production delays, space and weight constraints for transformer replacements, power transformers with disproportionate costs associated with their transportation and/or installation and more.

We collated data from different policies and member trade organisations in one document

to help you navigate through the regulatory changes. The Frequently Asked Questions has details about relevant timelines, concession cases, refurbishment, hire, Tier 1 transformers in stock and more. It could be found in the downloads section on our website: www. wilsonpowersolutions.co.uk/ downloads. And we are hosting a webinar on the 16th Feb to walk you through the changes and answer your questions. You can request an invitation by contacting our Energy Policy Manager, Ayah Alfawaris, on ayah@wilsonpowersolutions.co.uk.

Wilson Power Solutions will provide Tier 2 compliant transformers for both its power and distribution transformers. We manufacture two Tier 2 compliant distribution transformers; a) Wilson T2 Ecotrans, made with CRGO metal core and meets Tier 2 losses, and b) Wilson e3 Ultra Low Loss, made with amorphous metal core and far exceeds Tier 2 losses. Being the UK’s most energy efficient transformer, Wilson e3 sets the bar for Tier 3 and provides additional carbon and energy savings. eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 5

CHP & District Heating For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Upgrade enables biomass plant conversion to combined heat and power Leading Swedish renewable energy pioneer Againity AB and Swedenbased brazed plate heat exchanger manufacturer, SWEP, have joined forces on a pioneering power initiative in southern Sweden.

The initiative has enabled local district heating provider Perstorps District Heating to upgrade its 12MW biomass-fired heat plant to become a combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The upgrade, a joint venture between the E.ON group and Perstorp’s municipality has been achieved by installing an Againity Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) unit at the energy centre.

Againity provides a range of ORC turbines and so far have installed 20 units for district heating networks and

industrial estates across Scandinavia.

Any heat source with a temperature of 90°C and over can be utilised in the system. The source can be heat from a boiler that burns wood chips, landfill gas or household waste, waste heat from a gas engine, hot water from solar panels, or excess heat from an industrial process.

The efficiency of the ORC system is dependent on the temperature difference between the system’s hot and cold side. ORC technology includes a turbine set in motion by the pressure of a vaporised internal working medium. The rotating turbine then drives a generator that produces electricity. In optimal conditions

electrical efficiency up to 20 per cent can be achieved for the largest plants that, for example, utilise waste heat from large gas turbines. If there is a local heat demand, the rest of the energy will be delivered as heat to the local heat network, meaning the total efficiency of available heat source is close to 99.5 per cent.

SWEP BPHEs play an important role in the process. One set of heat exchangers work as the evaporator, enabling the refrigerant to convert from liquid to vapour and another set of heat exchangers operate as the condenser (as such in reverse), condensing vapour to liquid. 

ONLINE ENQUIRY 129

Smart energy app puts heat network customers in control of energy use Vital Energi has launched a smart energy app and portal that gives heat network customers greater control of their energy consumption and spend. It has already helped service operators at one pilot project to reduce debt by 12.5 per cent in under six months.

Named Glass, the software gives heat network users the visibility and control to better manage their energy and allows users to top-up or pay their bills anytime, anywhere. Additionally, heat network operators can access energy consumption and financial data via a dedicated portal that allows them to better serve customers and optimise network performance.

Housing associations, local authorities, developers and other service managers can view data across multiple sites as well as individual properties. This can help identify and proactively support residents by providing energy saving and payment advice to reduce debt and ensure bills are paid on time.

Operators and service managers will be able to send payment reminder alerts and notifications to residents through the app to help aid their financial management, and recent pilot schemes have shown Glass has helped improve revenue collection by up to 44 per cent within weeks of being implemented.

Glass has been successfully trialled across four projects being delivered by Vital Energi, and it is currently working with residential rental company UNCLE to support over 200 properties as part of a £100m build-to-rent development at Wembley.

From early next year, Glass will support 137 homes to manage and reduce their energy use at Peel L&P’s Liverpool Waters as part of a £5bn regeneration project to transform the city’s northern docks.

Since 27th November of this year, the Government’s new Heat Metering & Billing Regulations has ensured that energy customers only pay for what they consume.

Glass will give users and operators the ability to view real time consumption data and support operators in achieving compliance.  ONLINE ENQUIRY 130

App cuts capital cost of energy metering KURVE, the UK’s first digital pay-as-you-go (PAYG) web app for heat networks, has delivered significant savings on the capital cost of energy metering at Greenside Views, a newly completed development of flats in Mitcham, south west London.

The managing agent, Lotus Trident, was presented with three PAYG options: KURVE and two in-home display-dependent solutions. KURVE achieved an average saving, covering installation and hardware, of 60 per cent or £33,000 compared to the alternatives and was chosen as the preferred solution for the 89-unit development.

KURVE is the fruit of a joint venture between heat network metering and billing specialist, Insite Energy, and SAV Systems, provider of low carbon, energy efficient heating solutions. It is designed to make smart metering more accessible for heat network users, to reduce costs and improve their access to consumption data. The cost of installation and hardware is a major barrier discouraging the up-take of PAYG smart meters by housing providers operating heat networks, even though individual heat meters are now a legal requirement in most instances.

“The savings are genuinely impressive. There is no trade-off with taking the more affordable option as one might normally expect,” said Arjun Shah of Lotus Trident.

“Not having to fit hard-wired in-home displays is a huge advantage and we’re getting a great level of energy data. The real value to residents lies in the fact they can easily access their energy usage data and manage their ONLINE ENQUIRY 131 account anywhere, from any internet device.” 

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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 07 | AIR CONDITIONING

The Importance of Ventilation

by Mark Hobbins CEng FEI Vital Energy & Ray O’Connor RJP Energy Solutions

T

he current pandemic has raised awareness for the importance of ventilation requirements. It has drawn end users to review their ventilation provisions and with a range of items having to be considered. It has also shown the large number of end users who thought their air conditioning system was a ventilation system or they weren’t meeting the ventilation requirements.

Before we go on, it is worth reminding ourselves why ventilation is important: it is needed to provide oxygen and to dilute pollutants (mainly carbon dioxide and odour).

It is also used to assist in maintaining good indoor air quality by diluting and removing other pollutants emitted within a space but should not be used as a substitute for proper source control of pollutants.

Ventilation is additionally used for cooling and perhaps to provide oxygen to combustion appliances (small commercial and domestic generally). Good ventilation is a major contributor to the health and comfort of building occupants.

Improving understanding Now, during the difficult times we are living through, is an opportunity to garner an improved understanding of what a ventilation system is, the importance of it, and why it should be operating in line with ventilation design requirements. Many overlooked and poorly ventilated buildings will need addressing or they will simply not be occupied going forward. Little tolerance for not meeting guidance will be accepted.

While some industries may see a change in requirements relating

to ventilation, it doesn’t always subsequently mean an increase energy use. An increase in air volume through the ventilation will have an impact on the heating and cooling aspect for buildings though.

However, with new technologies and the ability to refurbish air handling units, this could result in more air for less power. Where replacements are offered this will, in addition to using less power, possibly offer the opportunity to incorporate heat recovery components which the old system may not have had, or EC fans or improved controls. This will reduce heating and cooling energy use by being more effective and efficient, whether this is gas for boilers or electricity for chillers. It will certainly be expected to improve the environment for the users.

In cases of retrofit, having a contractor that understands the mechanical systems will be able to provide a solution that ensures your system meets the ventilation requirements while saving energy.

Air conditioning systems, for clarity in this context, are those which provide comfort heating and cooling. These systems have been a cost-effective method for providing both. However, if the system is not aligned with your ventilation then it can use more energy and provide poor environments, for example, users feeling draughts. It is important to understand the importance of ventilation to your air conditioning system. In certain circumstances where an air handling unit has heat recovery and the controls strategy is appropriate, this can provide free cooling which should reduce the use of the air conditioning system. This is also the case for the heating.

CIBSE Ventilation guidance You can review your ventilation requirements by looking at Part F in England & Wales, and Section 3 in Scotland. In addition to this, the CIBSE publication, COVID 19 Ventilation guidance, is also a good reference document. Other readings Produced in Association with

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SERIES 18 | MODULE 07 | AIR CONDITIONING

are provided in the reference list.

In the first instance, it is necessary to know the ventilation requirements for the building by simply referencing against the guidance documents at the same time consider the COVID guidance set out

by Government.

Figure 1: Traditional infection control pyramid adapted from the US Centers for Disease Control

Don't recirculate air The CIBSE COVID guidance states: “It is preferable not to recirculate air from one space to another. But in certain weather conditions closing the recirculation dampers in some systems may make the supply air unacceptably cold and cause a reduction in the rate of supply of outside air to the occupied spaces below the recommended minimum (10 l/s/person for typical offices) in order to maintain an acceptable temperature. In these instances, there is a balance between two risks: the greater risk arising from recirculating some air of crosscontamination between rooms or zones, which is relatively low risk, against the risk of increasing contaminant build-up as a result of not maintaining adequate provision of outside air, which poses higher risks. Recirculation should be considered if this is the only way of maintaining adequate provision of outside air to occupied spaces without causing undue occupant thermal discomfort.”

The next step is to check that the ventilation system can meet these requirements. While you might assume that a ventilation system is designed to meet the requirements, there may be a gap due to the age of the system (performance drop) or changes in the building from design. In some instances, it may be prudent to physically measure the air flows from the main plant and then identify any areas which may not be balanced or being poorly served (downstream in grilles or ducts).

Government Guidance highlights: “areas less than 5l/s/person or greater than 1,500ppm CO2 should be identified and prioritised…..ensure sufficient at 10-15l/s/person or lower than 800ppm CO2.”

Where systems are not meeting requirements then you would need to increase from other measures or look to capitalise on upgrading the system. Upgrading the system

regardless can often offer an energy saving, but before we highlight where those opportunities lay and the penalties in existing systems, let’s run through what can be done to increase ventilation in buildings and what this means in practice.

Bearing in mind it is advised to “increase ventilation levels where possible with the limiting factor not to compromise the overall thermal comfort all the same.”

Increasing air flow Methods to achieve this include changing set points to increase air flow in some way, or reducing the CO2 sensor limit if used in controlling adaptively, opening windows, or other natural ventilation provisions (trickle vents for example). So, whether you are increasing the air

flow from the mechanical ventilation or from natural means, this needs to be related to the heat/cooling provision. For example, the boilers in a building will be sized on infiltration rates which will be lower than what you now have in most cases. Is there going to be enough boiler capacity, if not, then you are going to compromise thermal comfort.

If you are purging periodically during the day (increasing air flows to flush buildings), is the boiler capacity going to be sufficient to have reasonable heat up times that don’t impact on thermal comfort?

It may be that purging during the day happens in more local areas rather than a whole building to spread the increased load across time. But then will that be effective at flushing the building in some

areas but not others? Some short periods of thermal discomfort may be acceptable in some cases but not in others; the building operator will have to make that choice or gain that knowledge.

In doing so, there needs to be clear communication, engagement and managed change with the occupants/users. Changes to occupants/user environments should not be undertaken in a directive way but in a sensible, managed and engaging way. It will not be enough just to explain away thermal comfort issues as we need to do this for COVID reasons.

There may also be a bit of trial and error as learning and understanding of the new operations take place.

Operators will need buy in to this from at least a majority of a building's occupants.

It is worth noting that thermal comfort of users is not the same for everyone (like I needed to say this to most operators), but there is a perception aspect to consider if occupants are being heated/ cooled perhaps intermittently. There may well be additional draughts to take into consideration. These changes of thermal comfort may be perceived even into periods when temperatures are at good levels. We like steady conditions. So, operators may need to think about visual aids around temperature and active engagement/communication to manage expectations. You may have to go and speak to them regularly.

Another capacity aspect could be around the heater battery. While these are oversized to a certain extent, the age will impact on their effectiveness from dirt/debris on both sides. There may also be valves which are nearing end of their useful life and not fully opening and restricting flow. This may mean that ventilation air is provided at lower temperatures and fighting against separate heating systems, like LTHW radiators.

Take seasonality into account Operators will have to take seasonality into consideration too, as this would be more an issue in the heating season than in the late spring.

Similarly, in ventilation systems using heat pumps for heating and

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

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SERIES 18 | MODULE 07 | AIR CONDITIONING

air to occupants and can help to maintain thermal comfort; • where thermal (or enthalpy) wheels are installed to recover heat, then a competent engineer/technician should check that the configuration and operating conditions are such that any leakage across the device is from the supply side to the extract side, to minimise the risk of transferring contaminated air into the supply.

In addition to the points above: • think about cleaning ductwork and ventilation systems regularly. Refer to SG20 or O&M manuals; and • update maintenance and assess operability of system components.

To highlight a wider appreciation of disease control there is more to mitigating COVID transmissible risks and we have concentrated only on the ventilation systems (see hierarchy in Fig 1).

In most cases it would be expected that ventilation requirements and new expectations can be meet easily but where not, embracing it can mean an opportunity for better building environments. cooling, these need to be reviewed in a similar way of available capacity to meet increased requirements.

Learning about your systems, limitations, and options for operations is key but keep the focus on occupants/users too as you do it. It’s not the building you are trying to reduce the likelihood of getting COVID, it is the occupants. Naturally, they should be at the forefront of the changes/provisions and be part of that. It will also make them feel they are in a safe environment. This is not something we are used to think about when it comes to offices.

Consider transference carefully For heat recovery systems, operators need to understand transference from exhaust to supply air streams. This will need to be considered more greatly for both transference and the system’s ability to have reduced heat recovery. The system may not have the flexibility now required and may need to be adapted.

The main energy penalties are as follows: • increased air volumes mean increased heating and cooling of

the air; • increasing air volumes too much may impact on boiler efficiency; • increased air volumes will increase fan/motor power required; • in some systems turbulence may also mean increased pressure drops and so will impact fan/motor power required (restricted designs or poorly designed mainly); • poor inlet air quality to system (increase filtration and subsequently pressure drops across filters); and • internal heat gains in summer and cooling/air losses in winter (from fabric or system).

What are the energy opportunities?

• improve the controls, mainly through CO2 sensors, but not exclusively; • check controls and sensors are working within expected bands/ tolerances or just operable in the first place; • upgrade fans and motors to new more efficient motors or banks of EC fans; • check fan belts are appropriately tightened; • fix any air leaks; • consider additional DX coils for heat recovery which will maximise

heat recovery while maintaining air quality and humidity; • DX coils for heat recovery may also eliminate multiple split units or remove wasted energy from condensers; • reconfigure any systems that are out of balance – systems are only efficient once effective; • look to reduce pressure drops (cleaning, improving grilles etc.); • ground pre-conditioning; and • more localised control.

To summarise below (from CIBSE/ Government guidance documents): • understand your ventilation system and ventilation requirements; • understand where you may have poorly ventilated spaces or areas; • increase the ventilation rate as much as reasonably possible; this may require changes to CO2 set points (for both mechanical ventilation and automated windows); • avoid recirculation/transfer of air from one room to another unless this is the only way of providing a sufficient rate to all occupied rooms; • recirculation of air within a single room where this is complemented by an outside air supply is acceptable as this helps to provide more outside

Further reading Ventilation Requirements in buildings: 1) https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/ventilation-approveddocument-f 2) https://www.gov.scot/policies/ building-standards/monitoringimproving-building-regulations/ General overview of Energy use of Ventilation: 3) https://www.aivc.org/sites/ default/files/members_area/medias/ pdf/Guides/GU03%20GUIDE%20 TO%20ENERGY%20EFFICIENT%20 VENTILATION.pdf COVID specific or related: 4) https://www.cibse.org/ coronavirus-covid-19/emergingfrom-lockdown 5) https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/emg-role-ofventilation-in-controlling-sars-cov-2transmission-30-september-2020 6) https://www.rehva.eu/fileadmin/ user_upload/REHVA_COVID-19_ guidance_document_V3_03082020. pdf 7) https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/ hierarchy/default.html

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

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

SERIES 18 | MODULE 07 | FEBRUARY 2021

ENTRYFORM FORM ENTRY

SMART GRIDS SPACE HEATING

AIRPlease CONDITIONING mark your answers below by placing a cross in the box. Don't forget that some

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QUESTIONS QUESTIONS

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■ What Fixing airisleaks Boileravoid capacity the need for meter readers ■ They ■ Installing EC fans Boilerprovide flow temperature ■ They accurate and timely ■ Localised controls information on power flows across the All smart of the grid above 9. Which types of space heating system can They facilitate the systems export of ■ building management besurplus used to control? electricity from household solar PV panels ■ Any Where can you find information on ■ Wet systems maintenance of building 10) What doesexpectation the technology VtG represent?

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

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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 series and focuses onon Smart This the ninth module thein seventeenth series and focuses Space Thisisisisthe thethird seventh module the eighteenth series and focuses onGrids.

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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 Combined Heat & Power* 10 Heat & Power* 10 Combined Data Centre Management*

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Products in Action

For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Flexible and adaptable BMS solution in London The office space at The Corniche building in Lambeth, London, has recently undergone a substantial refurbishment that includes an entirely new building management system. The new platform includes multiple Distech Controls products including the innovative ECLYPSE Connected Terminal Unit Controllers (ECY-TU/PTU), which were used to connect to the buildings new fan coil units.

As part of the building’s full refurbishment, the M+E contractor specified a new BMS to improve overall efficiency and controllability. Each floor of the building was to have a different leased tenant and it was critical that they would be able to set their own HVAC parameters. This required that the new BMS solution had to be both flexible and adaptable.

Distech Controls worked with Energy & Technical Services Ltd to deliver the products to their offices, allowing them to set up and commission the ECLYPSE Connected Terminal Unit Controllers (ECY-TU/PTU) remotely.

The ECY-TU/PTU unit is designed to control terminal units such as fan coil units, chilled beams, ceilings, and heat pumps.

It integrates a control, automation and connectivity server, a power supply, and dedicated I/Os in one convenient package.

Each model supports BACnet/IP communication and is listed as a BACnet Building Controller (B-BC). On this project, the ECYTU/PTUs are connected to 48 fan coil units.

Energy & Technical Services Ltd removed the ECY-TU/PTU straight out of the box and was able to configure the pre-loaded application at their offices and then download to all the units using Distech Controls’ QR code addressing system and Network Utility ONLINE ENQUIRY 105 Companion App.

Manchester hotel refurbishment Park Inn by Radisson Manchester City Centre has completed the first phase of a major refurbishment project, which includes installation of a high specification Toshiba air conditioning system.

Modern Project Services (NW) Ltd installed the high efficiency Toshiba Super Heat Recovery Multi (SHRMe) Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system on the upper three floors of the building, while remaining floors continued to operate as normal. It replaced a VRF system by another manufacturer that had proved to be unreliable and expensive to maintain.

Guest rooms are served by Toshiba concealed ducted-indoor units, linked to touch-screen controllers and interfacing with the building management system via a Toshiba connection module.

TouchScreen wall controllers were chosen as they are easy to operate by guests, and can be completely sanitised between occupations.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 106

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 eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 7

Lighting Technology

Beverly Quinn is environmental engineer at TÜV SÜD

For further information on TÜV SÜD visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 133

Take the carbon out of lighting Energy efficiency is a key factor in lighting design. Beverly Quinn gives some guidance when it comes to choosing the appropriate technology

A

ccording to the UK’s Green Construction Board, the built environment contributes around 40 per cent of the UK’s total carbon footprint, and almost half of this is from energy used in buildings. Investing in energy efficiency and demand reduction is the most cost-effective way to minimise any new infrastructure that will be required to achieve a zero-carbon energy system. While the approach used to reduce energy demand and consumption will vary between buildings, a key consideration is the use of highly energy efficient building systems which includes lighting.

A host of voluntary certification and labelling programmes enable the identification of the most energy-efficient lighting products. These regulations and voluntary programmes are being continuously updated to reflect the introduction of new lighting technologies that promise even greater energy efficiency.

The CE marking on products such as luminaires, lamps, drivers and other electronic components is a sign of a manufacturer’s or importer’s self-declaration that the product conforms to European Union (EU) requirements. However, now that the UK has left the EU, we will slowly start to see a UKCA mark appearing on compliant products. UKCA marking was specified in the original EU Exit Statutory Instruments and indicates that a product placed on the market meets the UK’s

new regulatory requirements. For most products, this is defined in UK Statutory Instrument 2019 No. 696, with the original CE marking regulations being amended rather than replaced. As the EU Directives are transposed into national law, the UK already has a legal system in place. The actual standards have remained the same, being carried across as UK designated standards to maintain a single model.

Directive 2009/125/EC, also known as the Ecodesign Directive, is the primary regulatory instrument in the European Union (EU) regarding all energy-using products, including lighting products, and it covers more than 40 separate product groups. The Ecodesign Directive is complemented by the Energy Label Regulation, which provides a framework for mandatory labelling requirements and other means of providing end-users with productspecific energy consumption information. Together, these establish minimum efficiency criteria for most major categories of energy-using products.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive 2012/19/EU sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electronic equipment. This has placed obligations upon users and producers to handle their electronic and electrical waste more carefully.

Such waste can no longer simply be placed in landfill as targets have been set to recover certain percentages of waste via recycling facilities.

There is also a vast range of

country-specific Green Building rating schemes, each having their own ecolabel. For example, BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is the UK’s recognised benchmark for the environmental rating of new and major refurbished buildings.

BREEAM helps building developers and building owners manage and mitigate risk through demonstrating sustainability performance during planning, design, construction, operation or refurbishment.

In the UK, Part L of the Building Regulations (England and Wales) has requirements relating to the conservation of fuel and power, and is a direct outcome of the Energy White Paper. The commitment here is to raise the energy performance of buildings by limiting heat losses and excessive solar gains, ensuring that energy-efficient building services are installed.

Meeting the latest criteria Energy efficiency is now a key feature of any lighting design as schemes must meet the latest criteria.

However, there are many other important reasons for implementing energy efficient lighting innovations, ranging from the more obvious reduction of power consumption, to benefitting from incredibly lowmaintenance requirements and associated costs. The simplest way to achieve this is to replace the dated lighting with LEDs. This helps to bring costs down, from the energy used right through to ongoing tasks such as reducing maintenance cycles.

Implementing energy efficient lighting into a well-designed scheme can be a complex procedure, as the lighting designer must ensure that efficient luminaires are used. This makes it necessary to think about the design as a whole, both creatively and technically - from the downlight, associated drivers and right through to the lighting control system. Other technical considerations must also be made. For example, not all drivers are fully compatible with every downlight or linear LED, and any dimming may not be smooth when dimming is required, as it could flicker or not dim down to a really low level without a sharp cut off.

However, the design options are endless, as the LED technology evolution is moving so fast. LED light sources are becoming brighter, smaller and more efficient, and double height spaces can now be illuminated to the required lux levels from the smallest of luminaires.

Leading lighting manufacturers are also producing ever-improving optical systems for luminaires, which is increasing their efficiency.

With all of these regulatory considerations, product choice variables and other technical considerations that must be made, the lighting design process should be started early within the building development plans. While the introduction of more efficient lighting technologies has resulted in considerable energy savings around the world, new lighting technologies also create everchanging challenges. 

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eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 8

Lighting Technology

Colin Lawson is head of market intelligence at Tamlite Lighting

For further information on Tamlite Lighting visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 132

Delivering the hybrid workspace With working environments set to be used more flexibly, next-generation LED lighting and controls have a pivotal role to play in minimising energy consumption, explains Colin Lawson

T

here is no denying that the pandemic has prompted reflection and changes in workplace behaviour.

The recognition that online conferencing can replace a great deal of long-distance business travel is one such development. But equally important is the widespread acknowledgement that homeworking can be highly effective.

Without doubt, the commercial property sector is undergoing a period of change. Yet the death of the office should not be exaggerated.

While employees’ working habits are changing, they still have a strong desire to spend time in the office.

This idea is supported by the latest data from the British Council for Offices (BCO). It shows almost half of workers - 46 per cent - intend splitting their time between home and the office1.

While some businesses will reduce their dependence on office buildings, what is certain is that companies will be wanting to use the facilities they do retain more flexibly as part of the new hybrid working model.

Of course, all of this takes place against a backdrop of increased environmental awareness and the need to be supportive of the drive towards lower energy consumption and net zero carbon emissions. Widespread homeworking undoubtedly led to reduced greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, the fact is that the building construction sector routinely accounts for a huge share of CO2 emissions. Indeed, the latest figures from the 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction found that carbon emissions resulting from the operation of buildings around the world hit an all-time high in 20192.

However, the structure of the working environment evolves, the efficiency of commercial buildings is going to remain a critical concern.

Bearing this in mind, it’s arguable that there has never been a better time for building managers to review core building systems and ensure

LED lighting used in conjunction with intelligent control will add flexibilityto modern offices

that they complement more flexible working patterns. No matter what the type of business, lighting should be at the very top of the priority list given that the latest systems are intrinsically supportive of more variable and reduced occupancy levels, and are capable of major energy savings – often in return for relatively small investments.

Necessary level of flexibility In the vast majority of cases, highefficiency LED lighting used in conjunction with intelligent control systems will add a level of flexibility that is vital in modern offices. The ability of LED technology to reduce energy consumption by two-thirds or more, as well as greatly increased product lifespans, is now accepted.

But with occupancy patterns shifting, it is only by fully integrating it with sensors and controllers that usage can be optimised.

The commissioning of intelligent

lighting systems could be seen by many as a complex and timeconsuming affair. But the latest generation of smart systems greatly reduces the impact on facilities’ costbase, infrastructure and personnel.

Installing PIR sensors will ensure that lighting is not used unnecessarily when the room is unoccupied by dimming or switching off the fittings, while advanced controllers – such as daylight dimming sensors – allow the output of the luminaires to be adjusted in accordance with natural light levels. Beyond that a network which connects all of the fittings and sensors to a centralised control system allows building managers to establish lighting states and settings that suit the preferences of different groups of workers. Integrated systems like this also make it much easier to track energy usage and identify further ways in which consumption can be reduced.

Companies who move in this direction can also be buoyed by the realisation that they are helping to ensure the wellbeing of their employees – an issue that is also certain to remain high on the agenda in 2021. Once again, the latest smart lighting networks are part of the solution with tunable systems allowing the intensity and hue of lights to be adjusted for the comfort of the workforce. Moreover, the ability to emphasise white and blue light, and maintain a constant quality of illumination, has repeatedly been shown to boost productivity.

For building managers keen to make a start, there is now an abundance of information available online. One very good place to start is the WELL Building Institute, which recently published v2 of its WELL Building Standard for the creation of workplaces that are healthy and efficient3. While budget limitations may preclude going down the full certification route, many now agree that pursuing ‘the spirit of WELL’ offers significant benefits too. Lighting is one of 11 targeted areas within the standard, with the Institute recognising that optimised lighting can “help maintain a healthy circadian system and improve sleep quality, mood and cognitive functions.”

With renewed lockdowns prompting another extended period of home-based working, now is the time to think carefully about how offices can best be used when life does begin to return to normal. Incorporating technologies that will support more varied and unpredictable occupancy patterns is really the only way to go, and in this regard integrated LED lighting and control systems represent a straightforward ‘win-win’ for employers and employees alike. 

References 1) http://www.bco.org.uk/News/News46982. aspx 2)https://globalabc.org/news/launched-2020global-status-report-buildings-and-construction 3) https://v2.wellcertified.com/v/en/overview

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Lighting Technology For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Continuous-row lighting system

Campus benefits from flexible lighting A new lighting solution from LEDVANCE has been installed at Siemens Campus Erlangen in Germany to provide ordinance-compliant, flexible and intelligent lighting in office spaces used for a variety of purposes. The luminaires were successfully adapted to the existing architectural conditions and integrated into the existing ceiling concept for a simple, unobtrusive installation.

Two solutions were chosen - the linear Indiviled direct/indirect luminaire with presence and daylight detection sensors and the Panel direct-indirect luminaire with its flat design and homogeneous light. Both have the option of DALI control.

With this solution, the 500 lux light required by the workplace ordinance is achieved across the board, and the customer’s need for flexible use of space is met.

“When selecting luminaires for Siemens Campus Erlangen, the existing suspended ceiling surfaces were a particular challenge,” explains Oliver Wehner, project sales and verticals DACH, LEDVANCE. “The new luminaires had to be mounted between the panels on the ceiling in order to integrate them into the lighting design. Furthermore, Siemens wanted luminaires with daylight sensors, presence detectors and a bright, uniform illumination, to allow for flexible arrangement of the furniture in the room,” added Wehner.

The advantages of choosing these luminaires include a high level of lighting comfort with direct/indirect beam characteristics, good glare control (UGR)19) and low maintenance requirements at low operating costs. A further advantage of this LEDVANCE solution is the direct integration of presence and daylight detection sensors into the luminaires. Independent of the building management system, the sensors automatically detect whether the room is in use or not and switch the light on or off accordingly.

Although the brightness is kept constantly at 500 lux, in the case of strong daylight from outside, the system dims the luminaires as required, saving energy and ensuring uniform lighting comfort. Compared to conventional T5 technology, this combination can save up to 63 per cent of electricity along with maintenance costs.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 134

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Goodlight has launched Unify LED Linear, a continuous-row lighting system with pre-assembled trunking and click-in luminaires for the ultimate creative and functional lighting solution. Luminaires are fitted flexibly around a pre-wired multifunctional trunking base, to deliver diverse lighting effects and can subsequently be re-positioned for versatility.

With pre-assembled connectors, the trunking can be configured to provide seamless, uninterrupted lighting lines, which continue around corners, or cross over one another, and can be adapted to suit structural alterations at any time.

The innovative steel trunking forms a structural base from which all lighting functions are connected, including power supply, lighting controls (DALI + 1-10V dimming) and emergency lighting. The maximum current is 16A, allowing 3,500W in one serial row on 220VAC power supply. The base features a three-circuit track for track lighting options.

It houses up to 11-core wiring channels with 2.5mm2 for power supply and 1.5mm2 cable for dimming control. Self-supporting connectors enable wide distances between suspension points (up to 3m). Flexible electrical feed-in and feed-out points and a terminal feed-in connect the rail easily with electricity. A separate power supply, dimming or emergency supply can be integrated.

To click-in to the trunking rail, Goodlight offers a choice of flicker-free LED linear luminaires. These have an impressive lamp efficacy of up to 160Lm/W and are protected up to IP20. From a beam angle of 120°, the luminaires draw 35W, 50W and 70W and, in daylight temperature (5,000K), provide 5,600Lm, 8,000Lm and 11,200Lm of light output respectively.

These modules are available in a natural (4,000K) colour temperature and come with estimated maintenance savings of over 95 per cent and energy savings of over 75 per cent, combined with a five-year guarantee.

For further cost-efficiency, the system is compatible with Light Boss wireless lighting control, which dims down lighting when no one is around, or when it detects natural light, and turns back on again when it is needed.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 135

Lighting Technology

Karl Walker is market development manager at Beckhoff Automation

For further information on Beckhoff Automation visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 136

Take control of your lighting When it comes to “out of the box” lighting control systems, ease-of-use can come at the cost of functional flexibility. Karl Walker looks at how integrated lighting control can deliver the best of both worlds

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ore often than not, lighting control systems are not incorporated as part of a wider building control system, typically offering a limited set of functions and are difficult to adapt without specialist engineering skills.

The excellent BS EN15232-1:2017 standard – Energy Performance of Buildings. Impact of Building Automation, Controls and Building Management – clearly defines that for the greatest energy efficiency, lighting should be a closely integrated building function, working hand-in-hand with automated shading in order to deliver artificial light only when natural light levels are insufficient.

Couple this with the fact that lighting can account for around 30-40 per cent of all electrical energy consumed in commercial buildings, and it’s not difficult to see why carefully considered lighting control is imperative.

Equally important is occupant wellbeing. Numerous studies have shown that poor lighting can lead to productivity and sickness issues, caused by insufficient or excessive lighting levels, reflections and glare, flickering and unsuitable colour temperature for the required task.

‘Human-centric’ lighting Several control systems now put the user at the heart of their functionality – so-called “Humancentric lighting” - ensuring that optimum light levels are delivered as and when needed. However, lack of flexibility and change of use of spaces often scuppers the best-laid plans. Particularly in this (hopefully soon-to-be) postpandemic environment, the use of office and factory spaces will be bound to change with many companies already announcing far more flexible working practices and the re-purposing and reconfiguration of their buildings.

A lighting system that was

An open control platform can make data instantly available to facility managers to resolve issues

designed for one scenario is likely useless for another. Extensibility and functional flexibility must be at the centre of any control system.

Lessons must be learnt from the manufacturing sector where there is a move towards a “quantity of one” production. Machinery and equipment must be flexible enough to react to disruption with the end user being able to interact with the manufacturing process from start to finish.

Think about car production; we are at the stage where we can modify the specification of our vehicle right up to the point of a particular operation happening.

Changed your mind and want a blue car instead of a red one? Not a problem, as long as it hasn’t passed that part of the process.

Unfortunately, buildings are rarely seen as the “machines” that they are, and the construction sector lags far behind the industrial sector in terms of adoption of technology. Consider domestic construction; new build properties are still using on/off light switches (rarely are dimmer switches even fitted as standard) with no mechanism to automatically turn off unused lights.

The majority of control systems

‘The time has come to re-evaluate outdated lighting control methods’ will offer a finite number of connected devices and a limited number of functions. Almost certainly the user will not be able to reconfigure the system’s operation or create new zones. The simple action of moving some desks around or putting up a new partition wall could render the lighting unfit for purpose, requiring replacement of control systems or specialist engineering input to adapt the existing equipment.

Integration with the BMS So, what’s the answer? First and foremost, the lighting control system must be able to integrate easily with the overall building management system. This will ensure that control decisions can be made automatically at a supervisory level, incorporating data from other systems and sensors in order to determine the required illumination levels.

Ideally, the status of the system and the ability to make changes

should be presented to the user in a single view, along with all other operational information. The status and health of emergency lighting should also be presented in the same view, flagging-up any issues with these safety-critical systems. The ability to expand the system to include new fittings, reconfigure zones and change operational functionality should be achievable without any specialist engineering knowledge, as should the replacement and readdressing of faulty items.

The only way to achieve this is with an open control platform that uses open communications standards such as DALI/DALI2, BACnet and wireless EnOcean, thus not constraining the choice of sensors and switching devices and ensuring interoperability. A decentrally scalable architecture will ensure that any future additions and changes can be seamlessly accommodated and don’t disrupt existing operations.

Data should be made instantly available to facility managers to ensure that any problems can be resolved quickly or, better still, acted upon before they even occur.

These principles of “Industry 4.0” and “Big Data” are commonplace in industrial manufacturing to the point that they have become defacto standards and are embedded into the ethos of the industry.

PC-based control systems can now help to transform the building automation world, facilitating a holistic approach to lighting control. Responsibility for building performance mustn’t evaporate as soon as the building is handed over to the occupier. Building infrastructure must be allowed to evolve and grow as the building matures and usage patterns and routines are altered.

The time has come to re-evaluate restrictive and outdated lighting control methods and adopt open, flexible systems that better meet the demands of the modern building and its occupants. 

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New Products For further information on products and services visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter the appropriate online enquiry number

Service helps keep control of RHI data It is important for Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) participants to take and submit regular meter readings to Ofgem correctly and at the right time as they determine how much you will get paid through the scheme.

Any incorrect data submissions can result in withheld RHI payments or unsuspected compliance action being taken. Submitting data can be a complex process. However, NFU Energy’s Periodic Data Submission (PDS) service looks after this by removing the hassle and giving peace of mind that RHI payments will continue.

NFU Energy is making available a team experts to check, prepare and submit data and provide support at every stage.

Our PDS service is priced dependent on the complexity of the systems in place.

However, at a fixed monthly price you receive a quality assured PDS service that includes the following benefits: • a timely submission of periodic data to Ofgem; • sense check of data to check for any anomalies ahead of submission to Ofgem; • a dedicated point of contact; and • e-mail and telephone support.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 102

Expansion of hot water product range ELCO has expanded its range of hot water products, which now comprises over 60 direct, indirect and storage models.

The TRIGON XL WH direct gas water heater, which boasts an advanced burner design, ensuring it is the most technologically advanced and best performing unit on the market. There are three different versions to choose from including: Standard, Industrial and Swimming Pool, each with seven different models from 142kW to 540kW. The Standard (WRAS approved) and Industrial versions can satisfy a continuous DHW delivery of up to 10,563 litres/hour, while the Swimming Pool derivative offers up to 27,354 litres/hour.

TRIGON XL WH units are suitable for a variety of commercial projects, including health clubs, manufacturing plants and commercial laundrettes.

Another addition to the commercial water heater range is the Tudor NHREC direct gas water heater. This condensing appliance incorporates a room sealed premix combustion system fired by Natural Gas or LPG, perfect for medium to large commercial use.

There are three different models in the range from 18kW to 61kW with a storage capacity from 213 litres to 350 litres, satisfying a continuous DHW delivery of up to 1,196 litres/hour.

Complementing the Tudor NHREC is its sister product, the Tudor NHREX, a high efficiency atmospheric unit perfect for refurbishments. There are four models with outputs from 18kW to 52kW each with a storage capacity ranging from 180 litres to 320 litres.

Both Tudor NHREC and NHREX water heaters are constructed from carbon steel with an enamel lining and incorporate a Protech electronic anode system, magnesium anode and dual cylinder protection as standard.

Within the newly expanded water heater range, ELCO also offers indirect single coil calorifiers – the stainless steel Inox-Maxi SSC1 and the Polywarm-Maxi PWC1 are both economical calorifiers certified to KIWA UK Regulation 4. The Inox-Maxi SSC1 comprises six models in the range from 44 to 84kW, with a storage capacity from 500 litres to 2000 litres. The Polywarm-Maxi PWC1 comprises four models from 34kW to 74kW, with storage capacity from 500 litres to 1500 litres.

ONLINE ENQUIRY 103

'Plug-and-play' ventilation monitor Ventilation, in the current pandemic, is one of the most important factors in helping reduce the relative risk of the airborne transmission of COVID-19.

In response, a UK manufactured, USB powered ‘plug and play’ CO2 monitor has been launched in 2021 to provide a cost-effective solution. The Vision CO2 Monitor helps determine if further ventilation is required by providing a clear digital readout and focuses on a bold traffic light display to indicate that further ventilation is required when it matters.

“This CO2 monitor is particularly appropriate for offices, site cabins, and schools where there are installation constraints, facilitating a fast but reliable method of monitoring the risk of COVID transmission,’ commented Andy Green, who developed the unit.

“Most buildings are naturally ventilated and rely on opening windows for fresh air, or use air recirculation systems that have been switched off, so without a CO2 monitor there is no way of knowing if spaces such as offices and classrooms are adequately ventilated,” added Green. “There are a number of ‘cheap’ units available online, however these focus on gimmick displays rather than the required traffic light indication.”

ONLINE ENQUIRY 101

Oil-filled radiators for student homes Prefect Controls has launched a range of oil-filled electric radiators designed for student accommodation.

The heater incorporates Prefect’s patented EnergyLock - giving energy managers access to the unique control features of the Irus central control and Ecostat2 local control systems. Savings of up to 25 per cent have been attained compared with mechanical convectors.

Providers of student accommodation now have the choice of an alternative heater style and performance profile.

This modern, silent radiator includes innovative thermofluid technology that gives a quick but gentle warmth and a healthy heat diffusion that doesn’t dry the air. Accessio has been compared with the comfort of a central heating system, maintaining longer-lasting heat even after power to the radiator has been turned off.

EnergyLock-Accessio is available in 750W, 1,000W, 1,250W, 1,500W and 2,000W outputs, but measurements, due to the compact design, are only 575mm tall and 128mm deep with varying widths of 490mm (750W) to 973mm (2,000W). The range has ONLINE ENQUIRY 104 an appropriate heater for any application.

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Accelerating investment and decarbonisation of the public sector estate

Co-owned by the Greater London Authority and Local Partnerships, Re:fit is the framework of choice for the public sector. It enables change to be delivered at scale and pace, supporting you with the preparation and implementation of programmes of energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. This helps reduce carbon emissions, create income and improve the operational performance of your buildings, whilst helping accelerate the journey towards achieving net-zero.

To find out how Rachel and her team can help call on 07825 963 218 or email rachel.toresen-owuor@localpartnerships.gov.uk If you’re based in London please contact retrofitaccelerator@london.gov.uk

@LP_localgov I localpartnerships.org.uk eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 12

eibi.co.uk/enquiries Enter 13

Heat Recovery & Ventilation For further information on Aermec UK visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 139

Clifford Saunders is senior applications engineer, Aermec UK

Shedding a light on air quality

The quality of the air we breathe has never been so important. UV systems safeguard indoor air quality and can help increase efficiencies of ventilation systems, says Clifford Saunders

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he global pandemic has drawn attention to the importance of indoor air quality across the globe. And while the focus has been on buildings in the healthcare and education sectors, it is now shifting and encompassing all buildings. Along with reducing energy, cutting emissions and improving ROIs, building owners and managers are being encouraged to explore technologies than can help minimise the spread of pathogens including Coronaviruses. Ultraviolet light is being mooted as a solution that can address hygiene issues without compromising energy efficiencies.

The government is keen for buildings to be well ventilated and reliant on fresh air. Even before the pandemic struck, workplace regulations (2010) recommended that every occupant benefitted from 10 l/s of fresh air. But what if there’s an infected person in the building? A good supply of fresh air will help to dilute any infectious aerosol and help reduce the risk, but an HVAC system that incorporates ultraviolet light will be far more beneficial.

Since Covid arrived on our shores, we have all been encouraged to keep internal environments well ventilated. But once the temperature dips, it’s hardly practical. Ultraviolet light (UV) and its effectiveness in killing viruses is gaining traction and being heralded as a possible solution that could improve IAQ and make environments safer but also help boost efficiencies.

UV is not a new technology. Its ability to sterilise bacteria became known in 1878. It has been effectively used in the health sector and clinical environments for cleaning hospital floors, disinfecting operating rooms, patient treatment areas, wards as well as laboratories. Some hospitals even use robotised UV light systems to de-contaminated environments. It is a tried and trusted technology.

Covid, like many other pathogens, has been confirmed as airborne and

Ultraviolet light systems are gaining traction as a means of killing airborne viruses

it can be affected by many factors; temperature, humidity, frequency of doors opening and closing as well as room occupancy. Aermec examined ways of taking these factors into account and managing the spread of viruses. Recognising the ability of UV to break pathogens down biologically using UV, Aermec started designing fan coil units (FCUs) incorporating UV technology.

As airborne infections travel through the air, the high intensity UV light disinfects the air stream offering a solution for sanitising the air that we breathe.

UV destroys pathogens There are many studies that show the efficacy of UV. North American studies for example have shown UV technology can destroy up to 97.7 per cent of pathogens and researchers at the University of Oregon’s Biology and Built Environment Centre have also shown how it can reduce the ability of some viruses to survive.

The task force created by ASHRAE (American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers) is assessing the effects of HVAC systems and the transmission of viruses in buildings, and has already suggested that changes to a building’s operation could

help reduce the risks of pathogen transmission.

FCUs incorporating UV were selected as they are widely used in many HVAC systems. The units can be two or four-pipe configuration and are suitable for retrofits depending on the spatial limitations.

The units operate by relying on the sanitising action of a photocatalytic system which has been proven to make legionella, fungi, mould and other virus bacteria such as flu and SARS inactive.

The units incorporate an Ultra Violet C (UVC) germicidal lamp with a Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) surface. When radiated by the lamp, any pollutants in the air flow are broken down into harmless substances by the free radicals created by the UVC and the TiO2 surface. The UVC lamp is shielded, so the device is harmless and has no effect on people in the room.

These units are now being used in hospitals as well as commercial premises. Almost all commercial air conditioning systems could be designed to integrate UV technology.

As well as improving IAQ, and destroying airborne microorganisms, an added bonus is that UV systems can also help preserve system capacity and reduce maintenance which in turns

generates energy saving benefits.

UV systems can also be virtually maintenance free, which is an added bonus and reduces HVAC maintenance costs.

The Aermec FCUs have specially designed fan impellers to deliver high fan efficiency and low sound.

The UV element itself does not generate any energy reduction but savings can be achieved dependent on the model selected. For example, those with a brushless DC motor (also known as an EC or Electronically Commutated) will be more energy efficient.

UV can also help to reduce duct cleaning, as the FCU is killing the bacteria but is not a substitute for effective cleaning strategies. The sterilising effect of the lamp is an enhancement to cleaning regimes, rather than a replacement.

Ensuring healthy levels of IAQ is now being viewed as an essential.

Maybe one of the positives to emerge from the pandemic is a more pragmatic stance and where we question just how clean are our internal environments?

Covid has generated greater awareness of the possibility of other Coronaviruses. Maybe now is the time to ensure that HVAC systems don’t just deliver comfort but sanitise the air we breathe? 

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Andrea Pagan is CAREL application manager - ventilation and systems

Heat Recovery & Ventilation For further information on CAREL visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 138

Balance health and energy use

Correct ventilation system operation can help create a healthy and sustainable indoor environment.

But are system efficiency and human health compatible?, asks Andrea Pagan

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eople spend up to 90 per cent of their time indoors.

However, the downside is that it has been proven that poor indoor air quality has significant effects on health and productivity.

In addition, the COVID-19 health emergency has considerably increased collective awareness about indoor air contamination.

Regulations and guidelines issued by the leading public health bodies indicate how attention needs to be paid to many different factors involving air handling units and ventilation systems, such as managing the air change rate, the microclimatic parameters that are important for health and the purity of the fresh air intake, as well as reconfiguration of the equipment and maintenance intervals and procedures. All of these aspects have a considerable impact on health and well-being, yet also involve an increase in energy consumption.

The latest emerging challenge is therefore: can human health and ventilation system efficiency coexist? Monitoring systems, control and optimisation strategies can play a fundamental role in making the systems healthier and safer.

In commercial buildings, ventilation is typically provided by an air handling unit (AHU) connected to ducting that runs through the building. AHUs remove air from contaminated indoor spaces, or air that is simply too hot or too cold, and replace it with clean, fresh air at the right temperature and humidity. In the past, indoor air quality regulations were mainly focused on providing a minimum level of thermal comfort.

Over the years, increased attention to sustainability and new eco-design regulations have helped resolve the difficult dilemma between reducing energy consumption and creating a comfortable indoor environment.

Nonetheless, the new safety guidelines that need to be applied

Monitoring systems can play a fundamental role in making ventilation systems healthier and safer

have a negative impact on energy consumption. An intelligent ventilation control and monitoring system can therefore be the key to successfully combining the objectives of health and efficiency.

An intelligent system is one that reacts and adapts the set points and operating modes to the specific requirements of the user and the controlled environment.

For example, when occupancy is lower, ventilation can be reduced to a minimum level, guaranteeing adequate indoor air quality while reducing energy consumption.

Greater need for ventilation Let’s take a practical case: in general, the more people there are in an indoor space, the greater the need for ventilation with fresh outside air to ensure occupant comfort.

Traditionally, the concentration of CO2 has been used as the sole reference parameter for adjusting

the level of indoor ventilation.

This is in fact a commonly adopted solution for combining comfort and energy saving. However, this parameter is insufficient on its own to ensure a healthy environment.

Indeed, it has been found that other chemical contaminants, for example relating to massive use of sanitising agents above all in this period, reach peaks in concentration that are on a time scale are not perfectly aligned with the level of occupation. What technological solution can help solve this problem then? First of all, an indoor air quality monitoring system.

The starting point is the assumption that “if you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it”.

Using multiple sensors to read information on indoor and outdoor air conditions provides a real-time understanding of how the building is used and how this changes over time.

The second step involves controlling the AHU with advanced

operating logic. Multiple parameters can be used to together understand the level of contamination, and these have different trends in terms of both space and time. As mentioned, controlling ventilation based on the CO2 concentration alone is generally insufficient. DCV (demand-controlled ventilation) therefore needs to be based on multiple parameters - CO2, VOC, PM 2.5-10 - so as to control different indicators of contamination at the same time and thus adapt the ventilation system so that each of these is kept inside the pre-defined limits at all times. Pre- and postventilation and purging functions based on the building’s occupancy profiles can ensure that indoor spaces are always safe before use. Moreover, adjusting indoor pressurisation and monitoring absolute filters for clogging can help maintain a high level of hygiene.

Finally, advanced humidification control, in particular using adiabatic systems, is a key factor in ensuring optimal conditions with minimum energy consumption.

The third step is a data collection and analysis system. IoT technologies make it possible to continuously know both the quality of the air supplied by the system and the operation of the units, so as to verify whether there are any deviations between ideal and actual conditions. This allows service to be planned in the event of declines in performance or malfunctions.

There is a wide range of factors that can influence indoor air quality and potentially increase the health risk. However, there are ways to manage HVAC systems safely, without jeopardising sustainability and zero-emission targets. Awareness, control and optimisation are key concepts to achieving these goals. There is clearly no one single answer, but rather an intelligent set of different design steps and technologies that can help make buildings healthier, safer and more sustainable. 

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Heat Recovery & Ventilation For further information on KNX UK visit www.eibi.co.uk/enquiries and enter ENQUIRY No. 140

Andy Davis is product manager at Siemens Building Technologies and serves as a member of the KNX UK Board.

deliver the optimum environment.

Energy efficiency has been high on everyone’s agenda for years, with health and wellbeing at best a secondary consideration and at worst something to pay lip service to or to take only as far as regulations and codes of practice require. The two should not be mutually exclusive.

We live and work in virtually airtight buildings these days: it’s not as if effective ventilation means throwing open the windows to the elements and haemorrhaging heat energy. We have the tools we need to integrate HVAC control with occupancy and demand with real-time dynamic interworking between the devices controlling different applications.

There is just no reason NOT to include IAQ control.

Keeping CO2 levels under control can lead to productivity gains of up to 18 per cent

Open protocol landscape

Take well-being back to basics Andy Davis believes indoor air quality and energy efficiency are not mutually exclusive. But starting with the correct data is the first step on the road

I

am a career advocate of intelligent control for all types of projects but I still think a lot of projects need to get the basics of health and wellbeing right before worrying about more intelligence! It may not be as sexy as human-centric lighting but we need to really take indoor air quality (IAQ) seriously. Until we do, intelligent control cannot fulfil its potential and we will not get the energy efficient, healthy and productive environments we must surely all aspire to?

We need to ensure more project managers, consultants and engineers give higher prominence to humidity, CO2, PM2.5 (fine dust) and VOC (volatile organic compounds) control before we start worrying about the next steps. All have the potential to impact health, wellbeing and productivity in offices and classrooms etc. Once projects broaden the range of values they want to measure and control, then we have the right data to ensure

buildings are operated efficiently and healthily.

The scale of the challenge A quick reminder of the scale of the IAQ challenge, beyond the alreadymandatory control of noxious fumes etc. We all know by now that even a small increase in CO2 levels can have a drastic effect on cognitive functions. Inadequate ventilation quickly results in lower productivity.

Siemens market research found estimates of productivity gains from 2-18 per cent as a result of keeping CO2 levels under control. The middle ground was taken by the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (REHVA) which estimates the gains at 10 per cent.

I could quote myriad sources and figures all day but it can all be translated into hard cash. A 2017 study at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health suggested that doubling the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration

and Air-conditioning Engineers) recommended ventilation rate from 10 to 20 litres/sec/person would increase costs by less than $40 per person per annum. However, it also said that doing so would also deliver productivity gains of $6,500 per person per annum. On that basis, it should not be hard to persuade a client to invest in optional IAQ measures.

I do believe that every project, from the most simple to the most complex, can be engineered to

That neatly leads me to KNX, which is a key part of the open protocol landscape, working alongside protocols such as BACnet to ensure projects of any scale, be they brand new, refurbishments or evolving mixes of legacy and new infrastructure can benefit from intelligent control. Implicit in that is the fact that buildings need to capture more data on occupancy, environmental data and energy usage. The name of the game is total room automation, with systems like Siemens Desigo, which offers KNX compatibility. By opening a building control system to products from over 500 manufacturers, KNX gives systems engineers all the scope they need to achieve just that.

Does COVID-19 blow all this thinking out of the water? This time last year I’d have been talking about how office space per person has decreased from over 50m3 in 1970 to less than 15m3 in 2017. Now we hear about how social distancing in the office and more working from home will likely persist for the foreseeable future. We do know, however, that it only takes small changes in IAQ to affect concentration and decision making – the potential for IAQ control to add value does not go away. Building managers will be looking carefully at balancing running costs with occupancy: don’t let them forget to include the productivity gains of better air quality in their calculations. 

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ESTA VIEWPOINT

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

Making change the norm ESTA and the Energy Institute have developed Energy Conscious Organisation (EnCO), a new behaviour change initiative to tap into an ignored source of savings. Jes Rutter reports

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significant part of the solution for UK Government and end user organisations to meet the UK’s 2050 net zero target is the still largely ignored focus on behaviour change.

Evidence suggests that behaviour change offers around 50 per cent of the total potential energy efficiency savings available.

The other half comes from technology and yet, as important as it is, technology gets all the focus. A shift in focus is required, and soon, to ensure that the ‘hidden’ and largely untapped savings available from behaviour change are realised.

Behaviour change, in terms of energy consumption, is about eliciting targeted behaviours by framing choices in a way that makes them more environmentally friendly and efficient choices become easier to make. Creating a dynamic system between technology and behaviour, rather than viewing them as separate entities is an important part of the intervention, and of being an Energy Conscious Organisation (EnCO).

One major difference to consider, compared to purely technical projects, is that the savings are not necessarily delivered overnight but instead typically take 4-12 months to be fully adopted and for savings to be measurable. This requires an adjustment in expectations, as well as ongoing resource input (however low-level) to maintain and improve energy saving opportunities.

Our ambition is to excite people to challenge the norm, and to encourage mass adoption of energy efficiency good practice through more energy-efficient behaviours and embracing the delivery of holistic large-scale behaviour change programmes in organisations.

An Energy Conscious Organisation is one that has employed behaviour change principles to make significant improvements across the following five pillars: • engagement - very high levels of engagement at every level of organisation on energy management including top management practices, significant users and all colleagues; • alertness - high levels of alertness/ awareness across the organisation in eliminating energy waste, mechanisms to register waste with clearly delegated

responsibilities and practical responses regularly actioned; • skills - top management, practitioners and significant users are fully skilled in their energy management roles. Commitment to continual learning and up-skilling is demonstrated; • recognition - the benefits and co-benefits of energy management are widely recognised, and data systems track savings against robust energy targets; and • adaption - the organisation positively expects and embraces change, adapting and responding to minimise risk and maximise.

The principle EnCO objectives are: • to deliver an initial 50-100 EnCO programmes for different organisations with results proven using the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP) over the next two years; • to award EnCO Registered Organisation status to organisations demonstrating good practice in EnCO principles; • to capture past and existing case studies in order to create a wealth of evidence on the EnCO web site; • to build capacity by substantially increasing the number of skilled practitioners capable of supporting or delivering EnCO programmes; • to provide recognition of such practitioners, namely at Registered EnCO Consultant and Approved EnCO Practitioner levels; • to provide comprehensive tools, training and resources to practitioners; • to collaborate with government, sponsors and other associations to accelerate

Jes Rutter is ESTA Lead and managing director of JRP Solutions

adoption; and • to ensure that EnCOs will generate 10 per cent of energy reduction savings through behaviour change by 2030.

Before now, even the IPMVP proven case studies (which have demonstrated ~10 per cent savings across an organisation) only covered at most a quarter of the potential areas for behaviour change improvements.

A fully holistic approach has the benefits of joining up all of the elements into one cohesive behaviour change initiative.

The benefits of delivering just 100 proven case studies for medium to large energy users, using IPMVP methodologies, is conservatively estimated to be £12.5m/ year with an investment of £9.5m. The larger benefits, once this approach becomes mainstream, is estimated to be at least many hundred times this.

There are over 140 interventions of different types of people-driven initiatives that characterise EnCO. The methodology and approach for implementation as one single holistic, robust and best practice approach is being shared as part of the Energy Conscious Organisation initiative.

The ESTA Accredited training programme, aiming to increase the number of practitioners, commenced in July 2020.

This is based on a four-module programme, currently being delivered online, which when combined with course preparation and exercises, now amounts to twelve hours of CPD approved study. A post course examination is taken, and success leads the delegate to becoming a Registered EnCO Consultant.

The basic ESTA/EI tools to deliver or support implementation of behaviour change projects are now in place. A dedicated EnCO web site has been launched, case studies written, EnCO qualifications defined (at individual and organisational levels), training courses delivered and an EnCO IPMVP approach has been defined.

To enable change to take place at a faster rate, the initial vision includes delivering 50 to 100 proven case studies using IPMVP in the next two years. This requires 10 to 20 pilot projects in the short term.

• Visit the EnCO website at www. energyconsciousorganisation.org.uk and get in touch via admin@energyconsciousorganisation. org.uk  FEBRUARY 2021 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 33

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TALKING HEADS Neil Spann

Neil Spann is managing director of Power Roll Ltd

Solar goes thinner, lighter and cheaper Neil Spann believes that a new type of PV panel could change the way we view solar generation. And he has his eyes set on taking the technology around the world

I

t was back in 1998 that an office building in the north east caused a stir. The Doxford solar office on the outskirts of Sunderland was the world’s first building fitted with building-integrated photovoltaic panels. Now, just six miles away from that ground-breaking development Neil Spann is confident his company can shake up the solar market once again, not just in the UK but also worldwide.

Spann, the managing director of Power Roll, says his company has developed an ultra-lightweight solar film with a target manufacturing cost many times cheaper than existing flexible solar PV. “We can make solar panels as thin as crisp packets,” he told EiBI. “The technology is made using a base layer of plastic on top of which is a resin layer. Then goes a layer of microstructures that’s 0.3mm thick and contains thousands of solar cells. In a 4cm strip we have 50m of microstructures. This is the key to the solar film. Our solar cells are set up in a completely different way.”

Apart from being flexible and lightweight Spann is confident that the panels will be considerably cheaper not only than traditional silicon rivals but also other flexible panels in the market. “Materials make up only a fraction of the cost of PV panels. It’s all about the process cost and we have a cheap way to manufacture them.

Therefore, we are trying to combine cheap architecture and cheap materials.” Spann estimates that the film probably can be manufactured at four to five times more cheaply than silicon PV from China. “And there is the potential to make this up to ten times cheaper than existing flexible PV.” Spann concedes that the panels will not be as efficient as others on the market. “This is not our aim,” he states. “Silicon is around 20 per cent efficient. We are around 11 per cent but we do have a road map that will get us to around 15 per cent. From the economic perspective it’s attractive. It’s not market leading in performance but it is market

Spann: 'we can make solar film as thin as crisp packets'

leading in economics.”

A further benefit is that the film is very light. “Silicon PV is around 11-12kg per square metre and ours is around 300 grams,” adds Spann. In addition, it’s easy to deploy as it directly adheres to the roof with a resin.”

Spann can’t take the credit for the development of the panel. This he attributes to John Topping, a physicist with a background in packaging and work on stealth technology for the MoD. Expertise from both these fields led him to create the panels. So in 2012 he set up the company and set about looking for capital and others with commercial experience and belief in the product. This is when Spann joined the company. An accountant by qualification, he grasped the opportunity of joining the newly

formed Power Roll in 2014 after a spell with the north east-based domestic energy business EAGA. Since then the technology has been developed until the point has now been reached to push the product into the market. The company has recently secured £2.8m of investment comprising £2m of equity and £0.8m of convertible loans as part of the Future Fund scheme set up by the Government. “We can’t make the film at scale,” says Spann. “So one of the aims of the funding is to build a pilot line here in the north east and then get into commercial production. We expect to have a large-scale demonstration site up and running soon.”

Spann is in no doubt that there is huge potential in the UK. “The Government’s Business department has itself estimated that there are around 250,000 hectares of available rooftops in the UK suitable for PV. Our target market is all those non-load bearing commercial rooftops, warehouses, agricultural buildings and sheds. Even along the walls of buildings and on blinds.

For a 100kW system the payback is half that of silicon and the cost of energy is 40 per cent cheaper.”

Spann admits that there are barriers to overcome to exploit the product’s potential.

There is a scepticism borne out of the failure of a number of companies in the past. “We also need to demonstrate that it is not flimsy.

We are not aiming for 25 years product life, rather 10-15 years. There is a school of thought that you need something to last 30 years to make it cost-effective. We’ve allowed for a full replacement in 15 years. And new technologies will rapidly emerge.”

And it’s not just the UK that Spann is hoping to conquer. He has one eye on the Middle East and also believes the potential of India is huge. “Demand there is phenomenal,” says Spann. “Global PV installations in 2019 were between 110 and 120GW. In India they are talking about 300-400GW over the next few years. The PM came out recently and said they want to power the country through roof-top solar.”

To reach these markets the company is proposing to license the technology to third parties in those countries who have strong local knowledge and manufacturing expertise.

For the moment Power Roll’s primary aim is to get the manufacturing up and running in Sunderland. When that is achieved a new solar innovation could be on the way in the north east. 

34 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | FEBRUARY 2021

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