January 2022

JANUARY 2022

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue

Energy in Universities Monitoring & Metering Boilers & Burners CPD Module: Smart Buildings Drives & Motors

Don’t overlook drives Easy wins for HVAC savings

What’s your strategy? Monitoring needs a new approach

Universities lead the way Towards the net zero campus

NEWS � FEATURES � INTERVIEWS � REVIEWS � PRODUCT PROFILES � CPD MODULE � DIRECTORY � JOBS EIBI_0122_001(M).indd 1

10/01/2022 13:36

EIBI-JAN22-Mitsubishi_Layout 1 22/12/2021 12:04 Page 1

JANUARY 2022

PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY

www.eibi.co.uk

In this issue

Contents

www.eibi.co.uk

Energy in Universities Monitoring & Metering Boilers & Burners CPD Module: Smart Buildings Drives & Motors

Don’t overlook drives Easy wins for HVAC savings

What’s your strategy? Monitoring needs a new approach

Universities lead the way Towards the net zero campus

NEWS � FEATURES � INTERVIEWS � REVIEWS � PRODUCT PROFILES � CPD MODULE � DIRECTORY � JOBS EIBI_0122_001(M).indd 1

10/01/2022 13:36

JANUARY 2022

21

11

Incorporating state-of-the-art technology the Sontex Supercal 5 metering unit boasts many future proof features, all set within a user-friendly interface (24)

FEATURES

11

Energy in Universities The University of Birmingham is heading for a net zero carbon footprint by becoming the world’s smartest campus. Faye Bowser examines the complex web of technologies involved

Mike Egan outlines how universities, driven by student demands, are leading the way in reducing energy and driving towards more sustainable operations (12) With data from sometimes hundreds of buildings AI-informed consumption analytics help improve universities efficiency, believes George Catto (14)

Why cloud-based energy monitoring is the key to reducing your organisation’s carbon emissions. Peter Burbridge examines the benefits (26)

Many business premises are standing unused and unstaffed.

But, says Julian Grant, this is a very important time to ensure your business is not using energy it doesn’t need (27)

29 Boilers & Burners

Despite what you might infer from the government’s new Heat & Buildings strategy, the gas boiler still has a long future, says Steve Addis

Oxford Brookes University is introducing a major technological advancement to significantly reduce carbon use on campus (16)

22

Investing in energy efficiency and off grid solutions should start and stop with sub-metering and data analytics solutions. Dan Shields discusses their invaluable role (25)

Monitoring & Metering Tim Hooper believes a new approach is needed to sub metering. We need to sweep away the assumption that it is simply a fit-and-forget item but focus on a long-term strategy A range of energy valves and thermal energy meters are combined in one device to offer seamless integration to IoTbased monitoring platforms or a BMS (23)

30 Drives & Motors

The electric motors powering a building’s HVAC system can sometimes be an overlooked candidate for achieving rapid energy savings in a cost effective way, as Carl Turbitt explains Electric motors account for 50 per cent of global electrical energy consumption. In industrial applications, the share is 65-75 per cent. Alan Baird looks at methods of reducing energy load (32)

REGULARS on the best use of condensing boilers as well as a power analyser for three-phase systems with integrated M-bus

06 News Update UK could cut electricity use by 1 per cent if supermarkets used fridge doors. Europe forges ahead with building stock decarbonisation

09 The Warren Report Public acceptance of measures to transition to cleaner heating must form part of government proposals.

Those property owners with off-grid heating are in the front line

17 The Fundamental Series: CPD Learning Joe McClelland takes a look at what smart buildings can offer and how energy managers can make

33 ESTA Viewpoint

As ESTA approaches its 40th birthday, Mervyn Pilley reflects that although the technology has changed in that time, many of the fundamentals are the same

preparations for the expected growth in the coming years

21 Products in Action Two refurbishment projects are featured this month – one at luxury apartments in the heart of London and another at a Heathrow hotel

28 New Products New for the energy manager this month is CPD series focussing

34 Talking Heads Craig Needham believes that controls integrators and BMS manufacturers need to step out of the shadows and show their worth to create the smart buildings of the future

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 JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 03

EIBI_0122_003(M).indd 3

11/01/2022 12:32

Editor’s Opinion

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

www.eibi.co.uk

Smart, but not quite yet

T

he first exhibition EiBI attended last year after lockdown focused on smart buildings. The show was well attended reflecting the current enthusiasm for the subject. On show was a fine array of sensors, software and just about everything you need to make a smart building. The only thing lacking was, well, evidence of smart buildings. They have been talked about for a very long time but there still seem to be very few out there. Which is strange as the forecast growth is astonishing.

The global market size is expected to reach $265.37bn by 2028 with a growth rate of 21.6 per cent to 2028.

Our CPD module this month (see page 17) looks at the issue of smart buildings. Author Joe McClelland states: “Future smart buildings will have the capability to determine the percentage of the workforce inside the building at any given time and automatically adjust the settings of its facilities according to their feedback and needs – from WiFi connections, lighting, electricity, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, placing people at the centre.”

But there are serious challenges facing the growth of smart buildings. Cost is always an obstacle when new technologies come into the field. Their entire premise hinges on detecting and collecting data. But where there’s data, there

The EiBI Team Editorial

Managing Editor

are cybersecurity concerns. Many stakeholders may see it as an unnecessary expense. It’s up to energy managers and other innovators to make the case for smart buildings, and often, it’s an uphill battle.

Probably the most difficult challenge is its complexity. It’s a bit like trying to piece together a puzzle with no picture to work from. The people who have the job of arranging the pieces of the puzzle are the system integrators. Craig Needham of integrator, Horizon Controls told EiBI (see page 34) that a change of mindset is needed to raise the profile of the benefit of what systems integrators and the BMS can offer.

Often, a lot of the benefit is stripped out through ‘value engineering.’ “As an industry we need to be higher on the agenda and show the value we can offer,” says Needham. “Perhaps some enlightened construction companies will see the opportunity.”

If the smart building market is going to explode as forecast then there are going to have to be some radical changes in attitudes towards the way we approach how we build smart buildings. If not, then the potential will remain wasted and unfulfilled.

MANAGING EDITOR

Mark Thrower

Mark Thrower

Tel: 01483 452854 Email: editor@eibi.co.uk Address: P. O. Box 825, Guildford GU4 8WQ

Advertising Sales Managers Chris Evans

Tel: 01889 577222 Fax: 01889 579177 Email: chris@eibi.co.uk Address: 16-18 Hawkesyard Hall, Armitage Park, Rugeley, Staffordshire WS15 1PU Russ Jackson

Tel: 01704 501090 Fax: 01704 531090 Email: russ@eibi.co.uk Address: Argyle Business Centre, 8 Leicester Street, Southport, Lancashire PR9 0EZ Nathan Wood

Tel 01525 716 143 Fax 01525 715 316 Email nathan@eibi.co.uk Address: 1b, Station Square Flitwick, Bedfordshire MK45 1DP

Classified sales Sharon Nutter

Tel: 01889 577222 Email: classified@eibi.co.uk

Circulation Sue Bethell Tel: 01889 577222 Email: circulation@eibi.co.uk

Administration/ production Fran Critchlow

Tel: 01889 577222 Email: info@eibi.co.uk

THIS MONTH’S COVER STORY

The University of Birmingham is heading for a net zero carbon footprint by becoming the world’s smartest campus.

Working together, the University of Birmingham and Siemens are creating a living lab that will capture data from the university’s building technologies, estates infrastructure, transport and energy plants.

What makes this challenge so exciting is that the combined campuses have the footprint of a large town and the energy requirements to match.

Faye Bowser of Siemens examines the complex web of technologies involved.

See page 11 for more details Photo courtesy of Siemens plc

Publishing Directors

Chris Evans Russ Jackson

Magazine Designer Tim Plummer

For overseas readers or UK readers not qualifying for a free copy, annual subscription rates are £85 UK; £105 Europe airmail; £120 RoW. Single copies £10 each.

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

Printed by Precision Colour Printing

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

04 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_004(M).indd 3

11/01/2022 11:51

EIBI-JAN22-Reflex_Layout 1 11/01/2022 10:22 Page 1

News Update

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

Cabinet minister intervenes to overturn sponsorship deal Michael Gove, the Cabinet Minister with direct responsibility for housing, has intervened to seek to overturn a commercial sponsorship deal between an insulation manufacturer and a Formula 1 racing car team. Gove has written publicly to Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff criticising the tie-up, and threatening to take new powers to alter advertising rules covering motor racing so that they would in future “reflect the public interest.”

Long acknowledged for its pioneering work on environmental responsibility, the insulation firm Kingspan had been approached

by Mercedes to chair its new Sustainability Working Group.

This tie-up had led to agreements for Kingspan to provide overt sponsorship for its driver, Sir Lewis Hamilton. The Kingspan logo appeared on his Mercedes for last month’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Gove then intervened, warning Mercedes’ Wolff that any involvement with Kingspan would “undermine all the goodwill the company and sport have”. Sir Lewis, Gove wrote, represented “a British success story of which we are proud.” His objection was because it had manufactured insulation that was used on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment in Kensington (see EiBI Sept 2017).

In his warning, Gove referenced the “ongoing” statutory public inquiry into the tragedy, which is set to conclude late this year. The Inspector’s final report is not due before 2023.

Wolff replied, equally publicly, to Gove. He reminded the Cabinet Minister that “Kingspan played no role in the design or construction of the cladding system on Grenfell Tower. A small percentage (5 per cent) of their product was used as a substitute, without their knowledge.” According to Kingspan, “our K15 insulation board was misused in this unsafe and noncompliant system.”

Separately, Gove has also named two French companies, St Gobain and Arconic as potentially vulnerable for large fines, entirely resultant from their involvement with the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower.

His Labour shadow, Lisa Nandy, dubbed Gove’s intervention as “rank hypocrisy”. She pointed out the large political donations the Conservatives continued to accept from construction companies that use Kingspan products.

SUPERMARKETS COULD CUT ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION

Fridge doors could slash UK electricity use The UK could cut its total electricity usage by 1 per cent if the top five supermarkets put doors on refrigerators, campaigners have calculated. One supermarket chain, Aldi, has already pledged to have fridge doors operating in all of its new UK stores, saving 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Each of Aldi’s 100 new stores will save 20 tonnes of carbon per year by having doors on fridges, the German chain said, adding it would reduce stores’ energy consumption by 20 per cent.

The Environmental Investigation Agency said supermarkets could cut their electricity bills by as much as 33 per cent just by adding doors to all freezer compartments and carrying out other cost-effective measures.

Glamorgan cricketer and environmental campaigner, Joe Cooke, says all supermarkets operating in Wales should follow suit. “It’s such a simple change,” Cooke said. “It could save so much energy, that’s going to be so important for us as we try to decarbonise and make the changes to become a greener country.” Cooke complained that only the Co-op and Aldi had committed to fridge doors in all new and newly refurbished stores.

Mary Dunn, Aldi UK’s managing director of corporate responsibility, said: “Introducing fridge doors is another step on that journey to reduce our energy consumption. We hope

Electric heat pump could ‘offer straight swap for household boilers’ Vattenfall and technology provider subsidiary Feenstra are launching a high-temperature, all-electric heat pump.

The Swedish multinational power company said that the heat pump can offer a straight swap with conventional boilers, in particular for suburban and rural households.

Vattenfall views district heating as the most cost-effective solution for densely populated areas, and is involved in a number of such projects in the UK as well as Europe.

“The high temperature heat pump solution is innovative, simple to install and could be the solution to help decarbonise homes in the

that customers enjoy the new, more sustainable shopping experience.”

Instead of adding doors, other big supermarket chains say they will try to make existing open fridges a bit more efficient. So Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and M&S have all said they would be using “air wall” technologies to save energy. These force cold air towards the back of open display. Lidl maintains it uses curtains when its stores are closed. And Asda has committed to trialling doors on chilled displays in 2022.

Ulla Lindberg, a refrigeration and consumer researcher from the University of Boras, Sweden, said fridges with doors outperform even the most efficient open cabinet technology. “Half of the electricity used in a supermarket is for refrigerators. So that means you can do

a lot with doors.”

Her consumer research found food shoppers were not turned off by doors, with many even reckoning that the food was fresher as a result.

Supermarkets with fridge doors saw less food waste. It also allowed supermarkets to cut their heating bills in winter because they need less heat in the chilled sections of their stores, Ms Lindberg added.

The Welsh Assembly has considered options to ban open refrigerators following a campaign by cricketer Cooke, but concluded it did not have the powers to intervene. All this would need to be agreed at Westminster. But the UK government has ruled out a ban on the use of open fridges and freezers in retail outlets, arguing it was already taking (unspecified) action to improve energy efficiency.

UK that are heated using traditional gas boilers,” said Mark Anderson, commercial and development director at Vattenfall Heat UK. “There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to decarbonising heating.

Removing emissions from heating relies on us making better use of waste heat from all sources and installing the right technologies in the correct locations of the country, where they will

be most effective and affordable.”

Vattenfall is looking to initially rollout the all-electric solution in the Netherlands, ahead of expanding into other countries. It noted that the Dutch and British gas central heating systems are particularly similar.

Heating currently accounts for as much as 37 per cent of the UK’s carbon emissions, and heat pumps have been identified as a key solution to tackle this.

A criticism often raised against heat pumps is the need for additional upgrades to heating systems to accommodate their lower temperature, in particular the need for insulation. This can increase the cost and complexity of switching from a traditional gas boiler to the lower carbon solution.

Heat pumps generally heat water to between 45° and 55°C, while gas boilers and high-temperature heat pumps sit between 60° and 80°C.

06 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_006-7-8_(T).indd 1

10/01/2022 16:18

News Update

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

DECARBONISATION OF BUILDING STOCK

In Brief

Europe forges ahead with revised EPBD The European Commission is unveiling its proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The revamp is part of its efforts to decarbonise the bloc’s building stock, which is currently responsible for 36 percent of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. Originally introduced in 2010, it will be the fourth version of the Directive which has been strengthened regularly ever since.

This latest revision aims to impose minimum energy performance standards on nearly all of the EU’s built environment. It will mandate renovations upon the most inefficient, G-class buildings by 2030, and laggard F-class buildings by 2033. This will apply not just to rented buildings as in the UK, but also to those privately owned.

The proposal wants countries to harmonise their energy performance standards, and introduce common building passports for owners to track what repairs have been done, and still need to do.

All 27 national governments will have to produce action plans to decarbonise every existing building by 2050. All new structures will need

Scotland almost hits 100 per cent renewable

to be emissions-neutral beginning in 2030. On past precedent, it is likely that non-EU members like Norway and Switzerland will adopt all these measures.

The EPBD will ultimately force consumers to take on renovations, but Brussels does not appear too worried about a backlash. That is because countries have up to €150bn in EU regional development, cohesion and recovery funds at their disposal to underwrite renovation schemes. The Commission also hopes the private

Government faces heat pump dilemma Just before the Glasgow COP26 event, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his “confirmed ambition” to eliminate all new fossil fuel boilers from the marketplace within 14 years.

This is apparently in order to make sure buildings play their key role in achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

So, what will replace the gas and oil boilers that now heat UK homes? A year before, Johnson

launched his Ten-Point Green Revolution Plan (see EiBI Jan 2021). It began with a target to put heat pumps in at least 600,000 homes every single year by 2028. Right now, there are only around 30,000 heat pumps a year being installed. In contrast, there are still around 60,000 new oil boilers being installed, plus approaching 2m high-efficiency condensing gas boilers.

How does anybody actually acquire information to find out

sector will soon offer pay-as-you-save loans to cover up-front costs.

Consumer groups seem to be happy with the changes, recognising that they should help tackle the fuel poverty problem. Around 37m Europeans - mostly in former Comecon countries - currently struggle to keep their homes warm.

But the key will be ensuring guidance is available not just on financing, but on who can be hired with confidence to carry out the energy efficiency work. what they should be doing to make their specific building more energy efficient? Simple. Before anybody buys or rents any building (residential or commercial), they must by law be given an Energy Performance Certificate. Between April and June, 455,000 of these were issued. In total, well over half existing buildings already have an EPC. As well as measuring from A (great) to G (dreadful), the energy surveyor also has to provide useful proposals on how to improve the building: upgrade the windows and the lighting, insulate roofs and walls, change the boiler etc.

Indefatigable Green MP Caroline Lucas (left) asked in Parliament just how often over the past two years this advice included installing a heat pump? Buildings minister Eddie Hughes had to confess that no surveyor had ever recommended installing a heat pump. That will be because installing a heat pump is four times or more expensive than putting in a highly efficient condensing boiler. And because EPC advice must, by law, stress cost-effectiveness.

Scotland just missed out on reaching its goal of 100 per cent of its energy consumption being from renewables by 2020.

The equivalent of 98.6 per cent of gross electricity consumption in Scotland was from renewable sources in 2020, up on the provisional figure of 97.4 per cent released in May 2021.

Electricity consumption in the country did drop in 2020 – as it did across UK as a result of lowered demand from the COVID-19 lockdowns – with this down 5.7 per cent on 2019.

However, gas consumption rose 2.4 per cent on 2019.

Overall, renewable sources made up 61.8 per cent of all electricity generation in 2020, while 88.1 per cent was from low carbon sources, with both of these having increased since 2019.

Most businesses ‘lack carbon neutral strategy’

Less than a third of UK businesses have a strategy in place for reaching carbon neutrality, despite growing environmental concerns. In addition, 42 per cent say they feel overwhelmed by the steps they need to take to reach this goal.

The survey of senior decision makers, commissioned by Veolia, found that just 29 per cent of businesses overall have a plan to reach net zero. However, more than half (52 per cent) of larger companies (250+ employees) surveyed had a net zero strategy, and 61 per cent of these felt their reputation would be negatively affected if they failed to commit to achieving their carbon targets.

Positively, environmental concern was the biggest driver (72 per cent) for businesses with a net zero strategy trying to meet their carbon targets, with reputation coming second (60 per cent). Despite low numbers committing to a carbon net zero strategy, 80 per cent of those who did are ‘very confident’ of achieving their goals.

• Meanwhile, Veolia has announced its first electric vehicle battery recycling facility in the UK. The plant, in Minworth, West Midlands, will have the capacity to process 20 per cent of the UK’s end-of-life electric vehicle batteries by 2024. The plant will initially discharge and dismantle batteries before completion of the mechanical and chemical separation recycling processes.

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 07

EIBI_0122_006-7-8_(T).indd 2

10/01/2022 16:20

News Update

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

Efficiency progress rate ‘needs to double’

Global energy efficiency progress is recovering in 2021 to pre-pandemic levels, but it remains well short of the pace needed for a net zero pathway, according to the latest analysis from the International Energy Agency.

The IEA’s Energy Efficiency 2021 report states that the rate of improvement needs to double from current levels to match the gain outlined in its Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario.

The report is urging governments to take the lead in mobilising the required increase in investment. A rapid expansion of technologies that drive more efficient use of energy across the economy is necessary to keep global climate pledges within reach. Total annual investment in energy efficiency worldwide needs to triple by 2030, says the report, to be consistent with a path towards reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

In 2021, global energy intensity – a key measure of the economy’s energy efficiency – is expected to improve (that is, to fall) by 1.9 per cent after improving by only 0.5 per cent in 2020. While this is in line with the average annual rate of improvement over the past 10 years, it remains below the 4 per cent needed to help put the world on track to reach net zero emissions by mid-century.

OVER HALF FAIL TO MEET TARGETS

Facilities fall short on CCA agreements A new Government report sets out in detail the energy efficiency improvements and emission reductions achieved by operators and sectors against their CCA targets for the period between 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2020. It reveals that just over half of the approaching 9,000 industrial facilities participating in this latest (fourth) round of the process failed to meet their agreed targets on energy efficiency improvements.

Climate Change Agreements (CCA) are voluntary agreements made between industry and government. They give eligible businesses with energy-intensive processes a significant discount on the Climate Change Levy (CCL). In return participants sign up to energy efficiency improvement targets agreed between government and the 48 sector trade associations.

During the two-year period there was a more than 15 per cent reduction in overall emissions reported cumulatively from the various sectors still involved with the CCA scheme, saving 29,750GW/ hrs or 6.6m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. There were 3,262 target units covering 8,705 facilities in the scheme. Out of 48 sectors, 31 met or exceeded their savings targets.

Cambridge offers grants to cut energy

Businesses in Cambridge can apply now for up to £10,000 grants to help reduce their energy consumption, save money and improve their productivity.

Cambridge City Council is launching the Cambridge Green Business Grants scheme to help businesses in commercial premises in the city that are registered for business rates.

The grants can be used for improvements such as better insulation, energy management systems, solar photovoltaic panels, low-energy lighting and water-saving measures.

No ‘match-funding’ is expected, though businesses may choose to top up the grants with their own money for larger carbon-saving projects.

Businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications providing all the necessary details will be assessed as they are received.

Although the application deadline is 11 March 2022, the scheme may close earlier, once all the funding has been awarded.

Grants will be paid to successful applicants by 31 March 2022 and recipients will need to complete the improvements within the following year.

This scheme follows the council’s adoption last year of a new and ambitious Climate Change Strategy, which outlines a vision for Cambridge to achieve net zero carbon by 2030.

Government makes £19m available for five new heat networks across the UK UK homes, university residences and public buildings will benefit from cleaner, more affordable heat and energy, thanks to £19m government funding announced to further expand Great Britain’s network of low-carbon heating.

The investment will go towards setting up five new heat networks, two in Bristol, and three across Liverpool, London and Worthing, providing households and workplaces with more affordable, reliable heating that offers a low-carbon, more cost-effective alternative to installing individual, energy-intensive, heating solutions such as gas boilers.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has been awarded over £1.1m to develop a new zero-carbon heat network which will use air source heat pumps to provide heat to 826 existing homes and several public buildings and business units in the Notting Dale area of the borough.

In West Sussex, Worthing Borough Council has been awarded over £5.3m toward the replacement of gas boilers in 27 buildings with a heat network that will use a centralised heat pump to take heat from the sewer underneath the town.

Bristol City Council has been awarded £6.4m to support the development of two new low-carbon heat networks in the Temple and Bedminster districts.

However, throughout much of the period the COVID 19 epidemic caused disruption in the levels of industrial activity in many sectors.

Of the operators that failed to meet their agreed improvement target, 328 used some of their banked surplus from previous years to fully cover their under-performance; 229 used all their available surplus and were offered a buy-out fee to make good the remainder of their underperformance; and 1,120 were offered a buy-out fee paid to the government to make good the whole of their under-performance.

The buy-out fee is £14 for each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) savings not delivered, a price that is now increased to be £18 per tCO2e. In contrast, recent prices within the more recent UK emissions trading scheme, begun last year, have been around £70 per tonne.

Combined, these networks are expected to deliver heat to over 6,000 residences through the use of ground and water source heat pumps and waste heat from Bristol University’s Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus.

Peel Energy, through its supply company, Mersey Heat, is delivering a district heat network to the Liverpool Waters development and the surrounding areas.

The HNIP funding award of £6.2m will enable the transition to a heat pump solution as the main generation source and connection of a central cluster of existing buildings. When complete, Mersey Heat will provide low carbon heat and hot water to up to 9,000 homes.

The funding comes from the government’s £320m Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP), which supports the development of heat networks across England and Wales.

Government-funded heat networks currently being developed include Leeds City County’s 16km district heat network, Cardiff Town Heat Network in South Wales, spreading across the Cardiff Bay area, and Newcastle University’s District Heat Network within their city centre campus.

To support this, Ofgem has been appointed by the UK government as the heat networks regulator for Great Britain to ensure consumers receive a fair price and reliable supply of heat.

08 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_006-7-8_(M).indd 3

11/01/2022 09:34

THE WARREN REPORT

01.2022

Fairness needed as we say goodbye to fossil fuels

Public acceptance of measures to transition to cleaner heating must form part of government proposals. Those property owners with off-grid heating are in the front line

A

cross Great Britain, all Governments - both at Westminster and devolved - are determined that the days of fossil fuel heating must be numbered. A major transition is required in the way our buildings commercial, public, residential - are heated. And, increasingly only as an afterthought, how energy wastage in them is minimised.

Given the substantial size of the changes required, a transparent commitment to fairness must be at its heart. If the transition is to succeed, public acceptability is vital, preferably avoiding disadvantaging any discrete group. Like those living or working currently unattached to the gas grid.

Under current proposals, it will be off-grid buildings with fossil fuel heating systems that will be forced to transition earliest. The underlying presumption is that replacing oil boilers will be forbidden from 2025 in Scotland, 2026 in England, much earlier than other households with gas. The presumption is that this requires putting in heat pumps, as it is assumed that hydrogen fuels (of any colour designation) will still be at experimental stage.

There are now over 1.1m oil-fired boilers in use in Britain. Each year, around 60,000 are replaced. As we now stand, no Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) survey of a building heated by an oil boiler has recommended replacing it with a heat pump. This is on cost-effectiveness grounds, simply because, even at the current high price of oil, there is still a 4:1 differential between the outlay upon equipment plus running costs. A year ago, when the cost per barrel was lower, running an oil-fire system would

have engendered a price differential closer to 6:1.

Last year, there were around 30,000 heat pumps installed in British buildings. Prime Minister Johnson has set a target of increasing twenty-fold the current market by 2028. There is a bland presumption that heat pump prices will drop precipitately.

But even before the installer base is fully developed and experienced, the intention is nonetheless to start eliminating oil-fired boilers well before cost reductions have been achieved.

As compulsory “early adopters”, those with oil-fired systems risk being used as guinea pigs - ending up paying a high price for the government’s “learn by doing” approach. And completely undermining the government’s commitment to fairness.

Helpfully, the UK government has retained a requirement of “reasonable practicality” when assessing homes for heat pump conversion. It is vital that this is framed in a way that really protects consumers from excessive costs, permitting other heating and energy saving options.

Diverse building stock

It is essential that decisions are based on credible evidence that takes full account of the diverse nature of the building stock. I share the deep concern about the efficacy of data being cherrypicked. According to page 7 of last autumn’s Heat & Buildings Strategy, the UK government now considers that 81 per cent of offgas grid homes in England now heated by fossil fuels will be able to switch to low temperature heat pumps without any need for any energy efficiency improvements. A further 4 per cent will be able to do so by spending

Andrew Warren is chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation

The off-grid heating challenges are being significantly underplayed

just an average of £1,000 on energy efficiency measures. The reliability of this startling new thesis is unclear.

This is strikingly at odds with countless previous reported Government statements. For example, in 2018, Climate Minister Claire Perry stated in Parliament that 65 per cent (765,000) of oil-heated homes in Great Britain were in EPC

bands E, F or G. These are all bands that Government policy is seeking to outlaw. Installing heat pumps doesn’t help. More recently, in September 2020 her successor Greg Hands told Parliament that, based on the Business Department’s own research, the investment required to upgrade a band E home to the acceptable band C was reckoned to be on average £12,300.

Moving from bands F and G would average £18,900.

The new Heat Strategy also seems to have excised accurate memory of a detailed study that the Business Department published just three years ago. Entitled the ‘Technical Feasibility of Electric Heating in Rural Off-Gas Grid Dwellings’, this study stressed that, during colder winters, the proportion of rural homes that would be satisfactorily supported via just an air-source heat pump would be just 41 per cent. Curiously, it is this same study that seems to underpin too much of the Economic Impact Assessment attached to the new Strategy, tacitly dismissing much need for better building-fabric energy efficiency measures.

Overall, there is increasingly a lack of meaningful support for technologies uninvolved with electric heat generation. This despite the Climate Change Committee’s Sixth Carbon Budget (December 2020) identifying that around 900,000 offgas-grid homes will need a solution other than a heat pump. And despite the most recent National Grid Future Energy Scenario report (2020) stating categorically that renewable liquid fuels would be needed for over 1m rural homes, due to a limited capacity to achieve cost-effective grid upgrades to support heat pumps. Last autumn’s Strategy offers little or no support for their deployment.

The drive towards the electrification of heat and the focus on Johnson’s 2028 heat pump growth target, means that the off-grid challenges are being significantly underplayed.

Rural residents and workers risk being greatly disadvantaged. This blinkered approach will end up undermining any chance of maintaining that vital political consensus required to achieve such dramatic changes. 

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 9

EIBI_0122_009_(M).indd 1

10/01/2022 09:34

EIBI-SEP21-EDF_Layout 1 01/09/2021 14:05 Page 1

Energy in Universities

Faye Bowser is head of energy & performance services, Siemens plc

The University of Birmingham and Siemens are creating a living lab to develop energy-saving strategies

the course of the partnership project, where research, teaching and learning all benefit from access to new data and connectivity.

Partnerships like this are extremely important for gathering new insights, testing and developing new technologies and creating efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure.

Immediate action on campus

A new course in data studies

The University of Birmingham is heading for a net zero carbon footprint by becoming the world’s smartest campus. Faye Bowser examines the complex web of technologies involved

T

he journey to decarbonisation should always start with data. The more you know, the smarter you get.

Working together, the University of Birmingham and Siemens are creating a living lab that will capture data from the University’s building technologies, estates infrastructure, transport and energy plants.

What makes this challenge so exciting is that the combined campuses have the footprint of a large town and the energy requirements to match. The estate covers 672 acres (272 hectares), with over 200 buildings of different ages, complexities, physical condition and use, ranging from Grade one- and two-listed properties of historical significance to brand new stateof-the-art learning and research spaces. The community is made up of 8,000 staff, 38,000 students plus a wide range of visitors attending short courses and events, using the libraries and study facilities as well as the shopping, eating and leisure amenities.

A vast range of technologies in the fields of energy, IoT and data, smart transport and smart building technologies, are being evaluated for the development of a Living

Lab and ultimately to create a road map to a net-zero carbon campus.

The University of Birmingham will become the first university in the world to roll out Internet of Things (IoT) technology at scale. Started in autumn 2021, the first phase of this major energy efficiency project includes the roll out of 23,000 Enlighted IoT sensors across the UK and Dubai campuses.

Create a digital twin

The Living Lab will use the data generated to create, for example, a digital twin of the university so that innovative ideas can be developed and quickly tested and evaluated in the virtual realm; research can be carried out on the use of buildings, down to individual rooms, as well as the effectiveness of strategies to change patterns of use or adoption of energy-saving activities. Scrutinising energy demand and production – from systems to anonymised individual consumers/producers (prosumers) – with live data from across the sites provides a unique opportunity for applied learning for students and creates a platform for research.

A team of PhD students, based in the UK and Dubai, are being sponsored for research projects,

co-designed by Siemens and the university, to gather new insights, test and develop new technologies and create efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure, to address the important challenges in data, technology, urban systems and the net zero goal. This requires multidiscipline teams to combine digital sensor and analytic technologies, artificial intelligence, decentralised energy generation and storage, renewable energy and concepts that help change user behaviour.

The goal is to deliver the campus of the future, enhancing the student, staff and community experience and accelerating the university’s path to net zero through energy and digital transformation. Opportunities will be uncovered to make carbon savings by managing resources more efficiently, in a system that is instantly adaptable to changing demand met by decentralised energy generation and storage, renewable energy and changing users’ behaviour or automating energy-saving activities.

A ten-year bureau for energy and IoT services is being established to ensure that the university reaps the full potential of both the technology and industry expertise being deployed and developed through

While gearing up to the collection and utilisation of data from sensors and the IoT platform, some steps are being taken immediately on the campuses, including: switching to LED lighting, installing building management systems (BMS), utilising energy management software and fitting thermostatic radiator valves. The implementation of these technologies is guaranteed to deliver a material impact on the university’s emissions, as well as deliver significant cost savings. The building management system – the backbone of smart infrastructure that will increase comfort, efficiency, resilience and safety – provides controls to maintain air conditioning and temperature requirements, as well as controlling the IoT sensors that adjust lighting based on occupancy and environmental changes.

The energy management system gives full transparency and reporting through the inclusion of both consumption and production data, enabling the optimisation of energy generation and usage across the whole campus. The University anticipates a quick minimum 5 per cent reduction in annual carbon emissions, which is the equivalent of approximately 2,856 tCO2. Siemens will oversee the design and delivery for this first phase of the major energy efficiency project with support from the University’s Estates Office and IT Services.

All of this is happening in the context of University of Birmingham being in the midst of one of the most transformational campus redevelopments since the first phase of building was completed in 1909.

The ten-year development programme started in 2016 is creating outstanding new facilities for students, staff and the community. Research, teaching and learning all benefit from access to new facilities, data and connectivity. The university has already made significant progress in making its operations more sustainable, including achieving its 2020 target of reducing carbon emissions by 20 per cent. 

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 11

EIBI_0122_011(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 00:02

Energy in Universities

Mike Egan is business development manager at Mitsubishi Electric

The University of Nottingham is making use of a range of renewable technologies across its estate

carbon reduction targets.

With a need to get sustainability and energy reduction right and some universities struggling to reach carbon reduction targets, a move towards more energy efficient HVAC systems is critical. Heating, cooling and ventilation represent big energy-users for university buildings, and making them as efficient as possible is a challenge due to the variety of building types, usage patterns and occupant requirements.

Begin with an audit

Increasing energy efficiency in universities

Mike Egan outlines how universities, driven by student demands, are leading the way in reducing energy and driving towards more sustainable operations

P

eople & Planet’s 2021 university rankings reveal that 46 per cent of higher education institutions are on course to meet their emissions target, up from a third in 2019. This is encouraging, but it means that over half are not on target, and with a combined estate of over 16,000 buildings, UK universities have an important role to play in helping the country effectively tackle climate change.

This large estate, which sits at nearly 30m/m² of floor area, is also enormously varied, with lots of different requirements for energy.

University campuses can include everything from staff offices, teaching areas and lecture theatres to laboratories, theatres, gyms and restaurants. Plus, of course, student accommodation in various forms.

In addition to this, the age of these buildings will range from over 1,000 years, to state-of-the-art, modern facilities built in the last year.

This means consideration needs to be given to the way different spaces are heated, cooled and ventilated, in order to bring energy use down while keeping students, lecturers and staff safe, comfortable and healthy.

There is also an ongoing drive

towards sustainable operations in everything that universities do. They have very much been leading the field in their commitments to reduce carbon footprint and lower energy use – alongside other sustainable commitments such as recycling more materials, using renewables on-site and divesting financial investments in fossil fuel sectors.

For the most part, it is students who are pushing for this kind of change.

In fact, 86 per cent of students believe that sustainable development is something that universities should actively promote. Many universities have made public commitments to achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 – or sooner – in response.

Increasing competition

There are a few organisations that have been established by students to rank universities’ environmental policies, and the rankings e.g. People & Planet, are taken seriously by the sector - there’s increasing competition to gain a higher place on these lists.

Many universities have also made public commitments to achieving netzero carbon by 2050, and some have even set themselves shorter deadlines in the 2030s.

There are some great examples of universities that are already taking climate change and energy use seriously. 76 UK universities have announced some form of divestment from fossil fuels, meaning greater investment in sustainable methods of heating and cooling.

The University of Nottingham similarly is making use of a range of renewable technologies across its estate to provide heating and hot water, including air and ground source heat pumps, solar electricity and biomass boilers.

Impressively, The University of Gloucestershire, who topped the People & Planet league table announced a total divestment from fossil fuels with immediate effect back in 2018, as well an overachievement of a 46 per cent reduction in their carbon emissions, despite having expanded their estate.

These reductions were a result of switching boilers to cleaner fuels, introducing LED lighting, using smarter building management controls and improving insulation.

These are huge achievements, but there is still more work to be done – as two-thirds of UK universities were still expected to fall short of meeting 2020

The first step to combatting this is an energy audit, which can highlight where improvements can be made and increasing the efficiency of HVAC systems can reduce energy bills too.

Another easy win is re-assessing current air conditioning systems, and where possible, upgrading to systems which use lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerant R32. Such air conditioning systems use up to 20 per cent less refrigerant than higher GWP refrigerant equivalents, making them more efficient.

Alternatively, institutions could invest in Hybrid VRF air conditioning systems which limit the amount of refrigerant being used by using water as a replacement in occupied spaces, making them a simple way to stick within the carbon emission target. The added benefit is that these systems can remove the need for leak detection equipment and help universities comply with BS EN378.

The latest heat pumps offer flexible heating and hot water technology, applicable across a range of buildings, from small offices to large student accommodation blocks. One of the benefits of heat pumps is that they require only water and electric connection, and are a low-maintenance technology, reducing pressure on the busy campus engineering team.

The innovative developments demonstrated by numerous universities are promising, and show that where institutions are prepared to make drastic decisions, significant carbon emission savings are being made.

There are still improvements to be made, and there are quick wins to be had by homing in on heating and cooling systems. Beyond that, a collaborative response between manufacturers, the government and universities is what will help most, as the UK as a whole aims to reach carbon reduction targets. 

12 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_012(M).indd 1

10/01/2022 16:24

EIBI_0122_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 11/01/2022 10:39 Page 13

Energy in Universities

George Catto, Client Services Director at AMR DNA, an Energy Assets service

A

n increasing number of universities are turning to machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to drive the energy efficiency strategies that feed into their plans for sustainable operations.

The scale of the challenge is clear.

The huge volume of consumption data now available through automated meter reading systems simply cannot be interrogated through manual processes.

Indeed, in a recent survey conducted

by Energy Assets, fewer than one in 10 energy managers said they had capacity to review consumption data more than once a week. At the same time, six in 10 believed that artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning could help transform their approach to energy efficiency.

It is particularly difficult for higher education institutes, with their diverse mix of functions in buildings often spread across campuses or city locations. However, machine learning cuts through this diversity and sees only metered data – and when informed by AI can progressively ‘learn’ what best energy performance looks like.

With machine learning, it is possible to interrogate years’ worth of historic half-hourly data in seconds.

Examining this as a reference point, the AI system can spot tell-tale signs of energy waste unique to each building through pattern recognition – such as equipment running needlessly, heating controls incorrectly set - and then provide a checklist of priority actions to drive up efficiency as well as reduce energy costs.

This innovative approach has been adopted by The Energy Consortium (TEC), a Contracting Authority owned by its members, which delivers a wide range of services in energy procurement, data reporting, risk management and cost reduction on a not-for-profit basis for its predominantly university sector membership.

TEC currently risk manages 11TWh of gas and power across 10,500 meters and is partnering with Energy Assets AMR DNA energy data service, powered by kWIQly, to apply machine learning across a number of HE campuses.

So, what types of energy waste are we talking about?

Waste comes in many forms: • precedent waste - when a building does not perform as well as it has in the past (and noting that operational

Universities adopt machine learning With data from sometimes hundreds of buildings AI-informed consumption analytics help improve universities efficiency, believes George Catto contexts and use-cases of a building will change and must be re-learned); • routine waste - when a building can be shown to systematically use energy that cannot be necessary or comfortable (e.g. if heating is maximised at +5°C , since colder weather requires more heating; a combination of discomfort or waste exists at all temperatures between -5°C and +5°C); and • peer or benchmarked waste - when a building does not comply

with its peers (for example sets of comparable buildings are expected to have similar balance temperatures, night-setback loads and apparent occupancy patterns).

Doing the heavy lifting

Machine learning is very good at doing the heavy lifting when it comes to data interrogation, consumption pattern recognition and constructing peergroups of buildings.

When primed with meter data,

weather data and occupancy forecasts, the AMR DNA service enables energy managers to fulfil their core role of optimising energy performance across their entire estate by implementing data-led energy waste and carbon reduction strategies. This can be particularly valuable in a COVID world where building occupancy (both in halls of residence and in teaching environments) and function can vary enormously.

By assimilating and analysing consumption data, machine learning can continuously refine the list of priorities and actions that will optimise overall performance. It works by: • spotting tell-tale ‘fingerprints’ of energy waste; • identifying patterns of waste unique to each building; • providing a checklist of priority actions to drive efficiency and reduce energy costs; and • modelling multiple building occupation/operations scenarios to enable rapid energy system reconfiguration.

However, energy managers also need to use their expertise, because the more input, the better and more accurate their results become. It’s particularly important to forecast well, based on day-of-week, context and weather sensitive forecast models, to identify where ‘noise’ is present in automatic meter readings and filter the results.

In the case of the higher education sector, The Energy Consortium is machine learning across multi-site campuses and has achieved significant improvements in energy efficiency.

A study of the full TEC portfolio showed that an annual saving potential of £6,000,000 could be achieved if all buildings that do not turn consumption down to 50 per cent overnight were to do so. Obviously in the case of TEC there are a number of buildings that are not able to do this, however the system allows the addition of any number of markers to support necessary filtering.

Machine learning technology is also perfectly aligned to Net Zero planning and in tune with Environmental, Social & Governance strategies that are becoming increasingly important to consumers and stakeholders.

Universities are leaders in innovation and many are now at the forefront in the implementation of digital tools to make sense of their energy data, to ‘map’ consumption profiles and become contributors to a lower-carbon economy. 

14 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_014(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 00:54

EIBI_0122_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 11/01/2022 17:11 Page 15

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Transformer Technology

A more efficient way to beating transformer losses

A

lmost 3 per cent of all energy generated across Europe gets wasted through distribution transformers.

This 93TWh of annual energy waste could power Denmark for three years. Network losses in the UK account for 1.5 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. One quarter of all network losses come from distribution transformers.

The European Commission introduced Ecodesign Regulations for transformer losses to prevent the installation of the inefficient transformer models across the UK and Europe.

Tier 1 and Tier 2 of Ecodesign regulations came into force in 2015 and 2021 respectively.

There are two types of losses in a transformer: no load losses, also known as core or sometimes iron losses. The important thing about core losses is that they are present from the moment the transformer has been energised, so that is 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. The second type of losses are load losses or winding losses and as

the name implies these are a product of the load current and their magnitude depends on the loading of the transformer.

The cores of conventional transformers consist of stacks of laminations that are made from silicon steel with an almost uniform crystalline structure (CRGO). Amorphous, on the other hand, is prepared by cooling molten alloy steel so fast that crystals do not form. This makes it far more easily magnetised than standard core steel due to its random molecular structure. This means less friction is created during that magnetisation process and therefore less heat is produced, resulting in lower hysteresis losses and more efficient transformers.

Wilson e3 are 15 per cent more energy efficient than industry standard transformers. But the question most organisations have to ask if they have a transformer, how old is it? The average age of a distribution transformer in the UK is 63 years old. If we replace a 1MVA transformer installed in the 1950s with a Wilson e3, that would save the organisation over 59MWh annually, which equates to 377tCO2 over 30 years with £328,000 lifetime savings and only two years of payback.

• www.wilsonpowersolutions.co.uk

Energy in Universities Carbon impact slashed on Oxford campus Oxford Brookes University is introducing a major technological advancement to significantly reduce carbon use on campus.

To further decarbonise Oxford Brookes’ activities on its Headington Campus, the university will install a 500kW Geo-Exchange Heating and Cooling System to displace the use of fossil fuels. It is estimated that the new system, backed by a

£2.3m decarbonisation grant from the Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, will help to reduce carbon emissions from the University’s Gipsy Lane site by approximately 20 per cent.

The technology reduces the environmental impact of the existing heating and cooling system, and Oxford Brookes will become the first UK university with an operational deep borehole system. The concept involves the capture of waste energy from cooling, storing it in the earth for later use as heat.

The development will involve the drilling of fourteen boreholes to a depth of approximately 220m. Piping from the boreholes will connect to a flowline, trenched underground the Headington Campus’ Energy Centre.

The system replaces the use of fossil fuels and reduces energy consumption across both cooling and heating processes. Requiring significantly less space than traditional ground source heating it can be retrofitted to existing sites, such as the Energy Centre in the University’s John Henry Brookes Building.

Jerry Woods, director of estates and campus services at Oxford Brookes University, commented: “We face a climate emergency and as a university we are taking bold actions to play our part in tackling the challenges ahead of us.

“We have a strong commitment to sustainability and the environment at Oxford Brookes, so I am proud that we will be the first UK university to have a completed installation of this innovative deep borehole technology.

It will have a huge impact on reducing our carbon footprint, taking us a step closer to achieving net zero emissions.”

Earlier this month the university declared a climate emergency and set out ambitious sustainability targets with an intention to become a net-zero organisation by 2040. Earlier this year, Oxford Brookes signed up to the Zero Carbon Oxford Charter pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions as a city by 2040. 

Research facility to help deliver net zero housing

The University of Salford’s Energy House Laboratories has announced its first collaborative project partners ahead of the launch of its multimillion-pound Energy House 2.0 research facility in 2022.

Among the partners included are residential housebuilder Bellway Homes, development partnership, The English Cities Fund (ECF), and a joint venture between construction materials and solutions firm SaintGobain and Barratt Developments.

Across the studies, the organisations will be supported by leading academics from the University of Salford in a bid to tackle some of the built environment’s biggest challenges when the state-of-the-art research and testing facility opens this year.

Building on the success of the Salford Energy House,

Transformer helps cut university emissions

The Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building (IBRB) at the University of Warwick has installed a Wilson e3 Ultra Low Loss transformer which will help mitigate 109 tCO2 of emissions over 30 years of operation.

This 1250kVA Wilson e3 utilises the amorphous core technology and goes above and beyond EU Ecodesign regulations Tier 2 for transformer losses. Being the most energy efficient transformer in the UK, Wilson e3 helps the IBRB building save 15,733kWh of electricity annually which equate to nearly £86,000 of savings over its lifetime.

IBRB transformer is hermetically sealed to avoid oil leakage and it is coupled with an RN2d switchgear. The transformer is equipped with a few ancillaries to improve the monitoring, safety and maintenance such as an

oil level indicator, marshalling box, oil temperature indicator and pressure relief device with alarms and trip contacts for both. The transformer comes with a manual HV off-load tap changer with 7 settings allowing ratio

a two-bedroom terraced house constructed inside an environmentally controllable chamber, Energy House 2.0 will have the capacity to replicate a total of four, fully furnished houses across two environmental chambers which can replicate climatic conditions and environments experienced by 95 per cent of the global population.

The £16m research facility, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), aims to work with businesses and manufacturers in the built environment to support global ambitions to reach carbon reduction targets by 2050 and deliver net zero future housing.

The facility will allow partners to innovate, test and validate housing design, home heating and approaches to a variety of energy technologies. Each research partner will be building a house in one of the state-of-the-art environmental chambers within the facility and will investigate distinct challenges over an estimated nine months. 

adjustment to the LV side for more energy optimisation and savings.

Wilson Power Solutions supplied 21 transformers to the University of Warwick, 16 of these were ultra and super low loss amorphous transformers in the ratings: 500, 800, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1600 and 2000kVA. Upgrading to Wilson e2 and Wilson e3 meant that the university decided to install transformers that go beyond the Ecodesign specifications.

Comparing between the regulated industry standard transformers and the Wilson lower loss transformers, the University of Warwick saves annually 213MWh. Over the lifetime of these transformers (30 years), they will have saved the university 6.4GWh of electricity, 1,480 tonnes of CO2 emissions and over a million pounds of financial savings. 

16 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_016(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 02:30

Produced in Association with

SERIES 19 / Module 06

Smart Buildings

What is a smart building?

By Joe McClelland

S

For details on how to obtain your Energy Institute CPD Certificate, see ENTRY FORM and details on page 20

mart buildings use Internet of Things (IoT) devices— sensors, software, online connectivity—to monitor various building characteristics, analyse the data, and generate insights around usage patterns and trends that can be used to optimise the building’s environment and operations. While smart technology gives you greater control over your building, Smart building technology is much more than just advanced “command and control” mechanisms (like your Building Management System, or BMS).

To get a clear picture of what smart building technology is, let’s look at an example comparing it to a traditional BMS. A BMS can be programmed to turn on and off the building’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system at specific times daily based on predefined temperature levels.

Smart building technology gives you more control over how you operate your HVAC. For instance, it can direct your BMS to turn the HVAC on and off as needed throughout the day, by measuring carbon dioxide (CO) levels in real time. If CO levels are in line with building guidelines, the system automatically reduces the outside air intake. If CO levels are approaching the limit, it brings in additional outside air. Smart building analytics platforms can also factor in data from utility companies and weather data along with your building’s HVAC operating data to help you strategise about ways to reduce operating costs. Having this degree of control over your HVAC

system means you save energy and costs, while still maintaining a comfortable environment for occupants.

Potential customers commonly ask if smart building technology will replace their BMS (which we know was a hefty investment); the answer is NO. Smart building systems work in conjunction with a BMS, allowing you to understand your building by monitoring building functions in real time, analysing building data, and automating operations more strategically so you can fully optimise your operations.

With the advent of technology, buildings which were once solely meant to provide shelter, are now capable of doing more for us. Thanks to technological advances and new connections between various kinds of software and hardware, smart buildings allow for more convenience, customisation, reduced waste and lower overhead costs than was ever thought possible.

What resources are in use

At their core, smart buildings use wireless connections that record and share information about the building’s functions (such as water use, heating and other utilities) to streamline their use. This information allows users to better see when and what resources are in use, control them remotely, and even automate processes.

A core component of every smart building is their use of sensors to gather data. This means they might

track when a room is in use, at what times lights are turned on and off, which areas of the building receive the most traffic, and what the average temperature is.

The data collected by smart buildings is of high value, as it gives building managers great insight into what resources are underutilised or wasted. It can help them see which spaces are unused, which lights are kept on and which entrances create opportunity for security breaches.

This information is used to automate processes from heating to lighting to security. Users can adjust settings so that, for example, the heat is turned off on the weekend, lights are motion activated or doors lock automatically.

Finally, data is shared with users so that action can be taken remotely in cases where it is necessary. In many smart buildings, users who forget to lock up or turn off lights and even appliances can do so at the click of a button remotely. They may even be able to use their smart building interface to get directions to a certain part of the building or to an open parking spot.

A human-centred approach to design is at the core of smart buildings of the future. From the moment people step inside until the moment they leave, future Smart buildings will have the capability to determine the percentage of the workforce inside the building at any given time and automatically adjust the settings of its facilities according to their feedback and needs – from WiFi connections, Produced in Association with

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 17

EIBI_0122_017-20(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 02:31

Produced in Association with

SERIES 19 / Module 06

Smart Buildings lighting, electricity, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, placing people at the centre.

However, smart buildings are not simply about the use of integrated technology to create reactive environments – they are also about people, and how people will use these structures now and in the future.

The global smart building market size is expected to gain momentum by reaching $265.37bn by 2028 while exhibiting a growth rate of 21.6 per cent between 2021 to 2028. In its report titled “Smart Building Market, 2021-2028,” Fortune Business Insights mentions that the market stood at $57.30bn in 2020.

Smart buildings are fast becoming the norm across the globe. According to Mordor Intelligence, the smart building market is expected to record a compound annual growth rate of over 23 per cent over the period of 2020 – 2024. Increasingly, sophisticated smart cities are in development by nations around the world to improve efficiency, reduce operating costs and make life easier for residents and business owners.

Rethink business models

In 2020, the availability of IoT-enabled smart building solutions that employ connected sensors will continue to influence how smart building vendors rethink their business models to take full advantage of this technology. That being said, smart buildings present a set of unique challenges that building managers also have to keep in mind when implementing a solution, like the need to penetrate dense building materials. Because of that, long-range and low-power capabilities have become essential to ensure sensors do their intended job like detecting danger, optimising utility usage and improving the safety and convenience of everyday living.

Today, many new start-ups are leveraging the proliferation of the internet of things, machine learning and energy savings solutions to bring about massive innovation to the smart building arena.

Technologists, architects, engineers and builders are aiming to increase the number of smart buildings constructed and the number of older buildings retrofitted with automation and control technologies.

Smart buildings bring together various building-wide systems— such as HVAC, lighting, alarms, and security—into a single IT managed network infrastructure. It often uses foundational technology such as Power over Ethernet (PoE) to accomplish this convergence.

Here are a few specific ways connected IoT solutions will continue to drive the growth of smart buildings.

Energy costs are rapidly increasing, and environmental issues continue to be a major concern, so there is increasing pressure on building managers to provide more energysaving solutions within their facilities.

For example, by using sensors, smart thermostats can now monitor indoor and outdoor air temperature, humidity and the presence of people in a room.

This data can then be used to smartly control the HVAC systems inside buildings so that they can cool or heat rooms only when necessary. Smart meters also enable more precise monitoring of energy consumption throughout a building, while using smart electric plugs allows tenants to detect high-energy devices and take appropriate actions to reduce their consumption.

Internet devices also make it easy for building managers to implement an easy and economical energy-saving smart building system. Designed to support robust, long-range wireless communications, these devices can connect energy management systems with smart thermostats, lighting controls, smart outlets and other energy-aware devices.

Dynamic glazing for windows can be installed in commercial offices and high-rise residential buildings. Users can make any window to go from bright to dark and dynamically adjust for privacy, glare, and energy control.

Current ‘smart glass’ alternatives are expensive and depend on electricity or phase changing materials. The latest technology is user controlled, requires no power or phase changing materials, and is a lower cost alternative to smart glass.

Living green walls can be scaled for any size project and function. They act as natural insulators by reducing heat transfer from the exterior of buildings to save energy costs and reduce noise pollution. Living walls, sometimes called green walls or vertical gardens, increase commercial and residential property values for smart building owners with an average expected increase in value of 4 per cent.

IoT platform for the smart building marketplace can use existing PoE cables to transform structures into smart, agile buildings on which any solution and device can be added.

These are real-time solutions to convert static building systems into genuinely IoT-enabled and dynamic platforms in a range of applications.

This is due to easy retrofit plug and play models that can then be deployed in any existing system.

Smart facilities management platforms use core building information, building systems, and sensor data in combination with a machine learning engine for smart buildings. These are cloud-based, mobile first, and location-aware, which helps building owners, operators and facilities managers improve building performance by delivering detailed operations and maintenance information about building components ranging from the major mechanical and electrical systems down to the wall and floor finishes.

The management of storm water run-off from snow and rain is becoming a critical issue as our cement footprint continues to increase with the development of new buildings.

A management and transportation system uses a permeable pavement with a patented arched reservoir to maximise on-site storm water capacity.

The technology is being deployed in exterior commercial real estate properties and helipads on top of commercial building roofs in hospitals and other locations.

Advanced tankless water heaters for commercial applications allow building owners to conserve space by eliminating the need for redundant heaters/boilers and reducing or eliminating the need for storage tanks.

They can operate 40 per cent more efficiently compared with traditional heating methods. The technology enables commercial properties to dramatically minimise the cost of water heating.

Detect malfunctions

Vibration and ultrasonic sensors enable smartphones to detect machine malfunctions before they happen. The technology uses smart sensors to monitor machines and create algorithms that can identify imminent failures to enable building managers to conduct real-time analysis of their facilities. The sensors can then be attached to equipment such as commercial refrigerators or industrial scale heaters to record vibrations and ultrasonic sound and upload to a cloud service, where it is analysed to make predictions about the health of a machine. Technicians can then use the company’s mobile app to view the status of a machine and any alerts to indicate in advance that something may be going wrong with it.

Live customer service video kiosks, with video displays, and other digital signage devices, allow two-way or one-way video interaction with customers. Businesses who previously had to choose between leaving their entrance lobby unmanaged or paying

a full-time employee to manage the lobby and greet guests, can use this high-tech option to take back control of the lobby at a fraction of the cost. The technology uses motion detection to see when visitors enter the building and then greets visitors with a friendly video message and invites them to touch the name of the person or department they are there to meet, using the company directory shown on the touchscreen. The visitor and employee use two-way video so both employee and visitor can communicate face to face.

Footpath generators can harness energy from pedestrian foot traffic.

This is a commercial flooring tile solution that converts wasted kinetic energy from footsteps into renewable electricity designed for use in high foot-traffic areas. The generated renewable electricity can be stored in lithium polymer batteries and used to power low-wattage, offgrid applications like street lighting, displays, speakers, alarms, signs, and advertising.

Smart building products in the energy management controls industry constantly scan the external environment, in order to identify customer needs, anticipate competitive actions and identify technological changes which will provide new market opportunities or technological advancements including the Internet of Things (IoT).

Many facilities use preventative maintenance to ensure equipment is running correctly. This usually involves routine inspections and making assumptions about the status of the equipment and how often it is used. Connected sensor technology takes this concept to the next level by providing a more granular level of insight on the technology maintaining a smart building, including equipment temperature, power and sound. An example of this is the monitoring of ventilation fan motors which typically operate for 24 hours a day in a commercial building. Different mechanical harmonics are identified as they age, and, by using internet-based sensors and a modem, the health of the motor and its life cycle position can determine when a problem appears to be developing so maintenance can be scheduled at the most convenient time before a bigger problem emerges.

Access to real-time data is one of the biggest benefits of deploying a smart building solution because it allows business managers to visualise improvements around the structure and make actionable decisions. For example: • smart sensors in buildings make

18 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_017-20(M).indd 2

11/01/2022 11:53

Produced in Association with

SERIES 19 / Module 06

Smart Buildings everyone safer by monitoring and reporting a wide range of issues, including fire alarms, office air quality, dangerous chemical detection for industrial buildings and structural integrity; Real-time occupancy, geolocation and foot traffic data can be used to identify spatial usage patterns, allowing space efficiency optimization and reconfiguring offices and retail location layout based on real usage data.

Occupants can be equipped with badges to control access, but this also provides presence information.

Building managers can use this information to detect intrusion and identify open entry points that should be closed, and remote control allows them to keep a close eye on their building without setting foot on site.

Some of the characteristics of smart buildings are:

cannot be changed. In the future, smart structures and spaces will be adaptable without significant building modification: with walls that can be moved easily and essential engineering services that can be effortlessly altered and re-connected in new ways.

Invisible – technologies should be embedded to a building seamlessly.

It should just work, no explanations needed. The goal for smart buildings is to self-manage, learn, anticipate, and adapt on its own, without the need for the intervention or recognition of its users. Room temperatures, lighting, shading, energy and water utilisation can all be easily and automatically adjusted based on sensors and monitors.

Sustainable – the impact of climate change and rapid population growth to our natural resources is endangering the future of human kind, making sustainability one of the key priorities

three dimensional in its approach and understanding the bottom-line benefits will be the key.

The company's vision

Value starts at the design phase.

Building designs should reflect the business’ needs, today and tomorrow.

The first step in proving the value of innovations brought by buildings of the future is understanding the company’s vision, needs and future requirements.

Design will be defined by the building’s function and role in the business, not aesthetics.

A new investment equation. A smart building’s RoI is not only measured by financial gains. It requires a more robust, holistic and full-bodied evaluation of ROI, which will include energy savings, tax incentives, and non-financial benefits such as improved employee productivity and wellbeing. While these non-monetary

Buildings of the future will not only be designed for us but also get to know us

People-centric – buildings of the future, designed to function for the people who will use them. As the needs and expectations of people continuously change, the way we design, and construct buildings must follow. However, we need to ask: • what will people use these buildings for?; • how will these buildings make them comfortable, happy and productive?; and • if today’s workforce values mobility, flexibility and connectivity around the work place, how should the design of these buildings address these needs?

Flexible – disruption is moving at an exponential rate, continuously affecting and changing business needs, models, landscapes, and the use of buildings. To address disruption, smart buildings of the future should be designed with flexibility in mind.

Gone will be the days that buildings are designed as rigid structures that are built for one purpose and

when designing buildings of the future.

Thanks to advanced technologies, smart buildings can exist off the grid and develop self-sustaining ecosystems, enabling them to produce energy and collect and treat water on site.

Learning – buildings of the future will not only be designed for us, but they will also get to know us. Every sensor, automation and monitor installed in these buildings will be integrated into a main building management system which can capture every movement within the building and enable the building to automatically modify its settings and continuously self-tune.

The resistance against digital transformation usually stems down from one thing: cost. Technology can be expensive, and in today’s highly competitive global market, businesses want a guarantee that their investments will pay off, financially.

However, the return on investment (RoI) for buildings of the future are not always financial. It is far more

benefits may not be quantified by numbers and financial gains, they carry an invaluable and real return on the business’ investment.

Invest for the long-term payoffs.

Investing in buildings of the future means designing for the future.

Buildings that are designed for an organisation’s short-term plans may end up being outdated and inefficient.

Taking a long-term view, on the other hand, leads to designing with the future and flexibility in mind.

Given that in future buildings will be assembled, not constructed, buildings of the future will be designed to be easily modified. This will allow for quicker reintegration of engineering systems, increasing not only the user experience of the structure, but the value of the building going forward.

Wireless plays a key role in smart building development and technology, but fibre is still king in terms of keeping disparate technologies connected to the web and, increasingly, to each

other for whole-building systems optimisation. Wireless is an incredible convenience but is still showing its limitations with interference and reliability.

On the hospitality side, smart buildings are incorporating 4K video on-demand, access control, energy management and occupancy control, and they are integrating those features through a central dashboard and controls. The key is to avoid redundancy.

From wiring to networks to HVAC, smart building infrastructure is most easily installed during construction.

However, the larger opportunity is to bring smart building systems to existing buildings, which is where Wi-Fi comes in.

Organisations are looking increasingly into wireless technologies and putting infrastructure into the cloud as much as possible for storage and data management. Wireless technologies are also the key to making the built environment of ‘dumb buildings’ more smart because we don’t have to open up the floors and the walls to update infrastructure.”

For new buildings, too, wireless can minimise the volume of copper wire installation, keeping costs down.

More research and product development around the intersection of occupants’ biometric data is needed to provide enhanced smart building operations. By using sensors to detect and trigger the control of lighting and thermal comfort, researchers are finding ways to increase productivity in office buildings and reduce stress in hospitals and other environments by mimicking circadian rhythms.

In a parallel to machine learning, smart buildings may eventually become smart enough to diagnose and repair structural and system damage without human intervention.

Researchers are investigating new sensing technologies for buildings to output data on structural integrity.

Among them is a new computational model developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to measure structural damage and stress after a seismic event. The researchers outfitted the 21-storey, I.M. Pei-designed MIT Green Building with 36 accelerometers to track how the building responds to ambient vibrations.

Regardless of where — and how soon — technology leads the development and optimisation of smart buildings, providing building occupants with better information on energy management and other installed smart systems is integral to advancing the smart building ethos.

Equally important to maintaining the efficacy of smart buildings is the behaviour of building occupants.

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 19

EIBI_0122_017-20(M).indd 3

11/01/2022 11:54

SERIES 19 / Module 02 06

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

Refrigeration Smart Buildings

ENTRYFORM FORM ENTRY

MARK THROWER Managing Editor

Please mark your answers below by placing a cross in the box. Don't forget that some questions might have more

Please mark your answers by placing cross into the box.the Don't forget that some questions might have more than one than one correct answer.below You may find itahelpful mark answers in pencil first before filling in the final answers in correct answer.

You may find it helpful mark the answers in pencil firstaddress before filling in the final answers in ink.

Once you have ink. Once you have completed the to answer sheet, return it to the below.

Photocopies are acceptable. completed the answer sheet, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable.

Questions

Questions 1. What is the significance of potential energy savings from

6. Smart building systems are not very effective from an the application of smart building technologies? operational viewpoint. savings areaccounts marginal withfor fewwhat opportunities available.of additional data management 6) The What is a typical range forrequired COP?disrupts existing 1) Refrigeration percentage □ Energy □ savings opportunities are pivotal as UK buildings use BMS □ Energy total global electricity use.

1-3 processes. □ SERIES 18 | MODULE 03 SEPTEMBER 2020 SERIES 17 09 | MARCH 2020 Smart building data does not add any value to building around 27 per cent of energy annually. □ per cent 1-4 □ □ operations.

Energy savings potential from Smart Buildings in UK is small □ 10 cent 2-5 building data adds significant value to building □ 14 □ Smart andper insignificant.

Energy persavings cent potential is zero as they would be too expensive 3-10 □ 17 □ operations.

SMART GRIDS□ Smart building data adds only marginal value to building SPACE HEATING to achieve. per cent □ 19 Please mark your answers below by placing a cross in the box. Don't forget that some operations.

Please mark your answers7) below by placing a cross the box.

Don't forget that some Which of these isinnot a type refrigeration might have more than one correct answer.

You may find itof helpful to mark the 2. By 2028 he potential future global marketquestions size for smart questions might have more than one correct answer. You may find it helpful to mark the answers in pencil first before filling in the final answers in ink.

Once you have completed compressor?

2) What percentage of a supermarket’s energy 7. Data smart no added buildings is estimated to reach: answers in pencil first before fillingcollected in the finalfrom answers in building ink. Oncesystems you havehave completed the answer sheet, return it to the address below. Photocopies are acceptable. the answer sheet, return itvalue address Photocopies are acceptable. over BMSbelow. installations. use is accounted for by refrigeration?

Scroll □ $83bn? □to the $54bn? □ 70 □ per cent Screw data granularity and features allow smart building □ □ Additional $265bn? technology to add significant value from learning and □ 60 QUESTIONS per cent Script □ □ adjusting operations that provide continual improvement.

QUESTIONS □ $120bn?

Reciprocating □ 50 per cent □main 1) The establishment of the Facilitate thefrom connection distributed ■ processing Additional data and a smartofbuilding 1. Which is the most common heating 6. Which thegeneration ‘delivery end’ ofvariable a vapourloads transmission grid began in whichmedia in renewable and 3. Smart buildings and installation will slow downisBMS operations.

40 per cent are just an advanced command □ wetdecade? systems? compression heat pump system? such as electric vehicles and heat pumps control system. andsavings smart building systems do not synchronise □ 8) BMS What could be expected from a 1oC ■ High temperature hot water ■ 1940s They do not integrate directly with BMS installations. particularly well. ■ The evaporator □ doeshead the abbreviation VPPcontrol? stand for? reduction from 7) floating pressure 3) What is the most common type of refrigeration ■ Steam The condenser ■ 1930s ■ What or disrupt BMS operations and can □ They require exiting BMS installations to be upgraded □ Smart building systems purchase programme ■ ■ Low temperature hot water The compressor ■ 1960s ■ Volume cycle?

2-4 per cent □ replaced. compromise existing energy savings gained from BMS. Voluntary protection programme ■ ■ Cold water ■ The slinky Smart building technology does not add any notable □ Absorption □ 3-5 2) Which key parameters need to beper cent ■ Virtual power plant 8.space The smart building global market is estimated to grow advantages over a BMS. controlled by smart grids? condensation 4-6heating per cent □ Vapour 2. What is the most common□ 7. Which of these factors is used by a weather Voltage and frequency between 2021 and 2028 Smart building technology well with BMS and■fuel adds and by. cannot □ Vapour in value the UK? compensation controlbe system?

Electricity stored in large compression 5-7 per cent 8) □ □ Frequency and current ■ many additional features. □ 33.3 per cent. ■ quantities by householders?

Building thermal inertia ■ Fuel oil □ Vapour evaporation ■ Voltage, current and frequency □ 54.1 per cent ■■ False only large utilities and industrial/ Time as of day ■ Electricity commercial energy providers can provide per cent a condenser 4. The installation of smart building technology can be gas 9) 21.6 Increasing size by 30 per cent □ Naturalthe Outsidefacilities air temperature ■ What’s ■ storage 3) main source of large-scale 10.7 per cent savings disruptive extended installation timesystem requirements □ might realise of?

4) Whichand part of the refrigeration Coalusescan Date ■ renewable ■ generation connecting to False ■ outweigh the financial benefits. the grid? the most input energy?

5 per cent □Smart householders canfor store electricity in ■ True as building systems are onlyfactors suitable cost and dry bulb9. □ The installation of multiple sensors adds significant Biomass 3. What is a typical space temperature 8. Which of these is used byinstallation ancharging optimum ■ in standalone batteries or when 10 per cent □ Evaporator □ new building projects. installation time. forWind a home? start control system? farms ■ their electric vehicles The use of wireless and IoT technology to connect remote building wireless sensors and systems cannot 15 per cent IoT■and □ Smart □ Compressor farms ■ 160C Level of building occupancy ■ Solar sensors ensures that cost, disruption and installation function properly9) in older with more densemeters? structures.

20 per cent Outside airmain temperature isbuildings the benefit of smart ■ 190Ctime are ■ What □ Condenser □ 4) variable building IoT■■and wireless sensors and systems will kept to a minimum. □ofSmart 220Care the main forms Boiler capacity They avoid the need for meter readers ■ What Defrosting □ electrical loads connecting at the investment function well in older buildings, with careful □ Payback times are too long to make smart building 240C Boilerprovide flow temperature ■ household accurate andplanning timely and ■ They ■ level?

10) What percentage of recovered heat could attractive. positioning of equipment. information on power flows across the be ■ Electric vehicles and heat pumps smart grid offor Project costs are toofor high to make smart building investment Older buildings are9.not suitable retrofit smart building ‘high-grade’?

5) is short □ COSP □ 4. What is currently the most common Which types space heating system can ■ Smart meters They facilitate the systems export of construction material for panelsystems radiators? management besurplus used to control? attractive. of System Pressure adoption.■building 5 per cent □ Coefficient □ ■ Home automation devices electricity from household solar PV building systems are only effective in modern panels □ Smart Coefficient of System Performance ■ Cast iron 10 per cent ■ Any □ 5. Additional data collected by smart building5) is threat □ lightweight Pressed steel ■technology ■ Wet systems What is the main to smart grids? buildings.

What does the technology VtG represent? of Specific Performance ■ Cast aluminium □ □ 15 per cent 10) notCoefficient particularly useful.

■ Air handling plant ■ Cost of implementation Variable Geometry Turbochargers ■ Smart buildingof Internet devices and data make easier for 10.

Smart not future proof. Specific Pressure perbuilding cent technology Copper Boilers toisallow ■itCyber □ Coefficient □ 20 ■ designed attacks ■ the effective aspect Smart building technology not replacetoBMS installations. building managers to implement energy savings. expertise ■ Lack of experience and□ ratio of will a turbocharger be altered as over are moreissuitable for delivering energy 5. Which of these is a key component of a 10.conditions What a thermostat? change □ Smart building Internet devices and data collection □ BMS installations mechanical ventilation system?

6) What are the main benefits of smart complicate building management operations. savings. of Trapped Gas associated with ■ A temperature sensitive switch ■ Volume building technology integration Aor fanadd any ■ grids? □ Smart building data does not offer any advantage □ Smartpower A temperature sensorwith BMS will continue ■ respiration Reduce the need for centralised ■ Vehicle to Grid enabling EV batteries to ■ value over BMS. your details below in■block to grow.

An atrium ■ A proportional control device Please complete capitals. generation discharge to the gridwith to ‘smooth’ high is of little Smart building technology integration BMS will not ■ A chimney □ Most of the data gathered by smart building sensors □ A digital display device ■ electricity peak demand profiles.

■ Encourage connection of electric vehicles ■ Opening windows use for delivering energy savings. continue to grow.

ENTRY FORM

Name....................................................................................................... (Mr. Mrs, Ms) .......................................................................................................................................................

Please Pleasecomplete completeyour yourdetails detailsbelow belowin inblock blockcapitals capitals

Please................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. complete your details below in block capitals.

Business Name Name......................................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................................(Mr. (Mr.Mrs, Mrs,Ms) Ms).................................... ....................................

Name.......................................................................................................

(Mr. Mrs, Ms) .......................................................................................................................................................

Business Address ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Business Business.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Business ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Business BusinessAddress Address................................................................................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Business Address ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................Post Code ...........................................................................................................................................................

How to obtain a CPD accreditation from the Energy Institute This is the second module in the nineteenth series and focuses sixth module in the nineteenth series and focuses on on Refrigeration. is accompanied accompanied by by aa set set of of multiple-choice multiple-choice Smart Buildings. ItIt is questions.

To qualify for a CPD certificate readers must submit at least eight of the ten sets of questions from this series of modules to EiBI for the Energy Institute to mark. Anyone achieving at least eight out of ten correct answers on eight separate articles qualifies for an Energy Institute CPD certificate. This can be obtained, on successful completion of the course and notification by the Energy Institute, FREE OF CHARGE for both Energy Institute members and non-members.

The articles, written by a qualified member of the Energy Institute, will appeal to those new energy management and to Energy in and and the Energy Institute are Energy inBuildings Buildings andIndustry Industry and theto Energy Institute aredelighted delighted to with more experience of the subject. have teamed up you Professional havethose teamed upto tobring bring youthis thisContinuing Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment Development initiative.

Modules from the past 18 series can be obtained free of initiative.

This is module series and focuses onon Smart Grids. It charge.

Send yourin request to editor@eibi.co.uk.

Alternatively, This isthe thethird ninth module inthe theeighteenth seventeenth series and focuses Space is accompanied bydownloaded a set of multiple-choice questions.

Heating. is accompanied by a set of multiple-choice questions. theyItcan be from the EiBI website: www.eibi.co.uk

How to obtain a CPD accreditation from the Energy Institute

To Toqualify qualifyfor foraaCPD CPDcertificate certificatereaders readersmust mustsubmit submitat atleast leasteight eightof ofthe the ten tensets setsof ofquestions questionsfrom fromthis thisseries seriesof ofmodules modulesto toEiBI EiBIfor forthe theEnergy Energy SERIES JUNE 2021 � MAY 2022 Institute to Anyone achieving at eight of Institute tomark. mark.19 Anyone achieving atleast least eightout out often tencorrect correctanswers answerson on eight articles qualifies eightseparate separate articles qualifiesfor foran anEnergy EnergyInstitute InstituteCPD CPDcertificate. certificate.This Thiscan canbe be 1. Electric Vehicles obtained, obtained,on onsuccessful successfulcompletion completionof ofthe thecourse courseand andnotification notificationby bythe theEnergy Energy 2. Refrigeration Refrigeration Institute, Institute,free freeof ofcharge chargefor forboth bothEnergy EnergyInstitute Institutemembers membersand andnon-members. non-members.

3. Underfloor Heating* Heating The Thearticles, articles,written writtenby byaaqualified qualifiedmember memberof ofthe theEnergy EnergyInstitute, Institute,will willappeal appeal 4.

Combined Heat & Power* Power to those new to energy management and those with more experience to those new to energy management and those with more experienceof ofthe the 5.

Humidification* Passivhaus subject. subject.

6.

Smart Buildings* Modules from the past 16 series can be obtained free of charge.

Send Smart Modules fromBuildings the past 16 series can be obtained free of charge. Send your to Alternatively, 7. Photovoltaics & Batteries* yourrequest request toeditor@eibi.co.uk. editor@eibi.co.uk.

Alternatively,they theycan canbe bedownloaded downloaded from website: fromthe the EiBIHandling* website:www.eibi.co.uk www.eibi.co.uk 8. EiBI Air

9. Variable Speed Drives* 10. Boilers & Burners*

* Only17 available to download after publication date 18 SERIES SERIES SERIES 16 SERIES 17 MAY MAY2019 2018--APR APR2020 2019

MAY JUNE- APR 20202020 - MAY 2021 MAY/2019

11 Batteries 11 Energy Efficiency Legislation BEMS & Storage Batteries & Storage 22 Energy as a Service 22 Building Controls Refrigeration Energy as a Service 33 Water Management 33 Smart LED Technology Water Grids Management 44 Demand Side Response 44 Lighting District Heating DemandTechnology* Side Response 55 Drives & Motors 55 Heat Pumps* Air Conditioning Drives & Motors 66 Blockchain Technology 66 Metering & Monitoring* Behaviour Change Blockchain Technology 77 Compressed Air 77 Air Conditioning* Thermal Imaging Compressed Air 88 Energy Purchasing 88 Boilers Burners* Solar Thermal Energy&Purchasing Terms: in submitting your completed youChange* are indicating 99 Space Heating 99 answers Behaviour Smart Buildings Space Heating consent to Management EiBI’s holding and processing the personal data 10 Centre 10 Heat & Power* 10 Data Biomass Boilers 10 Combined Data Centre Management* you have provided to us, in accordance with legal bases set out

**ONLY available to from the after ONLY available todownload download fromlaw. thewebsite website after publication date under data protection Further topublication this, EiBI will share willdate share youryour details

details the Energy Institute withthis whom this CPDis series with thewith Energy Institute (EI) with(EI) whom CPD series run is in contractual partnership. will process your details in run contractual partnership.

The EIThe will EI process your details for Terms: submitting your answers you are consent to EiBI’s for the purposes ofcompleted marking your answers and issuing your CPD Terms: in submitting your completed answers youand areindicating indicating consent to EiBI’s thein purposes of marking your answers issuing your CPD holding and data you us, holding andprocessing processing thepersonal personal data youhave haveprovided provided totimes us,in inaccordance accordance certificate.

Your the details will be kept securely at allto and in a with legal bases set out under data protection law.

Further to this, EiBI will share with manner legal bases set out under data law. Further to this,laws.

EiBI will share complaint with all protection relevant data protection For full your details the Institute (EI) whom this yourdetails detailswith with theEnergy Energy Institute (EI)with with whomvisit thisCPD CPDseries seriesis isrun runin in on the EI’s privacy policy please www.energyinst. contractual contractualpartnership. partnership.The TheEI EIwill willprocess processyour yourdetails detailsfor forthe thepurposes purposesof ofmarking marking org/privacy. your youranswers answersand andissuing issuingyour yourCPD CPDcertificate. certificate.Your Yourdetails detailswill willbe bekept keptsecurely securelyat at all alltimes timesand andin inaamanner mannercomplaint complaintwith withall allrelevant relevantdata dataprotection protectionlaws. laws. For Forfull full details the privacy please details onhear theEI’s EI’smore privacypolicy policy please visit www.energyinst.org/privacy.

Toon from thevisit EIwww.energyinst.org/privacy. subscribe to our ••To more the EI to mailing list: https://myprofile.energyinst.

Tohear hear morefrom from thevisit EIsubscribe subscribe toour ourmailing mailinglist: list:visit visithttps://myprofile. https://myprofile. energyinst.org/EmailPreferences/Subscribe energyinst.org/EmailPreferences/Subscribe org/EmailPreferences/Subscribe

org/EmailPreferences/Subscribe

...................................................................................................................Post Code ........................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................Post PostCode Code.............................................................................................. ..............................................................................................

email address........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ email address........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ email emailaddress address......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Tel No. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Tel No. ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Tel TelNo. No.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Completed answers should be mailed to: should be to: The Education Department, Energy inCompleted Buildingsanswers & Industry, Box 825, Completed answers shouldP.O. bemailed mailed to: Guildford, GU4 8WQ. The TheEducation EducationDepartment, Department,Energy Energyin inBuildings Buildings& & Industry, Industry,P.O. P.O.Box Box Or scan and e-mail to: editor@eibi.co.uk.

825, 825,GUILDFORD, GUILDFORD,GU4 GU48WQ. 8WQ.Or Orscan scanand and e-mail e-mailto toeditor@eibi.co.uk. editor@eibi.co.uk.All All All modules will then be supplied to the Energy Institute for marking modules will then be supplied to the Energy Institute for marking modules will then be supplied to the Energy Institute for marking Produced in Association with

Produced Producedin inAssociation Associationwith with

20 24 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | SEPTEMBER MARCH 20202020

20 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JULY�AUGUST JANUARY 20222021 EIBI_0920_017-20(M).indd EIBI_3220_021-24(M).indd 44

EIBI_0721_017-20(M).indd EIBI_0122_017-20(M).indd 4

03/09/2020 03/03/2020 17:25 22:44

07/07/2021 07/01/2022 12:28 02:32

EIBI_0122_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 11/01/2022 14:33 Page 21

Products in Action Boilers for London project As part of a major refurbishment, ELCO Heating Solutions has supplied four TRIGON XXL boilers, 80 Nexus Dual Stage Combined Heat Interface Units (HIUs) and a 10,000-litre thermal store to the historic Regent’s Crescent, London. The development comprises 67 grade I listed apartments, nine villas, swimming pool and spa - all of which required a robust and highly efficient heating and hot water system.

ELCO’s TRIGON XXL boilers and HIUs were specified for the project by Midgard in order to provide a comprehensive system, delivering highly efficient heating and instantaneous bulk hot water production within the complex.

The boilers are connected to ELCO’s Nexus Dual Stage Combined HIUs, which provide heating and cooling outputs up to 20kW, along with large volumes of instantaneous DHW up to 150kW – suitable for Regent’s Crescent residential apartments. In addition, all the HIUs benefit from an optimised SWEP stainless steel heat exchanger, while electronic PID controls and sensors ensure comfortable temperatures.

Hotel refurbishment helped by latest AHUs Radisson RED London Heathrow and Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre London Heathrow, the largest hotel at the airport, have been equipped with the latest high-performance

CIAT and Toshiba HVAC technology as part of a major refurbishment. The solution was provided by Toshiba Carrier UK Ltd. The recently rebranded four-star hotel has an indoor swimming pool,

a spa with sauna and jacuzzi, a restaurant, lounge and bar, and spacious conference facilities that can accommodate more than 800 delegates, all now served by a

high-performance CIAT Floway 5000 air handling unit (AHU), ensuring comfort for guests and low-running costs for the hotel.

The Floway AHU is equipped with a counterflow plate exchanger that manages airtight air flows between fresh and extracted air. This recovers up to 80 per cent of the energy that would otherwise be lost from the building via exhaust air, transferring it to incoming fresh air to temper it.

The CIAT AHU is paired with a Toshiba DX outdoor condensing unit and heat recovery ventilation system, while two Toshiba SMMS-e VRF systems deliver cooling and heating via 11 ducted indoor units with concealed diffusers.

Completing the system are two Toshiba Carrier UK DX-powered door curtains over the building’s main entrance.

Monitoring & Metering

Tim Hooper is managing director, Elcomponent Ltd

A new approach to metering Tim Hooper believes a new approach is needed to sub metering. We need to sweep away the assumption that it is a fit-and-forget item but focus on a long-term strategy

L

ike many existing energy management technologies and techniques, sub-metering is not new or particularly cutting edge. Yet there is still a frustrating number of large organisations not reaping the benefits that metering data can provide and smaller companies simply not utilising their data at all.

There are many reasons why metering data is under-utilised, these range from poorly specified systems to systems designed to a price without due consideration to how the data must be used. Also, the lack of knowledge in both operating metering and using metering data often results in degradation and neglect of the metering data. And it’s a bad assumption to think metering is ‘simple’ or ‘fit and forget’.

It’s inconceivable to think that data for energy and carbon consumption will not need to be collected and used for the whole net zero journey.

Metering data is just a small part of the full data set needed, but it is a critical one.

Metering is a key requirement for tracking, quantifying and identification of energy and carbon reduction and is essential for all organisations embarking on a plan to net zero.

plan, and therefore, its importance is escalated. It won’t be acceptable to assume meters can be easily fitted and will provide an everlasting river of good quality data.

In reality, it’s not the metering or system itself that is important but the data it provides. Organisations must recognise this and consider three issues that may have been ignored previously: • it’s all about the data – and the data must be reliable and useable for the

next 15-25 years; • metering and systems, therefore, need to operate for the full 15–25-year duration, if the data is to be complete, accurate and up to date. To allow this to happen, the metering technology must be designed to read existing meters from any manufacturer and use standard protocols for reading future meter types; • future-proofing the data – this relates to the accessibility of the data, the system must be capable

Fig. 1 The abatement opportunities to reach net zero

Managing metering data

Realising that the data is needed also requires acknowledgement that metering data must be well managed and maintained.

Fig. 1 shows a typical waterfall graph showing emissions and the abatement opportunities to reach net zero. In all cases data (metering data and other data) will be required for accurate reporting and progress tracking.

It is time that energy managers, sustainability managers and specifiers accept and embrace the need for metering data. Turning a blind eye, stating it is too difficult, or ticking compliance boxes should no longer be an acceptable approach. Metering and metering data needs to be understood and used. Whether that is in house capability or by using expert third party providers.

Metering (and this will apply to many other forms of other necessary data) needs to be considered as a long-term foundation of the net zero

Fig. 2 The three major components of an energy metering system

of working today but also have data sharing capabilities to work tomorrow.

Based on current behaviours, adoption, and operation of metering systems, it’s still the case that organisations are still fitting proprietary systems and locking themselves into a technology that may not last 25 years. Locking data into proprietary systems is restrictive and over the medium to long term, likely to result in both sub-standard data and higher costs. Additionally, many systems claiming to be metering systems do not allow full portability of data.

With this in mind, metering systems now need to be considered quite differently from the past.

Three major components

A metering system comprises of three major components (see Fig. 2): • the meters (typically electricity, water, gas and heat). There are many meter manufacturers, so a new system must be agnostic to the existing meters but also agnostic to new metering available over the coming years. Proprietary equipment at this level should be avoided and new systems should utilise as much of the existing meters as possible; • the data collection system. This is an area where energy and sustainability managers must consider the data.

Fundamentally, the data collection system is just a conduit to read and store the data and to pass it to another system for analysis. Data collection will need to perform a lot of operational functions (reading/ storing/data checking etc) but most importantly the data collection system should be agnostic to the meters it is reading and similarly agnostic to the data analytics platform it is feeding; and • data analytics. There are many analytic options available and there will be even more choices in the future. It is critical that any platform can easily receive data from various sources and formats (most already do).

It is very likely that the analytics tools you have today may be replaced three or four times over the journey to net zero as will the number of specialists, consultants and analysts.

This approach has not yet been fully adopted by specifiers and energy professionals. Rather, metering and metering systems have been engineered to meet minimum compliance standards rather than underpin a strategic plan. 

22 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_022(M).indd 1

11/01/2022 12:25

EIBI_0122_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 11/01/2022 12:09 Page 23

Monitoring & Metering Valves and meters combine for energy control and billing BELIMO’S new range of Belimo Energy Valves and Thermal Energy Meters integrate energy metering, energy control, and IoT-enabled billing in one device.

The MID-approved Thermal Energy Meters assure high accuracy and reliability, allowing for easy and efficient billing while the Belimo Energy Valve controls the thermal flow and optimises the energy supply to the user.

With this important combination, Belimo is stepping into a new era of integrated thermal energy management.

It offers seamless and direct integration to the BMS or to IoT-based monitoring platforms, with IoT-based monitoring, performance tools and billing data.

The Belimo Energy Valve offers certified energy metering (MID) and

pressure-independent flow, energy efficiency, power control and delta T management. The Energy Valve also monitors and instantly optimises energy consumption for optimal system performance.

The Belimo Thermal Energy Meter is certified according to EN 1434/MID and is equipped for remote, IoT-based billing. Belimo’s patented automated glycol monitoring and compensation ensure that measurement remains

accurate, even if the glycol concentrations change, says the company.

Thermal Energy Meters use ultrasonic transit time technology and as a result are dirt-resistant, wear free and they measure precisely. This is achieved thanks to a fast-measuring cycle. The multipoint wet calibration of each individual meter in production, ensures high accuracy over the entire flow measurement range.

The Belimo Thermal Energy Meter can also be installed either in the return flow or in the supply flow of the system.

The application and installation position are provided to the valve during setup using a smartphone and the Belimo Assistant App or using a laptop and the built in web-server, adds Belimo.

Among other key features are: • accurate measurement which is based on ultrasonic transit time technology; • ready for IoT-based billing; • simple setup and configuration with the Belimo Assistant App; • analogue/digital signal conversion of passive and active sensors or switches; • analogue output (DC0...10V) is available and can output the flow rate or temperature of the fluid; • seamless integration in the building management system via bus communication; • device can be powered and data can be transferred directly via an Ethernet cable (PoE); and • easy and direct connection to the Belimo cloud.

EIBI_0122_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 11/01/2022 10:39 Page 24

Monitoring & Metering

Metering unit developed with future-proof features Incorporating state-of-the-art technology the Sontex Supercal 5 metering unit boasts many future proof features, all set within a userfriendly interface. Features include configuration via NFC interface, modular concept with 2 card slots, several tariffs and LoRaWAN. It can also be supplied with Wireless M-Bus for data transfer.

Available in the UK from DMS Ltd, the Supercal 5 succeeds the Supercal 531. The new series integrator is characterised by the latest multifunctional technologies. It meets customer-specific needs such as

simplified system integration, tariff and data logger functions, universal data transfer and connection to system processors.

Its volume input can be combined with mechanical, magnetic-flow, ultrasonic or fluidic oscillators flow sensors.

It has additional pulse inputs that allow the connection of hot or cold water, gas, oil, and electricity meters, any meter with a pulsed output. Thanks to its extensive range of options for data communication, as well as its flexibility for collecting and recording dynamic plant data, the Supercal 5 can also lend itself well to applications in district heating networks and industry installations.

The Supercal 5 is equipped with a battery as standard,

other power supply modules are also available. The Supercal 5 is compatible with the full-size range of Superstatic 440 meters – DN15 to DN500.

Other features include: • optimisation of the housing for easier installation; • NFC technology for simplified and user-friendly configuration using Superprog Android; • large illuminated dot-matrix display (128×64) for improved navigation in poor lighting; • two LEDs indicate, in real-time, the status of the calculator; • fully customisable tariff and data logger functions; • display menu position customisable

by Superprog Windows Software; • lifespan of 6+1 years without additional power supply module; and • expanded data storage for enhanced monitoring.

Monitoring & Metering

Dan Shields is CEO of Shields Energy

Bring together monitoring and analytics Investing in energy efficiency and off grid solutions should start and stop with sub-metering and data analytics solutions. Dan Shields discusses their invaluable role

T

he climate crisis is certainly not breaking news. However, the COP26 summit has served to underline the issue’s importance and provided a timely reminder of the urgency with which we must all act. Among the summit’s goals is to secure global NetZero by midcentury, a target that will require significant changes to the way we generate and use energy.

For businesses, this has brought environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) into the spotlight, along with the need to reduce commercial buildings’ operational energy usage. There are many strategies that businesses can employ to progress their net-zero commitments, however, once these methods are in place, it is essential that their effectiveness can be measured.

Without the ability to analyse the results of these new energy conservation measures, it is impossible to confirm whether they are delivering on their promises and supporting the business in its goals.

The most effective way of verifying the impact of strategic changes and energy efficiency technology is through comprehensive submetering, making this an integral part of the journey to NetZero.

There is a broad spectrum of energy efficiency measures being implemented by businesses on their journey to net-zero. These methods vary based on the kind of operations being run, the buildings themselves and the level of investment available. Some of the most efficient conservation strategies include: • switching to alternative sources of heat such as heat pumps; • staff training to encourage behavioural changes that will reduce individual energy usage; • moving over to renewable sources of power such as solar and wind; • developing on-site generation with wind turbines, photovoltaic technology or combined heat and power technology; • introducing electric vehicles

verify the savings that are made as a result of the updates. This can ensure that the technology or strategy is working correctly and that the results align with the business’ targets. While mains metering is capable of indicating whether a building’s energy usage has changed based on a periodby-period comparison after the energy conservation measures are in place, sub-metering can provide a much more granular account of how the updates have impacted consumption.

Minute-by-minute breakdown

into delivery fleets or as company cars; • implementing intelligent building controls to help limit waste consumption by controlling assets such as lighting and air conditioning according to occupancy and demand; and • updating the building fabric to improve energy performance, for example, upgrading roofing or insulation.

These energy efficiency measures can have a transformative effect on a business’ carbon emissions.

However, implementing them correctly takes time and requires significant financial investment.

So it’s crucial for both the business’ environmental commitments and bottom line that the results they generate are quantifiable, which makes sub-metering an invaluable tool from the outset of an energy conservation project.

Things (IoT) device, CODA, combines cost-effective monitoring control and data analytics that help businesses make better decisions.

This system provides sub-metering for buildings and their assets by connecting to mains metering and gathering and interpreting the collected data to create real-time insights on the energy consumption

Research and forecast

of the site. This granular level of data enables energy managers and business owners to discover areas of energy usage that could be improved and then make strategic changes based on the most accurate information for each building or business.

Once the energy efficiency solutions have been implemented, sub-metering can measure and

Before investing in energy efficiency measures, energy managers can research and forecast the benefits that various solutions might bring to the business in terms of consumption, cost, and carbon emissions. However, if the building is sub-metered, the accuracy of these predictions can be improved.

Shields Energy’s Internet of

Without the tangible evidence that sub-metering can provide, the intended outcomes cannot be proven

Sub-metering devices like CODA continuously monitor a site or building and provide a minute-byminute breakdown of the activity.

This real-time data can highlight whether a building or business is operating more efficiently after implementing the changes. For example, are the newly installed heat pumps using less energy than the previous heating system or has the staff training resulted in lighting and kettles being used more efficiently during business hours.

The CODA system also makes it possible to consider factors such as individual asset use, office hours and occupier activities to build a more detailed picture of the energy expenditure pre and post the conservation measure.

It is also possible to integrate third-party software into the submetering system to provide energy managers with further insight. For example, CODA can work alongside weather applications, enabling the external temperature and conditions to be factored into the building’s energy usage patterns.

This additional contextual information is key to making genuinely impactful changes in terms of reducing both the environmental and financial cost of running a business.

While energy conservation strategies may be implemented with the best intentions, sub-metering is essential to be truly effective and efficient. Without the tangible evidence that sub-metering can provide, the intended outcomes cannot be proven. However, by harnessing this critical technology, it’s possible to demonstrate your business’s progress towards improving efficiency, lowering carbon emissions, and reducing energy costs. 

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 25

EIBI_0122_025(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 10:03

Monitoring & Metering

Peter Burbridge is managing director of Pressac

Knowledge in the cloud

Why cloud-based energy monitoring is the key to reducing your organisation’s carbon emissions. Peter Burbridge examines the benefits

W

ith the recent COP26 summit laying bare the stark realities of climate change, businesses large and small will be urgently reviewing their carbon reduction commitments.

Where once it may have been seen as a ‘nice to do’ there is no longer any escaping the fact that each and every one of us has a responsibility to do our bit to save the planet.

The conference heard that if the world is to stand any chance of meeting current climate change targets– a 45 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 – much more needs to be done. If the targets fail to be met, temperatures could rise well in excess of the 2oC deemed to be ‘safe’, with irreversible damage done to the planet.

With the energy sector responsible for almost three-quarters of current greenhouse gas emissions, it’s easy to see why reducing energy consumption is so crucial.

For many businesses this will mean a renewed focus on energy management strategies. Are the current systems in place enough?

How can we measure progress against targets?

Which is where the role of smart

technology becomes ever more important. Smart technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) have already helped many organisations make huge advances in reducing their energy usage, but as the drive to reach net zero by 2050 ramps up, it will no longer be something reserved for big businesses.

Advances in the technology used mean it is becoming more accessible and affordable for all and will be a key part of many companies’ carbon reduction toolkits.

Centrally stored hub

Smart technology is the name for devices connected to the internet that can collect and transmit data to a centrally stored hub. This hub can be local to the organisation but, increasingly, will be part of the cloud – information stored on a secure area of the internet, without

the need for external servers.

Typically, the technology consists of sensors and receivers, which can measure a range of different parameters including temperature, air quality or how much power is running through a piece of equipment.

When it comes to energy monitoring this is usually carried out with CT clamps or current

Being able to monitor usage trends means you can look at specific rooms or offices

Sensors help to 10 per cent energy cut

Software provider SensorFact helped its customers reduce their energy consumption by an average of 10 per cent when they integrated Pressac’s wireless sensors into their systems. As a result, Netherlands-based SensorFact has grown its customer base rapidly and their energy-monitoring solution is now used by brands including McDonald’s and Heineken.

sensors which are placed on cables and monitor how much power is running to and through them. They can measure energy consumption at a circuit, zone or machine level, while temperature sensors can give an indication of how much energy is being generated.

Monitoring energy usage across your organisation in this way has a number of benefits: • continuous monitoring in real-time: Using smart technology means you have a continuous view of the energy use within your building. Data collected by the sensors is fed back to a central dashboard and, at any given point in time, you can see the energy usage picture across your building or organisation, meaning you always have a clear picture of your energy consumption; • the ability to make instant changes: You can react instantly to implement changes to reduce energy usage as you have an overview of areas of high energy usage. It helps to identify things like machines left running when they shouldn’t be or equipment that isn’t performing as efficiently as it should be and may need maintenance; • helps ensure a consistent, reliable power supply: By monitoring the energy flowing into and out of machinery you can spot potential issues before they arise, for example surges in demand at particular times, and put plans in place to change these; • reporting and planning becomes easier: Data produced by the systems means you can easily produce reports on energy usage for your organisation – something that will be crucial when being measured against ambitious energy-saving targets. Being able to monitor usage trends also means you can look at specific machinery, rooms or offices and develop action plans for energy reduction; • it helps with staff engagement: Being able to produce data which shows people exactly what impact changes are having is a useful tool in making sure everyone in the business plays their part in reducing energy use; and • it’s flexible: Using cloud computing systems allows organisations to flex their capacity as needed. It means you can scale up and down as your needs change without having spent vast sums of money on expensive IT equipment. 

26 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_026(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 10:14

Monitoring & Metering

Julian Grant is general manager, Chauvin Arnoux UK Ltd

A portable energy logger will give a valuable insight as to when motors are running

Unstaffed but still consuming

Many business premises are standing unused and unstaffed. But, says Julian Grant, this is a very important time to ensure your business is not using energy it doesn’t need

W

hy would I bother looking at energy consumption when operations have stopped, and offices are virtually empty? Surely there is no energy usage to speak of in such circumstances?” Although this might at first sound like a valid thought up to 46 per cent of the electrical energy used by SMEs was consumed outside normal business hours, according to a survey by British Gas. And, when a business is shut down because of the coronavirus, all day every day is “outside normal business hours.” With that startling 46 per cent figure in mind, it’s clear that energy usage during the shutdown is something that’s well worth investigating.

The key to gaining accurate and dependable information about your electrical energy usage is to use a portable energy logger (PEL).

These versatile instruments can be easily installed at a distribution switchboard where they will monitor and record energy usage, along with a lot of other useful information.

Some types can monitor multiple circuits simultaneously, which makes it easy for you to collect separate information for energy used by lighting, by HVAC systems, by

machinery, by IT installations and so on.

A PEL is an all-in-one instrument that measures a whole range of electrical parameters, such as voltage, frequency, current, real power, reactive power, harmonic levels and more. Crucially, the PEL doesn’t only measure these parameters, it also stores the results over a period of time that can range from a few minutes to months. This is essential, as some key issues, like equipment that is not needed during the shutdown but is still switched on and off automatically by a timer, can only be identified by looking at time-stamped energy usage records.

ideally without the need to turn off the power.

Another thing you should perhaps consider is the energy saving opportunity with individual motors.

They consume around 40 per cent of all electricity used worldwide, and account for more than twothirds of the electricity consumed by industry. Their performance degrades over time, and combined with advances in technology over

Real time analysis

Built with ease of use in mind, the best PELs have a large easy-to-read display and a clear logical menu system for selecting the parameters to be measured, stored and displayed. The ideal PEL should be supported by powerful yet intuitive software that can be used on a PC to analyse results. Further, in many applications the ability to monitor and analyse results in real time is valuable. A good PEL will be suitable for use on single-phase, split-phase and three-phase systems and will be designed so that it’s easy to install –

Portable energy loggers can prove to be a profitable long-term investment

the past few decades, replacing old motors can easily improve efficiency by 20 to 30 per cent.

The cost of running a motor for a year can be 10 times what it cost to buy it in the first place, and most replacement programmes will have a payback time of 1 to 3 years.

Start with your biggest motors first, because this is where you’re likely to be able to make the biggest savings. It will often be worth installing a PEL either temporarily or permanently, as this will provide a lot of useful information. The log will, for example, show exactly when the motor was running, which is important because a good way to waste energy is to leave the motor running when it’s not needed – during tea and lunch breaks, for example.

Data from the PEL will also let you work out whether the motor is oversized. This is a significant issue because the efficiency of a standard induction motors falls as the load on it decreases and, below about 50 per cent of its maximum loading, its efficiency will be decidedly poor.

So, if the log reveals that the motor spends its whole life lightly loaded, it might pay you to fit a smaller replacement.

Next, look closely at how the motor is controlled. If it has simple start-stop control – that is, it’s either running at full speed or stopped – you may well be able to make big savings by fitting a variable speed drive (VSD), especially if the motor is driving a fan or a pump.

You may be thinking that with the present restrictions on travel, you won’t want to be visiting your business premises regularly to check on the data collected by a PEL. The good news is that if you choose a Chauvin Arnoux PEL, you don’t have to. Once the PEL has been installed you can access it remotely, so that you can safely and conveniently monitor energy usage and all of the other parameters it records from the comfort and security of your own home – or, indeed, any other location where you have internet access. The remote access feature is easy to set up using the PEL Transfer software package which is available free-of-charge from the Chauvin Arnoux website.

Buying a PEL can be a very profitable long-term investment and connecting to it remotely can give you valuable insights even if you can’t regularly visit the site. 

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 27

EIBI_0122_027(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 10:20

EIBI_0122_002-0 Edit_Layout 1 11/01/2022 13:19 Page 28

New Products

CPD focuses on best use of modern boilers ATAG COMMERCIAL has introduced a new CIBSE-accredited Continuing Professional Development (CPD) module, focussing on the best use of modern condensing boilers.

Aimed primarily at consultants and building services engineers, the CPD will outline how key aspects of modern boilers – such as heat exchangers, burners and controls – have developed in recent years, as well as consider their influence on system design.

There will also be detailed explanations of energy saving applications, as well as technical schematics.

In addition, the module will highlight how modern condensing boilers reduce carbon and NOx emissions, boosting a project’s overall levels of efficiency,

while helping improve air quality in built-up areas. This information will be presented alongside the essential facts about heat exchanger materials and functionality, as well as burners, pumps and low loss headers.

Detailed analysis of these core components will allow engineers to ascertain the best selection of products to use on a project, plus how best to incorporate these elements into a system design. There will also be a focus on recommended flow and return temperatures, with an emphasis on how to keep these low without compromising reliability or efficiency.

Interested parties can register at www.atagcommercial.co.uk/installers/ product-training/ or by emailing enquiries@atagcommercial.co.uk.

Power analyser with integrated M-bus CARLO GAVAZZI has extended its product offering by launching the WM15 power analyser. The unit, a 96x96 panel mount power analyser for three phase systems, has integrated M-bus complete with an additional static port for reading of gas, heat and water meters.

electrical variables and harmonic distortion and now includes a lasered secondary address on the front panel for unique identification aiding fast commissioning and troubleshooting on the entire system. The intuitive setup and navigation ensure an easy-to-install meter while the wizard and wiring check on first start-up provides a quick, guided and error free installation and

The WM15’s self-power supply and phase sequence detection provides error proof installation as well as various interfacing capabilities such as digital output for pulse transmission or alarm, optional RS485 Modbus RTU (100ms data refresh) and continuous sampling of each voltage and current.

28 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

Boilers & Burners

Steve Addis is product manager at Lochinvar

Gas-fired water heaters will remain important for buildings such as hotels

The end is not nigh Despite what you might infer from the government’s Heat & Buildings strategy, the gas boiler still has a long future, says Steve Addis

T

he journey towards a net zero carbon future will involve a range of solutions – many of which do still involve the burning of natural gas.

The clue is in the word ‘net’.

The priority is to reduce carbon emissions, it does not matter whether we use renewables, lowcarbon ‘conventional’ technologies or a combination of both because the aim is to get emissions to a low enough level where any remainder can be offset by other means – and to do it in an affordable way.

The heating and hot water sector has been lowering carbon for many years and we have the scope to go further and faster with existing technologies. Renewables will play an increasingly important role, but gas-fired heating and hot water products will be equally important.

The government’s Heat & Buildings strategy restates its longterm commitment to low carbon alternatives to traditional heating technologies, but it does not signal the end of natural gas boilers any time soon. Yes, it will no longer be permitted to install new gas boilers in homes from 2035 as the government seeks to transition to heat pumps and other non-fossil fuel technologies, but the need to continue using a full range of

carbon reducing, energy-efficient solutions in both the domestic and commercial building stock will still be with us in 2050.

These technologies also represent the most realistic, affordable, and practical approach to achieving low carbon targets without depriving end users of their everyday requirement for heating and hot water.

However, we will have to improve the energy efficiency of all buildings – that is a given. Poor energy performance is not just bad for emissions, it is often the most obvious symptom of a building that is generally not fit for purpose.

Energy efficiency is also just as important as low carbon sources of power in the battle to narrow the country’s looming grid capacity gap and help us on the road to net zero.

However, it depends on being able to gather useful and accurate ‘real’ energy consumption data that can inform a mass programme of building retrofits.

Growth at breakneck speed

At a time when the use of digital connectivity is growing at breakneck speed and giving us unprecedented access to data from multiple sources, it is important that any information gathered about building performance is not simply

logged but is turned into something that building owners and managers can understand and use to inform energy saving strategies.

Unfortunately, the way energy efficiency is currently measured in non-domestic buildings for regulatory purposes is fundamentally flawed because it looks only at primary energy

The hybrid approach is the only realistic way to address the most significant challenge facing our sector and carbon emissions. It does not properly measure ‘real life’ energy use and the actual performance of the building. Part L of the Building Regulations does follow performance-based standards, but these are calculated using a ‘notional’ building which does not incentivise innovation in the design of the building in question.

If regulation was focused more directly on actual energy usage it would be much easier for building owners and managers to understand what is happening in their building and invest in the necessary changes.

Driving greater uptake of smart metering and sub-metering is key to delivering this change.

The current energy ‘emergency’ leading to huge spikes in wholesale prices has starkly reinforced the need to keep improving efficiency in use of gas-fired systems. However, our sector has already made huge strides by refining the design of individual products and by using more ‘hybrid’ solutions. These involve a combination of high efficiency gas-fired products with renewables to further reduce carbon while providing the necessary capacity to meet a building’s comfort and hot water needs.

Hybrids also reduce running costs and extend the operating life of the equipment by only using the gasfired products in back-up mode. This is another key to reducing carbon.

If you have to replace products on a regular basis, you will increase your overall carbon footprint significantly.

The hybrid approach is also the only realistic way to address the most significant challenge facing our sector, which is how to minimise emissions from existing buildings. The replacement of gasfired boilers with heat pumps in a care home for example, is likely to mean a complete system redesign as existing radiators would not be suitable for the low temperature heat produced. Heat pumps are significantly more expensive than gas-fired boilers and such a system redesign would involve a further substantial increase in capital cost, not to mention the considerable disruption to the residents and management.

Gas-fired water heaters will also remain important for buildings like hotels with significant peak hot water periods as they are designed on the principles of low storage with fast recovery. Heat pumps cannot provide such rapid response, which would mean a substantial increase in the amount of hot water storage required. Higher storage capacity usually equals higher storage losses and means that additional plant room space would be required. This will represent a major practical challenge. 

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 29

EIBI_0122_029(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 10:36

Drives & Motors

Carl Turbitt is HVAC Drives UK sales manager, ABB

As many as 80 per cent of motors run without variable speed controls.

HVAC systems could be a major beneficiary of their use

The drive for more sustainable buildings

The electric motors powering a building’s HVAC system can sometimes be an overlooked candidate for achieving rapid energy savings in a cost effective way, as Carl Turbitt explains

W

hen you ask most people “what are the top ways of saving energy?” the most common suggestions tend to be things like “turning the lights off” or “switching energy suppliers” or “installing solar panels on the roof”. While all of these actions do of course help, they tend to only ever make an incremental difference, and only then over the course of months or years.

There is another way, which can dramatically reduce an organisation’s energy costs and carbon footprint almost overnight with comparatively little investment, and no behavioural change. Consider the electric motor.

Outside of industrial facilities, low voltage motors are actually far more common than you might think, but are often working behind the scenes and hidden away from view. Most public and commercial buildings will have a plant room containing a number of motors driving the pumps and fans that control the building’s heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems. In certain buildings like swimming pools, hospitals, cinemas, or even underground or multi-storey car parks, there may

be dozens of motors controlling temperature and conditions in various parts of the building, and each of these motors represent an opportunity to save vast amounts of energy.

It’s estimated that up to 80 per cent of motors are run without any form of variable speed control, meaning they are effectively running at full power all the time, regardless of building occupancy or demand. Some may even be running overnight when the building is vacant. This is simply how motors work – they are either on or off, with nothing in between.

A variable speed drive (VSD) is a device that electronically controls a motor’s output and allows it to run at lower speeds, using only as much energy as it needs at any given time.

In practice, this can reduce energy usage for each motor by up to 50 per cent, which when extrapolated across multiple motors can lead to huge savings – in many cases amounting to thousands of pounds per year.

Often the drive will have paid for itself within a matter of months, and will continue to make savings for the remainder of its operational life.

A well-maintained drive operating under normal conditions can have

a lifespan of several decades before needing replacement.

Easy adaptation to buildings VSDs can be easily adapted to suit the needs of individual buildings and applications. Take cinemas or theatres for instance: in a large

The VSD can interface with the BMS to react to conditions such as ambient weather multiplex, the nature of film screenings means that over the course of a day an individual auditorium will often only be partially occupied for much of the time, if not empty, and then busier for evenings or matinees, or for blockbuster releases. Consequently, each auditorium may have long

periods of downtime or partial occupancy, yet if ventilation systems do not have any form of variable speed control, they may be running flat out whether the auditorium is full or empty. This could be wasting heaps of energy and money. A VSD can be programmed to run the motor at certain speeds at certain times, or with the use of additional sensors can vary the speed according to actual occupancy. In many buildings, a VSD can interface with the building management system (BMS) to react automatically in response to certain conditions such as time of day or year, or ambient weather.

Car parks on the other hand have very different ventilation requirements. Without adequate airflow, a high concentration of vehicles in an enclosed structure, whether above ground or below, can lead to accumulations of toxic fumes.

In the event of a fire, smoke also needs to be cleared quickly and safely.

For this reason, car parks are typically fitted with sensitive measuring equipment. This presents a different challenge for car park operators. The more electrical devices you add to a system, the more this introduces the risk of harmonics. These can potentially cause equipment to behave erratically, and affect the accuracy of sensor readings. To mitigate this, ultra-low harmonic (ULH) drives are available, which automatically reduce the harmonic signature of the motor and drive package at low speeds.

In many buildings such as offices, hospitals or schools, where airflow requirements can vary from room to room or floor to floor, a VSD can interface with the BMS to react automatically in response to certain conditions such as time of day or year, or ambient weather. This ensures that the VSD is running the pumps and fans in the HVAC system at optimal efficiency, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The pumps and fans used in a typical HVAC installation are variable torque applications. This means that affinity laws apply, which in practice means that reducing the speed of a pump or fan motor by 20 percent results in proportionally higher energy savings of 50 percent.

Rethinking the idea of sustainability in buildings can be a daunting prospect. However, VSDs can represent an easy and costeffective “quick win” for reducing energy usage, while also improving the building environment. 

30 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_030(M).indd 1

11/01/2022 16:40

Project2_Layout 1 11/01/2022 10:09 Page 1

Drives & Motors

Alan Baird is country manager UK & Ireland, Danfoss Drives

Cutting motors’ electricity consumption Electric motors account for 50 per cent of global electrical energy consumption. In industrial applications, the share is 65-75 per cent. Alan Baird looks at methods of reducing energy load

T

hree-phase induction motors are the most commonly used motors in industry. They typically have a fixed speed and continuously variable control requires the use of AC drives. The benefits include process optimization, reduction of mechanical wear and tear as well as energy savings. Using AC drives, you are able to reduce the start-up current as well as enable speed control to increase energy savings.

AC drives include many other energy-saving functions, such as: • adapted control: not all AC drives provide the full AC line voltage at the output. Reduced voltage leads to a higher motor current and additional losses. Optimal operation is only possible with adapted control strategies; • automatic energy optimisation: by adapting the magnetisation level, the energy consumption can be reduced.

The average potential savings for AC drives with a small to medium enclosure size is 3-5 per cent.

• integrated energy loggers: AC drives enable a quick analysis of the application’s energy consumption.

• cascade control: in many applications, it is sensible to use several smaller motors instead of one large motor; and • application-specific functions: One

example is the sleep-mode function – if no water withdrawal occurs in a pump system, the motor is stopped.

This saves energy and provides reliability for the system.

When looking for energy savings, it is important to look at the entire drive train. Only with an overall view can you assess the advantages and disadvantages, thus getting a clear overview of potential energy savings.

Additionally, it is always a good idea to consider and optimise the service life of the respective drive. This can ultimately generate a high amount of savings as well as give you a better overview of planned maintenance, and reduced downtime.

are gradually being intensified around the world. The Ecodesign Directive is the legislative framework that currently sets requirements on all energy-related products in the domestic, commercial and industrial sectors throughout the European Union. Its aim is to ensure manufacturers reduce the energy consumption and environmental impact of their products by establishing minimum energy-efficiency standards. These requirements have been gradually intensified. Motors, AC drives and power drive systems are classified according to their energy efficiency.

And, since January 2015, it has been a legal requirement that new IE2 motors require an AC drive for operation in Europe. The EN 50598-2 and IEC 61800-9 standards define the IE classes for AC drives and also the IES classes for power drive systems.

EMC problems include a wide range of phenomena, such as line power interference, conducted interference and line power related faults. Interference grows with an increase in the number of installed devices, until the system no longer tolerates the accumulated total measurement of the EMC faults.

It is important to note that EMC filters do not have to be included as standard in units. Separate and add-on suppression is possible, but causes additional losses and

Make a first assessment

IE/IES classes help in making a first assessment. Energy-efficiencyrelated regulations and standards

Potential areas of savings for motors

When looking for savings it is important to look at the whole drive train

costs. Whether to choose internal vs external filters, it is important to be aware that external filters always generate additional losses. In the case of integrated filters, filter losses are included in the specified power loss. It is therefore better to pay attention to selection of the right filter during project planning since inadequate filter measures are often only identified later on.

Subsequent measures result in higher costs compared to those planned in advance.

Side effects of measures

While it is important to save energy, it does not mean at any price. Every measure has side effects and therefore remembering to weigh the side effects up against the advantages can prove to be an important learning.

Low purchase costs seldom mean automatically low operating costs.

Another important subject when it comes to energy savings is harmonics This requires important consideration in variable speed drives applications. The presence of harmonics escalates risk, affects product quality and increases operating costs. Mitigating harmonics delivers indirect energy savings by reducing the losses in transformers, cables and devices. These indirect savings are the reason why systems equipped with harmonic mitigation solutions, independent of the technology used, demonstrate a better overall system efficiency.

When it comes to harmonic mitigation, there is no single solution on the market that does it all. The most economical and technically superior solution for a given installation will always be based on the application requirements, the severity of harmonics, the costs, and the benefits associated with the various technologies.

The use of active front-end drives (AFE drives) for mitigating harmonics has become rapidly popular. AFE drives are built for regeneration and are the optimal choice when regeneration is required. However using AFE drives for mitigating harmonics results in a significantly yearly OPEX increase due to inherently higher losses. So it’s vital to stay alert when making your choice.

Looking for a more economic solution which mitigates harmonics equally well while saving energy?

Active filters are a viable alternative, saving up to 44 per cent on the bill compared to traditional solutions. 

32 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_032(M).indd 1

07/01/2022 12:00

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

Being part of the EUA has enabled us to continue with our work supporting members and also given us the resources to proactively develop new projects.

After a year’s postponement COP26 took place and we were incredibly pleased to launch our energy efficiency manifesto on the last official day of the event. We were pleased with the reception for the manifesto and, while we were frustrated at the logistics involved in trying to get the launch event over the line, we felt

Retrofit at scale is the only way our building stock is ever going to be made energy efficient

A new era but the same challenges

As ESTA approaches its 40th birthday, Mervyn Pilley reflects that although the technology has changed in that time, many of the fundamentals are exactly the same

R

Mervyn Pilley is executive director of ESTA (Energy Services and Technology Association)

unning a membership organisation certainly was not any easier in 2021 despite us being a critical part of the net zero journey for everyone, coupled with a major global focus on the climate emergency on the back of COP26. Our members’ work has never been more needed. As the face-toface business activity returned during the year, ironically members had less time for their trade association and attending our virtual meetings and events. That said we were pleased that for many members 2021 was a better year financially and we were pleased to see a number of new members joining in the second half of the year.

2021 was our first year as a division of Energy and Utilities Alliance and, as always, new ways of doing things can take time to understand and adapt to.

that the manifesto was a worthwhile project to undertake. We are planning to turn this into an annual report from 2022 onwards working with the EEVS energy efficiency trends survey which was also relaunched this year.

EnCO continued its progress in 2021 and we achieved our first two certified energy conscious organisations in 2021 as well as getting close to 150 trained consultants and six qualified practitioners. Ongoing discussions are being held with like-minded organisations around the world about developing the programme and we are holding our first EnCO dedicated conference in May 2022.

Project moving forward

On the collaboration front the commercial energy efficiency alliance had its first meeting and we are working to move that project forwards early in 2022. The energy efficiency in buildings special interest group, organised in conjunction with BESA, continued to meet and we are seeking to refresh the group’s activity in 2022.

We need new members to work as part of the group so please let me know if this is of interest.

We returned to face-to-face activity through being a partner of the Smart Buildings Show and in addition

managed to get a large number of virtual events, including members meetings over the line. I know how much members miss the face-to-face activity that ESTA is so well known for and promise you that I am focusing a great deal of effort in generating as much face-to-face activity as possible in 2022.

40th anniversary celebrations

As we come into 2022, we celebrate our 40th Anniversary. Our archives tell me that in February 1982 Dr Glenn Brookes left his job working for Government and founded what was originally the Energy Systems Trade Association with seven founder members. We are planning some celebrations during the year but one key thing occurred to me as I have been browsing through the ESTA archives – there is absolutely nothing new about energy management and energy efficiency solutions. The technology being used certainly has changed but many core fundamentals remain.

As I write this blog, I am only too aware that COVID still hangs heavy over our lives and planning future activity is no easier, but I remain fully committed to driving ESTA forward in the next twelve months.

Our international, indeed global, outlook will continue as we work through the World Energy Efficiency Association and the Three Percent Club, a collaboration of governments and supporting organisations that commit to working together to put the world on a path to three percent annual efficiency improvement.

Our new group – the Retrofit Association will be seeking to give the retrofit sector, including nondomestic/commercial retrofit a unified voice. There are so many great initiatives going on in the space and the association will have membership options for businesses, organisations, and indeed expert individuals.

So many observers agree that with the UK building stock the way it is, retrofit at scale is the only way that our huge variety of buildings are ever going to be made energy efficient.

Government needs to step fully up to the mark with policy and funding is required. I do have grave doubts about the amount of private investment that the Government has cited in its strategy documents actually coming to fruition. 

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 33

EiBI_0122_028_ESTA(M).indd 1

11/01/2022 12:36

TALKING HEADS Craig Needham is CEO of Horizon Controls Ltd

Craig Needham Needham: 'people who interact with BMS are not engineers but facilities managers and this is a small part of their job'

There needs to be a huge market shift - and quickly

graphics but there is no way a software platform can connect to a boiler onsite with nothing else in between to give an understanding of what the boiler should actually be doing. Whatever these software platforms have to offer there will be the need to drive forward integration.”

Needham is adamant that the manufacturers of building management systems and systems integrators are guilty of creating information for qualified engineers.

“But people who interact with BMS are not engineers but facilities managers and this is a small part of their job. What was right 20 years ago isn’t right now yet we are still reliant on systems that are very engineering biased. We need to make a shift as an industry so that if I go on to a system I want to know that everything is fine with my building and get on with another job,” he says.

Developments stalled

Raising the value of integration

Craig Needham believes that controls integrators and BMS manufacturers need to step out of the shadows and show their worth to create the smart buildings of the future

T

he migration to a future of smart buildings will be a huge challenge but one which presents enormous opportunities, believes Craig Needham, CEO of Sheffield-based Horizon Controls.

“There needs to be a huge market shift - and quickly,” Needham told EiBI. “Projects are being planned now that will only appear in 2030.” And precise control of buildings will be absolutely essential as part of this process. But the problem lies in what you do with the information that buildings are creating, he states. “For example, tech

companies create an IoT temperature sensor. But to get that information to be useful and even accessible requires a lot of engineering. There is a huge disparity between the top layer and what can be accessed. That’s where we, as a systems integrator, have a massive part to play.”

In addition, a systems integrator can play a role in the link between items such as a boiler or HVAC plant and the monitoring and targeting platforms. “A lot of companies have been producing M&T systems over the last 20 years but very few are still functioning,” Needham says. “There are plenty of fancy

Needham also believes that technology developments in the BMS sector have stalled. “There has been nothing groundbreaking in the last ten years. The only change has been the cost of integration by systems such as BACNET that have become more common and the cost has come right down. Sensor technology is where we’ll see some of the biggest changes. Cameras will track people’s movements leading to a greater tie up between the physical bodies in a building and how the building needs to react.”

But a change of mindset is needed to raise the profile of the benefit of what systems integrators and the BMS can offer. Often, a lot of the benefit is stripped out through ‘value engineering.’ “As an industry we need to be higher on the agenda and show the value we can offer,” says Needham. “Perhaps some enlightened construction companies will see the opportunity and take the leap forward when they realise that somebody is going to have to take responsibility for a building’s performance post occupancy. When data is fed back and compare with the original designs then designs will begin to change. These

market shifts and legislation will make it advance.”

Needham is hopeful that the big BMS manufacturers might be persuaded to lobby government to boost the need for earlier involvement in the building design. “They do need to drive it as they have the budget. My concern is that they have a blinkered view and are going to continue to sell product. They are getting year on year growth. It would mean greater cooperation between manufacturers and integrators. As an industry we are a little too close in terms of knowledge sharing.”

Despite the pandemic Horizon has grown strongly since Needham’s arrival almost five years ago. “After a spell working with a large BMS manufacturer I realised I was better suited with in a smaller enterprise so I spent a few years consulting for an energy management company in Dublin chiefly working on process management.

One thing I learnt is that there is no one single solution to cutting energy use.”

“We are very much looking at acquisitions,” adds Needham. “There are a lot of ‘businesses out there with a turnover of around £2m-£3m, set up 25-30 years ago with owners looking for an exit strategy. We see an opportunity in areas where there are new revenue streams or in areas on which we are not focused and where we can acquire expertise.”

The lack of expertise is going to be a large stumbling block for the industry in the coming years. “If we don’t get the people coming in we start to lose credibility because we won’t be able to deliver. Recently, the Building Controls Industry Association started talking about an apprentice scheme but it seems to have stagnated.”

Despite the challenges Needham is optimistic about the future of energy management. “It’s a fascinating industry with so much to offer. But at the moment all the value gets stripped out because it comes down to a cost perspective every time. But there all those technologies out there that still have to be integrated. We want to be at the forefront of those technologies. I’m hopeful we might see a more joined up approach to the whole issue of smart buildings. We want to be there to help stitch those technologies together.” 

34 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2022

EIBI_0122_034(M).indd 1

10/01/2022 15:18

EIBI_0122_035 Directory_EiBI Directory nov 10 2 10/01/2022 14:31 Page 35

DIRECTORY CONTACTS

To advertise in this section contact classified sales on Tel: 01889 577222 Email: classified@eibi.co.uk www.eibi.co.uk

Air Conditioning

Compressed Air, Industrial Gases & Vacuum

Energy Monitoring & Targeting

Industrial Thermometers

Meters - Water, Oil, Gas & Heating

Lighting Controls

Meters - Water, Oil, Gas & Heating

TURNKEYaM&T Meter and monitoring any utility. In house designed hardware and software.

SME’s, City Wide Projects, Large Organisations. Pulse, Modbus, Mbus. www.energymeteringtechnology.com enquiries@energymeteringtechnology.com Tel: 01628 664056

Cooling

Heating & Hot Water

Control & Automation

Meters

Controls & Inverters Heat Networks

METERING DOCTORS

Temperature Sensors

LET US SOLVE YOUR METERING PROBLEMS

EMT resolve issues with meters and aM&T systems that have been badly fitted and are inappropriate or wrongly installed, systems that have never functioned properly and unsuitable or wrongly configured software.

We have considerable knowledge and can help assess, recommission or replace any aM&T system to render them as useful tools for your utility management needs.

For more information on how we can help, Tel: 01628 664056 Email: enquiries@meteringtech.com www.energymeteringtechnology.com

JANUARY 2022 | ENERGY IN BUILDINGS & INDUSTRY | 35

EIBI-OCT21-Belimo_Layout 1 22/09/2021 16:19 Page 1