Schneider Electric’s Smart Building Solutions to be used in Digital ‘Super-Hospital’ in Birmingham

Winter-Garden-artists-impression — Image courtesy of Edward Williams Architects.

Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, is set to deploy its smart building and power management solutions in the new state-of-the-art Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.

The new hospital, run by Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust, will provide services to more than half a million patients. Behind the scenes, Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ solutions will be deployed. The project will provide industry-leading smart healthcare services in the new hospital facility, creating high levels of resilience and efficiency through engineering infrastructure excellence.

Following consultations with key stakeholders, the construction of the hospital has been designed to reduce risk, simplify design, scale at speed, and meet varying needs. Schneider’s industry-leading solutions for healthcare providers were chosen for the project as it enables complete visibility of the status, performance, and condition of the critical infrastructure.

Schneider Electric’s solutions will be fundamental to the building’s power and control systems, enabling the site to take advantage of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This will help reduce but without compromising, the maintenance needed to improve patient safety, operational efficiency and reliability while reducing energy consumption and costs.

“Schneider Electric is delighted to be involved with the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital project,” said Chris Needham, Solutions Architect at Schneider Electric. “The first half of the year has shown the vital and often overlooked importance of resilience and sustainability of the healthcare sector. Consequently, implementing cutting edge technologies and intelligent infrastructures that provide busy clinical, operational, and facility management (FM) staff with the ability to access data and information that provides new and valuable insights in real-time is even more essential. By ensuring hospitals are intelligent, flexible, and future-proofed from the outset, we can be confident that they will remain reliable, efficient, and safe for patients, visitors and staff.”

The Midland Metropolitan University Hospital will benefit from Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxureTM IoT solutions for healthcare, a future-ready platform for hospitals designed to deliver improved sustainability, resiliency, hyper-efficiency, and people centricity. The complete solution includes consultancy services, connected products, advanced analytics and digital services. Schneider Electric’s software and services that will be deployed include EcoStruxureTM Building Advisor, Asset Advisor, and Power Scada Operation and Power Monitoring Expert.

The infrastructure is fully connected and specified to provide rich data. The connected products include Smart controllers, RPCs, VSDs, Prisma LV Switchboards, MTZ ACBs, KNAN transformers, PIX, MCSet, transformer isolators, composite distribution boards, Canalis busbar.

Image courtesy of Edward Williams Architects.

LEDVANCE launces new VIVARES light management system

LEDVANCE launches a new future-proof IoT light management system, making it easier than ever to produce the right lighting conditions for defined requirements. VIVARES offers superb simplicity with compatibility to two technologies: a wireless option via VIVARES Zigbee and a wired version using DALI-2 technology. The flexible system is particularly suited for office solutions, especially where rewiring and structural changes are not possible, as is often the case if a building is listed or does not have suspended ceilings.

Commenting on the range, Nelo Neves, Sales Director at LEDVANCE UK, said, “Lighting today has to do so much more than simply switch on and off. VIVARES enables new possibilities for our customers with sustainable, dynamic human centric lighting, and customisation. Major benefits for lighting professionals include simple and user-friendly installation, operation and maintenance of VIVARES. The system is ideal for retrofitting into existing buildings and flexible office space solutions.”

Based on the leading ZigBee 3.0 standard, VIVARES adapts lighting to the most diverse requirements in the simplest possible way. Integrating daylight and motion sensors further increases the energy savings that can be achieved, and cloud-based monitoring with VIVARES CLOUD SERVICES ensures even greater reliability and security by generating maintenance and energy consumption reports. In addition, separation of lighting communication from Wi-Fi networks ensures maximum security. There are no control cables for unrestricted luminaire placement and the wireless system is scalable for major projects.

At the heart of LEDVANCE VIVARES DALI is the OSRAM DALI PRO 2 IoT control unit. The system connects DALI-2 components – for example sensors, pushbutton couplers and the LEDVANCE VIVARES DALI-2 luminaires. As an open standard, the system is compatible with a wide range of DALI-2-ready luminaires and components. A total of up to 128 luminaires and 126 input devices can be individually addressed via two channels.

Installation, configuration and commissioning are particularly simple and user-friendly thanks to the browser-based graphical user interface. Predefined templates and drag and drop enable time-saving and intuitive commissioning.

Convenient remote maintenance via VIVARES CLOUD SERVICES

Another advantage of the VIVARES system is the optional cloud services. VIVARES CLOUD SERVICES for VIVARES Zigbee and VIVARES DALI offers convenient remote diagnosis of the system. With an intuitive dashboard the energy consumption, operating hours of the drivers and other relevant lighting data can be monitored. The various filter functions give users the option of analysing the data according to their needs, allowing potential savings to be maximised.

More details on the VIVARES light management system can be viewed here.

LEDVANCE lighting solutions come in environmentally friendly cardboard packaging with all relevant product information immediately visible on the outside of the box.

Anglo-Saxon site showcases latest heat pump technology

Renewable heating helps Council cut carbon emissions by 70%

A historic Anglo-Saxon site and visitor centre near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, has cut its carbon emissions by 70% and created more welcoming facilities for visitors, thanks to a heat pump system installed by renewable heating experts Finn Geotherm.

West Stow is the site of an early Anglo-Saxon village, occupied from AD 420-650, over 400 years before the Norman Conquest. The reconstructed Anglo-Saxon village attracts visitors from schools, tourists and locals throughout the year. It is surrounded by West Stow Country Park, a stunning 125 acre site featuring trails, heath and woodland.

West Stow’s visitor centre and the country park café had previously been heated by an oil-fired boiler, which was inefficient and expensive. With West Suffolk Council committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030, a more environmentally friendly and effective solution was needed.

Finn Geotherm specified and installed two Lämpöässä Eli 60 ground source heat pumps, to provide all the heating and hot water for the visitor centre, museum and café. Heat is collected from the ground using bore holes – Finn Geotherm carefully installed 14 boreholes, each one 147metres deep, near the village’s collections building. The boreholes, created in a ‘closed loop system’, feed the heat pumps which are situated in a purpose-built plant room adjacent to the village’s museum. The system is also designed to provide passive cooling, using the ground’s temperature to maintain a comfortable environment for visitors in summer and provide exact temperature control within the facility’s museum precious artefact centre.

By installing this renewable energy heating system, West Stow has cut its energy use by 70%, making a significant impact on carbon emissions and heating bills, as well as delivering a much more sustainable system, which will last three times longer than a conventional boiler.

The installation also qualifies for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a Government scheme which assists with the project’s capital cost by providing quarterly payments for 20 years.

Glynis Baxter at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village, said: “Our village showcases some of the earliest forms of heating – a fire pit dug in the ground with a hole in the roof of the house to let out the smoke – so it is brilliant for us to have the contrast of a heat pump, the latest in renewable technology, heating our facilities. The new system enables us to maintain a steady warm temperature all year round, which is ideal not only for our artefacts, but for visitors too.”

Guy Ransom, commercial director for Finn Geotherm, said: “We are delighted to complete this installation at West Stow, which has had a big impact on the site and created a more welcoming centre for visitors. It is good to see West Suffolk Council taking its commitment to cutting carbon emissions so seriously and stepping away from fossil fuels. This heat pump installation is a great example of the potential of this technology to provide sustainable, environmentally friendly heating that can be retrofitted in any location – from AD 420-650 to modern day.”

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “This investment, and others we are making to improve energy efficiency and cut fuel bills in property we own, is part of our commitment to address the climate emergency. We have also been able to take advantage of Government funding which is available to individual home occupiers as well. Technology has brought us a long way since the firepit and details of what grants can be used for and how to apply can be found on our website and at www.greensuffolk.org.”

Key features of the project:

70% reduction in carbon emissions
70% reduction in energy use
Highly effective, efficient heating
Passive cooling in summer
Steady temperature to help maintain artefacts

For more information on ground and air source heat pumps and details on Finn Geotherm, visit www.finn-geotherm.co.uk.

This installation at West Stow has just been shortlisted in The Energy Awards 2021, which reward excellence in the energy business, from new energy efficient products and technology to local authority initiatives and commercial and residential installations. Finn Geotherm has been shortlisted within the Public Building Energy Project category, with winners to be announced in September.

Inspired ground source heating solution for UK’s first net-zero carbon retirement community

Ground source heat pumps manufactured and installed by market-leader, the Kensa Group, will deliver the lowest carbon heating solution for the UK’s first net zero carbon retirement community, creating a sustainable future for older generations.

The Millfield Green site in Caddington, Central Bedfordshire, will provide 200 sustainable new-build homes specifically designed to accommodate older people’s needs, as well as a village centre with state-of-the-art wellbeing and leisure facilities. The development will use renewable energy generation throughout, including Kensa Heat Pumps’ ground source heat pumps, which will give the senior residents ample heating and hot water whilst helping to combat climate change. The heat pump system, containing a mix of residential and commercial properties, will be the largest of its kind to have been installed by Kensa to-date.

Kensa Contracting, was enlisted for the project by Inspired Villages, a developer and operator of later living homes, owned by Legal and General, which has a 35% stake in the Kensa Group. Inspired Villages carefully considered several different renewable heating systems before concluding that ground source heat pumps would provide the lowest carbon and lowest cost heating solution for the development.

Dr Stuart Gadsden, Director of Sales for Kensa Contracting, said: “Retired communities deserve safe heating systems that are low cost, low air pollution and low carbon. Once installed, the ground source heat pumps will provide plentiful heating and hot water for the senior residents at Millfield Green, improving their quality of living and tackling two serious national emergencies: climate change and fuel poverty. Many older people face tough choices each winter about how to cover the cost of keeping warm, and poorly heated homes result in health problems and can even contribute to loss of life. By investing in ground source heating systems, Inspired Villages have ensured optimum comfort and low running costs for residents who can enjoy their retirement without worrying about whether they can afford to run their heating, as well as knowing that they are having a positive environmental impact.”

Ground source heat pumps extract heat energy from the ground and convert this for use in space heating and hot water inside a home. They are electrically-powered devices with no point-of-use emissions, meaning they help maintain local air quality and combat global warming. They are also highly efficient compared to other heating systems, typically delivering between three and four units of heat for every one unit of energy consumed to power the system. As the electricity grid further decarbonises with more renewable generation from wind and solar, the carbon footprint of the heat pumps will decrease even further.

The government recognises that renewable technologies, such as the ground source heat pumps being installed at Millfield Green, are a vital part of the UK’s decarbonisation plan – this is reflected in their target to install 600,000 heat pump a year by 2028. Following advice from the Climate Change Committee on the Sixth Carbon Budget, prime minister Boris Johnson has recently agreed to legislate a new target to slash national emissions by 78% by 2035, to move the country three-quarters of the way towards its 2050 net-zero ambition. Developers like Inspired Villages are leading the way by creating sustainable communities for the future utilising technologies with as minimal environmental impact as possible.

John Bromley, Head of Clean Energy at Legal & General Capital, said: “The work underway at Millfield Green represents Legal & General’s first steps towards enabling all new homes to be operationally net carbon neutral within a decade, reducing the emissions of many tonnes of greenhouse gasses, whilst saving customers money and meeting the needs of investors who increasingly focus on sustainable solutions. Being able to bring together our housing platform and our clean energy investments, through the deployment of Kensa’s high-efficiency ground source heat pumps, demonstrates how L&G is taking a holistic approach to Building Back Better from early-stage capital investment, through to construction and operation.”

The project will feature Kensa’s award-winning Shoebox ground source heat pump, which is small and compact enough to be installed inside the airing cupboard of each apartment. Larger output Kensa Plantroom heat pumps will provide heating and hot water for shared facilities, including an on-site restaurant, café, library, cinema room, and wellness centre featuring a swimming pool, fitness studio and gym.

Drilling for an ambient temperature shared ground loop array utilizing boreholes drilled to depths of between 145 – 190m has recently been completed on site, which will provide a source of sustainable heat energy for the ground source heat pumps installed inside each property. This innovative heat pump system architecture, pioneered by Kensa, avoids heat losses through distribution pipework which increases system efficiency. It also allows each homeowner to have independent control over their own heating and hot water, and the freedom to switch energy supplier.

Dr Matthew Trewhella, Managing Director of Kensa Contracting, said: “I am very pleased to see our first project with Inspired Villages making progress. The long-term ownership business model of Inspired Villages is ideally suited to the shared ground loop array system architecture. The shared ground array becomes a long-term, low-maintenance asset that will serve the community for decades and the heat pumps fit neatly into each home to enable the extraction of energy from the ground array.”

What sustainable issues do all businesses need to know about? – Ask ME

Mitsubishi Electric has launched a series of podcasts which shine a light on the sustainable, zero carbon and legislative issues affecting business today.

The ‘Ask ME’ podcasts cover a range of important topics, including corporate sustainability, decarbonising buildings, re-opening offices, new innovative HVAC technologies and how to improve indoor air quality, among many others.

The series, which is available to stream via Spotify or Apple Music, features interviews with special guests and industry experts, including The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) Chairman, Nathan Wood discussing the importance of indoor air quality. Listeners will hear first-hand about common problems that guests have experienced in their sectors and any changes they have had to make.

“We have a great line-up for our series and are thrilled to share these with the industry as we believe that open discussion around major topics can help increase understanding for everyone,“ said Sharon Oliver, Marketing Manager at Mitsubishi Electric. “We will cover a broad range of the major issues with guests providing advice and support on how businesses can maximise efficiency and carbon reduction while minimising costs.”

The first Ask ME podcasts can be streamed via Spotify https://spoti.fi/3bTJCwX or Apple https://apple.co/3fkij0P

NHS hospital reduces its carbon footprint and electricity bills following the installation of solar panels and energy efficient lighting

A hospital has drastically reduced its electricity bill by a third while also substantially lowering its carbon footprint with the installation of solar panels and energy efficient lighting.

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (RJAH), in Oswestry, Shropshire, has had 1,760 solar panels fitted along with its entire lighting upgraded to LEDs.

It is estimated the trust is now saving over £217,000 annually, while also reducing carbon emissions by over 809 tonnes of carbon per year as it pivots towards a net zero carbon future.

Nick Huband, Director of Estates and Facilities at RJAH, said: “It’s massively important for us to be more sustainable and efficient.

“The target is to get to net zero but it’s not an insurmountable task – it’s a big ask. It is doable but there is significant capital investment required and a different way of thinking more importantly as well.

“Solar panels are really important to this strategy. Not just the financial return but also the offset against the carbon tonnage is huge.

“All the external lighting has been replaced with energy efficient LED lighting, along with all the internal lighting in the wards and the theatres.

“There has been a big fall in energy usage. We’re expecting a £200,000 year reduction in costs on our energy costs – it’s a significant saving.”

The RJAH was able to carry out the work thanks to Salix Finance, which provides Government funding to the public sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills.

With the help of Salix, the Trust unlocked £1.2 million in funding for the project – with the panels and lighting reducing electricity bills by a third.

The hospital, which has an international reputation for orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medicine, is now exploring the possibility of adding two further rows of solar panels which it estimates will reduce energy bills by a further £65,000 per year.

It is one of several initiatives the hospital is looking at as it works towards a more sustainable future. This includes installing more charging stations for electric car drivers and planting trees to offset emissions.

Nick Huband said: “We couldn’t have done this without Salix as it is so difficult to get capital funding via the NHS. We’ve put ourselves forward for things like European funding and been unsuccessful and similarly with NHS funding so without the support of Salix this work wouldn’t have happened.

“We’re looking at some more radical ideas like solar panels on the roof of the car park. The drive to reduce emissions is really well supported here – there is a lot of buy-in from our executives which helps with schemes like this.

“It’s not just about LED lighting and solar panels. We have some green sites which, due to a number of restrictions, we can’t build on or sell so we’re looking at ways to offset our carbon by planting trees.

“We can then create walk routes through so patients and visitors can enjoy it while we try to achieve zero carbon.”

Salix has now helped fund almost 19,000 projects to the tune of £1 billion – saving the public sector £203 million per year on its bills.

It is estimated the work carried out across the UK via Salix’s platform has reduced carbon emissions by almost 867,864 tonnes.

Sameen Khan, Programme Manager for the NHS Programme at Salix, added: “More than ever before, we want to support our NHS services and the patient and staff environment at the Hospitals across the country. The Salix funding can help decrease operational costs which can be re-allocated for patient care.”

Reducing your HVAC carbon footprint: how the sector can become more sustainable in the journey to net zero

Mark Goldsworthy, M&E Sales Director, Eco UK Group

With ongoing efforts from governments across the globe to reduce carbon emissions and with an ever greater focus on sustainability, it is vital that the HVAC sector does its part in becoming more environmentally conscious. And while there have been steps to become more sustainable, there is a huge amount that still needs to be done to make sure that many of the targets that have been set are attainable.

In buildings both large and small, industrial heating accounts for roughly two thirds of industrial energy demand and around a fifth of global energy consumption. Figures like this show the need to have efficient and environmentally-friendly HVAC equipment in place to make the crucial steps towards reducing the contributions these systems make to our carbon footprint.

A 2019 report by The International Environment Agency (IEA) showed that the buildings and construction sectors combined were responsible for over 30% of global energy consumption and nearly 40% of carbon emissions. This is indicative of the steps the sector needs to take to play its role in a more eco-friendly society, some of which are already underway. However, much more needs to be done if the UK is to reach its goal of becoming net zero by 2050.

As we envisage what a post-Covid world might look like, businesses and governments are continuing to put sustainability and lower carbon emissions at the forefront of their planning and the HVAC sector is certainly no exception. But with change in the sector a daunting prospect, decision-makers often don’t know where to start.

Smart Technology

With the constant growth and greater deployment of smart technologies within the HVAC sector, this is certainly a way that systems can become more efficient. Smart HVAC uses sensors that integrate with a building’s automation system. These sensors then collect information about conditions throughout the building.

Heatwaves are now a far more common occurrence in the UK. The Met Office estimates they are up to 30 times more likely and will be a bi-annual occurrence by 2050. It is important that any uptake in HVAC usage doesn’t lead to a drastic increase in emission generation. This is one of the areas where smart systems will become crucial. Many scientists have been unequivocal in their sentiment that heatwaves are a cause of greater emissions and expect temperature records in the UK and Europe to be broken more regularly, so sites will need to be equipped to handle these conditions.

With wireless systems now much more commonplace, temperatures can be controlled easily from handheld devices. With these new technologies, those managing the systems can also benefit from remote monitoring and maintenance, reducing the need to travel to the site for yet another environmental incentive.

To accompany the smart systems, equipment including smart thermostats can be installed to maximise HVAC efficiency. Other smart systems available to businesses include smart furnaces and air conditioning units that are far easier to operate than their traditional counterparts.

Reducing Unnecessary Ventilation

While global temperatures continue to rise, air conditioning usage has increased and has contributed to greater levels of energy usage.

A huge amount of needless emissions are generated by unnecessary ventilation, contributing heavily to heat loss and overall energy wastage. Recirculation of air is a traditionally lower energy cost method of retaining heat and keeping emissions low, however, we must be mindful of the risks associated with recirculating air. The risk of circulating diseases is negated somewhat with heat recovery ventilation, which both removes the risk of disease spreading and improves energy consumption.

Air conditioning units in particular contribute significantly to a building’s energy consumption, equating to 10% of the UK’s electricity consumption and as such it is important that we bear in mind ways to counteract the emissions this creates. Global energy demand for air conditioning units is expected to triple by 2050, as temperatures continue to rise year on year. The efficiency performance of new conditioning units will be key when it comes to ensuring that escalating demand does not equate to greater emissions. Another issue for suppliers and manufacturers to address is differing rates of consumption for AC units in different countries, with units sold in Japan and the EU typically more efficient than those found in China and the US.

Modularisation

Modular HVACs have also become increasingly popular in recent years. Modular HVACs are responsible for heating, cooling and distributing air through an entire building, with their increase in popularity largely down to their greater levels of energy efficiency, cost effectiveness, flexibility and substantial ease of installation and maintenance.

Modular HVACs can be tailored specifically for workspaces and they often allow work to be done on the systems without disturbing the workforce, achieved primarily through rooftop placement. Commercial workspaces are larger and often require differing needs to residential properties and can cater to many of the specific requirements of work and commercial spaces.

As we strive for lower carbon emissions, it seems that this trend will continue and will become a key area in reducing emissions that HVACs have traditionally generated.

System maintenance and training

To meet government and industry requirements, many new buildings will require HVAC systems that can be maintained simply in order to perform in a more energy efficient way.

Many companies are looking at ways to become climate neutral and significantly reduce their footprint. Companies are following the likes of German based Wilo Group, who have announced they are committing to sustainable manufacturing by developing a new carbon neutral plant and HQ in the next few years.

As we continue to move towards an ever more environmentally conscious society, it will be of paramount importance for companies, governments and the public to think about ways in which we can lower carbon emissions. Smart technologies will certainly be at the forefront of this, negating many needless journeys and making it easier for industries to adjust settings and tackle issues remotely. Greater levels of training will help equip us with the tools to make sure we are best placed to reduce emissions and be more sustainable as a result.

While the steps outlined above do show some progress and measures we can take, there is far more that we can do as a sector to significantly reduce HVAC’s carbon footprint and once we have moved beyond the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this will surely be at the front of industry leader minds.

Why water saving should be more of a consideration for sustainability in commercial build

As we move closer to the government’s 2025 and 2050 net zero future plans, we can’t help but notice the distinct lack of water saving measures. In fact, run through the Government’s white paper – powering our net zero future – and there’s only 10 mentions of water within the entire document.

Strange when water saving measures can be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to save water but also, associated energy costs. In domestic settings, hose pipe bans are a regular thing, we’re told to be mindful of our water usage and we’re given meters to measure our water usage so we can be charged accordingly. If you’re on a low income or have a family, you have access to lower water rates, although these tariffs aren’t generally published. You also have access to a water saving specialist who will come to your home, provide you with water saving devices and handy tips and tricks to save water.

However, in the commercial and social sectors, it’s not widely talked about or even considered. There’s no requirement for all social housing to be built with water saving in mind, for these water saving devices to be ready fitted for when the tenants move in which will save them money, power and energy right from day dot. There’s no simple water butt in the garden ready for the tenants to water their garden with or advice to inform their water supplier of their financial situation to ensure the best rates. These are actionable, easily remedied fixes which benefit the tenant and help to reduce emissions.

By simply installing aerators on taps tenants can expect water and energy savings of up to 60% in a year. In fact, if the flow rate is reduced from 10 litres per minute to 4 litres, for example, then they could save 60% immediately. That’s a huge amount and a benefit to not only water saving but also energy costs as the energy used to heat the water reduces thanks to the reduced amount of water you need to heat.

And this doesn’t just apply to a new build. Adding an aerator to an older tap can also reduce water usage from 15 litres of water per minute to as little at 6 litres of water per minute. Add onto that the energy savings and it can be possible to see a significant reduction in both bills, meaning the tenant is not only reducing costs but also helping to save the planet.

A saving of over 60% across an entire building in a year can make a significant impact on rate reduction. If supported by eco-friendly heating alternatives for water heating like heat pumps or solar, energy and water rates can become almost non-existent. Luckily, an aerator can also be installed on even older style taps in just a few minutes meaning an entire building with multiple facilities could start benefitting from savings in under a day.

Apply this to the commercial build sector for the domestic market looking to build a new block of flats and the savings soon add up. Combine the simple water saving devices with solar thermal heat pumps or other renewable energy sources and the future looks bright.

It’s not just the commercial build for the domestic market which benefits. Commercial retail, factories and even supermarkets and shopping centres can all benefit from water saving. If the simple act of installing aerators on taps is the only thing they do, that 60% reduction in costs can easily be passed onto the owners meaning rates can be reduced making the space more affordable and ultimately, more attractive.

Water saving doesn’t just stop at aerators, timed flow taps for example also ensure water isn’t wasted, great for school settings or large retail environments. Combine these with aerators and your rates will reduce further.

There’s also an education role to be played here. Teaching plumbing and heating students the benefits of water saving right from college means it isn’t something they fall on by mistake or is led by the customer or even legislation. By working with the education sector to ensure the next generation of plumbing and heating engineers benefit from sound energy and water saving advice means that they’ll be fully equipped to make the right decisions to meet the governments targets.

But it isn’t just the new generation where education plays a part, traditional plumbing and heating engineers also need to be reminded and educated on the new technologies and advances in fittings and fixings which allow for water saving to happen. With heating engineers, this can easily be built into their gas safe reviews and continued training, for the plumbing sector, which has less re-education built in, it’s reliant on their own inquisitiveness but also that of suppliers and trade retailers to offer alternative measures when installers are placing orders.

The simple measure of advising a procurement agent for a large new project that they could be saving money by switching to this type or tap, using this type of fitting or valve will ensure that the widest audience is reached.

It’s worth noting that a lot of larger companies will have water saving policies in place and will be installing toilets which re-use the water, ensuring taps are turned off and water coolers are replaced with filtered water taps. However, this is presumed, and not insisted upon as with the New Homes Policy and carbon reducing targets.

If water were made more of a priority, we believe the savings for both the environment and the end user would be hugely beneficial and would also help to reach the government’s carbon reducing targets, quicker.

It’s a multi-faceted approach that’s need here, and one we wholly support.

Derek Aaronson is the CEO of Hart Home Group, the umbrella company for three retail websites; NotJustTaps, Lime Kitchen and Bathroom and Hart Plumbing Spares. www.harthomeinteriors.co.uk

The Energy Revolution: Energy Management Systems

Ram Venkat, Power Solutions Specialist, Digital Energy Division, Schneider Electric UK&I

Energy efficiency is part of the vocabulary of modern building owners, operators, and occupants. A greater awareness of unsustainable energy consumption, coupled with advances in generation and energy management technology, has led to the ‘Energy Revolution’ around the world.

The consequent landscape is complex – varying legislations and governmental guidelines, a global measurement system, and multiple local standards to adhere to. Building owners and operators are therefore unsurprisingly confused with the choice of solutions available to address these requirements and put them ahead of the sustainability and efficiency curve.

Clearing up the confusion

Any energy consumption needs to be measured accurately, and then further analysed to:

Track energy consumption across the network
Identify patterns of energy usage
Map above identified patterns to occupant behaviour, and weather factors
Put in place strategies to optimise consumption armed with the above analysis
Plan energy sourcing and load shedding

An Energy Management System (EMS), sometimes referred to as Building Energy Management System (BEMS) is the crux of these solutions. With a clear need for such systems, Building Owners and Managers are often surprised at the complexities and financial setbacks associated with an EMS.

An EMS is a tool to visualise and analyse energy parameters, primarily consumption (KWh) and power quality. The latter is made up of power factor, current and voltage harmonics, sags and swells, and other anomalistic current and voltage behaviours. While most organisation tend to focus on consumption mapping, power quality is a crucial group of parameters to monitor to avoid penalties by the utility, particularly in the manufacturing, data centre, and multi-use facility sectors.

Certain EMS’s may also have condition-monitoring features for electrical assets, and the capability to monitor more than just traditional electrical infrastructure, including UPS systems, thermal monitoring systems, etc. It is key to note that an EMS has minimum to no element of network control or automation, where SCADA systems (or Power Management System/PMS) operate.

The next step – demystifying the range of EMS solutions available in the market:

The Data Analysis Solution

These solutions, usually offered on a subscription-only basis, have features of an EMS, but no focus on power quality, electrical network monitoring, or device health. They tend to focus more on visualisation of data and are excellent if your only aim is to understand energy consumption behaviours across your facility. These systems may also have features in continuous improvement, equipment effectiveness, and process flow, which can be interesting for industrial manufacturing sites.

The standout for such systems is of course the dynamic dashboarding, featuring drag and drop data modelling. The resolution of data collection is usually above one-minute intervals, which is seen as a comparatively low resolution, particularly for alarm response and emergency shutdown procedures.

The Engineered EMS

Engineered EMS are essentially data aggregators and edge-level monitoring systems for electrical devices including metering and breakers. Resolution of data collection is extremely high depending on meter capabilities, and data is observed live. Therefore, this type of a solution is preferably on-site. While energy analysis dashboards can be easily engineered, where the EMS stands out is with power quality monitoring and reporting, and electrical network status monitoring. The former is dependent on the type of metering on site and is recommended particularly in manufacturing facilities where bad power quality is commonplace due to prevalence of drives. Power quality issues can be diagnosed with great depth to recommend solutions such as power factor correction or harmonic mitigation.

Electrical network status monitoring starts with live single diagram views of the network, from where the user can drive into each individual device. These devices can vary from a meter, to a breaker, a UPS, or even VSDs – anything ‘smart’ and ‘electric’. The granular data that can be obtained for breakers can go to the extent of breaker condition monitoring, life expectancy, and an indication of number of trips/reset cycles. The EMS also functions as an alarming system. These systems are fully scalable and require physical hardware infrastructure and software licensing – available either as a capital purchase, or as Software as a Service (SaaS).

The Sustainability Tracker

These systems are a hybrid between the latter two, with further emphasis on sustainability initiatives. Such systems provide the flexibility of dashboard creation akin to the Data Analytics solution, but without the critical alarming, live monitoring, or power quality analysis that the engineered EMS solution provides. These systems are usually delivered as a service with bureau insights on the data as required and agreed upon in the SLAs.

They provide a powerful tool for energy management teams to track and report sustainability, particularly across multiple sites and geographies. Such systems usually sit a level above the engineered EMS, which can share its data across platforms. Therefore, there is usually no IT hardware required for this solution. These systems are most likely offered in a subscription only model, with mobile interfaces also available.

Equipping your facility with the infrastructure to enable granular monitoring is vital to achieving sustainability and efficiency. Understanding the increasingly complex range of solutions available is the first step in achieving this and is often the hardest part. With the right solution, professionals can thrive in today’s ‘Energy Revolution’, with sustainable energy management.

How to save running costs and reach green goals in the Public Sector and beyond

With a new utilities framework for Public Sector organisations now live and with Covid-19 restrictions starting to ease and more movement in and out of buildings, a greater focus on reaching sustainability goals is becoming more possible.

Hot water can cost between 2 to 4 times as much as cold water, once energy costs are taken into account, so even small steps to increase water efficiency and cut waste helps lower water and energy costs for organisations – whether that’s council offices, emergency service sites or other Public Sector facilities.

If you manage utilities or facilities in the public sector and want to reduce reliance on mains water, supplied through wholesalers’ networks, as well as look for efficiencies and where risks are on your infrastructure, then there’s a few things to keep in mind. Plus, there are essential steps to take if you’re looking to procure water too.

Get to know where savings opportunities could be

Water efficiency activities and devices can help the public sector to meet their environmental targets to reduce carbon emissions and save money.

These include low-cost urinal controllers, sensor-controlled taps, water efficient showerheads and the savings from these – and larger measures – add up towards your organisation’s green goals and targets.

Here’s some examples of ways to save:

Sensors on urinals can reduce the number of flushes, so they aren’t doing this when no-one is at your site. You could even go for waterless urinals as a single urinal system can be as large as 9 litres, flushing at least 4 times per hour. That’s over 800 litres per day.
There can be substantial savings, for example, a London-based university identified £50,000 of savings after taking steps to monitor its water use and reduce leaks.

Watch for water waste – as small drips can add bigger extra costs

Regular servicing and maintenance of taps, toilets and urinals – as well as any water efficiency devices you have – is also important – so you know they’re working properly and no water’s being wasted.

Carrying out site checks regularly is also worth the time. For example, a High School had a leak in a plant room at their site – losing an estimated 12,000 litres (12 cubic metres) an hour, at an estimated cost of £850 a day – caused by a copper pipe that had corroded. The leak, in the last eight months, was causing some flooding in the plant room so needed quick action. Water retailer Water Plus provided a quote for its repair experts to attend and complete work on-site and the leak was fixed the following day.

Delving into water data helps/delivers results

More public sector sites – and organisations in the private sector – are exploring how to get more data on their water use.

Monitoring devices, such as data loggers that can feed information into a smart portal to help track use and spot unusual increases, to regularly checking your water meter readings, ideally each month, are effective methods of tracking everyday usage which can help those managing utilities see where savings can be made, particularly across large or multiple sites.

It also means any unexpected surges in consumption, which can indicate a pipe leak, can be spotted and, if necessary, a repair organised promptly.

Understand your portfolio of buildings

It’s important to know which buildings your organisation owns, or is responsible for, the addresses of these, how much water they use over the course of a year and whether there are devices measuring water use such as Automatic Meter Reader data loggers (AMR).

It’s worth remembering, savings from introducing water-saving devices can potentially be much more than on a new retail contract for water and wastewater on its own.

Gathering Supply point Ids (SPIDs) numbers and locating where the water meters are, if you’re able to, will also put you in a better place to see what water you use and when along with where any issues may be, to protect your organisation from disruption and limit increases in future costs from leaks.

Follow the rules and requirements to be compliant

Where a public sector organisation has to advertise their water procurement – and if your spend is over £25,000 then they will need to – then they can manage the tender process meeting the compliance requirements themselves, under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, or it’s much easier and less time-consuming to use a framework.

One of the newest for the Public Sector, is Pagabo’s national utilities, water and wastewater framework, which also covers Ancillary Services such as water efficiency, leak detection and repair as well as smart metering – installing Automatic Meter Reader (AMR) data loggers, with data accessible to customers through an AMR online smart portal. The framework, along with further information, can be found at: https://www.pagabo.co.uk/frameworks/utilities-supply-framework .

By using an established Public Contract Regulations compliant framework you know the legal requirements will be met for your procurement needs. And frameworks have delivered significant savings for the public sector too.

Want to know more?

Water Plus is the largest water retailer in the UK and manages the water and wastewater services for many public sector organisations, including some of the largest and most diverse in England and Scotland – from councils, schools, colleges and universities, to UK Government-owned sites, prisons, hospitals and the emergency services. More details on the services can be found at: www.water-plus.co.uk/watermanagement

You can contact the Public Sector team at Water Plus direct at:bids@water-plus.co.uk, if you have any questions or need help with procurement and tenders.