One of the oldest centres, Oak House in Lincoln, for example, will be fitted with a mini combined heat and power unit, whilst both Minerva House, Holbeach and Mercury House, Gainsborough, will have installed 3.96kWp solar PV arrays – the latter being sun-tracker mounted to provide additional comparative data. Minerva House will also benefit from an additional extracted air-source heating system, whilst low- energy lighting and light-level sensors will be installed at Eventus, Market Deeping. All buildings will also be equipped with PC power-down devices.
… measuring to manage … One of the keys to the success of the project will be the installation of vastly improved energy and water measuring and management equipment, which will provide managers with detailed information on what resources are being used, where and when. The monitoring and management system involves metering consumption to a much more detailed level than is generally required for utility billing purposes.
This means that instances when energy or water are being used wastefully can be speedily identified and corrective actions taken; similar metering and monitoring of heat and power generation, and rainwater harvesting, will enable renewables technologies to be kept under review – or automatic alerts activated – to ensure system malfunctions are quickly spotted and rectified. It also means that in shared space, such as serviced offices, tenants can take ownership of their own consumption.
The data being captured will be transferred automatically to a password protected internet website where it will be stored and processed. Authorised managers and other users will then be able to access the data on their PCs or mobile devices anywhere in the world at any time. The website is also designed to present the data in user-friendly ways that help to support the decision-making processes.
… energy-saving strategies .. The energy-saving strategies to be employed in the buildings will reflect the physical characteristics of the four structures, the renewable technologies they employ, and local usage factors. They will, however, share in common the need to avoid wasting energy, making best use of existing Building Management Systems, and substituting renewable energy and water for mains supplies wherever possible. It is also hoped that the monitoring system will give a representative indication of how newer and older buildings compare in energy usage terms.
People, their comfort and personal behaviour in relation to power-usage will also play a key role in the project and the implementation of the energy saving strategies, with the aim being to identify everyday measures that we can all take to reduce workplace carbon footprints. The results and conclusions of the project will therefore be widely disseminated so that as many can benefit as possible.
… working in association … Another feature of this particular project was the need to meet public sector procurement requirements, whilst also adhering to very tight funding-imposed timescales; this meant that multiple quotes for multiple technologies were required from suitable suppliers, a task made much easier by the supply- side resources directory provided by the UK Sustainable Development Association website (see
www.uk-sda.org).
This facility is free to use, with listings also free on application to service and product suppliers.
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