M COULD PUBLIC INABILITY
access to the capital requirements necessary to fund the project. to remedy this, business stream provided the up-front investment for water efficiency measures and infrastructure, including leak detection and repair as well as the installation of amrs. Glasgow city council and business stream share in the efficiency savings over the life of a four-year contract, which is expected to see the council save £1.3 million, equivalent to 1,105 tonnes of carbon. the indications from scotland are that water competition could lead to significant savings for the public sector in england, assuming customers are kept at the heart of reform. that’s been one of the critical ingredients of the success of the market in scotland, with customers and water retailers alike benefitting from the savings made. indeed, scotland has been a good testing ground. at a fraction of the size of england, it has shown what might be achieved on a grander scale. the Water industry commission for scotland (Wics) estimates that the costs of introducing competition in england will pay themselves off and have a net present value (nPV) of £2.5 billion in just seven years. this would present huge opportunities for the public sector to reduce the cost of its water consumption, reduce carbon emissions and realise cost savings. What’s happened in scotland over the last few years has undoubtedly been good for customers, particularly the public sector. competition has helped create a water market which is there for the benefit of customers, rather than something which is done to them, as is currently the case in england. the resulting services and efficiencies have delivered for the environment as well as the scottish public purse. When the Water bill passes through
Westminster and competition is introduced, in 2017 or beyond, the public sector will be in a position to choose which supplier provides its water and waste water services for the first time. at a time when the conflicting priorities of cost, value and sustainability are long-term agenda items, the opportunity for england’s public sector is clear.
www.business-stream.co.uk
a small switch can make steps towards energy savings
caroline boden, from legrand’s wiring devices business, discusses the energy saving advantages of the time switch.
he role of automated controls in saving energy is well-documented. it’s also well known that lighting control systems alone can normally help to reduce energy costs by at least 30% simply by ensuring that lights are only switched on when they’re needed and always switched off when they are not. indeed, lighting controls are a requirement of Part l building regulations for new builds, but specifying a full control system has cost implications and may not always be practicable as a retrofit solution. so, for public sector buildings where the ideal approach of a full control system is not an option, what other choices are there as a first step on the journey towards greater energy efficiency? time switches offer a simple to fit, cost- effective and scalable means of introducing energy efficiency into a building, enabling any electrical device that is required only at certain times of the day to be switched on or off automatically. For example, if a library is regularly in operation from 8am to 6pm, programming lights to switch off automatically outside of these hours – even if library staff have forgotten to switch them off – can provide energy savings, because the building is empty more than 50% of the time. the system can incorporate an override so that lights can be manually switched on out of hours if required for cleaning or evening events, for example. this type of scenario is commonplace,
t
however, the standard time switches that might be used in the home to switch on the heating or light the house to simulate occupation when the owner is away are not sufficiently sophisticated for this type of application. instead, specifiers should look for a number of key features when selecting the most appropriate time switch unit for public sector buildings. simple and convenient programming is important as this will not only ensure that all lights are co-ordinated to switch on and off at exactly the same time but, over time, will also reduce the amount of energy used and will save time for the building’s management team. across a larger campus with lots of time switches, programming each device individually can be a laborious process. However, by specifying a Pc programmable time switch, this burden is removed. Programmed with software on a
Pc with the settings transferred to a data key, Pc programmable time switches enable remote programming and the new data can then be uploaded to all the time switch units on site using a single data key, saving time and ensuring consistency. simplicity of programming should be accompanied by accuracy of the integral clock that controls the time switch. it is important to select a high quality time switch that maintains its accuracy over the unit’s entire service life because even a small loss of accuracy each year can have a significant impact on the functionality of the device. so, while the difference between a time switch with 0.1 second per day accuracy and a unit with 0.5 second per day accuracy may seem negligible the 0.1 second accuracy device will lose less time over the same period. For applications that require lighting to be switched off at dawn and on again at dusk, a time switch that not only has an accurate clock but an in-built astronomical clock can offer an easy fit and cost-effective alternative to a switch and a daylight sensor. this type of device automatically detects sunrise and sunset and is ideal for exterior feature lighting, security lighting or way finding lights. specifiers should also prioritise security when selecting time switches to prevent tampering. time switches with a pin code security option ensure that settings cannot be changed accidentally or by an unauthorised person, helping to maintain accurate operation. in the world of sustainable specification, where cutting edge renewables technologies, complex control systems and innovative building products have become the much vaunted heroes of the built environment, the time switch is a very modest and simple gadget. However, not all time switches are
the same. by selecting a time switch with accuracy, security and convenience benefits, public sector specifiers can ensure that they maximise the value of their investment and drive down energy costs. it is a small but effective way to make existing buildings more energy efficient without the significant costs or disruption of major refurbishment programmes so, for any estates manager looking for a quick win, it might be time to switch on to these Pc programmable mini heroes.
www.legrand.co.uk
Public sector sustainability • Volume Volume 4 issue 1 17
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