FEATURE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
WHOLE-LIFE COST ANALYSIS helps reduce heating bills
UK industry is being increasingly squeezed but it is not all doom and gloom according to Simon Garratt, marketing manager for AmbiRad, particularly when it comes to heating
it shouldn’t be simplified to ‘the building must be heated’ as the full requirements are more specific. Value management and value engineering are indispensable factors in finding the more efficient solution. The system should match the needs of the occupants and the building’s shape and size. This means knowing exactly where and when heat will be needed and how it can best be delivered. In specifying a heating system it is
W
ith ever increasing energy prices the pressure to make savings has never
been more urgent. Faced with the need to remain competitive against the background of a credit crunch UK industry is being increasingly squeezed. Current industry regulations insist that staff cannot work in cold temperatures but with factory and warehouse owners faced with increasing overheads the temptation is to find the cheapest heating system available, even though it is rarely the most energy efficient. Most manufacturers of heating systems now look to delivering whole life costs as a way of making real energy savings. Short term, a cheap system might seem the right way to go but don’t be deceived. Although paying for more energy efficient heating systems may not be a popular idea in the current economy it makes tremendous sense when true value is looked at rather than initial costs. According to government information
the most reliable indicator of ‘value’ in the construction industry is the relationship between long-term costs and the benefit achieved by the end-user. When it comes to the heating system best value is gained from the system that achieves the required functionality at lowest cost when calculated over the whole life of the equipment. Whole-life cost analysis is an economic
evaluation process solely for the purpose of assessing the true cost of constructing
10 MARCH 2015 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT
and running a building over a period of time based on its functional requirements. It is effective for new buildings including design and build projects and is a pre-requisite for all PFI contracts. The technique was originally used by the accountancy profession to compare outcomes when income varies over time, using today’s value or net present value as a starting point. Today, the methodology is used widely
in many industries although uptake in the construction industry is ‘quite small’, according to the BSRIA.
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN RUNNING COSTS Using these calculations manufacturers have proved that they can deliver energy savings of up to 70%, a significant reduction in running costs. It’s a technique that has been in
existence for decades. With more and more people seeing the benefits of whole-life cost analysis its popularity in construction is increasing. Rather than focusing on the cost of instalment and payment for the system it focuses on the building’s requirements, how well each solution tackles them and the costs of doing so. Going cheap might look good in an initial payment but compare its whole-life cost to that of an energy efficient system and the difference can be thousands, money that businesses cannot afford to lose. When considering each building’s needs
Radiant tube heating in situ at the Museum of Flight for Concorde in Edinburgh
important to base requirements on output and functional needs rather than describing the process by which these will be achieved. This allows for flexibility and perhaps more thoughtful or innovative approaches to a heating solution, one that will fulfil needs over the system’s life. For example, it should respond to alterations in the work pattern, downsizing or expansion. As an example, an RAF air base in
Coltishall has displayed genuine energy saving benefits of this method of heating system. Whereas it previously had a highly inefficient high temperature hot water distribution system it turned to reducing its extensive fuel consumption.
WHOLE-LIFE COSTING Following an investigation into the options, taking into account whole-life costing, radiant tube heating was found to be the best solution for long-term value. After just a few months energy consumption was found to have reduced dramatically. Compared to its previous boiler system the base saw a 64% reduction in heating costs and a 55% emissions reduction. Over a 10-year period following the system’s introduction it was calculated that the base would realise discounted savings of near £150,000. This is something that every sector can benefit from and with forward thinking companies strongly backing the system there can be nationwide savings of up to millions of pounds. With fuel prices looking to never back down it is a saving that no one can afford not to make.
AmbiRad T: 01384 489700
www.ambirad.co.uk Enter 305
/ FACTORYEQUIPMENT
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