HVAC
PREFABRICATION: A SIMPLE SOLUTION
Using prefabricated components is a popular method in the construction industry that can improve quality control and efficiency whilst reducing time and labour costs. So how can prefabrication benefit FMs? James Porter, Sales Director at Remeha, reports.
Time is money, as the saying goes, so any practice that cuts labour and costs while simultaneously improving quality control and reducing waste is bound to win favour. Certainly, prefabrication – where components manufactured under factory conditions arrive preassembled on site – is an increasingly common practice in building construction.
But construction accounts for just 10% of the total lifetime costs of a building. While the decommissioning process at the end of its lifecycle is responsible for a further 10%, the remaining 80% figure is what it costs to own, occupy and maintain a building. Building services in particular have a significant impact on facilities’
24 | TOMORROW’S FM
costs – accounting for as much as 80% of total operating expenditure.
Of all the services, heating and hot water provision is the largest user of energy in a building. So it’s essential that it runs efficiently to ensure a comfortable environment and more sustainable operation.
WHY PREFABRICATE? New build developments are designed
to require less heat, so it’s the UK’s older buildings that represent the real challenge for facilities managers. For buildings that rely on inefficient heating systems, the result is poor performance and unnecessarily high costs – not to mention a needlessly high environmental impact.
A high proportion of UK buildings still rely on commercial boiler plant for their heating and hot water. When the time comes for a boiler upgrade, facilities managers will need to address three key areas: ease of installation, reliability of performance and the future FM cycle. One means of achieving these is to use prefabricated equipment, which is perfectly suited for use in existing as well as new buildings.
Just as in construction, using prefabricated equipment for heating is a tried-and-tested means of achieving time savings, increased quality assurance and improved energy efficiency. One such example is the rig system, which facilitates multiple boiler installation.
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