HVAC FEATURE
ENERGY IMPLICATIONS OF BREXIT O
Airedale discusses the likely implications prior and post exit in relation to the UK energy and environmental policy and how they will affect you in your role as facility manager
n 23 June 2016 the UK voted to leave the EU but the actual exit date is very
unlikely to be before June 2018. There has been much discussion about how this will impact on the UK economy in general.
WILL WE SEE A RISE IN ENERGY COSTS? We are currently seeing stable energy prices on the back of well supplied systems. However, future rates are likely to be volatile due to uncertainties in sterling and the potential for the increased cost of gas imports. Longer term, the UK will continue to be influenced by the global energy market but Brexit may affect investor uncertainty with consequences for energy security and investment in generation capacity and the grid. Reducing energy costs will be more important than ever in the coming years.
WILL BREXIT MEAN THE END OF ESOS? As ESOS has been transposed into UK law (implementation of Article 8 of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive) it is reasonable to expect this will continue although its current form may change. The Government announced in the Budget that it plans to simplify energy reporting into a single scheme: further information should become available once the Government publishes its consultation on the future of business energy reporting. In the meantime it is best to keep on top
of your ESOS requirements until further news is announced to avoid penalties.
COULD BREXIT DISRUPT HFC PHASE DOWN? As with ESOS the F-gas regulation has been adopted into UK law and therefore, without a change the provisions in it will still apply to the UK even after Brexit. It is unlikely the UK would repeal this legislation; it would be a huge retrograde step from an environmental perspective. There are movements on a global scale such as the HFC phase-out/down under the Montreal Protocol which are influencing the UK. The European HFC phase-down is based on a reducing refrigerant volume quota system imposed on EU member states as a whole. Much will depend on how the UK decides
to work with the EU. If the UK pursues the Norwegian model nothing will change but if not, the UK will have to establish its own quota allowance going forward. Of more pressing concern will be how Brexit could impact on the price of HFC
commercial building’s energy usage. Simple improvements to their efficiency can offer considerable energy and CO2 savings, reduce costs and improve the
working environment including: EC fan: replacing AC with EC fans allows optimisation of cooling systems for ultimate energy efficiency, potentially
reducing energy usage by up to 70%. Electronic expansion valves (EEVs): in cooling units and condensers reduces the need for high head pressure which can result in an energy efficiency ratio (EER) increase of 30%. EEVs provide stable, fast and precise control of superheat and can
refrigerants which will start to rise quite rapidly as the market anticipates the changes. As production of HFCs falls in line with the phase down, prices will rise and a devalued pound will add further cost pressures on imported refrigerant supplies. In light of these changes now is the time to review current HVAC systems and either upgrade them to utilise lower HFC refrigerants or invest in units which don’t use refrigerants as a cooling method or can run on extremely low levels.
WILL BREXIT IMPACT UK CLIMATE CHANGE POLICIES? It’s unlikely that Brexit will have much impact on the UK’s climate change policies, mainly because the government has already gone further than the EU when it comes to reducing carbon emissions with the Climate Change Act which compels governments to cut emissions by at least 80% by 2050. On 30 June the UK published its fifth carbon budget. This means that the UK accepts the Committee on Climate Change’s recommendations to reduce emissions by 57% below 1990 levels between 2028 and 2032. This will force many large and medium-sized companies to comply with lower carbon emissions and inform the regulator about their energy consumption and efficiency plans. As a facility manager meeting these targets will require both energy saving measures and innovation in technology to ensure your building or buildings are as energy efficient as possible.
HOW CAN I IMPROVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT? Despite the huge amount of work you already carry out to save energy such as upgrading lighting technology, excluding draughts and insulating walls, HVAC systems account for up to 40% of a
Simple improvements to HVAC system efficiency can offer considerable energy and CO2 savings, reduce costs and improve the working environment
be used in all types of unit. Inverters: installing these to motors allows precise control of speeds which can be ramped up/down to match load requirements. This ensures that the only
energy used is that which is needed. Refrigerant: upgrades help to increase
system efficiency which will save money. Controls and BMS replacements: upgrade to the latest software platforms to improve system optimisation. The latest hardware and unit strategy can be installed on existing equipment to ensure system reliability, enhanced performance
and increased control. Variable speed drives: allows control of fan and pump speeds which can help to reduce energy consumption and costs by enabling the output speed of the motors
to match load requirements. Compressors: maintaining or upgrading units can save large amounts of energy. Compressors can be precisely specified for individual applications and offer variable speed which can be matched to load
requirements, using only energy needed. Pumps: upgrading and selecting the correct pump and avoiding oversizing can lead to large energy savings, matched to
demand using only energy required. Sub metering and collecting energy data: enables system inefficiencies to be highlighted, investigated and eliminated; performance targets can be set and monitored regularly. With increasing utility and refrigerant costs alongside greater legislative and regulatory requirements on energy use and carbon reduction facility managers must develop strategic energy plans to improve efficiency and profitability.
Airedale International Air Conditioning T: 0113 395 8108
www.airedale.com FACTORY EQUIPMENT | NOVEMBER 2016 7
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