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Buildings use about 40% of global energy, 25% of global water, 40% of global resources and emit around onethird of greenhouse gas emissions – meaning huge potenal for smart digital soluons that save energy and costs.


PUMPS, WASTE MANAGEMENT & WATER TREATMENT


How a holistic approach to water can lead to huge energy savings for tomorrow’s buildings


As we progress towards net zero carbon emissions and companies seek to reduce their carbon footprint, tackling energy consumption is a major concern for all building services. Population growth and increased construction are driving the demand for clean water and energy-efficient building solutions, both in new buildings but also for the three-quarters of existing building stock in the UK and Europe deemed energy-inefficient.


A Paul Winne


A new holistic view, using digital tools like cloud analytics, powerful data modelling, and the Internet of Things, can help building services engineers and specifiers find the most energy- and cost-efficient approach for critical systems. Almost 40% of energy used within buildings is used by HVAC systems, with oversized heating systems contributing to increased power consumption. As the industry moves towards sustainable building practices that maximise performance and minimise carbon emissions, HVAC system specification is a vital factor in realising energy efficiency targets. Building owners and designers need to have confidence the systems they run are smart enough to offer resilience and reliability for the future.


How can specifiers seek energy savings?


With heating and cooling among the biggest costs for most buildings, building owners are intent on finding new and effective approaches for new buildings and improving performance of existing facilities. Upgrading existing HVAC systems or including the latest developments at the design stage for new builds can significantly reduce energy consumption.


Most systems use hot water and cooling water cycles to transfer thermal energy, making it critical to consider: • Sizing of the system • Use of efficient products • Monitoring, control and protection of the system • Keeping the system efficient over the lifetime of the building.


As specifiers will be only too aware, it is vital to find tailored products that suit the demands of their environment: historically, issues with oversizing heating systems have led to inefficient operations, particularly when operating at part load. An oversized HVAC system can use 50% more energy than necessary.


Digital HVAC tools create smart buildings


In modern buildings there is a focus on high comfort at low energy consumption, with developments requiring pumps, circulators and heat exchangers that exceed efficiency requirements and can be incorporated into complex building systems. Additional factors like code compliance and serviceability costs must also be considered in evaluating HVAC systems. Tailored smart solutions, including thermal energy metering and flow sensors, can aid facility managers by providing continuous insights and control of the thermal network.


Burj Khalifa in Dubai on November 13, 2012. Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building in the world.


Systems fed by a central heating or district hot water require effective hot water circulators to run energy-efficiently, as modern systems must provide instant hot water when the tap is opened. Hot water recirculation is not only about saving water; it’s also about safety. With a recirculation system, the water in the pipework will always be above 55C and therefore free from legionella bacteria. This means specialist treatment systems ensure continuous high-water quality, by disinfecting drinking water, as well as cooling


22 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER APRIL 2021


universal approach - viewing the system as a whole, rather than isolating standalone functions - can offer energy savings up to 70% in some areas.


water and wastewater to keep buildings and people healthy.


Variable speed controllers are also a great example of realising energy efficiency. By varying pump speed with demand, savings in pump power usage combine with greater pump reliability for a lower life cost across commercial and domestic HVAC applications. While connecting building automation systems offers potential energy optimisation through digital control, monitoring and protection of the whole system, also helping to predict maintenance needs and lengthening the lifespan of equipment.


Stable water supply and pressure as standard


While water consumption and its uses vary greatly among buildings, in light of increasing water scarcity there is need for improvement across the board. Water efficiency is directly connected to energy consumption, helping to contribute to a greener footprint for buildings.


By using reliable and energy-efficient products that adjust to demand at any time and can easily be connected to a building monitoring system, system control measures like intelligent motors and pumps can reduce energy use by up to 70%. The latest horizontal and vertical multi-stage pumps and booster sets can guarantee a stable water pressure during demand peaks and extend the life of water systems and reduce maintenance needs. This is achieved with variable frequency drives that speed up or slow down the pump depending on water requirements, resulting in reliable, constant pressure on demand.


Case study: how it worked for the Burj Khalifa


The design of the water supply system for the world’s tallest tower called for extremely robust and dependable pumping equipment. Ensuring the right pressure at the top of the building meant selecting and installing products that combined the latest technology with efficiency. Lowara pumps were chosen to meet the demand for reliability and Xylem supplied six SV series water transfer sets and seven SV, SHE and SHS series water booster sets utilising vertical and horizontal multistage pumps. GHV water booster sets, used to boost water pressure, were fitted with Hydrovar® variable speed drives which reduced energy consumption by up to 30%. Pump systems are often oversized for the application and therefore use much more energy than needed. These intelligent controllers, which can be fitted easily to any new pump system or retrofitted to existing pumps, match pump performance to demand. As well as cutting


carbon emissions, this reduction also means the typical investment payback period can be less than two years.


Minimum energy demand according to real load


Wastewater disposal can be a real challenge for building owners and operators, but it is also an area that can be exploited for reductions in energy use. Clogging and costly maintenance are just two headaches associated with an inefficient system, which is where smart solutions have a role to play.


Wastewater management systems are required to operate in continuously changing load conditions with high clogging hazards but, like HVAC and water supply systems, they are often overdesigned – consuming more energy than required.


Case study: how it worked for Heathrow


Heathrow Airport Water Services needed to find a smart solution to the issue of processing aircraft toilet wastewater, which contained a high level of non-biological solids like wipes, nappies and clothing, causing chronic clogging issues and requiring frequent sump cleaning.


Installing Xylem’s Flygt Concertor, the world’s first wastewater pumping system with integrated intelligence, led to energy savings of up to 53% as it is capable of sensing the operating conditions of its environment, then adapting its performance accordingly in real time. In addition, the pump- cleaning function, together with Adaptive N-hydraulics, effectively detects and solves clogging from large debris – meaning clog-free pumping with no emergency call-outs.


building costs in line How we manage water needs careful consideration, but the business benefits of new smart technologies are clear. By harnessing the power of intelligent devices and digital tools, consulting engineer and contractors can find smart solutions that provide immense lifecycle cost savings on both energy bills and maintenance. Efficient and sustainable HVAC systems in particular are the key to lowering the carbon footprint of buildings, while access to 24/7 support on standby is crucial to keep water systems up and running.


The right partner can offer a holistic view of how the ideal building systems can boost performance and resilience, and bring energy and cost savings, as we build smarter cities together for the future.


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