FMs often struggle to make a persuasive case to the building owner to defend maintenance expenditure – even if it is relatively modest – because they lack the relevant data. Digitising more of the work, simplifying methods, and using clearer language are
all important elements in making this whole area more modern and professional – and so, with that in mind, the built environment’s leading professional bodies are now working together to align the data standards used to manage costing, carbon and building and facilities maintenance. SFG20, the industry standard for building maintenance, is at the heart of this
process and is being aligned with the RICS New Rules of Measurement (NRM) for building works and the BIM Construction Classifi cation (Uniclass) developed by NBS, together with CIBSE’s Guide M best practice guidance for management and maintenance of engineering services.
Asset
This alignment will help to smooth the process from commissioning to ongoing operation by ensuring all relevant digital information created at the construction stage or during refurbishment projects can be easily adopted to help building managers develop accurate asset registers. These can, in turn, inform maintenance planning, asset renewal/life cycle strategies, and carbon assessments. And, as part of the simplifi cation process, SFG20 has developed a new tool.
Resource Modeller is designed to help maintenance professionals cost their requirements and identify exactly what resource is required to start driving down running costs, but also identifying key areas of risk to the building manager, particularly around health and safety. This cloud-based tool is designed to accurately map the specifi c requirements of each building so FMs can fi nd the most cost-effi cient strategy for managing maintenance costs in a way that will also help thousands of businesses achieve their sustainability goals and cut carbon emissions. One of the key provisions of the new Building Safety Act is the creation of a
‘Golden Thread’ of building operating information to serve as both a safety ‘audit trail’ and as an aid to the end user to support fi re risk assessments, in particular. While this currently only applies to the 12,000 or so ‘high risk’ buildings in the UK, the general principle will gradually be rolled out across most of the built environment to embed a more robust safety culture under the watchful eye of the new Building Safety Regulator. Most of the information required already exists but needs to be captured in an easy to access and understand format, which is where modern digital tools like Resource Modeller come into their own. The information gathered by Resource Modeller allows users to identify
resource requirements for the maintenance costs of buildings throughout its lifespan. They can also create bespoke maintenance plans and adjust variables such as hourly rates and model quantities to go deeper into ongoing operating costs.
The demand for greater digitisation of the FM process has been there for many
years, but the fi nancial incentive has never been greater. Pushing for investment to improve energy effi ciency was often a ‘hard sell’ in the past because of the relatively low cost of gas and electricity when compared with other business costs. However, we are now living in very diff erent times and that operating data is
suddenly a very valuable fi nancial asset and needs to be clearly and professionally captured and shared.
www.sfg20.co.uk
ViewPoint A
A Year in Review By Robin Adderley, UK sales and marketing director at NIBE Energy Systems
fter the relaxation of lockdown rules during the pandemic, I thought a more calming year was ahead before we got back to ‘normal.’ However,
2022 was anything but normal. Installers have experienced soaring material and energy costs alongside supply chain shortages. Despite this, decarbonising the heating industry has been once again at the top of the agenda.
The historic Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive closed in April to make
way for the new Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS). A change in payment delivery from a subsidy tariff to fuel bills, to an upfront grant for heat pumps gave a positive signal to installers about the direction of the future of heat. The BUS has been welcomed but has not been without its bumpy start. It did not open for applications until 11th May, giving a six-week hiatus for funding, and currently only 13.7% of the £150 million year one funding has been spent with six months to go. However, current fi gures suggest some growth in uptake and recently the launch of the installer BUS portal is expected to ensure a smoother application process. The introduction of the BUS set the scene for driving heat pump uptake
across the UK, which was bolstered in June through the Part L Building Regulations uplift in England. This meant that if you’re installing heating systems within new builds, low fl ow temperatures of 55°C are required, new or accessible pipework must be insulated, thermostatic rooms controls must be in each room, and rooms by room heat loss calculations must be used when sizing space heating systems. This meant the days of oversizing the heat generator in new builds were gone, and the era of heat pump ready new builds had begun. The new Welsh and Scottish Building Regulations have followed suit. Installers are at heart of these schemes and changes, and that’s why we attended June’s exhibition for the InstallerSHOW at the NEC. We had some great conversations with installers and designers of heating systems. Our beat the expert challenge was also a fantastic opportunity for installers to get hands on with our products. In July NIBE toured to eight locations across the UK on a trailer containing the latest NIBE product range. We educated consumers on heat pump technology and discussed the current market, heat pumps, and our NIBE Pro Installer Training Scheme. The range included our new S2125 ASHP. With a Seasonal Performance Factor of 5.0, it works silently, whilst using a natural propane-based refrigerant (R290), which has a GWP of just 3. The heat pump is also smart compatible through NIBE myUplink – providing remote control capability from anywhere. In fact, Build It magazine deemed the S2125 the Best Heating Product of the year at the Build It awards in November! Finally, to round off 2022, NIBE was delighted to announce that we also won the Heat Pump Project of the Year: Commercial and Schools Award at the H&V News Awards. This was for our University of West London PV-T project which was in collaboration with JKN RENEWABLES LTD and Ameresco. The decarbonisation project combined our PV-T collector system with heat pumps to deliver substantial carbon and energy savings. It has been great to see progress on getting the nation heat pump ready and installed, whether that’s through the BUS or Building Regulations. We are also delighted to have the opportunity to engage with those on the ground, the installers, who lay at the heart of the net zero transition. We’ve got a lot planned for 2023 and so I am excited to see what it brings.
www.nibe.eu/en-gb
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January 2023
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