Steven Henry,Managing Director of Chalmor Ltd,charts a path through the energy maze and explains how the pain of investment in energy efficiency can be alleviated It is a fact that many schemes to reduce energy consumption in buildings fall by the wayside or,at the very least,are diluted in scope because of the initial capital investment that is required.

Calculating the payback of such schemes often provides a logical and conclusive argument for such investment but if the money or the willingness isn’t there it may seem that little can be done.

For many projects,however,there is an opportunity to raise the capital funds through various schemes;covering schools,hospitals, small businesses and major new build and refurbishment projects. There are loans to help with the purchase of energyefficient equipment, tax breaks for certain products and leasing schemes that take the cost from the savings achieved, spread over the period of the payback.

Navigating this maze of opportunities to achieve maximum advantage requires specialist knowledge,backed by an in-depth assessment of existing and projected energy performance.

In many ways,new build projects are more straightforward because the key parameters for energy performance are dictated by the requirements of Approved Document L2 of the Building Regulations. Existing buildings have just as much to gain from introducing energy efficiency measures,but the procedures are more complex because of the legacy of the installed systems.

For this reason,a thorough assessment of the existing situation is the obvious starting point. A clear picture of how energy is being

used currently will highlight the areas for savings in the future, so

that any planned investment can be prioritised in terms of benefits.

Such an assessment may also expose potential problems that the end user was previously unaware of.

This unexpected benefit was exemplified by an energy assessment carried out by Chalmor at Holmer Green Senior School in Buckinghamshire, where the original brief was to assess the lighting in the sports hall. As well as identifying the potential for energy and maintenance savings in this area,the assessment highlighted the fact that the school was, unknowingly, exceeding its maximum electrical demand limits.

Clearly,remedial measures were required to avoid penalty charges from the electricity supplier. The relatively simple measure of upgrading the lighting in the main hall,dining areas and corridors to Endurance maintenance-free luminaires with energy efficient induction light sources reduced the installed electrical load by nearly 75%,from 41kW to 12.75kW,while also improving the quality of the lighting. There was also the additional benefit of nearly £2,200 a year savings in electricity costs and a further £2,000 a year reduction in maintenance costs.

Pay as you save In the case of Holmer Green,the school and local authority were able to raise the necessary capital investment but, as noted earlier,this is not always the case. In projects where the capital is not available a more creative approach is required.

At Astley Cooper School in Hertfordshire,for instance,there was enormous potential for saving energy but the full investment needed to maximise returns was not readily available.The solution proved to be a strategy that combined grants from various bodies with a ‘pay as you save scheme’ where the cost of equipment,installation and ongoing maintenance is paid for over a number of years, based on a percentage of the savings achieved each year.

The success of the project led to the schools premises manager, Sue Davies,receiving a Special Commendation at the 2004 Energy Manager of the Year Awards.

“General energy management advice was freely available at County level and I found these experts very helpful,” Ms Davies recalled. “But seeking specific solutions meant talking with private

industry specialists and my contact with Chalmor proved useful on two

levels: identifying the right products to resolve the school’s energy wasteful practices and putting me in touch with organisations that could help with funding”.

During the year 2000 - 2001, the school’s electricity consumption was 301,295kWh, gas reached 1,439,355kWh and water 3,717m3. A decision was taken to reduce all three utilities -starting with an initial 10% in electricity, rising to 15% as various energy efficiency initiatives took effect.

Chalmor installed lighting controls throughout the building,part funded by a scheme that was running at the time,called LightSwitch. The company has had considerable experience in locating the right scheme for educational establishments and, once LightSwitch had been identified, assisted the school with its bid.

The success of the lighting control scheme encouraged the school to instigate further energy-saving schemes and Chalmor was commissioned to undertake a detailed survey.

These were undertaken under the company’s Energy Governor ‘pay as you save’ scheme, beginning with an independent survey and energy audit that accurately highlighted areas of energy waste.Using the data collected,the company presented a number of solutions that would significantly reduce energy consumption, starting with practical good housekeeping techniques through to the installation of a building management system and maintenance-free lighting.In fact,Chalmor even went so far as to negotiate a reduced water tariff.

“It proved to be a no risk strategy for us as they would install the hardware, complete with funding that covered much of the capital expenditure with the remaining costs funded through later savings,” said Sue Davies.

Astley Cooper School exemplifies how attention to detail is the key to achieving maximum savings while also improving comfort levels. In the school hall, for instance,lighting levels of 130 lux from the installed lighting were insufficient for examinations – and the broken window blinds were permanently closed so there was hardly any

natural daylight entering the space.

The school had budgeted £9,000 for blind replacements but the Energy Governor audit offered a far better solution.This was to replace the existing lighting system - consisting of 16 twin,six-foot fluorescents, 12 spotlights and four additional lights - with maintenance-free Endurance light fittings.“The impact of this scheme was to reduce the electrical load from 5kW to 1.9kW,giving an immediate 60% saving, while also increasing the level of light in the hall from 130 lux to more than 400 lux; all for less than the anticipated budget for replacing the blinds,” said Sue Davies.

Ongoing savings are guaranteed through reduced electrical consumption, plus the maintenance-free aspect of the Endurance fitting. The unit provides 60,000 hours of operational life, which in

real terms means that an Endurance light left switched on continuously could operate with the same light output for seven years. The school has even higher expectations of savings, as PIR

(passive infra-red) sensors have been installed to detect occupancy

and switch lights off when the hall has been unoccupied for a preset

time.

Keeping it simple

Contrary to the popularly held belief of some, achieving significant

energy savings does not require the installation of a complex building management system (BMS). In fact, greater complexity often introduces additional,quite subtle,costs.Commissioning tends to be a major task, and any subsequent alterations to the software require the services of specialist sub-contractors with hourly rates that match their skill levels.

Very often, it is the simple remedial measures that can have most impact – relative to the size of the investment – especially as stand

alone controls now have much more processing power.For example, many types of heating equipment,such as warm air heaters, are factory- itted with rudimentary controls that offer the minimum level of control. Just replacing these basic controls with an electronic time and temperature controller, with programmable optimum start, can make a big difference to running costs.

Even for a simple upgrade such as this, there are ways of saving money.Chalmor’s HeatMaster,for instance,is the first heat optimiser to be included in the Energy Technology List,making HeatMaster eligible for Enhanced Capital Allowances. The result is that 100% of this investment can be claimed against tax in the first year, rather than it being spread over a number of years on a reducing balance basis.

There are many ways to subsidise expenditure on energy efficiency but taking full advantage of them requires the skills to evaluate energy performance and identify areas for improvement,backed by an in-depth knowledge of the energy sector and the schemes available.Teaming up with a specialist company that offers a complete package is the sensible way to achieve full advantage.

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