Turn off

One of the most effective methods for saving energy is also by far the simplest.  Switch off lighting, heating and other equipment. Turn down heating, lighting, cooling and ventilation in areas that are not in use, especially outside regular working hours. Implementing this can be as simple as posting details of energy wastage in staff areas to encourage employee regulation of equipment such as computers and lighting.  

A more sophisticated approach would be to identify occupant usage rates for different areas, and then install devices such as timed switches and light sensors to shut off unnecessary heating and lighting.  Non-essential computers and peripheral equipment can also operate on automatic switching, shutting off after a period of inactivity.  By switching off non-essential services when they are not in use, potentially 5-10% of the energy they use in total can be saved.

Use natural light

Another simple but effective measure is to increase the use of natural light in buildings.  This clearly facilitates energy saving by allowing less electrical lighting to be used.  However, commercial facilities often use full electrical lighting in addition to the natural light available.  By cutting back on the use of lamps throughout the day, savings from electricity use can be increased still further.

Engage with employees

Both of the previous methods require some measure of employee co-operation to provide significant benefits.  Even with timed switches and other equipment, building occupants must take some measure of responsibility for their energy use. In order to foster an environment where saving energy is seen as a core activity, methods such as poster campaigns, ‘switch off' stickers and competitions can be extremely effective in making the personal connection between energy use at work and attitudes towards the environment in general.  Improved employee participation will greatly boost any energy saving measures implemented, ensuring a sustained approach.

Reduce energy consumption

Lighting is one of the major areas for energy consumption, particularly in commercial buildings.  As well as the high-energy cost of inefficient lighting, increased maintenance costs can be the result of lights left on too long or not properly controlled. This is because replacement and repair on an ad hoc, reactive basis can be costly. Lighting comprises anything between 15% and 40% of a typical commercial building's energy consumption, and in the UK it accounts for around 100 million tonnes of the CO₂ per year that we release into the atmosphere.

By installing newer, more efficient lighting systems with appropriate controls, a building's existing lighting costs can often be halved. Even good practice and thoughtful maintenance of existing systems can provide lighting energy savings of up to 30%. 

The replacement of obsolete fluorescent lamps with up to date Triphospor lamps, which produce the same amount of light at a lower wattage than traditional fluorescent equivalents, can increase energy savings while also improving lighting conditions in the workplace. Alternatively, a system of planned preventative maintenance can drastically reduce the need for reactive call-outs for general maintenance.

Fine tune BMS

A well designed, properly functioning Building Management System (BMS) is a key component in controlling the energy used in any facility.  However, frequently these systems go unchecked after installation, operating on the original parameters set when commissioned.  In order for a BMS to make energy savings, and to sustain such savings over the course of its operation, it must be adjusted continuously to meet changes in environmental conditions, as poorly configured systems can result in substantial energy loss.

Fine-tuning the BMS parameters provides a saving in energy consumption of at least 10-15%. Additionally an outsourced energy management company can incorporate the upgrade or design, installation and commissioning of the latest BMS technology, to deliver the optimum in building operating control efficiency.

Control radiator temperatures

Space heating is the primary consumer of energy for commercial buildings, contributing as much as 50% towards energy cost.  In industrial facilities this figure is lower, but at 10% still represents a significant proportion of energy outlay, and substantial carbon emissions.  Despite this, many buildings have heaters operating at high temperatures throughout the winter months, regardless of outside temperature.  This can result in employees taking actions such as opening windows, or changing the thermostat on air conditioning, in order to counteract overheating. This obviously leads to large amounts of wasted energy, which could be avoided through better temperature regulation.  Another issue frequently encountered is the use of space heating at inappropriate levels in seldom-occupied areas, for example stairwells and corridors

The most effective way to counter this energy waste is to thoroughly audit energy use in a building, identifying which radiators should be used and which should be disabled, as well as any opportunity for installing thermostatic controls on the radiators, making sure they are set at the correct levels. 

Set correct temperatures

Temperature controls are critical to achieve optimum energy consumption for hot water boilers. With an excessively high temperature, unnecessary energy is being consumed. For example, if a temperature of 50 to 60°C is required, average operating temperature is often set at 85°C to ensure this is met. 70°C to 75°C would suffice most of the year and this extra 10°C results in 5-10% excess energy consumption.

Outsourced specialist FM companies have the expertise to correctly optimise temperature settings for the complete hot water network throughout a building, reacting to changes in external temperature and other environmental conditions. With little or no investment, payback can be dramatic and almost immediate.

Optimise chiller efficiency

As with hot water, temperature controls are also vital for an efficiently operating refrigeration plant. If the temperature is set too low, unnecessary energy is being consumed. For example, if a comfort temperature of 18°C is required in the building, staff will often set the chillers between 7°C and 9°C. 12°C to 14°C would achieve suitable results for most of the year and this extra 3-4°C can result in up to 25% additional energy consumption.

By making small changes to an existing chiller plant, such as loading and unloading switches and condenser cooling water temperature settings, efficiencies can be improved.  However, in order to obtain significant energy reduction, it may be best to install new energy efficient plant.  While necessitating capital outlay, replacing refrigeration plant can provide significant long-term savings.

Improve operation

Heating in commercial buildings accounts for over 60% of total energy consumption and hot water generation makes up a large percentage of this.  In many office buildings, boilers and hot water pipe networks are often not designed with energy efficiency in mind. Many are also not well installed and not operated in the most energy efficient manner. As a result, significant energy is wasted.

While there are substantial savings to be made through small-scale changes in boiler operation, the most effective method of achieving energy savings from inefficient hot water plant may be to install new plant designed with energy saving in mind.

Optimise performance

Pumps that are used to circulate fluids around a building often have a flow rate that is kept constant, irrespective of demand. This results in increased, unnecessary energy consumption. The same occurs with fans and blowers on air conditioning systems, which once installed are often not properly balanced and dampers are poorly set up. Again this consumes excess energy.

By controlling the speed of pumps and fans, and by correctly setting damper openings, energy used by these systems will correspond to actual building demand, rather than remain at a constant level representing the highest possible demand.  This can make dramatic reductions in energy consumption and costs.

Implementing these tips will go some way towards saving energy, emissions and money.  However, the real key to energy savings in FM is to treat the individual aspects of building maintenance as parts of one holistic unit.  The savings that can be achieved by combining the individual components into one remit, and providing a dedicated resource to manage it, far outstrip one-off measures. The expert advice and technical ability an outsourced facilities management company provides will allow these savings to be maintained and expanded, allowing FMs and building services engineers to meet their environmental responsibilities whilst simultaneously improving the bottom line of their organisation.

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