Hot flushes save energy

27 Aug 2010 at 10:12

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sustainability

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In my house the heating strategy is determined by whether my wife is having a hot flush or not – when she is she turns the heating off. And this illustrates one of the fundamental requirements of any control strategy. Namely, that energy-consuming services should be closely aligned to demand.

So, one option for reducing heating energy consumption might be to equip every household with a menopausal woman, though this may prove impractical and would certainly put a lot of strain on the menfolk. However it is feasible to do more to match supply and demand in this context.

For example, fitting thermostatic radiator valves in all rooms means that different temperatures can be set for different spaces to suit the activities there. The demand side can also be moderated by behavioural changes, such as wearing different clothes, again to suit the activity.

This is illustrated very well by supermarkets where at any one time there will be shoppers dressed for the outside, shelf stackers performing physical work and check out operators being relatively inactive. So on a cold day the smart approach is to reduce the temperature to suit shoppers wearing coats. Shelf stackers are then equipped with light clothing and check out staff are given fleeces to keep them warm.

Putting warmer clothes on at home applies the same principle. Walking around in a T shirt with the heating set at 22 degrees is barmy. Put another layer on and turn the thermostat down.

And there are many other examples of more sustainable heating. The key is to give it some thought and develop flexible strategies that take account of variable demand.

Making the most of the RHI

26 Jul 2010 at 10:11

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Building services products, Climate change, sustainability

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The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) looks set to increase the use of low energy heat sources such as heat pumps, solar thermal, etc. And as renewable sources currently only account for around 1% of the UK’s heat demand this is clearly a welcome development.

However, it’s very important that manufacturers of heating equipment adapt their equipment to optimise the performance of these heat sources. Otherwise some of the energy saving benefits achieved by using a low energy source could be wasted through poor use of that heat in buildings.

Heat pumps are a case in point as they tend to generate hot water at a lower temperature than would be the case with boilers. This means that the terminal units – radiators, fan coils, air curtains, convectors etc. – need to be engineered for these lower temperature heat sources.

Envirotec, for example, has developed special air curtains for use with heat pumps that provide more efficient heat exchange to make the best use of the heat from the water (see www.envirotec.co.uk/products/ac-heatpump.html) . This is an important development because of the importance of air curtains in preventing cold air entering entrances that open and close frequently.

Further information about the RHI can be found at www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/rhi/rhi.aspx

Not so sustainable Tesco

11 Jul 2010 at 10:52

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CSR management, sustainability

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For some years now the major supermarkets have been making grand claims about their sustainability as they vie to be ‘greener’ than their competitors. And while much of their effort is focused on energy because they don’t want to perform badly in league tables, there are other sustainability issues to be considered.

For example, I went to Tesco this morning and was presented with a print out that was just under 1 metre long. The itemised till receipt accounted for 30% of this. The rest was special offers – extra points on this, £5 off that etc. – and I’m certainly not going to buy Kung Fu Panda for 50 extra points.

In contrast, on a trip to Sainsbury the other day I received a very small receipt, printed on both sides to save paper. Admittedly Tesco does have a standard message on the back, reminding me that ‘every little helps’ and saying several times how this long roll of paper was produced from ‘well-managed forests and other controlled sources’ – wasting even more ink.

The point is that every piece of printed paper has environmental impact, so any superfluous printing is unnecessarily damaging the environment. Not just the carbon footprint of producing and transporting the paper and ink, there’s also the extra energy to print these longer receipts,and recycling paper also has a carbon footprint.

OK, it’s a very small piece of paper compared to global consumption but spread that across millions of transactions and the figures start to add up. So perhaps someone should remind Tesco that ‘every little helps’!

Paul Haddlesey

Scrapping BSF schemes places many schools in quandary

07 Jul 2010 at 16:17

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Building management

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By guest blogger Lee Vines of PKL

The news that 719 planned Building Schools for the Future (BSF) schemes are to be scrapped puts many schools in something of a quandary when it comes to maintaining catering standards.

“Many of these projects would have included essential upgrades to kitchens, so schools will now have to look for alternatives. And with other capital budgets also being squeezed there is a very strong case for considering capital-free alternatives such as long-term hire of equipment or entire kitchens. Using the contract hire option to procure new kitchen buildings or to replace or upgrade a current kitchen estate provides a viable alternative to capital purchase.

PKL offers a wide choice of hire options, ranging from the ability to specify a complete kitchen equipment estate with inclusive service and maintenance, to permanent modular kitchen buildings that can be designed and configured to end user choice. The company will also work with schools to evaluate their needs, identify the best solution and explore the options that are open to them.

More information regarding the contract hire of catering equipment or permanent modular buildings can be found by clicking on the links below:

Contract hire

http://www.pkl.co.uk/foodservices/kitchenfm.asp

Permanent modular kitchen hire

http://www.pkl.co.uk/foodservices/kitchen-pods.asp

If you would like to discuss any hire or rental options with PKL, you can do so by either by phoning 0845 840 42 42 or emailing postbox@pkl.co.uk

Is water the new energy?

29 Jun 2010 at 16:41

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Building management, CSR management, Climate change

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The threat of hosepipe bans in the UK, despite the huge amounts of precipitation during the winter months, simply reinforces the importance of water as a natural resource. And the likelihood that global water distribution will be altered by climate change. So conserving water could soon become as important as saving energy – if it isn’t already.

Also, conserving water also reduces the energy required to pump it around the country and around buildings. It also reduces the environmental impact of treating water after it’s been used.

But saving water isn’t just good for the environment; it also makes sound business sense. In fact, a survey by Ethical Corporation indicates that water conservation is set to become a top priority for businesses and governments in the next 5-10 years.

For businesses, though, there is still a need to develop a business case for investment in water-saving measure to get the go-ahead from the financial director. So they need to understand how much water they’re consuming and how much suitable measures might save them in order to make a return on investment calculation.

However, that is clearly worth doing. For example, by understanding its water consumption and taking appropriate measures, Sainsbury has saved around £1.6m since fixing leaks, installing sensors on urinals, and reducing toilet water capacity.

Any such improvement inevitably requires some investment and having the right figures to hand is a key part of making a return on investment calculation. However, where there are many buildings there is lots of data to deal with, often residing in different systems in a variety of formats. And gathering and analysing that data can be very time consuming. In fact, it can take so long that the information is out of date by the time it’s ready.

That’s why it’s also important to make use of IT tools that will help in the harvesting, validation, analysis and reporting of sustainability data. One such tool is Sustainability iQ, and I would recommend that anyone involved in managing sustainability take a look at this innovative online product.

Paul Haddlesey

Eats shoots and leaves

23 Jun 2010 at 09:44

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Media and journalism

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There is a worrying tendency in some companies to think that using correct grammar and punctuation in their literature and on their websites doesn’t matter. What they need to realise is that there are many people who will, at least partially, judge them on this attention to detail.

This is evidenced by the popularity of the excellent book Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss, which points out the importance of punctuation. It may not be a majority that worry about this kind of stuff, but there’s a sizeable minority of us pedants out there.

For example, I was recently asked to proof read a website for a company and was able to point out some errors and help them get it right. These ranged from incomplete contact details to incorrect use of apostrophes. The company’s response was that the latter, incorrect use of apostrophes and other punctuation marks wasn’t really that important. They did acknowledge that incomplete contact details were a major boo-boo though.

They are missing a key point. Literature, websites, sales letters and emails are all important interfaces between a company and its existing and prospective customers. If sloppy proof reading creates a negative perception with just 25% of those prospective customers, that could be a hell of a lot of lost business.

So, yes it does matter if you talk about your customer’s requirements rather than your customers’ requirements, and the plural of DVD is DVDs not DVD’s. And if you haven’t got the in-house resources to get it right, it really is worth investing in some specialist help.

Tougher regs for energy saving products

14 Jun 2010 at 11:07

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CSR management

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In a previous Blog I mentioned my concern about the plethora of so-called ‘energy saving’ products entering the market. I recently spoke to Alan O’ Brien, CEO of Sabien Technology, who has similar concerns. This is what he said:

“Businesses know they need to step up to meet these tough new carbon reduction proposals but they are quite literally ‘fatigued’ by propositions from companies who are promising more than they can actually deliver.

“Measuring energy efficiency is more complex than many people realise, and we need an independent ‘enforcement agency’ to audit and verify suppliers’ claims and differentiate between ‘low-carbon’ and ‘cowboy-carbon’ products. In particular, it’s important to measure changes in energy consumption over longer periods, using tools such as the Carbon Trust-approved CUSUM (Cumulative Sum) analysis method.

“This is how we have proved to many big businesses – including AVIVA, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, BT and 02 – that our M2G technology delivers real savings and we would like to see other technology providers stepping up to the mark,” he concluded.

Kitchen contingency plans are a must

19 May 2010 at 06:32

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Building management

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Contingency planning is vital for any catering operation. A contingency plan helps to minimise the adverse effects of sudden closure or disruption, so that in the event of an emergency, appropriate plans can be implemented quickly and efficiently to restore service as soon as possible. Or a contingency plan may be put in place to help manage seasonal peaks in food production with maximum efficiency.

PKL’s Contingency Planning Guide builds on the company’s 20+ years experience of delivering emergency kitchens and catering equipment at short notice. It provides a contingency planning checklist, outlining key considerations and highlight factors that are often unanticipated. For example, if you need an emergency kitchen, will it be necessary to close roads or lift it over other buildings? Or do you know what items of equipment you would need to maintain service to customers?

PKL’s emergency response service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and regularly supplies emergency catering facilities to clients that have suffered unforeseen emergencies such as fire, floods or equipment breakdown. Solutions range from single items of catering equipment to complete kitchens and restaurant facilities, usually up and running with a few days of receiving the first emergency call (depending on the size of facility required).

In addition to the free Contingency Planning Guide, PKL can also provide bespoke contingency plans, tailored to each client’s exact requirements and business priorities.

New generation of nes specification software

19 May 2010 at 06:24

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Building services products

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New features in the CIBSE endorsed nes2010 building services engineering specification software include extensive functionality enhancements as well as a new Department of Health approved nesPlus module for healthcare facilities. This latest generation of nes also provides one-click access to LUCKINSlive.com, the building services industry’s most comprehensive source of product and price information.

Improved ease of use comes from a range of features including tabbed menus for easy access to editing functions, administration tools and guidance notes. Editing functions have also been enhanced, along with more powerful export tools for publishing specifications in a range of formats. Each section provides quick references to standards and other legislation, providing a checklist and audit trail for improved quality assurance.

Produced in conjunction with the Department of Health Estates and Facilities Management, the new healthcare version of nesPlus provides an up to date replacement for the Model Engineering Specification, which has now been archived. Ideal for all healthcare facilities including hospital wards, operating theatres and medical laboratories, nesPlus has been written by building services consultants who specialise in healthcare, ensuring that all information is accurate and up to date.

Subscribers to nesPlus also benefit from all of the features in the standard nes2010.

www.amtech-nes.co.uk

District energy is the way forward

08 May 2010 at 10:30

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CSR management

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News of the formation of COFELY District Energy is excellent news for the environment as it will help to increase the use of low carbon district heating, cooling and power schemes through the UK.
The use of large scale Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to generate electrical power and heat for heating and hot water is a very efficient route, taking advantage of the economies of scale. In the summer, when less heat is needed, the surplus heat can be used to drive and absorption chiller to produce chilled water for air conditioning.
The Southampton scheme managed by the company also uses geothermal energy and there are plans to introduce other low carbon technologies as well in various schemes. The other schemes in the company’s portfolio include MediaCity UK, the Olympic Park and a rapidly growing district energy scheme in Birmingham.
It makes so much sense to connect groups of buildings to such schemes that we can expect to see a lot more of this in the future.
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