We are all responsible in some way for wasting energy which someone else is paying for; in fact we are all paying for all the energy consumed in the way of higher prices. More importantly, what happens when there is none left? What price then?
There are a few simple things which can be done by any organisation to make a start on cutting their energy bill:
1. Make someone in the Company responsible for investigating all aspects of your energy consumption, including monitoring and occupancy patterns. i.e. Appoint an Energy Manager.
2. Good Housekeeping is the starting point:
a) Check start & stop times of heating and cooling plant.
b) Educate staff to dress according to the seasons in order to minimise complaints about the space conditions
c) Check "out of normal hours" use of buildings when there is minimal staff occupancy; do not heat or cool the whole of a building if there are only a handful of people working.
d) Keep sensible levels of heating in winter and cooling in summer; say 20/21oC for winter and 23/24oC in summer for cooling.
e) Switch off lighting when possible.
f) Close blinds and keep out the sun to save cooling load during the summer.
When all this has been addressed take advice from a Control Systems Expert. You will need to allocate a budget for repairs, replacements and improvements for which the expense will be recouped in a cost effective timescale.
Regular inspection and testing of the Control System will alleviate staff complaints as well as save energy.
Be aware: just servicing your boilers is NOT a service on the whole of your Control System, the part which saves the money!
BEMS Control Features
1. Optimum Start
Ensures the building is the proper temperature at occupancy time and no earlier, which is acheived by varying the switch on time according to the prevailing conditions inside & outside.2. Optimum Stop
Allows the plant to be switched off before the end of normal time without loss of comfort to the staff.3. Daytime Control
Zone control devices in the building will shut down part of a system when not required during occupancy. Continuous monitoring of the prevailing conditions will allow switch off when heating/cooling is not required particularly in Spring and Autumn.4. Frost & Fabric Protection
Additional non-adjustable settings using the control temperature sensors will ensure minimum plant operation to protect the building under severe weather conditions.5. Plant Sequencing
Multiple boiler and chiller plant should be off loaded as demand changes; rotation of duty is essential to equalise plant wear.6. Lighting Control
Lighting should be controlled by both occupancy and light level sensors as well as being switched by time schedules.7. Blind Control
Automatic blinds can be programmed to operate as the sun changes position and level due to the seasons.8. Logging & Monitoring
The plant operation and building conditions should be monitored and recorded by the Control System, to provide the Energy Manager with the information for reporting to management and ensuring the best possible results.9. Alarm Generation
When there is a plant malfunction this needs to be relayed to someone who is responsible for taking corrective action before the problem escalates. The timing and nature of a fault needs to be recorded by the BEMS which will aid investigation and correction of those faults which may develop during the unoccupied periods.More Considerations
User Interface
It is a fact that more fuel is wasted by incorrect setting and misunderstanding of the Control System function than any other reason. Simple settings of time and temperature levels are needed as well as self canceling override functions.
A BEMS computer, complete with password access to the control settings and the logging software is desirable. Further software can be added to allow call out of the maintenance team in the event of critical alarms.
Where multiple locations are involved, telephone modems and web browsers can be used to gain instant access to remote sites.
Grants
There are Enhanced Capital Allowances available under certain conditions. The following website will explain: