Luxury Flats Energy Survey

Identifying energy waste throughout the Luxury Flats complex

Surveyed by: Phil Evans Report Prepared by: Phil Evans

Survey Date: 26th March 2012

2

Executive Summary This report has been written following a site survey conducted on the 26th March 2012. A visual

inspection of building fabric and building services has been undertaken and it is clear that they

are operating within their design parameters.

There are a number of energy-saving measures that can be implemented, without incurring

additional costs. To realize more energy savings, it is advisable to improve the availability of

usage data and to monitor that data.

Although several renewable technologies are technically viable, they would have limited impact

on the overall energy performance and would require full cooperation from all stakeholders of

the development.

Luxury Flats is a luxury development and the services delivered as part of a residents agreement

means that the energy consumed is similar to a medium size boutique hotel. The leisure centre is

energy intensive and with its hours of operation there are only a small number of energy savings

initiatives that would make it more efficient.

The age of the development means it would not be cost-effective to replace plant and equipment

for at least another five to 10 years on the basis of improving energy performance. The measures

recommended in this report will reduce energy wastage and will prevent further wastage

through close monitoring, but there would be investment required in retrofitting solutions.

The biggest impact to date in reducing the impact of energy consumption has been by Esskay

Management Services, with their work in negotiating an electricity contract that has realized a

significant saving in energy costs.

1. Reduce time delay function on all lighting movement sensors to minimum setting

2. Ensure leisure centre facilities are not left running out of hours

3. Install electricity sub metering on leisure centre supply for closer monitoring

4. Air Conditioning Inspection Reports are a legal requirement

5. Ensure Energy Performance Certificates are available for any sale or rent of flats

6. Consider installing a Building Management System to control all energy using

equipment and systems.

7. Install an insulated pool cover

Accurate costings of the various options can be undertaken if the residents and other

stakeholders express an interest. Please contact Phil Evans of Green Bridge to discuss the

options or for more detailed analysis and costing.

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Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................. 2

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 5

The Scope of Work........................................................................................................................... 5

Pre-Survey Information Requirements ....................................................................................... 5

Scope of work: ............................................................................................................................. 5

Deliverable: .................................................................................................................................. 5

Factors affecting delivery ............................................................................................................ 5

Site Details ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Contacts ....................................................................................................................................... 6

Energy Costs & Consumption .......................................................................................................... 7

Electricity Bills .............................................................................................................................. 7

Electricity Consumption ............................................................................................................... 7

Electricity Costs ............................................................................................................................ 8

Legislation ........................................................................................................................................ 9

Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations ........................................................................... 9

Energy Act 2011 ........................................................................................................................... 10

Feed-in Tariff (FIT)....................................................................................................................... 10

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) ................................................................................................ 10

Green Deal ................................................................................................................................... 10

Building Fabric..................................................................................................................................11

Roof ..............................................................................................................................................11

Walls .............................................................................................................................................11

Floor .............................................................................................................................................11

Glazing ..........................................................................................................................................11

Passive Design ..............................................................................................................................11

Insulation ......................................................................................................................................11

Air Leakage and Draughts .......................................................................................................... 12

Building Services ............................................................................................................................. 13

Lighting ....................................................................................................................................... 13

Heating ........................................................................................................................................ 13

Air Conditioning .......................................................................................................................... 13

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Domestic Hot Water ................................................................................................................... 14

Small Power/Office Equipment .................................................................................................. 14

Car Park Lighting ......................................................................................................................... 14

Leisure Centre ............................................................................................................................. 14

Metering ...................................................................................................................................... 15

Sub Metering............................................................................................................................... 15

Building Management Systems .................................................................................................. 16

Sustainability ................................................................................................................................... 17

Renewable & Low Carbon Technologies ................................................................................... 17

Biodiversity.................................................................................................................................. 18

Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 19

5

Introduction Following telephone conversations with Mr X, a resident at Luxury Flats and staff of YYY

Management Services, I submitted a proposal to conduct an Energy Survey. Mr. X, representing

the Residents Committee expressed concern over the amount of energy being consumed (and

subsequent expense) in the communal areas.

I was formally issued with an instruction to proceed by Mr. Y of YYY Management Services on 2nd

March 2012 and agreed to conduct the survey on 26th March 2012.

The Scope of Work I requested the following information prior to the survey, but it was not available. It meant that

the required information had to be gathered during the survey.

Pre-Survey Information Requirements

1. Floor plans (CAD or pdf) 2. Confirmation of floor areas (sqm or sqft) 3. Copies of electricity and gas bills for minimum of 12 months 4. A letter of authority allowing me to contact utility providers on your behalf (to request

half hourly data) 5. List of meters and sub meters 6. Engineering maintenance service provider contact information

Scope of work:

1. One day site survey to include: a. Walkthrough of communal areas, leisure complex, all associated plant rooms and

rooftop to basement areas. b. Metering cupboards c. Assessment of energy performance of ‘typical’ flat

2. One day desk-top study of: a. Half-hour data b. Utility bills c. Design drawings d. Engineering maintenance records

Deliverable:

1. Energy Performance Summary Report to include: a. Standard benchmarking exercise b. Analysis of HH data c. Prioritized list of energy saving opportunities

Factors affecting delivery

Access to all areas on day of survey. Availability/accuracy of on-site information Cooperation of utility service providers Availability of engineering maintenance service provider

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Site Details Flats 1 - 21

Luxury Flats

Hampstead Lane

N6 4RU

Block A: Flats 1-7

Block B: Flats 8-15

Block C: Flats 16-21

Contacts

Mr. Z in the Concierge Team made himself available during the day and proved to be very helpful

with a good working knowledge of Luxury Flats.

Mr. Y of YYY Management Services

The address and phone number

Green Bridge

Phil Evans

Mobile: 0784791829

Telephone: 02082579451

Email: phil.evans@greenbridgeservices.com

Block A Block B Block C

Basement

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A 50% improvement in electricity unit cost has been achieved with the new EDF contract in 2012

£-

£0.050

£0.100

£0.150

£0.200

£0.250

Eon pre-2012 EDF 2012

£0.229

£0.093

£0.147

£0.061

Co

st/k

Wh

Electricity Cost Improvement

Day Rate/kWh Night Rate/kWh

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

35000

40000

kWh

Electricity Used

Day Units used

Night Units used

Energy Costs & Consumption

Electricity Bills

The Landlord electricity supply for Luxury Flats has been provided by EDF Energy since January

2012, an action undertaken by Esskay Management Services. Prior to this, Eon supplied the

development and judging by the high unit rates,

there had been no action taken to negotiate a more

competitive contract arrangement, since the supply

was first connected to the site.

Unit Rates There is a day/night tariff for the supply, which

means that the charge for every kWh of energy

consumed between midnight and 07:00 costs 6p

and for every other hour of day the cost is 9.2p. I can

confirm that these rates are competitive and there is little benefit to be had in looking to

negotiate a better contract rate at this time.

Power Factor The power factor of a supply is an indication of energy waste. As confirmed from the electricity

bills, the power factor is 0.99 which means that there are virtually no energy losses in the supply

and therefore no wastage.

Electricity Consumption

With limited availability of historic billing information, it is not possible to make any firm

conclusions about the Landlord supply consumption pattern. However, the following points have

been drawn:

Since the start of 2012 there has been on average a 50% increase in electricity usage, in both

day and night units. The reason for the increase

cannot be determined and might actually be

considered normal for this time of year.

Crucially, the missing data for November and

December could indicate if the increase is

seasonal and the subsequent need for more

heating (electric) in the winter months.

There have been no changes to plant and

equipment during this period and so it is

reasonable to assume that the improved level of service provided by Esskay has required

more electricity to be used.

8

£-

£1,000.00

£2,000.00

£3,000.00

£4,000.00

£5,000.00

£6,000.00

£7,000.00

Electricity Costs

Night Cost

Day Cost

Sub metering of energy intensive services (i.e. leisure centre) would help to pinpoint the

source of the increase and once found, the reasons could be established.

There are many factors influencing electricity use over a 12 month period; these include

occupancy patterns, seasonality, temperature and other weather conditions, plant and

equipment performance, maintenance regimes, operating requirements etc.

Electricity Costs

Since YYY Management Services changed

supplier at the start of the year it is clear

that the cost for the electricity used has

decreased significantly. The average cost

per unit is now more than half the rate paid

with the previous Eon supply. The full

impact of this saving will be fully

appreciated after 12 months when a

comparison can be made between 2011 and

2012.

Legislation The owner of the building has a duty under the requirements of the Building Regulations to keep

full plans, approval notice and any completion certificates for the work that has been carried out.

These are as important as the original deeds of the property and lack of availability may cause

difficulties if the development was to be sold. This is unlikely to affect individual flat transactions,

but it would be advantageous for a set of documents to be held on site.

The development was completed in 2009 and although it cannot be confirmed which version of

the Building Regulations was complied with, it is reasonable to assume that a good level of

energy efficiency was required for the building material and construction process. There would

have been no requirement at this time to produce Energy Performance Certificates.

Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) It is a legal requirement for any property owner who intends to

sell or lease a property to have an EPC produced. Recent

changes to the Regulations mean that it is now essential that

the EPC is ready and available for any prospective purchaser.

The theory being that energy performance is a factor in making

a decision about purchasing a property.

Although there are flats being

advertised for sale, there are no

official records of EPCs existing for

any one of the 21 flats on the

Landmark Register. Any flat that is

currently being advertised for sale

needs to have an EPC prepared

without delay. It is the responsibility

of the vendor to provide an EPC to a prospective purchaser.

Air Conditioning Inspections (ACI) Another component of the Regulations relevant to Luxury

Flats is the need for an ACI. Each flat and parts of the

communal area are air conditioned and as all units

surveyed are well over 12kW output an ACI is needed. The

trigger for an ACI is not linked to sale or lease of property,

it is purely if you have it or not. However, as it is a legal

requirement, there is the possibility that a transaction

may be delayed until an ACI can be provided.

The Leisure Centre and each flat have more than 12kW of air

conditioning. It is a legal requirement for this to be

inspected.

There are no Energy Performance Certificates

registered for Luxury Flats

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Energy Act 2011

On Tuesday, 18th October 2011, the Energy Bill received Royal Assent and became the Energy Act

2011. The Act provides for a step change in the provision of energy efficiency measures to homes

and businesses, and makes improvements to the framework to enable and secure low-carbon

energy supplies and fair competition in the energy markets

Feed-in Tariff (FIT)

The Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) scheme was introduced on 1st April 2010, following successful lobbying

efforts by the REA, Friends of the Earth and others.

The purpose of the FITs, is to encourage deployment of small-scale (less than 5MW) renewable

electricity generation. The technologies currently covered by the FITs are: solar photovoltaics

(PV), hydro, anaerobic digestion (AD), wind and domestic scale microCHP.

The goal of the FITs is to encourage the increased uptake of investment in small-scale renewable

electricity by providing financial incentives for each kWh generated. Following the installation

and commissioning of the installation, generators receive a guaranteed payment from the

electricity supplier of their choice for the electricity they generate and use, as well as a

guaranteed payment for unused surplus electricity they export back to the grid.

Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

The RHI is a tariff scheme similar to the FITs, payable to energy users generating their own

renewable heat.

The first phase of the scheme is targeted at the non-domestic sectors and at the big heat users in

the industrial, business and public sector and came in to force at the end of November 2011. A

range of technologies are supported including: air source heat pumps, biomass boilers, solar

thermal, and ground and water source heat pumps.

The second phase of the RHI scheme should see it expanded to include more technologies and

include support for households. No consultation has as yet been published but this transition is

aimed to be timed to align with the Green Deal, which is due to be introduced in the autumn of

2012.

Green Deal

The Energy Act 2011 creates a new financing framework to enable the provision of fixed

improvements to the energy efficiency of households and non-domestic properties, funded by a

charge on energy bills that avoids the need for consumers to pay upfront costs

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Building Fabric As the property is relatively new, there is little scope for making improvements to the overall

structure as the cost implications would not justify it at this time. Consideration should be given

to enhancing the thermal efficiency of the building envelope during major refurbishment.

Roof

Flat roofs are used on each block and the main consideration is to ensure that rainwater

penetration is prevented by removing any weed/uncontrolled plant growth. The roof area is

relatively small in comparison with the overall floor area of the three blocks.

Walls

The walls will be of cavity wall construction with a stone cladding finish. It is assumed that the

materials used and the thermal transmittance will meet at least 2006 building regulations,

meaning that a good standard of thermal comfort will be realized.

Floor

Each flat has underfloor heating. It is assumed that the communal areas do not have underfloor

heating as electric panel radiators are installed in corridors, foyers and lift lobbies.

Glazing

Double-glazing is fitted throughout and is one area that could be

considered for improving energy performance with a retro-fit

solution. The leisure centre has a large amount of glazing and has

more than 30kW of air conditioning installed to control the

internal environment. The air conditioning has to counteract the

effects of high levels of solar gain as well as the heat generated

by equipment and gym users.

It would be possible to consider an external solar shading system

in this area that would stop excessive solar gain, without

impacting on natural light levels. Alternatively, the windows could

be fitted with solar reflective film, but this would tint the glass,

which may not be acceptable to residents.

External shading solutions are unlikely to be a feasible option for the flats, but if south facing

facades would benefit from solar shading film.

Passive Design

Each flat and some parts of the communal area are air conditioned. Natural ventilation is

available from open-able windows within each flat. There are no other sources of natural

ventilation within the development.

Insulation

It is assumed that building regulations-compliant levels of insulation have been installed. To

confirm this would require access to design and construction information. However, the option

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for retrofitting higher specification insulation is not considered an option, due to the high levels

of disruption involved and the relatively low impact it would have.

Air Leakage and Draughts

Evidence of a building pressure test was not available, but with the extensive use of air

conditioning it would be beneficial to undertake such a test to reduce the loss of conditioned air,

thereby reducing the use of the system and associated cost.

Doors and windows should be checked for signs of wear on integrated draughtproofing to

ensure that conditioned air is not lost and external air is only brought into the blocks in a

controlled manner.

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Building Services

Lighting

The lighting in the communal areas is provided via a number

of low energy fittings. The low level corridor lighting has one

11W compact fluorescent lamp per fitting. These are not

controlled by the movement sensors fitted in the ceilings.

The movement sensors have been identified by the

Maintenance and Concierge teams as being an opportunity

for energy saving. During the survey, I observed that there

was infrequent use of the communal corridors and the time

delay could be reduced to the minimum available time.

An adjustment in the time delay function will require re-

setting on each individual unit by the Maintenance team. The

energy savings will not have a significant effect on reducing

energy waste as low energy lighting is used throughout.

The existing lighting could be replaced with more efficient

LED technology, but considering the already high efficiency of

the existing system, any slight improvement would not be

justifiable in terms of cost.

Heating

The communal corridors, lift lobbies and foyers have electric panel heaters; controlled by the

Concierge team, although they do have an in-built timer

option. None of the heaters were in operation on the day of

the survey and the

Concierge team confirmed

that they were manually

controlled with best

practice and energy

efficiency in mind.

Air Conditioning

Every flat has an air conditioning system, as does the leisure

centre with three units in the gym and one wall mounted

unit in each of the changing rooms. The standard capacity

of each unit is 22.4kw, which means that an air conditioning

inspection it required.

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Domestic Hot Water

The leisure centre has its own sub metered gas supply with a boiler providing pool heating and

hot water for the changing rooms.

Small Power/Office Equipment

The Concierge team has a small staff room/kitchen with standard kitchen equipment. There are

also toilet and shower room facilities. The Concierge team has computers and a small amount of

office equipment for their daily duties. The energy consumed by this equipment is relatively small

and is not considered to be a major contributor to energy wastage.

Car Park Lighting

The Maintenance team has confirmed that

the movement sensor controls could be

adjusted to ensure that lights were not in

use for long periods of time. The lights were

on for the duration of the survey with

infrequent use of the car park during the

day.

There are ~56No. twin 58watt fluorescent tubes which is a lighting load of 6.5kW. With the time

delay set as it is; the lights could be on for as much as 20 hours a day. The annual expenditure for

the car park lighting is in the region of £4,200.

Car Park Maintenance Whilst surveying the lighting levels in the car park, I noted a staff member using a pressure

washer to clean the floor of the car park. The equipment being was a standard pressure washing

lance and as the area being cleaned was a large area, it is not fit for purpose. As a result, more

electricity, water, time and effort are required to maintain an acceptable level of cleanliness. The

use of a suitable attachment for cleaning large flat areas will significantly improve the

effectiveness and efficiency of this service.

http://www.jet-wash-direct.co.uk/pressurewashers/rotary-cleaners.html

Leisure Centre

These facilities are considered to be energy-intensive, which is why corporate gym/leisure clubs

are considering alternative, energy efficient methods for controlling energy consumption. The

equipment performance is acceptable, but with the pool and other facilities needing to be

maintained at temperature, it is inherently wasteful if the facilities are only

used infrequently.

Pool Heating The Ideal Evomax 60 has been specified to work in conjunction with the

Calorex unit. There is a separate gas meter for the leisure centre and the

equipment and systems are in good order.

15

Pool Cover One of the major contributors to heat loss from a pool is the lack of an insulation layer, when not

in use. Insulated pool covers are one of the most cost effective investments available to

swimming pool managers. Typical savings can be 10 -30% of total pool energy use with a payback

period of 18 months to three years. An effective pool cover will reduce the need for

dehumidification out of hours and therefore substantially reduce energy consumption.

Heat Recovery and Dehumidification The Calorex Delta unit recirculates pool air, removing excess moisture

content and reclaiming the latent heat it contains. All the driving energy

is added to the reclaimed energy and automatically routed into the pool

water and air. A controlled quantity of fresh air is added continuously to

maintain the pool air quality

Metering

Electricity

Every flat has its own electricity meter as does the Landlords

supply. There are several different types of meter used i.e. digital

or analogue, but none have any form of pulsed output and

therefore need to be manually read to ensure accurate bills are

generated. As each of the main utility suppliers has

a Government incentive to replace existing

meters with ‘Smart’ meters it would be beneficial

for each flat to have this technology installed. It

would enable energy consumption profiles to be

accessed and reviewed by each resident and

those monitoring energy performance of the

communal areas.

With sizeable overall energy consumption it would be sensible to consider a single supplier for all

supplies into Luxury Flats. There are several different analogue and digital

meters installed and they have to be manually read on a monthly basis by the

Concierge team.

Gas Every flat is individually metered and the leisure centre has its own gas meter.

Water There are water meters for each flat

Sub Metering

There is no sub metering within Luxury Flats, which makes identification of

energy waste very difficult. The installation of an electricity sub meter on the

16

leisure centre supply would allow closer monitoring of usage and identification of waste. This

would allow a business case to be produced to support the need for spending money on

improvements such as a pool cover.

Building Management Systems

None of the existing meters have pulsed output capability, which means they cannot be read

remotely and require manual reading. This is inefficient and can lead to inaccurate billing; it also

means that monitoring of energy usage cannot be undertaken and identification of energy waste

is very difficult.

A building management system (BMS) is a computerized system that would enable remote

control and monitoring of all energy using equipment. A simple system could be sited with the

Concierge team, who could make any required adjustments as per the requirements of the

residents. Following an upgrade in meters to those with a pulsed output, it could also be the

focal point for monitoring of energy use and would mean accurate billing and a saving in time for

Concierge staff who at present, have to read the meters.

The investment required for a simple BMS would be £3000.00 but could pay for itself within 12 to

24 months if sufficient time was given to monitoring and controlling energy.

17

Sustainability

Renewable & Low Carbon Technologies

There are no renewable technologies in use at Luxury Flats.

Solar Photovoltaics (PV) commonly known as solar panels capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic cells. The cells convert the sunlight into electricity, which can be used to run household appliances and lighting. This is not a viable option for Luxury Flats as there is limited space available on rooftops. If an area of the grounds was made available an array could be installed, but this would be dependent on orientation and shading constraints and the cooperation of all residents and stakeholders.

Solar Water Heating systems use free heat from the sun to warm domestic hot water, with a conventional boiler or immersion heater as backup, to make the water hotter or provide hot water when solar energy is unavailable. There is insufficient space on rooftops of each block to site photovoltaic arrays and the façade of each block does not attract sufficient sunlight to justify a vertical array. This is not a viable option Luxury Flats.

Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity. Small systems known as 'microwind' or 'small-wind' turbines can produce electricity to help power the lights and electrical appliances in a typical home. Although planning restrictions have been eased to allow the installation of technologies such as this; it is not a viable option as there is insufficient roof space to mount an adequately sized unit. There are noise and aesthetics issues with wind turbines which add to the assertion that it is not a viable option in this case.

Ground source heat pumps use pipes buried to extract heat from the ground. This is usually used to heat radiators or underfloor heating systems and hot water. This is a technically viable option due to the large footprint of the entire site, but it would be expensive and would require full cooperation from all residents and Management Teams to realize. It would have to be a communal heating project, with a centralized plant and suitable heat sub meters to ensure the correct billing for usage.

Air source heat pumps absorb heat from the outside air. This heat is usually used to heat radiators, underfloor heating systems, or warm air convectors and hot water in your home. This is also a viable option and would be cheaper to install, but the impact of the noise generated by the units would have to be taken into consideration.

Rainwater Harvesting is a storage system for trapping rainwater that could be used to supplement irrigation of the grounds. There is ample space to position storage vessels above or below ground. The solution would have a significant impact on reducing watering costs. Energy and water cost information would have to be analyzed to ensure the right size system was installed.

Micro-CHP (micro combined heat and power) This refers to a heating technology which generates heat and electricity simultaneously, from the same energy source, in individual homes or buildings. The units can be the same size as conventional domestic boilers and can be retrofitted. This is a technology that could be considered for replacing boilers in flats, but should only be considered at the end of the efficient life of the existing boilers.

Wood-fuelled heating Wood-fuelled or biomass heating systems burn wood pellets, chips or logs to power central heating and hot water boilers or to provide warmth in a single room. This is not an option for the flats, but could be part of a solution for the leisure centre

Combined Heat and Power is the simultaneous generation of heat and power in a single process. Heat outputs can include steam, hot water, space heating and absorption chilling. This is technically viable but not economically feasible. There is a need for constant hot water and steam for the leisure centre, air conditioning and a high electricity demand. It would be expensive to install as a retrofit solution, but would have a dramatic effect on the energy performance of Luxury Flats.

18

Biodiversity

Living Walls/Green Roofs There is limited space available on rooftops, so the possibilities for a green roof are limited;

however, with large areas of perimeter walls and hard surfaces available across the development

Living Walls are an option. Converting these hard surfaces will encourage butterflies and

pollinators and also act as a simple rainwater management system as well as providing noise

reduction.

http://www.cityroofs.com

http://www.greenroofguide.co.uk/benefits/

Wildlife Friendly Spaces The grounds of Luxury Flats are well maintained and provide a pleasant outdoor environment for

residents. The existing planting and lawns require significant volumes of water to maintain, which

is supplied through a recently installed

irrigation system. The water is supplied

from the mains and is therefore

potable. It also requires electricity for

pumps, which impacts on the

communal bill.

Converting a percentage of the

grounds into a wildlife friendly

meadow and replacing ornate plants

with lower maintenance options that

are more attractive to pollinators

would increase the species diversity

and make the area more attractive and

provide a more natural environment for

residents to enjoy.

Pollution Prevention The extensive amount of planting throughout the development could have a reduced

environmental impact if a more sustainable approach was taken to the use of herbicides and

pesticides. One possible option could be to use an organic weed barrier that would also reduce

water evaporation. This would reduce gardening maintenance and reduce the requirement for

watering. Systems such as those supplied by Sonairte (or suitable other) should be considered.

http://www.sonairte.co.uk

A site plan showing

the extent of

planting and lawns.

19

Conclusion Luxury Flats is a luxury development and the services delivered as part of a residents agreement

means that the energy consumed is similar to a medium size boutique hotel. The leisure centre is

energy intensive and with its hours of operation there are only a small number of energy savings

initiatives that would make it more efficient.

The age of the development means it would not be cost-effective to replace plant and equipment

for at least another five to 10 years on the basis of improving energy performance. The measures

recommended in this report will reduce energy wastage and will prevent further wastage

through close monitoring, but there would be investment required in retrofitting solutions.

The biggest impact to date in reducing the impact of energy consumption has been by YYY

Management Services, with their work in negotiating an electricity contract that has realized a

significant saving in energy costs.