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Over the last few years there have been many well-documented projects that show the transformation of existing buildings through the renewal of plant and controls systems. Now that the Green Building Fund program has ended, large-scale projects are looking less appealing to many owners, especially in the current mood of global economic uncertainty. All is not lost in the drive towards more efficient building stock – we just need to get a bit creative and pay more attention to the fundamentals.
The positive influence of a skilled and engaged facilities manager has long been recognised and was highlighted in The Warren Centre’s “Low-Energy High-Rise Project”. This study showed that buildings could realize up to a 1.3-star improvement in their NABERS energy rating if “the manager reports a higher level of energy efficiency knowledge”. This knowledge must be backed up by regular monitoring and subsequent action to correct irregularities and optimize building operations, which of course requires sufficient time and resources to take action.
A recent CBRE case study documents the benefits that can be realised through a dedicated building management team. CBRE manages a prominent building in Melbourne CBD and in mid-2010 put in place a new strategy to reduce energy and water consumption through operational improvements with no capital cost to the building owner.
The building management team documented the run times of all plant and equipment, analysed the data and adjusted controls strategies for the greatest efficiencies. It was found that a large proportion of the building’s plant had been operating well outside normal business hours due to building management system's controls limitations. Common area lighting had also been left for tenants to turn on and off as needed.
Operational strategies were developed for greater energy and water efficiency. A shut-down procedure was documented to control lighting and manually shut down plant via the building management system at the appropriate time, in line with tenant’s lease agreements. Further efficiencies were gained from adjusting outside air set points, chiller staging, cooling tower staging and primary and secondary chilled water loop temperature settings.
Analysis of the 2011 calendar year showed reductions of 9.2% and 26.5% on electricity and gas consumption respectively, with significant financial benefits as energy costs rise. Most significant is that these improvements were achieved without large-scale capital investment. The building’s strategic improvement plan has now been reviewed allowing investment to be targeted in the knowledge that the “quick wins” have been achieved.
These results would not have been possible without a knowledgeable, motivated and appropriately resourced management team. If you are a facilities manager think about all the variables that could influence your energy efficiency and how you could control them more effectively. If you make decisions about your facilities management team, encourage high performance but remember that you get what you pay for – does your team have sufficient time and resources to be able to manage the detail? Are they empowered to take action and achieve the quick wins? Are their opinions sought when making investment plans?
As the people most likely to understand your building’s operations give them the respect they deserve – love your facilities manager!
Rebecca Pearce is head of sustainability for the Pacific region at <a href="https://cbre.com/" target="_blank">CBRE</a>.
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Rebecca Pearce

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