Energy and cost savings from air conditioning

ACDP is urging commercial property owners to ensure that their air conditioning systems meet today’s energy saving standards. Trading Standards and Building Control regulations have required that all systems over 250kW should have had their first inspection by January 2009. The next deadline will be two years away in January 2011 and will apply to systems over 12kW.

Air conditioning falls under the duty of care of the person responsible for the technical functioning of a building. Inspections and subsequent compliance reports are undertaken by ACDP’s accredited Energy Assessors in accordance with TM44 procedures published by CIBSE. Our Assessors can also survey properties to make a full evaluation of how to reduce energy consumption, bringing all building services into the assessment as well as air conditioning.

The fines for non-compliance are relatively small and this can persuade some companies to put the issue on the back burner, especially during times of economic downturn when every penny counts. However, as well as the potential reputation issues that can be caused to a business by prosecution, it is also worth considering the significant savings that will be made by getting rid of older plant and having a modern, energy efficient system in place. Getting inspected makes sound economic sense.

EPCs make progress

Since coming into force in October 2008, Energy Performance Certificates have become a fact of life for commercial as well as residential properties. Making an invaluable contribution to lowering the carbon footprint of buildings, they are now required to be produced whenever a commercial property is built, rented or sold.

Failing to make an EPC available to buyers or tenants of non-dwellings carries fines, normally based on 12.5% of the rateable value of the building, ranging from a minimum of £500 to a £5,000 maximum. ACDP’s Energy Assessors are qualified up to level 5 in CIBSE grading, which means that we are accredited to provide EPCs for large building complexes such as universities or hospitals. Using dynamic simulation software, energy levels can be accurately assessed over time and recommendations for improvements provided with the EPC report.

Compliance also carries significant benefits beyond simply avoiding prosecution. Energy efficiency means lower operating costs for business as well as delivering on environmental improvements.

Judging the best in HVAC

The presentation of the H&V News Awards 2009 is being held during a lavish event at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel of 30 April, but judging by a panel of 15 industry experts took place on 20th March at the offices of the magazine’s publishers, EMAP.

Dean Wood, Associate Engineer at ACDP, was one of those tasked with the difficult process of selecting winners out of an impressive range of contenders. The H&V News Awards provide independent stamps of excellence over a range of 18 categories and are highly prized as the “Oscars” for the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. Together with two past CIBSE presidents and a consultancy director, Dean was responsible for judging for the key awards of:

• Industrial/Commercial Heating Product of the Year
• Air Movement Product of the Year
• Air Conditioning Product of the Year
• Domestic H&V Product of the Year

“There were over 100 entrants competing for these four categories and the standard was very high. As a judge, I was looking for genuinely new innovation or a novel application of existing technology to new markets,” he said.

The Awards presentation is the highlight of the year for the HVAC industry and attendance is expected to be over 1,000 guests.

Award winning energy policy for Tesco

Energy efficient combined heat and power (CHP) installations at Tesco stores have been recognised recently with awards from the Combined Heat and Power Association and the National Energy Efficiency Awards scheme.  Tesco aims to halve its overall carbon emissions by 2020 as compared with 2006 levels and is making good progress. ACDP has been working closely with them on innovative energy saving programmes at a number of their outlets.

Our involvement has included delivering several CHP store installations as well as a combined cooling, heat and power (CCHP) project for Tesco at Colney Hatch. CHP units connect to the existing boiler units in the stores, using the gas output to provide heat, in the form of low temperature hot water, and 3-phase electricity.  CHP is a powerful method of reducing the carbon footprint of a retail operation like Tesco, drastically cutting CO² as well as NOx and other boiler emissions. Energy saving with CHP also reduces fossil fuel use and produces significant economic benefits. Stores become self-sufficient in energy and, if output of the generator is greater than the demand of the store, the surplus electricity can be sold back to the grid.

The CCHP, or tri-generation, system installed at the Tesco Colney Hatch outlet provides up to 100% of the store’s electricity demand while also producing chilled water for air conditioning and refrigeration requirements. The cooling element for the store’s chilling units is provided by cold air blown across the produce, which is fed by HT packs from the store’s roof. 

These exciting projects demonstrate Tesco’s energy saving commitment and its willingness to adopt long-term environmental investment strategies. ACDP has proved itself as a front runner in producing important energy efficiency installations, fully meeting the highest environmental and technical standards while consistently keeping to schedule and budget.

Advanced energy efficiency at M&S Westfield

Launched in November 2008, Marks & Spencer's exciting new property at Westfield, White City, London is an anchor store in one of the largest retail developments in Europe. ACDP has been responsible for the full co-ordinated design of building services within the store which incorporated a range of innovative energy saving systems, meeting the stringent demands of the M&S 100 point "eco" plan.

Equipment aimed at reducing carbon footprint covers every aspect of heating, refrigeration and lighting throughout the 104,000 square feet of the outlet's three trading floors. These incorporate a basement food hall and general merchandise retailing on the two levels above as well as four food initiatives - a bakery, hot food to go, a deli and a Cafe Revive. All plant is located externally on the roof of the store.

Energy efficient systems recommended by ACDP and installed at M&S Westfield include:

• Displacement ventilation, with air handling units ducted down grilled faced columns, which captures the movement of people to enhance air flow
• Inverter motor drives on all AHU's and supply fans systems
• Air conditioning that is water based cooling rather than using a refrigerant (WRF)
• Sub-metering on all utilities to monitor energy usage remotely
• Lighting control systems and new energy efficient light fittings
• Over door heaters were supplied with new energy green controllers
• PIR detectors in back of house offices
• Daylight sensors to lighting around atria
• Time-clock control facility

ACDP 40 years on

ACDP is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, when major changes are taking place affecting the services we provide to our clients. New legislation such as Part L of Building Regulations is providing opportunities for our expert support on energy management and CO2 emissions reduction. Additionally, with new measures such as the Corporate Manslaughter Act being introduced, Health & Safety is playing an increasing role in the business of our clients and therefore in the consultation we provide for them.

As building services consulting engineers, our services have been consistently in demand. Founded by Jack Culley in 1968, then as now in Maidenhead, Berkshire, ACDP has always been strong in the retail sector. We are privileged to have provided services to Tesco for 40 years and Marks & Spencer for 30 years, amongst other famous household names.

In recent years our work has been applied to a broadening range of sectors and current projects range from a power conversion station on the Isle of Grain to the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst. The market for our services is very diverse and constantly growing. The size of our team has also expanded to meet the demand, from seven people in 1968 to our current staff of 62.

The next 40 years are likely to bring equally dramatic developments and legislative changes. ACDP is excited by the prospect and fully intends to be around to see them through.

Low Carbon Design Expertise

ACDP has built on the capabilities of its team of low carbon consultants with our recent accreditation to the Design Register of CIBSE (Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers).

Energy saving and environmental impact are increasingly important factors in building construction and management. We can now enhance our service to clients with expert advice on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and, where feasible, incorporating renewable energy through the effective design of commercial and residential buildings.

This complements our existing expertise as CIBSE accredited low carbon Simulation specialists. Low Carbon Design consultants are required to be experienced in the application of Part L of Building Regulations, in using CIBSE Guide F for building design and operation as well as employing the CIBSE Code of Practice and Sustainability Policy. Gaining this high level qualification requires stringent training and examination and is required for all planning applications.

Environmental Expertise Recognised

ACDP have improved their environmental credentials with the accreditation of one of their environmental engineers to the Low Carbon Consultants register, an important initiative launched by the Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers (CIBSE) to tackle sustainability.

Enhancing ACDP's expertise in energy efficiency and environmental management, the Low Carbon Consultant's role is as a Simulation Specialist, emphasising their expertise in Part L of Building Regulations and specifically in the use of the IES (Integrated Environmental Solutions) software programme for calculating carbon dioxide emissions. The scope of this specialisation covers all building services such as HVAC, hot water services, renewable energy and lighting.

Becoming a Low Carbon Consultant requires intensive training and passing an examination at CIBSE, which is followed up by annual training courses to keep abreast of latest developments in the field.

Tesco Values Awards

After 18 months of operating on a workstream basis for Tesco, ACDP has been presented with its second Values Award.

With three full time refrigeration engineers working for Tesco stores throughout the UK, ACDP has shown itself innovative and committed to adding value to its services. This has meant finding ways to proactively introduce improvements into Tesco processes and these have included initiatives to save energy and cut maintenance and operating costs. The award has recognised the value that our people have contributed to their business and follows the annual review of workloads undertaken by

Tesco last October.

The first Tesco Values Award for ACDP was recently made to our refrigeration consultant Amrit Hathi, recognising substantial cost efficiencies made during a major store refit at Rotherham. As specialist refrigeration consultant, ACDP managed the timeline and process to achieve a customer friendly development, keeping to specifications and exceeding expectations for savings on budget.

The Tesco NWT (Natural Works Team) has consistently appreciated the benefits of our commitment and support. The Values Award to Amrit was specifically given for a major saving he achieved by identifying existing refrigeration equipment in a recently closed Tesco outlet in Slough that was suitable for use in the Rotherham store.

Tesco values include "Be energetic, be innovative and be first for customers" and "Look after our people so they can look after our customers". We have been glad to support these aims in a number of practical ways.

ACDP fleet goes greener

The 30-vehicle ACDP fleet now includes ten Toyota Prius petrol/electric hybrids. These cars offer fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions for our drivers, using the petrol engine for the open road and electrical power for urban driving cycles and reversing. We are glad to be able to use vehicles that make a positive contribution towards environmental improvement in transport as part of our environmental policy.

For a company that is focused on producing energy efficient design solutions, acquiring the Prius vehicles has been a logical step. Added bonuses for drivers of the environmentally friendly Prius include low benefit in kind company car tax, low Vehicle Excise Duty and exemption from paying the London Congestion Charge. The company also benefits from reduced Class 1A National Insurance contributions and the vehicle qualifies under the ECA scheme (see below) for 100% first year capital allowances.

Enhanced Capital Allowances (ECAs)

Under the ECA scheme, businesses investing in energy saving products can claim 100% first-year capital allowances on their spending. Qualifying expenditure can include the actual costs of buying the equipment as well as direct costs such as installation and transport of the equipment to the site. ECAs can provide businesses with a helpful cash flow boost, shorten the investment’s payback period and also provide long-term energy savings.

ACDP are currently identifying and evaluating opportunities for claiming ECAs on behalf of a number of clients. This service not only identifies products which are eligible for these allowances, but also makes available spreadsheets summarising all relevant cost information which can be easily incorporated within our clients’ tax returns.

Working in conjunction with the supply chain and our clients, ACDP positively encourage the development and specification of products which are eligible for ECAs. These products are inherently energy efficient and provide long-term financial benefit as indicated by life cycle cost analysis.

ACDP wins Marks and Spencer Award

Over 170 people attended the Marks and Spencer supply chain conference in London last year.

Aimed at reviewing their processes, the conference focused on supply chain initiatives to move Marks and Spencer forward in the retail sector.
In recognition of some of their suppliers, Marks and Spencer made four awards of which ACDP won the award for innovation.

Constantly reviewing Marks and Spencer’s business, ACDP identified several areas including lighting, refrigeration, energy management and environmental issues as key business areas for services design improvement.

Click Here to view Marks and Spencer Article

Please click Here for more information on the importance of lighting within the retail environment

ACDP Sponsors Industry

ACDP are keen to promote our industry by sitting on various industry panels. Working with Institutes such as CIBSE, Industry Best Practice and BSRIA, ACDP works closely with other companies to gain more awareness in the industry.

BSRIA

Having just assisted on the steering group for the recently completed BSRIA "Estimating" and "Rules of Thumb" guides, ACDP are currently chairing a new steering group for ‘Matching Building Services to Business Needs’.

This project will promote the needs of clients through the design process to assist informed discussions with property advisers and facilities managers about choosing the right buildings and services.

The ultimate goal is for buildings to accurately reflect the actual needs of business, the level of services they require and fit with operation and maintenance capabilities.

This project is due for completion in October 2004.

More recently ACDP have joined the BSRIA World-Class Benchmarking and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) project. This is a 2-year project, which will study initiatives around the world by individual companies, and official benchmarking schemes through private sources or trade bodies.

The key objective of the study is to look at companies who are exemplary in certain areas, build up a picture as to what is measured, how it is done and how this is implemented into the business processes, making them successful. Based on the research BSRIA will issue a strategic report and a set of KPIs, which other companies can learn from and benchmark against.

CIBSE Patrons

ACDP is an active member of The CIBSE Patrons Group and also sits on the steering committee. CIBSE Patrons Group is a network of companies involved in the Building Services sector, who are concerned to support areas of activity such as promoting education and best practice in the Building Services Engineering profession. The aim is to support the work and development in the Institution in areas where funding is not otherwise available, and which enhances the overall activities of the Institution.

The Patrons supports these aims by instigating workshops and steering groups with CIBSE and other industry institutions. ACDP currently assists in some of these activities.

Industry Best Practice

ACDP is a member of the regional Best Practice club, which exists to help the construction industry improve its efficiency, its quality, and its competitiveness. The programme's main aims are to raise awareness of the benefits of adopting Best Practice; to provide guidance and advice to organisations and to ensure they have access to the knowledge and skills required to implement change."

The industry is constantly changing as a result of new legislation and public awareness. By being active members of these professional bodies, ACDP remains abreast of these changes, offering our clients the best practical advice on their projects and investments.

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