Reducing carbon emissions is moving up the agenda at even the biggest companies. But, says Paul Reeve, operators of any building can reduce its carbon footprint – and in many cases, they can also make significant operational savings.

The government has set itself a hefty 80% reduction target in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This is a reduction target and it means we have to use less energy - using more energy but more efficiently is no use.

This article outlines what facilities managers can do to reduce carbon emissions when running existing buildings of any size. First, let's be clear -’carbon reduction’ means reducing carbon dioxide emissions from producing energy by burning fossil fuels (such as coal and gas).  Carbon reduction measures do not always lead to savings, even in the medium term, although many measures do and some provide rapid payback. It is worth noting, however, that the Carbon Reduction Commitment is looking for carbon reductions – what may have previously looked too costly, may look more viable as the CRC moves into view.  

 
The Carbon Reduction Commitment
From April 2010, the government is launching imaginative legislation that will require around 5000 ‘everyday’ (as opposed to industrial process) organisations to trade carbon emission credits and some 20,000 organisations to record their energy use. The final details are still be worked on, but in essence organisations that use large amounts of energy – including councils, major retail chains, banks and government offices - will have to report their energy use and purchase ‘carbon credits’. The reports will be used to create a ‘league table’ of performance. The higher an organisation is in the table, the more ‘financial reward’ they will obtain in the form of carbon credits. Those lower down the league will incur more penalties. Experience with ‘Business in the Environment’ management league tables suggests that competitive, not just financial, pressure will provide a top incentive to reduce energy use.  

20,000 other organisations who use less energy will need to make ‘information disclosures’ to the government on energy consumption, rather than purchasing credits.

Organisations under the CRC that produce their own electricity and export it back to the grid are set to receive electricity credits that will be subtracted from their CRC emissions, so fewer carbon credits will need to be bought.  

There will be a legal obligation to comply with the CRC.  Failure to submit a carbon footprint report within the specified time period will result in a fixed fine of £5000 and each day following subsequent failure will result in a fine.
 

The best place to start a reduction campaign is an energy review. This should obtain data that will:

• Identify wasteful energy use
• Identify opportunities for savings
• Highlight requirements for maintenance, and
• Assess the scope for new technology or other installations (notably insulation).

Good energy data is essential.  Recent information on bills and meter readings will identify the types and amounts of energy used in the building and its usage characteristics (e.g. when and where it is used). This data, combined with a ‘walk-round’ review of the premises, will provide a useful baseline for energy use and highlight possible areas for action and, in many cases, savings.

Building diagrams will help to plan and record a review; and it may help to break down a review into manageable areas (e.g. departments or support functions, or areas of particular interest such as insulation, heating or lighting).

In larger premises, a ‘one off’ exercise may not be enough to spot all the issues and opportunities. Subsequent walk-rounds can focus on those issues identified on the first sweep – such as lighting and heating use at different times of the day.

Eight points for action

Facilities managers are likely to benefit from checking against these key headings:

1) Staff involvement

Have you:

• asked staff for their energy-saving ideas (consulting staff is a powerful technique for getting ideas and ‘buy in’)
• appointed ‘green wardens’ who can take a responsible role around the building
• offered the following practical advice to staff:

• switch off lights and heating/cooling when the room is unoccupied (especially overnight/ weekends)
• switch off computers, monitors, photocopiers at night and during holidays
• keep all radiators clear and set thermostats correctly
• fill kettles with only the amount of water needed.

As you go round the building, talk to staff to find out more about what actually happens and where energy issues are likely to arise.  Welcome employees’ suggestions and involve them in the move to a ‘lower carbon’ working environment. This is likely to be much more effective than imposing carbon reduction measures on them!

2) The building itself

Have you:

• installed ceiling insulation
• re-insulated water heaters and pipes
• insulated cavity walls with foam (where possible)
• located air leaks in windows, doors, walls and roofs and sealed them with appropriate materials
• installed shading devices, blinds or window films to reduce solar gain, and
• set up a programme for equipment maintenance and replacement.

You may not be surprised that insulation is one of the first things you should be optimising.

3) Lighting

Do you:

• have access to reliable advice about optimal lighting configurations (e.g. reflectors) and the scope for energy efficient lamps and lighting units
• use timers/photoelectric cells to control exterior lighting
• use high-frequency light fittings.

4) Heating and ventilation

Have you:

• adjusted your thermostats (saving on both cooling and heating costs)
• installed timers or programmable thermostats to turn off systems when the building is unoccupied

Adjusting a thermostat down by one degree drop can save up to 10% on energy bills.

5) Controls and meters

Have you:

• improved local metering, so staff can see how much energy is being used, and where
• considered updating your main control panel (if you have one) with the latest controllers. This can give more accurate control over equipment such as boilers, pumps, fans and control valves.

6) Sensors and timers

Do you:

• use light sensors to switch off building lights when there is enough daylight
• allow lights to be turned off by using motion detectors in conference rooms, bathrooms etc
• use ‘out of hours’ timers on building support equipment, drinks machines etc.

7) Computer and other IT opportunities

Have you:

• asked your IT people about
• how to improve the energy characteristics of IT equipment and servers
• the best operational settings for IT equipment
• only specifying equipment that has high energy efficiency performance
• adjusting the ‘sleep’ settings on computers and monitors
• putting printer and other defaults onto ‘draft’ settings.

Remember, when you - as the end user - reduce energy use, the associated carbon emissions due to losses in power generation and distribution are avoided.

Another set of technologies for reducing carbon emissions provides the last heading in our list, namely…  

8) Renewable energy

Have you:

• considered micro-renewable energy systems such as roof-mounted solar units (water heating or solar cells)
• considered whether to buy electricity on ‘green tariffs’ (this is unlikely to save money but it reduces carbon emissions upstream).  

Installing micro-renewables in existing buildings tends to have a long payback time but unlike some of the other measures considered above, it can be a visible statement to stakeholders that the organisation is actively reducing carbon emissions. Roof mounted solar panels tend to be more cost-effective on flat roofs, because of lower installation costs.  Generally speaking, micro-wind turbines offer relatively poor financial performance. All things considered, they may be at the other end of the spectrum to insulation when it comes to cost-effectiveness.  

You need an action plan!

A review will be wasted if it does not lead to an energy action plan. Once you have considered the findings of the review and prioritised what you want to do, an action plan should:

• Set out what needs to be done, in what order, with responsibilities and timescales
• Show how much the actions will cost and what they will save - and by when
• Refer to important but less tangible benefits (e.g. image and reputation).

Refurbishment offers huge opportunities

Since installation or access is a major cost when installing any of the measures outlined above, payback times can be massively improved if you are planning to alter, extend or refurbish parts of the building anyway.

In these situations, the effectiveness of carbon reduction measures can be compelling.

And don’t forget, you can publicise all your energy saving successes!


Paul Reeve FIEMA is Head of Safety and Environment at the Electrical Contractors’ Association.
http://www.eca.co.uk/

The Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust provides a free online benchmarking tool that compares your energy use with similar organisations.
In addition, enterprises with an annual energy bill of over £50k may qualify for a free ‘carbon survey’ from The Carbon Trust. This involves advice on how to make an immediate impact on carbon emissions and costs and, if necessary, an on-site appraisal focusing on a specific area.
Buildings with annual fuel bills of less than £50k can access The Carbon Trust support line (tel: 0800 085 2005) on reducing carbon emissions. This specialises in recommending ‘low or no cost’ actions.