It’s not just about energy!

Geoff Prudence shares some insights into opportunities for effective building services engineering as part of the FM offering in the coming years.

Over recent years, we have seen the scope of facilities management widen and the development of variations in both models and quality of service delivery. Different sectors and industries have faced their own challenges to their core business and this in turn has had an impact on property strategies, FM and building operations – with cost and the focus on energy being just two Significant drivers.

Energy Efficient Lighting: Best Practice

Whilst legislation is removing inefficient lamps and control gear from the marketplace, greater steps are needed to drive home real energy improvements in lighting installations and those steps can be driven by good design practice Liz Peck explains.

The Society of Light and Lighting has for over 100 years promoted good lighting that satisfies not just our needs but also enriches the spaces in which we live and work. Through the Code for Lighting, the Society has over time reflected not just good practice but has been pioneering in its desire to improve the lighting quality for occupants, provide the optimal appearance of the space and achieve the lowest practical energy consumption.

A robust approach to energy management.

The advent of new international energy management standards means that this discipline can take its rightful place alongside other aspects of facilities management, argues Alan Aldridge, Executive Director of the Energy Services and Technology Association (ESTA).

Facilities managers are used to using international standards as a base for their management of the environmental aspects of their work. ISO 14001 has been around for a number of years and is widely accepted. Until recently, though, energy had no such agreed framework, despite its connection to environmental policy. In retrospect, this may seem strange but it has taken some time for the environmental impact of energy production and consumption to be understood and accepted. Indeed, some would still dispute the connection but government policy is now firmly based on this link and that sets the framework within which regulation is formulated.

The benefits of hired air con for your office.

How hired air conditioning can stop office workers’ tempers from soaring.

Hired air conditioners for offices are not only effectively cooling working environments across the country, but also British office workers’ tempers!

Building for life

Ian Clarke, Technical Application Manager at Tata Steel, explains how facilities managers can reduce energy requirements and meet CO2 reduction targets while also saving costs, through improvements to the building envelope.

With growing concerns about global warming, and legislation clearly driving sustainability in the built environment, facilities managers are dealing more and more with their organisations’ environmental issues, particularly energy consumption and waste management.

Electrical supply resilience in hi-tech buildings and industry facilities is more important than ever before.

George McDowell, Head of Power Systems ERA Technology

The success of a business in today’s high technology dependent buildings and industry relies more than ever on the resilience of its electrical supplies. Whether the business is commercial services, legal practices, insurance, data centre provision, banking, information technology, communication, air traffic management, production or retail, a resilient electrical supply is essential. A failure to recognise this is a failure to recognise a major risk to the quality of the operation, the deliverables and ultimately profitability.

You want one how big?!

Deciding on the right UPS and, in particular, the right size of UPS for a specific application can be challenging.  There are no hard and fast rules, says Paul Norgate of Eaton Power Quality, but there are some very useful guidelines.

In this article, I am not going to dwell on UPS topologies as this subject has already been widely covered and most leading manufacturers offer downloadable guides to topology selection. Suffice to say that, in IT applications, an on-line topology will in almost every case be the best choice, although other topologies, such as line interactive, are sometimes suitable.

Secure your Power

By Bill Rounce, C.Eng.MIET – Technical Consultant for AMPS

For the past 60 years in the UK we have been privileged to have an electrical power supply network, The National Grid, which has been stable and well managed to ensure the minimum disruption to our power supply. Recent developments within the grid system, driven partly by the need to drive down the gas emissions to meet Internationally agreed levels and time frames, and partly by the opening up of the grid to allow private companies, and individuals, to connect into the grid system, and even sell back power to the grid, have introduced many small generation plants into the system.

Taking the lead in energy management

With the launch of the ISO 50001 standard on energy management, a more responsible and strategic approach towards energy efficiency in the workplace is increasingly becoming essential for forward-thinking organisations. Gareth Parkes explains

Goodbye oily rag

Various influences on the FM role are having an impact on the specification and delivery of M&E maintenance services

The options for saving energy and cutting bills

With energy costs still a major source of concern to consumers, Alan Aldridge looks at some of the choices facing organisations

Giving buildings a new lease of life

Refurbishing existing buildings might not sound exciting, but it sits right at the top of the political agenda. Bob Shelley, President of the Heating and Ventilating Contractor's Association, explains why FMs are now critical to the UK’s energy and environmental targets

The real cost of lighting and how to control it

By Ian Hambly, Somar International

Gas absorption heat pump technology

Relatively new to the UK market, gas absorption heat pumps deliver a highly efficient, renewable heating solution for commercial and industrial applications. Stefan Gautsch, commercial technology consultant for Buderus explains how the technology operates and why it is an ideal solution for both the new build and refurbishment sectors.

Managers need to know the true cost of emergency power

A few years ago uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) were largely just the domain of data centres and the emergency services, now with the UK facing potential grid power cuts due to under capacity, from 2014, even the smallest companies are installing UPS as standard. However, some of the systems that have been installed are energy inefficient, causing a conflict with the green agenda.

Ian Tucker, managing director of Borri, European manufacturers of high efficiency, 1kVA – 1MVA UPS systems, explores the economic and environmental challenges facing facilities managers

What does the new Part L mean to you?

Part L of the Building Regulations has been in existence for over ten years. Since its inception, there have been a number of revisions - and with each the regulations get stricter in forcing downward the overall energy use of buildings. Part L pertains to the conservation of energy in new and refurbished buildings, and contains a number of methods with which to evaluate an individual building's overall energy consumption in comparison to a theoretically acceptable similar 'notional' building.

Take control of your energy costs

As energy costs rise, facilities managers across the UK are working on energy-saving strategies. Aidan Flannery, Director of Strategic Accounts at Trane UK & Ireland, offers some advice on how to develop and implement a successful energy management programme.

Energy - the new e-word

Last year the Facilities Management Association (FMA) attended a CBI Energy Supply Seminar aimed at trade associations. It was clear that energy issues would be on all of our agendas for 2006 and beyond - especially so for FMA members who have an increasing influence on and responsibility for energy purchase and use.

Advances in energy management

Advances in metering technology are allowing FM companies to collect large amounts of detailed utility consumption data for their estates. Steve Wright, Managing Director of Optima Energy, discusses how this potential torrent of data brings new challenges as well as some additional unforeseen benefits.

Lighting up with energy efficiency

With energy efficiency increasingly under the spotlight, Gary Walker, product manager for lamps and lighting at Newey & Eyre, looks at some of the key issues around energy-efficient lighting.