Green suppliers

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In the post-credit crunch Gulf, building owners and FMs are seeking ways to ensure a healthy bottom-line while also achieving those highly touted green credentials.

From windows to HVAC and lighting systems, Facilities Management Middle East looks at some of the suppliers and products that can make this happen.

With sustainability and life cycle costs now firmly at the top of the agenda for developers in the Middle East, the selection of products and equipment for buildings can have a big impact on meeting project targets.

Manufacturers of products across the entire spectrum required, from lighting to building controls, are offering ranges that can help achieve these goals.

Although capital costs were previously a primary deciding factor in product selection on many projects, this is now only one aspect being considered, with the long-term operational and maintenance costs and overall energy use having become much more important.

In addition, the demand for ‘green’ buildings is having a major impact on the products specified. “It’s all being led by the focus on BREEAM, LEED and legislative standards,” explains Andrew Jackson, SAS International.

“The focus has shifted tremendously to the use of green products in buildings, for three primary reasons: energy utilities started to play a strong role in ensuring the use of energy saving green products; builders began promoting green buildings to impress their customers; there is more self-awareness of using green products for projects to save the environment,” states Hager Middle East Product Manager (Wiring Accessories & Building Automation) K R Arunn.

“In most advanced countries, saving energy by using green products is prime, and in many cases, a requirement,” adds Arunn.

Such demand has led to manufacturers and suppliers reviewing their product offerings and in some cases expanding their ranges to provide more holistic solutions.

“The fundamental reason that we’re offering our metal ceilings with integrated cooling products is due to client and legislative demand,” reasons Jackson.

This longer-term focus and more holistic approach is one that is familiar to all FMs, who are primarily responsible for ensuring the efficient and cost-effective operation of buildings. So what products can you expect to see in upcoming projects and how can they help reduce energy and costs?

Keeping cool
Due to the local climatic conditions, the main energy use in buildings within the region is air conditioning, accounting for up to 60% of the overall energy consumption. An undeniable essential resource in any Gulf-based building, this makes any potential savings in the supply of cool air a huge advantage.

The major air conditioning manufacturers recognise this and firms such as Trane, UTS Carrier, Panasonic and LG have all released products for use specifically within the region that enable reduced energy consumption while maintaining the setpoint temperatures required.

One of the latest air conditioning technologies to be recognised in the Middle East is chilled beams. Regularly used on projects in Europe, it is now considered as a potential solution in the Gulf, their low maintenance, small space needs and efficient operation all contributing to their attractiveness as a cooling solution.
 

An ASHRAE report released in early 2009 comparing the performance of conventional and chilled ceiling/displacement ventilation systems in Kuwait showed that the chilled ceiling system consumed 50% less energy than the conventional alternative. The use of such systems was shown to be cost-effective in the local climate with a payback period of less than three years depending on the installation cost of the ceiling panel.

An increase in the number of firms offering chilled beams in the region is directly related to an increased recognition of and anticipated rise in demand for the technology. UAE-based Trox Middle East has recently been joined in the market by Swedish firm Swegon. In addition, UK firm SAS International, already well known in the region its metal ceilings and architectural metalwork products, is now offering its room comfort portfolio in the Middle East.

SAS is currently expanding its operations within the Gulf and is due to open a new office in Dubai by Q2 of 2010. Its room comfort product range includes radiant chilled ceilings; passive and active chilled beam ceilings; and chilled beams provided as part of integrated service modules (ISM). The products can be provided separately or included as part of a complete solution by being incorporated into an SAS metal ceiling.

“The biggest development in [chilled beam technology] is the integrated service modules,” reports Jackson. ISM can incorporate other building services such as cabling, lighting, fire detection and PA systems, for example. “You can have any services you want prefabricated into a single module,” explains Jackson.

Advantages of such modules include providing a single point of access for maintenance, reduced onsite installation time and space saving within the ceiling.

Chilled beams can be used in retrofit as well as new build applications. Whole life costs of such systems are lower than for other air conditioning alternatives. “There are no moving parts, so there is less maintenance needed and products have a 25 year lifespan in line with bespoke ventilation products,” explains Jackson.

Controlling features
Optimising the use of the products installed within a building by use of controls, in particular the MEP systems, has become a principal way of reducing energy use throughout buildings worldwide. This can be done by using individual controllers and switches on each item of equipment, however more commonly ‘smart’ or intelligent building systems are now employed.

With such systems, the use of each item of equipment in a building such as a light or air conditioning unit is constantly monitored and its settings analysed by a central controller to check whether it is running at maximum efficiency in terms of meeting the building needs. In many cases the settings are then adjusted automatically to optimise energy use.

Intelligent systems can be used to control individual areas within a building as well as the overall operations. ABB’s i-bus EIB/KNX technology, for example, can be used to control all applications inside hotel rooms or residential apartments.

“It is one of the most widely used intelligent building control systems in the world,” reports Cleona Godinho-Pathak, ABB editorial and media relations, Gulf sub-region.

“The system uses wireless touch screens to enable residents or hotel guests to control all the functions, including lighting, air conditioning, heating and curtains in any room and from any room,” explains Godinho-Pathak.

“It relies on sensors and motion detectors to determine when and how much light and heat are needed in each room; a presence detector used for control of the room lighting can simultaneously switch the room thermostat to absent mode as soon as the room is unoccupied for an extended period,” she adds.

The ABB i-bus EIB/KNX technology is currently installed in several hotels in the Middle East, including the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, La Cigale Hotel in Doha, and the Four Seasons Hotel in Alexandria.

Light issues
The reduction of energy use, maintenance and running costs when it comes to the provision of lighting in buildings can be tackled from two angles: reducing the amount of artificial light needed overall and controlling the light provided.

The first step in cutting the artificial light needs is to maximise daylight in a building. However, with the region’s climate this must be done with care. There is a wide number of specialist glass types now on the market that enable more natural daylight to be introduced into a building without increasing the amount of cooling needed to maintain comfortable temperatures.

Al Abbar Architectural Glass (AAG), for example offer a number of products that are aimed at ensuring high light transmittance into a building, while minimising heat gains. The firm’s CoolPane coating is designed primarily to reflect and absorb solar radiation, it provides a low light transmittance level and can act as a screen against direct glare.

CoolPane can be combined with a low-emissivity (low-e) glass to offer enhanced solar energy control. AAG’s Coolray coatings maintain a high level of natural light, while reducing solar radiation by spectrally selective filtering. These products are particularly suited to residential applications and high-rise buildings.

Pilkington Suncool is a range of solar control products that offer both high visible light transmittance and low emissivity. It is available in a range of colours and performances, including the self-cleaning option Pilkington Activ Suncool.

Emirates Glass also offers a number of products that can reduce long-term energy costs in a building. Its EmiCoolPlus is a low-emissivity (low-e) glass with a nominal light transmission of 70% when applied onto clear glass.

It is suitable for applications that need subdued colours, low reflectance and a lot of daylight. The firm’s EmiTherm insulated glass units are made by the dual-seal principle, having two or more panes of glass separated by a dehydrated air space at ambient barometric pressure.

In terms of artificial lighting, the choice of lamp used can make a significant difference to long-term energy use and many manufacturers now offer low energy products. The actual use of lighting can be optimised by including sensors and controllers within the system.

“Fagerhult Lighting creates lighting solutions which help people to optimise their capacity with minimal influence on the environment,” states Fagerhult CEO Johan Hjertonsson. The firm offers decorative lighting products, plus develops and manufactures professional lighting systems.

Among the first lighting manufacturers to develop fixtures for energy efficient T5 fluorescent lamps, the firm has made a further move towards sustainable product design: from January 2010 all its luminaries that are supplied with lamps will be fitted with the T5 Eco lighting source.

T5 Eco can produce energy savings of up 10% compared to standard T5 lamps the firm reports. In addition, the firm is continuing to develop reflector technology that can help reduce the amount of light and energy needed to produce the same environmental conditions.

Hager offers a wide range of lighting control products that can be installed in a new build property or retrofitted to meet renewed energy demands. These include time lag switches suitable for use in areas such as staircases to switch the light off after a predetermined time; universal dimmers up to 1,000W; and twilight/light sensitive switches for use with outdoor lights to ensure they only operate when the light level becomes too low.

“We offer many products that are considered green, from building controls to standalone light sensors and passive infra-red products. We also offer more integrated solutions that work on the KNX protocol, such as our Tebis range,” reports Hager managing director Sean Cain. “The products contribute to energy savings as if they are well designed the watt loss is reduced and they become very efficient,” adds Cain.

Other products within Hager’s range that are proving popular within the Middle East are PIR motion and presence detectors, plus astronomical time switches.

“Motion/presence detectors provide automatic lighting on motion and save energy, they also make life easy [for operational control],” explains Hager Middle East Product Manager (Wiring Accessories & Building Automation) KR Arunn. Such products can be used in a wide range of applications including conference rooms, car parks, corridors, offices and toilets.

“PIR presence detectors with remote control can provide high-end standalone DSI / DALI dimming solutions and remote controls for overrides and scene settings,” adds Arunn.

The firm’s astronomical time switches can be used to provide intelligent street lighting controlled by sunset and sunrise times depending on the latitude/longitude position of the lamp.

The use of dimmers and scene-setting controllers give a potential energy savings of 10% reports Arunn. Up to 15% energy can be saved by the use of automatic switches in areas such as corridors and outdoor light control in residential areas can produce 20% energy savings.

For FMs, ease of use is as important as energy savings and such controllers fit these criteria. “All of these products are standalone, meaning they can perform the function on their own and do not require integration or complex programming,” stresses Arunn.

“Simple, user-friendly programming is the key to the success to all these control products,” he states.

Water works
While energy use is one of the most important aspects of a green building water use is also high on the agenda, particularly in the Middle East.

A number of options now exist to reduce the amount of water used in a building without affecting the overall performance. Manufacturers such as Kohler offer a wide range of products aimed specifically at conserving water, such as faucets, showers and urinals.

With manufacturers continuing to research and develop new products aimed at sustainable building, the options likely to be encountered by FMs in the future is only set to get larger.

Carbon reduction guidance
M&E Sustainability, a joint venture between UK trade bodies the Electrical Contractors’ Association (ECA) and the Heating and Ventilating Contractors’ Association (HVCA), has published guidance on the reduction of carbon in large organisations.

The guide, entitled Getting the most from the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme is aimed at both clients and contractors. It focuses on ways to reduce carbon use in the operation of buildings.

Although primarily intended to help organisations understand the implications and prepare for the introduction of the UK’s Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), the phased implementation of which is scheduled to begin in April of this year, it includes advice that can be applied to building projects worldwide.

Practical advice is provided for contractors, building owners and users on monitoring and reducing energy usage and how to achieve commitment from all stakeholders, including staff, to an energy-saving culture.

Key sections address reviewing the energy needs of a building and the potential introduction of renewable technologies. The document also emphasises the expert role MEP contractors can play in the achievement of a sustainable built environment.

The guide is available as a free download at:  www.mech-elec.org.uk