A staggering seventeen percent of the UK’s total carbon emissions are generated by the UK’s two million commercial buildings. In times of austerity, it seems a no-brainer to ensure our commercial buildings are made more energy efficient. All public buildings are required to have an A-G rating of their carbon footprint displayed in the foyer. This does not extend to commercial buildings yet however, who wouldn’t want to reduce the cost of owning and maintaining their commercial building?
Without the ability to benchmark a property, it’s very difficult to know where to start identifying potential energy saving improvements. This was most shockingly demonstrated when it was found that the Houses of Parliament (aka the tax payer) had overpaid for its power by nearly £400,000 over a five year period. Accompanying every A-G rating is a report which provides advice on how to improve a building’s energy performance; this considers factors such as insulation, heating, ventilation and lighting. Building type and construction method play a major role in determining where most savings are to be made however, thermo graphic surveys or infra red (IR) surveys are key to making significant savings in the vast majority of cases. A way of attaining the information needed is to use companies you offer test equipment hire.
Over recent years, IR cameras have morphed from being bulky, specialised research instruments into compact, user friendly tools designed for a range of commercial and industrial applications. Camera prices have dropped from in excess of £25,000 to just a few thousand which means that even a high quality camera can be hired for an annual inspection for around £200 or so. This means that for a relatively small fee the hirer can identify significant savings against the building without need to maintain or recalibrate an expensive instrument from year to year.
The camera will detect very subtle changes in the surface temperature of whatever feature is being inspected. It shows temperature differences by ‘colouring’ which indicate a loss of energy (and cash). Within commercial buildings, this creates a vast array of opportunities to identify and eradicate expensive energy losses. For example, a simple external survey may identify missing or settled insulation panels on the inside of the building. Similarly, air leakage through damaged windows, doors and wall penetrations can be sealed through replacing seals and repairing cracks. Roof damage can be easily identified without the need for coring –through detecting saturated areas and making localised repairs.
Inside the building, complete electrical distribution systems can be checked including fuses, buzz bars and other connections for overheating. Motors, generators, steam systems and boilers can be inspected to quickly identify losses in efficiency through misalignment, leakage, overheating and breakdown. Most IR cameras are supplied with intelligent software which allows the user to benchmark building’s the current condition and annually re-inspect for signs of deterioration. As IR surveys are conducted very quickly, they save significant time over conventional methods –and often more accurately.
If we really need want some quick wins when it comes to energy conservation, the no brainer has to be an IR Survey.
Image via Creative Commons
