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Sleeping with Buildings – Finding Intimacy in Sustainability Audits Kristie Martin ACT Manager and Senior Consultant Viridis Australasia www.viridis.com.au
Sleeping with Buildings –
Finding Intimacy in
Sustainability Audits
Kristie Martin
ACT Manager and Senior Consultant
Viridis Australasia www.viridis.com.au
Viridis Australasia www.viridis.com.au
Energy Audits
• AS/NZS 3598: 2014
Energy Audits
1. AS/NZS 3598:2014 by itself is not enough for a
good energy audit.
2. The market for energy auditing skills is rapidly
developing. There are other skills which are now
equally necessary to complete a good energy
audit.
The Problem
• Chiller upgrade
• VSDs
• Lighting retrofit
and controls
• Heat Pump
• Adding PVs
The Problem
• Focus on the largest energy use
• Don’t address underlying issues
• Don’t speak to anyone on site
The Problem
• Based on big unfounded assumptions
> Systems are working properly
> Systems are appropriate
> No other failures
> No ‘band-aids’
Viridis Approach
Get Back to Basics
‘Sustainability Audits’
• A holistic look at the building, not just its
energy use
• A complete health check approach to building
audits
The Full Check Up
Step 1: Ask the right questions
• Speak to as many stakeholders as possible:
owners, managers, occupants, if possible the
original architect or engineer
The Right Questions: Case Study
• Multi-residential apartment building
• A number of previous audits undertaken
• High and increasing energy costs
• Previous audits determined that annual energy
for hot water was almost 300MWH (over
1,000,000MJ), and 40% of total annual energy
consumption
• We were curious as to why this much hot water
was being used!
Why is this much hot water used in
this building?
Why is this much hot water used in
this building?
Why is this much hot water used in
this building?
123 kWh
------------
-------------
----- - - -
-
$ 456
123 kWh
--------
-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
123 kL
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-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
123 kL
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----- - - - -
$ 456
Hot water 42.5%
Bar-fridges in rooms 14.5%
Lighting 7.8%
PCs 11.2%
Laundry 6.6%
Heating (self-brought)
6.5%
Other appliances
5.6%Heating3.1%
Cooking2.0%
External lighting 0.4%
Assumed
Electricity
Consumption
Heating?
TV, PCs, misc8%
Lights8%
Fans (Roof)7%
Stove / Oven5%
Installed heating
8% Self-brought heaters
4%Ceiling Fans
3%Communal Fridge
2%
Bar Fridges5%
Dryer4%
Washing machines
2%
Lift2%
Showers 26%
Laundry16%
123 kL
------------
-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
123 kL
------------
-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
Why is this much hot water used in
this building?
123 kL
------------
-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
123 kL
------------
-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
123 kWh
------------
-------------
----- - - -
-
$ 456
123 kWh
--------
-------------
----- - - - -
$ 456
Step 1: Ask the right questions
• Speak to as many stakeholders as possible:
owners, managers, occupants, if possible the
original architect or engineer
• ‘Why?’, not ‘What?’
Step 1: Ask the right questions
• Speak to as many stakeholders as possible:
owners, managers, occupants, if possible the
original architect or engineer
• ‘Why?’, not ‘What?’
• Listening!
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Thermal Imaging
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Thermal Imaging
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Air Permeability
Testing
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• IEQ Monitoring
Carbon Dioxide
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
CO2 Level (ppm)
Swedish Schools (1980?) - 375 to 2800ppm
7 l/s /person
38 Swedish Schools (1997) - 375 to 2800ppm
7 l/s /person
ASHRAE 62 - 1989
1000ppm in >45% studied Canadian schools (1998)
Gu
idan
cA
ctu
al
Sta
nd
ard
sA
ffe
ct 15 minutes: nausea, claustrophobia, headaches, 'stuffy',
short-of-breath
Long term: upper limit
tolerance and calcium
d deposits in body tissue
2.5 l/s
Oxygen
deprivation
US Submarine
15% 33% 50% 100%
% of people experiencing symptoms
19 l/s /person
Drowsy, fatigue, poor
concentration, breathing
difficulties Headaches, drowsiness,
poor concentration
3l/s - Typical Nat Vent
in UK study
Hygienically Harmless Hygienically Undesirable
Unacceptable German Federal Environment Agency UBA
DIN EN
13779
'Poor'
DIN EN
15251
DIN 1946
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Temperature
and Humidity
Monitoring
Supply
Room
Discharge
Intake &
Outside
Outside
Intake
Discharge
Room
Setpoint
Downstairs Ducted Discharge
UpstairsCondenser in
Roofspace
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Ultrasonic Tone
Testing
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Smoke Testing
Step 2: Bring in other tools
• Smoke Testing
Step 3: Understand the data
• What meters?
• Do we know what
uses are on each
meter?
• How accurate?
DATA
Step 3: Understand the data
• Validate meters
INFORMATION
INFORMATION KNOWLEDGE
KNOWLEDGE ACTION
‘You never know what you’re
going to get…’
…spend a night
with your
building…
You want
me to do
WHAT???
Step 4: ‘Sleeping with buildings’
Step 4: ‘Sleeping with buildings’
• Lights
• HVAC
• Monitors
• Operational
Hours
• Staff equipment
• Water
• Meters
• Economy cycle – failed or over-ridden
• Economy cycle –enthalpy control
• CO2 Control system
• Problems solved with band-aid solutions
Step 4: ‘Sleeping with buildings’-
Common Problems
• Simultaneously heating and cooling
Step 4: ‘Sleeping with buildings’-
Common Problems
http://cactuar.deviantart.com/art/hot-and-cold-183046878
• Leaky building
• Rapid cycling of equipment
• VSD’s at 100%
• Conditioning / Lighting empty spaces
Step 4: ‘Sleeping with buildings’-
Common Problems
In Summary
• Step 1: Ask the right questions (and listen!)
• Step 2: Bring in other tools to support diagnosis
• Step 3: Understand the data
• Step 4: ‘Sleep with the building’ – get to know
its quirks and develop a good understanding of
it’s original & current operational requirements
What makes a good audit?
• Fee allows for a comprehensive (preferably
overnight) site visit
• Fee allows to speak to stakeholders
• Final report raises anomalies / unresolved items
• Reasons for bandaid solutions have been
considered
Thank You!
