FM newsroom – sustainability, building management. For new buildings, energy efficiency, environmental aspects, maintenance costs and a high level of manageability are key operator and tenant concerns. The design and installation of cooling and heating systems is one of the most critical factors for sustainability.
Green solutions to reduce energy consumption
In recent years, heat pumps have been increasingly used in new buildings, and tighter energy efficiency regulations have boosted their uptake. The Green House office building in Budapest, Hungary, also uses heat pumps, solar panels and an intelligent Building Management System (BMS), making it Hungary’s first LEED Platinum-certified building.
“The most advanced solutions are heat pump systems that base heating and cooling energy production on renewable energy extracted from the environment (air, soil, water). For large buildings, geothermal heat pumps are the most energy-efficient solutions, which utilize the heat stored in the ground or groundwater” – László Lukács, department manager at CÉH zRt. told Realista.Ingatlan.com.
In the case of factory buildings and production plants, energy from production technology can also be considered, tapping waste heat, which can also significantly reduce energy consumption. Such a solution was created at Bosch Campus II in the Hungarian capital, where the building can be heated by utilizing the waste heat resulting from the technology.
A well-designed building can be up to 30% more efficient than the regulations demand
Heat pumps, cogeneration, BMS and smart thermostats are the active elements of the cooling-heating system. However, the system can reach its full efficiency when combined with the passive components. Passive elements include thermal insulation, shading structures, natural shading (vegetation), as well as building orientation and design, which can significantly reduce the external heat load in summer and, thus, the energy demand for cooling.
The building automation and monitoring system significantly increases the energy efficiency of the building by automatically (programmatically) controlling cooling, heating, lighting and other systems. However, it is also advisable to install extra metering points in addition to mandatory metering points to increase energy efficiency monitoring.
“A well-designed building can be up to 30% more energy efficient than the regulations require. Of course, extra efficiency requires extra investment, which in many cases will only pay off in the long term. But European and national regulations, societal expectations, and investors’ expectations are changing so that the return on sustainability investments is accelerating,”- explains Lukács.
image: skanska.hu
