Building Services Installations Research Articles

Information model development for the quality assurance of technical equipment in small buildings

Ensuring energy quality, i.e. compliance with specified or standardised energy performance indicators of buildings over the entire life cycle, can reduce the climate impact of the building sector. In this work, the causes for quality deficiencies in small building services installations as well as the structure of actors interacting with building services were analysed. On this basis, we developed a solution approach in the form of an information model including a catalogue of all requirements and the necessary content to address and improve the quality assurance of HVAC in small buildings. This information model will serve as the basis for future digital tools that can perform (partially) automated heating load calculations and the design of heating systems, improve installation logistics and installation quality through providing information and the necessary processing, and enable improved hydraulic balancing and control.

Diseño de un Sistema de Aprovechamiento de Agua Lluvia bajo criterios de Eficiencia Hídrica en Edificios. Caso de estudio: Edificio de Clases y Laboratorio de Hidráulica de la Facultad de Ingeniería, Ciencias Físicas y Matemática de la Universidad Central

El agua es uno de los recursos naturales indispensables para el desarrollo de la vida. Lamentablemente, la condición de recurso renovable es muy cuestionada. Ecuador es uno de los países de América del Sur con mayor número de fuentes de agua dulce superficiales y subterráneas considerando su área continental. Sin embargo, existen factores influyentes que afectan la disponibilidad del agua dulce como recurso natural y que ponen en riesgo el volumen de estas reservas. El crecimiento exponencial de las poblaciones, el inclemente cambio climático, la falta de leyes y mecanismos de control para el uso responsable de agua potable y en especial, la escasez de cultura sobre la aplicación de prácticas responsables para el uso de agua potable en edificios, hace que este recurso se agote rápidamente. Las cifras estadísticas indican datos alarmantes de Ecuador con respecto a los países de la región, ya que es el mayor consumidor de agua potable con dotaciones que superan los 237 litros/(habitante.día). Esta realidad hace imprescindible que se reduzcan los consumos de agua potable en edificios para mejorar su eficiencia hídrica y convertirlos en proyectos autosustentables sin afectar la sensación de confort en los usuarios. El principal objetivo de este trabajo es el de presentar los resultados obtenidos sobre al análisis de eficiencia hídrica en edificios universitarios de Quito a través de metodologías de cálculo internacionales como la sugerida por la “ANQIP - Associação Nacional para a Qualidade nas Instalações Prediais”, de Portugal. Se concluye que, la instalación de un sistema de aprovechamiento de agua lluvia reducirá considerablemente los consumos de agua potable en un edificio con bajo desempeño hidráulico. El presente estudio se da como tema de investigación de Maestría en el Instituto Politécnico de Leiria y la Universidad Central del Ecuador.

Dependency Structure Matrix and Hierarchical Clustering based algorithm for optimum module identification in MEP systems

Abstract Modular prefabrication of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems has become more prevalent during the last decade with the growth of the prefabricated construction industry. However, it is currently accomplished only for smaller systems where integrated packaged units are applied in heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and other building services installations. The term ‘optimum modularity’ is rarely accurately used in the industry due to lack of an efficient modularisation method. In this investigation, an automated efficient modularisation algorithm has been developed using an approach which combines fuzzy logic, Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM) and Hierarchical Clustering (HC) methods. The developed algorithm achieves minimum total installation cost by identifying the optimum number modules and module division points based on assembly cost and the handling cost of each module. It is shown that the optimum modularity for a system is highly dependent on the module dimensions and the module division point.

The Human in the Loop: An Approach to Individualize Smart Process Control

Electrical energy generation and its supply through electricity networks are mainly organized in a top-down, centralized manner. Energy consumption can be predicted quite accurately at a high level which enables to pre-scheduling of production by large power plants. Traditionally, only few actors are involved in the generation, trade, and transportation of electricity, but this is changing rapidly. The increasing share of decentralized renewable energy conversion in combination with new types of buyers and suppliers will drastically alter the operation of electricity infrastructure systems. It has to become smart: the Smart Grid or more general Smart Energy System. In order to minimize uncertainty in the balance between energy supply and demand it is necessary to develop realistic user demand, building and building services installations behavior and Smart Grid interaction. Monitoring the needs of individual users is necessary to predict future states of the demand for the SES (e.g. based on user behavior). The future consumer of energy can become a producer due to the decentralized renewable energy conversion. To control this dynamic and interactive prosumer process support is needed to optimize interaction between offices and Smart Grid. The article describes the first steps towards such system.

Integrated refurbishment planning for sustainable office buildings

Europe's cities are full of office buildings which are technically and visually outdated. Research has demonstrated that more than 60% of German office stock is in acute need for refurbishment. Building planning needs intelligent approaches to façade refurbishment in order to tackle this enormous market. This article presents the head office building of Sparkasse Vorderpfalz in Ludwigshafen, Germany as a typical example of 1970s architecture with corresponding refurbishment tasks. It has been refurbished by following an integral planning approach. Façade technology and building services installations have been treated as co-dependent features looking for the best synergetic effects. The entire refurbishment took place while the building was in use: ‘Please do not stain the carpet!' was the motto stated by the client. With this approach, the Sparkasse Vorderpfalz Building has won the 2010 ‘Re-Skinning Award' in the category ‘large commercial'. The refurbished building has not only proven to be economically feasible, but its ecological and social sustainability has also been evaluated by Delft University of Technology. The experiences have the potential to inspire many more buildings to be refurbished and upvalued.

Operation and maintenance

PurposeThe survey reported here is intended to obtain an understanding of the general public's perception about building services and building services practitioners in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachTargeting a sampling error of within ±1 per cent at a confidence level of 95 per cent, a team of six surveyors conducted face‐to‐face interviews with 751 laypersons at places around 11 residential estates.FindingsOver 90 per cent of the general public know the presence of various building services installations in buildings and 12 per cent know that building services is the collective name of such installations. The general public are satisfied with the operability and reliability of building services installations but are just marginally satisfied with their performance at higher levels, such as energy conservation and indoor air quality control.Research limitations/implicationsA paucity of teenagers know about building services, which is a concern to the future development of both the building services profession and the facilities management (FM) industry in Hong Kong. Future work may investigate the situation in other regimes with a similar FM setting and study on how the profession is perceived for buildings with restricted access to the general public. Operation and maintenance personnel of the FM offices, who are approached by most people when problems with building services installations arise, are the key on the perceived image of building services professionals.Originality/valueIn addition to informing higher educational institutes the need to reinforcing promotion of building services engineering to school leavers, the findings can help professional institutions in formulating how the social status of building services engineers may be raised.

HVAC system optimization for energy management by evolutionary programming

Energy management of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems is a primary concern in building projects, since the energy consumption in electricity has the highest percentage in HVAC among all building services installations and electric appliances. Without sacrifice of thermal comfort, to reset the suitable operating parameters, such as the chilled water temperature and supply air temperature, would have energy saving with immediate effect. For the typical commercial building projects, it is not difficult to acquire the reference settings for efficient operation. However, for some special projects, due to the specific design and control of the HVAC system, conventional settings may not be necessarily energy-efficient in daily operation. In this paper, the simulation-optimization approach was proposed for the effective energy management of HVAC system. Due to the complicated interrelationship of the entire HVAC system, which commonly includes the water side and air side systems, it is necessary to suggest optimum settings for different operations in response to the dynamic cooling loads and changing weather conditions throughout a year. A metaheuristic simulation–EP (evolutionary programming) coupling approach was developed using evolutionary programming, which can effectively handle the discrete, non-linear and highly constrained optimization problems, such as those related to HVAC systems. The effectiveness of this simulation–EP coupling suite was demonstrated through the establishment of a monthly optimum reset scheme for both the chilled water and supply air temperatures of the HVAC installations of a local project. This reset scheme would have a saving potential of about 7% as compared to the existing operational settings, without any extra cost.

Optimization of MVAC systems for energy management by evolutionary algorithm

Energy management in existing building services installations is an essential focus of contemporary facilities management. The subway company that is one of the major utilities services in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has considered better energy management schemes in its subway stations to reduce the running cost. In the past few years some feasible measures in the mechanical ventilation and air conditioning (MVAC) systems were implemented, however the engineering decisions were supported by trial‐and‐error or imprecise estimation. Improvement to this process would be possible if numerical optimization methods were to be used. An evolutionary algorithm coupled with an external plant simulation programme was applied to determine the optimum conditions of the essential parameters of the MVAC systems. For the centralized MVAC systems under study, the developed optimization and simulation model was found useful in appraising the energy management opportunities for effective design and facilities management.

Energy and water uses and their performance explanatory indicators in hotels in Hong Kong

This paper firstly presents a case study on analyzing the electrical load profiles recorded in a Hong Kong hotel over a period of 12 months to examine the potential energy saving opportunities (ESOs) in its building services installations. The case study is followed by a report of the survey results of energy and water use in 36 quality hotels in Hong Kong. Finally, a regression analysis where the surveyed energy and water use data were correlated to a number of hotel background or operational parameters to search for suitable energy and water use performance explanatory indicators is presented. The survey results depict a diversified energy and water use situation in Hong Kong’s hotels, but the regression analysis indicates that, while some of the correlations obtained are weak, there do exist a few strong energy and water explanatory indicators.

Identifying Energy and Demand Saving (EDS) Opportunities through Electrical Load Profile Analysis in a Hotel Building

This paper presents a brief review of current Demand Side Management (DSM) programmes and activities In Hong Kang, and then reports on a study in a hotel building where the electrical load profiles have been continuously monitored. A number of EDS opportunities for various building services Installations have been identified through the analysis of the load profiles recorded, including the energy efficient lights programmes and load shifting for the central chiller plant. In addition, the extended use of capacitor bonk for power factor Improvement and the use of distributed generation to offset on exceptionally higher than normal electrical demand for a short duration may be effective in reducing electrical demand.

Practices, barriers and benefits of risk management process in building services cost estimation

The preparation of cost estimates for construction projects is not an easy job, because construction projects are subject to risks and uncertainties, particularly at the inception stage, when very limited information about the project is available. However, the cost estimates prepared at this stage are usually the most important to the client. Nowadays, the costs for building services installations contribute a significant share of the total construction cost of building projects. Thus the accuracy of the building services cost estimates plays an important role in the total building construction project cost estimates. Traditionally, building services cost estimates are prepared by a deterministic single-figure (most likely) approach. This approach is often cost-ineffective and reactionary in nature. The risk management process (RMP) provides a logical consistent framework in identifying the risk factors affecting costs and in making allowances for risks in cost estimation. A survey was conducted to find out the current building services cost estimation practices and to obtain an insight into the understanding, use and application of RMP in preparing building services cost estimates within the building services industry. The results of the survey have suggested that the traditional deterministic cost estimation method is still being adopted by the majority of building services engineers in preparing cost estimates. Also, RMP has not been widely adopted by the building services industry in Hong Kong. From the analysis of building services firms and engineers with regard to the critical success factors for implementation of risk management, the survey reflects that the potential of implementing RMP for building services cost estimation is high.

96/00843 New ways in the operation of building services installations — building operation, building management, facilities management

96/00843 New ways in the operation of building services installations — building operation, building management, facilities management

Cable management — multiplexing and integration

The terms multiplexing and integration are being used with increasing frequency in the context of building services installations and management systems. In this article we somewhat cautiously attempt to define the processes involved, analyse their relevance to services design and management, and look to the future. This does not purport to be the definitive scientific appraisal of all the technical matters involved. However, it is intended as a way of setting the scene which we hope to follow up in later issues of Facilities with more detailed discussion of the complex issues involved.