20 JUNE 2020
In FMJ's regular monthly column, our team of FM experts answer your
questions about the world of facilities management
THE ENERGY SERVICES DIRECTOR’S VIEW
STUART DENTON-BROWN, ENERGY SERVICES DIRECTOR
CORPORATE, ENGIE
During the COVID-19
lockdown, many
businesses have
successfully transitioned
to sta working from
home and this is likely
to continue even a er
lockdown restrictions
are eased. Existing
opinions about the
feasibility of remote
working have suddenly
been challenged, and
how organisations
adapt to this new
way of working could well determine their future.
Withdrawing from a traditional, o ice-based work
culture towards a more agile way of working
has been predicted for many years but we now
find ourselves in a situation where it has been
widely enforced with negligible planning and
preparation.
The successful move to work from home is
already leading businesses to question whether
they need as much o ice space or whether their
space can be used more e ectively. At the same
time businesses are looking at how they can then
make the remaining space more e icient, flexible and,
of course, carbon-e icient using technology to aid the
transition.
Nevertheless, many organisations will require some sta to
return to the workplace with
social distancing measures
in place and this reduced
occupancy has consequences
for the buildings’ services. For
example, with reduced sta
numbers it may be possible to
close o certain areas, especially
small spaces where social distancing
isn’t feasible. The services to these areas
can then be either switched o or linked to
occupancy control so that energy is only being
used when it’s needed. There will also be reduced
demand for comfort cooling as fewer people generate less heat.
However, there is evidence that viruses can be spread around
a building by recirculating ventilation systems, so best practice
guidance is to turn o recirculation of air and introduce optimal
levels of fresh air from outside. This may result in increased
energy consumption, but health and safety considerations are
paramount.
Given all of these variables it’s essential to understand how
the buildings are performing and this is greatly facilitated by
smart systems that can monitor key metrics remotely. This
knowledge enables optimisation of systems from an energy
perspective without compromising on health and safety and
underpins informed management of energy consumption and
identification of any areas of energy wastage.
Smart Building systems are now so advanced that they
can detect if meeting rooms have been occupied during a
scheduled period and can adjust the heating & cooling within
the room to reflect whether the meeting has taken place.
These same systems can even help sta who may be unfamiliar
with the building to locate appropriate areas minimising
unnecessary employee movement around a
building.
It is now clear that, whilst lockdown
measures will be gradually eased over the
coming months, the COVID-19 threat
is likely to remain for many months
to come. Organisations therefore
need to take a long-term approach to
revising their working practices and
property usage. By installing energy
conservation measures such as LED
Lighting, HVAC solutions, BEMS,
green power solutions and smart
building controls and systems,
organisations can reduce energy and water
consumption and carbon emissions whilst
increasing their bottom line and improving building
environments for sta .
FM CLINIC
According to a recent
survey 10 per cent
of buildings have
achieved over half (54
per cent) reduction
in energy use since
the lockdown. Once we
get back to BAU how can
organisations aim to reach
their sustainability targets,
especially if buildings are subject to
social distancing measures?
Stuart Denton-Brown
ADVICE & OPINION
The successful move to
work from home is already
leading businesses to question
whether they need as much office
space or whether their space can be
used more effectively.”
– Stuart Denton-Brown