ADVICE & OPINION
JULY 2022 21
FMJ.CO.UK
FM CLINIC
fuel-based heating and
power to renewable
sources - a move that
building owners should
have already taken.
However, we don’t want
basic; we need better.
Better means using
intelligent digital
technologies to drive
e iciencies through
insight.
Sensor, IoT (internetof
things) technologies
are now part and parcel
of many new builds and can be easily retrofitted within older
buildings to deliver actionable insights on ine icient energy
use. IoT energy management systems allow
facility managers to make informed
decisions. A step further, these choices
are automated based on AI. For
example, weather prediction
so ware can automatically
regulate building operations
according to the upcoming
weather patterns. Such
insight can also enhance
building experiences for
users - monitoring room
capacities, air, and lighting
quality, amongst many other
comfort factors.
Whether a building is old or
new, there are opportunities
for it to be digitally retrofitted to
become both smart and sustainable,
with benefits that even go beyond
reaching net-zero.
If achieving net zero is possible in those built decades
ago, surely we should be aiming higher for those built today
or over the next 20 years? Combining the potential of IoT
technology with the development in self-healing buildings is an
exciting and potentially game-changing prospect.
Energy positive buildings - those that create more energy
than they use through renewable means - are a di erent matter.
New buildings fitted with wind or solar energy generating
capabilities are even acting as microgrids, producing enough
energy to power themselves and other buildings in their vicinity.
Not only does this provide green energy, but such microgrids
can also ensure resilience in the face of broader grid failures. For
building owners, combining energy procurement and e iciency
can turn a building’s energy management into an asset rather
than an expense.
What can we do right now to achieve sustainable ambitions?
For our older buildings, retrofit with today’s technologies as
a priority to meet net zero as quickly as possible. For new
buildings, we need to aim even higher. Reset e iciency goals
from net zero to energy positive. Go beyond better and choose
best.
NET ZERO WORKPLACE TRENDS CONFERENCE
ORGANISER'S VIEW
MAGGIE PROCOPI, WORKPLACE TRENDS
Every building will require
its own strategy to achieve
net zero emissions, and
following COP26, the UK
government will soon
require many companies
to begin publishing net
zero transition plans by
2023.
Carbon emissions are
generally categorised
into embodied carbon
and operational carbon.
Carbon dioxide emissions
from making a building
(or refurbishing it) are classed as embodied carbon.
Emissions of carbon dioxide during the in-use
operation of a building, such as operational energy
use is classed as operational carbon.
Here are some carbon saving measures,
operational and embodied, that should be
taken into consideration and may form
part of your net zero plan. Depending on
timeframes and costs they can be planned for
and implemented at the time that’s right for
a business.
Switch to a renewable energy source: this is
by far the easiest, quickest and most e ective
measure that corporates and individuals can take
to reduce their carbon footprint.
Install on-site or local renewable energy generation
and storage.
Insulate your building. At the same time arrange for natural
or energy e icient and healthy ventilation, heating and
cooling. Revisit the recommended temperatures for buildings
and in so doing, remember the likely di erent requirements of
your occupants (eg men, women, sedentary, active).
Install energy e icient appliances, especially LED lights (but
ones that can be recycled).
Encourage active travel to and from the building.
Provide charging points for e-cars.
For o ices, look at your Work From Home policies. WFH can
be energy e icient in the summer, but possibly not so in
the winter (as employees heat their home space). Put plans
in place to make your building attractive so visitors and
employees view it as a positive destination.
Install sensors to monitor energy use and identify where
improvements can be made.
Buy goods and services locally: from a complete fit-out to the
canteen cheese sandwich or exotic salad, don’t be responsible
for lengthy transportation routes.
If you do need to transport items to a building, travel by road is
the worst for carbon emissions, followed by rail, then transport
by sea being the most favourable.
Make it circular: check out the Circular Economy (as opposed
Kasim
Mohamm ed
Mag g i e Pr o co p i
If achieving net zero is possible in
those built decades ago, surely we
should be aiming higher for those built today
or over the next 20 years? Combining the
potential of IoT technology with the
development in self-healing buildings is an
exciting and potentially game-changing
prospect.”
Kasim Mohammed