Spencer Orman, director of design and fit out specialist, Trend Projects, offers advice on how to undertake a green fit out when moving into a new office or refurbishing premises
Moving to a new office or refurbishing existing premises are great opportunities to reduce energy costs as well as boost a business’s sustainability. Focusing the minds of landlords, which will impact on tenants, is the Energy Act of 2011, making a building with an energy performance certificate less than an E almost unlettable after 1 April 2018. More imminent is legislation that will phase out the use of R22 refrigerant in 2015, which will affect choices about whether to upgrade or replace existing air conditioning systems.
The core structure of the building you are considering is always a good place to start reviewing energy performance as insulation can be added to the fabric, dramatically improving energy efficiency. Embodied heat can equally be a problem in modern offices, as increased insulation raises temperatures and heat loads from occupation which needs to be effectively monitored and countered for. More and more new buildings are using natural ventilation as well as mechanical cooling systems, but noise and location factors would need to be considered for this option.
One sustainability factor that is often overlooked in a fit out is lighting. In the case of retail premises particularly, lighting is one of the most significant energy uses/costs and can be equal to heating and cooling. Even in offices, lighting energy requirements are not insignificant. Using as much natural lighting as possible is an obvious way to reduce cost. Natural light can be increased by using sky lights, while optimising natural light from windows through appropriate space planning of desks and using glass walls and doors can also cut down the need for artificial light.
Only having lights on when a room is occupied also helps. This can be achieved through timers or, for rooms infrequently occupied, such as toilets and store rooms, passive infra-red motion sensors, which only activate lights when a room is in use. Further energy savings can be made for infrequently occupied rooms when PIR motion sensors are combined with photocells, which only allow lights to turn on when the room is occupied and there is no natural light. When fitting lights, for optimum performance with minimal energy use, install the latest low energy LED systems together with compact fluorescent lighting.
Heating, ventilation and air conditioning is the other major contributor to building energy costs. Energy consumption/costs can be reduced by just making sure the current HVAC systems in the building work efficiently. As in the case of lighting, there is no point in heating or using air conditioning when a room is unoccupied and timing switches should ensure that heating and cooling only takes place when the building is in use.
In the case of the air conditioning system, ensure that it is zoned – allowing different areas to be cooled as required with local thermostat control. It is also important to check that the capacity of the system matches the required space and expected loading. Over specifying with too large a system will mean higher running costs while under specifying with an inadequate system, which will be working flat out – increases the risk of breakdowns as well as high energy consumption.
There is also the issue of refrigerant type as it will no longer be possible to run systems using ozone-depleting R22 refrigerant. This means either replacing the system or keeping it and substituting the R22 with an environmentally compliant refrigerant. However, using a compliant drop-in refrigerant may result in the system not having the capacity to work effectively. It is a good idea to consult with mechanical and electrical experts about the AC system as well as the landlord about this issue before you move into the premises.
In the case of insulation, ensure windows and doors are in good repair and effectively sealed and that the fabric of the building is also in good repair.
To help measure the performance of buildings, smart meters can be installed, which can provide a real time measure of energy use. They also are essential in benchmarking – helping to measure the effectiveness of energy saving measures. Occupiers and landlords can benefit from their installation and it is important to examine this issue well in advance of the move.
Last but not least it is essential early on in planning an office move that the landlord is consulted and a collaborative approach in working together to improve sustainability is taken. This can be formalised through drawing up a green lease or memorandum of understanding, which are types of agreement made between the landlord and tenant to address sustainability issues. The earlier sustainability is considered and planned for before the moving date, the greater the chance of achieving sustainability and cost-cutting goals.
