The Maintenance team have been working with Churchill Fellow Dr Anna-Maria Kypraiou to help save energy and meet sustainability goals at the College by installing sensors in an array of offices and communal meeting spaces over the past few weeks.
The sensors can monitor temperature, humidity, light, CO2, people and solar gain. The idea behind the sensors is to provide real data about energy use, to enable the College to make informed decisions about how the spaces are used. The sensors will be truly smart and have the ability to link with the Building Management System and also smart controlled heating thermostats on radiators. The sensor recognises when an office or room space is unused and automatically reduces the temperature of the room, which will ultimately reduce the amount of energy we use across the estate.
The team is now beginning the installation of eco-plugs across the site to monitor the amount of power being used at each outlet, and if no power is used for a sustained period they will switch off. The eco-plugs also have the ability to communicate with the sensors and the smart thermostatic radiator valves. Not only will these plugs reduce wasted energy, they will also assist the maintenance team with the identification of electrical faults, as the plug data can show power factors and if the socket is getting the correct power supply to it.
In addition to the installation of sensors and eco-plugs, extensive improvements were also made throughout the main and commercial kitchens over the summer break. Over 25% of gas kitchen appliances were removed and replaced with electrical steam ovens. The maintenance team also replaced the kitchen and boiler house fans with new units that use a third of the power of the previous systems. These fans are now fully modulating and operate directly with the systems representing projected energy savings of 19,000kw per year.
Our aim is to assemble an environment that creates harmony between our needs and the world that we live in. Although these changes appear small, we need to make them to continue to successfully climb the stairwell of carbon neutrality.
Michael Doyle, Head of Buildings and Capital Projects
