Page 64 - MASHRAE 35th Anniversary

15th Asia Pacific Conference on the Built Environment 5R Technology for Building Environment Copyright © 2019 by ASHRAE Region XIII
Energy Efficiency & Conservation of Small & Medium Office Buildings K. H. Chin, N. K. Nurulain, Y. J. Lim
Cofreth (M) Sdn Bhd, Subang Jaya, Malaysia; kok-hoe.chin@cofreth.com.my, nurulain- nadiah.kasim@cofreth.com.my, yin-jian.lim@cofreth.com.my
Abstract
Where Energy and Water Efficiency Conservation (EWEC) efforts are made for the commercial sector, emphasis has largely been placed on large scale buildings. Such development of large buildings often possesses sufficient clout to accommodate an Energy Management System (EMS) to go alongside their Significant Energy Users (SEUs) which often comprise centralized Chilled Water and Lighting control systems among others. However, the same cannot be said of small-to-medium scale commercial buildings for which a lack of automated controls and absence of both data and budget pose a hindrance to EWEC implementation. Opportunities for implementation and monitoring of reduced energy footprints in such facilities are however, often available, with such implementation in the built environment requiring more improvisation rather than the need for large- scale investments. The intent of this presentation is to explore how improvisation and utilization of low-hanging fruits could potentially yield noteworthy reductions in energy and water consumption and footprints for small- medium scale commercial buildings. The use of Internet of Things (IoT) for Measurement & Verification (M&V) will also be discussed.
Introduction
This paper will discuss the implementation of Energy and Water Efficiency Conservation strategies for small to medium buildings. Specifically, a 5-storey office building (Building C) located in the district of Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia is used as a case study. From its shell state, Building C was outfitted with various energy efficient (EE) design features prior to occupancy in late 2012. These include appliances rated at 5-stars (most energy efficient) by the Energy Commission of Malaysia such as Air-Cooled Split Units (ACSUs) and refrigerator. They were supplemented by T5 Fluorescent fitting and lighting zoning, window glazing and procurement of energy-star rated office appliances. After a year of building occupancy, an Energy Management System (EnMS) in accordance to ISO 50001:2011 standard was adopted. Through EnMS, a continual improvement program based on the concept of Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle as shown in Figure 1 was adopted. The intent was to clearly develop and document a systematic charter based on the six (6) elements of EnMS. From there, the intent was to utilize EnMS to raise awareness on rational use of energy and promote
continuous monitoring and documentation of resulting improvements.
Fig. 1
Building Overview
Plan Do Check Act
Building C is a 5-storey office building with 1 basement and total built area of 1,179m2. The general operating hours of the building is summarized below.
No. Days
1 Monday to Friday 2 Saturday
Operating Hours
8:30 am to 6:15 pm
8:30 am to 1:00 pm (Once per month)
1
Power supply to Building C is solely in the form of electrical energy provided by local utility, Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). The energy uses in Building C are classified into six (6) categories which are Air Conditioning, Lighting & Small Power, Server Room, Lift, and Pump. Air Conditioning is served by thirty-nine (39) unit of mostly 5- star rated Air Cooled Split Unit (ACSU) with capacity varying from 1HP to 4HP. The office space is fitted with energy efficient T5 fluorescent fittings in most areas