“BE0898 2014/15 O'Neill

Module Tutor – Alan Davies

Building design and performance critique

Word count : 3089

W11010180

February 10

��

School of built environment

BE0890 –

Advanced

Measurement

and

Technology

Contents

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2

Ellison Building .................................................................................................................................... 2

Drivers to spend and change .............................................................................................................. 2

Potential renovations to Ellison Building ................................................................................................ 3

Mechanical cooling ............................................................................................................................. 3

Variable air volume ......................................................................................................................... 3

Fan Coil systems .............................................................................................................................. 4

Why use mechanical cooling in Ellison?.......................................................................................... 5

Ventilation ........................................................................................................................................... 6

Termodeck ...................................................................................................................................... 6

Current heating, can improvements be made? .................................................................................. 8

District heating ................................................................................................................................ 8

Wood Chip Boilers ........................................................................................................................... 8

Combined heat and power (CHP) ................................................................................................. 10

Renewable technology available ...................................................................................................... 10

Photovoltaics ................................................................................................................................. 10

Wind Turbines ............................................................................................................................... 11

Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 12

Works Cited ........................................................................................................................................... 13

Introduction

The aim of this report is to critically analysis the Ellison building on the University of Northumbria’s

campus, examining its design and proposing possible improvements to the buildings usability and

environmental performance. The report will consider modern methods of construction to enable a

more sustainable building whilst bringing a more comfortable environment for students of the

university. The report will compare reasons to refurbish or replace the entire building, determining

which option brings a more practical solution to the university however still brings the more energy

efficient and more comfortable.

Ellison Building

Figure 1, birds-eye view of the Ellison Building and each block (Google, 2015)

Ellison building is a Northumbria University campus building dedicated to teaching the faculty of

health sciences and also the faculty of built and natural environment. It holds numerous amounts of

state of the art laboratories for students and also many lecture theatres and classrooms. Ellison

building consists of 5 blocks, A-E (see figure 1), which are all connected through another. The

building is one of the oldest on campus and has had continuous work developed to it since the

opening of A block.

Drivers to spend and change

Northumbria University has 32,000 students and continuing to grow and expand, it is not only

growing in numbers but also climbing national university tables. In order to recruit top students the

university will need to offer a top service, including more modern buildings with cutting edge

sustainable technologies present. (Northumbria University, 2015) Many buildings will receive awards

for how sustainable their building (e.g. BREEAM) is and will often receive positive press across the

country for this, increasing the reputation of the university, raising awareness for the institution.

According to (Lynes, 2007) there are many motivations to build green on campus including : overall

savings across a long period, better indoor work environments which will then lead to increased

A BLOCK

B BLOCK

D BLOCK

E BLOCK

C BLOCK

worker productivity and a more comfortable area for students to study in, this will also improve

attendance of students and could possibly help recruit higher standards of faculty members.

Potential renovations to Ellison Building

Mechanical cooling

More computer technology are being used in buildings, especially in universities and schools so it is

no surprise there is a growing demand for cooling (Pennycook, 2010). The building lacks air

conditioning and needs a sustainable and efficient source. Currently the A block’s chemistry labs are

air conditioned by specialised mechanical cooling. It is possible the whole building can benefit by

mechanical cooling and this report will explore some of the current methods available.

Variable air volume

Also known as ‘VAV’ cooling, this is an all air cooling system which fulfils the separate temperature

requirements of separate zones of buildings (Pennycook 2010). This would be suitable for Ellison

building as its 5 blocks requires different levels of cooling at all times, due to the large amounts of

different functional rooms e.g. A computer lab will require a different temperature to a lecture

theatre. The main advantage of this is to be able to provide different temperatures simultaneously.

The technology’s individual units contain thermostatically controlled dampers which control the

amount of air entering each block depending on their cooling requirements (see figure 3)

Figure 3, shows how each zone integrates with one another

passing through air, and how the air passes through a

controlled damper to ensure each block will receive the

required temperature desired. (Pennycook, 2010)

Figure 2, shows an example of a ‘VAV’ terminal

unit (Pennycook, 2010)

Figure 4, Ellison block A (Personal Photo) Figure 5, finished variable air volume system (Pennycook, 2010)

Figure 2 shows a current photo of elision building ground floor block A, after ‘VAV’ would be

installed, figure 3 shows how a corridor would look, this shows whilst the cooling system will bring

sustainable advantages it also looks very professional with an aesthetic finish.

‘VAV’ can incorporate heating devices within its terminals to produce warm air if necessary.

However the Ellison building currently has a radiator base heating system in place and this can be

used to produce warmer temperatures if necessary.

Fan Coil systems

Figure 6, illustration of a fan coil system (Pennycook, 2010)

Fan coil systems like VAV, are suitable to regulate

temperatures in multiple zone buildings. The fan

draws in a combination of both room and fresh air.

This is then filtered and passed through the cooling

and heating coils. The air is then passed into a

plenum, which has multiple outlets to several

diffusers if necessary. (Pennycook 2010)

Why use mechanical cooling in Ellison?

Why it Benefits Ellison Building?

VAV Matches the specific temperature requirement

across Ellison’s 5 blocks. Particularly to a building

which requires a year round cooling system,

Ellison contains many computers and computer

technology which radiates large amounts of heat.

Energy efficient with the ability to reduce the

speed of the fan during periods of low usage.

Boosts the buildings overall environmental

performance.

Provides quick and easy temperature control to

provide a comfortable environment for students.

Fan coil systems Ideal for multiple zone buildings.

Requires a smaller air handling plant for fresh air

which reduces space required.

Rapid temperature change to suit student’s

requirements.

Boosts buildings environmental performance

Which multi-zones can it cool?

Both of these mechanical cooling technologies are designed to supply cooling to different areas

simultaneously. From figure 7 below this can be a range from corridors, classrooms, stairways, and

lecture halls, all with different requirements but all must be satisfied at the same time.

Figure 7 – Photos from across the entire Ellison building (Personal Photo) .

Ventilation

Termodeck

Termodeck is a Swedish technology which cools a building without the use of a refrigeration plant. It

cools a building by using night ventilation. During night time, the building takes in excess amount of

cool air from the outside. This then eliminates the heat accumulated by the building during the day.

The structure also allows heat to be absorbed from room radiation and can cool outside air as it

passes through the building. A solid thermal must be present between the air and mass of the

building. (P. Barton, 2002)

Termodeck brings the thermal storage capacity of a buildings structural mass to satisfy the internal

temperatures. A buildings thermal mass effectiveness is improved by passing air through a slab

before it enters inside. This slab acts as heat exchangers between the supply air and the rooms

inside. The floor and ceiling slabs also conveys fresh air into the building and serves as an energy

store as well as being the structural floor. (Termodeck, 2015)

Figure 8 –Cross section of how termodeck works (Termodeck, 2015)

Does termodeck actually work? Case-study – The Elizabeth Fry Building

The Elizabeth Fry building is very similar to Ellison. It is a university building which teaches the similar

subjects, therefore requires similar functioning rooms, e.g. Lecture halls, labs etc. It is also of a

similar size spanning across four storeys. The building used termodeck technology therefore this

case study is a good indicator to compare with. Offices and seminar rooms are supplied with air

through hollow core slabs from ducts which are running above suspended ceilings. After air has

passed through ceiling slabs the air can now enter the rooms via soffits diffusers. Return air is

extracted back from behind ceilings and back to the air handling units via the buildings corridor

ceiling plenum Main lecture halls are also cooled using Termodeck. In the Elizabeth fry building

ceiling cores are ducted down to wall framed terminals. These cores can only withstand one third of

the maximum air capacity, the remainder of the air is supplied through the floor, via a damper which

can only be controlled during opening hours of the building, boosting sustainable efficiency. (The

Probe Team, 1998)

Low E windows

The Elizabeth fry building contains ‘low e, argon filled, triple glazing with an inner sealed unit’ (The

Probe Team, 1998)

Figure 9 – Diagram showing how low-e glass functions (Low Energy House, 2015).

The diagram above shows the particular glass used in the Elizabeth fry building. Low E glass will

allow a reduction in heat loss, cold spots and draughts near windows; this will improve and can

improve floor space allowing more people to sit closer to windows. Energy is saved by maintaining a

comfortable environment at a lower thermostat settings, this also reduces the running costs of the

buildings. (Low Energy House, 2015)

Results

(The Probe Team, 1998) Analysed how the building had performed once it was functioning with their

opinions. The building contained high levels of insulation, some like an ‘air-tight’ envelope.

Apparently the triple glazing windows removed the need for perimeter heating, the ability to

recover heat also meet the buildings requirements. They also found that termodeck has produced

very stable and supplied comfortable temperatures in both winter and summer, a lot better than in-

air conditioned buildings avoiding the use of mechanical cooling. By avoiding the need for

conventional heating this has allowed the low-energy building be constructed within academic

budgets. The control system has allowed temperatures be modified as soon as possible and ensure

student conformability always comes first whilst they are studying within the building. (The Probe

Team, 1998)

This shows that a low-energy highly sustainable building can be built within the UK and still be on

target with budgets for universities such as Northumbria renovating or replacing certain areas of

Ellison Building.

Current heating, can improvements be made?

At this current moment, Ellison building is heated through 10 boilers situated below A block. The

heat is gas fired and the whole building uses radiator heating after changing from radiant heating 10

years ago. This report will look at more modern ways to heat the building with a more sustainable

and low energy outcome.

District heating

District heating is a pipe network that utilises a centralised heat boiler to many areas (Ellison block

A-E). It normally district heating composes of three components; an energy centre, a pipe network

coming from the centre and connections to the building to satisfy heating requirements. This can

supply a heat demand which satisfies heating requirements to different blocks of Ellison

simultaneously. (Robin Wilstshire, 2014)

District heating is a technology for the future, as soon as new low-carbon and renewable sources

become available, they can be soon integrated quickly to the system. District heating can utilise the

efficient use of thermal energy by combining heat and power (CHP). This brings power in from

geothermal heat sources and fuels that are much easier stored centrally such as wood and residuals.

By efficiently using energy and renewable sources means that district heating can considerably

reduce carbon dioxide emissions, this allows it a lot easier to reach emission targets and will boost

the university’s environmental reputation across the others whilst possibly save running costs

depending on the kind of district heating used. The main heat source current for CHP is gas, mainly

due to the most cost effect for low-carbon, however the growing demand for biomass boilers allows

the building to use significantly renewable sources such as wood chip boilers or solar thermal

powered boilers. (Robin Wilstshire, 2014)

Wood Chip Boilers

A wood chip boiler heats a building through biomass energy. Burning wood as a fuel source is a

renewable way to provide energy.

.

Figure 10 shows how wood is used in

the biomass life cycle (Robin

Wilstshire, 2014).

Wood can be used to provide CHP, this could provide heat and electricity for the full Ellison building

as it has been recently successful in educational and other public buildings. The type of wood can

vary and each has different efficient results, from logs, pellets and chips. The kind of wood used will

depend on how much money the university are willing to spend and how energy efficient they are

wiling to be. (Suttie, 2011)

Wood chips would be ideal for Ellison building to suit is size and span of building that is required to

be heated.

Wood chip boilers have been used for public buildings such as schools and universities before, below

are a few examples.

Jesus College in Cambridge University was completed in

2005 to replace an oil based heating system. The current

system uses 1 boiler by burning wood pellets; it heats

the whole building as well as its water. It has proven

successful as there has been a 25-40% reduction in fuel

bills. (Suttie, 2011) This is another driver for Ellison

building to provide more sustainable energy. It shows it

can be achieved from having an original oil bases system

much like the current situation Ellison building has.

Figure 11 – Jesus College, Cambridge (Suttie, 2011)

Taylor high school in Motherwell has also changed from

a previous oil based system. The wood chip boiler

provides heat and hot water to the whole building by

burning wood chips, this is another example of success

as the buildings annual fuel costs are £10,000 less than

the original systems costs. (Suttie, 2011)

If Ellison building can employ this kind of technology within the building whilst bringing in other

changes such as Termodeck and triple glazed windows, the building could see a much more

comfortable environment whilst also reducing carbon.

Combined heat and power (CHP)

CHP is the process of combining heat and electrical power at the same time from the same source;

they are used in buildings which demand a yearlong heat and electricity requirement such as Ellison

building. It consists of an engine where the fuel is burned; the mechanical power which comes from

the engine is then used to produce electricity. Heat from the engine which is known as waste heat

will then provide hot water or heating across the building. Waste heat can also be used to cool once

it has been passed through an absorption cooler. (Pennycook, 2008)

The main advantage of CHP is the ability to produce both heat and electricity simultaneously.

The main environmental benefit is how heat is produced by CHP unit. Electricity is produced through

waste heat; this allows a building to reach cost efficiencies of up to 80%. (Pennycook, 2008)

Renewable technology available

Photovoltaics

PV is a technology which converts sunlight into electricity power. Normally PV cells are made from

silicone. When light makes contact with the cells it produces an electric field across the layers. A

more powerful sunshine will produce more electricity. These cells are grouped together and

attached to either a roof or the ground. (Energy Savings Trust, 2015)

Below figure 12 shows an outside view of Ellison building A block. Solar panels could be mounted all

along the roof tops and take advantage of PV cell technology.

Figure 12 – A block (personal photo) Figure 13 – wall mounted PV cells (Pennycook, 2008)

Figure 13 shows a monocrystalline silicone cell. This produces a conversion rate from sunshine to

electricity of 15-18% (Pennycook, 2008) Block A is the most exposed part of the building to sunlight,

so setting up the technology here is probably the best option.

(Energy Savings Trust, 2015) Have produced figures that from March 2014, PV cells can save a

building up to £785 per year in cost savings. Here is another factor to influence Ellison building to act

more environmentally friendly.

On Northumbria University campus the Northumberland building has solar panels all across one side

of the whole building

Figure 14 shows it may be possible to incorporate a similar design to Ellison building, not only would

this produce solar energy but would keep in similar design to the rest of campus.

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines convert kinetic energy to mechanical energy to produce electricity (Pennycook, 2008).

Ellison building currently has one wind turbine situation on C block roof, however the whole building

could benefit by bringing in more and collecting as much kinetic energy as possible for a low-cost

whilst promoting sustainable energy.

This shows the single wind turbine across the

whole building on C block, the building can

benefit from multiple of these as they do not

take up much space and are capable of

producing electricity for smaller areas

around the building

Figure 15 – Wind turbine above C block (personal photo)

It is difficult to predict how much a wind turbine due to maintenance issues throughout out the year

but on average they can reduce overall costs up to £850 per year whilst producing renewable

energy. (CAT Information Service, 2015)

Figure 14 – solar panels on Northumberland

building (personal photo)

Conclusion

There is certainly a broad range of possible renovations that can take place in Ellison building. Due to

how busy Northumbria University is during the year a replacement of Ellison building is not possible,

even if this means a partial replacement, this would disrupt a large amount of core subjects taught

within this school, Northumbria is the largest University in the North-East of England so this option is

not viable.

Termodeck is a promising technology and how it produces a comfortable environment is exactly

what the Ellison building needs. This and the use of triple glazing windows showed that the Elizabeth

fry building was a huge success, these two buildings are very similar which is an encouraging

example to use and promote these technologies, the building was very well insulated and described

as a ‘air-tight envelope’

Other mechanical cooling such as VAV and fan coil systems have also shown many advantages why

to use them and have been successful particularly in multi zone buildings such as Ellison.

If these technologies are used the cooling and insulation of the building will perform much better.

Thermostat settings will not need to be high as the building will be very insulated. Using a new

cooling system and bringing in possibly district heating will give the building a very high energy

rating.

Currently Ellison building has an energy rating of 97 on D class, shown in figure 16 below. This is an

average figure for the size of Ellison. This will improve if these technologies talked about in this

report are considered to replace the current oil based system. A wood chip boiler not only reduces

cost for the university but will provide a higher energy and reduce carbon emissions. The building

does not provide any energy through the use of renewable energy whatsoever at this current time,

this must change and technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels must be embraced and

used throughout the building.

Figure 16 – Ellison Buildings energy certificate (personal photo)

Works Cited CAT Information Service, 2015. How much will a wind turbine earn?. [Online]

Available at: http://info.cat.org.uk/questions/wind/how-much-will-wind-turbine-earn

[Accessed 10 Febuary 2015].

Energy Savings Trust, 2015. Energy Savings Trust. [Online]

Available at: www.energysavingstrust.org.uk


Google, 2015. Google Maps. [Online]

Available at: www.google.com


Low Energy House, 2015. Low E Glass. [Online]

Available at: http://www.lowenergyhouse.com/low-E-glass.html


Lynes, G. R. R. J. K., 2007. Institutional motivations and barriers to the construction of green

buildings on campus: A case study of the University of Waterloo, Ontario. International Journal of

Sustainability in Higher Education, 8(3), pp. 339-354.

Northumbria University, 2015. Northumbria University. [Online]

Available at: www.northumbria.ac.uk

[Accessed 4 January 2015].

P. Barton, C. B. ,. P. S., 2002. A theoretical study of the thermal performance of the TermoDeck

hollow core slab system. Applied Thermal Engineering, 22(1), p. 1485–1499.

Pennycook, K., 2008. An Illustrated Guide To Renewable Technologies. BSRIA.

Pennycook, K., 2010. An Illustrated Guide To Mechanical Cooling. BSRIA.

Robin Wilstshire, J. W. P. W., 2014. A Technical Guide To District Heating. BRE.

Suttie, E., 2011. Biomass Energy, Wood fuel for space and water heating. BRE Trust.

Termodeck, 2015. Termodeck. [Online]

Available at: http://www.termodeck.com/how.html

[Accessed 5 January 2015].

The Probe Team, 1998. Elizabeth Fry Building. BUILDING SERVICES JOURNAL APRIL , 1(1), pp. 20-25.

“BE0898 2014/15 O'Neill

Documents

Transcript of “BE0898 2014/15 O'Neill