View energy control principles,
terminology and application

This includes all forms of control ranging from simple stand alone through to full BEMS Building Energy Management Systems.  Controls play an essential part in regulating energy use and therefore have a vital part to play in keeping energy and carbon usage low.

The design of control systems, whether stand alone or BEMS, needs to be carefully considered.  ESTA has established a number of key principles, the 5 Golden Rules, which help designers and engineers focus on the key aspects.  These are:

1. Only supply heating or cooling if there is a demand.
2. React to external temperatures by automatically adjusting internal settings.
3. Never operate heating and cooling in the same place at the same time.
4. Control separate zones with different needs independently.
5. Match output capacity to demand.

Apply these rules when developing your services design and you will achieve a controllable and efficient system.

View principles of
Independent Energy Consultants

Independent Energy Consultants provide the expertise and resource to support the many schemes and initiative in the current market.  Such as:

• Carbon Trust Energy surveys
• Carbon Trust Standard
• EPC Energy Performance Certificate Energy Assessor
• DEC Display Energy Certificate – Energy Assessor
• CIBSE Low Carbon Consultant
• Energy Institute Registered Energy Consultant
• Emissions verification and auditing for EU Emissions Trading Scheme, Climate Change Agreements and Carbon Reduction Commitment as well as Corporate Social responsibility reports.

Independent energy consultants have no commercial relationships with utility or equipment supplier and can therefore offer the best independent advice.

Typically, Independent Energy will carry out site energy audits and surveys, collate relevant details and documents, identify and support implementation of energy saving measures and help develop an energy policy or strategy.

View lighting control principles,
terminology and application

Poor lighting control is evident in looking at the commercial buildings [including Whitehall!] that are fully lit into the night. Very substantial savings can be made using technology that is well established and commercially viable.   Many projects involving lighting controls have a payback within 6-18 months.

Lighting controls may be generally categorised as:

• Stand alone controls – simple and easy to install and operate immediately in all sizes of buildings as well as being suitable for many smaller premises such as schools and inaccessible places such as plantrooms.
• Lighting control systems – networked to provide co-ordinated control throughout a large building allowing a level of site-wide management.
• BEMS integrated lighting – co-ordinated into one system that includes the heating Ventilation and Air-conditioning controls.

All methods are capable of adjusting light level in recognition of ambient light/daylight as well as controlling lights based on people being present [occupancy control].

Measurement of energy use is fundamental to all successful energy management programmes.  You must measure to be able to mange successfully.  Good metering is vital to measurement and a significant range of smart meters is now available for all fuels as well as heat and coolth.

However, it is also essential that Energy Managers has access to the data produced in order that they spend their time managing energy rather than reading meters.  To support this activity ESTA introduced the term aM&T automatic Monitoring and Targeting.

aM&T provides energy data to the point of management using the meters, automatic meter reading, collation of the data from diverse sources and analysis and presentation of the results.  This allows energy managers to focus on the key variations and poorly performing areas of their sites.

ESTA has established an annual aM&T Conference and Exhibition which is now in its 11th year.