Specification focus: Heating & Ventilation: Sustainability begins at work

The Heating and Ventilating Contractors' Association (HVCA) wants its members to embrace sustainability, and it has put its money where its mouth is. It has implemented a series of energy-saving initiatives to reduce the carbon footprint of Esca House, its west London head office, which it shares with the Electrical Contractors Association (ECA).

Both associations were involved in the '100 Days of Carbon Clean Up' campaign, launched last year by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), with the aim of reducing participants' CO2 emissions by between 10% and 15%.

The HVCA has also published its own Agenda for Action on Sustainability, which aims to position its members to gain commercial advantage by being recognised as experts in zero-carbon technology. If that sounds a daunting goal, the best place to start being green is in your own homes and offices.

Bob Towse is head of technical and safety at the HVCA, and also heads up the Association's sustainability agenda. "In the next 10 years, we will begin to run out of conventional energy sources," he says. "Now is the time to look at alternatives it's up to everyone to do their bit."

He says the first step is getting your staff up to speed on both climate change and energy supply issues. "We felt we couldn't sell this message to our members without having our own staff on board, and our own house in order," he says. "We gave everyone a free energy-saving light bulb - gimmicky perhaps, but it gets everyone thinking about it. Sustainability, like charity, begins at home."

Towse believes the smallest changes can make a difference to an office's energy consumption. "Little things do matter," he says. "We started with the quick, easy wins, which everyone can achieve. Put in energy-saving bulbs make sure your staff print out using both sides of the paper switch unused lights and equipment off, especially overnight."

At Esca House, things have been taken a few steps further. A custom-built mechanical services panel has been installed to control boilers, pumps, fans and valves. High-frequency light fittings have been fitted, with motion sensors that automatically switch off lights when corridors and toilet areas are unoccupied.

Towse has plenty more ideas, including further secondary glazing, and investment in IT equipment with better energy performance.

He says heating and ventilation contractors have more power than they realise to affect major change. "We need to get members to understand that we, more than any other sector in construction, have the ability to make clients greener by encouraging the specification of sustainable products. Many of our larger members are already doing this, and clients are increasingly keen to hit their own renewable objectives.

"Renewable heating and ventilation can't be left in the hands of the specialist players. If it's going to work, it has to be part of an integrated package, which means everyone getting up to speed."

Some HVCA members are already well ahead of the game. Cal Bailey, business planning and development director at NG Bailey, points out that going green can make an office both cheaper to run and a more pleasant place to work.

"Our new southern regional headquarters in Reading has several green features, including phase change materials that absorb heat when it's warm, and give it out when it's cold. It's the most popular building in the company to work in."

But changes can just as easily be made to older buildings. "Our head office is Georgian, and has a number of chandeliers. We hadn't put energy-saving light bulbs in because the normal ones are so ugly. After an extensive hunt we found some good-looking candle bulbs and we've now got them all over the building.

"And in all our offices we have become aware that switching lights off is important. So far this has saved us 12% in electricity consumption."

10 first steps to a sustainable office

1) Management: Find out how much and what type of energy is currently used around the building. This will give you a baseline for energy reduction targets.

2) Heating and ventilation: Adjust thermostats - this can save 10% to 20% on cooling and 5% to 20% on heating costs. Install timers or programmable thermostats.

3) Sensors and timers: Use optical light sensors. Consider motion detectors in less-used rooms, and out-of-hours timers on office support equipment and coffee machines.

4) Lighting: Energy-saving light bulbs can save 50% on running costs, and timers can control exterior lighting.

5) Bigger ideas: Investigate leading-edge technologies, including roof renewable energy systems such as solar units or wind energy systems.

6) Involve your staff: Ask staff for their energy saving ideas, which also helps secure their buy-in. Appoint green wardens and encourage staff to: not overfill kettles switch off lights when rooms are unoccupied switch off computers and monitors at night and during holidays keep radiators clear.

7) Plant room control: Consider a custom-built mechanical services control panel, which will reduce plant running costs and give more accurate control over existing equipment.

8) IT opportunities: Choose equipment with enhanced energy efficiency performance. Set the printer to draft quality, and print double-sided where possible.

9) Improve the building: Locate and seal air leaks in windows, doors, walls and roofs. Install shading devices to reduce solar gain. Install ceiling and cavity wall insulation, and re-insulate water heaters and supply pipes.

10) Enjoy the financial benefits: Many energy saving measures can pay back within months. But some, such as turning off lights when not needed, will pay back immediately!