Regulator moots Energy Managers for govt buildings

“Dedicate an energy manager to ensure that cooling systems, lighting and other office equipment are switched off when not needed. This also includes removing unnecessary bulbs from naturally lit areas; constraining the use of spot and decorative lighting to special events; and setting office equipment on power saving mode,” the regulator said.

It also moots optimisation controls for chiller systems, which account for 17 per cent of total energy usage for space cooling purposes in government buildings. The installation of a control system helps determine when to add or subtract (off-load) a chiller, and whether they are to be operated at full load or part load operation, the Authority pointed out.

In other recommendations, the Authority proposes the use of inverter retrofits for split AC units, Variable Frequency Drive retrofits for Air Handling Units, VRF-AHC AC retrofits for package units, and adiabatic/evaporative cooling systems that use vapour to cool the surroundings of outdoor units of chillers.

Also helpful to the goal of reducing energy consumption in buildings, the Authority says, is the use of heat reflective window film for external windows. This will result in substantial energy savings by reducing the solar heat gain.

Likewise, “replace existing inefficient lighting such as fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent, halogen etc, with more energy efficient equivalent LED lamps/fixtures”, the report adds.