Our Strategy for Development of Low Carbon Infrastructure
Identification for Energy Efficiency Measures
While conceptualizing a building, one must understand the consequences of different aspect that are some how related to energy consumption. At the massing or blocking stage certain question can be answered promptly, if the type of building and utilization is defined i.e. office, hospital, residential, malls, operating hours and Occupancy estimates etc. Our approach for the solution of this kind of situation is to give Architect a visibility in terms of numbers or percentage efficiencies and saving associated with each option. By discussion and meeting with the client, architects and other consultants we conceptualize various energy efficiency measures (EEM) that are possible for the client and architects to think about and review. These EEM in the building have different impacts on annual energy use and rated according to their potential for saving in investment for the client to select. These saving are generally calculated from a base case which is nothing but a recommended budget case for that type of building by ASHRAE 90.1 (American Society for Heating Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers), or ECBC 2007 (Energy conservation Building Code). The methodology is actually recommended by USGBC for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Accreditation and Point Calculation under Energy & Atmosphere.
Justification for Investment and Life Cycle cost for any Decision Element
Justification of investment on any new technology or say any technology is one of the most desirable things for many clients. Just few very basics questions: that why to use X equipment or material why not to use Y, or say Z. Generally this kind of question when posed, the answers are either vague or simply based on the initial capital expenditure, which exclude the time value, depreciation in the equipment and pay back etc. Such types of questions are well fully dealt by comprehensive energy calculations. The important concept of life cycle cost or cost of owing that decision if wrong would be some of the best decision support tool available that can be provided to the clients.
Payback and Return on investment for various Alternatives
Many time problems of equipment selection and approach toward the selection criteria are found to be unsatisfactory to the clients. Considering you have number of vendors for a single product. And the product is some how influencing the energy use in the building for e.g. façade products, HVAC products, other envelop materials, insulation and lighting fixtures etc. the best way to deal with this problem is to line them up based on certain financial indicators, like Net present worth , Return on investment ( Cost of Energy) or Pay back periods. These indicators are some time best decision support tools for justifying and convincing various clients. This is help full in taking robust and clear decisions for new investments
