BE0898 Advanced Measurement and

Technology

Student ID: W13031556

Coursework Title: Building design and performance critique

Name of Building: Ellison Building

Date of Submission: 10/2/2015

Module Tutor: Alan Davies

Word Count: 2823 words

Contents 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3

2.0 Lighting ........................................................................................................................................ 3

2.1 Existing Lighting ............................................................................................................................ 3

2.2 Proposed New Lighting ................................................................................................................. 3

2.3 Case Study ..................................................................................................................................... 3

3.0 Window ............................................................................................................................................. 4

3.1 Existing Window ............................................................................................................................ 4

3.2 Proposed New Window ................................................................................................................ 4

3.3 Case Study ..................................................................................................................................... 5

4.0Heating ............................................................................................................................................... 6

4.1 Existing Heating System ................................................................................................................ 6

4.2 Proposed Heating System ............................................................................................................. 6

4.3 Case Study ..................................................................................................................................... 7

5.0 Ventilation ......................................................................................................................................... 7

5.1 Existing Ventilation ....................................................................................................................... 7

5.2 Proposed Ventilation .................................................................................................................... 8

6.0 Cladding ............................................................................................................................................ 9

6.1 Existing Cladding ........................................................................................................................... 9

6.2 Proposed Cladding ...................................................................................................................... 10

6.3 Case Study ................................................................................................................................... 10

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 11

References ............................................................................................................................................ 12

1.0 Introduction Ellison building is chosen to consider its design and make any improvements that will lower the

carbon energy emissions in this coursework. I have examined and surveyed the building thoroughly

and found a few possible technologies and services that can be upgraded in order to improve the

usability and environmental performance of Ellison building. This will enable the students to have a

comfortable studying and working environment. The technologies that I have chosen are lighting,

heating, cladding, window and ventilation.

2.0 Lighting

2.1 Existing Lighting As for lighting in Ellison building Block A, all of the classrooms, lectures hall and offices have natural

lighting and standard lighting with switch. Basically, natural lighting is a lighting source from the sun

that replicates the natural sunlight. Natural lighting is accessible through the windows that are

installed and built in initially. It has many advantages over standard lighting because firstly it is

completely free and it is an unlimited resource. As long as the weather is in our favour, then we can

have unlimited natural lighting during daytime as most seminars and lectures are conducted during

daytime. Besides, most of the classrooms and lecture halls in Ellison building Block A have standard

lighting that is operated by switch.

2.2 Proposed New Lighting In most of the classrooms and lectures hall in Ellison Building Block A, the lighting system can be

improved by installing motion sensor. This is when the classrooms are not occupied by the students;

the lighting can be turned off because the eventuality of leaving the lights on is eliminated. Such

motion sensors should be installed to reduce this problem. Besides, it is environment friendly and

reduces the amount of electricity used as well as the amount paid because there is no redundancy of

electricity. Even though installing the motion sensor will cost initially, but in a long run can help to

save money and energy. On the other hand, LED lightings can be used to replace all the existing

lightings. As we all know, LED lightings are energy efficient, it produces higher lumens per watt,

generate minimal heat and can be up to 85% more efficient than traditional light sources (Standard,

2010). Besides that, LED lightings are durable and have a long service life and thus do not require

frequent replacements. They are environmentally friendly they do not contain mercury or lead and

they also provide light that is free from any dangerous UV emissions. Hence by using LED lightings,

we can save a lot of costs and energy even though the initial cost is quite expensive.

2.3 Case Study The case study for lighting is NHS Offices and Corridors by InterLED Lighting.Ltd. In this case study,

they use LEDlighting with daylight diming and are able to save energy and cost. For one office and

two corridors only, they are able to save £1,900 in annual energy savings and £500 in annual

maintenance cost. Besides that, £6,000 is saved in whole life savings. By using LED light, carbon

emissions can also be reduced and the annual carbon dioxide for NHS can be saved to 10 tonnes

whereas the whole life carbon dioxide can be saved to 250 tonnes. The client (NHS Hertfordshire

Partnership Trust) stated that they have use InterLED on numerous Carbon Reduction project and it

is simple to install (InterLED Lighting Limited, 2011). This will result in the increased efficiency of the

design and performance.

3.0 Window

3.1 Existing Window In Ellison building, most of the windows in the classrooms and offices are using single glazing

window. If the windows only have single glazing, then it is more likely that the room will be losing up

to 20% of heat through them (uSwitch, 2015).

Figure 1 Reasons for Heat transfer through windows

http://www.conservatoryblinds.co.uk/blinds-article/514/heat-loss-in-sash-windows/

Based on Figure 1 above, there are four main types of heat loss through window. The first one is air

leakage where the heat is lost through the small cracks in the frame of the window. Secondly, the

heat is loss through convection which means that the heat loss through the warmer room air

reaching the cooler surface of the window. By using single glazing window, heat can be loss through

conduction which is the direct heat loss through the window to the outer environment.

(Conservatory Blinds Limited, 2015). Last but not least, heat is also lost through radiation. In this

case infra-red radiation is absorbed by the outer surface of the window which is colder and

therefore resulting in the heat loss from the room.

3.2 Proposed New Window The proposed new window for Ellison building is double glazing window. Double glazing is having

two panes of glass that are several millimetres apart. It will work best if there's a vacuum in between

the panes (uSwitch, 2015). We can also sealed it with a thin layer of gas know as argon that is a good

insulator and it is safe in case the airtight seal of the window breaks.

Figure 2 Double Glazing for Insulation

http://letsgowindowshopping.com/top-5-double-glazing-benefits-for-efficient-windows/

As we can see in the figure above, the insulating air gap which contains high density of argon will

allow less cold air to enter and less heat from the room to escape. Besides that, it can also improve

sound insulation by creating a barrier between the classroom and the environment outside. This will

enable students to focus in their studies without any sound pollution. Hence, by replacing all the

single glazing window to double glazing window, heat loss can be reduced intensely which can also

save heating costs. Although double glazing window requires some initial installation cost that might

cost more than single glazing window, it has a short payback period because of these savings.

3.3 Case Study The case study for window is BRE Victorian Terrace by Saint-Gobain group where the a BRE,

government and industry partnership scheme to transform a worn out Victorian stable block into

three energy efficient terraced homes for modern living. This project aim to increase energy

efficiency, reduce the costs and carbon emissions.

The original building got a lot of problems including sash windows, dampness and poor thermal

performance. So, Saint-Gobain group has made a few variations to upgrade the building. One of the

variations is to change to sash window to Ecoclear and double glazed units with SGG PLANITHERM &

SGG CLIMATOP triple glazed units. According to the Saint-Gobain Group, by replacing the single

glazing window with A- rated double glazing window, it can save £8,211 in term of cost and 22

tonnes of carbon dioxide emission in atypical detached house, or £5,855 in cost and 16 tonnes of

carbon dioxide emission in a typical semi-detached house (Energy Double Glazing, no year).

4.0 Heating

4.1 Existing Heating System In most classrooms, lectures hall, offices and corridors in Ellison building are using radiating panel as

shown in figure 3. Most of the panels are installed at the back of the classrooms so the students

sitting in front or in the middle might not be able to feel the heat. However, for a radiator to be able

to transfer heat across the room, it must have proper air flow around the room to effectively

transfer the heat (Flowers, 2013). The problem here isn’t about creating the heat because most of

the radiating panels in Ellison building are new. It is about getting the heat across the room in a short

amount of time to enable the students to feel the heat. Most toilets in Ellison building are quite cold,

so it is either the panels are already old and not functioning or it is not turn on. The downside is the

radiator will be very hot after it starts to heat for some time. This might be dangerous to the

students sitting behind as they may accidentally touch it.

Figure 3 Heat radiator panel

http://www.zowel.nl/inhoud_publiek/news4.htm

4.2 Proposed Heating System The proposed new heating system for Ellison building is to install radiant ceiling panel as shown in

Figure 4 below. It is suitable because it can provide an even temperature to the room. A radiant

ceiling panel provides heat to the room through a combination of convection and heat radiation.

Convection helps to heat up the air in the vicinity of the heater, while the radiation distributes the

heat in all directions across the room (Building Design Media, 2015).

Figure 4 Radiant Ceiling Panel

http://www.sakutus.cz/images/stropterm2.jpg

Figure 5 Space heating with radiant ceiling panels Figure 6 Space heating with air heating

systems

http://www.zehnder.co.uk/radiantheatingcooling/Space-heating,568.html

As shown in figure 5, the classrooms in Ellison building can be heated using the same principle as the

sun, even without air movement. This is because radiant ceiling heating panels transfer the heat

through radiation. It can transfer heat directly without having the need to transfer it to another

medium. As in figure 6, the room is heated directly by electric heaters with a central heating system.

The heated air is either transfer directly or indirectly across the room and will take time to increase

the temperature of the room. The energy that is radiated is converted to heat once it is in contact

with other surfaces such as floors, walls and people. The advantages of using it are minimal

temperature layering effect, reduce the heating and cooling time of the room and also free choice of

the source of energy. Compared with other solutions, it can save energy more than 40 per cent.

4.3 Case Study The case study for heating is a replacement of the current heating system at Bourne Primary School,

Eastbourne while the school continued open and operational. This project is by HAMSON

Partenrship Limited. The original heating system at the North Block was an original 1950’s one pipe

variable temperature circuit serving cast iron sectional radiator whereas at the South Block heating

system was a 1970’s two pipe constant temperature circuit serving a combination of fan convectors

and cast iron radiators. Heat emitters in the classrooms are removed and are replaced with radiant

ceiling panel. Each zone of these radiant ceiling panels is fixed with a 3-port control valve to control

their suitable zone temperature (Hamson Partnership, no year). This project costs about £270,000

and it takes about 20 weeks to complete.

5.0 Ventilation

5.1 Existing Ventilation For ventilation, most classrooms in Ellison building are using mixed mode ventilation. Mixed mode

ventilation is a space conditioning method that combines both natural ventilation and mechanical

ventilation to provide air cooling. There are three types of mixed mode ventilation; concurrent,

change-over and zoned. The classrooms and offices in Ellison building are change-over mixed mode

ventilation. It is common because the building can change the ventilation between natural

ventilation and air conditioning on a seasonal or daily basis (CBE, 2013).

Figure 7 Change over design for mixed mode ventilation

http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/mixedmode/aboutmm.html

Most classrooms in Ellison building are installed with operable windows. So during summer time, we

can open the window to allow fresh air to flow in. This will provide cooling to the rooms and

removes odour as well. During winter, the operable window can be close to provide thermal comfort

to the room. That’s when mechanical ventilation takes place to provide fresh air to the classrooms

through the HVAC system. This system is known as change-over where both natural ventilation and

mechanical take place alternatively. They both happen at the same space but at different times.

However in some of the lecture halls in Ellison building block E, they are only operated by

mechanical ventilation to provide air to the room. Most of the toilets in Ellison building are using

mechanical ventilation too but there is one toilet in first floor that is operated by natural ventilation.

Most of the times I been there, the windows are always open and it is usually cold and there is odour

in it. This is because by natural ventilation is not effective enough to remove the odour and during

winter time it is very cold.

5.2 Proposed Ventilation For all the classrooms and offices in Ellison building in every block that are using mixed mode

ventilation, there is no need to change or upgrade the ventilation method as it is the most ideal one

now. As for Ellison building block E lecture halls (EBE 004 and EBE 005), there are no operable

window installed in it to provide fresh air. So, operable window should install and operated together

with mechanical ventilation. This will not only save the energy used it can also save the cost. A well-

designed mixed-mode building is to reduce or eliminate the fan and cooling plant energy

consumption whenever conditions are moderate enough for natural ventilation to maintain comfort

(Lee, 2007). When the outside weather is appropriate, operable windows can be used to provide

fresh air and reduce the potential of using fan. As for the toilet that is using only natural ventilation,

supply and extract system is recommended to improve it as shown in figure 8. Supply and extract

system consist of a central air handling unit (AHU) that contain separate supply and extract fans, an

air filter and also a heating coil that is supplied with hot water. During cold weather, it re-circulates a

portion of the warm extracted air back into the supply and this reduces the amount of air needed to

be heated. A heat recovery device can also be installed into the AHU to take heat from the exhaust

air and transfers it back into the supply air without mixing the two air streams (Pennycook, 2009).

This is important because we don’t want the odour from the toilet to be brought back into the

space.

Figure 8 Supply and extract system

(BSRIA the Illustrated Guide to Ventilation)

6.0 Cladding

6.1 Existing Cladding For cladding, Ellison building block E is using rainscreen cladding system. It is a cladding applied

during primary construction or as an over cladding over an existing building. Rainscreen cladding

consists of an outer panel which maintains a ventilated cavity between the façade and the building

and an inner leaf (EuroClad, 2015). Rainscreen cladding is usually not sealed and a ventilation cavity

is allowed directly behind the cladding panel. In the cavity and openings at the top and bottom of

clad areas, insulation can be installed to allow for moisture vapour to evaporate and ventilation. As

shown in figure 9 below, the moisture forms a membrane across the vertical and horizontal joints

during an event of rain. Most of the water from the rain is then deflected off the outer panel of the

rainscreen cladding and disposed any incoming water through drainage. This system is pressure

equalised, that means that the pressure outside is equal to the pressure inside the cavity. Rainscreen

cladding system is different from brick wall sealed construction because it utilised the effects of air

movement. This is crucial and useful for refurbishment project because the external wall insulation

used in this way is has a higher performance as it removes the condensation risks related with

internal or cavity wall insulation.

Figure 9 Principle of Rainscreen Cladding

http://www.rainscreenworks.com/about.html

6.2 Proposed Cladding Beside block E that is using rainscreen cladding system, the rest of the blocks in Ellison buildings are

not using any cladding system. Hence, it will be ideal and better to use rainscreen cladding system

for the rest of the blocks in Ellison building. The installation is simple and problems with

deterioration are eliminated. Besides, we can improve the eternal appearance of Ellison building and

improve its aesthetic. Although installing the rainscreen cladding can be quite expensive for the

remaining blocks of Ellison building, it can save energy and reduce costs in a long run. This is because

the thermal insulation of the building is improved significantly (Rainscreenworks, 2012).

6.3 Case Study

Figure 10 Rainscreen Cladding for University of Sussex

http://www.bailey-uk.com/case-studies/education/sussex-university-brighton/

The case study for rainscreen cladding is for Fulton Building at University of Sussex designed by

Bailey Total Building Envelope. The building has been designed to reduce the impact on the

environment. The rainscreen cladding helps to provide weather protection to the building fabric and

improve the finishing. Renowned for their ability to create a completely ‘flat’ surface, rainscreen

cladding systems are progressively more used on significant new build projects such as Fulton

Building where it can guarantees the long-term performance and the aesthetics of the building

facade.

Conclusion Overall, Ellison building is considered as a building that has good technologies such as the heating

system and the ventilation system. However, there are several improvements that can be made to

increase the usability and energy performance as suggested in this coursework. This is because most

classes and workshops are conducted during autumn and winter time so the heating and ventilation

need to be upgraded as soon as possible so that all the staffs and students can enjoy thermal

comfort. Besides that, the window, cladding and lighting can also be improved to lower the carbon

emissions and increase the building energy performance. Although the initial installation cost is

expensive if we made all the changes and improvements, in a long run, it can help to reduce the cost

and as well as reduce the energy used. This will help to lower the carbon emission. We need to

reduce the carbon emission because in this modern globalization, it is accepted that man-made

carbon dioxide emissions are the main cause of climate change. Besides that, UK’s oil and gas

reserves are slowly declining and the production is now decreasing. So, we need to control the

energy used and if possible try to reduce the energy used and carbon dioxide emissions.

References Bailey. (2012) Rainscreen Cladding for University Building. [Online] Available from:

http://www.bailey-uk.com/case-studies/education/sussex-university-brighton/. [Assessed: 5th

February 2015].

Building Design Media. (2015) RequestLiteratureFRENGER Systems - Radiant Heating Design

Principles. [Online] Available from: http://www.buildingdesign.co.uk/mech-technical/frenger-

t1/frenger-radiant-heating.htm. [Assessed: 3rd February 2015].

CBE. (2013) About Mixed-Mode. [Online] Available from:

http://www.cbe.berkeley.edu/mixedmode/aboutmm.html. [Assessed: 3rd February 2015].

Conservatory Blinds Limited. (2015) Heat Loss in Sash Windows Part III. [Online] Available from:

http://www.conservatoryblinds.co.uk/blinds-article/514/heat-loss-in-sash-windows/. [Assessed: 3rd

February 2015].

Euroclad Ltd. (2015) ACM/MCM Rainscreen. [Online] Available from:

http://www.euroclad.com/wall-systems/acmmcm-rainscreen.aspx. [Assessed: 5th February 2015].

Flowers, J. (2013) Radiator Heaters 101: Your Complete Guide. [Online] Available from:

http://learn.compactappliance.com/radiator-heaters/. [Assessed: 4th February 2015].

Hamson Partnership Limited. (no year) Case Studies. [Online] Available from:

http://www.hamsonpartnership.co.uk/case-studies.htm. [Assessed: 8th February 2015].

InterLED Lighting Limited. (2011) Case Study. [Online] Available from:

http://cdn1.repository247.org/resources/uploads/InterLED/files/case_study_NHS.pdf. [Assessed:

30th January 2015].

Lee, Y. (2007) Summary Report: Control Strategies for Mixed Mode Buildings. [Online] Available

from: http://www.academia.edu/4519245/Mixed-Mode_Ventilation_Controls. [Assessed: 4th

February 2015].

Rainscreenworks. (2012) The online introduction to rainscreen cladding .[Online] Available from:

http://www.rainscreenworks.com/about.html. [Assessed: 5th February 2015].

Saint Gobain Limited. (2014) BRE Victorian Terrace. [Online] Available from: http://www.saint-

gobain.co.uk/products-solutions/case-studies/bre-victorian-terrace/. [Assessed: 3rd February 2015].

Standard Products INC. (2010) What are the Benefits of LEDS. [Online] Available from:

http://www.standardpro.com/product-information/led/led-benefits. [Assessed: 31st January 2015].

Uswitch. (2015) Window insulation and double glazing. [Online] Available from:

http://www.uswitch.com/insulation/guides/window-insulation/#step2. [Assessed: 1st February

2015].