In today’s cities, many buildings typically

operate quite separate systems for heating,

hot water production, air conditioning

and refrigeration. This means that a huge

proportion of the heat energy produced

as a by-product of air conditioning and

refrigeration systems often simply goes to

waste.

However, by integrating such systems in an

innovative way, it is possible to create a much

more holistic – and sustainable – energy

cycle within a building. Such solutions could

cut energy usage by up to 80%, making a

massive difference to the sustainability of our

cities if applied comprehensively.

Improving sustainability on a macro-

level will be critical if we are to meet the

Government’s stringent carbon targets for

2050. The Pathways to 2050 - Key Results

Final Report, which was produced on behalf

of the Department for Energy and Climate

Change (DECC), recognises that over the

next 40 years, the residential sector will have

to cut emissions to 40 per cent of its 2010

level, while the services sector faces a similarly

steep challenge, which will mean having to

reduce its carbon emissions to 45 per cent of

its 2010 level.

According to the Carbon Trust, the retail

sector alone is responsible for around

three per cent of total electrical energy

consumption in the UK and some 21

million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. It

also estimates that heating and hot water

production account for 60 per cent of a

retailer’s energy bills, with refrigeration also

making a major contribution.

Taking the retail sector as a case in point,

we can see that in a major department store,

refrigeration is required for cafes, restaurants

and kitchens. These cooling functions

generate masses of waste heat that can be

reused elsewhere in the building, for example

to heat and ventilate salon and shopfloor

areas or to provide hot water in wash rooms.

This free heat can also be used to provide

warm air at entrances requiring air curtains,

delivering energy consumption savings of

up to 67 per cent compared with a typical

electrically heated air curtain.

Such highly energy efficient solutions can

be developed for a wide variety of settings

– whether on a major scale for airports,

shopping centres and stadia; for complex

environments such as leisure centres, hotels

and civic buildings; or for community facilities

like schools, shops and health centres.

With Display Energy Certificates

looking likely to become mandatory for

commercial buildings in the foreseeable

future, developers and managers also

need to improve the monitoring and

control of systems, so that energy usage

can be reduced. This means changing user

behaviour and enhancing our collective

understanding of how energy is managed

within our buildings.

Intelligent control technologies can

play a significant role in monitoring and

maintaining heating, ventilating and air

conditioning systems (the largest user of

energy in the workplace). In fact, intelligent

controls could increase a system’s efficiency

by more than 30%.

The key to successful control, however,

is being able to deliver reduced usage

while effortlessly maintaining optimum

comfort levels. For example, if a control

can switch off a climate control system

when a room is unoccupied, or a window

or door is left open, then energy wastage

is reduced automatically. If the system uses

passive infrared (PIR), it will also be able to

detect both room or zone occupancy and

activity levels – a particular advantage for

hotel rooms, where usage can be adapted

automatically when the occupant is not in the

room, or sleeping.

For commercial offices, banks and retail

stores, a good intelligent control solution

should be able to set heating and cooling

levels zone by zone, so public and staff areas

can be maintained at preferred temperature

levels, while air curtains at entrances are

controlled separately, as are meeting rooms

and IT server rooms, thus maximising the

overall energy efficiency of the building.

At Daikin UK, we believe that the

integration of intelligent controls and

innovative solutions is vital to making the

dramatic improvements now required in the

energy efficiency of our buildings. When this

benchmark becomes the standard of design

in all buildings, this will make a significant

contribution towards creating sustainable

cities of the future.

Smart solutions for sustainable cities The energy required to heat and cool buildings is one of the major factors affecting the sustainability of our cities. Integrated environmental control and heat recovery solutions have a major role to play if we are to develop smarter and more sustainable cities.