Green Gown Awards 2011 - Carbon Reduction - Imperial College London - Highly Commended

Continuous Optimisation of Plant and Services – a partnership in sustainability by conserving carbon through energy reduction

Imperial College London is committed to provide a sustainable and operable estate, despite extensive refurbishment/new build and staff/student growth. We have implemented a strategy of re-commissioning building plant and services, delivering:

• Reduced carbon consumption
• Conserved energy
• Lower operational costs

In partnership with the academic community our annual accumulative savings are: £518,350 and 2,846 tonnes CO₂.

Research at a university demands controlled environments, relying on plant, infrastructure and non-natural ventilation to maintain operational parameters while preventing experimental contamination. When new facilities are handed over, operational controls are set at parameters signed-off at design, so plant and services continue in this condition, insensitive to changes in academic practice, occupation or carbon reduction requirements. To solve this issue, Imperial College London adopted a ‘Continuous Optimisation’ strategy for managing buildings, reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and operating costs while delivering safe and productive environments. Its application has enabled, among other things, introducing efficient plant, reducing air volumes, improving filter efficiency and introducing occupancy controls such as CO₂ sensors.

Imperial College London is committed to provision of sustainable operation of its estate, despite a strategy of refurbishment, new build and staff/student growth. To support this Imperial has proven and implemented a methodical application of 'Continuous Optimisation’ (ConCom) recommissioning building plant and services, delivering reduction of carbon emissions, conservation of energy and reduction in operational costs. ConCom has accumulated real sustainable savings amounting to over £500,000 and 2,800 tonnes of CO₂. It is now an embedded component of the University’s Carbon Management Plan and is expected to contribute savings of up to 4,900 tonnes of CO₂ over the next five years. The lessons learnt are now being incorporated into refurbishment and new-build strategies.

Videos

• Video (click to hide)