The actual lamps used are known as T5s ( high efficiency small diameter fluorescent lamps ) which provide the highest industry standards in terms of lighting quality , colour , energy efficiency , with reduced maintenance costs and an extended life span per fluorescent .
The dimming of the lights can be reduced to 10 % of total capacity when necessary and also provide optimised efficiency and a lifespan of about 4 years .
While energy efficient , the design still prioritises the comfort , productivity and health of the occupants . The heating and cooling systems were designed to provide comfortable conditions in the building throughout the year .
Economy Cycle technology is used for the air-conditioning fans ( HVAC ), which calculates a quantity of fresh air needed and then also recycles a quantity of cooler return air which reduces the energy used to cool the air . When outside air temperatures are favourable , 100 % of fresh air can possibly be supplied to the building , thus reducing the need to chill the air mechanically which will , in turn , reduce energy consumption . A spin-off is the improvement of the air quality within the building . The process is continuously controlled by the Building Management System ( BMS ).
Due to the long east and west façades of the building , at certain times during the day , the building will experience heat loss and heat gain at the same time in different areas of the building . The HVAC system reads this through the BMS and adjusts the cycle and optimises usage by means of heat reclaim chilled / hot water plant . Building heating will be produced by the chillers acting as heat pumps , eliminating the need for less energy efficient electrical heating .
The fresh air ventilation rates delivered from the HVAC system are a 100 % improvement on the SANS 204 ( 2008 ) that states that 5 litres / second / person must be supplied to the occupants . The Chevron HQ will achieve a minimum of 10l / s / p and higher .
There is also variable speed control for the fans delivering the air to the building . This enables the system to adjust the fan speed to the amount of air entering the building and is calculated by the BMS . This prevents energy wastage .
The chillers use an air cooled system and not water to cool the air .
The structure of the building has been constructed using 40 % less cement in the concrete . Cement has a high embodied energy and , by using recycled slag from the steel manufacturing plants , the usage of virgin raw materials is reduced .
All reinforcing steel in the building was obtained from SA Metal which supplies 100 % recycled reinforcement bars .
Due to the nature of the structural design and the implementation of post tensioned slabs , the absolute quantity of reinforcing steel has been reduced by more than 30 % and concrete by 7 %.
20 % of the projects total value was sourced from within 400km , meaning that the local economy has benefited . The road and sub layers were used as a pioneering layer in the nearby construction of the school and thus diverting soil away from landfill .
Fire Safety Design The fire safety measures applied were :
• To fire-separate the parking floors from the office accommodation and provide an adequacy of emergency route fire escape staircases .
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