HVAC Efficiency in an Almost Post-Pandemic World
Energy Performance Certification ( EPC ), where building owners need to obtain and display certificates to indicate how much energy is being used to operate the building , is looming closer .
The primary objective in obliging building owners to obtain EPCs is to make them aware of their energy consumption and encourage them to be more energy efficient if their EPC rating is poor . The categories that currently need to comply are entertainment facilities ( A1 ), places of public assembly such as sporting facilities and community centres ( A2 ), educational institution buildings ( A3 ), and offices ( G1 ).
The regulations apply to government buildings of more than 1,000m 2 and privately-owned buildings of more than 2,000m 2 . Failure to publicly display the energy performance certificate in terms of these regulations is an offence .
According to Carl Coetzee , a mechatronics engineer and director at Lombard Consulting Engineers ( LCE ), it is important to ensure that buildings operate as efficiently as possible . “ It becomes a balancing act between increased ventilation rates to combat pandemics and mitigating the impact of increased heating , ventilation , and air conditioning ( HVAC ) load .”
Coetzee was a presenter at the recent South African Federation of Healthcare Engineering ( SAFHE ) Conference , where he presented on the topic , Achieving HVAC Efficiency in an almost Post-Pandemic World . During his talk , he referred to the acronym RAM – Reduce waste , Awareness , and Maintenance and Optimisation .
10 HVAC Efficiency