INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
system design of buildings. Each material used has its own criteria. Therefore, it should be placed according to its nature and performance.
Understanding the choice of building materials that meets local needs is essential in the design, building detail and specification writing stage. Lightweight steel materials are good heat conductors and require insulation if used. Using wicks iron roofing i. e. zinc instead of the nipah roofing used in Malay houses is a major mistake. The heat streamed by this roof causes an increase in internal temperature. The use of this material requires additional insulation materials to block the heat flow and requires additional roof height so that the heat can be reduced.
These are basic principles that need to be understood before we take further action on energy conservation. Some initial steps concerning the basic design of the building need to be taken at the planning, designing and construction stage. Consideration needs to be made on micro climate control and passive control before considering the use of active controls. Using an active control method such as air conditioners, without taking into account other forms of prefixing are a mistake and the root cause of much wastage. In summary, understanding the basics of building design is a must before any other steps are undertaken to minimize energy wastage.
Most sophisticated modern buildings employ almost 90 % of their control through active controls involving electricity to function. This is proven when almost all these buildings use air conditioning devices to control the internal environment, elevators and escalators for vertical connectivity, lighting and computerized equipment to operate. It is therefore desirable to think about how to save energy costs through a variety of methods that will ultimately help reduce the cost of building operations and maintenance. In most cases of institutional and administrative buildings, the cost of energy alone is almost 50 to 60 % of the total cost of building maintenance.
Apart from taking into account passive and active design features of buildings, the Malaysian Government, in collaboration with other Government agencies, has also implemented various initiatives of green technology that could help save energy and reduce carbon emissions. Included among them are: a) Programmes on green practice awareness campaigns among residents and maintainers of buildings where a series of basic training has been carried out in relation to green technology practices; b) Retrofit programmes by the Public Works Department and KeTTHA in the 11 th Malaysia Plan. For example, by the end of 2016, retrofit works had been carried out at the Prime Minister’ s Department Complex( JPM)( Block B1 to Block B8) and completed on January 31, 2017 with energy savings evident after the work. It is estimated that an amount of RM750,000 will be saved for the first five months of 2017 with 20 % electricity savings; c) Implementing energy efficient management practices in tender specifications for facility management contractors executed by the Public Works Department. This is to ensure that the contractors managing the facilities in Government buildings implement energyefficient management practices throughout their contract period; d) Incorporate minimum requirements of MS1525: Code of Practice on Use of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for Non-residential Buildings in design specifications to ensure the design of new buildings meets the characteristics of energy-efficient buildings; and e) Guidelines on the implementation of energy conservation directives through temperature setting at a minimum of 24 ° C in all Government’ s buildings need to be distributed to all Government Ministries, departments and agencies as a measure of reducing Government utility costs.
BUILDING CASE STUDIES
In order to support the Government’ s energy saving objectives, the Ministry of Works( KKR) energysaving initiatives, with and without costs, with 5 % savings on the cost of utilities of its agencies has been achieved. The Public Works Department( JKR) has responded to the recommendations of the KKR to make the Ministry of Works Complex and JKR Complex as models for other Government agencies.
10 VOL 71 JULY- SEPTEMBER 2017