Will Perkins - Managing Director - SE Controls
A recent report from Glenigan has shown a considerable decrease in
construction activity during 2010, December in particular was badly
hit due to exceptional bad weather during the month. Despite the
poor weather conditions towards the end of 2010, the recently
released Glenigan Index1 indicates a positive start for 2011, with
private non-residential construction on the rise due to improved
business confidence and lending conditions.
Despite the positive outlook for building construction, keeping
costs as low as possible is crucial to gaining new business in a
tight market. The UK currently has some of the highest construction
costs in Europe. Recent research undertaken by HM Treasury2 suggests
that much of the increased costs of construction in the UK are
instigated in the early design stages and could be drastically
reduced.
In a typical building specification, the facade specialist will be
asked to provide actuators fitted to opening vents to a given
specification which will determine the stroke (opening distance) and
possibly the number to be used per vent, complete with a wiring
route to the location of the buildings BMS or similar. The
specification will be loosely based on a specification for an
electrical contractor to provide power for operation and possibly
some form of integration with the BMS.
This approach usually resorts to the facade contractor selecting the
most competitively priced actuator which meets their quality
standards, but with little reference to the power that the device
consumes. A single device taking 18 Watts power may seem a small
amount of power to run a single actuator, multiply this by 100
actuators and the consumption runs to 1.8 Kilowatts. Compared to a
12 Watt device the saving in power alone is 33%, but more
importantly the switching equipment will need to handle more power
as a result and increase installation costs as a result.
The most cost efficient way of specifying and installing natural
adaptive ventilation systems and smoke control systems is to
approach a specialist who can offer a complete design package, from
design through to installation and maintenance. Not only can this
approach offer a balanced approach as far as the system is
concerned, but by offering specialist ventilation design advice at
architectural concept stage can reduce building costs and as
importantly future running costs which effects the buildings long
term sustainability. So often initial budgets omit significant
packages necessary to implement adaptive natural ventilation
successfully, later making causing poor compromise and ill feeling
toward the technology.
With clients now very much aware of BREEAM ‘excellent’ buildings
being completed and promoted heavily in the construction press,
contractors are keen to differentiate their services to attract
clients. Reduced construction costs can be achieved by smarter
design practices across the whole of the supply chain, often leading
to more sustainable buildings. As our buildings become more
‘intelligent’ specialists should be on board at the very early
design stages to take responsibility for discussing options to use
the very best latest technologies.
BMS systems are now available at reasonable prices, so these systems
are finding their way into ever more buildings, not just in new
build but refurbished construction projects as well. By bringing
specialists together to cover automated ventilation provision and
renewable technologies, with heating and lighting requirements,
complete joined up cost effective solutions can be found. Simply
put, an early design meeting with these specialists will often offer
the contractor the correct way to get the best results for less.
Greater involvement from one specialist will also offer more robust
warranties on the final system installed. We have seen this in the
external envelope provision over the last 20 years; more contractors
approaching one specialist for a complete envelope provision. As a
result, there are fewer interface problems giving a more reliable
and weather tight envelope covered by a single installer’s warranty.
As M&E systems continue to become more complex, and increasingly
involve renewable technologies, builders are beginning to see value
engineering at its best when they involve specialists at an early
stage, rather than try to cut corners by pushing others to try and
reinvent the wheel.
Commissioning a system provided by several contractors can be
challenging at best. The system may not provide the complete
solution envisaged at the outset, and may need further
modifications; but at who’s cost? Specialist commissioning for smoke
ventilation is crucial. These specialists can computer model designs
to ensure smoke evacuation takes place quickly and effectively -
potentially saving lives in the process.
A single provider of natural adaptive ventilation and smoke control
will also be best placed to provide a routine and preventative
maintenance service for their installations, vital in smoke
ventilation installations to meet the latest legal requirements for
landlords and giving proven cost savings on any system over the
alternative strategy of ‘fix and forget’.
SE Controls are a UK company that offers specifiers and building
owners a one stop solution for smoke control and adaptive natural
ventilation solutions. Any building can benefit from these modern
low energy and low maintenance automation systems, whether they be
new build or existing property.
Through experience gained in almost 30 years in the industry, SE
Controls offers complete “turnkey” solutions from design and
manufacture to installation commissioning and on-going service
throughout the lifetime of the building. SE Controls have 8 “Core
Competencies” that enables them to offer a totally professional
solution to clients from system design, manufacture, distribution,
project management, installation, commissioning and on-going
training, service and maintenance.
The result is a well-designed system which saves energy and improves
comfort and safety for building occupiers. Building owners can be
assured that UK legislative requirements are met, and that the
systems installed are regularly maintained to ensure safe operation.
A UK company, SE Controls also operate across the globe with offices
on several continents with specialists offering clients expert
advice based on local legislative requirements.
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