Pockets of excellence: Government agencies go green
There are a number of excellent sustainable procurement initiatives that are being implemented by Queensland Government agencies. The following case studies demonstrate how sustainable procurement works at a practical level. Contact details are provided with each case study if you require more information.
If your agency has a case study you would to like to include, let us know about it by contacting Michelle Lavery, email Michelle.Lavery@qgcpo.qld.gov.au or telephone 3405 5125.
The Government Energy Management Strategy (GEMS) is a whole-of-Queensland Government energy efficiency initiative.
Queensland Government agencies use about 860 million kWh of electricity annually, costing approximately $86 million. That electricity generates greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those produced by 909,880 cars. Greenhouse gas emissions are harmful to the environment, contributing to global warming.
promote smarter ways of managing energy across Government;
incorporate energy management into a whole-of-life approach to asset management;
reduce overall costs to Government and community by being more energy-efficient; and
fulfil a commitment to care for the environment.
Benefit to agencies
By using less energy, agencies save money. GEMS has set a target of reducing the whole-of-government electricity bill by $22 million by 2008.
Agencies taking up the GEMS challenge are rewarded financially. They get to keep the savings they make on their electricity bill, redirecting that money to fund their own priority projects.
For more information contact GEMS (Built Environment Research Unit of the Department of Public Works).
Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) inclusions in the SQIT Toowoomba TAFE - Block B
Block B is a large academic building that has been built at Toowoomba Campus of SQIT. It provides conventional and computer classrooms, specialist classrooms for art and music, and groups of related specialist spaces for the teaching of aged and child care. The building also provides a large extension to the existing campus library adjacent in Block A, a new canteen, and facilities for the student association as well as administrative and staff accommodation and carparking.
ESD inclusions in the building are:
Rainwater
Rainwater is collected, stored and reused for non-potable uses .
Meters for measuring water consumption are being installed and electronically connected to the Building Management System to measure: town-water consumption in Block B, town-water top-up of rainwater tanks; and usage of water from rainwater tanks.
Day lighting
Day lighting is enhanced by the use of refractive glass blocks
Internal corridors are daylighted through clearstorey lighting and borrowed lights
The canteen is provided with sun-control louvres which can be seasonally adjusted.
Artificial lighting and power
Energy use is reduced by daylight harvesting (lighting turned off when daylight is sufficient); automatic turn-off of lighting and air conditioning when spaces are unoccupied or when no motion is detected for 20 minutes.
Coolers, auto-boilers and hot water systems are turned off when Block B is unoccupied.
Occupants have local over-ride control and can negate automated settings for greater energy savings through extended periods of natural lighting and ventilation.
Light fittings and equipment are energy efficient.
A multiple mode ventilation system
Cross ventilation through electrically-controlled and screened, high and low-level industrial louvres on external walls and acoustically treated louvres to vented internal corridors.
Displacement ventilation through high level louvres into vented corridors and through roof vents with electrically controlled dampers. The roof is coloured to induce and enhance thermal displacement ventilation within the building.
Fan only operation of mechanical plant (economy cycle).
Air-conditioning switched for automatic closing of louvers.
Security screening permits night-time purging of the building through roof vents and louvre windows. Purging can be enhanced by fan only operation of mechanical plant.
Electrical
Recording energy usage for programs to minimize energy consumption. This will be the first TAFE with the ability for energy consumption to be apportioned to course costs.
The performance of the building can be monitored from Brisbane, reducing the necessary time on site for research participants.
Provision has been allowed for the future installation of interactive data kiosks which could generally promote energy conservation, explain the ESD features of Block B and to display comparative data on energy usage in the building.
Product selection
The building was designed and documented in 2004 before Environmental Product Selection tools such as Ecospecifier (one of a number of databases Project Services now subscribe to) became available. Product selection for the building was therefore approached using products which have been used in the past that have been considered to have had good environmental performance, experimentation and extension of what has been applied to other project we have worked on, products sourced through project services technical library, products we had heard of via word of mouth and recommendations through consultants.
ESD inclusions at Norman Park State School - Block G
Norman Park State School's most recent edition, a three storey teaching block, was completed in April 2005.
The building, Block G, accommodates a large multi-sport area on the ground floor and 8 classrooms and 2 large external teaching spaces on the upper levels.
Advanced Daylighting Systems
Angular selective and light spreading skylight
Due to the large clear span over the ground floor multi purpose-courts, the building is over 20 metres deep. To optimise daylighting on the top floor a 2.25m2 skylight was designed, incorporating laser cut panels, for each classroom. To optimise the daylight directed through the skylight an inverted pyramid was employed with laser cut panels to the underside of the skylight shaft and raked the ceiling in four directions, towards the pyramid. On a sunny day, this design provides a high level of illumination at desk height throughout the classroom. To provide a similar level of lighting using a more conventional installation (i.e. flat ceiling) 4 x 1m2 skylights have been required.
Channel panel
Channel Panels redirect nearly all incident radiation into an upwards direction onto the ceiling of an internal space. These panels have been incorporated into windows above 2.1m to the western walls of the classrooms. The windows below 2.1m are screened from the western sun, the windows above 2.1m allow reflected light to illuminate the ceiling and reflect down into the room. Without the installation of the channel panel these windows would have to be screened, thereby reducing daylight into these rooms.
The anticipated advantages for the school are reduced energy consumption, lower power costs, and a greater sense of well being among students, potentially leading to improved performance. The versatility of the channel panels allows them to be incorporated readily into glazing systems and sunshading devices.
Product selection
Project Services approached the designer of the channel panel, Ian Edmonds (Associate Professor at QUT), for input into the design of the skylights and advice on the optimum ceiling pitch.
For more information contact: Project Services, telephone 3224 6313.
