Streamer
Disclaimer 
Login PM 

7th Framework Programme  

You are here: Home > ResultsDeliverable report 

  

D3.1 Building-oriented EeB KPIs of newly designed and retrofitted buildings

 

Abstract

The main objective of the Streamer project is to create a BIM based tool that focuses on and reduces by 50% the energy used in the built environment of healthcare estates/districts throughout Europe. The processes of design, construction and operation and maintenance are the key activities that underpin the success of such an ambitious objective. Whether a single project option, multiple options, new build or refurbishment, the approach to save energy should be the same and that is that there should be indicative performance criteria to support the successful direction of the process. In this report we have considered the potential for saving energy within the existing estate and developed 3 key performance indicators that will offer that direction.

 

The most important KPI will be that of Energy Performance and Efficiency. This uses a "Layers" approach which considers that an acute hospital will consist of four definable usage types namely Hot Floor, Hotel, Office and Industry. They are used to identify the occupant usage characteristics which can, with the aid of a thermal model, help us understand the energy that can be used in each layer. An initial energy target can then be applied to each layer to enable the design process to progress within the parameters of the energy target. The areas of each layer combined with the energy modeled through the design process will offer the user the total theoretical energy use for the building. Comparison with existing published targets and also the development of a data base of targets for similar layers will be an on-going confirmation of the approach. Once the building is in operation, the monitoring of the energy use will be on-going and will undergo comparison with the original design targets. If there is a gap between the actual energy used and the designed energy target, then the operation and maintenance of the facility can be reviewed. Also, when any future remedial work is carried out on the facility which includes change of use, façade or building engineering systems replacement, the target can be reviewed as appropriate to align with any reduction or increase in energy use.

 

The second KPI is that of Financial Analysis based on Whole Life Costing. This uses the concept of discounted cash flow or simple payback depending on the complexity, scale and timing of the project analysis. No healthcare project is free from the constraints of the financial budgeting but more often than not the financial analysis is based on lowest first (capital) cost with little regard for the on-going life cycle costs of the facility. Such is the importance of energy use and the subsequent impact of carbon emissions that a whole life costing approach must be taken seriously if we are to apply any long term energy reduction strategies into the healthcare estate/district.

 

The third and final KPI is Quality of the Environment and Operational Efficiency. The expectation of the populations of all countries towards the delivery of healthcare continues to increase. The need to recruit and to retain staff continues to challenge the owners and operators of healthcare facilities. The benefits of reducing energy use which is the key requirement of Streamer, is largely invisible to those looking for high quality healthcare environments and hence it is essential that energy reductions should be delivered with due regard to the quality of the facility. This has been encapsulated in the term "therapeutic environment". This is an attempt to define some key objectives that if employed within the preliminary design process will satisfy both the quality ambitions of the patients, carers and staff alike without having too much of an adverse impact on the energy reduction strategy.

 

Difficulties can arise when attempting to impose a set of KPI’s on existing processes. The first is that there has to be due regard to the current standards that are in place throughout the EU and within individual member countries. However, we believe that the three KPI’s selected will work in support of any countries current standards and guides. The objectives to success defined in the report are in the main taken from existing guidance that is currently in use. Secondly, the boundary of the EU involves different climates which need to be accommodated within the development of and the adherence to the energy target development and compliance. We believe that the inclusion of climate factors within the energy modeling process will enable comparisons across climates to be made in a sensible fashion. Thirdly, although we tend to default to a "new build" direction when considering energy reduction, the Streamer project must also focus on refurbishments within the healthcare estate/district. In fact it could be argued that the main focus of energy reduction in the future will be the existing building stock. It is important therefore to be able to gauge the potential to save energy and we can do this by considering the age of the building(s) and the construction standards and thermal efficiency standards applicable at the time of design/construction. This presents itself as an age factor within the matrix of information that we will need when we consider the potential for energy reduction.

 

Finally, the development of these KPI’s is only one part of the Streamer process but hopefully one that will have a unifying effect on the project as a whole. It is believed that the KPI’s as they are presented are not so onerous as to be a burden and hence ignored by hospital owners and their design teams, but will be a flexible platform in which to easily compare and contrast energy reducing solutions for new and existing building on the healthcare estate/district.

 

Download: D3.1 Building-oriented EeB KPIs of newly designed and retrofitted buildings

 

 

 

Copyright © 2013 DEMO B.V.