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Alison Withers
Copyright (c) 2011 Alison Withers There are Health and Safety Executive guidelines on the air quality in buildings used by the public and for commercial purposes but they are advisory rather than legally binding. Measuring the energy efficiency of new, larger buildings above 250m2, however, is more closely regulated through EU regulations first introduced about five years ago and subsequently amended in 2010. The threshold for the requirement to measure efficiency for existing buildings is 1000m2. H & S guidelines say that adequate ventilation and temperature control contributes to worker comfort and therefore buildings may need to have either air conditioning or heating systems installed, as well as extraction systems where substances being used in the workplace could be harmful to health. Once an assessment looking at all aspects of H & S has been done, it may be that ventilation ductwork will need to be installed, or perhaps upgraded. Since 2009, however, there have been mandatory requirements for such systems as air conditioning systems with a rated cooling output greater than 12kW to be regularly inspected. For systems with rated cooling output of between 12kW and 250 kW the deadline for first inspection was January 2011. An approved and qualified inspector must carry out the inspections. Carrying out regular inspection has an obvious benefit to a building's owners or leaseholders in that this can identify whether the ductwork system is working efficiently or not and if not is adding to the company overheads in higher than necessary energy bills. DIAG (short for Directive Implementation Advisory Group) is the UK Government's advisory body on energy efficiency. It is a very good source of information for facilities managers, business owners and owners of commercial and public buildings and offers advice on how to ensure that an air conditioning system is maintained and operated efficiently. The DIAG says that energy consumption can increase by as much as 60% if the system is poorly maintained or its components are dirty. Components that might be in need of attention include condensers, refrigerant systems, pipework insulation, thermostat calibration, fans, filters and air ducts. No-one would seriously contemplate paying up to 60% more than they needed to given the current difficult trading conditions and predicted further increases in energy prices, so it makes sense not only to do regular checks of a ducted air system and to have a regular programme of cleaning and maintenance in place. Reputable specialist commercial cleaners are well equipped with both the cleaning tools and experienced, trained staff to carry out such work. Normally they will have an initial consultation with a building's manager to assess what needs to be done, when and how frequently for the organisation's specific needs. Investment in a service of regularly ductwork cleaning or air conditioning duct cleaning may be a more effective use of resources than risking escalating energy costs from an inefficient duct system. It will also help with the record keeping now required by EU legislation as part of its efforts to encourage improved energy efficiency and lower the emissions from buildings that are affecting climate change and global warming.
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