Thesis Question:

What differences can be made to the office environment to reduce energy consumption while still maintaining the optimal comfort level for the majority?

Original Visual

Here is a sketch of a typical office space with some design modifications that will help reduce the tenant users energy usage. These small changes can make a huge difference without a lot of hassle.

Simple solutions

There has been a boom of businesses and commercial buildings taking an interest in being more green and less reliant on the earth's resources. Here is a simple solution that could cut down the International Building's energy consumption during the summer months.

air vent locations

Photo courtesy of Tom Arban

Here is a picture of the 3rd floor in the Brown Family House of Learning. One of the contributing factors to the warm, humid air in the building are the air flow vents being placed on the floor. Dirt and debris collects in these vents within a matter of days blocking the air circulation. Placing the vents on the walls would've been a better design when this building was being built. 

HOL energy usage

This is the up to date energy consumption graph from Builtspace. The building is the House of Learning, which is our greenest building on campus.  

Narrowing it Down

For my research I am trying to find one question that really encompasses my topic on energy consumption an d how to make offices more efficient. Any input would be much appreciated.

update

Just an update on the Builtspace project. We received mini solar thermometers to help the staff in the House of Learning monitor their office temperatures. Yesterday I evenly distributed a handful throughout the building  in the hopes of getting more feedback on the temperature in the work space to see how it matches up with the facilities temperature gauges. Hopefully by next week I can do a comparison!

image by Kit Lowrance

Builtspace

If any person is interested in checking out the energy consumption on campus or building temperatures I can invite you to join the Builtspace website. There are smart meters in the Brown Family House of Learning, Campus Activity Centre, Culinary Arts and International Building. These buildings are monitored on a daily basis and the energy usage data is input in an easy to read graph. The website link is http://www.builtspace.com/Pages/default.aspx

It's February and 25 degrees?

I spent 3 hours yesterday talking to people in the Brown Family House of Learning to determine their level of comfort in their work space. It was interesting to hear that 9 out of 10 people thought it was too warm in their office. Some people even had fans going. Considering it's February, we should not be seeing fans going or windows open.

An interesting read about smart grids and how they operate. http://energy.gov/oe/technology-development/smart-grid

research proposal

Energy Consumption in the Workspace

Itel M. Chung

Summary Statement

Every occupied building consumes energy, the discussion lies in how much energy is being used and if it is necessary. On a daily basis power is being pumped into buildings but where does it all go? We live in a world where our energy demand is constantly growing and our fossil fuels are quickly decreasing, because of this we should be focused on the conservation of energy.

Purpose

Electricity usage can easily become more efficient and greatly reduced by simply monitoring the amount. Smart meters allow us to do just that. Currently through the Power Smart program, there are meters set up in multiple facilities on Thompson Rivers University Campus. The data found by tracking the daily electricity consumption of various sites on campus can be put towards creating a more efficient system, resulting in saved money and a greener building.

Goals and Objectives

A look at on-campus energy usage and various building design solutions that would increase the efficiency and lower the power consumption. The research from this project will provide authority with the information and methods to reduce electricity waste and increase climate awareness. The sudden surge of smart meter technology is partially due to the lack of awareness between people and their daily environment (Pierce, J., & Paulos, E. 2012). Creating a web page with forums allows people to comment on the climate of their workspace getting them involved and opening the discussion about power consumption. From the readings on the meters, the data can be used to adjust the power levels as necessary (peak times vs. low times). The main objective being, a more sustainable campus while still taking comfort levels into account.

Methodology and Analytical Approach

            Technology advancements have made it possible to provide detailed information about power consumption on a monthly, daily, and even hourly basis. Digital smart meters are easy to use and the Thompson Rivers University meters are linked to a website through Built Space making the recorded information accessible to the public as well as allowing them to provide feedback. From the website I will be able to tell exactly how much power was used at any time of the day in any of these four buildings: Campus Activity Centre, House of Learning, International Building or Culinary Arts Building. According to a certain Energy Policy “the most common first step is the acceptance of smart meters” (Krishnamurti, T., Schwartz, D., Davis, A., Fischhoff, B., de Bruin, W., Lave, L., & Wang, J. 2012). We have already taken the first step.

In order for this research to be successful a big factor is the participation of people who work in the building on a daily basis. Events can be held to promote talk about comfort levels and produce valuable feedback such as the upcoming Sweater Day where the normal temperature will be lowered 2̊. If the feedback shows that a majority of participants were not affected by the climate change then it could be beneficial to permanently implement the lower temperature. Information from the meters will be put into graphs to better organize and understand the figures from the recorded times. I hope to be able to conduct multiple surveys on building comfort throughout the project as well as determine what/if any power sources can be shut down when not in use; for instance a normal computer on standby will still consume 27 Watts (Ngo, C., & Natowitz, J.B. 2009). The compilation of information, statistics and overall use of energy will be used to establish a more comfortable building environment and any building improvements.

Previous Studies

The topic of energy conservation is widely discussed and affects the majority of the world. But it wasn’t until the last few years that the technology has been available. In 2009, the UK implemented smart meters on a trial basis which then in turn opened the gateway for smart meters world-wide. Their researchers discovered that the average person cut back on consumption depending on the “type and quality of feedback” (Tom Hargreaves, 2010) they received. With the constant advancements in smart grids, continuous research is beneficial to keep the ball rolling.

Plan for Information Distribution

The whole purpose for doing research is to share the information with others. Blogs are an easy to use and quick way to do so. All of my findings will be regularly posted on a personal blog where fellow classmates as well as the general public can comment and follow my progress throughout. Regular meetings with the Director of Environment and Sustainability on campus to discuss my research will keep me on track and keep the university up to date.

 Contribution of the Project to Academic Goals and Objectives

As a second year student in the Architectural Engineering Technology program, creating greener buildings is a passion of mine. “Buildings are defined as ‘low energy buildings’ if their heat demand is 1/3 below the legally defines minimum standards”, Armstrong, F. A., & Blundell, K. M. (2007). I hope to create spaces that conform to these specifications but in order to do so, a full understanding of how a building operates and is used by occupants is key. From this information, new systems and methods can be found and implemented to establish efficiency and comfort on campus. This program has already been implemented by the universities Environment and Sustainability Department, my role will include obtaining original data, creating Power Smart surveys and compiling my findings in a readable, useful format. As well, I am responsible for researching any questions occupants may have to produce a thorough and educated answer. This project broadens my scope on energy efficiency while bringing Thompson Rivers University into the forefront on power management.

References

Blundell, F. A. (2007). Energy....Beyond Oil. New York: Oxford University Press Inc.

Krishnamurti, T. S. (2012). Preparing for smart grid technologies: A behavioral decision research approach to understanding consumer expectations about smart meters. Energy Policy, 790-797.

Natowitz, C. N. (2009). Our Energy Future: Resources, Alternatives and the Environment. Hobokan: Jon Wiley & Sons Inc.

Paulos, J. P. (2012). Beyond energy monitors: Interaction, energy, and emerging energy systems. 2-7.

Tom Hargreaves, M. N. (2010). Making Energy Visible: A qualitative field study of how householders interact with feedback from smart energy monitors. Elsevier, 1-9.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN THE WORKPLACE

This blog is intended to follow my research on energy in relation to Thompson Rivers University. By monitoring the smart meter readings on campus and doing tenancy surveys I hope to create a report useful in developing a more efficient workplace. Any feedback or comments are welcome and will contribute to my research project.