Energy management technologies

Energy management technologies

• Occupancy sensors.

• Improved insulation.

• Automatic/solar ventilation.

• Heat exchangers.

• Lighting: CFL, LED.

• ‘Low-energy’ white goods.

• Occupancy sensors.

Sensors that detect movement in a room and turn lights on or off according to this.

• Improved insulation.

Most insulating materials reduce conduction by trapping airspaces in a porous structure

Improved insulations has prefabricated boards with a reflective foil layer to reflect infrared radiation.

What’s another benefit of improved insulation?

Some of the insulating materials have low environmental impacts because they’re manufactured from waste, such as straw.

• Automatic/solar ventilation.

Large glazed areas increase passive solar gains.

This may be excessive during very sunny weather

Overheating can be reduced using thermostatically operated automatic screens, self opening windows, and solar screens

• Heat exchangers.

Heat exchangers can be used for ventilation with minimal heat losses.

How do heat exchangers work?

The heat of the air leaving the building is passed to the air coming in.

The counter current flow of stale and fresh air in the heat exchanger ensures efficient heat transfer

• Lighting: CFL, LED.

CFL lamps are replaced with LED lights

• ‘Low-energy’ white goods.

White goods:

• Washing machine

• Dishwasher

• Refrigerator

• Washing machine

Faster spin cycles so the clothes need less drying

Cold and low temperature wash cycles which use less energy to heat water

• Dishwasher

Newer dishwashers use less water so less heating is needed

• Refrigerator

Low energy fridges have a more efficient compressor, like a linear compressor.

This doesn’t need oil lubrication as the pumped fluid acts as the lubrication.

This reduces maintenance and increases reliability.

It is also much smaller and so it has a lower embodied energy