Section 12: Energy / Sustainability
12.0Energy/Sustainability
12.1
General
The need to conserve resources and protect the environment has become an
everyday concern.
Scientists predict that stabilising climate change
requires a 60% reduction in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas
emissions by 2050. Ireland, per head of population is among the highest
waste producers in Europe, 91% of Ireland’s waste is consigned to landfill
each year and only 9% is recovered. Water use has risen significantly
creating distribution problems and periodic shortages. The Government is
responding to such challenges with legislation for sustainable development
and with environmental taxation on resource use and waste.
Some of these legislative drivers include:
x Planning policy at a national, regional and local level;
x Energy efficiency standards for new and refurbished buildings are set at
a national level through Part L of the Building Regulations. Update to
Part L of the Building Regulations (operative date 1st July 2006) - further
reduction in carbon emissions;
x Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (January 2006).
x This document identifies how the principles of sustainable building
design will affect the St James’s Hospital Campus. It provides a summary
of the contribution that St James’s estate will make to sustainable
development, outlining the measures that should be considered in terms
of the site plan, the design of new buildings and contributions to
improve the local area.
12.2
EnergyUse&ClimateChange
12.2.1 PolicyBackground
The Kyoto Protocol was negotiated in 1997 and requires industrialised
countries to reduce their combined greenhouse gas emissions by at least 5%
below 1990 levels by 2008-12. Ireland’s CO2 emissions have now exceeded
our objective under the Framework Convention. Ireland signed the Kyoto
Protocol in 1998, ratified it with all EU Member States in May 2002, and is
implementing an ambitious National Climate Change Strategy (developed
following broad consultation and approved by Government and published in
November 2000) which sets out the policy framework for the action
required to enable Ireland meet its commitment under the Protocol to limit
growth in emissions to meet our target.
Meeting the commitment under the Kyoto Protocol to limit greenhouse gas
emissions growth is a core challenge for sustainable development policy in
Ireland.
12.3
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
(EPBD)
The EU adopted the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
[2002/91/EC], known as the EPBD, on 16th December 2002. The EPBD was
published in the EU Official Journal on 4th January 2003. The EPBD contains
Outline Development Control Plan
Outline Development Control Plan
a package of mandatory measures designed to secure a significant reduction
in CO2 emissions from buildings. It will make a significant contribution to
the implementation of the National Climate Change Strategy – Ireland
(October 2000), particularly with regard to Chapter 6 (Built Environment
and Residential Sector).
The following summarises the key requirements of the EPBD and the
relevant implementation proposals for Ireland as they relate to existing
buildings in St James’s Hospital.
Prominent display of a BER (Building Energy Rating) certificate in existing
large public service buildings, over 1,000 m2 EPBD Requirement:
A “public service building” is a building occupied by a public authority
and/or by institutions providing a public service to a large number of
persons. In such buildings of over 1000 m2 it will be required that a BER
certificate, of not more than 10 years old, is displayed in a prominent place
clearly visible to the public.
Proposal for Implementation in Ireland:
For Ireland, it is proposed to research and develop the necessary
information, analysis and database facilities to enable public service bodies
to fulfil this requirement. Public service buildings will include hospitals.
Implementation is linked to the programme for the introduction of BER
requirements and it is proposed to apply this requirement to new public
service buildings from 1 July 2008 and to existing large public service
buildings from 1 January 2009. For the purposes of public display of BER, an
operational rating is being considered. This would be based on records of
actual energy usage rather than information from plans or survey.
12.4
EnergyStatementforStJames’
Hospitals spend a significant portion of resources on energy; any energy that
is wasted means money will be wasted too. Steps that should be taken to
ensure that energy is controlled which will provide benefits related to:
x Finances.
x Better indoor conditions for patients and staff
x Controlling energy usage will enable the hospital to achieve nationally
set energy targets and benchmarking against current and future best
practice internationally (e.g. Energy Consumption Guide 72, ‘Energy
Consumption in Hospitals’; Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme.)
St James’s Hospital has made a commitment to achieving energy and carbon
savings, which will be driven through by strong leadership from the front.
An ‘energy champion’ at senior management level will:
x Publicly endorse the hospitals energy / sustainability policy.
x Empower staff at all levels to take the necessary action.
x Encourage a willingness to explore alternatives.
An energy statement should be developed to include:
x An energy demand assessment for heating, cooling and electricity and a
baseline CO2 emissions figure should be derived for developments.
x A review of the design of developments and their potential for energy
efficiency design measures.
x An assessment of the feasibility of renewable energy and technologies
for developments and carbon savings that would be achieved as a result
of its inclusion.
x Identification of energy options selected for the development and the
overall CO2 emission reduction achieved.
A progressive hierarchy of energy supply strategies for heating and cooling
should be considered for all new and refurbishment projects, as follows:
x Passive Design, designing a building to reduce the need for energy by
positioning, orientation etc.
x Solar Thermal
x CHP for heating and cooling (preferably fuelled by renewables)
x District Heating and Cooling systems
x Heat pumps
x Purchasing energy from grid supplied from renewable energy sources,
x On-site generation of energy from renewable sources.
12.5
EnergyUse
St James’s Hospital are reviewing leading benchmarking standards and will
be referencing themselves against “international best practice” related to
‘energy and carbon targets’ for energy consumptions within healthcare
facilities. The delivered energy use targets are:
x New Capital developments & major redevelopments –35 - 55 (GJ/100m3)
x Existing facilities
- 55 – 65 (GJ/100m3)
Currently St James is utilising in the order of 41 MW of energy (EPA –
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permit). With projected development growth the
utilisation of energy could be in the region of 73 MW of energy.
By applying the energy targets to all new design and redevelopments
schemes, St James should be reducing the specific emissions of greenhouse
gases below the traditional norm for healthcare facilities in Ireland, and
maintaining their EPA – Greenhouse Gas Emissions Permit.
12.6 Analysis Tools
With the development of all capital and refurbishment projects St James
Hospital should, through their respective design teams, utilise modelling
and analysis tools to optimise the buildings systems and fabric performance.
A sample of these tools include:
x Industry standard ‘Virtual Environment - software suites to produce a
dynamic thermal simulation of proposed developments.
x Integrated suite of applications based around a 3D geometrical modelling
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x ModelIT - 3D modelling of complex shading devices and features in the
surrounding environment.
x SunCast generating shadows from any sun position defined by date, time,
orientation, site latitude and longitude.
ApacheSim is a dynamic thermal simulation program, modelling of the heat
transfer processes occurring within and around a building.
Outputs from such analysis tools will permit energy consumption and
related CO2 emissions to be calculated and reduction target to be
established at design stages.
12.7
EnergyEfficiency
Energy use in buildings accounts for over half of Ireland’s CO2 emissions and
there is significant scope to reduce this through ensuring that new buildings
are designed to conserve fuel and power and refurbishments take the
conservation of fuel and power into consideration. CO2 emissions can also
be cut by reducing the need to travel and by encouraging more sustainable
modes of transport (see section below).
Any strategy to cut CO2 emissions from St James’s hospital buildings needs
to include the following steps:
x Reduce demand for each end use of energy to a minimum.
x Use efficient services and appliances to provide the energy.
x Supply the demand from low or zero carbon energy sources including
renewables.
Outline Development Control Plan
Outline Development Control Plan
A potential strategy that could be explored is the use of Green Roofs that
incorporate an ecologically responsive design with benefits for insulation .
In addition they may form part of a sequence of open spaces for the benefit
of staff and patients. More detail in section 3.4 below.
Air-Tightness
The design of modern buildings relies on the provision of an air-tight
envelope so that ventilation can be provided in a controllable way through
natural or mechanical ventilation, or a combination of both.
The Chartered Institute of Building Service Engineers’ Technical
Memorandum 23 (CIBSE TM23 ) sets out good and best practice air tightness
standards. The hospital should consider the implementation of an air
tightness specification in the design of all new buildings
12.7.3
Heating
Efficient Heating Controls
A heating system should also have controls that enable it to be run
efficiently. To allow independent adjustment of heating systems to reflect
different load conditions, an effective thermal zoning system should be in
place. The heating system should be designed to allow independent thermal
control in all separate function rooms within the buildings.
12.7.4 Cooling
12.7.1 BuildingForm
The increased use of equipment in buildings has lead to an increase in the
use of air-conditioning. This is likely to get worse as summer time
temperatures increase as a result of climate change.
Building form will influence energy demand. Deep plan buildings are
generally have higher lighting requirements than narrower plan buildings
and will be more difficult to ventilate through cross ventilation. Deep Plan
buildings are also harder to cool as a consequence.
All development proposals should explore the use of natural ventilation and
examine how the installed power of mechanical ventilation and airconditioning systems can be reduced.
Atria can be introduced into deep plan buildings to provide additional
daylighting and assist with ventilation.
12.7.2 Fabric
Insulation
Insulation standards should be provided which exceed the minimum
requirements set out in Building Regulations Part L.
Excessive areas of glazing should be avoided. Buildings with excessive
glazing are likely to find it hard to comply with Part L of the Building
Regulations as they result in additional heat loss and increased cooling
demands.
Guidance on best practice standards for a range of commercial buildings are
available from the Carbon Trust .
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Reducing Cooling Demand
The need for air-conditioning or the size of the systems installed, can be
reduced by:
x Avoiding Excessive Glazing:
Windows should be sized to provide
effective daylighting while avoiding excessive solar gains
x Use of Shading: Solar gains can be reduced by the use of external
shading, mid pane blinds or by internal blinds. Internal blinds are the
least effective method of controlling solar gains. Their effectiveness can
be improved by using blinds with a highly reflective surface. They also
have implications regarding infection control, cleaning and maintenance.
External blinds are the most effective but may be difficult to maintain
and are less easily adjusted for controlling glare. Mid pane blinds often
provide an effective compromise.
x High angle summer sun can be controlled on south facing elevations by
the use of overhangs and fixed shading devices. Solar gains to east and
west glazing are more difficult to control and will require adjustable
shading devices.
x Solar Control Glass: Glazing is available with a range of selective
coatings that alter the properties of the glass; ideally glazing should be
selected with the highest light transmittance and the lowest solar heat
gain factor.
x Selecting Equipment with Reduced Heat Output: Selecting equipment
with a reduced heat output will reduce cooling demands, as will ensuring
equipment has effective controls that automatically switch it off when
not in use.
x Heat Gains from Lighting: Heat gains from lighting can be reduced by
making best use of daylighting and by providing energy efficient lighting
installations with good controls (see section 2.6.5).
x Computer Modelling: Computer simulation tools can be used to predict
the likely comfort conditions in buildings and optimise glazing and
shading arrangements.
Efficient Cooling systems
Where mechanical cooling is necessary this should be designed to minimise
energy use. The use of free cooling should be maximised and a heat
exchanger should be used on the exhaust and incoming fresh air when
appropriate to cool the incoming air using the exhaust air. Efficient system
options include chilled ceilings and beams, and absorption chillers where
(waste) heat is available. Any such heat exchange systems should consider
cross contamination risks and any likely infection control issues.
12.7.5 Lighting
Energy use for lighting can be reduced by maximising the use of daylight
(whilst avoiding excessive solar gain), installing efficient lighting systems
and providing smart controls.
Maximising the Use of Daylight
Introducing natural light into buildings saves energy and also creates an
attractive environmental which improves the well being of building
occupants. Effective shading will control solar heat gain.
Lighting Controls & Zoning
Daylighting design will only be effective if auxiliary lighting is controlled to
be used only when needed.
x Zoning: Lighting controls should be designed so that small groups of
lights can be controlled individually. Perimeter lighting should be
controlled separately to core lighting so that lights can be switched off
when there is adequate daylight.
x Motion / Absence Detection: Absence detection should be provided to
rooms that are used intermittently.
x Daylight Sensors: Daylight sensors and timed switches should be used to
prevent internal and external lighting being left on unnecessarily.
12.8
RenewableEnergyOptions
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This section outlines what renewable energy technologies are available for
St James’s hospital:
Wind Generation
Wind turbines are generally less suited to dense urban areas as their output
will be affected by potentially much lower and more disrupted wind speeds,
and the use of larger more cost effective machines may be prohibited by
their proximity to some buildings. Noise is also another consideration of
wind generation.
Due to site constraints there is limited application of wind generation at the
St James’s Hospital site with the currently available technology. This should
be reviewed as new technology emerges.
There is also scope to avail of this form of renewable energy through
renewable energy electricity suppliers.
Solar Water Heating Systems
There are two types of solar collectors - flat plate collectors and evacuated
tube collectors. The flat plate collector tend to be cheaper, evacuated tube
collectors are generally more expensive due to a more complex
manufacturing process but manufacturers generally claim improved winter
performance.
This system is suitable for buildings with a necessity for continuous hot
water usage e.g. hospital installations such as St James’.
Technical feasibility issues or constraints
x Systems should be in locations that will be un-shaded at all times of day
if possible. Trees and other buildings in the vicinity should be identified
as potentially shading the modules. They may cause the performance of
the system to drop in the early morning or late afternoon.
x The optimum elevation and angle for a solar water heating system will
depend on when the hot water is required - for example, midday or early
evening.
x The potential for vandalism should be assessed if the system can be seen
from the ground or if it is accessible due to raised pavements or other
buildings.
Maintenance requirements
x Solar water heating is a comparatively simple system easy to install
x The maintenance team at St James’s Hospital should plan to undertake
an annual maintenance check to the solar thermal system, ensuring that
the collector surface is clean, there is no corrosion, sensors and fixings
are properly in place etc.
Solar Water Heating systems should be investigated by the design team and
proposals put in place for their application to St James’s Hospital.
Biomass Heating
Outline
Development Control Plan
Outline Development Control Plan
Biomass Heating systems (especially in conjunction with the CHP) should be
investigated by the design team and proposals put in place for their
application to St James’s Hospital.
•100kWe and < 500kWe €1800/kWe
Ground Sourced Heating
District Heating
There is limited application for this in St James’s hospital due to the dense
occupation of the site. Most of the sites proposed to be demolished and
redeveloped in the ODCP proposal are proposed to have underground
parking spaces to connect to the existing underground parking as well as a
FM service tunnel running across. There is therefore a potential to explore
Earth to Air heat exchanger/ Earth coupling devices/ Labyrinth in
association with the car park construction for tempering air supply
temperatures to mostly public areas.
District heating will continue to operate and there are proposals to extend
the existing system to incorporate more buildings into the existing district
heating strategy as outlined in the mechanical services section.
Ground Sourced Cooling
There is limited application for this in St James’s hospital due to the dense
occupation of the site.
CHP
St James Hospital will continue to utilise its CHP installation and should
develop its primary energy infrastructure with due regard for the
Consideration for Energy / Sustainable elements identified below, to see
how the can be incorporated into the design and development through the
ODCP. We recommend that a feasibility study is undertaken to investigate
an expansion strategy.
SEI Grant Support
The current SEI CHP Deployment Programme will provide grant support to
assist the deployment of small-scale (<1MWe) fossil fired CHP and biomass
(anaerobic digestion (AD) and wood residue) CHP systems. The Programme
includes feasibility studies, to assist investigation into the application of
CHP across all size ranges and technologies and investment grant support
for small-scale fossil fired CHP with a capacity • 50kWe and < 1MWe.
The Programme will ultimately include biomass (anaerobic digestion (AD)
and wood residue) CHP, and micro CHP.
The Programme will provide the following grant levels depending on the
nature of the project and the technologies involved:
x Up to 40% funding for qualifying CHP feasibility studies;
x Up to 30% investment grant support to eligible small-scale (•50kWe and
<1MWe) fossil-fired CHP projects, limited to the maximum cost per kWe
as defined below.
Plant scale ranges
kWe
Maximum Capacity Cost €/kWe
•50kWe and <100kWe
€2000/kWe
•500kWe and <1000kWe €1000/kWe
Co-generation system
Consideration could also be given to co-generation systems such as
"Medergy" (developed and copyrighted by Anshen + Allen, San Francisco)
which process clinical and other wastes by steam reformation to produce
"syngas" for use in a fuel cell. This would have significant implications and
benefits for the FM services provided.
Recommendation
We recommend that a site-wide feasibility study is undertaken with regard
to optimising CHP deployment on the site. SEI’s current CHP Programme,
‘CHP Deployment Programme’, provides partial funding for such an
exercise.
12.9
Future Design Stages - Consideration for
Energy/Sustainablefacilities
Engineering guidance related to healthcare is crossing international
boundaries, and the most appropriate solutions for a highly dense
development such as St James may be those that are being applied beyond
the traditional national standards.
Energy, sustainability and environmental performance is a major
consideration for the global team associated with the St James ODCP, and
within future design stage, elements related to reducing active engineering
systems that use fossil fuels have been considered alongside proposal for
improvements on the existing infrastructure, which includes:
x Replacing/Renewing the ageing existing infrastructure will enhance the
sites ability to meet mandatory energy target values via improved energy
generation and energy utilisation efficiencies and improved energy
performance from the buildings’ fabric.
x The existing Building Management System (BMS) is proposed to be
replaced with the initial installation of the system within the new FM
which should be extended with the growth of the site to suit the phased
development.
x The BMS System will automatically regulate and adjust system
performance to match the optimum set levels, and will monitor
performance / energy usage, which will aid efficient control of the
engineering systems.
x Energy meters should be utilised within each new building and
departments, particularly on the power supply, to assist in the effective
method of power management.
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x Designs associated to each individual Building should include for the
most suitable Energy Efficient Installations which would include the use
of Natural Ventilation where ever practical and compliant with
Clinical/Medical requirements, heat reclaim on Air Systems, zonal
Control of Heating Ventilation and lighting systems.
x In the USA the use of re-circulation air within healthcare facilities is
permitted, with the use of High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters (HEPA).
This principle could be combined with natural ventilation to provide a
‘mixed mode solution’ and is an area just being explored, which St
James should be considering incorporating.
Outline Development Control Plan
Outline Development Control Plan
Major Leak Detection: To reduce the risk of major water leaks a leak
detection system should be considered. This system will be audible when
activated and activated when a continuous flow of water passes through the
water meter at a flow rate above a pre-set minimum for a pre-set period of
time.
going to have minimal landscaped areas and is in a largely built up area, it
would be appropriate to consider the installation of green roofs – either
‘intensive’ which supports a variety of plants, requires regular maintenance
and can be used as a recreational space, or ‘extensive’ which is lightweight,
requires little maintenance and usually has sedum growing on it.
Water Meter: Water meters with a pulsed output should be installed to
enable connection to BMS for logging of the water consumption.
Green roofs provide:
12.10.3 DemandReductionMeasures
x Free cooling should be provided by the fresh air ventilation system when
the ambient conditions are below the design set point.
Demand reduction measures are low cost measures and easy to install, and
reduce internal water use.
x The use of free cooling circuits on the refrigeration machines, to enable
an element of cooling without the need for the compressors to operate.
For St James’ these should include:
x Planned replacement within retained buildings such as H1 and H2, should
replace old equipment with modern efficient plant under a planned
programme. This should be extended to upgrading insulation on services
such as heating and cooling pipework etc.
x Alternative Systems such as passive cooling using the buildings thermal
mass (via Cool Deck etc), local hot water generation to the ward via
solar collectors should also receive consideration.
x Whole life costing analysis shall be applied to systems to determine the
most appropriate selection.
x Dual flush WCs with a maximum 6-litre flush and lower 4-litre flush.
Advanced practice would be to install WCs with even lower flush volumes
of 4/2l.
x Spray/aerator taps on kitchen and bathroom basins that cut down the
amount of water used but still provide plenty to wash with. These taps
can cut the amount of water used in each basin by a half.
x Low flow showers in bathrooms (with a flow rate of less than 9
litres/minute). Power showers with high flow rates must be avoided as
these can use more water than a bath.
12.10 WaterandDrainage
x Water-efficient models of dishwashers and laundry facilities should be
selected.
12.10.1 NationalPolicy
x Native draught tolerant plants should be used as part of any landscaping,
to reduce irrigation requirements.
Climate change is expected to significantly increase levels of winter rainfall
and lower summer rainfall. These projections highlight the need to design
new developments to reduce water demand and to contribute to managing
flood risk.
St James’ recognises that water is a valuable resource and the building
design aims to conserve as much as possible.
12.10.2 WaterManagementStrategy
The water management strategy for St James’s Hospital should comprise of
the following water efficiency and conservation measures:
Sanitary Water Supply Shut-off system: Small water leaks such as dripping
taps can result in considerable losses over time. The installation of
proximity detection shut-off system will prevent such loss by shutting off
the water supply to toilets areas when the accommodation is not occupied.
This system will prevent the flow of water to taps, WC and urinals during
unoccupied periods thus preventing the wastage of water and should hot
taps be left running, also the wastage of energy. This system also
significantly reduces the risk of water damage due to flooding during
unoccupied period. The P.I.R. sensor control should be integrated into
proximity lighting and urinal flushing control. It is therefore proposed to
utilise a washroom water control system within each main toilet area.
12.10.4 SustainableUrbanDrainageSystems(SUDS)
SUDS systems are encouraged at all levels through policy guidance as they
can contribute towards more sustainable developments, by:
x Managing environmental impacts at source, rather than downstream;
x Managing surface water runoff rates, reducing the impact of urbanisation
on flooding;
x Protecting or enhancing water quality;
x Being sympathetic to the environmental setting and the needs of the
local community;
x Providing opportunities to create habitats for wildlife in urban
watercourses;
x Encouraging natural groundwater recharge.
Sustainable Urban Drainage measures such as infiltration trenches (filled
with granular material designed to promote the passage of surface water to
the ground) or soakaways (sub surface structure to promote the infiltration
of surface water to ground) could be considered as part of the landscaping
for St James’s Hospital.
x Value to biodiversity by providing habitat, shelter and feeding
opportunities.
x Improve the views for nearby buildings
x Help to cleanse the air of some dust and pollutants
x Lower temperatures in and around the building in the summer
x Provide extra insulation for a building
x Slow storm water run-off by retaining moisture and moderating run-off
to street sewers
x If intensive, provide new open space for recreation.
12.11 UseofMaterialsandResources
12.11.1 MaterialsSelection
Determining the life cycle impacts of alternative construction products is
complex and issues that need to be considered include: their durability; the
energy and other resources that went into making them; the pollution
emissions resulting from manufacture; the likelihood of them being re-used
or recycled at the end of their life.
In selecting materials and construction methods for St James’s Hospital,
BRE’s “Green Guide to Specification” should be consulted. For each
element of a building the guide provides a rating of ‘A’ to ‘C’ for each of
the construction types commonly used to build that element. Materials and
construction methods with a rating of ‘A’ have the lowest impact overall
compared to the alternative construction methods available.
12.11.2 SustainableTimber
Sustainable sourcing of timber is a high profile issue and as such deserves
separate consideration.
Growing trees absorb carbon and forests provide habitat for a wide variety
of plant and animal life, and amenity and value to society. Timber products
from responsibly managed forests are often considered a truly renewable
construction material. Increasingly, emphasis is being placed on ensuring
that forests are managed in a responsible way. Independent labeling
schemes have been developed that certify that timber and forest products
have originated from sources which are: well managed, consider political,
economic, social and environmental aspects. One of the most well
established and supported schemes is operated by the Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC).
Green roofs are sometimes considered as part of SUDS as the vegetated
surface can provide a degree of retention of rainwater run off. As the site is
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Outline Development Control Plan
Outline Development Control Plan
Opportunities should be explored for specifying the timber that is used in
the buildings to be sourced from sustainably managed forests.
x
FSC certified wood is becoming widely available and doesn’t necessarily
come with a price premium. Coillte, the Irish Forestry Board, supply timber
from well managed forests, independently certified in accordance with the
rules of the FSC. (http://www.irishhardwoods.com/)
x
12.11.3 NationalPolicy
The Policy Statement, Changing Our Ways, was published by the Minister for
the Environment and Local Government in October 1998 .This provides a
national policy framework for the adoption and implementation of strategic
waste management plans, under which specific national objectives and
targets would be attained. The following targets over a 15-year timescale
have been established:
x diversion of 50% of household waste from landfill;
x development of composting and other biological treatment facilities
capable of treating up to 300,000 tonnes of biodegradable waste per
annum;
x recycling of 35% of municipal waste;
x recycling of at least 50% of construction and demolition (C&D) waste
within a 5-year period, with a progressive increase to at least 85% over
15 years.
12.12 WasteManagementInDesign&Construction
12.12.1 Demolition
The National target for recycling construction and demolition waste, set in
1998, to be achieved by 2013, was that 50% of construction and demolition
waste was to be recycled by 2003 with a progressive increase to at least 85%
recycled by 2013. In 1998 43.3% of construction and demolition waste was
recovered, in 2001, a best estimate of 65.4% was recovered.
This project is going to require several buildings and hard standing to be
demolished as part of the strategy. A ‘waste demolition audit’ should be
undertaken and materials can then be sorted in separate skips and reused
or recycled as appropriate. This will decrease the amount of material that
needs to be sent to landfill. Materials can include brick, concrete, hardcore,
subsoil and topsoil, timber and steel frames. Some of these materials could
be reused for similar purposes or used for lower quality purposes such as:
x Crushed bricks and concrete in road and path sub bases
x Any reclaimed paving for use in landscaping.
12.12.2 DuringConstruction
The demolition contractor and main building contractor should each be
asked to draw up a waste minimisation plan and operate it during the
demolition/construction period. This could include:
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x
x
Minimum quantities of materials to be ordered and only when required.
This reduces wastage through damage as a result of handling,
contamination with other materials and exposure to the elements;
Working with suppliers to identify the opportunities for any necessary off
cuts or damaged materials to be returned to the production plant for
recycling;
Identifying local reclamation yards or production plants who may be able
to recycle materials such as packaging waste;
Ensuring dry storage on site so that no materials need to be consigned to
waste as a result of weather or accidental damage.
12.12.3 WasteManagementInUse-Recycling
A national target to recycle 35% of municipal waste by 2013 has been
established. By making it easier for building occupants/visitors to recycle by
providing dedicated recycling facilities inside the building, this target will
be met more easily.
Offices, staff rooms and kitchens in St James’s Hospital should include
designated cupboard/storage space for storing recyclable materials. The
bags or containers used to collect the recyclable materials (usually
newspapers, magazines, aluminium cans, glass and plastic bottles) can be
emptied into designated containers in communal refuse stores.
Can crushers can also assist in reducing the volume of the stored waste and
could be included in kitchens/waiting rooms.
As mentioned in section 2.7 above consideration could also be given to the
"Medergy" system which process clinical and other wastes by steam
reformation to produce "syngas" for use in a fuel cell.
12.13 SustainableTransport
12.13.1 NationalPolicy
Government policy and guidance promotes better integration between
planning and transport, and also between different transport modes. The
key aims are to promote accessibility to jobs, shopping, leisure facilities,
and services by public transport, walking and cycling, encouraging more
sustainable transport choices and ultimately reduce the need to travel.
St James’s Hospital development is by its very nature designed to be a
local, regional and national community facility.
12.13.2 PublicTransportLinks
The location of the site is good in terms of its potential for reducing car
use. It is within walking distance of Dublin city centre and local amenities
including shops, recreation facilities, Luas tram line to local railway stations
and local bus routes.
Reducing the need for staff and visitors to use a private car, by providing
attractive and practical alternative modes of transport, has the potential to
reduce transport related carbon emissions, which are a major contributor to
climate change. This site has excellent public transport inks, which it is
hoped will reduce reliance on the private car.
The site is served seven days a week by several bus routes, with 3 bus stops
within its grounds. In addition the red line of the LUAS tram network travels
through the eastern side of the site. This line connects the city centre with
the suburb of Tallaght. Along the line are the two main train stations,
Heuston Station and Connolly Station which connect the city with the whole
country.
12.13.3 PromotingCycleandPedestrianAccess
There are currently limited cycle facilities on site. There are covered
parking spaces available but demand exceeds supply and the facilities are in
need of an upgrade. Specific design measures intended to encourage cycling
should be considered such as providing good cycle storage for the site — the
lack of convenient, secure cycle storage in urban and suburban areas is a
major barrier to potential cyclists and an inconvenience for existing
cyclists. Storage should be secure (accessible only to building occupants)
and weatherproof. The storage space may take up some car parking space
but with clever design this can be minimised.
Footways are not currently provided along both sides of the access roads,
some locations have one footway, other locations have none at all. Within
the large parking areas there are no road markings of pedestrian routes.
Many of the crossing points along the main site roads lack basic features
such as tactile paving to assist the mobility and visually impaired. The
pedestrian facilities on the site need improvement.
12.13.4 Parking
There are currently approximately 1,400 spaces on the site. This level of
parking provision is considered by Dublin City Council planners to be
excessive for the current floor area of the Hospital. This high level of
parking coupled with the poor pedestrian and cycle infrastructure is
encouraging patients, staff and visitors to use a private car in favour of a
more sustainable mode of transport.
12.13.5 Informing the building users of the transport
options
Information on public transport services and local cycle routes should be
provided on a notice board within the reception of the buildings. This will
educate and inform staff, visitors and the local community and reinforce
the efforts of local authorities to influence people’s travelling behaviour.
12.13.6 NEATAssessment
12.14 SustainabilityAssessment
St James’ should also be adopting an internationally recognised assessment
tool. The UK NHS Environmental Assessment Tool (NEAT) should be used to
assess the performance of the St James’ building estate. NEAT is a software
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Section 12: Energy / Sustainability
tool designed to assess the impact of healthcare facilities on the
environment and can be applied to any type of healthcare facility.
NEAT aims to identify the environmental impact created during day-to-day
operational activities. Buildings assessed using NEAT are rated as Fail, Pass,
Good, Very Good or Excellent.
For the purposes of NEAT, healthcare facilities fall into two categories.
x Existing sites
All healthcare facilities, irrespective of size or type of services provided.
x New-builds: All capital development projects to provide new healthcare
facilities of any size.
x Refurbishments. Complete renewal of exterior and/or interior of a
building, or part of a building, its fixtures and fittings, excluding capital
replacement programmes such as windows or plant renewal.
The categories considered in the NEAT assessment procedure relate to the
policies and operational procedures put in place by St James:
x Management
The management of a building and its services have a significant influence
on its environmental impact. It is important that the structure and
operational policy of St James’ has thoroughly integrated both energy and
environmental management systems. The management section includes
credits on commissioning, environmental management systems, education
and training and purchasing policy.
x Energy
Credits are available for the employment of energy efficient plant and
lighting. Further savings in energy use can be made through effective
energy metering of plant and separate parts of a building. The energy
section includes credits on carbon emissions, heating and lighting control,
energy monitoring, use of daylight and alternative electricity tariffs.
x Transport
The impact of hospital sites on transport energy use levels and congestion
levels can be influenced by the provision of facilities which promote staff to
use sustainable modes of transport to get to work. Ensuring that new sites
are located close to public transport facilities and local amenities means
that staff and visitors do not need to rely on private cars for transportation.
Developing a green transport plan is a good way to integrate the many
alternative transport strategies that are available and also demonstrate
commitment at a high level. The transport section includes credits on car
parking provision, cyclists facilities, public transport nodes, distance to
local amenities and green transport plan.
x Water
The most preferred approach to water conservation is to reduce the
demand for water. Demand reduction measures are low cost measures, are
easy to install and reduce internal water use. The water section includes
credits on leak detection, water meters, low water use fittings and
greywater/rainwater systems.
March 2008
Feb 2007
Outline Development Control Plan
Outline Development Control Plan
x Materials
This section looks at specifying building materials that have the lowest
embodied energy and impact on the environment. In addition the
presence/specification of hazardous materials are taken into consideration.
The materials section includes credits for new build projects on
specification of building elements and prohibition of hazardous substances.
For existing sites and buildings there are credits on asbestos survey and
asbestos removal.
x Land-use and Ecology
This section looks at the reuse of land that has previously been occupied by
building developments, discouraging the use of previously undeveloped land
for building and increasing the ecological value of the site. The landuse and
ecology section includes credits for existing sites and buildings on
protection of ecological features and introduction of natural habitats. For
new build projects there are credits on use of contaminated land and
change in ecological value.
x Pollution
This section looks at considering measures that are the least pollution to
the environment i.e. refrigerants and insulants with Ozone Depleting
Potential (ODP) of zero and Global Warming Potential (GWP) of less than 5.
Refrigerant leak detection and refrigerant recovery measures are also
considered. Correct water treatment measures are also necessary to avoid
contributing to groundwater pollution. The pollution section includes credits
on pollution monitoring, ozone depleting substances, NOx emission rates,
noise pollution and incineration practices.
generation and energy utilisation efficiencies and improved energy
performance from the buildings’ fabric.
The existing Building Management System (BMS) is proposed to be replaced
with the initial installation of the system within the new FM which will be
extended with the growth of the site to suit the phased development
The BMS System will automatically regulate and adjust system performance
to match the optimum set levels, and will monitor performance / energy
usage, which will aid efficient control of the engineering systems.
The new buildings engineering systems will also provide a more appropriate
functional environment, which will improve the internal environment /
comfort levels, which will contribute towards NHS NEAT assessment.
Energy, sustainability and environmental performance is a major
consideration for the global team, and within future design stage, elements
related to reducing active engineering systems that use fossil fuels should
be re-evaluated
Designs associated to each individual Building should include for the most
suitable Energy Efficient Installations which would include the use of
Natural Ventilation where ever practical and compliant with
Clinical/Medical requirements, heat reclaim on Air Systems, zonal Control
of Heating Ventilation and lighting systems
Alternative Systems such as passive cooling using the buildings thermal mass
(via Cool Deck etc), local hot water generation to the ward via solar
collectors should also receive consideration.
x Internal Environment
This section address how buildings must provide a healthy and comfortable
environment and provide amenity for the activities carried out. The key
issues are indoor air quality, noise, lighting design, thermal comfort and
humidity. The internal environment section includes credits for new build
projects on budget for living plants and views out. For existing sites and
buildings there are credits on high frequency ballasts, signage as well as
décor and art.
x Social
The social aspects of a construction project are hard to quantify, evaluate
and measure. The criteria included with NEAT seek to relate issues linked to
community empowerment and involvement. The social section includes
credits on links with community, links to Local Agenda 21, sharing of
facilities, staff and patient empowerment.
x Operational Waste
The waste generated by the healthcare sector requires very stringent
management. The operational waste section includes credits on provision of
recycling facilities, waste stream analysis, staff waste interviews and
storage for recycling.
St James should be aiming to achieve a NEAT rating of ‘Excellent’ for new
buildings and ‘Very Good’ for refurbished building.
Replacing/Renewing the ageing existing infrastructure will enhance the
sites ability to meet mandatory energy target values via improved energy
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