Energy Efficiency Survey of the

Ganado Advocates Head Office

Antonino Fabio Agosta Giovanni Luca Dierna Marco Gileppo Baldassare Capodici Federica Anna Maria Geremia Charles Yousif Jotham Scerri Diacono

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 2014: THE ISE ANNUAL CONFERENCE Thursday 20st March 2014, Dolmen Hotel, Qawra, Malta

Background on GANADO Advocates

• The law firm of GANADO Advocates - ‘born’ within the building situated at 171, Old Bakery Street, Valletta.

• The building at 171 served as a legal office since the beginning of the 20th century.

• A firm with a long tradition with many distinguished lawyers having practised law as members of the firm, a number of them becoming judges or taking prominent positions.

• The firm has grown from a loose arrangement of collaborating lawyers to a structured association of 65 lawyers and around 60 supporting personnel.

Growth

• Growth in numbers required additional office space.

• Opportunities to acquire adjoining buildings were taken to enable lateral and rear expansion.

• The newly acquired buildings required substantial renovation that was painstakingly carried out over the last 3 years.

• Renovation also extended to the offices at 171 .

• Renovation gave an opportunity for modernisation and that in turn enabled the firm’s management to consider measures to be more efficient and also to tap renewal sources of energy.

• Office floor space grew to 1800 square m.

Going Forward

• Ongoing collaboration (on other projects) between members of the firm and Ing Charles Yousif of the Institute for Sustainable Energy, led to the suggestion for the firm to carry out an energy audit as part of the project “Renewable Energy Scenarios in Islands”, co-financed by the the Operative Programme Italy-Malta 2007-2013.

• The audit took place in November 2012 and a report released.

• A number of recommendations made to the firm have been implemented and are in the process of being implemented.

General considerations

This exercise was carried out as part of the exchange of experiences between Malta and Sicily, forming part of the activities of the R.E.S.I. Project (Renewable Energy Scenarios in Islands), funded under the Operative Programme Italy-Malta 2007-2013. The partners were:

o Provincia Regionale di Ragusa (Italy) o Provincia Regionale di Agrigento (Italy) o MRA-Malta Resources Authority (Malta) o Institute for Sustainable Energy - ISE of University of Malta (Malta)

The energy study was carried out on the Ganado Advocates Buildings No. 171 Old Bakery Street and 59 Strait Street, Valletta on 27 and 28 November 2012.

Provincia Regionale di Ragusa Provincia Regionale di

Agrigento

General considerations

The exercise involved a walk-through survey of:

• the electrical appliances used (PC, printers, etc.); • the lighting system; • the heating and air conditioning systems; • the building envelope; • air circulation.

The purpose of this study were to identify opportunities to:

• Increase energy efficiency • Improve indoor comfort levels • Install renewable energy systems

Overview of presentation

• Energy audit: electrical consumption

• Energy audit: building envelope

• Energy audit: PV system

• Conclusions

Structure Ganado Advocates

Fourth Floor – Entrance 171 Intended for Sectors “Administration” and “HR” Third Floor – Entrance 171 Intended for Sectors “IT” and for “Kitchen” Third Floor – Entrance 59 Intended for Sectors “Investment Services and Funds”, “Insurance and Pensions” and “Company Secretariat and Governance” Second Floor – Entrance 171 Intended for Offices, “Shipping”, “Corporate”, “Litigation”

Second Floor – Entrance 59 Intended for Library and for Sectors “Banking international”, “Ship finance” First Floor – Entrance 59 Intended for Sector “Accounts” Ground Floor – Entrance 171 Intended for “Reception”

The data collection was carried out in the following floors and areas:

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

The operation of data collection and processing were performed in the same sequence: • collection, organization and analysis of data on electrical equipment distributed by type related with nameplate capacities and electricity consumption; • analysis of the building envelope (walls, windows and roof); • photovoltaic system.

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Some equipment in the building: • hot / cold water dispencers; • paper shredders; • multifunction printers; • PC.

Some equipment in the building:

• luminaires; • air-conditioners.

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Electrical equipment Average operating time

Typology Quantity Hours

PC laptops n° 91 8h

Air conditioners n° 34 4h

Multifunction printers n° 6 2h

Paper shredders n° 3 2h

Water dispensers hot/cold n° 2 6h

Neon lights n° 75 6h

Printers inkjet n° 22 1h

Televisions n° 4 1h

Microwaves n° 2 1h

Fridges freezers n° 1 3h

Coffee machines n° 2 1h

Toasters n° 2 1h

Dishwashers n° 1 1h

List of electrical equipment distributed in the various floors of the building, their rated power and the average consumption associated with them.

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Summary and electric power consumption per floor and total building.

4th Floor 171 Administration Total kWh/y 11678.480

HR Total Power Floor (kW) 16.310

3rd Floor 171 IT Total kWh/y 12334.416

Kitchen Total Power Floor (kW) 20.629

3rd Floor 49 Investment Services and Funds Total kWh/y 9204.640

Insurance and Pensions Total Power Floor (kW) 51.220

Company Secretaried and Governance

2nd Floor 171 Offices Total kWh/y 64390.304

Shipping Total Power Floor (kW) 85.976

Corporate

Litigation

2nd Floor 49 Library Total kWh/y 25768.336

Banking international Total Power Floor (kW) 35.074

Ship finance

1st Floor 171 Accounts Total kWh/y 7282.000

Total Power Floor (kW) 9.950

Ground Floor 171 Reception Total kWh/y 5167.360

Total Power Floor (kW) 6.980

Roof 49 Central air conditioning system Total kWh/y 108275.200

Total Power (kW) 153.800

Whole building All electrical systems. Total kWh/y 244100.736

Total Power All Floors (kW) 379.939

Graphics power consumption of floors 3rd and 4th floors

Total kWh/y = 11678.480

Total Power Floor (kW) = 16.310

Total kWh/y = 12334.416

Total Power Floor (kW) = 20.629

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Graphics power consumption of floors 2nd and 3rd florrs

Total kWh/y = 9204.640

Total Power Floor (kW) = 51.220

Total kWh/y = 64390.304

Total Power Floor (kW) = 85.976

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Graphics power consumption of floors 1st and 2nd floors

Total kWh/y = 25768,336

Total Power Floor (kW) = 35,074

Total kWh/y = 7282,000

Total Power Floor (kW) = 9,950

Analysis of equipment and electrical consumption

Graphics of power consumption for the ground floor and central air conditioning system

Total kWh/y = 5167.360

Total Power Floor (kW) = 6.980

Total kWh/y = 108275.200

Total Power (kW) = 153.800

Central air conditioning system

Charts the total annual electricity consumption

• Total kWh/y (*) = 244100.736

• Total Power for all Floors (kW) = 379.939

(*) Estimate based on the power and duration of operation

• 87% for the use of air conditioners; • 7% due to the use of laptops; • 3% for the use of printers.

Results of the analysis for equipment

Problem Solution Achievable improvement

Failure on/off switch neon

light in some places even

in the presence of sufficient

natural light and in

absence of people

Check and ad just the brightness and

human detection system sensors

Good home automation system with

dimming lights according to outdoor

lighting/presence of people. Switching to

manual control forspecific needs

Best visual comfort in

environments

Energy savings due to the use of

optimal external light source

Some rooms had poor

lighting: e.g. library

Install LED systems more efficient and

warm light diffused inside the library

Best visual comfort in

environments

Non-uniform temperatures

in some areas and

workrooms

System for enabling/disabling of the

machines according to the presence

Control systems for control zone

Refer to intervention on the building

envelope: work on walls, windows and

insertions screens where required (for

the case in summer)

Saving energy with optimization of

power consumption

Superior environmental comfort

Energy Audit: Observations and improvements

List of interventions and suggestions for improvement of the management of consumption.

Energy Audit: evaluation of external envelope

Heating and cooling Problem: possible critical situations in summer, particularly below the top floor because of a poor roof insulation. Solution: Roof insulation can be retrofitted, through the installation of polyurethane foam panels that have very low thermal conductivity, as well as using light colors on their outer surface or even reflective surfaces. This translates into savings of electrical energy for heating in winter and for cooling in summer.

Coverage Problem: The cover is not well insulated. Solution: “hot roof” for the laying of the insulation between two layers of waterproofing, the first acts as a vapor barrier, the second is used instead to protect the insulation from water. External walls Problem: to improve the thermal resistance of the outer casing.

Solution: installation of a "thermal insulation" polystyrene 5 cm (strips). The system of insulation is used to coat the outside of the facade, in order to save significant amount of energy required for heating and cooling.

Energy audit: evaluation outer casing

Windows Problem: to further improve the thermal efficiency. Solution: replace existing fixtures with PVC frames of the latest generation or aluminum with thermal break that guarantee good performance for thermal insulation.

Energy audit: evaluation external envelope

Energy audit: Indoor air quality assessment

Indoor environment quality Problem: the buildings are fairly closed despite the presence of many windows, so some areas could have stale air. Causes: over-crowding of staff in certain offices. Solution • replacing windows with open balconies, to enhance circulation of air and also a greater flow of light to those environments. • addition of a glass cover with automated horizontal openings, to utilise the courtyard and turn it into a waiting room and reception. To enhance the freshness of the air of this courtyard, one can add vertical climbing greenery.

Energy audit: windows and wall-to-green

Energy audit: photovoltaic system

The firm Ganado & Associates Advocates expressed its willingness to increase its sensitivity to the environment as well as to increase their energy savings, given that the estimated consumption currently amounts to approximately 245,000 kWh / year.

Despite the presence of shading due to the presence of surrounding buildings, it would still be possible to install PV systems coupled to power optimisers or micro-inverters.

Energy audit: photovoltaic system

Solution • The use of micro-inverters or power optimisers enables the use of different parts of the roof without having to pass long dc cables from one side to another.

In fact, consider a tilt over 5° by installing panels on a single aquifer, would result in a high height of the supporting structure, resulting in a visual impact to the beautiful surrounding neighborhood. From the simulations done at constant azimuth: 138° tilt and 0°, 5°, 10° and 15°, it turns out that the best compromise in relation to the production of the PV system, the height of the supporting structure and the visual impact , is to tilt the panels of 5°.

In order to achieve the greatest possible power we have sought a compromise between the inclination, the number of panels and the aesthetic impact.

Energy audit: 8 kWp photovoltaic system

Simulation 8 kWp PV system and 18 kWp PV plant with an annual production estimated at 39.5 MWh, compared to an estimated requirement of 245 MWh in energy by the audit so as to obtain a saving of 16.12%.

0,53 0,62

0,9

1,15

1,4 1,44 1,52

1,33

1,07

0,87

0,61 0,51

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dic

PV 8 kWp - Estimated monthly energy

MWh

Estimated yearly energy: 27,586 MWh

Energy audit: 18 kWp photovoltaic system

1,23 1,42

2,07

2,66

3,23 3,32 3,51

3,08

2,48

2,01

1,4 1,18

Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dic

PV 18 kWp - Estimated monthly energy

MWh

Estimated yearly energy: 11,954 MWh

Energy audit: improvements in PV

Problema Solution

Supporting structure of the photovoltaic

system

Building a support structure having a height that

can be useful to exploit or used as a smoking area,

or as a possible expansion of the firm

Shortage in some parts of the thermal

insulation of the roof of the building

The photovoltaic system, and its supporting

structure, will ensure thermal stability and the

water tightness of the roof

Aesthetic impact, indoor and outdoor

Use of photovoltaic panels glass-glass so as to

ensure aesthetics and saving on the supporting

structure

Energy audit: Conclusions

A number of possibilities have been identified for improved energy efficiency A hierarchy of actions to be taken may be developed to optimise savings and minimise investment. This may start with simple actions for controlling lighting and air-conditioning, modifying existing systems (lighting), insulation to certain parts of the building envelope, and finally the construction of PV systems. The energy audit is therefore a prelude to a project aimed at obtaining greater energy efficiency and increased energy savings, which Ganado Advocates have already taken up on their agenda.

In conclusion……

……..”If you want to

contribute to the welfare

of the world you have to

change the way you

design it”

THANK YOU for your attention