Energy Concepts
Energy demand of building equipment systems
It is no longer a secret that the costs of energy supply to buildings is constantly rising. Calculated over the life cycle of the building, they make up a considerable part of the total costs. They are therefore playing an increasingly important role in the planning, construction and operation of the building. For this reason, TGA engineers and specialist planners offer the design of energy concepts.
What is an energy concept?
The energy concept is a tool for planning a building and serves as an important decision-making aid for the builder or operator. It shows concrete measures with which a defined goal can be achieved. Based on the current status, the energy concept determines potentials and forecasts future energy requirements.
The aim of the energy concept is to ensure a rational and efficient supply of energy. Not only financial aspects play a role here, but increasingly also questions of environmental protection. The number of companies that attach importance to an energy supply from renewable sources in their energy concept is constantly growing. Irrespective of this, future investments are also taken into account together with the building owner within the framework of an energy pool formation.
What benefits do energy concepts have?
An energy concept drawn up by experienced engineers improves the energy efficiency of a building consistently. This can significantly reduce the costs of management and operation. The energy concept leads to so-called smart savings, because it does not limit the comfort of the users or the availability or service life of buildings and systems. With the help of an energy concept, energy efficiency can be increased, energy requirements reduced and energy costs lowered. This has a positive effect on the competitiveness of the company.
How are energy concepts designed?
Zunächst einmal erfolgt eine Bestandsaufnahme des aktuellen Energiebedarfs. Danach fertigt der Planer Wirtschaftlichkeitsberechnungen auf den Gebieten an:
- Energy generation
- Power distribution
- Energy use
Based on these calculations, detailed energy concepts are drawn up for various areas, including, for example, heating, air conditioning, sanitation, ventilation, lighting, process energy and building automation.
For new systems, a definition of energy consumption is made, for existing systems the data is recorded (electricity, water, gas, heat, cooling). Various measuring instruments are used for this purpose during site inspections. On the basis of the measured values, flow diagrams are worked out which are used as approaches for solutions.
What areas does an energy concept cover?
That depends entirely on the wishes and ideas of the customer. Very often, the TGA planner develops a holistic energy concept that covers all areas of building equipment. However, it is just as well possible to develop an energy concept only for partial areas. The focuses can be determined in advance of the consultation.
An important area in heating technology is the use of the right energy sources, taking into account the applicable legal regulations, especially the Renewable Energies Heat Act. The energy concept also includes advice on the use of combined heat and power generation, the economic generation of heat and cold, for example by using near-surface geothermal energy, and support in energy purchasing and contracting.