Client: HSBC
Type of works: HSBC worked with Mitsubishi Electric to review the way it heats and cools its branches. The review focused on three key activities: equipment replacement, heat recovery and advanced control systems.
HSBC is halving carbon emissions from heating and cooling in its branches and is investing £16m to replace equipment at up to 800 branches. Based on results at the 69 branches already completed, this could equate to CO2 reductions of 10,200 tonnes (the equivalent of driving an average family car 41 million miles) and operational cost savings of £2.2 million per annum.
As part of its work to reduce energy consumption and carbon production, HSBC has worked in partnership with environmental control manufacturer Mitsubishi Electric to review the way it heats and cools its branches and to develop more sustainable and cost-effective solutions that maximise energy efficiency without compromising performance.
Results to date show expected CO2 savings of between 46 and 52% at branches in Fleet Street, London; Market Street, Cinderford; and Carlton Street, Castleford.
The review focuses on three key activities - equipment replacement, heat recovery and advanced control systems. Firstly, HSBC identified sites where it was more cost effective and energy efficient to install new equipment rather than to maintain existing systems.
Analysis, based on a 9 hour working day, of three typical HSBC properties where equipment has been upgraded has revealed the following:
Fleet Street, London
- Previously cost £41.08 per day to run and produced 187.31kg of CO2 per day
- Now costs £19.43 per day to run and produces 88.59kg of CO2 per day
- Representing a 52.71% saving in CO2 and a cost reduction of £21.65 per day.
Market Street, Cinderford
- Previously cost £12.22 per day to run and produced 50.40kg of CO2 per day
- Now costs £5.99 per day to run and produces 24.71kg of CO2 per day
- Representing a 50.97% saving in CO2 and a cost reduction of £6.23 per day.
Carlton Street, Castleford
- Previously cost £13.50 per day to run and produced 61.57kg of CO2 per day
- Now costs £6.67 per day to run and produces 30.39kg of CO2 per day
- Representing a 50.63% saving in CO2 and a cost reduction of £6.83 per day.
By replacing equipment that was more than 5 years old with modern systems capable of adapting power consumption to match the load of heating or cooling required by the branch at any given moment, HSBC has made significant improvements in terms of energy efficiency.
In addition to the environmental benefits, the newly installed systems have demonstrated substantial reductions in terms of operational costs.
The Mitsubishi Electric equipment is designed to actively transfer previously wasted energy around a building, taking excess heat from a hot spot, such as a banking hall, and using it to minimise the amount of energy needed to heat other areas, such as the back office area.
In addition to installing modern air-conditioning systems, the partnership has further increased energy efficiency at the branches by introducing Mitsubishi Electric’s Lossnay heat-recovery equipment, which minimises energy consumption and introduces fresh air into the building. Lossnay uses a unique system to capture energy from expelled air and transfer it to the fresh incoming air. This means the occupants benefit from a fresh environment whilst the building needs to use less energy to match the temperatures of the incoming air with the indoor.
The third major development is the greater use of advanced control systems. As a result, Mitsubishi Electric is utilising its web-based G50 controller to control single- and multiple-unit installations.
Being web-based, the G50 controller allows HSBC the ability to monitor and control each individual air-conditioning unit once connected to the HSBC or other BMS network device. This connectivity provides the company with the capability to analyse the energy consumption of each branch to highlight peaks in consumption and seek ways to reduce overall energy demand.
Part of the exclusive arrangement with HSBC also includes a commitment to set aside a percentage of all expenditure on the replacement programme for the training of the accredited partners who install and maintain the air conditioning.
Speaking about the review programme, HSBC’s Data Centre and Engineering Manager, Stephen Gathergood said: ‘As the first big bank to become carbon neutral in 2005, HSBC is continuously looking for new ways and technologies to reduce its energy consumption and carbon emissions.’
He continues: ‘In the past 2 years we have been implementing a dramatically different look and feel at our branches, changing the face of banking in the UK and I hope that our latest advances in terms of energy reduction will also become trend-setting.’
HSBC, which became the first big bank to go carbon neutral (in 2005) last year achieved an overall rating of ‘Excellent’ for its head office building at 8 Canada Square, London from the Building Research Establishment (BRE), the UK’s leading environmental standards authority. This was the first time that any building in the Canary Wharf development had received the highest possible rating for site management. Key to the building’s design is the use of energy efficient systems and practices.