Introduction – Facilities Energy Use
“Nature tourism and ecotourism facilities
use minimal amount of energy” (Ecotourism Australia EcoCertification)
The energy efficiency of the structure of a commercial building
(excluding equipment) can be improved by, on average, 45% through
improvements in design and construction. ‘Retrofitting’
existing buildings with resource efficient technologies can be inexpensive
and immediate approach to energy and water efficiency in homes and
commercial buildings.
Today’s modern buildings can generate electricity on-site
through renewable energy technologies such as roof top photovoltaic
cells, solar thermal collectors, and small scale wind turbines.
These technologies can reduce the buildings demand for electricity
from the grid and hence save money. In many cases, any excess electricity
can be sold as a profit back to the grid, which is particularly
profitable during peak load periods.
However, before options for renewable power generation are considered,
the amount of electricity used by the building needs to be reduced
as many buildings are very inefficient users of electricity and
there are many options for cost-effectively reducing demand without
reducing comfort or service. Making the building a low energy consumer
will then reduce the infrastructure needed to generate the electricity
on-site, and allow more of the electricity produced to then be sold
back to the grid.
Case study – An example of what is possible
The Four Times Square, Conde-Nast building in New York is a sign
of things to come. The construction costs of this building are the
same as a standard commercial building but that is where the similarities
stop. This building is 50 per cent more efficient to run. One of
the buildings innovations is the glass window panels which are actually
photovoltaic. A fuel cell in the basement stores the energy from
the PV cells, thus ensuring that the building will; never be effected
by a blackout. Because constant energy is essential in the digital
age, the guaranteed ultra reliable power helped recruit premium
tenants at premium rents. During the 2004 New York blackouts people
came from all over the city to congregate around the base of the
building, the only light source available.
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