Saturday, 28 December 2013 00:00
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One third of all energy consumption comes from buildings, the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority revealed recently.
Dr. Thusitha Sugathapala, Director General of the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority (SLSEA) made this comment at a media round table discussion on the importance of energy-efficient buildings facilitated by global innovation giant 3M Sri Lanka recently.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Sugathapala said that global consumption of energy is forecasted to double in just 40 years, he said, so the need to save energy is key. The SLSEA aims to achieve a 20% reduction in overall energy consumption by 2020, in line with targets set by the Government.
The EU targets for energy efficiency show that with minimal effort for a short period, it is possible to achieve set targets for building efficiency, which is why optimising energy consumption in buildings is a key target area for them, he said. To do this however, there needs to be a concerted effort to obtain high quality building materials, and abide by the Code of Practice for Energy Efficient buildings in Sri Lanka while working with Municipal Council bodies.
Meanwhile, Senior Manager – Facilities Management of Overseas Realty (Ceylon), best known as being the owner, developer and manager of World Trade Centre and Havelock City PLC, Indradeva Mendis weighed in on the importance of investing in the correct building materials, as well as of having a focused policy on energy efficiency.
Drawing from real life figures from running the World Trade Centre building, he revealed that he spent over Rs. 48 million a month on energy and electricity costs. In comparison, the cost of maintaining the building, staff salaries and bonuses is just Rs. 11, 724,051, or just 20% of total monthly costs.
“If you look at building maintenance in terms of minimising costs, you will never invest in proper equipment. However if you look at lifecycle costing, investing in proper building features will lead to a more energy efficient building,” Mendis said.
Through focusing on minimising energy consumption, the World Trade Centre has cut its energy costs by Rs. 8 million a month, which adds up to Rs. 100 million a year. “This is not just saving the company money in the long term, it is also saving the Earth and the country,” he said. This is all the more important considering that 500 users in the corporate world consume the same amount of energy as the entire population of Colombo.
Chartered Architect at Ranjan Nadesapillai Associates, Ranjan Nadesapillai said that there was a need for buildings to be built using energy efficient resources, from the ground up. Building houses with eaves for protection from the sun could help improve efficiency, as well as using special window films to cut down on heat penetration. “It is up to professionals to get involved in design,” Nadesapillai said.
Host 3M has developed several innovative window filters such as Nadesapillai described- one being the 3M Sun Control Window Film to reduce glare from computer screens and introduce energy savings (with the possibility of saving up to one tonne of air conditioning for every 100 feet of square glass exposed to the sun) and 3M Safety and Security Window Films (which offer severe weather protection, crime and bomb blast protection, and graffiti management, being available in clear or tinted sun control options).
