197 St Georges Tce
Key achievements
- Air handling units use 20% less water across the coils
- 10-20% savings in operating costs
- 5-6 years payback
- Cost savings for tenants
At 197 St Georges Terrace, we strongly focus on sustainability and continuous improvement. As an active and long-term participant in the Waterwise Building Program, this mindset extends to our water-saving measures.
Smart water management solutions
We’re proactive in seeking out the latest technology and innovations to maximise our water and energy efficiency. In 2020, our mechanical contractor recommended installing smart control valves in the building’s air conditioning system to save significant water and energy.
197 St Georges Terrace – Perth CBD
Automatic and permanent hydronic balancing
We’re one of only a handful of buildings in the Perth CBD to have implemented the Belimo energy valve technology. As a result:
- Air handling units use 20% less water across the coils
- 10-20% savings in operating costs
- 5-6 years payback
- Cost savings for tenants
“Water saving is achieved thanks to the automatic and permanent hydronic balancing, which produces the exact amount of heat and water flow that’s actually required for the system to provide consistent temperature settings.” Jamie Tassicker, General Manager, Cygnet West
How we did it
We installed smart Belimo energy valves to the air handling units. A Belimo energy valve is a pressure-independent control valve that monitors coil performance and energy consumption.
The valves are designed to control pressure, temperature and flow rates to ensure efficient, optimal productivity and usage. They continuously optimise water flow, automatically adjusting it to current climatic conditions through pumping efficiency. Thereby reducing overall water usage and operating costs for our cooling towers. The air conditioning on vacant floors can also be shut down to ensure the system is as efficient as possible.
We incorporated this smart technology into our building management systems (BMS), which now provides us with real-time visibility of time flow recordings. So, we’re instantly notified of irregularities, such as the temperature or flow falling out of range.
Communicating with tenants
We send email broadcasts to tenants quarterly, promoting water efficiency and awareness with staff and customers.
Since installing the control valve technology, feedback from our tenants has been positive. They appreciate the lower variable outgoing rates passed on to them.
What we’re doing now
After implementing the Belimo energy valves, we’ve found the HVAC systems run more efficiently. Instead of 100% of water called to be put through the coil of the air handling units, only 70% of water is required for the same result, which reduces water consumption and evaporation.
Due to the success at 197 St Georges Terrace, we’re now looking to implement these valves across other buildings we manage.
We continue to meet regularly to discuss innovative ideas we can implement at 197 to improve our efficiency and stay one step ahead.