New Clarendon, located at 114-116 George Street in Edinburgh, has undergone an extensive refurbishment aimed at achieving high energy performance standards through BREEAM Excellent and EPC A. The project had a focus on decarbonisation and targeted a NABERS Design for Performance (DFP) rating of 5 stars.
The refurbishment of New Clarendon for abrdn included the remodelling of existing floors and the replacement of mechanical and electrical building services.
The new systems include Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) units for heating and cooling, highly efficient LED lighting, and a dedicated air handling unit with heat recovery.
The NABERS DFP assessment used the advanced Apache HVAC engine of IES VE. The simulation predicted that New Clarendon could achieve a 5-star NABERS rating with a modelling margin of 21.9%. The assessment included various off-axis scenarios to evaluate the building's performance under different conditions, such as increased infiltration and changes in occupancy.
New Clarendon is set to achieve a Design Stage BREEAM score of c77%, equating to an Excellent rating. It is currently being reviewed for the Post Construction Stage Assessment.
High-Performance Facade: the building features double-glazed facades with G-values of 0.3 and U-values of 1.6 W/m2K, incorporating thermal breaks and argon fill to enhance insulation.
Efficient HVAC Systems: the VRF system provides heating and cooling, while the air handling unit with recovers heat from exhaust air. The system is designed to operate efficiently with setpoints of 23°C in summer and 21°C in winter.
Demand Control Ventilation: VAV boxes regulate fresh air flow based on CO2 levels, reducing ventilation rates when CO2 concentrations are low to save energy.
Openable Windows: windows with contact sensors disable the fan coil units when open, promoting natural ventilation under suitable conditions.
Electric Heating: electric heaters in common areas maintain temperatures at 19°C, with controls locked to prevent tampering.
Domestic Hot Water Services: a low-temperature heat pump with thermal storage supplies hot water to showers, while point-of-use water heaters serve core WC areas.
To ensure the design intent is maintained through construction and operation, a comprehensive Rating Achievement Plan was developed.
Key elements include:
Involvement of Post-Construction Owner: KJ Tait has been commissioned post-completion to provide operational support through our Facilities and Energy departments. This will help ensure adherence to the NABERS UK target. We will complete monthly operational energy reporting where modelled energy is replaced by actual energy to produce a dynamic NABERS rating. This should allow us to establish whether the building is on track to achieve the rating.
Tenant Fit-Out Guide: a guide outlines acceptable design requirements for Tenant fit-outs, covering areas such as IT room cooling, additional lighting, and metering.
Efficient Operation of HVAC Plant: a single Landlord BMS system monitors all plant areas, and KJ Tait reviews setpoints and control sequences monthly.
Monitoring and Tuning: monthly monitoring of electricity usage and sub-meter readings ensures early detection of potential issues, with the Contractor retained for fine-tuning through the Soft Landings process.
As the building is handed over, we are moving to the next phase of our work with the building by continuing our involvement in several ways. We will be providing the Landlord’s team with adhoc MEP engineering advice, as well as completing quarterly site visits to ensure that the MEP systems are properly maintained and operating accordingly.
This is an added benefit not only to the Landlord but also to the occupiers.
KJ Tait will also be involved with energy monitoring, ensuring the building is run efficiently, and that it can meet its NABERS Target Rating of 5 stars.
The building is currently being assessed for the BREEAM Post Construction Assessment and an Excellent rating.