Photo by Max. G./Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/129925844@N07/
Atkins – a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group – has been appointed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to carry out a study into how to decarbonise its entire property portfolio.
The initial assessment will look at 50 buildings – primarily Job Centre Plus sites – and will analyse both the existing heating system and the insulation.
The project will call on a range of Atkins’ services including site surveys, analysis of consumption data and carbon emissions and review of assets (including space heating, HWS and ventilation systems). It will also require net zero solutions, the feasibility of connecting to local heat networks, thermal modelling, benefits of solutions and estimated capital costs.
The first phase study will include a detailed analysis of each building, carried out by Atkins’ teams based around the country. Following this a second phase will be launched to provide guidance on decarbonising the complete portfolio of up to 850 of the department’s buildings.
Isabelle Smith, Associate Director at Atkins, said: “As the condition and type of buildings included in the study will vary widely, they will need to be analysed individually, on-site, to ascertain how to decarbonise the heating systems in use.
“This includes building management systems data, utility bills and many other sources which are collated and sorted in a central database. We then use our engineering knowledge to show where carbon is being produced, benchmark this against other similar systems before identifying ways for this to be reduced.
“By building on and integrating our existing approaches to digital engineering and, asset management – including use of digital twins – we can chart a data-driven decarbonisation journey that is easily visualised thanks to AI-enabled dashboards.”
A key aspect of the studies will be the compatibility of the new heat source with the existing heating systems in terms of operating temperatures and peak loads.
A spokesman for the DWP added: “The decarbonisation of our buildings is a fundamental part of our mission to reach net zero carbon. We’re pleased to be working with Atkins on this important project and have full confidence in their capabilities and ability to deliver results we can work with going forward.”
Photo by Max. G. / Flickr
