Refurbishing and environmental impact

When planning for a fit out or refurbishment project there are several straightforward decisions that can be made to reduce the environmental impact of the work that is being carried out.

If you are considering refurbishment and require guidance to discuss your circumstances and needs, get in touch we would be delighted to help.

Chances are if you work in a standard office every square foot will be emitting about 10kg of greenhouse gas each year.

Of course the precise breakdown of emissions varies from workplace to workplace but there are some common culprits in each. Firstly there’s temperature control: heating and cooling account for about a third of the average office’s electricity use. By setting the temperature of the building more appropriately in line with the seasons, you can slash the energy wastage and so emissions from this source.

Alongside temperature control, it is the saturation-lighting and myriad office appliances – the printers, photocopiers and faxes (and water coolers) – that account for most of the rest of energy use at work.

For office appliances, choosing efficient models and ensuring their energy-savings settings are activated can cut emissions by 75 percent

Some common areas to consider are briefly described here

Timber

Sustainable timber is now commonly available for both bulk timber uses (like particle board) and for veneers. 

Timber certified as being FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) or PEFC (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification) is considered the most sustainable available on the market.

Click on the links below to learn more

Forest Stewardship Council

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification

Egger Board Manufacturers

Floor Covering 

There are several options to consider with flooring.

What is being removed?

What is happening with flooring elsewhere in your organisation, does it have a recyclable content.  Carpet can often be recycled and reused, perhaps look at charities like Pennine Magpie

What are you considering laying?

There are many ways to make your flooring more sustainable.  For example, many manufacturers carpets that have high levels of recycled content (these are now commonly available), it is possible to specify ceramic tiles that clip together (for reduced solvent use) or use naturally sourced materials like sustainable timber or linoleum.  Your architect or designer will be able to help specify a suitable product.

Lighting

Avoid installing incandescent lights and halogen down lights.  In their place florescent lights look good, are cost effective, require much less maintenance and are very energy efficient. 

Opt for low energy light bulbs and occupancy detectors and the lighting-based emissions in most offices can be halved at a stroke.

We have access to the manufacturers of hundreds of energy efficient lighting products available easily on the market.

Waste

There are really two areas to consider here.

During refurbishment

The first consideration is the reduction, removal and recycling of waste from the construction work involved in your project.  This is the responsibility of the contractor you appoint and their supply chain when dealing with waste.  A good contractor will be able to log and report the amount of waste produced, how it is collected and what proportion has been recycled (and provide certification).

What's in there? Why's it being thrown out? Where did it come from? Was it wasted or overordered? Can I recycle it?

During occupation

Secondly, in work there is waste. The standard savings apply for recycled glass, cans and the rest but the really big one for most workplaces is paper. The average office worker gets through 100 sheets of paper a day. The three watchwords: reduce – through double-sided printing, reuse – envelopes and scrap paper, and recycle – keep the waste bins paper-free, can together make a real impact on the number of finely sliced trees your work place gets through each year. Every kilogram that gets recycled rather than binned, for instance, can save 2kg of greenhouse gas.

 

Water

Consider installing single cup water heaters, install water efficient taps, showers toilets and kitchen appliances.

 

Heating and cooling

Improving the all round energy efficiency of the heating and cooling systems probably provides the biggest opportunity for impacting environmental performance of your project and your building.

Some highlights:
* Install insulation whenever you can - it will help keep the building cool in summer and warm in winter at no cost post installation
* Boilers can waste lots of energy and money - spend some time choosing the right boiler for your building needs
* Clever air-conditioning systems use heat exchangers to capture surplus heat to warm incoming air

There are a lot of good products out there these days that cost less than 20% of your capital budget and can pay for themselves in under 3 years.  Get some specialist advice and you will save loads on your bills

We can help make everyone concerned with the refurbishment aware of your environmental requirements from the project outset.

Further information:

Energy Saving Trust
Carbon Trust
 

Furniture

Don't forget about the furniture being installed.

Depending on the design, consider specifying sustainable timber and natural fabrics like wool or those with a high recycled content. Always purchase furniture from companies that can trace the components used, have a good track record of protecting the environment and can produce a chain of custody certificate. Look for companies that have minimised the amount of packaging their products need.

Forest Stewardship Council