Chris Brown, Public Sector lead at IES, ‘a global innovator in integrated performance-based analysis for the built environment’, discusses the need for NHS Trusts to be able to provide comprehensive data on current performance, and good evidence of the need for funding, when seeking monies for heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures. One of the ways they can do this – he explains – is via the use of the appropriate ‘digital tools’.
As a result of its energy-intensive nature, the healthcare sector is a significant contributor to emissions. NHS emissions alone are currently responsible for 4% of England’s total carbon footprint, and the operation of NHS facilities accounts for up to 15% of the total carbon emissions profile. The energy crisis has also led to crippling energy bills for many NHS Trusts, with some facing an extra spend of up to £2 m per month when fuel prices surged. As a result, efforts to improve energy efficiency are not only fundamental to reducing the impact of healthcare on the environment, but also to reducing the burden of operational costs on the NHS.
Recognising the need to decarbonise and drive down energy bills, the NHS has pledged to be Net Zero by 2045, meaning that time is ticking for Trusts to implement measures. However, to get here significant improvements will need to be made across all areas, including how buildings are constructed, retrofitted, and operated, to increase energy efficiency.
Net Zero Building Standard
To aid this, the NHS Net Zero Building Standard was published in February 2023 to provide technical guidance to support the development of sustainable, energyefficient healthcare facilities. The Standard applies to all future building works and upgrades from 1 October 2023 which require sign-off for funding. To create tangible change, Trusts will need to unlock funding support. Whilst it’s widely known that public sector funding can be relatively scarce, there’s a vital need to make use of the schemes that are available to secure the means to meet targets.
Fortunately, there are funds that healthcare providers can bid for to aid the challenge of decarbonising their building stock. One of these is the Heat Networks Efficiency Scheme, which supports performance improvements to existing district heating and communal heating projects. The next funding round closed on 10 November, and there are three further rounds scheduled until May 2024. However, the sooner that healthcare providers make a start on improving efficiency, the sooner the results, and savings, will be seen.
Another way to unlock funding is through the Public Sector Low Carbon Skills Fund, which provides grants for organisations to access the expert advice and skills required to create a heat decarbonisation plan. Phase 4 of the funding has now closed, but those who successfully secured funding through the scheme will need to complete the activity by March 2024, meaning that careful planning is necessary to ensure that the money is spent wisely.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures as part of the wider aim of reducing emissions from public sector buildings. Applications for Phase 3C of the scheme opened back in October, so the clock is ticking for healthcare providers to gather the data required.
Bidding processes
The application processes for the above schemes vary, and can be complex and time-consuming. As a result, time constraints and a lack of direction mean that organisations are putting in high-level bids and not successfully securing funding. Applications are being rejected due to a lack of detail and evidence, with vague plans failing to prove that the funding will be well spent and create significant improvements
The more detail, data, and evidence, that NHS Trusts can provide, the higher their chances of a successful bid. With a vital need to accelerate the journey to Net Zero, putting in the time at the application stage will be of significant benefit further down the line. One way to create a more robust bid is to utilise digital tools to remove the guesswork and provide more accurate, detailed information around how the funding will be used. Technology can be utilised to gather data on facilities’ current performance, and carry out an initial assessment to determine how the building or buildings can be adapted to enhance performance.
Use of digital tools to provide detailed bids
Applicants need to provide details on current performance and measures that could improve this to demonstrate to the government how the funding will be used to decarbonise. Digital tools such as ‘digital twins’ can be used to provide the above, helping to de-risk the investment and provide decision support information. Digital twins are virtual models of buildings, the most sophisticated of which use physics-based simulation and building data to create models that respond as their real-world counterparts would. A digital twin can be created of a building or an entire healthcare estate, and used to gain insights into how a building is performing. This data can then be used in the application process to highlight where changes need to be made to improve energy efficiency and prevent energy wastage
Data is gathered from the Building Management System (BMS), smart meters, and manual readings, as well as other sources, enabling accurate analysis of the building’s performance to be relayed to the digital twin. Reliable data is essential to make informed decisions and set realistic improvement targets. However, a significant number of NHS buildings do not have a BMS system in place, or have archaic systems that need updating.
A basic level digital twin can be created at the application stage from data gathered, enabling high-level analysis which creates a more robust bid. For example, instead of simply suggesting that the funding will be used for a heat pump, digital tools can be used to determine the optimum size of this, and the potential savings it could unlock
Spending funding wisely once secured
When a Trust has successfully secured funding, the digital twin can be used to create a heat decarbonisation plan. This will detail the exact measures that need to be implemented to reach targets. Using the digital twin, different scenarios and improvements can be tested – such as heat pumps, lighting changes, and differing levels of insulation. Once the most effective solutions are determined, it’s possible to gather data on the potential savings that these measures will generate and input these into the plan
Applicants to the funding schemes are required to fulfil monthly or quarterly reporting requirements, allowing for continued updates on how the project is progressing and identification of any issues. Monthly spend forecasts are also required, so it’s important that Trusts can cost the improvements and the time it will take to provide return on investment. Often, there is a limited timeframe to draw down the funding, which means providers need to act quickly to get a plan in place. However, when creating a heat decarbonisation plan, there are several challenges to consider.
In the UK, healthcare campuses are often a mix of old and new buildings, which creates complex systems and a lack of visibility around how buildings are performing. This can lead to higher operating costs and lower levels of occupant comfort. It also poses the question of whether attention should be focused on deep retrofit of old buildings, or optimising the energy performance of new ones. However, a digital twin of the entire campus can be used to determine where to focus improvements to achieve the best results. In addition, it can be used to analyse how the mix of buildings can work together, and how heat networks can be shared across the estate to maximise efficiency.
It’s also important to ensure a balance between reducing carbon impact, alongside other priorities, such as occupant comfort and wellbeing. Despite this, most improvements to a building will also benefit occupants, for example, through better heating and ventilation control
CASE STUDY Barts Health NHS Trust
An example of how digital tools can be used to assess energy improvement strategies can be seen through IES’s work with Barts Health NHS Trust, the UK’s largest NHS Trust. In order to identify operational issues and reduce energy demand associated with the Trust’s Alex Wing Dental Institute, a calibrated model was created using building data from the BMS and extensive sub-metering infrastructure, along with advanced computer modelling.
A series of energy conservation measures were then tested in the model to evaluate their effectiveness. These included changes to control strategies, and to plant operation schedules, the addition of AHU inverters, and the installation of renewables. If all of the recommended measures were implemented, it would result in a 22.5% reduction in Gas Energy Demand and a 30% reduction in Electricity Energy Demand. This equates to a 28% reduction in Energy Spend, and a 27% reduction in CO2 emissions
Final thoughts
As the 2045 Net Zero target looms, Trusts must make the most of the limited funding available to accelerate their journey to decarbonisation. For many, without access to this support, measures to drive energy efficiency cannot be implemented. Use of digital tools and technology play a vital role in submitting a successful bid and maximising the funding following receipt. Taking the time to find the data to ‘fill in the gaps’ will make for a more robust application, and likely lead to increased success rates for NHS Trusts.
Once funding is secured, these tools can be used to compile a detailed roadmap to Net Zero, outlining the steps that need to be taken, and the predicted savings expected as a result of the implementation of energy efficiency measures. With many healthcare estates consisting of numerous buildings, digital twins can be used to analyse how these can work together to drive optimum performance.
With budgets tightening, but targets intensifying, it’s never been more important for healthcare providers to secure the funding to decarbonise estates. Armed with the power of technology, this process is much easier, as is ensuring that the funding secured is spent wisely.
Chris Brown and IES
Over the past 25+ years, IES says it has built a solid reputation as the leading global innovator in integrated performance-based analysis for the built environment. It says its Digital Twin technology ‘facilitates the creation of resource-efficient, healthy, and cost-effective built-environments of any size or purpose – supporting citizens, companies, campuses, communities, cities, and even countries’.
Chris Brown has a distinguished career of over 20 years in the commercial heating and cooling, renewable, and energy reduction industry. His continuous development and advancement throughout this time in various commercial, business development, regional, and sales management roles led to his appointment at IES in 2023 as Public Sector lead for England, helping healthcare, education, and local authority Estates Teams embrace ‘cutting edge’ Digital Twin technology to develop decarbonisation roadmaps and reach their Net Zero carbon targets. His expertise lies in helping public sector organisations understand the current performance of their estates, and develop heat decarbonisation plans to secure funding and help them achieve Net Zero targets set out by the UK government