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Energy Studies

Definitions

Technical Terminology: Concepts and Definitions

The terms listed below are used primarily in this website. You are encouraged to become familiar with the terms listed below, which deal with energy usage and conservation, and which are used in the Questionnaire later.

Air conditioning

The treatment of air in a building, which is accomplished by controlling its temperature, humidity, and purification.

Audit

The process by which a person or persons go through a building and identify energy and/or cost savings that would result if certain energy conservation changes were made in the operation of a building or if modifications were made to the building.

Energy conservation

The efficient use of systems that consume energy.

Energy management

A continuous planning process that is used to accomplish the efficient use of energy in a building or system.

Energy Management System

A computer-based control system that is used to monitor and determine operational patterns of electrical and mechanical equipment of building.

Fuel

Any substance that can be burned to produce heat.

Retrofit

Changes made in a building to make it more energy efficient which require capital investment.

Building energy efficiency

refers to building energy consumed per unit area inside the building. Three types of building energy efficiency can be identified as follow:

Total building energy efficiency
Landlord building energy efficiency
Tenant building energy efficiency.

Total building energy efficiency

refers to the total building energy consumed (kWh) per year per unit of gross floor area (m²).

Landlord building energy efficiency

refers to the landlord building energy consumed (kWh) per year per unit of gross floor area (m²).

Tenant building energy efficiency

refers to the tenant building energy consumed (kWh) per year per unit of gross lettable area (m²).

Building energy consumption

refers to energy consumed in the building energy consuming equipment & system i.e. air-conditioner, vertical transportation, ventilation, lighting, office equipment & miscellaneous electrical appliance inside the building. This is then classified into three types as follow:

Total building energy consumption
Landlord building energy consumption
Tenant building energy consumption.

Total building energy consumption

consists of two energy utilization components in the building, that is, landlord building energy consumption and tenant building energy consumption.

Landlord building energy consumption

refers to the energy utilized inside part of the building, comprising:

Air-conditioner central plant system which supply air-conditioning inside the building
Vertical transportation service i.e. escalator and lift
Ventilation system such as exhaust fan and ventilator.
Artificial lighting system in the common area i.e. corridor or public common service area i.e. toilet and lift.

Tenant building energy consumption

refers to energy utilizes in the artificial lighting system, office equipment such as photocopy machine, computer, typewriter, fax machine etc. and miscellaneous electrical appliances i.e kettle, microwave, boiler, refrigerator etc. inside the lettable office area of a building.

Gross Floor Area

refers to the total area of floor space within a building measured between the centre line of party walls, including the thickness of external walls but excluding internal voids except ducts and refuse chute.

Gross Lettable Area

refers to the total functional uses area for commercial purposes such as retail shop, office etc inside the building - excluding all common areas, car parking, service areas.

Occupancy Rate

refers to the percentage of a property (i.e area space) that is occupied inside the building for functional use i.e office space area, retail area etc.

Building Weekly Operating Hours

The weekly start and end schedule operating hour of a building for functioning the business & commercial purpose inside the building.

Building Weekly mode operating hours

The mode operating hours of the building weekly operating hours of the exisitng buildings.

Operating hours factor

The ratio of the mode operating hours(55 hours) to the existing building operating hour.