Star billing

Every new Green Star-rated building raises the bar when it comes to sustainable design initiatives. SA Water's new head office in Victoria Square, Adelaide is no exception. With its 6-Star Green Star Office Design rating, the building has set a new benchmark for environmentally sustainable design. Completed in early 2009, the project became the largest commercially developed (rather than owner-occupied) building in Australia to be awarded a 6-Star Green Star Office Design rating.

Greg Bryant, Clipsal Integrated Systems sector manager commercial, says Clipsal's C-Bus control and management system made a large contribution to the Green Star rating.

"The electrical design by Robert Callisto, consulting engineer of Bestec Electrical Engineering, included an energy-efficient T5 lighting system with DALI ballasts designed to not exceed 400 lux over 95% of NLA," Bryant says. "The Clipsal C-Bus system, which was installed and commissioned by Boffa & Russo, enables access to this popular protocol to control all lighting ballasts."

All office space lighting is activated by C-Bus 360° occupancy sensors. These have a minimum 5m detection field, with lights turned on automatically as staff enter the field. If no staff are detected, lights in that zone are turned off after 20 minutes. This scene operates until 7pm, when lights turn off automatically, although they will stay on for staff working late.

Bryant says should there ever be a need for manual override of this scene, a C-Bus Saturn black and white touch screen can turn on lights where required.

ESD design consultant Cundall Johnston & Partners ensured the building's design maximised every ray of natural light, courtesy of large windows and a glazed atrium. C-Bus light level sensors have been programmed to ramp up and down artificial lighting to maintain a lighting level of 320 lux.

In meeting rooms, C-Bus Saturn DLT wall switches have been installed to provide manual controls. A presentation mode is programmed to dim lights, yet allow sufficient light for note taking. And in car parking areas, C-Bus sensors provide lighting only as needed.

Another significant project recently undertaken by Clipsal Australia is the new Attorney General's Department at 3-5 National Circuit in the Parliamentary triangle of Barton, ACT (shown above).

Bryant says Australian Federal and State Governments are leading by example, specifying a minimum 4-Star Green Star rating for buildings.

"No building can be too green," he says. "Even in established buildings, landlords are being asked to deliver on these energy-rating requirements. The Attorney General's Department is an energy-efficient architectural landmark for the nation's capital. The building's imposing exterior conceals the latest advances in ESD design, which have helped the four-level office achieve an impressive 4.5-Star Green Star rating."

To maximise lighting energy efficiencies, the building features Clipsal's C-Bus control and management system. C-Bus photoelectric PIR multisensors are located throughout the building to ramp up or dim the office lighting, depending on the levels of natural light provided by a large, glazed atrium.

As with the SA Water head office, C-Bus occupancy sensors detect unattended areas and automatically turn off area lighting to save energy. Lighting scenes have been preset for the office, and are timed out at 6pm, although C-Bus sensors continue to operate lighting for remaining staff.

Bryant says Clipsal works closely with electrical consultants to create a lighting management solution that meets all aspects of each building design brief.

"C-Bus can provide the exacting levels of light via dimming control that a conventional lighting system would struggle to match," he says. "C-Bus can also be integrated with heating and cooling systems for added energy efficiency."

For further details, contact Clipsal Australia, phone 1300 559 544. Email: cbusplatinum@clipsal.com.au. Website: www.clipsal.com.

Story by: Trendsideas