Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Connecting you to a more sustainable future

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1 Case Study commercial Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre Connecting you to a more sustainable future

2 Case Study / Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre pg 2 World Class Innovation in Energy Efficiency It has been described as a world first, a rising icon in Melbourne and said to be propelling Melbourne onto the centre stage for international events. But the new Melbourne Convention Centre (MCC) as part of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has much more going for it than the function facilities it offers its guests. In addition to 66,000m 2 of convention space, a 5000-seat plenary hall, a world class banquet hall and 32 meeting rooms, this innovative development boasts technical advancements and environmentally conscious facilities that make it exceptionally equipped to serve Melburnians and visitors long into the future. The Design and Construction team set themselves a huge challenge; to produce the world s first 6-Star Green Star convention centre. Providing a world-class facility and bringing an internationally enviable event space to the riverfront promenade between Southbank and Docklands. FEATURE What does 6 Star Green Star mean? Green Star is a comprehensive, national, voluntary environmental rating system developed by the Green Building Council of Australia. It evaluates the environmental impact, design, construction and functionality of a building. Six stars is the highest rating a building can achieve. 11 per cent of Australia s CBD commercial office buildings are now Green Star certified. Green Star was developed for the property industry in order to: Establish a common language; Set a standard of measurement for green buildings; Promote integrated, whole-building design; Recognise environmental leadership; Identify building life-cycle impacts; and Raise awareness of green building benefits. Green star covers nine categories that are divided into credits; points are awarded for actions that demonstrate that the project has met the overall objectives of green star. Once all claimed credits in each category are assessed, a percentage score is calculated and Green Star environmental weighting factors are then applied. The nine categories are Management, Indoor Environment Quality, Energy, Transport, Water, Materials, Land Use & Ecology, Emissions and Innovation

3 Case Study / Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre pg 3 FEATURE The following Green Star Certified Ratings are available: 4 star green star certified rating (score 45 59) signifies Best Practice in environmentally sustainable design and/or construction 5 star green star certified rating (score 60 74) signifies Australian Excellence in environmentally sustainable design and/or construction 6 star green star certified rating (score ) signifies World Leadership in environmentally sustainable design and/or construction Information from the Green Building Council Australia - The groundbreaking project required a team of contractors with experience, expertise and foresight to deliver the competitive and energy-efficient solutions demanded by the 6 Star Green Star rating. PSG Elecraft, Accredited EcoSmart Electricians, were chosen for all electrical and communications design and installations. The brief they received had to meet and assist in achieving the required credits to reach the 6 Star Green Star rating. The Expertise Setting new standards Mark Wiesner, PSG Elecraft Project Manager, spoke of the challenging Eco efficient project; We took on the MCC project in September 2006, when it was just a big hole in the ground, and continued through to December 2008, when the site was handed over to the operations staff to move in early Where valuable credits could be achieved: Light fittings selected and positioned to minimise resource and energy consumption Energy-efficient lighting design with motion detection control features throughout 90 per cent of the facility Daylight-sensitive lighting that adjusts to the amount of daylight versus artificial light required An intelligent lighting control system Solar hot water systems to provide more than 40 per cent of general hot water requirements and providing 100 per cent of public amenity hot-water requirements Displacement ventilation low-level air delivery and high-level air exhaust in the plenary hall and foyer areas providing effective air flow with high air quality at low energy consumption Expansive glass facade allowing all available natural light into the foyer and pre-function spaces, reducing the need for artificial light and providing good thermal qualities in winter

4 Case Study / Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre pg 4 Fresh Air Rates Improved indoor air quality due to large volumes of fresh air Solar Hot Water Solar panels provide 100% of public amenity hot water requirements Sustainable use of Building Materials Timber from renewable sustainable sources, materials and components have a high recycled content and minimal PVC utilisation Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Carpets, paints, adhesives and sealants to be low in VOC to enhanced indoor air quality AHU Plant Rainwater & stormwater collection Expansive Glass Facade Provides views and allows high degree of diffused natural light with spectrally selective glass All wastewater collection Cooling tower & toilet flush reuse Stormwater Retention Roof drainage discharges to stormwater retention system Rainwater pumpline to Black Water Treatment Facility Landscape/irrigation reuse Radiant Slab Heating & Cooling Slab heated to provide energy efficient occupant thermal comfort and reduce air conditioning requirements Displacement Ventilation Low level air delivery and high level air exhaust provide excellent air change effectiveness and high indoor air quality at low energy consumption Macro Filteration Micro Filteration Reverse Osmosis UV Treatment Black Water Treatment Facility Treats wastewater, rainwater and stormwater to Grade A quality for reuse in building. Consequently reduces flow to sewer Conditioned Air Returned Air Water The Challenge Low lux lighting levels for high impact icon The two most challenging areas were in lighting design and control. The power density targets for lighting were extremely low, demanding a three watts/m 2 /100 lux average throughout the complex. The lighting system is fundamental to the energy performance of any building, but the MCC posed a significant challenge with the very low stipulated lux levels. DEFINITIONS Lux: is the unit of illuminance and luminous emittance. It is used in photometry as a measure of the intensity, as perceived by the human eye of light that hits or passes through a surface. In simple terms, Lux is how the human eye perceives brightness. Affects on Lux: Many elements have an affect on this perception of brightness; the reflectance levels of the floors, walls, ceilings and furnishings, the heights of ceilings, the positioning and location of the fittings, the irregularity between areas. Lumen: The lumen is the unit of luminous flux, a measure of the power of light perceived by the human eye. Luminous flux differs from radiant flux, the measure of the total power of light emitted, in that luminous flux is adjusted to reflect the varying sensitivity of the human eye to different wavelengths of light. Lux vs Lumen: The difference between the lux and the lumen is that lux takes into account the area over which the luminous flux is spread. A flux of 1000 lumens, concentrated into an area of one square metre, lights up that square metre with an illuminance of 1000 lux. However, the same 1000 lumens, spread out over 10 square metres produces a dimmer illuminance of only 100 lux.

5 Case Study / Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre pg 5 The lux levels became even more of a challenge due to the unique design and multifunction of the building. Major conditions were: Extraordinarily high ceilings Large variations in size between event spaces Multi-purpose areas Prevalent use of dark non-reflective interiors These elements worked together to present a challenge without precedent. For example, the ceiling heights varied from 14 metres in some parts of the plenary space, metres in the foyer and pre-function areas, to eight metres in the World Class Banquet Hall. The Solution Customising for eco-efficiency Lighting levels in less challenging areas were achieved with T5, CFL, LED and TCD technology, but for the more problematic areas, another solution had to be found. PSG Elecraft worked closely with their trusted suppliers to design and develop an appropriate solution for the demanding areas. Following a year of research and development, the team were able to introduce a highly efficient, high-output fitting. This was used in different combinations in the main foyer areas and the multifunctional plenary area. The determined fittings were designed to ensure that very little performance was lost. The design encompassed: highly effective reflector systems - Optimising beam spread to extract and optimise lumen levels highly efficient lamps, ballasts and controls Optimising lighting levels while using a small amount of energy higher lux level per luminance Reducing the requirement for extra power Further to these attributes, the fitting also needed to complement the clean aesthetics of the facility, be highly reliable and cater for future capacity demands. Setting for multiple usages The Plenary Hall comprises three separable seminar halls that can be opened into one large central 5,000 seat theatre or host three different events side by side in unison. A solution was needed to enable multi-functionality, and accommodate for the interior features, such as wooden acoustic panels and dark furnishings that would impact on results. An adaptation of the customised fitting and a new mix of the componentry provided the required light levels, while still achieving low power consumption and long lamp life. Lighting control In addition to the lighting design itself, PSG Elecraft utilised a state of the art intelligent lighting control system, allowing for best practice solutions such as motion sensing and daylight harvesting.

6 Case Study / Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre pg 6 DEFINITIONS Daylight Harvesting: Digital photo sensors detect daylight levels and automatically adjust the output level of electric lighting to create a balance. The ultimate outcome = energy savings. Studies have indicated that energy for lighting can be reduced as much as 84%! Furthermore, this dynamic system was able to be interfaced with the Convention Centre s security, access control, building management, and audio visual systems to allow seamless and efficient control. Installing such a system, however, was only half the battle. A great control system is only as good as its application to the space and that s where the MCC really shines through. By understanding the different areas and diverse applications within the Convention Centre, PSG Elecraft were able to program and commission the lighting control system to achieve maximum efficiency, while still allowing for customised lighting scenes. The Achievements The excellence continues PSG Elecraft were able to over deliver on what were originally seen as unachievable stringent guidelines, set out by the Green Building Council Australia, to establish the world s first 6 star green star convention centre. Achieving this has allowed them to set new benchmarks for the industry. Since the facility officially opened in June 2009, the centre has attracted over 50 major international conventions and 190 national events, bringing a projected 250,000 delegates to the city. Victorian Premier, John Brumby exhibited his pride in Melbourne, cementing it as home to the most advanced exhibition and convention space in the world by stating, This is a remarkable facility all Victorians can be proud to call their own. It is the world s most advanced and greenest convention centre and Melbourne s newest icon The MCC Operations team take pride in being able to offer the market place a new energy efficient and flexible events experience. Frank Mohren, Director of Operations, stated: As well as being one of the most visually striking and innovative convention centres in the world, it is still affordable, without compromising on quality. The electronics and lighting are integral to the events experience and we are proud to be able to offer our clients a simple, cost efficient and flexible solution. Mark Weisner, concluded We were able to achieve better than the stipulated targets as an average for the entire installation. This just highlights the further improvements and efficiencies that can be made and provides us with further drive to push forward with our eco-efficient strategy

7 Case Study / Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre pg 7 This project demonstrates that environmentally sustainable design is not limited to commercial and residential development. Innovation and ingenuity has a place in delivering greener buildings for our public infrastructure facilities. MCC showcases sustainability that will be experienced by many visitors from around the world for years to come. The course in electrical energy efficiency and the development of the EcoSmart Electricians accreditation was developed by NECA in conjunction with Sustainability Victoria on behalf of the National Framework for Energy Efficiency. THE ENERGY EFFICIENT EFFECT The energy efficient effect The first 6 Star Green Star convention centre in the world A highly efficient lighting solution A sophisticated lighting control system Sensor lighting and daylight harvesting minimizing consumption by up to 84% A flexible multifunctional and energy efficient events space The demanding 3 Watt/per m2/per 100 lux average was met - Under the Building Council of Australia guidelines commercial and public buildings lit to 200 lux have the allowance of 10W/m2