Abstract

Electricity could be the most expensive form of energy used in buildings. Hence, reduction in electricity consumption may save more money than other cost-saving measures. Although the cost of providing and installing electrical equipment represents a relatively small proportion of the total mechanical and electrical (M&E) costs, in historic buildings, however, it is an increasingly significant element in saving the overall energy cost. This paper investigates the energy performance of electrical equipments - measured in kWh electrical and given in kWh/m2 per annum - in three adaptive re-use historical buildings (two office buildings and one hotel building) in Malaysia. Further analysis by comparing energy consumption with established energy benchmarking categories - electricity, office equipment and other electricity - was also conducted to give an indication of efficiency. The study found that although catering electricity consumptions for all buildings were below good practice level, all electrical equipments of the two office buildings fall below good practice benchmark. On the contrary, office equipment consumption for the hotel building falls high above typical level benchmark. Such comparison of energy consumption against established benchmarks provides a first indication of how well the buildings are performing and to identify any wastage of energy and what scope there is for design improvement.

Key words: Electrical equipments, historic buildings, energy performance, energy benchmark, Malaysia.