System Solutions Engineering

Efficiency Driven

We develop operational strategies and logics to suit Air Conditioning Plants and Building Management Systems to control the building environments efficiently. We then follow up with plant tuning and balancing to the current standards. SSE investigates the plant’s operations and control logic while in tuning mode and will put forward enhancements to the plant and control logic performance as required.

Monitoring & Rectification

System Solutions Engineering provides continual monitoring of many facilities’ energy performance, allowing considered and ongoing fine tuning of existing plants which have become inefficient. We also provide rectification and upgrade recommendations to keep mechanical plant up to the highest possible efficiency that meet energy consumption targets. This prevents buildings with older plant from becoming undervalued in the market place, when compared to newer, energy-efficient building stock. We also provide whole-of-life recommendations with technology refresh to help see buildings through to the next lifecycle.

FACT:

SSE is actively engaged/retained to independently oversee the ongoing fine tuning of facilities for some of Adelaide’s most prominent buildings.

Ageing Plant No Obstacle

Our major recent involvement has been with the auditing, and then sustainment of ageing plant and the adaptation of innovative technologies to enhance both performance and energy efficiency. We have been successful in the application for Government Grants wherein we have been able to improve markedly the energy (Star) ratings of buildings. The most recent and significant building has been 19 Grenfell Street Adelaide, Awarded “Best Sustainable Retrofit Project for 2011” achieving a Nabers Rating of 4 Stars. Other buildings of note include 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide, 99 Gawler Place, 45 Grenfell Street and 55 Currie Street, Adelaide.

Awarded Grants for our Clients:

• 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Building Innovation Fund" Creation of a generic sustainability industry guideline $20K.
• 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Green Building Fund" Grant of $500K toward energy reductions project.
• 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Building Innovation Fund" Grant of $270K toward energy reductions project & Tri-Gen.
• 55 Currie Street Adelaide "Green Building Fund" Grant of $500K toward energy reductions project.
• 45 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Green Building Fund" Grant of $500K toward energy reductions project.
• 67 Greenhill Road Wayville "Building Innovation Fund" Grant of $10K toward energy reductions feasibility.
• 67 Greenhill Road Wayville "Building Innovation Fund" Grant of $160K toward energy reductions project.

Military Precision

Our involvement ranges from buildings with specialist and tightly constrained air conditioning needs for Military related systems and training, where temperature, humidity and stability of conditions are imperative to the tasks performed, to specialist equipment cooling systems, ordinance storage & testing and general office air conditioning, all of which generally incorporate a level of redundancy for guaranteed system operation and protection of the systems and areas they serve.

FACT:

Our projects include both new system installations, as well as upgrading existing systems to better meet the changing requirements of the client, all with the intention of providing conditions and systems energy efficiently.

Specific Plant for Educational Facilities

Many of the sites are aged and non-compliant to today’s standards. SSE can offer this experience with the design of building services, auditing of facilities and specific plant for educational facilities.

FACT:

Our experience is extensive with sites such as Regency TAFE, Burnside Primary School, Campbelltown R-12 School, The University of Adelaide, The University of South Australia, Flinders University, Gilles Plains TAFE Vet and Applied Science, SA Dental Service and Tea Tree Gully TAFE.

EXAMPLE CASE - Tea Tree Gully TAFE

Key Initiatives:

• Refurbishment of buildings for better environment.
• Use of existing systems for cost reductions.
• Design new energy efficient air conditioning system.
• Energy efficient lighting system in refurbished areas.
• Electrical upgrade to meet new power need.
• Use of heat recovery systems.
• New Building Management System with
  access via site intranet.

Key Outcomes:

• Gas Energy Savings: 5,975 GJ per annum.
  From 727 MJ/m² per annum down to 41 MJ/m² per annum. (Overall 94.4% MJ/m² site reduction).
• Gas and Electricity Savings: 3,526 GJ per annum.
  From 1,309 MJ/m² per annum down to 694 MJ/m² per annum. (Overall 47% MJ/m² site reduction).
• Greenhouse Gas Savings: Gas - 35kg CO2/m².
  From 38kg down to 2kg CO2/m² per annum.
  Total (electricity and gas) 15kg CO2/m²
  (200kg down to 185kg CO2/m² per annum).

19 Grenfell Street

System Solutions Engineering is assisting the building owner in achieving a 5-Star rated building at 19 Grenfell Street, Adelaide, and were awarded the AIRAH award for “The Best Sustainable Retrofit 2011”, where base building energy has been effectively halved from the time of our involvement.

A World-first

System Solutions Engineering is also actively engaged with SMAC Technologies, Winner of "2011 Australian Clean Tech Open Award" Sponsored by The Department of Innovation Science and Research. SSE was the first design company in the world to commercialise the concept at Barmera Hospital, SA in 2001 and have been involved in its incorporation into the Art Gallery of SA, 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide, Citi Centre, 19 Grenfell Street, Adelaide and Flinders Medical Centre which was the first 5-Star Green Star Health Facility in Australia. The technology is now achieving traction and significant energy savings around Australia and overseas.

Awarded Grants for our Clients:

• 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Building Innovation Fund" Creation of a generic sustainability industry guideline $20K.
• 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Green Building Fund" Grant of $500K toward energy reductions project.
• 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Building Innovation Fund" Grant of $270K toward energy reductions project & Tri-Gen.
• 55 Currie Street Adelaide "Green Building Fund" Grant of $500K toward energy reductions project.
• 45 Grenfell Street Adelaide "Green Building Fund" Grant of $500K toward energy reductions project.
• 67 Greenhill Road Wayville "Building Innovation Fund" Grant of $10K toward energy reductions feasibility.
• 67 Greenhill Road Wayville "Building Innovation Fund" Grant of $160K toward energy reductions project.

FACT:

These projects total $6-7M worth of energy enhancement initiatives, achieved with grants and client capital.

Long Standing Engagement

Whilst our services extend to all construction sectors including commercial, education, retail, health, corrections, community, sporting and the like, our largest and most significant engagement has been, and continues to be for the SA Health portfolio in all Metropolitan and Country Hospitals (more than 300 buildings). SSE is also actively involved with training of maintenance staff in the self-auditing of their facilities using a Traffic Light Reporting (TLR) tool which was jointly developed by System Solutions Engineering and SA Health.

FACT:

System Solutions Engineering is often involved with SA Health in the auditing of any site where a major development is proposed, to ensure that sustainment is considered. Some of our major projects include Flinders Medical Centre, Whyalla Hospital, Modbury Hospital, Glenside Hospital and Redevelopment, Ceduna Hospital and Minda Incorporated.

Audits, Design & Compliance

Our expertise is used to inspect and assess existing buildings with regards to their compliance with the fire safety solutions of the Building Code of Australia and also those systems in respect to fire detection and protection systems specified through adopted standards. This may include both deemed-to-satisfy or alternative performance solutions necessary for approval in conjunction with the preferred building design and occupational parameters. We are able to carry out audits; determine upgrade measures to satisfy fire safety notices served by Building Fire Safety Committees' under legislation; deliver innovative solutions where found necessary and design systems required for all developments, ranging from offices, aged care/health facilities, warehouses, schools or shops.

FACT:

We include all documentation required for upgrades to existing buildings under a single package.

State Administration Centre

For some of our projects, we hold all as-installed-information and maintain records. One of our most significant projects is the State Administration Centre, Victoria Square, for the Department of Treasury & Finance – a client with whom we hold a 15-year relationship. We are responsible for maintaining this data and for the ongoing accommodation churns which occur each year.

FACT:

We also act as the Principal Consultant taking design briefing information and deriving functional service layouts to suit the specific needs of our clients.

Lateral Thinking

Achieving the right balance often requires some lateral thinking to satisfy current regulations and minimise the impact on the environment being preserved. SSE’s ‘fit for purpose’ philosophy ensures the right balance is achieved through rigorous analysis and modelling.

FACT:

Some examples of our success include services upgrades at sites such as Parliament House, Old Parliament House, Birdwood Mill and Carrick Hill.

Industrial Projects have included:

Sizing and selection of an ammonia glycol chiller for Vinpac in the Barossa Valley, extraction systems associated with the servicing of diesel trains, cooling water and heat rejection systems for the testing of water heaters for Electrolux, particulate and heat extractions systems, cool rooms, flammable storage rooms and extruder nozzle cooling for a factory at Lonsdale, and cooling assistance to curing of large concrete structures including dam walls at South Para.

FACT:

We have designed cooling tower and chiller systems for many manufacturing facilities.

Business as Usual

As the majority of our involvement has been within operational and occupied areas, we have extensive experience in the undertaking of these types of works in facilities that are required to remain operational during the course of refurbishment works.

FACT:

SSE can offer services not only for lift refurbishments, but escalators, moving walkways, dumb waiters, stair lifts, automated document and component movement systems, upgrading analysis and costs, site monitoring and performance analysis, traffic studies, people movement optimisation and statutory compliance audits.

Examples of our extensive previous and current experience in plant upgrades include:

SA Parliament House, Old Parliament House,
19 Grenfell Street, 45 Grenfell Street, 91-97 Grenfell Street Adelaide, Citi Centre, 55 Currie Street and 99 Gawler Place. Further notable projects include Modbury Hospital ($12M), Whyalla Hospital ($4M) and Flinders Medical Centre which incorporated a Major Project ($160M).

FACT:

Our core area of activity has been the design of systems wherein the majority of works has been with the refurbishment of older inefficient or problematic plant. As part of our service we have adopted an energy auditing approach during the feasibility stage with full life cycle costing used to justify adopted engineering solutions.

Other Retail Projects have included:

At the smaller end of the retail spectrum, we have mainly focussed on the “On The Run Group” providing engineering services for over 80 of their stores, incorporating reverse cycle air conditioning and mechanical extraction systems for food preparation processes, including “Wok in a Box”, “Subway”, “Oporto’s” and “Brumby’s”.

FACT:

Wok in a Box was mechanically challenging as large quantities of extraction associated with the Wok exhaust canopy, was located within the air conditioned environment.
Each store is individually modelled to reflect the geographical orientation, taking into account window size, shading and orientation; which is performed using computer aided modelling software such as Camel.