Smart buildings help NG Bailey to cut carbon

Builders group NG Bailey is testing "intelligent building" technologies at its Strathclyde site, that will reduce the office's carbon emissions by 95 per cent.

The construction firm works with several clients around the UK, creating new structures and improving existing buildings with energy-saving tools and practices. The new Strathclyde offices, due for completion in September, are forecast to produce just one twentieth of the carbon of an average building.

Uniting all the systems in a building allows for cause-and-effect mechanisms that can track the offices climate – notifying staff to close windows when the air conditioning is switched on, for example. Other technologies to be used include smart card payment systems, and building materials which can store heat to be subsequently released when needed.

The expenditure required for such projects can take a long time to pay itself off, but rising fuel prices are already supporting the company's decision, said Cal Bailey, business planning and development director.

"When we started this project, we thought the return on investment would be about 10 years, which is longer than many businesses would have allowed," he said.

"Now that energy prices have gone up by roughly 150 per cent since we started, that time will come down."

The return will stem from a combination of energy savings and improved staff retention, said Bailey.