Brief for Consultancy Works for Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD)
Scope of Services
An independent ESD Consultant shall be involved in projects of capital value greater than $20,000,000. For projects of lesser capital value the ESD Services may be provided by the Architect and Engineering Consultants.
ESD Consultants
The ESD Consultant shall have extensive experience in energy auditing, the implementation of energy efficient measures in existing buildings, significant computer building energy simulation capability, and a thorough understanding of the design process.
Scope of Services
ESD Consultants have a general responsibility for the following service components of a project:
- Passive Design
- Energy Efficiency & Greenhouse Gases
- Water Conservation
- Waste Minimisation
- Material Selection
- Biodiversity
- Indoor Environment Quality
- Review of Building systems
- Transport
Note: Audits related to the ESD services may require the separate engagement of an appropriate Consultant.
Attendance at Meeting Attendances
ESD Consultants are required to attend regular meetings throughout each phase of the project. Meetings they are expected to attend include but are not necessarily limited to:
- Consultant Team meetings
- Design Team meetings
- Value Management Review
- User Group meetings
- Project Control Group meetings.
Consultant Team Meetings
ESD Consultants are required to attend regular Consultant Team meetings (eg fortnightly) throughout the design and documentation phases of the project. Consultant Team meetings manage all activities and report on the status of the project to the Project Control Group. The meetings are chaired and minuted by the Project Manager or Principal Consultant.
Design Team Meeting
ESD Consultants are required to attend regular Design Team meetings at which all design and technical issues are discussed in detail. Design Team meetings are chaired and minuted by the Project Manager or Principal Consultant.
Value Management Review
ESD Consultants are required to prepare information for briefings and participate in Value Management Reviews as required by the Project Manager or Principal Consultant.
User Group Meeting
An intensive programme of User Input is expected in projects. This is achieved primarily through regular meetings with the project User Groups during key stages of the design, documentation and commissioning phases, at times fortnightly. User Group meetings determine the performance requirements to be met for each service, within reasonable financial limits. User requirements are subject to the approval of the agency management representative on the Project Control Group. ESD Consultants attend as required by the Project Manager, Principal Consultant or Quantity Surveyor.
Project Control Group Meeting
The ESD Consultants may be required to attend Project Control Group meetings at the request of the Project Control Group or the Project Manager.
Reporting Requirements
The ESD Consultants must prepare monthly progress reports (1000-1200 words) for inclusion in the Project Manager’s Monthly Report to the Project Control Group. The progress report should include a brief summary of the status of the work and outline any key issues or critical decisions to be made regarding their area of responsibility.
Roles and Responsibilities
ESD Consultants have general responsibilities to:
- In consultation with the project team, client and building users, define the environmental and social objectives of the project, and the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in achieving them.
- Communicate with relevant stakeholders and record all discussions regarding environmental performance targets, engineering and design briefs and surety of supply.
- Conduct an energy and water audit of existing facilities being redeveloped and of existing site services infrastructure that will serve the proposed development.
- Determine energy and environmental performance benchmarks based on similar facilities and establish performance targets with reference to the DHS Environment Policy and Victorian Government energy reduction policy.
- Identify strategies, and associated costs, for achieving performance targets with reference to determined benchmarks.
- Monitor the project throughout the design, documentation and development phases to ensure conformity with project and statutory requirements.
- Report any areas needing further consideration to the Project Control Group.
- Prepare an energy and environment management plan (EMP) including environmental performance Benchmarks and targets for the performance of the facilities.
- Prepare design and financial criteria for EMP including major plant and reticulation systems in terms of:
- Capital and recurrent costs,
- Payback periods, and
- Life cycle energy costs (including embodied energy and energy costs for operation).
- Develop clear documentation that allows the design consultants to carry out their work efficiently.
- Advise on the planning, selection, installation and type of services and materials.
- Contribute to the preparation of Investment Evaluation Reports, design documents, asset management plans, operation and maintenance plan; design, documentation and technical advice commensurate in detail with each stage of the project.
- Ensure that services systems are low maintenance, have low energy requirements and comply with any energy efficiency requirements of the Government of Victoria as well as any energy efficiency requirements of the Building Code of Australia. (Any project seeking exemption is to be considered by the Director of CMB or Manager of Standards, CMB.)
- Monitor and check the work of each sub-consultant if relevant.
- Maintain effective quality control systems to ensure that information provided is fit-for-purpose, complete, comprehensive and up to date.
- Liaise with the Project Manager, Principal Consultant and other consultants throughout all phases of the project.
- The more specific responsibilities of ESD Consultant are to:
- Analyse environmental and functional requirements as well as performance standards to be met by systems.·
- Identify options and report on the recommended sustainability systems including:
- Design, location, area, size of facilities and building services.
- Building orientation, sizes and locations (including access for maintenance, repairs and replacement).
- All infrastructure including reticulated services and site supply.
- Waste Management systems during and following the construction phase.
- Proposed standby and emergency arrangements.
- Check type size and location of system components such as major plant and equipment with other services and architectural requirements.
- Meet functional requirements to ensure system is fit for purpose, including essential services.
- Liaise with the mechanical, structural, hydraulic & electrical consultants regarding concepts, design documentation and operations of power supply, air conditioning, heating, sterilisation, chilled water, ventilation and smoke spill etc.
Master Plan and Feasibility Study
During the master plan and feasibility study, the ESD Consultant is responsible for the following tasks in relation to their area of professional responsibility:
- Conduct an energy and water audit of existing facilities being redeveloped and of existing site services infrastructure that will serve the proposed development. The energy audit will be a level 2 energy audit conducted in accordance with the requirements of Australian Standard AS3598 (2000): Energy Auditing.
- Investigate alternative systems for service delivery (eg ice storage).
- Prepare a Feasibility Study report following a comprehensive assessment of possible alternative solutions to the project’s service requirements, including capital development costs and ongoing operating and maintenance costs of each alternative.
- Advise and make recommendations to the Project Manager and Project Control Group on issues associated with their area of professional responsibility including but not limited to environmental issues, energy from renewable sources, embodied energy and indoor air quality.
- Continuously monitor and assess key architectural, mechanical, structural, hydraulic, electrical, structural and civil engineering and services decisions for their impact on functional, or on capital and/or recurrent cost impact.
- Prepare environmental performance benchmarks and design targets for evaluation of the Feasibility Study against comparable projects, in accordance with Department of Human Services requirements. (Typical benchmarks examine energy consumption per area, measure output eg energy $ per Weighted Inlier Equivalent Separation (WIES)/throughput/client and/or functional and area basis. Benchmarks will include but not be limited to recurrent engineering services costs.)
Schematic Design
During schematic design the ESD Consultant is required to carry out the following tasks in relation to their area of professional responsibility:
- Analyse environmental and functional (area and room data sheets) requirements and confirm performance standards to be met by sustainability systems.
- Assess requirements for redundancy and for future expansion for sizing of major plant.
- Prepare a schematic design report following a comprehensive assessment of possible alternative solutions to the project’s service requirements, including capital development costs and ongoing operating and maintenance costs of each alternative. The Report is to be provided to the Quantity Surveyor for inclusion in the Investment Evaluation Report.
- Identify the cost of capital required to achieve recurrent savings.
- Provide the Project Manager and Project Control Group with advice and recommendations on issues associated with their area of professional responsibility.
- Advise and make recommendations to the Project Manager and the Project Control Group on issues associated with their area of professional responsibility.
- Continuously monitor architectural, mechanical, electrical, structural and civil engineering and services decisions, drawings and documentation for their functional, capital and/or recurrent cost impact.
- Review environmental performance benchmarks and design targets benchmarks for evaluation of the Schematic Design against comparable projects, in accordance with Department of Human Services requirements.
- Continuously monitor the impact of architectural, structural, civil and engineering services drawings and documentation and the key decisions made in relation to each discipline that have a functional, capital and/or recurrent cost impact.
Value Management
ESD Consultants are required to:
- Identify areas of high recurrent costs for consideration by the Project Control Group at the Value Management Review.
- Provide cost reduction options that may be needed to maintain the project cost within budget.
Design Development
During design development the ESD Consultant is required to carry out for the following tasks in relation to their area of professional responsibility:
- Assist the design team undertake any changes to the Schematic Design required as a result of the Value Management review.
- Resolve any outstanding design issues, including any changes to the Schematic Design required as a result of the Value Management review.
- Prepare a report that includes evaluation statements for all major decisions, for inclusion in the Design Development Report for the project.
- Ensure the design development for their area of responsibility meets the sustainability requirements of the brief and is in accordance with the project budget.
- Provide any information necessary to identify issues any matter associated with special facilities and/or major plant and equipment.
- Provide the Quantity Surveyor with a report of sustainability aspects for inclusion in Cost Plan C2.
- Review all systems to ensure their compliance with all original targets and objectives established for the project.
Contract Documentation
During contract documentation the ESD Consultant is required to undertake the following tasks in relation to their area of professional responsibility:
- Ensure that documentation remains within the briefed areas and budgeted cost parameters.
- Review contract documentation suitable for competitive tendering of the project including:
- Specifications
- Documentation
- Description of maintenance requirements for maintenance of essential services, major plant and equipment and any specialised facilities.
- Prepare a list of suitable sub-contractors where required.
- Liaise with the Project Manager and Architect in the preparation of a schedule for the construction works.
- Establish agreed contract administration procedures with the Superintendent, contract administration procedures for the proper handling of sustainability issues (eg. waste management programs, use of recycled materials, minimisation of products with high embodied energy) that arise throughout the project.
Tender, Evaluate and Award
The ESD Consultant is required to undertake the following tasks in conjunction with the Project Manager and other consultants:
- Assist with and respond to requests for information.
- Assist in assessment and recommendations during the tender, evaluate, award and negotiation period if required.
- Undertake reference checks on contracting firms and ascertain the suitability if needed.
Construction
During construction, the ESD Consultant is required to liaise with the responsible engineers to:·
- Identify dangerous materials and hazardous goods areas to maintain safe environmental practices.
- Witness the testing of all services related to health and safety, and identify all hazardous areas.
- Provide the required documentation for the processing of variations.
- Check the completion and the provision to the client of suitable reports on operations and waste management programs.
- Check that a building services commissioning program is undertaken with maintenance operators, and that all guarantees and warranties are processed and provided.
Asset Management
The ESD Consultant is to:
- Review the register of all major plant and equipment included in the project that records:
- Type, model and name of manufacturer.
- Date of acquisition, purchase value and location of spares/back up.
- Design capacity, redundancy and life expectancy of elements.
Prepare components of an Asset Management Plan, i.e. asset operation and maintenance budget review system, in conjunction with the Quantity Surveyor and engineers.
The register must record:
- Name of manufacturer, type and model details.
- Date of acquisition, purchase value and location of spares/back up. Design capacity, redundancy and life expectancy of elements.
- The asset maintenance budget must be prepared by the mechanical engineer in conjunction with the Quantity Surveyor. The budget must indicate the anticipated cash flow and annual budget for the life of the facility (15 to 20 years). It must include:
- Environmental management program and associated energy consumption costs (eg. electricity and gas for lighting, power, heating and cooling).
- Waste management program and associated costs.
- Operating and maintenance of related services (eg solar heating, grey-water treatment systems) costs
- Other environmental operating activities associated with training, induction and participation in wise environmental behaviour.
The Asset Management Plan information must be provided in electronic and hard copy format. Documents are to be recorded in a form suitable for monitoring and reporting (essential services, accreditation and annual compliance checks).
Post Occupancy Evaluation
The ESD Consultant is required to participate in the Post Occupancy Evaluation of the completed project.
Engineering Consultants
In relation to Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD), the engineering consultants shall:
- Collaborate in a systematic analysis of energy efficiency and energy cost savings opportunities
- Prepare cost estimates for major plant and reticulation systems in terms of capital costs, life cycle costs and energy and recurrent costs
- Prepare benchmarks for evaluation of the Schematic Design against comparable projects.
- Contribute to the preparation of reports for Investment Evaluation, tender documents, asset register, operation and maintenance and energy management plan.
- Assess alternative energy systems (eg central energy facility, cogeneration, solar and photovoltaic.
- Meet functional requirements to ensure system is fit for purpose including load shedding, alternative supply and maintenance of essential services. Assess alternative energy systems (eg central energy facility, cogeneration, solar and photovoltaic.
- Prepare energy monitoring and management activities
- Construct a model to simulate building annual energy use, to evaluate various ‘what if’ scenarios, and to verify the proposed design scheme achieves energy design targets. The simulation model shall use hourly climate data and be capable of providing hourly reporting of the building operation and equipment loads.
- Determine the annual energy consumption of the proposed design scheme.
