Trial / Demo
IES conducted a comprehensive energy audit and develop a decarbonization roadmap for the 12,500 m² administrative headquarters of Kildare County Council. To meet Ireland’s Climate Action Plan (CAP 23), the building required a roadmap for a comprehensive retrofit plan to achieve a 51% carbon reduction and a 50% energy efficiency improvement by 2030, eliminating fossil fuels.
Challenges
With the original building services nearing the end of their 20-year life, Kildare County Council faced operational challenges. IES’s regression analysis exposed significant gas waste during low-occupancy periods, with the current BMS operating at a standard efficiency level. These discrepancies, alongside reports of drafts and overheating, indicated that the automated natural ventilation required urgent recalibration.
Data Analysis and BER Assessment
IES used the advanced analytical capabilities of the Virtual Environment (IESVE) to transform raw audit data into a de-risked, multi-stage decarbonization strategy. Python Scripting within IESVE correlated weather data (Heating Degree Days) against actual consumption, revealing that gas consumption in December (low occupancy) was higher than in March (high occupancy), despite March being colder.
Beyond long-term strategic upgrades, IES identified immediate, no-cost savings of €5,200 per year through simple operational adjustments, such as resetting fans to 'Auto' mode. This data-backed approach justifies the recommended transition to High-Performance Building Automation and Control (ISO 52120) to close the performance gap.
Precision HVAC Retrofit Strategy
IES moved the project beyond a simple compliance check into a detailed system assessment, using ApacheHVAC to model the transition from fossil fuel boilers to Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs). By testing both High-Temperature and Low-Temperature HP scenarios, IES identified the most cost-effective path to ensure the new system would meet peak loads without over-sizing. The resulting blueprint aims to eliminate on-site natural gas combustion while guaranteeing thermal comfort for over 700 occupants. To master the building's complex mix of ventilation and mechanical AHUs, MacroFlo was used to calculate air exchange rates and pinpoint draft-prone areas.
Quantifiable Results: A Roadmap to Net Zero
IES identified over 30 actionable measures, including no-cost operational changes that provide immediate funding for further steps toward Net Zero. By modeling future grid decarbonization to 2030, IES provided the technical certainty to implement a high-fidelity energy retrofit capable of achieving a 783,611 kWh annual reduction. A standout feature included the evaluation of a 585 kWp solar PV array mounted on car park canopies to potentially turn the site into a renewable energy generator.
Figure one: CO2 Emissions - Baseline vs Post ECMs
Figure two: Energy Consumption - Baseline vs Post ECMs
Operational Modeling and Future-Proofing
IESVE’s unique strength lies in bridging the gap between regulatory compliance and high-fidelity operational modeling within a single, unified platform. To future-proof the audit’s findings, IES has recommended a LOD300 BIM model integrated with IES Live. Simulations during the audit process quantified that upgrading the BMS to the highest ISO 52120 efficiency standards would deliver an additional potential 20% in energy savings.
IES Live was recommended as the critical tool to achieve and protect these gains through 2030 by preventing ‘control drift’. This approach would allow Kildare County Council to theoretically move from a static report to a live, real-time dashboard for continuous performance monitoring.
Confidence in Compliance
Apache enabled total regulatory alignment with IPMVP-compliant (International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol) baselines. A Building Energy Rating (BER) model was generated following the official National Energy Assessment Procedure (NEAP) methodology, measuring every proposed intervention against a digitally accurate representation of the building's operating cycle. This gives Kildare County Council the confidence that their proposed strategy is fully compliant with Irish and EU standards.
"The IES retrofit strategy identified a pathway to cut carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, far exceeding the 51% statutory mandate."
Patricia Brennan, Energy Officer, Climate Action Office, Kildare County Council
Sustaining Performance: Strategic Outlook
The audit highlights that while a physical retrofit is the next stage, an obvious next step would be to implement a continuous monitoring via IES Live to maintain long-term energy gains. It serves as a vital technology tool for any organization seeking to close the performance gap between design and operation, especially for complex public sector retrofits where legal carbon targets to 2030 and beyond are mandatory.
