The gap between predicted and actual building performance remains one of the built environment’s most persistent and costly challenges. Despite increasingly sophisticated modelling tools, design standards and building technologies, many projects fail to deliver the levels of energy efficiency, comfort and operational performance anticipated during design.
To explore why this continues and how the industry can respond, a new four-part event series, ‘Who owns the performance gap between design intent and operational reality?’, has been launched.
It will examine how decisions made throughout the project life-cycle influence building performance after occupation. Each event focuses on a different aspect of the performance gap, bringing together designers, engineers, contractors, operators, policy-makers and researchers to share evidence, lessons learned and practical solutions.
The series begins by investigating the consequences of over- and undersizing building services, while the second session considers heat network design, and the third focuses on modelling and simulation tools. The last event in the series looks at post-occupancy evaluation, measurement and verification.
Rather than searching for a single owner of the performance gap, the series recognises that responsibility is shared. By bringing together stakeholders from a building’s life-cycle, the programme aims to encourage greater collaboration, accountability and learning.
Ultimately, the goal is to identify practical actions that will help narrow the gap.
Event diary: who owns the performance gap?
- 5 November: How the performance gap is affected by oversizing/undersizing equipment, and how controls and metering can improve it
- 12 November: The relationship between energy performance and heat network design
- 18 November: How the performance gap is affected by modelling and software at design stage, followed by the Building Simulation Awards
- 1 December: Who owns the performance gap? A postoccupancy evaluation and vision for the future.
All events run from 13.00-17.00 at CIBSE HQ, followed by networking in the new Members Area. Sign up for the events at Who owns the performance gap?
- Jennifer Cox is a senior electrical engineer at Cundall