Aiming for net zero carbon in new homes means rethinking the upfront carbon in building services engineering. Ilke Homes’ Nigel Banks looks at what this means for engineering design if targets are to be met
Author: Alex Smith
Building Performance Awards 2022 shortlists revealed
With the CIBSE Building Performance Awards returning to London in 2022, the cream of the building services industry will again be able to celebrate in front of their peers. Alex Smith reports from the judging process that, last month, selected shortlists for the 14 awards
Black to the future: BDP’s ‘hygge’ office lighting design
There has been a shift to lower light levels and use of darkness in the workplace, according to BDP’s Colin Ball, who cites the refurbished London office building LDN-W as a prime example
Charging forward
Hard on the heels of COP26, the government is set to make a flurry of announcements about energy and buildings, to press ahead with decarbonising our homes and offices. Hywel Davies sets out what can be expected
How the Orkney Islands transitioned to heat pumps
Orkney Islands Council has been installing heat pumps in schools and public buildings for more than 15 years in a bid to decarbonise heating and end reliance on oil. Andy Pearson looks at the lessons learnt and how a smart electric grid could soon take advantage of the relentless winds that batter the Islands
Podcast: The challenge and opportunities associated with delivering heat networks
Glen Miller and Kim Hansen from Grundfos Pumps look at best practice in the design of district energy networks and the role pumps can play in ensuring system efficiency
Perfecting Passivhaus: Max Fordham’s experience of the fabric-first building method
Max Fordham has been designing Passivhaus projects for nine years, including two very different housing projects that won the residential CIBSE Building Performance Award in consecutive years. Gwilym Still chronicles the development of Passivhaus at the practice, and explains why it is integral to Max Fordham’s net zero strategy
Dark matters: SLL’s Guide to protecting the night time environment
The SLL has published its first, full-blown lighting guide on illumination and the night-time environment. Co-author Benedict Cadbury summarises the new LG 21: Guide to protecting the night-time environment, following a summary by Jill Entwistle
Specifying fan coil units in a post-Covid environment
Why HDR’s Adrian Gray believes infectious disease transmission must be embedded in ventilation regulations
Triple crown: Young Engineers Awards winners revealed
The winners of the CIBSE Young Engineers Awards demonstrated that the building services industry has the talent and drive to deliver the safe and sustainable buildings necessary to meet the challenge of climate change. Alex Smith report