Dynamic ‘circadian’ lighting varies in colour and intensity during the day, but does it improve alertness and help people sleep? BRE’s Paul Littlefair and Cosmin Ticleanu describe an experiment that aims to find out
Author: Alex Smith
Are we ready to switch to electric?
Decarbonisation of the Grid suggests a move from fossil fuels for heating, but Huw Blackwell says we are not ready to switch en masse
Case study: Lark Rise, the UK’s first Passivhaus Plus
A Passivhaus Plus home in the Chiltern Hills establishes the ‘building as a power station’ concept and shows the viability of an electrical grid powered by renewable energy. Andy Pearson reports
Heightened awareness: Avoiding cold draughts in offices with exposed ceilings
The trend for exposed ceilings in offices can have serious consequences for occupant comfort if designers don’t take into account the impact they have on air movement. Gilbert’s Roy Jones explains how draughts and cold spots can be avoided by using special plates added to diffusers
Take me higher: A’DAM Tower lift strategy
The lift configuration in the newly refurbished A’DAM tower in Amsterdam has been radically redesigned to accommodate a huge increase in traffic. Jochem Wit explains how this was achieved through a combination of technical, architectural and organisational measure
Going off track
As protestors caused chaos in Westminster, Committee on Climate Change witnesses claimed we were way behind with our energy-efficiency policies to meet current carbon dioxide emissions targets. Hywel Davies explain
Using renewables to unlock the Grid
If electric vehicles and batteries are to herald an all-electric future for homes, smart tech must be developed and tested to ensure there is always available energy to match household demand. Andy Pearson reports
Best practice for lower-GWP refrigerants: installation, commissioning and servicing
Daikin’s Martin Passingham explains how new refrigerants meeting the F-Gas Regulation can be safely installed and maintained
Tackling NOx from CHPs
Policies encouraging gas-fired CHPs in London are going into reverse. David Blackman looks at how new air pollution policies will affect the future of heat in the capital
Industry wakes up to reality at Futurebuild
At the conference formerly known as Ecobuild, there was a large focus on housing and monitoring performance, as well as debates on the future of heat and integration of electric vehicles. Alex Smith and Andy Pearson report