The Insurance Act 2015 came into force in August, and one of its major changes relates to the concept of fair presentation of risk. Hywel Davies explores the potential implications
Author: lyoung
Concerted effort: inspiring the next generation of services engineers
When STEM ambassador Charity Nicholls mentioned ‘building services engineering’ to a class of pupils, she was met with a sea of blank faces. In response she created a virtual rock venue and, with the help of Google’s 3D glasses, brought the profession to life
Heat stress – addressing overheating at Addenbrooke’s Rosie maternity unit
Mothers, babies and staff at the Rosie maternity unit in Cambridge can endure summer temperatures of over 30°C. Alan Short, Renganathan Giridharan, and Kevin Lomas look at what can be done to improve resilience at the 1983 facility at Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Pumped up – Rio’s Olympic canoe slalom design
Rio’s Olympic Canoe Slalom has already won gold for energy efficiency, using 30% less power than the 2012 course. Andrew Brister explains how the design reduces flow rates and pumping power, but still pushes paddlers to the limit
High-flying eagle – the value of a detailed EPC assessment at Eagle Tower
The owner of Eagle Tower in Cheltenham was braced for an expensive retrofit to meet new standards, but a dynamic model of the iconic building revealed a better performance than expected. Matthew Edis, of Sustainable Construction Services, explains the value of a detailed Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessment
Strategy gains
Engineers need to think strategically to understand how sub-systems interrelate, says Shaun Fitzgerald
Taking control – approaches to power over ethernet in lighting
Power over ethernet is a hot topic in commercial lighting as the Internet of Things continues to spread its web – but not all products work the same way. Prolojik’s Asela Rodrigo explains the different approaches to this emerging technology when applied to lighting
Breaking BIM
In his second instalment, Hoare Lea’s Ben Roberts explains why buildings need to be able to talk to each other on common terms
The meaning of Brexit
On 23 June 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU. ‘Brexit means Brexit’, says the new Prime Minister, but what might Brexit mean for energy and buildings? Hywel Davies explains what we know so far
Spirit of St Louis – ASHRAE conference highlights
The drive towards net zero energy buildings, combating legionella outbreaks, and the indoor environment were just some of the topics covered in this year’s ASHRAE Summer Conference. Frank Mills and Tim Dwyer report from the event in St Louis, USA