Demand-response strategies were the hot topic at this year’s DESNZ/IEA Heat Pump Research Seminar. Molly Tooher-Rudd and Alex Smith capture the highlights, including talks on non-domestic heat pump retrofits and full-scale testing of net zero homes
Author: mollytooherrudd
Passivhaus case study: Woodmill High School and St Columba’s RC High School
The UK’s largest Passivhaus education building has operational energy use of just 45kWh·m-² per year. Andy Pearson looks at how the project team optimised performance and qualified for an outcome-based funding boost
Rewriting the rules of retrofit: the Entopia building
The Entopia Building sets a new benchmark for sustainable retrofits. Andy Pearson explores how CIBSE’s 2025 Building Performance Champion used a fabric-first approach to cut whole life carbon by 84%
Model future: the Home Energy Model
The model set to replace SAP for home energy assessments is designed to work dynamically with new-era technologies such as energy storage, advanced control systems and dynamic tariffs. Sustenic’s John Henderson and Jose Ortiz FCIBSE highlight the potential of the Home Energy Model
Building Performance Award winners 2025
CIBSE has revealed the buildings, products and people that are setting the benchmarks for excellence in building services engineering
Cooling without compromise: Thermal Comfort winner
EcoTechX’s CIBSE Award-winning Optimum air conditioning system uses water, not refrigerant, to provide cooling, which not only reduces embodied carbon, but also cuts operational energy use by up to 65%
Why mainstream MEP can and should be circular
Building services engineers should be looking to be part of a genuinely circular construction industry that is fit for the future, says Max Fordham’s Kiru Balson
Breaking the ice: a novel defrosting solution for heat pumps
Heat pump performance in sub-zero conditions is significantly challenged because of cumulative freezing. A new passive refrigerant flow control system aims to mitigate ice buildup, offering a simple yet effective approach to improving efficiency in extreme climates. Tim Dwyer reports
Take note: fire-safe façades
New Technical Notes from the Centre for Window and Cladding Technology are essential reading for anyone involved in the design and construction of modern façades. By David Metcalfe, director at CWCT
Breaking barriers: Women in Building Services Engineering
As we celebrate International Women’s Day this March, WiBSE North West representative Rachael Gilbert explains how starting a monthly Supper Club in Manchester has built a stronger, more inclusive industry