Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation has been used for many years to mitigate the spread of measles and tuberculosis. It can effectively inactivate the Covid-19 virus too, but a lack of guidelines makes modelling the equipment a complex task. Liza Young reports
Category: General
Winter protection: version 4 of CIBSE’s Covid-19 Ventilation Guide
The cold season brings new challenges for building managers trying to minimise the Covid-19 risk while maintaining occupant comfort. Chris Iddon introduces the latest CIBSE guidance on optimum HVAC strategies for Covid-secure buildings
Emergency call: temporary Covid-19 hospitals
Arup’s modular emergency healthcare solution, CareBox, can be deployed rapidly wherever it’s needed. Phil Lattimore finds out how it works, and looks at how other designs have responded to increasing knowledge of how Covid-19 is transmitted
Instant response: HVAC deep learning
With artificial intelligence, heating and air conditioning can react in real time to occupant activity, says Paige Tien, who explains how deep learning and occupant detection can help align heating, cooling and ventilation systems to individuals’ needs
Oxford’s balancing act: city smart grid with ground source heat pumps
Oxford is building an intelligent local grid that will allow buildings’ heat pumps to be connected to a smart grid that is able to charge hundreds of electric vehicles, thanks to a large-scale battery technology. Andy Pearson reports
Knowledge transfer: Q&A with CIBSE Knowledge Management Committee chair
The Covid-19 crisis means this year’s Build2Perform is virtual, but Ted Pilbeam, chair of CIBSE’s Knowledge Management Committee, sees opportunities for online learning, which will influence how CIBSE disseminates information in the future
Power and the glory: Young Engineers Awards winners
Two female electrical engineers were the big winners at the Young Engineer Awards, with Aecom’s Jennifer Cox named CIBSE ASHRAE Graduate of the Year and Megan Whitbread winning the inaugural Apprentice of the Year Award. Alex Smith watched the winning presentations
Young Engineer Awards: Meet the 2020 finalists
Alan Sugar’s show may have been cancelled this autumn because of Covid-19, but CIBSE’s first Apprentice of the Year competition is taking place as part of the virtual Young Engineer Awards. We introduce the nine finalists, plus the candidates for Graduate of the Year
Performance pioneers: the developers targeting real outcomes
Eleven office developments will trial the UK version of Australia’s Nabers rating scheme, which grades buildings by actual performance. Andy Pearson speaks to consultants on the Design for Performance initiative about outcome-based designs
Slowing the flow: estimating water demand in non-domestic buildings
Overestimating water flow rates means plant is oversized and water is wasted. Heriot-Watt University’s Sarwar Mohammed considers a new method for calculating flow rates accurately in
non-domestic building
