A new draft version of SAP has more than halved the CO2 emissions factors for electricity. Alex Smith looks at how changes to the energy use calculation could accelerate a move from gas to electric heating in homes
Category: General
Making history – Heritage Group symposium
The first Heritage Group symposium explored ways to bridge the gap between academia and practice. Liza Young reports
What’s cooking – measuring PM2.5
To ensure indoor air quality measurements in homes are accurate and repeatable, we need standards that clearly define sensor types, calibration methods, sampling frequency, averaging periods and measurement locations, says the University of Nottingham’s Benjamin Jones
Take despair out of disrepair – guidance on dilapidations
Guidance on dilapidations from building services engineers is a specialist area, argues TFT’s Marc Hill – so what should be considered before a lease starts, and how can tenants prepare for lease end?
Model patient – tackling overheating at NHS Scotland
Using realistic input data and local climate projections enabled Health Facilities Scotland to find solutions to tackle overheating in its buildings. Liza Young finds out how they did it
Vital signs of success – North West Ambulance Service’s energy performance contract with Imtech
An energy-performance contract between North West Ambulance Service and Imtech is exceeding expectations. Tony Cookson, energy manager at Imtech, explains how
How BIM helped restore the Spanish City pleasure palace in Whitley Bay
Restoring the Spanish City pleasure palace in Whitley Bay meant installing many services in the Grade II listed building for the first time. Mott MacDonald’s David Ridley explains how cloud-based BIM helped real-time collaboration to preserve the heritage of the building
How BuroHappold put performance into engineering to win a CIBSE award
BuroHappold won two categories at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards, and was shortlisted for a third. Alex Smith visits the company that measures success in terms of optimum building performance
Site test – testing heat networks before handover
Acceptance testing allows developers to see if heat networks are working before handover. The tool is being used across 20 developments, says FairHeat’s Gareth Jones, enabling issues that could lead to poor operation to be identified
Spiritual dome: lighting design and fire protection at The Macallan distillery
Half submerged in the Scottish hills, The Macallan distillery is a dramatic visual representation of the distilling process. Andy Pearson looks at how Speirs + Major’s lighting design bought the process to life and how Arup dealt with the fire hazard
