Where should the UK source its heat? WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff’s Barny Evans and CIBSE CHP/District Heating Group chair Phil Jones discuss the options
Category: General
Building on the past: celebrating 40 years of CIBSE
From the miners’ strikes and oil crises of the 1970s, to the ‘boom and bust’ of the 1980s and technological advances in the 2000s, the UK’s industrial landscape has evolved radically over the past four decades. Liza Young asks former CIBSE presidents how building services has changed since the Institution began in 1976
Primary evidence – primary schools from 1976 and 2016 go head-to-head
School design has changed fundamentally over the past 40 years, but have results improved in terms of energy use? IES’ Colin Rees models two primary schools from 1976 and 2016 to find out what impact advances in materials, systems and IT have had on energy consumption
Question time: Boswell Reid’s pioneering work on occupant evaluation in the Houses of Parliament
David Boswell Reid was a pioneer of post occupancy evaluations, allowing MPs to feed back on their comfort levels during the development of the Palace of Westminster’s Victorian ventilation system, says CIBSE Heritage Group’s Dr Henrik Schoenefeldt
The perfect return – heat network return temperatures
For a heat network to be energy efficient, it is essential that low flow return temperatures are achieved. Carbon Alternative’s Martin Crane explains why it is so important
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
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
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
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