A review of a hybrid and active ventilation system in a secondary school aims to highlight the embodied carbon impacts of choosing one ventilation strategy over another. Mat Naccarato, of Savills Earth, describes the method and key learnings
Category: Technical
Heat in transition: decarbonisation of heating
Experts laid out the case for accelerating the move from gas boilers to heat pumps at the CIBSE Decarbonisation of Heating and Cooling conference last month. Molly Tooher-Rudd reports
Chiller moves: predicting energy use
Traditional metrics are not always enough to accurately predict chiller energy use, say Cundall’s Peter Owens and Jakub Borowiec, who outline a practical modelling alternative that accounts for part-load scenarios and outdoor conditions
Accelerating environmental analysis with Cyclops
Software developed by Foster + Partners won the Best Digital Innovation – Organisational Strategy award at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards
Double act: developing digital twins at the University of Liverpool
Too often discarded after planning approval, design models can power advanced digital twins that cut energy use, carbon emissions and costs. Alex Smith looks at a pioneering IES project that has created a powerful engine for operational efficiency
The hidden cost of poor pipework insulation
Pipework thermal insulation is often overlooked, but can have a devastating impact on system performance if not specified, installed or maintained correctly. Kaizen Energy Consultancy’s Lawrence Leask and TICA’s Chris Ridge say following insulation best practice is a low-hanging fruit when it comes to HVAC efficiency
A new chapter on solar heat at the British Library
The British Library’s ambitious decarbonisation strategy starts with energy reduction at its Grade I-listed archive in King’s Cross. Alex Smith looks at a solar heating and power project that generated more than 200MWh of renewable energy in 12 months
Travelling in comfort? How rail can learn from buildings
Good ventilation in trains is essential for passenger comfort, but how does it compare with air quality practice in the built environment. Ben Warren, of the Rail Safety and Standards Board, shares insights from a recent study
Dancing on air: designing Sadler’s Wells East
In contemporary dance performance, attention to detail is everything – nothing should break the connection between the dancer and the audience, including the background hum of heating and cooling systems. Andy Pearson looks at how Buro Happold met the exacting acoustic requirements at Sadler’s Wells East
Testing the limits: lowering operating temperatures
Lowering operating temperatures will be essential if existing buildings are to plug into the next generation of heat networks. FairHeat’s Simran Chaggar drops the boiler setpoints in two commercial buildings to see how they cope
