Research by Max Fordham shows that air source heat pumps with low global warming potential refrigerant risk being penalised under current calculation methods for embodied carbon. The firm’s Lia Minty discusses how upfront carbon differs according to refrigerant type and proposes a fairer methodology
Category: Technical
The application of heat pumps in non-domestic buildings
A packed CIBSE briefing looked at how heat pumps can be applied effectively in commercial buildings. Speakers explored design quality, retrofit challenges and the policy drivers needed to unlock the market. Molly Tooher-Rudd reports
Could waste heat hold the key to decarbonisation?
Seven heat networks based around waste-heat sources could supply up to 6% of London’s heat needs, according to a Waste Heat Study for the GLA by Buro Happold. Bill Wilson reports
Optimising a new nature-first hotel through digital design
Parametric optimisation and real-time modelling guided early design choices at a new luxury hotel in Spain, cutting embodied and operational carbon. Aecom’s Inés Idzikowski Pérez on how performance, cost and client aspirations were aligned
Removing the blind spots: hybridised pipework
Hybridised construction products, such as polyethylene pre-insulated MLCP pipes, are slipping through the regulatory gaps. Chris Ridge, from the Thermal Insulation Contractors Association, believes informed specification and rigorous scrutiny may be the only safeguard against performance shortfalls and hidden compliance risks
Tackling the global drive for decarbonisation and energy efficiency in HVAC systems
Advanced monitoring and measurement tools are transforming HVAC systems into smarter, greener solutions.
Down the plughole: heat recovery from shower wastewater
Wastewater heat recovery systems can reclaim up to 60% of shower energy. With showers using 20–30% of hot water, a new Rehva guide – summarised by Tim Dwyer – highlights their efficiency potential
Pushing the cooling limit: CIBSE Natural Ventilation Group
The limits of passive cooling, healthy learning environments and mitigating overheating were the core subjects of a topical summer event hosted by the CIBSE Natural Ventilation Group in July. Chair Chris Iddon reports
Net zero’s mission possible? testing the UK-NZCBS pilot
Max Fordham has been testing the pilot version of the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard to see if its projects would hit the carbon limits. The firm’s Henry Pelly reveals which building types are providing the most difficult challenges
Getting it right: simulation tool for integrating environmental design
A new integrated simulation tool aims to close the gap between architectural form-making and environmental performance at the earliest stages of design. Joel Callow, founding director at Beyond Carbon, explains how it works