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
Category: Technical
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
Tapping into efficiency: Passivhaus school’s point-of-use water heaters
At the Passivhaus-accredited Riverside Primary School in Perth, Scotland, the selection of point-of-use water heaters played a key role in driving down energy use. Baxi’s Andy Green explains how the optimal solution was realised
Turning waste into warmth: how data centres can heat tomorrow’s cities
Aecom has helped develop a vast energy centre in West London that will pipe waste heat from data centres into 10,000 new homes and existing businesses via a heat network. The company’s Asad Kwaja looks at the ‘architecture’ behind the design
Race to net zero: why schools must act now
UK schools produce 2% of UK carbon emissions, yet retrofits lag behind net zero targets. Professor Dejan Mumovic FCIBSE explains to Alex Smith how large-scale models can accelerate decarbonisation while minimising overheating risk
In demand: the DESNZ/IEA Heat Pump Research Seminar
Demand-response strategies were the hot topic at this year’s DESNZ/IEA Heat Pump Research Seminar. Molly Tooher-Rudd and Alex Smith capture the highlights, including talks on non-domestic heat pump retrofits and full-scale testing of net zero homes
Do you have to comply with government’s notional building types?
HVAC strategies are set for a substantial shift next year, so how much flexibility do you have to create your own design?
