There has been a shift to lower light levels and use of darkness in the workplace, according to BDP’s Colin Ball, who cites the refurbished London office building LDN-W as a prime example
Category: Technical
How the Orkney Islands transitioned to heat pumps
Orkney Islands Council has been installing heat pumps in schools and public buildings for more than 15 years in a bid to decarbonise heating and end reliance on oil. Andy Pearson looks at the lessons learnt and how a smart electric grid could soon take advantage of the relentless winds that batter the Islands
Perfecting Passivhaus: Max Fordham’s experience of the fabric-first building method
Max Fordham has been designing Passivhaus projects for nine years, including two very different housing projects that won the residential CIBSE Building Performance Award in consecutive years. Gwilym Still chronicles the development of Passivhaus at the practice, and explains why it is integral to Max Fordham’s net zero strategy
Dark matters: SLL’s Guide to protecting the night time environment
The SLL has published its first, full-blown lighting guide on illumination and the night-time environment. Co-author Benedict Cadbury summarises the new LG 21: Guide to protecting the night-time environment, following a summary by Jill Entwistle
Embodied energy: the whole picture
New CIBSE research shows that embodied energy in heating and hot-water systems accounts for up to 25% of a dwelling’s whole-life embodied carbon. Elementa Consulting’s Yara Machnouk reports on the study that will form the basis of CIBSE guidance TM65.1
Unlocking the potential of heat networks
The rollout of heat networks are a key plank of the government’s Heat and Buildings Strategy. To identify the urban areas most suitable for networks, the government has published a new document on zoning, as Andy Pearson reports
Designing efficient hybrid heat pump systems
Considering the optimal operational design conditions of both technologies is essential to maximise the efficiency of a hybrid heat pump system. Baxi Heating’s Ryan Kirkwood offers advice on how to avoid conflict
Rethinking the fan coil
The Artus hybrid air conditioning unit is only 200mm deep, yet it achieves energy savings of 83% over conventional fan coil units thanks to patented designs for the heat exchanger and fan assembly. Andy Pearson speaks to inventor Roger Olsen about his quest to cool buildings more efficiently
Making building performance visible
Making building performance visible is the aim of a new tool that tracks the impact of design changes on energy intensity and cost. Roderic Bunn and John Field describe the tool and its advantages for use on Soft Landings projects
Saving energy at a stroke in leisure centre swimming pools
Improved insulation in wet leisure centres not only cuts heat loss through walls and windows, but also allows swimming pools to operate at a higher relative humidity, resulting in energy savings as ventilation rates are reduced. Dee Associates’ Mike Hancock explains