Electrocaloric cooling works by applying an electric field to change temperatures and requires no refrigerants. Metkel Yebiyo and Professor Andy Ford look at the benefits of the technology and the challenges of bringing it to market
Category: Technical
Life safety support: CIBSE Guide E: Fire Safety Engineering
Grenfell put fire safety in building design under greater scrutiny. Martin Kealy introduces the new CIBSE guide to fire safety engineering, which – in its fourth edition – has been updated to take account of the findings from Grenfell Tower and other fires
Hot off the press: research on overheating in homes
The latest research on assessing and mitigating overheating in buildings is the focus of a Building Services and Engineering Research and Technology Journal special edition. CIBSE’S Anastasia Mylona looks at the key findings
In plane sight: ultra-high-resolution thermal imaging
Ultra-high-resolution thermal imaging technology is giving researchers much more detail on how cities are affected by high temperatures. James Richards explains how a land-temperature sensing project, led by King’s College London, could help assess urban overheating risk and model ventilation strategies
Heavyweight solutions
Scott James, director at Viega, looks at why thick-walled steel tube continues to be a common choice and how press connection technology helps overcome many of the traditional installation issues
Plants as a building service
Plants are proven to remove pollutants and improve air quality, but which species should be considered? Researchers from the University of Birmingham and the RHS review the latest research looking for answers
Evaluating dynamic lighting
Dynamic ‘circadian’ lighting varies in colour and intensity during the day, but does it improve alertness and help people sleep? BRE’s Paul Littlefair and Cosmin Ticleanu describe an experiment that aims to find out
Case study: Lark Rise, the UK’s first Passivhaus Plus
A Passivhaus Plus home in the Chiltern Hills establishes the ‘building as a power station’ concept and shows the viability of an electrical grid powered by renewable energy. Andy Pearson reports
Heightened awareness: Avoiding cold draughts in offices with exposed ceilings
The trend for exposed ceilings in offices can have serious consequences for occupant comfort if designers don’t take into account the impact they have on air movement. Gilbert’s Roy Jones explains how draughts and cold spots can be avoided by using special plates added to diffusers
How audio visualisation can drive the natural ventilation of buildings
Acoustics and ventilation should be designed in tandem to ensure optimal performance in naturally ventilated buildings, says Mach’s Ze Nunes, who shares research on software that visualises noise to give designers a sound basis for their decision-making