Is inertia holding us back when it comes to material selection for key products, such as drainage pipes and fittings? Geberit’s Jonathan Briafield weighs up the benefits of four materials
Category: Technical
Minimising risk of legionella in domestic water services
Good engineering design and client-side control management are key to the successful containment of legionella bacteria. Aecom’s Richard Beattie, Arup’s Damien Kane and Paul Nolan, of Paul Nolan Water Hygiene, address legionella risk in domestic water services
Reduce, reuse, recycle – meeting the F-Gas targets
Managing the supply of HFC refrigerants and reducing pressure on the newly lowered quotas introduced by the F-Gas regulations will be a critical issue for the industry. Martin Passingham at Daikin UK discusses the current legislation and industry issues, as well as the future of refrigerant
Sound advice – taking external noise into account when ventilating buildings
Ventilation strategies relying on residents opening windows falter if there is too much external noise. Anthony Chilton reports on a new guide designed to balance the needs of acoustics, ventilation
and overheating
Motorway services – controlling external noise in naturally ventilated homes
A desire for naturally ventilated homes on the North West Cambridge development was threatened by noise from the M11. Apex Acoustics’ Nick Conlan explains how an attenuated system ensured a good night’s sleep for all
How the F-gas regulations are disrupting the cooling industry
The soaring price of refrigerant gas is leading to an outbreak of unsafe and illegal practices, writes Ewen Rose
Practicing perfect commissioning for air conditioning systems
Air conditioning offers benefits in terms of cooling and heating, but only if systems are commissioned correctly before they are put into use. Fujitsu’s Martyn Ives explains
Rising from the ashes – the revamped renewable heat incentive
The Northern Irish version contributed to bringing down a government and the entire scheme has been branded a waste of taxpayers’ money, but it looks as if the Renewable Heat Incentive is here to stay… and offering guaranteed returns for investors, writes Ewen Rose
Why gas CHP still measures up
Despite the rapid decarbonisation of the UK electricity grid and lower wholesale prices, properly sized combined heat and power with thermal storage still offers an economic, lower-carbon energy option, explains director of Carbon Alternatives Martin Crane
Post-occupancy evaluation of hybrid ventilation in schools
Temperature and air quality in classrooms are known to affect learning, but new schools are often built on tight budgets and with low carbon ambitions. Post-occupancy evaluation is adding to the evidence for local hybrid ventilation systems, says BAM Construct UK’s Paula Morgenstern