Smart grids offer the potential for buildings to generate and store power for future use. Mike Barker MCIBSE, of BuildingPhysics, says it will be the job of engineers to calculate the optimum level of renewables for a building to be profitable. He considers the economic viability of incorporating a microgrid at the Durban International Convention Centre in South Africa
Category: Technical
What’s so attractive about magnetic refrigeration?
Magnetic refrigeration has the potential to reduce energy use by 30% and requires no refrigerant. Metkel Yebiyo and Graeme Maidment, of Sirach, describe the technology, its main applications, and the challenges facing firms trying to get the concept to market
Above and beyond – innovation in building photovoltaics
As the 2020 ‘nearly zero’ energy buildings target approaches, Liza Young explores Swansea University’s pioneering research into building-integrated photovoltaics, as well as its unique ways of storing heat for use all year round
Down to zero – winner of Ashrae modelling competition
An ASHRAE competition pitched teams of industry practitioners against each other to come up with the best model of a zero-net energy building. ‘Team IES’ won Best Energy Use and the firm’s Liam Buckley, who coached the team, describes the winning project
Engineers cut lose as ropeless lifts enter space race
A revolutionary elevator that uses magnetic levitation to move horizontally and vertically is set to transform the design of tall buildings. Alex Smith reports on the technology
Giant strides – Cisco and Johnson Controls merge BMS and IT
Technology giants Johnson Controls and Cisco have merged the BMS and IT technologies at a Cisco HQ in the UK on a single platform, and are generating savings of £120,000 per building per year. Alex Smith reports
The right tool for the job? Testing the BIM Toolkit
The NBS BIM Toolkit is designed to help organisations reach Level 2 BIM, but how does it perform under test conditions? The CIBSE BIM Group used the beta version on a hypothetical junior school project and found issues that urgently need to be addressed. Tim Dwyer reports
Smooth transition – what the ErP Directive means for consultants
Condensing boilers have been mandatory in the domestic market for more than a decade, but it is only recently that the commercial sector has followed suit after the introduction of the ErP Directive. Bosch’s Pete Mills explains what the new requirements mean for consultants
Small and mighty – the performance of a fuel cell micro-CHP
Fuel cell micro-CHPs have the potential to make a huge contribution towards the UK’s energy reduction targets, but how do they work in practice? To find out, CIBSE installed a system at its Balham HQ. Alem Tesfai reports
Exhaustive research – accurate flue design for commercial boilers
Accurate flue design is essential for many commercial boilers to work at maximum efficiency. Jim Kinnibrugh explains how performance can be compromised