125 YEARS | TIMELINE BACK T TO THE FUTURE o the public, the science of heating is almost unknown, and ventilation exists largely in the imagination. These words, written 125 years ago, reflect issues facing the early pioneers of building services engineering as they rallied support for a new professional organisation to tackle this lack of technical and scientific knowledge. Pointing to the success of their contemporaries in North America in influencing public opinion and raising standards of efficiency, the call came in the original prospectus of the new Institution of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (IHVE), formed in 1897, which would evolve into CIBSE. Every person engaged in the profession is, like any other scientist, necessarily a student, it declared presciently. The organisation was established to create a forum for open discussion and debate, exploring issues by sharing professional knowledge through publications and lectures. The aim was improving the comfort of mankind. While much has From a small group of dedicated Victorian engineers seeking to increase their knowledge about the science of heating and ventilation to a 21,000-member global organisation that covers every facet of building services Phil Lattimore traces the development of CIBSE over 125 years 1897 The Institution of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (IHVE) founded 1900S 1890S 1906 The Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) founded 1904 Psychrometry principles and control of humidity developed by Willis Carrier 1897 First President John Grundy 1930 Assisted wiring schemes introduced to boost domestic electrication in UK 1926 Electricity (Supply) Act passed, established the National Grid 1906 Term air conditioning rst used 1919 Mechanical air cooling rst introduced in US movie theatres 1941 The IES Code (forerunner to SLL Code for Lighting), including guidance for task lighting illuminance 1937 Induction units introduced by Carrier 1928 R12, the rst synthetic refrigerant gas, developed by Frigidaire 1948 First electrical ground source heat pump developed by Robert C. Webber, USA 1938 The invention of the uorescent tube 1933 First fan coil units developed changed over 125 years, the aims of these Victorian founding fathers still resonate in the 21st century. The impetus for the creation of the IHVE was recognition within the growing and increasingly sophisticated Victorian building engineering sector of the deficiency in knowledge surrounding heating and ventilation. Notably, the idea emerged from the Institute of Sanitary Engineers in 1896, with secretary Jesse Kemsley proposing that a society be formed to foster the heating and ventilating trades. Edmund William Mayner a member of the ISE council was largely responsible for setting up the IHVE, and became chairman of an executive committee, while John Grundy was its first President. It was the first serious attempt to organise the heating and ventilation profession, and the organisations stated objectives were to promote the intellectual welfare of its members by periodical meetings, to read, consider and discuss papers or problems on heating, ventilating or other kindred subjects, and to take such measures to extend, develop or safeguard the 1954 First solar panel invented by Bell Labs 1951 Pimlico district heating scheme provides heat for 3,250 homes 1945 First full-scale water-source heat pump built in Norwich 24 June 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE June 22 pp24-26 CIBSE Timeline.indd 24 27/05/2022 14:56