SPONSORED ROUNDTABLE | VENTILATION STRATEGIES ventilation system engineered correctly first; good ventilation systems should help remove any contamination in the air, said Malki-Epshtein. Malki-Epshteins research revealed hotspots in buildings where CO2 accumulated. Ideally, in those situations, the amount of ventilation required would be quickly calculated and more air would be provided to that space, she added. If youre wanting to achieve energy efficient buildings that provide comfort and wellbeing with better ventilation, there is a paucity of modelling tools that can tell you, in the commissioning stage, what the impact of those decisions will be. Morris said that modellers can help, because the models are increasingly integrated into building design. Every building and space is used differently, and you need to make sure, at the design stage, that a system is adaptable. However, a lot of buildings havent been built to be adaptable, he added. Hospitals are a good example of this, where a lot of strain is put on systems and money is wasted. But there is now guidance relating to hospitals that moves towards an adaptable system that enables delivery of a fit-out in a more cost-effective way. The discussion then returned to the issue of overheating and the new Part O. Malki-Epshtein maintained that, in urban environments, overheating will only get worse, leading to an increase in air conditioning systems and high energy use. Donn said the effect of Part O on new residential buildings is important, because it has brought in good practice on preventing overheating in homes in an otherwise unregulated area. But the challenge will be in urban high-rise flats, where the right balance of ventilation, energy consumption and cost of ownership will have to be achieved, he added. Manufacturers are looking at solutions here, but sometimes at the cost of more sophisticated equipment, he added. Part of the challenge is that homeowners dont yet have the confidence to look after their complicated kit, or know who to call if something goes wrong, said Yau. The goal is reliability and awareness. When people buy a house or flat, they generally want to know how When people buy a house, they generally want to know how many bedrooms it has, not whether it has MVHR Hern Yau, Mitsubishi Electric many bedrooms it has, not whether it has MVHR. There was agreement among the participants that there is a need to re-educate and train skilled professionals to help resolve current challenges. Building Regulations are important, but cant be relied upon. Theres some unbelievable expertise in this country, but we need to get this out quickly and in good form, said Pilbeam. This is where building services engineers must come to the fore, because the profession embodies much of what is going on. CJ Every building and space is used differently, and you need to make sure, at the design stage, that a system is adaptable James Morris, Mott MacDonald We have established a fund of 135m to reinvest in that existing property portfolio to help it move towards meeting carbon the goal of net zero carbon Neil Pennell, Landsec 42 September 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Sept 22 pp38-40, 42 Mits Electric Roundtable.indd 42 26/08/2022 18:34