CIBSE Journal 2009 06

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June 2009

www.cibsejournal.com

ENERGY STAROlympics trainingcentre given an 'A'

OFFICE MOVESThe new Guide toSpecification

MASTER PLANHospitals to getgreen treatment

DesignvisionaryAtkins's Keith Clarke is on

a mission to cut carbon

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Contents

June 2009 CIBSE Journal

June 2009

18

36

30

News

6 NewsA round-up of the latestdevelopments across the industry.

13 CIBSE NewsLatest news from CIBSE.

16 News analysisIn the wake of EPCs being providedwithout site visits, the governmentis tightening up the rules. CarinaBailey reports.

18 CIBSE national conferenceA round-up of speeches anddiscussions from this years event.

Opinion

22 LettersReaders share their opinions with theindustry.

24 Team effortMorwenna Wilson says buildingimplementors and operators hold thekey to sustainable buildings.

26 OpinionRoderick Pettigrew criticises thegovernments wind strategy.

28 LegalThe new Gas Safe Register revealed.

Features30 COVER STORY

InterviewKeith Clarkes mission to save the planet.

36 Buildings: OfficesThe changing BCO Guide toSpecifcations.

40 Buildings: Case studySimon Ellery reports on the passiveengineering at Lee Valley athletics centre.

46 Masterplanning: HospitalsPaul Haddlesey reviews plans to double

the size of an English teaching hospital.

50 Air systems: ProcurementA wind of change is blowing throughthe fan procurement process.

Classified

54 ProductsProducts and services from acrossthe sector.

57 DirectorySuppliers from the building services

industry.

People & Jobs

59 CPDAnother module for your continuedpersonal development.

64 Looking aheadIndustry focused seminars andtraining events.

66 AppointmentsFind your new job in the buildingservices industry here.

70 Movers & ShakersNew appointments are announcedacross the industry and DavidAtkinson describes a typical dayworking as a principal engineer.

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CIBSE Journal is written and produced by CambridgePublishers Ltd. Tel: 01223 477411. www.cpl.biz275 Newmarket Road, Cambridge CB5 8JE.

Editorial copy deadline:First day of the monthpreceding publication

The opinions expressed in editorial material do notnecessarily represent the views of the CharteredInstitution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).Unless specifically stated, goods or services mentionedin editorial or advertisements are not formally endorsedby CIBSE, which does not guarantee or endorse or acceptany liability for any goods and/or services featured in thispublication.

CIBSE, 222 Balham High Road, London SW12 9BSTel: 020 8675 5211. www.cibse.org

CIBSE Services Ltd. ISSN 1759-846X

Subscription EnquiriesIf you are not a CIBSE member but would like to receiveCIBSE Journal, subscribe now! Costs are 80 (UK) and

100 (international). For subscription enquiries, and anychange of address information, please contact:Nicola [email protected] telephone020 8772 3697.Individual copies are also available at a cost of 7 per copyplus postage.

Cover photo:Simon Weir

www.cibsejournal.com

EditorialEditor:Bob CerviTel: 01223 273520Email: [email protected]

Reporter: Carina BaileyTel: 01223 273521Email: [email protected]

Senior Designer: David Houghton

Advertisement Sales

Head of Business Development:Aaron NichollsTel: 020 7880 8547Email: [email protected]

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Advertising Production:Jane EastermanTel: 020 7880 6248Email: [email protected]

For CIBSE

Publishing Co-ordinator: Nicola GolledgeTel: 020 8772 3697Email: [email protected]

Editorial advisory panel

Laurence Aston, Director of MechanicalEngineering, Morgan Professional Services

David Clark, Partner, Max FordhamConsulting Engineers

Patrick Conaghan, Partner, Hoare LeaConsulting Engineers

David Hughes, Building Services Consultant,MTT Consulting

Philip King, Director, Hilson Moran

Chani Leahong, Senior Associate,Fulcrum Consulting

Stephen Lisk, President, The Society of Lightand Lighting

Professor John Swafeld, CIBSE PastPresident

Ged Tyrrell, Managing Director,Tyrrell Systems

Ant Wilson, Director, AECOM

Morwenna Wilson, Graduate Engineer, ArupTerry Wyatt, Consultant to Hoare Lea

From the

editor

A

s the property slump bites, dont

be surprised if the person coming

to assess the energy rating of yourbuilding is an out-of-work junior

estate agent. Yes, by all accounts, any old Tom,

Dick or Harriet has been filling the ranks of the

nations energy assessors those professionals

charged with the important task of awarding

energy performance certificates to properties.

I borrow this dig against estates agents

bless em from Professor David Fisk, whose

mirthful speech was one of the highlights of

the recent CIBSE national conference (see

page 18). But his very serious point was that

there has been strong

evidence of unqualified

people being employed

to conduct building

assessments with

the accredited energy

assessor (EA) signing

this off without ever

visiting the property.

The Journal itself

highlighted this problem

in March, when we quoted some EAs who hadcomplained about this practice, likening it to

driving a car using someone elses licence.

Policymakers, however, have not been turning

a blind eye. As we reveal (pages 8 and 16),

the Department for Communities and Local

Government last month issued a guidance note

that, in effect, bans this practice from the end of

this month (June).

This is all well and good. Those applying any

rating system on the ground need to have full

credibility for the process to have any value.

Whether this guidance will have the impact

required remains to be seen: there will always

be some EA-accreditation firms that will want

to cut corners and provide a quick-and-dirty

service. So, as well as guidance, perhaps we

also need a robust register of accreditors with

a licensing regime of inspections.But, as we approach the first full year of the

energy performance certificate regime this

autumn, a more fundamental question is

whether the system is in danger of becoming

another box-ticking exercise in which clients

are satisfied and can forget energy efficiency

for another year. As such, the DEC system will

become a sticking plaster for the lack of day-

to-day attention to the performance of living,

changing buildings.

Hopefully the round of assessments this year

will provide more incentivesto clients to improve their

ratings. But if a DEC is

used simply as a badge of

rectitude this is all we need

to do and ratings dont

improve noticeably overall,

then the system is clearly

failing to work. The truth we

must face, though, is that

a snapshot of a buildings

energy performance, converted into a carbon-emissions rating, is never going to be a

substitute for the proper running, maintenance

and usage of a building. And this is where

facilities management services could play a

greater role in making sure that DECs are more

than just a paper exercise. DECs and EPCs are

welcome, and theyre here to stay. But, as with

BREEAM, LEED and other ratings systems, we

must ensure that clients are persuaded to see

them as just one stage in the overall, difficult

and ongoing process of reducing the carbon

footprints of their building stock.

Bob Cervi, Editor

[email protected]

Perhaps wealso need

a robust register ofaccreditors with alicensingregime.

Editorial

Improvement or paper exercise?

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News

nThe majority of new schoolbuildings are not performing

to a high level, according to theirenergy performance certificate(EPC) ratings.

By the end of 2008, 28 secondaryschools and 64 primary schoolshad had EPCs but, of these, only 43were graded between bands A to C.

The rest fell into the lower D to Gefficiency bands. The average non-domestic EPC rating is currently a C.

The results also show only oneper cent of primary schools andtwo per cent of secondary schoolsscored an A.

The largest percentage of primaryschools (15 per cent) received aD, whilst the largest percentage ofsecondary schools (14 per cent)fared better, scoring a B.

The findings were revealed by aparliamentary question asked by

shadow climate change ministerGregory Barker to schools ministerJim Knight.

But when Barker asked howmany schools had been penalisedfor failing to display a DEC, Knightwas unable to answer because norecord of any penalties or issues ofnon-compliance are kept. He wasalso unable to answer how many

schools were actually displaying

their DECs.New schools with a floor areagreater than 1,000 sq m arerequired to have an EPC. Existingschools that are being refurbishedonly require a display energycertificate (DEC).

Both are legal requirements,with local trading standards officesresponsible for enforcement.

Both DECs and EPCs are

recorded on a national register(www.ndepcregister.com)but, togain access to an individual schoolscertificate, its unique referencenumber must be known. Thismeans schools can access their owndata, but members of the publiccannot. Knight added that thereare no plans at present to publishindividual school energy data.

Schools are failing torecord high energyperformance

Research laysout path todecarbonisingbuildings

Researchers say they will soonbe able to map out exactly what

steps need to be taken to meetcarbon reduction targets for

non-domestic buildings, and atwhat cost.

The Carbon Trust, anindependent advisory body, has

used a computer model namedDeCODE (Determining Carbon

Opportunities in the DevelopedEnvironment) to create a

report which will recommend

to government the optimumpath to help meet the target ofat least an 80 per cent cut in

emissions from non-domesticbuildings by 2050. According to

the trust, for the first time themodel will help to provide the

evidence to show that everythingfrom energy efficiency, micro-

renewables and decarbonisingthe grid will have to be done to

reach the target, while emissionscould increase significantly if

nothing is done.

DeCODE consolidates allthe Carbon Trusts knowledgedeveloped to date into one tool,

enabling the organisation toanalyse all its data.

It works by showing howmuch carbon can be reduced

when certain energy saving

measures are chosen, and howmuch this is likely to cost.

Information included inthe scenarios can range from

building demolition andnew-build rates to the use of

energy efficiency measures andrenewable technologies.

Stuart Farmer, head ofbuildings strategy at the trust,

said: Its not a questionof whether we should be

focusing on energy supplydecarbonisation or building

energy demand reduction;its not a choice between

energy efficiency measures orrenewables, new or existing

buildings. The challenge is sogreat that we need to do all of

these. The Carbon Trust reportwill concentrate the national

policy position.The report is expected to be

ready in early autumn.

Shutterstock

Smart meters are to be installed inevery British home by 2020 makingthe UK the first nation to attempt anoverhaul of electricity and gas meterson this scale.

The Department of Energy andClimate Change (DECC) estimatesthat it will cost between 7bn and9bn, or an average of 269 to 346per household, to implement theplan.

But it says the change should helpmake homes more energy-efficientand reduce utility bills.

However, consultancy Ernst andYoung believes the governmentcould have underestimated the costby as much as 6.4bn. The companybelieves the true figure to be as highas 13.4bn, or 515 per household.

A DECC spokesperson rejectedthe claim: The figures that we havepublished in our impact assessmentare a result of a lot of analysis andindependent expert advice as well asinput from stakeholders. We believeweve got our stats right.

Furthermore, the governmentsown consultation impactassessment found that rolling outsmart meters to all householdswill deliver net benefits of between2.5bn and 3.6bn over the next 20years, which would fall to suppliers,to customers and to the country as awhole, DECC said.

Smart meters would enablemeter readings to be taken remotelyand give householders real-timeinformation, helping consumers see

what energy they are using.They are seen as a key steptowards future smart grids, makingit easier for renewable generation tofeed into the grid including microand community level generation and will support the decarbonisationof heat and transport through thegreater use of electric and plug-inhybrid vehicles. Suppliers will alsobe able to offer more tariffs andservices aimed at encouraging moreefficient and economical energy use,according to DECC.

A consultation has now beenlaunched atwww.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/smart_

metering/smart_metering.aspx The deadline for comments is

24 July 2009.

Plan for smart meters in all homes in 10 years

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News

New design standard for schoolsset to spread across public sector

nA UK government advisorybody has been given the

power to veto new school designsusing a new minimum designstandard.

The Commission for Architecture

and the Built Environment (CABE)has been pressing for such astandard for the past three years.

Schools minister Jim Knightannounced the standardsintroduction for the BuildingSchools for the Future (BSF)programme in an attempt toprevent more unfit-for-purposeschools being built. It is envisagedthis will eventually lead to all publicsector buildings having a minimumdesign standard in the future.

Designs for BSF schools are

already assessed by the CABE

schools design panel, but nowonly those graded as very good orpass will proceed to procurementand construction. Designs gradedunsatisfactory or poor at theirthird and final review will not be

built.Knight said: This is the first timeever that independently-assessed,clear, objective and robust designstandards have been laid down for apublic sector building constructionprogramme. It adds real teeth tothe design process. It will make thedesign process faster and moreefficient by promoting best practiceand thinking in school design.

Features of the new minimumdesign standard include: A new, simpler four-point grading

system;

The inclusion of educationalists,

sustainability and landscapespecialists on the peer review panel; Teachers and students views; Random checks on non-sample

scheme schools; and

CABE will provide more in-depthfeedback reports, education andinformational support.

CABE believes the standard willhave a longer-term impact on thequality of schools than almost anyother educational reform.lCABE and the Homes andCommunities Agency havecompleted the first national surveyon the design quality of affordablehousing, which found just 18 percent of schemes were judged to beeither good or very good.

www.cabe.org.uk/news

We need morecommunityheating, saysDECC official

The UK government wants to setup a forum to encourage the useof waste heat in buildings to helpthe industry meet its 80 per centcarbon emissions target.

Hergen Haye, an official atthe Department of Energy andClimate Change, said setting upsomething like a heat-marketsforum would enable industry, theenergy regulator Ofgem and thegovernment to collectively createa set of codes and conducts for

community heating. Speaking ata recent conference organisedby the Renewable Energy

Association, he said: If we donttackle heat we have no chance ofmeeting our target for 2050.

He said that district heatingneeded to be installed at a locallevel, and a large-scale heatand combined heat and powerpolicy framework was needed todrive energy efficiency in largebusinesses.

On the domestic front, just

two per cent of homes in the UKcurrently receive heat from districtheating systems. It is estimatedthat 5.5m homes could bebenefiting from these.

He believes feed-in tariffs,which should come into force inApril 2010, and the renewableheat incentive, will be key tomeeting the governmentsrenewable energy target of 15per cent by 2020. A consultationon renewable heat incentives isscheduled to begin this summer.

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News

CIBSE Journal June 2009

n

Most wind turbines deliver

very disappointing resultsif they are installed in an urbansetting, according to new researchproduced by London South BankUniversity (LSBU).

Professor Tony Day told a recentmeeting of the CIBSE/ASHRAEgroup that manufacturers tellus how marvellous they are, butproper statistical analysis tells adifferent story.

LSBU studied a 6kW horizontalaxis turbine installed 42 metresabove street level on an 11-

storey south London residentialapartment block for a year. Itdelivered less than nine per centof its total maximum capacity ofbetween 8 and 9 MW/h. As theturbine cost 32,000 to install, Daysaid that equated to about 1,200per tonne of carbon saved.

He added that a 36 percent discrepancy betweenthe manufacturers claimedperformance and the data histeam gathered should be takeninto account when local authority

planners are considering whether awind installation meets carbon-saving criteria set down byinitiatives like the London Plan.

Turbines need to be moreintelligently sited, said fellowresearcher Dr Steve Dance, whostudied the noise and vibrationimpacts of the installation. In thiskind of location it will effectivelydeliver nothing for eight monthsof the year as the wind speeds[averaging 3.8m/s over the year] aretoo low.

However, he pointed out that

an identical turbine in a moresensible location had generated 50

per cent more electricity; and bothpresenters agreed there was hopefor the future of the technology.

Wind technology is wherecars were about 100 years ago,said Day. People laughed at theModel T Ford and it could well bethat future versions of turbineswill make a more meaningfulcontribution to carbon saving.

In a separate development,Britains only wind turbinemanufacturing plant, on the Isle ofWight, faces closure because of a

lack of demand in the UK.

The plants owner, Danish firmVestas, partly blamed a lack of

political initiatives in Britain for thesituation.But the companys comments

came as plans for the worldsbiggest off-shore wind farm, in theThames estuary, were given the go-ahead by the UK government withthe aim of supplying electricity forthe London Olympics in 2012.

In addition, Europes largeston-shore wind farm in EastRenfrewshire, Scotland, has beencompleted with a total of 140turbines. The installation aims to

provide power for 180,000 homes.

Urban wind turbines deliverpoor results, says new research

Building works worth 60m havebeen approved on a further 47new projects at 26 universities.

The funding was authorisedby the Higher Education FundingCouncil for England (HEFCE) aspart of the governments secondround of the accelerated capitalprojects spending programmeto help stimulate Britainseconomic recovery.

The programme wasannounced in December 2008,with the first round of projectsapproved in February.

60m for uni builds

News in brief

Scheme for sustainabilityleadership created

Engineering consultancy

Arup has joined forces withCambridge University tocreate the new CambridgeProgramme for SustainabilityLeadership, which aims todevelop and spread bestpractice in combating climatechange by creating jobs andimproving quality of life incities.

R&D centre to be builtConsultancy Mott MacDonaldhas been appointed to work

on the construction of anew four-storey researchand development (R&D)centre in Cheshire, UK,by pharmaceutical groupAstraZeneca. Mott MacDonaldwill provide structural, civil andarchitectural design, as well asoverall design co-ordinationand construction support.

WYG to design new prisonMulti-disciplinary consultantWYG has won a three-year

contract to manage the designand build of a new 800-cellprison in Londonderry for theNorthern Ireland Prison Serviceon an existing prison site.

Free pipe-joining trainingCIBSE members can getfree training in pipe-joiningmethods from Victaulic. TheCIBSE-accredited presentationintroduces the technology,explains how it works and itsbenefits in welding, flanging

and threading. To arrange apresentation call Andy Carter,product engineer, on 01438310690.

South London schools refurbA 200m partnership torebuild seven schools, put uptwo new ones and completefour building refurbishments,has been signed by BalfourBeatty, Southwark Council,Partnerships for Schoolsand Building Schools for theFuture. All construction andfacilities management will becarried out by Balfour Beatty,an engineering, construction,investment and services group.

Wind turbines need to be more intelligently sited

Shutterstock

Nominations are now beingaccepted for the 10th Karen BurtAwards.

The awards, by the WomensEngineering Society (WES), areopen to women in engineeringor a related discipline who haveachieved chartered status sinceJuly 2008.

WES asks professional bodiesaffiliated to the EngineeringCouncil to nominate their

highest-calibre, newly-charteredfemale engineer, applied scientistor IT professional, who hasdemonstrated a commitment tothe promotion of her profession.

The award commemorates thelate Dr Karen Burt, an eminentphysicist. The closing date fornominations is 1 July. For moreinformation call WES on 01438765506, email [email protected],or visit www.wes.org.uk

Nominations open for theWES Karen Burt Awards

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CIBSE News

newsTel: 020 8675 5211 Fax: 020 8675 5449 Email:[email protected]:Mike Simpson FCIBSE, FSLL, FILE, FIET Chief executive and secretary:Stephen Matthews

News in brief

Mosss outstandingcontributionBrian Moss,chairman ofCIBSE ServicesBoard andpast CIBSEpresident, has

been awardeda Tercentenary Medal by theWorshipful Company of FanMakers for his outstandingcontribution to fan engineeringand the BS industry.

Walking in LondonThe Society of FaadeEngineering is holding itsannual City Walk Buildings inthe Euston Area on Thursday25 June. The event will start at4.30pm at Arup, 8 Fitzroy Street,

London W1T 4BQ with a talk byguest speaker Henk De Bleeckerfrom Permasteelisa on DynamicFacades. The walk starts at6.30pm. To register visit www.facadeengineeringsociety.org

Honorary FellowshipCIBSE has awarded ProfessorDeian Hopkins, retiring vice-chancellor and chief executiveofficer at London SouthBank University (LSBU), anHonorary Fellowship. The award

recognises his commitmentto and enthusiastic support ofBS courses and research, andhis support for the universitysassociation with CIBSE.

Join CIBSECompetent BS professionalswith CEng/IEng qualificationswho are registered with otherengineering institutions canbecome a CIBSE member atAssociate, Member or Fellowgrade. A CV, competencestatement, development actionplan and details of one sponsorare required.

Contact Bobby Wright on 0208772 3639 or [email protected]

A new CIBSE group has beenformed in Qatar.

Qatar, one of the wealthiest

states in the Gulf region, iscurrently experiencing a boom in itsconstruction industry. This has ledto the requirement for internationalexpertise to complement theconstruction industry. A smallnumber of these specialists are UKBS engineers.

The founder members are JohnMakaronas, David Baker, MichaelDaly, Philip Dyer, Joseph Smith,Ramzi Qumsieh, Tony Boothmanand Peter Carew. Daly has now beenappointed as Qatars representative.

The members have a wealthof experience in design andmanagement and are currentlyworking on prestigious projectsin Doha, including: the NewDoha International Airport; Qatar

National Convention Centre; andthe International World ClassMedical Research Hospital for theQatar Foundation.

The group will provide bestpractice advice in Qatar to anyinterested parties. It intends toorganise site visits and technicalseminars, and to liaise with otherengineering groups in Qatar.

To join or contact thegroup email [email protected]@hotmail.com

New group forms in Qatar

Cooper gets awardDavid Cooper, managingdirector of consultingengineers LECS (UK) Ltd andFellow of CIBSE, becomes aLiveryman of the WorshipfulCompany of Engineers fromthe master of the company,Tony Roche. The companysmembers are required to bechartered engineers, a Fellowof a recognised engineeringinstitution, and also to holdthe Freedom of the City ofLondon.

Follow the code or facethe consequencesn

CIBSE would like to remindmembers of the Code of

Conduct they sign up to on joining.With money tight, an

increasingly litigious society andmore building services engineers

doing domestic work, you may bemore likely to be under scrutinyfrom your client and membersof the design team looking forscapegoats.

We would like to stress thatCIBSE does not receive manycomplaints about its members;however a recent case serves as atimely reminder that you are boundby the code.

Recently a CIBSE memberwas formally reprimanded by theinstitution and warned as to his

future conduct as the result of acomplaint made against him. Thecase centered on communicationand was complicated by theintricacies of being on a designteam in a large domestic project.From the evidence provided, other

members of the design teamwere also felt by the DisciplinaryCommittee to be at fault but itwas the CIBSE member that theclient complained about. Thisdemonstrates the need to keep

communication open and to betimely with your contributionsto the process. If you are held upby others, then say so keep theclient and others in the designteam informed. And maintainwritten communication so that youhave evidence of the facts, shouldanything go wrong.

If a complaint is made againstyou it will be considered by theProfessional Practice Committee,which is delegated by the Board tothe Disciplinary Committee. Cases

are examined to ensure they are notmerely malicious and that they aregenuinely centered on membersconduct. CIBSE does not becomeinvolved in contractual matters ordispute resolution.

In recent years a number of

complaints were not pursuedbecause they were primarilydisputes over fees or failure todeliver under the contract. Oneor two cases have revealed thatthere was no contract to begin

with, and CIBSE would encouragemembers always to have a contractor a letter of appointment, and tomaintain written communicationbefore a contract or appointment isformalised.

If you are found to be in breachof the Code of Conduct after adisciplinary hearing, you will besubject to one of four sanctions:a warning as to future conduct; areprimand; suspension for a periodup to a maximum of two years; orexpulsion from the institution.

Suspension and expulsion will bepublished in the CIBSE Journal as a

matter of public record. Membershave the right to appeal. For full

information on the code and the

disciplinary rules, visit www.cibse.

org and go to About CIBSE.

Members of the new Qatar group

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06


CIBSE News

Training andDevelopmentTraining and developmentsubmissions

The closing dates for annualsubmissions to be consideredat the July and October 2009Training and DevelopmentPanel meetings are 20 June and8 September respectively.

For training submissions andqueries, employers enquiriesand applications for approvedcompany training schemes,contact Olwen Williams, trainingand development administrator,on 020 8772 3605 or [email protected]

CPD Directory updateCPD course providers whowould like to apply for an entryinto the Directory of CPDCourse Providers should contactOlwen Williams, training anddevelopment administrator,on 020 8772 3605 or [email protected]

We also accept applicationsfor online courses. We willwelcome more e-learningapplications.

The following organisationhas recently been added to thedirectory:

The Institution of Engineering

and Technology (IET).A concessionary rate is

available for entries into somecategories.

CIBSE is inviting final-year buildingservices students to enter theCIBSE Undergraduate Award.

Does your final-year projectdemonstrate engineeringexcellence? Do you have an originalidea that deserves recognition?And can you show a strongunderstanding of engineeringscience and design? Simply sendus a 2,000-word synopsis of your

final-year project. Judges will belooking for clear, easy-to-readsubmissions with a strong idea,understanding of engineeringscience and design, originality, andgood visual quality with high-qualitydrawings.

The award is open to final-yearBS engineering BSc, BEng andMEng students in the UK andinternationally. The first prize is

500, plus one years free CIBSEgraduate membership, and twoplaces at the CIBSE presidentsdinner. There are also two highlycommended prizes of 100.

The closing date is 31 July 2009.Download the application formfrom the CIBSE Young MembersBlog at www.cibseyoungmembers.co.ukand send all your entries [email protected]

New Part L is arriving soon and we need your views

n

The long-awaited

consultation on the newPart L should be arriving in yourinbox any day now. And with itthe challenge for the institution tounderstand and respond to thismajor piece of regulation.

As building services engineers,you are the people who know bestabout how Part L works and wherechanges need to be made. It istherefore essential that we find away of tapping into this expertiseand utilising the knowledge andexperience that is already out there.

We will be organising events todiscuss the consultation, and to getthe views of practising engineersto ensure that we are feeding yourcomments and ideas back to DCLG(Department of Communitiesand Local Government). But letsalso remember that, in order tomake a difference to the energydemand and carbon emissions

of our buildings, we need to take

the sort of action set out in theconsultation. It will largely be downto CIBSE members to meet theproposed target to cut aggregatecarbon emissions in new buildingsby 25 per cent. The knowledge andexperience to deliver low-carbonbuildings sits largely within CIBSE:CIBSE low-carbon consultants andlow-carbon energy assessors leadin terms of delivering accreditedcompetence in low-carbon designand operation of buildings.

It is not enough to achieve low-

carbon design we need to achievelow-carbon buildings, where theoperational performance matchesthe design intent. In short, we needto achieve compliance of the asbuilt (or refurbished) project withthe goals of Part L. Only by workingtogether and pooling the knowledgeand experience of designers,builders, clients and regulators can

we meet the targets and ensure

compliance with the legislation.In particular, we need a regime inwhich building services engineerswork closely with building control,to ensure targets are really met notjust on the CAD screen, but onsite.

Through this greater teamworking, those with the right skillsto assess and certify complianceare able to do that, freeing buildingcontrol officers to focus onhigher risk projects where theirenforcement skills are needed.

This close working, open

communication and sharedproblem-solving will ensure latestPart L targets can be met. And,as experts in low carbon design,it is our responsibility to take theopportunity to make this work. Iencourage you all to make sure youhave your say. For more informationvisit www.cibse.org/partlStephen Matthews

Undergraduate award entries invited

CIBSE and the Federation ofEuropean HVAC Associations(REHVA) have met to explore howwe can work together more closely.As an umbrella body, REHVAis an important conduit to theEuropean Commission. There arecurrently two principal areas ofinfluence for REHVA in Europe the EPBD (now being recast) andalso the Energy Using ProductsDirective. The group discussedopportunities to promote CIBSEpublications, training, the flexible

learning scheme and websiteaccess. The free REHVA Dictionaryis now available at www.rehvadictionary.orgto translatebuilding services related terms

between 15 languages. More willbe added when the translationsare prepared.

Consultation responsesCIBSE has recently responded tothe following consultations: CLG and DECC Heat and EnergySaving Strategy (HESS); DECC consultation on the termcarbon neutral; and CLG Carbon ReductionCommitment

In the HESS response we

particularly emphasised theimportance of using trained andaccredited professionals to deliveradvice on improving the energyperformance of existing buildings.

For details visit www.cibse.organdlook up Consultations underKnowledge Bank.

Building information modelling

Following CIBSEs adoption of theindustry-wide BIM definition, weare now stepping up our activity inthis area.

If you are doing BIM now orusing any of the currently availableenabling software please letus know and we will keep youinformed. We also want to learn

from you so please send anemail to Samantha McDonough:[email protected], statingyour interest and views on whatthe issues are for practitioners.

REHVA and CIBSE in talks on cooperation

CIBSE assessor presentsDEC to London Marriott

Gordon Ormond, Londoncluster director ofengineering at The LondonMarriott Hotel Marble Arch,accepts the hotels first DEC(display energy certificate)from Andrew Gardner, CIBSELow Carbon Energy Assessorof CCL Consulting Limited.The Marriott is one of the firstbranded hotels in the UK tocomplete a DEC.

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06

15/72

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News analysis EPCs

All presentand correct?Earlier this year the practice of providing energyperformance certificates for buildings without evervisiting a site caused a furore. Now the government isresponding by tightening the rules. Carina Bailey reports

nWhen the system ofcertifying a buildings

energy performance wasintroduced last autumn, the

move was widely welcomed as asignificant step towards cutting

the carbon footprint of the

UKs building stock. But, whileattention was focused on theratings applied to properties via

the new energy performance anddisplay energy certificates (EPCs

and DECs), underlying problemswith the certification process were

threatening to undermine thewhole structure.

One key problem that emergedwas so-called remote lodgement,

which was highlighted in theMarch issue of the Journal. A

number of energy assessors

those responsible for providingcertificates complained aboutpractice of awarding a certificate

via third-party data gatherers,likening this to driving a car using

someone elses licence.The Department of

Communities and LocalGovernment (DCLG) is now,

in effect, banning this practicefor DECs and EPCs, which

are applied to public-sectorbuildings. According to a DCLG

guidance document sent to

accrediting bodies in May, thepractice of remote lodgementsof DECs will be regarded as

unacceptable from the end ofthis month.

During a CIBSE seminar lastmonth on EPCs, an official from

DCLG, Peter Matthew, disclosedthat departments in Whitehall had

become increasingly wobblyabout the quality of EPCs. Is it

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News analysis EPCs

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To make the most of the business opportunities oered by the phase out of R22:

quality issues? he asked. If ourdepartments are getting wobblythen I need to actually turn themaround, I need to give them theconfidence that EPCs and DECsare a brilliant starting point. Ibelieve its really important thatwe build confidence in EPCs.

Matthew added that an auditof accreditation schemes shouldsoon provide the DCLG withan idea of the poorer-quality

schemes, which the departmentcan then monitor more closely.He has also mooted the idea ofcommissioning an audit lookingat the value and quality of EPCs to be assessed by DCLG itself.

But Matthew also stressed thatthe guidance DCLG provides isthe bare minimum that assessorsshould be striving for, and that hewould like to discuss ways withthe industry about how to raisethe bar on quality. It is hopedthis would lead to a range of

good-practice guides.Jacqueline Balian, managingdirector of CIBSE Services Ltd,agrees that quality is a seriousissue, especially as some trainingcourses claim to be able to teachdelegates with no previousexperience to become energyassessors in as little as three days.

Currently there are a numberof accrediting bodies for energyassessors one of which isCIBSE Certification and somebodies are allegedly advising

EPCs:

An EPC is an Energy PerformanceCertificate that all non-publicsector properties must have whenthey are sold, built or rented. Theytook effect fully last October.

The EPC records how energyefficient a building is by ratingit from A (most efficient) to G(least efficient). It also includes areport giving recommendations forimprovement. Each improvementincludes the indicative paybackperiod and carbon impact.

The rating is based on the

performance of the building andits services, for example heating,rather than the appliances withinit. This is known as an asset rating.

DECs:

A DEC, or Display EnergyCertificate, shows the actualenergy consumption, or energyperformance, of a building interms of the carbon dioxideproduced. It uses a rating scorebetween A and G to show how

well a building is performing

based on gas and electricity meterreadings. A supplementary reportis also supplied with the certificatesuggesting ways in which theenergy performance of buildingcould be improved. CurrentlyDECs are only required in publicbuildings over 1,000 sq m andneed to be publicly displayed.

The certificate is valid for oneyear, while the accompanyingreport is valid for seven.Source: www.businesslink.gov.uk

Displaying energy performance

assessors not to remove any ofthe recommendations routinelyincluded by the software toimprove a buildings EPC rating,regardless of how inappropriatesome of these might be, saysBalian.

The economic recession hasalso impacted on the certificationprocess. When EPCs were firstintroduced it was expected that140,000 would be produced overa year. The real figure lodged todate is about 80,000. DECs havefared worse, with an estimated42,000 expected, but just 25,000lodged by mid-May 2009. But,despite the obvious problemsof quality voiced by Matthewand Balian, industry leaders anddevelopers seem to share the view

that EPCs and DECs are a step inthe right direction.

Paul Edwards, head ofsustainability at Hammerson, hascome round to the idea of EPCsafter initially branding them adisaster. He argues there wasconfusion over what buildingsneeded to be included and says

he still doesnt understand why anEPC is needed on an empty shellthat just has a cable running to itbut no actual services. He is alsocritical of why a second surveyneeds to be done to complete aDEC when a survey was already

completed to do an EPC.But he adds: I see great

opportunities for benchmarkingand understanding where wesit against other people in thebusiness and also in the industry.Once we get benchmarkingthen we can start to value thesethings.

John Field, director of PowerEfficiency Ltd, insists EPCs andDECs have raised the profile ofenergy efficiency and carbonreduction, but believes that

their introduction has created asegmented market: high qualityversus minimum compliance.

Richard Hipkiss, sales andmarketing director at i-ProphetsEnergy Services, believes thereis also a third market thevoluntary market, where peopleactually take an interest in their

EPC and recognise its value. TheEPC and DEC are very powerfultogether. The DEC is an annualstatement of performance. Its avery, very powerful tool because ofits simplicity.

But Ant Wilson, a director of

consultancy AECOM (formerlyFaber Maunsell), argues that anEPC has nothing to do with energyor performance, because it isbased on expected CO2 emissions while the reality of a buildingsenergy usage is that it can end upbeing more heavily occupied thanwas intended, for example, and soappears to be less energy-efficient.

In the longer term, the DCLGis aiming to build EPCs andthe European Performance ofBuildings Directive under

which EPCs fall into the UKgovernments Heat and EnergySaving Strategy, according toMatthew. In order to do this,discussions surrounding howEPCs should be regulated alsoneed to be resolved, with anarms-length body to police it apossible option.l

Its really importantthat we buildconfdence in EPCs. DCLG official

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06


CIBSE national conference

nBuilding services engineershold the keys to some of

the biggest solutions in cuttingcarbon emissions in Britain, saidProfessor Julia King, a member ofthe Committee on Climate Change(CCC), an independent advisorybody to government.

The need to increase energy

efficiency in residential andcommercial buildings presents anexciting opportunity for engineers,she added although, amid aneconomic recession, it was a testingtime too. King said current policyon increasing energy efficiency inresidential buildings would producea reduction of 9m tonnes ofcarbon dioxide (9 MtCO2). But thetechnical potential in the sectormeant a possible cut of 43 MtCO2.

She pointed out that the

government has pledged to offer7m homes in the UK whole-housecarbon-reduction packages by 2020 estimated to be worth 42bn.

In the meantime, she reported,the CCC is soon to issue anassessment of the impact of therecession. A second report togovernment on carbon-reduction

progress would be issued at the endof this year, she added.Professor David Fisk, of

Imperial College, London, wascritical of the UKs display energyperformance certificates (DEC)regime, describing it as one of thesloppiest in the world, addingjokingly: Were now getting out-of-work estate agents to get your DEC... by telephone!

He said this was part of theprocess of tick-box engineering

getting an environmental briefby a client and sending this off toget a green rating. So the questionbeing asked is not, how can weget a building thats great for theenvironment?, but how can weget a BREEAM Excellent rating?He added: Thats where tick-boxengineering becomes dangerous.

Engineering a more

sustainable futureThe realities of cutting carbon emissions, the future for renewables, ensuringschools are properly ventilated, and involving clients and users in the designprocess were among the cutting-edge issues discussed at the CIBSE nationalconference 2009. Reports by Carina Baileyand Bob Cervi

What does zero-carbon buildingsmean and how can they bedelivered? This difficult questionwas posed by Stephen Ward, asustainability director at AECOM.

He said he believed that themost significant evolution tocome out of the UK governmentsconsultation document on definingzero carbon was not having tomeet the zero-carbon target purelyon-site: Were talking about zerocarbon on a net zero basis, so werenot saying buildings have to be zerocarbon every minute of the day, soas long as [they are] net zero overthe year.

The Department for Communitesand Local Government (DCLG)had introduced the idea of carboncompliance, which is the targetthat the industry has to meet,whether it be done using on-site

generated energy or physicallylinking the development to a nearbyenergy centre. The consultationset out three options for what thaton-site compliance target shouldbe, ranging from 44 to 100 percent below current 2006 TER. ButDCLG is expected to discouragedevelopments being connected tooff-site renewables by a private wire,which previously counted towardsachieving the Code for SustainableHomes. And, according to Ward,an open question still hangs overwhether unregulated energy usewill be included in the definition fornon-domestic buildings.

Engineers canhelp with cuttingwater waste

How do we ensure a water-saver friendly building, askedCharlotte Parkes of AECOM, whopointed out that 89 per cent ofcarbon emissions arising fromwater systems relate to usage inthe home.

Savings can be made througha change in peoples behaviour

and the use of better technology,she said, arguing: As buildingservices engineers we hope toinfluence the second and thirdaspects in this list.

It is down to the individual todecide what is necessary usageof water in the home, but someof the seemingly unnecessaryconsumption can be blamed onthe technology used in showers,toilet flushing, and so on.

Industry would have to meetrevisions to Part G of the Building

Regulations, a consultationdocument which proposedapplying a calculator to waterappliances to determine usage,Parkes said. The final revisionswere still awaited.

But she added that suchmeasures should not push theboundaries of user acceptabilityand should meet the practicalaspects of a building, such asdrainage and plumbing.

Chris Northey, of publichealth engineering group BDSPPartnership, said that, withgovernment subsidy and taxrelief, the costs of installingwaste-water recycling systemscould be recouped within a year.

Climate change a great opportunity forengineers but cut out the box-ticking

In search of a definition of zero-carbon

King says BS engineers hold the key

Ward: zero carbon can be on- and off-site

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06



n

The question of which

ventilation strategy to use innew school buildings in particular,natural or mechanical dominated a

number of speaker sessions.Terry Wyatt, a consultant to Hoare

Lea, insisted that schools shouldhave demand and control systems

to ensure they are used efficiently:If left to the teacher, faced with one

switch, shell turn it on and leave iton. Anything set by hand must have

a default control. Wyatt also pointedto a lack of use of variable speed

drives on motors: We are designing

systems for maximum capability,which is rarely used using variablespeed means saving energy.

John Palmer, a regional directorat AECOM, argued that natural

ventilation should be consideredas a first design option in schools,

believing that pupils and teacherscould be relied upon to open

windows and turn off switches: Wehave to think about the knock-on

effects of mechanical ventilation... Itmeans lots of kit, and where are the

POEs [post occupancy evaluations] of

this in schools?

Martin Liddament, of VEETECH

Ltd, said that, according to theCarbon Trust, mechanical ventilation

systems and air conditioning requirecontinuing maintenance to ensure

safety and correct performance.Edward Murphy, technical director

of Mott MacDonald, presenteda study of his consultancy work

on naturally ventilated schools inSheffield, UK. But, in a Q&A session,

Terry Wyatt described the picture

presented by the preceding speakers

as real fairy land, adding: Howmany schools are built in beautiful

settings? How can you switch offacoustic noise [from outside the

school]? New schools are nowherenear the performance that you are

referring to. One young delegate saidhe was staggered by the amount of

conflict, adding that CIBSE shouldhelp to resolve such issues, so we

can go forward. Another delegatesaid: We have been discussing this

for 20 years.

CHP energysaving benefitsare over-hypedThe ability of tri- and co-generation

systems to save energy has been

over-hyped, suggested Dr JamesThonger, an associate director ofArup.

Some uses of these systems, suchas combined heat and power (CHP)

fuelled by natural gas, could be lessefficient than fossil fuel-powered

boilers, he argued.Pointing to figures from Dukes

2008 showing that 71 per cent ofCHPs are powered by natural gas,

he queried why this should be so,and suggested that energy savings

from such systems had been

overestimated.Thonger argued that various

tricks had been used to elevate

energy savings from CHPs. Forexample, while CHP could be shown

to be 18 per cent more efficient thanconventional heating, this saving is

halved to nine per cent if heat lossis included in the calculation. In

analysing whether a co-generationsystem is more energy-efficient than

a conventional one using the samefuel supply, the industry should use

the governments CHPQA Standard,

Thonger said.

Relying on renewables alone toslash carbon emissions is notenough: nuclear needs to beconsidered to meet stringentgovernment targets, insisted youngengineer Rick Wheel of Arup duringthe CIBSE Young Engineers debate:Is the recession killing the marketfor renewable technologies?

Wheel and three other youngengineers Mary Ann Clarke andNigel Banks from AECOM, andBecci Taylor from Arup weregrilled for more than an hour by

delegates at the YEN dinner anddebate.

Wheel added: I dont believenuclear is sustainable by anydefinition of the word. However, itsa very, very low-carbon solution. Ifclimate change is going to be takenseriously, then nuclear has a veryreal place over the next 50 years.

Banks stressed his concernsabout unearthing future sourcesof oil and gas: If oil reserves arelow and declining Im sure gasprices and electrical prices will

rise as a result. The really worryingthing is that the next best availablesource of oil is the tar sands fromCanada and other places, whichare horrendously unstable andcarbon polluting. If you dont stopthat, then youve got no chance ofstopping climate change.

The idea of capturing carbonfrom burning fossil fuels isnt astrategy that Taylor advocateseither: Investing money in carboncapture would be better spent onrenewables.

Taylor believes that clients donthave a choice on renewables:Legislation requires that thosebuildings contribute to a low-carbon

economy. They wont necessarilybe on-site renewables. An off-siteobligation can cater for that as well.

Its particularly interesting inthe context of the recession arecession makes things moreefficient, companies have to bemore streamlined.

We shouldnt be putting

renewables where they dont workanymore.Clarke agreed that the issue

now should be to put the rightrenewables in the right place andmake sure that the location andbuilding demand actually match therenewables that engineers propose.

She added: Perhaps we shouldconsider, if we cant put smallrenewables on buildings, whetherwe should be looking at havinga levy where maybe we actuallycontribute to having a largerrenewable strategy.

A vote at the end revealed themajority of delegates disagreethat the recession will kill off therenewables market.

Debate highlights perils for renewables

Natural ventilation row promptscall from delegates for resolution

Two of the young-engineer speakers,

Mary Ann Clarke, left, and Becci Taylor

School debate: Martin Liddament, left, with John Palmer

CIBSE members grilled the young engineers for more than an hour

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06



nAn insight into a new draftframework to keep clients

involved in the decision-makingprocess during building design hasbeen provided by building servicesresearch group BSRIA, delegatesheard.

Soft Landings is a framework ofactivities for all key members of aproject team to work to, explainedRoderic Bunn from the group.

One of its aims is to give the

project team more information aboutclient needs and what they requirefrom the building to try to combatsome of the problems consistentlydiscovered in post-occupancyevaluations (POEs).

Users often consider the controlsystems to be dysfunctional,operating illogically as far as theoccupants are concerned, said Bunn,because information about howsystems should be operated have notbeen passed on adequately.

He added: Rarely do automatedsystems give proper feedback to theoccupants on why theyre operatingand what theyre doing.

So users find themselveslocked out of the decision-makingprocess. It alienates them and itsalways a strong sign that theyreseriously alienated when theystart breaking them. Theres anincreasing unmanageable complexityin buildings. We see this time and

time again with teachers and schooladministrators, who are givencontrol systems they simply dontunderstand.

This can leave buildings sufferingchronic under-performance that nevergets resolved. Value engineering canbe another source for problems, ascan the positioning of the schoolitself, in terms of sunlight and solargain, and poor facade engineering.

But it is hoped this new frameworkwill help resolve some of the

operating problems. Crucially, itrequires a Soft Landings team tobe on site when a building is firstopened; the design team to remaininvolved up to three years after thebuilding becomes operational; andfor the process to be client-led.

The draft framework is apartnership between BSRIA, theUsable Buildings Trust and theDarwin Consultancy.www.softlandings.org.uk

Designing building controls thatwork first time isnt as commonplaceas one might think, said Bill Bordassof the Useable Buildings Trust.

He confessed to being highlycritical of current controls systems.We sell dreams and installnightmares. Designers dont followthrough into operation and theydont pass their knowledge on. Wehave very little feedback so we do notlearn fast from emerging issues andunintended consequences.

The simple things are the onesthat the industry generally hasntgot right, he said like usingphotovoltaics but being unable to

turn the lights off.Issues like this lead to offices

and new schools using far greateramounts of energy than waspredicted, resulting in muchhigher CO2 emissions. Butsolutions do exist, Bordass said,advising engineers to improvethe transparency between designestimates and the actual energyconsumed; design controls whichusers can understand, in terms ofwhat they are and how they weredesigned to be used; find outhow the systems and controls areworking once the building is in use;and, most of all, keep it simple.

Stewart Langdown, businessdevelopment manager atTridonicAtco, agreed that simplicityis the key: Robust [design] doesntnecessarily mean something thathas been heavily engineered. Itmeans that someones thoughtabout how the technology goestogether.

Technology today is advancingat such a rate that one of the majorproblems facing the industry ishow to get end-users to controlcomplicated systems easily, headded. Technology education iskey to combating the problem, hesuggested.

Give the standardsfor energy efficientproductsGreater harmonisation of

standards across Europe is key

to getting consumers to buymore energy efficient products,said Paul Wendon, engineering

director of air solutionsmanufacturer Flkt Woods.

He insisted that legislationsuch as the Energy Using

Products Directive,which aims to reduce the

consumption by energy-usingproducts, is essential in

meeting environmental andpolitical targets and helping

manufacturers survive the

recession.We see harmonisation

of standards as key and

standardisation of products askey so we can optimise the cost

to the customer.If we continue to develop

three standards one for theUK, one for the EU and one

for the further-afield markets well start to see that we

will have a bit of a mess asmanufacturers will start to

introduce complexity where it

shouldnt be necessary.Currently manufacturersare dealing with different

regulations for the UK, Europeand the wider world.

Added to this problem aredwindling budgets and the

customers desire for thecheapest solution possible

regardless of energy efficiency.We are being asked

to innovate and developproducts with budgets that are

declining and markets that are

disappearing, Wenden said.Without legislation and

regulation, very few of theinvestments that we make to

offer you better-performing,more efficient products will

come to fruition because themarket does not phone us

every day and ask for the mostefficient solution. Today, most

of our customers phone us andask for the cheapest solution.

For manufacturers tocontinue to export their

products, they need to be ableto produce a standard product

that can be supplied to thewidest possible market, he

argued.

Clients and users of buildings

locked out of design process

Key to control systems is: keep them simple

Roderic Bunn, right, with Bill Bordass

(see report below)

Delegates learn about the

European laws affecting

building services, new

client-led strategies and

how to master controls

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06

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Letters

www.cibsejournal.com22 CIBSE Journal June 2009

LettersServing the powers that beThe thermodynamic garbage that constitutes

the UK Energy Bill grates a little. I refer of

course to the proposed feed-in tariffs for small-

scale, renewable energy.

It is self-evident (or should be if you

subscribe to this eminent publication) that

both the efficiency and the financial viability of

renewable technology increases with scale. Our

elected representatives are now proposing feed-

in tariffs for domestic generation, subsidising

the least-efficient form of renewable energy.

Am I overly cynical in thinking that lobbying

by major power generation companies may be

behind this, ensuring that whatever meagrefunds are available are squandered on the

least-effective technology, helping to ensure a

continuing monopoly of vested interests?

Surely our political masters cannot be that

corruptible?

Peter Hill,CEng, MCIBSE

Misleading figures on heat pumpsI note with concern figures and information

quoted in the CPD module on Heat pump

technology (Journal, May, page 59). Figure

3 of the module quotes comparative heatingmethods and operating costs. From the figures

quoted, it would appear that electricity is

purchased at 6p/kWh and oil at 78p/litre. Both

of these figures are far from reality and present

a very biased and unrealistic comparison, very

much in favour of the electric heat pump

systems proposed. Current electricity prices

available to most of the general public would

put a totally different spin on the comparative

benefits of air-source heat pumps against other

fuels.

I am also concerned that the text below

the graphs on page 61 state that with a COPbetween 3.0 and 3.6, heat pumps outperform

all other types of heating shown. I would

suggest that, with true electricity and oil prices,

heat pumps perform slightly poorer than

most fossil fuels, especially when seasonal

variations in COP are considered. In addition,

no mention is made of the cost of biomass

systems, which offer lower figures than all

of those quoted using wood chip at current

commercial figures, and provide better carbon

savings.

Michael Cade,CEng, FCIBSE

What is the true cost of renewables?After reading the Under Achievers article

in the March edition (page 26) and the item

referring to throwing renewables at buildings

to reduce the carbon footprints, I sometimes

wonder whether we have been hijacked by the

green lobbyist and our governments have been

ill advised.

I do not want to appear to be a sceptic on

renewable energies, as some Im sure are

effective, but I would like to see a data case

on the carbon offsets and the production costsin terms of carbon emissions to manufacture

the renewable energy equipment, taking into

account the sourcing and treatment of the raw

materials, production costs and life-cycles of

the equipment.

I bet that the carbon savings provided by the

renewable equipment in no way covers the

carbon emissions in the whole production,

shipping and installation process!

D Horridge,UK

Consensus ignores arguments

on carbon emissionsNick Cullen is a brave man to question the

causes of climate change, but his point is

very valid (March, page 20). The consensus

on the causes of global warming looks and

feels like a bureaucratic convenience, needed

by politicians as a policy, and reinforced by

scientists wary of their promotion prospects

or simply wanting to be on the bandwagon.

As Cullen says, the fractional increase in

CO2 concentration is not large. But even this

does not give a realistic idea of the increase

in absorption by CO2. The overlap of theCO2 absorption bands with the water vapour

absorption bands halves the net effect of any

increase and reduces it further in humid

conditions.

The consensus arguments also seem to

ignore those CO2 absorption bands where

there is already saturation absorption. Those

pointing to increased solar activity present

this point obliquely by pointing out that

the percentage increase in solar output is

comparable to the most simplistic overestimate

of the effects of CO2.

They also point out that the intensityof incoming radiation in the greenhouse

bands is orders of magnitude greater than

the intensity of reradiation from the Earths

surface in the same bands, so that an increase

in solar intensity is doubly important.

I am not saying anybody is wrong, but I

am questioning their overdeveloped sense of

rectitude and their shortness of (presented)

detail.

However, there is every reason to reduce our

energy consumption as soon as possible and

to live more efficiently fuel shortages acting

as they do on everything from food supply toforestry and every reason for being much

more careful about the way we abuse our over-

populated planet.

John MossMCIBSE (retired)

CIBSE Journalwelcomes article proposals fromany reader, wherever you are whether it beletters, longer opinion pieces, news stories,people or events listings, humorous items, or anyideas for possible articles.

Please send all letters and any other items forpossible publication to:bcervi@cibsejournal.

com, or write to Bob Cervi, Editor, CIBSE Journal,Cambridge Publishers Ltd, 275 Newmarket Road,Cambridge, CB5 8JE, UK. We reserve the right toedit all letters. Please indicate how you wish yourletter to be attributed, and whether you wish tohave your contact details included.

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Opinion

we hand them over and that means an increased role

for the post-occupancy evaluation engineer, whetheran FM or independent consultant. Post-occupancy

evaluation has the potential to inform not only the

maintenance, but the delivery of a building. It is only

through monitoring the performance of a building

when it is in use that we can determine whether it is

truly performing as intended

and meeting sustainability

targets. And, perhaps more

importantly, post-occupancy

data can help engineers

establish whether their design

assumptions were correct andinform future design choices.

We must also look even

further back into the process.

Japan, for example, has long

had a tradition of building

services design engineers

working for manufacturers

if you are aiming for

long-term sustainability,

that makes perfect sense.

Without the recruitment of

intelligent young engineers into the building services

manufacturing sector, the future innovation anddevelopment of new and existing technologies will

decline. We should be aiming for passive design

wherever possible, but our ability to source and apply

efficient plant and renewable technologies will be

central to achieving our sustainability aspirations.

I understand there used to be an air of the

old English class system about the structure of

engineering teams and everyone was expected to

know their place. In todays context, that is nonsense.

The new membership grades within CIBSE reflect

how our profession is becoming more inclusive and

our goal now must be to use this to broaden ourappeal to potential recruits.l

Why is it that so many of our buildings are

disappointing? Every project team comestogether with the best of intentions, but

too often the outcome is a letdown. I

believe much of this is due to the way that projects

are delivered.

A recent report produced by the Specialist

Engineering Alliance (SEA) and launched at the

House of Lords highlighted the fact that the inability of

the industry to work in integrated teams was making

it almost impossible for us to deliver sustainable

buildings.

Often, from the day our teams are put together, we

face an uphill struggle because the design processis not adequately inclusive. Every profession in the

chain has a critical role to play and, unless we are all

working together from day one, the implementation

will not match the design intent.

However, most young engineers attracted to the

building services profession seem to be inspired by

design work. They are excited by the opportunity of

working towards sustainable solutions and see the

front end, where the decisions are made, as the best

place to be. This has led to a traditional front loading

of the industry, with installation and commissioning

skills given secondary billing. However, the

sustainability agenda has actually increased theopportunity for engineers working on the later stages

of projects to make their mark.

We at the design end must keep our feet on the

ground and make sure the building systems we design

are easy to install, commission, operate and maintain

and the best way to make sure that happens is to

work in close collaboration with the contracting

teams, which have to implement our designs, and

the facilities managers who must keep them going

for years to come.

To meet our goals, we will have to engage the technical

knowledge and practical application skills of FMs muchearlier in the design process, which should make this

profession more attractive to potential recruits.

We also need to dramatically improve our

understanding of what happens to our designs once

Team effortWe must accept that good design alone will not deliversustainable buildings. It is the practitioners and operatorswho hold the keys, says young engineer Morwenna Wilson

Morwenna Wilsonworks for Arup and chairs the CIBSEYoung Engineers Network London Centre

Most youngengineers are

excited by the opportunityof working towardssustainable solutions andsee the front end, wherethe decisions are made,as the bestplace to be.

8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06

25/72

NEWITSR

EALLYNOTH

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The new generation of metal pressfittings

with press indicator and cap.

Thanks to its press indicator, the new Mapress fitting offers a higher

level of security. In addition to the contour seal ring in every fitting, it is

now possible to check for unpressed joints even before performing

a pressure test. In addition, all of the pressfitting ends come equipped

with a cap, so the seal ring remains protected right up to the time of

installation, shielding it from contamination with dirt and dust.

Thats what we mean by Know-How Installed.

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8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06


Opinion

Our most pressing problem is reducing energyconsumption in existing buildings. Homes account

for 27 per cent of our total energy bill, and the building

services industry already has a whole range of

cost-effective solutions to tackle that problem. Think

how much could be achieved with winds 12bn if

it were spent on upgrading ageing heating systems;

fitting loft and cavity wall insulation; double glazing;

better heating controls; variable speed pumps,

and so on.

We could even look at a comprehensive programme

to fit whole house ventilation systems that reclaim

heat while simultaneouslyreducing the condensation

and airborne bacter ia

problems that blight so

many homes in deprived

areas.

That money could also

help to tackle fuel poverty,

which is on the rise again

after more than a decade of

falling numbers.

A fraction of those billions

could also significantly

boost the modest 45mannounced in the Budget for

small-scale renewables and

micro-generation technologies. The Renewable

Energy Association estimates that 625m would

provide a meaningful boost to the solar thermal

market and other carbon-reducing building projects,

while also delivering much quicker and more

impressive results.

It would also help to stimulate the market for

traditional building services engineering and give

employers the confidence to retain and retrain both

experienced and apprentice engineers, so preservingand creating thousands of jobs. l

The British government is forever telling us thatclimate change is the biggest issue we face,

but of the 175bn the Chancellor is borrowing

this year to prop up the public finances, only

a fraction will be spent on really getting to grips with

carbon emissions.

There is no coherent strategy for tackling our energy

problems. The government has approved 11 sites for

new nuclear power stations at an eye-watering cost of

4.5bn each, but the first of these will not be on stream

for at least 15 years assuming they are built at all.

The British Wind Energy Association also wants the

government to bail out off-shore wind farms to thetune of 2bn. Nine major projects are already in the

pipeline at a total cost of 12bn, but investors say they

will not be completed without this extra money. The

government has put a lot of faith in wind energy and

the London Array in the Thames Estuary, set to be the

worlds largest offshore wind farm, has now been given

the go-ahead. The first phase alone will cost 2.2bn

to build.

We are being held to ransom because taxpayer

support will not end with these huge construction costs.

Off-shore wind farms will also need generous public

subsidies for the next 25 years at least, if they are to

make economic sense; this is according to the energyfirms themselves, who will be raking in the profits.

Wind farms are simply not economically viable;

moreover, their carbon credentials are questionable.

Each new wind farm has to be backed up by a

conventional power station for those days when the

wind inconveniently refuses to blow. So, not only

does wind come with no guarantees, the electricity

it generates is far more expensive than our existing

supplies and could actually increase our carbon

footprint. Look at Denmark, where wind turbines cover

the countryside. Their carbon emissions, like ours, are

still rising.If the giant energy firms holding out the begging

bowl to the British taxpayer want to pull the plug

let them! We have much better things to spend the

money on.

Its a wind-upRoderick Pettigrew urges the UK government not to carryon wasting any more taxpayers money on wind power whenthe money could be better spent elsewhere

Roderick Pettigrewis deputy chief executive of the Heatingand Ventilating Contractors Association. www.hvca.org.uk

Wind farmsare simply

not economicallyviable; moreover,their carboncredentials arequestionable.

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8/10/2019 CIBSE Journal 2009 06


Legal

and their family at risk; and they may also be liable in

a civil court if there is an accident and others sufferloss. In addition, a gas safety check must be carried

out annually.

Landlords must issue a gas safety certificate to each

of their tenants within 28 days

of the check being completed

and to any new tenants before

they move in. Records must

be kept for at least two years.

Landlords must also show

tenants how to turn off the gas

supply in the event of a gas

leak.Employers or the self-

employed have duties under

health and safety law when

engaging someone to work on

gas fittings. In the event of a

gas-related incident, the HSE will look at the checks

made by the employer to ensure that the work was

being carried out by someone legally competent to

do so.

Everyone engaged in the procurement of gas-

related work needs to be familiar with the rules,

ready to use the new facilities for checking technician

qualifications and, if need be, use the facility on theGas Safe Register website to report anyone working

illegally.

In addition, the HSE strongly recommends the use

of carbon monoxide alarms to detect the presence of

the highly toxic gas, which can be produced by gas

appliances. On average 25 people a year die from

carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and many more

suffer health problems from CO exposure directly

related to gas.

Alarms should comply with BS EN 50291 and

carry a British or European approval mark. But such

alarms are not a substitute for regular maintenanceand safety checks.

l

On 1 April 2009 the Gas Safe Register

replaced CORGI as the approvedscheme for gas installers in Great Britain

and the Isle of Man under the Gas

Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.

These state that no person shall carry out any work

in relation to a gas fitting or gas storage vessel unless

he is competent to do so. That competence is based

on belonging to a scheme approved by the Health

and Safety Executive (HSE). Gas Safe is now the only

approved scheme for gas technicians.

While most gas work is in domestic premises,

this change affects anyone procuring gas work.

Consultants and contractors need to understand thenew rules, as they have duties under the Health and

Safety at Work etc Act when appointing anyone to

undertake gas work. It is also particularly relevant

to residential landlords who must, by law, have gas

appliances in flats and lodgings inspected.

With some 40 people a year killed or injured in

gas explosions, and 14 people dying from carbon

monoxide (CO) poisoning in 2008 due to badly

installed, repaired and maintained gas appliances,

this is a matter of life and death.

The regulations require that anyone employed

to work on any gas fitting be a Gas Safe-registered

technician. The term gas fitting covers gas pipework,valves, regulators and meters, and any other fittings,

apparatus and appliances designed for use by

consumers of gas for heating, including portable

heaters, lighting, cooking or other non-industrial

purposes.

All Gas Safe-registered technicians have ID cards

confirming their registration and show which fittings

and appliances they are qualified to work on.

The Gas Safe Register has routine monitoring

procedures for those registered, and for investigating

complaints over gas work. Anyone can nominate

work done for them for inspection via the Gas Safewebsite.

It is not an offence for a householder to engage

an unregistered technician to work on their own

appliances, although they may be putting themselves

Consultants andcontractors need

to understand the newrules, as they have duties

under the healthand safetylegislation.

Fit for purposeNow that CORGI is no longer with us, how can specifiersof gas appliances ensure that these are being fitted safely?Hywel Daviesexplains the new accreditation scheme

Hywel Daviesis techni

CIBSE Journal 2009 06

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Transcript of CIBSE Journal 2009 06