Survey: Clients crucial to driving change in a climate emergency

Many clients are driving change towards net-zero buildings, but finance and resource constraints are holding back others, according to a survey of 49 firms signed up to Building Services Engineers Declare. Hoare Lea’s Ashley Bateson and Andy Cane report the main findings

Meaning business: How CIBSE Award winner makes low carbon retrofits pay

When recession hit Ireland in 2008, Lawler Consulting turned to energy-performance contracting to engineer efficiency savings for its grateful clients. Since then, it has enjoyed growth in Ireland and the rest of the world, and this year retained its Consultant of the Year (0-50 employees) crown at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards. Andy Pearson reports

Making data count

Standardising energy data is essential to accurately assess relative building performance. Julie Godefroy compares data from previous CIBSE award winners with the latest energy use targets and introduces a new awards submission form that aims to maximise the value of data

Leading the heat revolution: Interview with Karen Boswell

Karen Boswell OBE joined Baxi Heating as managing director during a time of significant change for the heating industry. She tells Alex Smith how the boiler manufacturer plans to lead the transition to low carbon heating and become carbon neutral by 2030

Hays 2021 salary survey

Despite the pandemic, salaries across the building services sector rose last year, according to the Hays Salary Survey. While engineers’ prime concern now is job security, two-thirds will look to move in the next 12 months. David Blackman reports

Welcome to the team: helping workers feel less remote

The Covid-19 pandemic has meant graduates and new starters no longer have the opportunity to learn from colleagues and mentors in the real world. Firms have adapted by instigating remote online sessions, but what is the best way to replicate real-life learning? Phil Lattimore reports

Tom Hopton interview: the new norm must be smarter

CIBSE Engineer of the Year Tom Hopton spent 2020 looking at how data could help building owners respond to the upheaval caused by Covid-19. He tells Alex Smith how analytics is boosting the performance of buildings while responding to the needs of occupants