Ilke Homes has vowed to manufacture zero carbon homes at zero additional cost by 2030. Andy Pearson speaks to ilke’s Nigel Banks about the services strategy and the manufacturing efficiencies that will enable it to hit its goals
Category: Technical
Taking shape: shape memory alloys in air conditioning
A shape memory alloy technology could be a GWP-free, cost-effective successor to vapour compression refrigeration. Liza Young finds out more
Engineering the new normal: Technical Symposium highlights
Striving for net zero while making buildings Covid-secure has been challenging academics and engineers since the virus first appeared. Last month’s CIBSE Technical Symposium was an opportunity to share experiences in two days of live sessions discussing 64 papers. Alex Smith, Liza Young and Phil Lattimore report
Storage beater: compact energy stores
One barrier to heat pumps in smaller homes is the requirement for a large water cylinder to store hot water. Midsummer’s Jez Climas looks at how compact thermal-energy storage systems could solve the problem
Pump primer: heat pump installation
CIBSE’s new heat-pump installation guide aims to equip designers, installers and operators with the knowledge to successfully deliver the 300,000 annual installations needed by 2025. Arup’s Joshua Bird summarises AM16
A new era for heat: Queens Quay heat pump
A large-scale ammonia water source heat pump at the Queens Quay heat network in Glasgow promises to decarbonise heat for new and existing buildings. Vital Energi’s Lee Moran describes the scheme
Solar flair: how combined PV and solar thermal technology won a CIBSE product award
Naked Energy’s VirtuPVT technology was a clear winner in the CIBSE Building Performance Awards in the Product or Innovation of the Year – Thermal Comfort category. Phil Lattimore looks at how combining solar photovoltaic and thermal technology offers an alternative solution for low carbon heating and power
Evacuation lifts: an alternative escape route
Evacuation lifts have the potential to offer a safe route out of a building. Arup’s Eoin O’Loughlin and Harry Wiles, and Matthew Ryan of The Fire Surgery, look at the challenges and opportunities of incorporating them in fire strategies
Gree’s award-winning net zero carbon cooling solution
Air conditioning giant Gree has been recognised as joint winner of the 2021 Global Cooling Prize for creating an air conditioning prototype with five times less climate impact than a standard product. Gree UK’s Tim Boxall reveals the innovations behind its winning solution
Making sense of air quality sensors
Air quality sensors are not fit and forget – they require maintenance and will drift over time. Arup’s James Hare explains how to specify accurate monitoring devices and ensure they remain accurate over time