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
Category: Technical
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
Cooling’s pathway to net zero
For the UK to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the cooling industry must radically improve the efficiency of equipment and switch to ultra-low global warming potential refrigerants. Andy Pearson looks at a proposed timetable for action
Designing community heat pumps systems for heat networks
Over the past 18 months, heat pumps have replaced CHPs on heat networks, according to FairHeat’s Michael Ridge. The challenge now, he says, is to integrate the technology successfully, while still providing reliable and affordable heat for customers and residents