In the US, an abundance of cheap gas and a high carbon intensity for grid electricity compared with Europe is driving a move towards gas-fired heat pumps in small buildings. Tim Dwyer looks at three papers on the technology that were presented at the ASHRAE Winter Conference in Orlando
Category: Technical
Intelligence networks: smart grids in Islington and Oxford
Smart energy projects are being piloted in the UK to find out how buildings and infrastructure can be connected intelligently to provide low carbon heat and electricity. Andy Pearson reports on two pilots: GreenSCIES in Islington and Energy Superhub Oxford
Maintaining buildings in lockdown
Buildings left empty by the lockdown must be maintained properly to avoid risks such as legionella, corrosion and mould. Liza Young reports
Making a noise about acoustic design
A new guide addressing issues of noise, ventilation and overheating for homes has been launched by the Association of Noise Consultants. Working group chair Dr Anthony Chilton explains how vital it is to consider the acoustic strategy at the design stage
Wasted opportunity: using UK waste heat in district heating
If the UK reused waste heat from its buildings and industrial processes, it could be used to supply 14% of the hot water and heating demand in UK homes, says FairHeat’s Lina Aglén
Preventing Covid-19 spreading in buildings
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, REHVA experts have published a guidance document on how to operate and use building services to minimise the spread of Covid-19. Alex Smith provides a summary of their findings
Highlights from the ASHRAE Winter Conference
The ASHRAE Winter Conference in Orlando featured more than 300 presentations to nearly 2,800 delegates. Tim Dwyer gives a taste of the engineering zeitgeist, including seminars on growing cannabis and the latest BACnet software to secure controls
Sizing the opportunity – using software tools to reduce oversizing of HVAC
Integrated design and dynamic modelling can help overcome the problem of HVAC oversizing, says Autodesk’s Steven Butler and Michael Floyd
Zero-GWP cooling using the barocaloric effect
A Cambridge start-up is pioneering a breakthrough technology, based on the barocaloric effect, to develop a radical zero-GWP cooling system. Phil Lattimore reports
Jagannatha Reddy – the digital engineer of the year
Jagannatha Reddy’s commitment to innovation in digital processes and collaboration earned him the title of best digital engineer 2019 at the
Society of Digital Engineering Digital Awards. Liza Young finds out more