As the climate crisis intensifies, building services engineers are at the forefront of developing sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions. Initiatives include CIBSE’s evolving Climate Action Plan, the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, and the Building Services Engineers Declaration on the Climate and Biodiversity Emergency, which held a London conference this year. Its chair, Ashley Bateson FCIBSE, a director at Hoare Lea, discusses the event.
Buildings need to be future-proofed using weather modelling conditions
How can the building services industry tackle climate change?
There is an enormous opportunity, and responsibility, for the industry to influence the climate emergency in terms of mitigation. For example, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adapting buildings for future climate scenarios. We can design and operate MEP systems to be more efficient and replace fossil fuel equipment with electric systems. Engineers can also recommend onsite renewables and advise on efficient building envelope performance, and on strategies to optimise façade insulation, or adopting solar shading.
How can we integrate biodiversity into new and existing sites?
Nature was a key topic at this year’s conference. We spoke about the role of green roofs and nature-based solutions in improving the microclimate of the built environment. Evidence shows people feel more relaxed and healthier in biodiverse environments.
Engineers must collaborate with landscape architects and advocate the inclusion of nature whenever possible, as this can cool external spaces as well as solar PV panels, which improves their efficiency. The new national Biodiversity Net Gain requirements give an opportunity to include nature in projects.
How are building services engineers taking the lead in the Net Zero Carbon Building Standard (NZCBS)?
We have more responsibility and influence than any other profession in assessing and verifying the NZCBS. The standard is a collaborative industry initiative, but the metrics for achieving it should be familiar to building services engineers following best practice.
Buildings will be required to meet energy use intensity and embodied carbon targets. It is important we take the lead on this, establishing early-stage assessments, and guiding project teams to meet targets.
How do we target net zero and create climate resilient buildings?
If we design energy efficient buildings without designing for climate change, we risk creating further problems as the climate gets hotter and wetter. Homes and schools can suffer from overheating because designs haven’t considered solar gains or provided enough ventilation. New and refurbished buildings need to be future-proofed using weather modelling conditions, with a priority for passive design.
Passive strategies can include optimising the building form and configuration of windows, applying solar shading and providing sufficient purge ventilation. Demand for cooling can increase if we don’t anticipate global warming. It will require close collaboration with architects to ensure we give early advice on how design will influence comfort and energy use.
What can be done to ensure designs minimise embodied carbon?
The new NZCBS will require designers to assess embodied carbon in their projects, raising awareness of the impact of what engineers specify. It will be a voluntary standard, but we know many leading developers and investors will want to adopt this. There are some basic principles in reducing embodied carbon: use less, use longer and use again. Simple designs can minimise the amount of material required.
Engineers should be asking makers for Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) to ascertain the embodied carbon arising from the equipment they supply. Designers also need to think about a life-cycle perspective to minimise the embodied carbon that can come from replacing and repairing equipment. Specifying resilient materials and designing with adaptation in mind, should be prioritised to target low whole-life carbon.
Further reading
Climate Action Plan bit.ly/NZpolicy, Building Services Engineers Declare www.buildingservicesengineersdeclare.com