CIBSE Journal February 2025

The vision behind CIBSE’s move to Saffron Hill

2025 Hays Salary Survey reveals career frustration

Designing the award-winning façade for Beijing’s spectacular new library

Walk the talk

The end of 2024 marked a significant milestone for CIBSE as it left its Balham home of 44 years for a spacious, modern office in Saffron Hill, Farringdon. So far, the top two floors of the office have been refurbished, and CIBSE employees now have an attractive, open-plan workspace that is designed to encourage collaboration and creativity.

While employees have a sleek, agile new environment, there is still plenty of work to be done by CIBSE to unlock the full potential of 91-94 Saffron Hill. The next stage is to turn the ground and lower-ground floors into a vibrant skills hub, featuring a flexible auditorium, training suite and members’ lounge. Once that is in place, by the end of this year, CIBSE will monitor the building and its occupants closely before devising a comprehensive building services strategy – this will include the removal of ageing gas boilers from the 17,000ft2 building.

On page 14, we speak to workplace consultant Colin Stuart, who helped CIBSE define its vision and values before it embarked on its search for a new home. Chief among the Institution’s motivations was to demonstrate to the industry how a typical office can be decarbonised within a reasonable budget. Through the pages of CIBSE Journal and other media, it will share this journey over the next 2-3 years.

We look at how CIBSE appointed multidisciplinary consultant Inhabit to lead the programme after a detailed tendering process. As part of the project, Inhabit will examine the use of energy management standards such as Nabers UK and ISO 50001, which aim to validate the design of services, with rigorous attention to operational performance. CIBSE is the administrator of Nabers UK, and offers UKAS-accredited certification for ISO 50001 and other ISO standards.

On page 34, we talk to British Land to see how energy management standards have been embedded into its processes to ensure that buildings are designed and managed to perform at their optimum. The article includes details of the retrofit of British Land’s York House HQ with chiller heat pumps. It’s the first time the property company has disposed of gas boilers in one of its offices, and the aim is for the project to be the template for future retrofits. With a portfolio of £13bn, this is a significant moment in the property industry’s journey to net zero.

l Alex Smith, editor asmith@cibsejournal.com

Contributors

Anastasia Mylona Details of the meetings between CIBSE and China on building decarbonisation

Tim Dwyer Aspects of CIBSE Commissioning Code A: Air Distribution Systems and its relationship to the BSRIA updates

Editorial

Editor: Alex Smith

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Technical editor: Tim Dwyer

Reporter: Molly Tooher-Rudd

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Kathryn Cox ChapmanBDSP’s HR director comments on the ‘Great Dissatisfaction’ revealed in Hays Salary Survey

Steve Simmonds How having two standards for pressurisation design and expansion vessel sizing is causing confusion

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www.cibsejournal.com

18 International rescue

Anastasia Mylona reports on learnings from the knowledge-sharing, face-toface workshops CIBSE held recently, organised by the Chinese government

43 Beware double standards

Having two standards for the design and sizing of expansion vessels is causing confusion, and undermining system health and performance, says Spirotech’s Steve Simmonds

Features

14 CIBSE’s vision comes to life

Workplace consultant Colin Stuart tells Alex Smith that providing value while demonstrating an affordable path to net zero is at the heart of the strategy for the Institution’s new office

16 Navigating net zero in booming India

India’s urbanisation presents unique challenges to achieving net zero. Harley Haddow’s Shweta Salvankar proposes a framework to guide India’s built environment towards its goals

20 A new chapter in façade design

Beijing’s new library features China’s tallest self-supporting glass façade. Andy Pearson finds out how Eckersley O’Callaghan turned a highly complex design into a buildable reality

24 Bubbling to the surface

The latest Hays Salary Survey reveals a growing frustration around career progression. Molly Tooher-Rudd talks to industry leaders about how to overcome these challenges

Technical

Industrial & commercial heating, cooling and ventilation, domestic heat pumps

34 Certifying success

The adoption of energy management standards enabled British Land to target net zero carbon and begin the energy transition to heat pumps across its multibillion-pound estate. Alex Smith reports

39 Primed for heat pumps

A new study analysing the performance of existing boilers challenges assumptions about the need for radiator upgrades and fabric improvements, says Tim Dwyer

45 Driving for efficiency

By monitoring and analysing the performance of motor drives in HVAC equipment, ABB’s Richard Gee says energy efficiency quick wins can be identified

47 Air of excitement

Ahead of the 2025 Building Performance Awards this month, we take a look at the shortlist for the Product or Innovation –Air Quality Award

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Most UK homes will overheat without retrofit

Majority of existing dwellings would fail CIBSE recommendations

Most UK homes will regularly breach CIBSE’s night-time overheating criteria if they are not retrofitted to adjust to a warming climate, a new government-commissioned report has warned.

The report – Assessing the future heating and cooling needs of the UK housing stock –was published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero last month. It concludes that most existing UK dwellings would fail overheating criteria for new-build properties unless they are modified.

CIBSE’s TM59 states that temperatures in bedrooms from 10pm to 7am should not exceed 26°C for more than one per cent of the hours across a year.

This level, according to researchers from the Climate Services for a Net Zero Resilient World academic programme, will be exceeded for 14.3% of night-time hours per annum in English homes by 2030, taking into account anticipated increases in temperatures, without interventions in building stock. This proportion rises to 15.4% by 2050.

Flats and mid-terrace houses tend to be overheated for longer than bungalows and detached properties, according to the report.

Ethnic minority and low-income households in England and Wales are also likely to face a ‘significantly higher’ risk of overheating at night because they are more likely to live in these higher-density properties.

Large-scale heat pump rollout possible despite barriers

The majority of participants in a heat pump demonstration project would recommend one of the devices, according to a new report.

The results of the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project (bit.ly/CJEHDP), published in December by Energy Systems Catapult, revealed that 85% of those who participated would recommend a heat pump to a friend or family member.

The project demonstrated that the largescale rollout of heat pumps is possible in the UK, that they can be successfully installed in all types of property tested, and that they can operate efficiently and provide positive heating experiences for consumers.

However, barriers to a mass rollout remain, including greater physical and practical disruption compared with the installation of a gas boiler, a lack of external space, and slow Grid connection times.

The project assessed 742 heat pumps installed by contractors in Scotland and the north-east and south-east of England in a broad spectrum of housing types and ages.

Of the homes, more than two-thirds (68%) were built before 1980, and 41% were detached, 43% semi-detached, 11% midterrace, and 6% were flats.

The project was funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Turning off heating blamed for mould

Putting the heating on less often to save money over the past two years has been blamed by 56% of UK households for mould becoming more of a problem in their homes, according to new research.

The figures, published by comparison website Uswitch, show 60% of people surveyed have experienced mould in their homes – and 68% of people have admitted that they have put their heating on

less since energy bills spiralled two years ago. Almost all of those who reported experiencing mould also stated that paying for adequate heating during this period has been a struggle.

Government threatens legal action over unsafe cladding

Owners and landlords of the most unsafe high-rise blocks face possible legal action if they do not start remediation work on their properties in 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has written to those responsible for buildings more than 11m tall with unsafe cladding not yet removed, to say she expects them to begin rectifying the problem ‘as soon as possible’.

She has also told those responsible for buildings with ACM cladding, used on Grenfell Tower, that work should start by 31 March.

Rayner says landlords and owners will be held to account if they do not take ‘all necessary action’ to remediate buildings ‘at pace’. This could include ‘legal action’ to recover the cost of such works.

The government has also published its Remediation Acceleration Plan, which sets a target for all 18m-plus buildings with unsafe cladding to have been fixed by the end of 2029.

By the same date, landlords of 11m-plus buildings with unsafe cladding will be liable for severe penalties unless their blocks have been remediated or have a date for completion.

Councils, fire and rescue authorities, and the Building Safety Regulator could also get ‘robust’ powers to enforce remediation.

BSR to review building safety regulations

The Building Safety Regulator (BSR) is to carry out a ‘fundamental review’ of the building safety regulations guidance.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced the review during a House of Commons debate on the concluding report of Sir Martin MooreBick’s seven-year-long public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire disaster.

Rayner said while statutory guidance on building regulations covering fire safety and building design are now subject to continuous review by the BSR, she wants to ‘go

further’, saying the ‘system itself needs reform’.

The review, which will begin next year, has three objectives: make guidance easier to understand and use; ensure regular updates reflect new technology and industry practices; and make the Approved Documents more accessible, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The BSR has said the review will seek input from experts in architecture, building control, housebuilding, and digital and technical issues.

Net Zero Council to accelerate transition

The government has relaunched the Net Zero Council. In its response to the Climate Change Committee’s latest progress report, published in December, the government says that the council will be part of efforts to support businesses to decarbonise.

Co-operative Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq, who co-chaired the council following its establishment under the previous, Conservative, government, will continue to lead the relaunched group, alongside Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for energy security and net zero.

For the first time, the council will have representatives from civil society and local government, as well as business.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero says the council will be the ‘primary stakeholder forum’ supporting the delivery of the government’s mission to accelerate the transition to net zero.

This

AI Growth Zones to fast-track data centres

Government plans include an AI Energy Council to explore more sustainable data centres

The government has given the green light to the first AI Growth Zones (AIGZs), where fast-track planning will be on offer for the data centres underpinning the computing revolution.

The AI Action Plan, announced by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology last month, says the first AIGZ will be in Culham, Oxfordshire, which is also home to the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

More AIGZs, which are most likely to be located in de-industrialised areas with good access to power and strong support from councils, will be announced in the summer, according to the plan.

Working with the new National Energy System Operator, the process for selecting the zones will take into account the proposed data centres’ energy requirements. Ed Miliband and Peter Kyle, respectively Secretaries of State for energy and science, will co-chair a new government AI Energy Council to find sustainable ways for the UK to meet AI’s ever-increasing power needs.

These will include looking at opportunities to accelerate investment in the development of low carbon power solutions, including small modular nuclear reactors, and AI’s role in spurring the development of a ‘modern, efficient and sustainable’ energy system.

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates recently estimated that the surge of new data centres being developed to cater for AI tools such as ChatGPT would increase global electricity demand by up to 6%.

In order to secure supplies of reliable power, Amazon announced last year that it plans to re-open the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, which has been closed since 1979, when it was the scene of the USA’s worst nuclear accident.

Daikin heat pumps for Manchester homeless project

Daikin UK is providing heat pumps for a pioneering sustainable community for homeless men in Manchester city centre.

As well as offering accommodation for 40 people, Embassy Village will include a village hall, outdoor green spaces, mini allotments and a multi-use sports area.

Construction of the purpose-built community is under way, with Daikin UK heat pumps being used for sustainable heating and cooling.

Sid Williams, co-founder and director of Embassy Village, said: ‘Daikin’s support for the project has been nothing short of incredible. It has committed to supplying all the air source heat pumps and heating kit for 41 homes and the village hall. It’s an incredibly generous gift that

has helped us get that bit closer to affording the project.’

Daikin’s installation partner, Temperature Control, has also committed to installing and maintaining the heat pumps.

Residents are expected to move into Embassy Village from October 2025 and will have the opportunity to undertake training – including Daikin boot camp courses designed to give them the skills to secure jobs in the growing HVAC industry.

UK renewable power set to overtake fossilfuel generation

Homegrown UK renewable power crossed a ‘significant threshold’ in 2024, overtaking fossil-fuel generation for a full year for the first time, says a new report.

The review of UK electricity generation by think-tank Ember –based on 11 months of statistics and forecasts for December – says low carbon renewable power hit a record high.

Renewables – comprising wind, solar and hydropower – generated 103TWh, equating to 37% of UK electricity output. For the first time, they overtook fossil fuels, on 97TWh (35% of total generation).

A decrease in gas-power use of 13% (minus 13TWh) in 2024 was the second-largest annual reduction outside of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the report. The total gas generation of 85TWh was also at its lowest level since 1996.

Wind is close to overtaking gas as the largest single source of UK power. Ember forecasts that it will generate 29% of UK electricity in 2024, totalling 82TWh, just 3TWh less than fossil gas.

Angela Rayner approves M&S Marble Arch demolition

The redevelopment of Marks & Spencer’s Marble Arch store has been approved by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, ending a three-year planning battle centred on embodied carbon concerns.

M&S originally submitted plans in March 2021 to demolish and rebuild the flagship site. However, campaigners and environmental groups opposed the project, arguing that refurbishing the building would preserve its significant embodied carbon and align with the UK’s sustainability goals.

In 2022, then-Secretary of State Michael Gove blocked the plans, calling for a retrofit solution.

M&S said a detailed whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) by Arup concluded rebuilding was the most sustainable option.

Belfast hosts YEN Global Conference and Gala

YEN Global Chair Ruth Tatanga reports on the highlights of the annual Young Engineer Network event

The YEN Annual Gala, held at Belfast’s Titanic Hotel in November, was the highlight of four days of activities at CIBSE YEN’s 2024 Global Conference.

The gala, hosted by YEN Northern Ireland, celebrated the achievement and dedication of YEN members, and special guest David Stephens, CIBSE vice-president, emphasised the importance of YEN’s contributions to CIBSE.

The conference welcomed 14 of the 16 regional chairs, plus the global chairs.

The network operates as a bridge between

Training

Life-cycle assessment training

Construction Carbon has launched Life-cycle Carbon Assessment (LCA) Foundation Training, a free course developed with industry professionals and supported by the Laudes Foundation.

The course, which has been designed and delivered in partnership with CIBSE Training, is suitable for developers, surveyors, contractors and consultants. It offers insights into assessing and reducing project carbon emissions, and will equip attendees with essential knowledge of life-cycle assessments, including standards, policies, legislation and guidance. Hosted on the MyCIBSE Learning portal, the self-led course

lets learners progress at their own pace and there is a live Q&A.

The course is the first step to becoming an accredited UK life-cycle assessor. For those looking to advance, CIBSE Training is launching the Accredited LCA Practitioner Training Programme in 2025.

LCA Foundation Training is a prerequisite for LCA Practitioner Training, and an assessment must be passed to complete the course.

For more information and to register for the Foundation training, visit: bit.ly/LCATinfo –and for the 2025 Practitioner Programme visit: bit.ly/LCAPTinfo

early-career engineers and CIBSE, and we wanted to have a strong emphasis on STEM outreach in Belfast. Many of the chairs currently serve as STEM Ambassadors for the Institution and are inspiring role models within their regions. This year’s conference provided an ideal platform for engaging with building services engineering students in Belfast.

A STEM outreach event was held at Ulster University’s Belfast Hub, where we received an amazing welcome from the students.

YEN UAE chair and vice-chair Aishwarya Chengappa and Bushra Oosman, along with YEN London chair and vice-chair Lizzy Pettitt and Zoe Dickson, shared their professional journeys and their committees’ initiatives.

Niro Siriwardena, YEN Australia-New Zealand chair, added an international perspective and technical spin, presenting the operation of sustainability markers in Australia.

The event concluded with the National Conference Meeting, where chairs discussed improving YEN’s global visibility. The discussions highlighted a shared commitment to advance the network’s mission and strengthen its integration within CIBSE’s broader framework.

For full details and booking: www.cibse.org/training

Strengthening building services engineering ties in Hong Kong and China

CIBSE President Elect Vince Arnold was among those who met industry and government leaders

A mutual recognition agreement has been signed between CIBSE and the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) to facilitate mutual recognition of professional building services engineers across the UK and Hong Kong.

The agreement, signed by CIBSE’s CEO Ruth Carter and President Elect Vince Arnold, and HKIE’s senior vicepresident Ir Alice Chow and chief executive Ir Professor Alfred Sit, cements the shared commitment of both institutions to fostering global collaboration, advancing professional standards and benefiting society.

Events

Awards

CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2025

27 February 2025, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

The awards recognise the very best talent, projects, innovations and companies from across the building services sector. Book your place to celebrate with the industry and see who takes home the awards. www.cibse.org/bpa

Technical event

Scotland region: Has Covid made buildings less healthy?

11 February, Glasgow

This lecture will consider the legacy of preventative measures introduced during Covid for building ventilation, and the longterm effects, particularly in relation to hybrid working and lower occupancy rates. Register at bit.ly/CJCovSc

The signing took place as part of a wider visit to China and Hong Kong by Carter and Arnold, and CIBSE director of membership Richard Goldsbrough. They attended a series of meetings with industry leaders and government representatives to strengthen ties and influence global sustainable building practices.

The delegation met government departments in Hong Kong to explore the future of building services. At the Architectural Services Department, discussions focused on the transformative role of technology and artificial intelligence in driving

Conference

SoPHE 2025 Conference

27 March, London

This year’s event will focus on the challenges of water scarcity and water conservation brought on by climate change, and the innovative solutions for management. Register at bit.ly/CJSOPHE25

Technical

symposium

CIBSE IBPSA-England

Technical Symposium

24-25 April 2025, London

The symposium will have a range of peer-reviewed papers and presentations outlining the latest developments in practice, technology and policy, and highlight the latest guidance for building services engineers. The theme is ‘Fit for 2050 – Achieving net zero through intelligent, resilient and sustainable design in the built environment’. Register for an early-bird discount before 16 February at www.cibse.org/symposium

innovation, while the visit to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department provided insights into initiatives in its Innovation Zone.

The CIBSE delegation also met with the Property Management Services Authority (PMSA), and were joined by CIBSE trustee Vincent Ma, Hong Kong Region chair Hyvan Wong, and past chair Gary Chiang. Their discussions with PMSA’s CEO centred on advancing collaboration and innovation in the building services sector.

The visit coincided with the Hong Kong Joint Symposium, an event with HKIE, Hong Kong Polytechnic University and ASHRAE. Winnie Ho Wing-yin, Secretary for Housing in Hong Kong, gave the opening address.

In Shanghai, the group met with members of the CIBSE Hong Kong Region committee, and had meetings with the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, where key topics such as carbon reduction, big data and the internet of things were discussed.

By actively engaging with international partners and government stakeholders, CIBSE is driving meaningful progress in climate resilience, technological innovation and sustainable building practices.

Professor Yuen’s emergency response

Prof P L Yuen, CIBSE past vicepresident, past president of the HKIE, chairman of the Hong Kong Branch of the Institute of Healthcare Engineering and Estate Management, and a CIBSE Gold Medal recipient, played a central role in the world-first, highstandard, negative-pressure isolation ward module. Completed in just four months, the project drew inspiration from modular integrated construction (MiC) technology. It demonstrated the huge potential of innovative technologies in public health engineering. MiC technology allowed for approximately 80% of the construction process to be prefabricated in factories, reducing onsite construction time significantly. l Read more at bit.ly/ProfYeun25

CIBSE strengthens technical department

CIBSE has appointed Ellen Salazar as head of building services engineering. She will lead the development of CIBSE guidance and tools, starting with the revision of TM39 - building energy metering.

Salazar joins CIBSE with 30 years of engineering and technical experience in facilities management. She was a founding member of CIBSE’s Energy Performance Group, and the lead author for CIBSE’s TM39 (2009) and Guide M Chapter 4 Energy and Carbon (2023).

Consultation on reform of EPCs

CIBSE is inviting contributions to its response to the government consultation on the proposed reforms of the energy performance of buildings regime. The government is committed to having a system that provides homeowners and tenants with accurate information about the energy performance of their homes.

l More information at: bit.ly/ CJEPcon25 To contribute to the CIBSE response, email technical@cibse.org by 16 February. The consultation closes on 26 February.

Flush challenge shortlisted for award

CIBSE’s hands-on educational game Flush Challenge has been shortlisted for the STEM Initiative category at The Engineer’s 2024 Collaborate to Innovate Awards. The Flush Challenge is designed to get school pupils, aged nine to 11, constructing a functional flush system using a specially designed 3D-printed toilet and pipe kit. Supported by the CIBSE Patrons, the game provides students with practical STEM learning.

l For more information on the CIBSE Flush Challenge visit: bit.ly/CJflush

Nominations and appointments of Officers, Board and Council

New CIBSE Officers, Board members and Council members take office each year from the AGM in June. Officers and Board members serve on the Board; the Institution’s governing body comprises seven Officers (President, President Elect, three vicepresidents, honorary treasurer and immediate past President) and five Board members. Vince Arnold will step up from President Elect to President, and Fiona Cousins will become the Immediate Past President.

CIBSE’s by-laws and regulations require that all candidates for Officer and Board member vacancies arising at the AGM be considered by the Nominations Panel. Members from all sections of the Institution are invited to put themselves up for consideration. The panel gives careful thought to its recommendations and seeks to reflect Charity Commission guidance by nominating a range of candidates with the skills and experience required to fulfil the Board’s role as the governing body of a significant registered charity. It also seeks to ensure that the Board includes a balance of representation from different industry sectors.

Having considered the advice of the panel, the Board then nominates candidates for President Elect and Board member vacancies.

The Board’s nominated candidates for vacancies arising at the AGM in June

2025 are: President Elect: David Cooper CEng FCIBSE; honorary treasurer: Les Copeland FCIBSE; members of the Board: Peter Anderson CEng FCIBSE, Aleksandra (Sasha) Krstanovic FCIBSE, Dejan Mumovic CEng FCIBSE.

The Board, having considered the advice of the Nominations Panel, also appoints three vice-presidents to take office at the next AGM. These appointments are normally made from those who serve, or have served, on the Board, and all those listed below are current or past Officers or Board members. The Board’s appointments to take office in these roles from the June 2025 AGM are: vice-presidents: David Stevens CEng FCIBSE; Mike Burton CEng FCIBSE; and Mark Walker CEng FCIBSE.

The Council is a larger consultative body that advises the Board on CIBSE policy. It includes representatives of Regions, Societies, Groups, Networks, Standing Committees, and elected members, who serve a three-year term. The Board operates a similar procedure for election as that applying to Board members, and two corporate and one non-corporate position are available for election each year. The Board, having considered the advice of the Nominations Panel, agreed to nominate the following for vacancies arising at the June 2025 AGM: members of Council: Darren Coppins (corp); Bobo Ng (corp); and Sophie Parry (non-corp).

In December, CIBSE hosted a visit from a number of past Presidents at its new head office. They were welcomed by Ruth Carter, CIBSE CEO, who shared how the new premises are designed to better support our members, staff and the wider building services community worldwide.

TM65 embodied carbon guide for UAE published

New guidance for assessing the embodied carbon of building services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been published by CIBSE.

TM65 UAE: Embodied carbon in building services –A calculation methodology for the United Arab Emirates provides a rapid and transparent approach to assessing the embodied carbon of building services in the UAE, supporting the construction industry in making informed decisions to reduce carbon emissions.

The guide enables engineers, designers and decision-makers to better understand the emissions associated with building services systems throughout a building’s life-cycle, empowering them to make sustainable and impactful choices.

TM65 UAE is available at bit.ly/CJCIBKP

Medals nominations: recognising the best

CIBSE is inviting members to play a vital role in recognising excellence by submitting nominations for CIBSE medals. Do you know a colleague, mentor or professional whose work has redefined industry standards or inspired others to reach new heights?    Whether it’s through groundbreaking research, sustainable practices or inspiring mentorship, the medals celebrate those who elevate our industry and make a lasting impact.

Nominations are open from 12 February to 21 March.

For more information visit:  go.cibse.org/2025medals-journal. For any questions or for more information, email governance@cibse.org

Highlighting HIUs

HAmbient heat networks using heat pump HIUs can help the UK hit net zero, says Mitsubishi Electric’s Graham Temple

eat networks have been identified by the Climate Change Committee as an important technology in moving towards a decarbonised future. They allow individual apartments or properties within a communal heating network to produce their own heating and hot water using a heat interface unit (HIU).

However, the current design of heat networks with HIUs typically requires flow temperatures of 60°C or higher. This can lead to significant distribution losses of heat within these networks and can readily contribute to overheating in apartments.

The built environment contributes 30% of all carbon emitted in the UK, with heating homes accounting for 17% alone. Heat networks, therefore, have an important role to play in reducing emissions from residential heating – but how can we eradicate overheating and maximise efficiencies?

This is where the new generation of heat pump HIUs come into their own. These modern units, such as the water-to-water Mitsubishi Electric Ecodan Hydrodan system, use ultra-low heat network technology and upgrade the low-temperature heat to provide all the heating and hot water that each apartment requires, delivering flow temperatures up to 60°C.

Ecodan Hydrodan is a packaged ‘plug & play’ solution specifically designed to capitalise on the significant energy efficiency benefits that fifth-generation ambienttemperature heat networks offer. These networks use ultra-low temperatures, typically between 10-30°C, with the use of such a low temperature allowing multiple water source heat pumps to be used on the network.

The heat pumps use the network as a heat source or heat sink, depending on the demand for heating or cooling. This means that the network can be used as an energy store to share rejected energy.

The UK has a long way to go to reach our legally binding net zero commitments and modern, low-temperature water-to-water heat pumps can play a major role in helping us get there.

l Graham Temple is marketing manager at Mitsubishi Electric

Two

CIBSE’s vision comes to life

Providing value for staff and members while demonstrating an affordable path to net zero is at the heart of the strategy for CIBSE’s new office, workplace consultant Colin Stuart tells Alex Smith

The relocation of CIBSE’s head office to Saffron Hill, Farringdon, was successfully completed in December, with the transfer of 77 staff from Balham.

The move was celebrated in style with the office’s inaugural Christmas party, although with new carpets and upholstery recently fitted, red wine was left off the drinks menu.

Staff have moved into the top two floors of the building, which has five storeys plus mezzanine on the lower-ground floor. Staff areas have been refurbished to provide agile, functional spaces that reflect the outward-facing, collaborative values that CIBSE is keen to embrace.

Unlike Balham, where teams were siloed in their own rooms, Saffron Hill’s staff floors are open plan, with an internal balcony and exposed staircase providing a sense of light and space.

Staff work at traditional desks, railway carriage-style meeting pods, or individual workstations. Common areas, including two kitchens, encourage collaboration and creativity.

The response to the new 17,000ft2 office among employees is positive, with one new employee admitting he probably would not have taken the job if CIBSE had still been in Balham.

The arrival of staff at Saffron Hill completes the first part of the relocation project. The next phase is to open up the ground and lower-ground floors to members and stakeholders by building a vibrant skills hub to foster lifelong learning. This will comprise a training suite, versatile auditorium, and welcoming members’ lounge.

After completion later this year, CIBSE will monitor the building for a year before deciding on the decarbonisation strategy. Decisions made will be shared beyond CIBSE and will form the basis of an ongoing demonstration project.

Following an extensive tendering process, CIBSE appointed multidisciplinary consultant Inhabit to lead the project at the start of the process so the firm’s MEP expertise could be used to perform due diligence on the buildings being considered by CIBSE.

Colin Stuart, founding director at workplace consultant Baker Stuart, helped CIBSE write a brief for the appointment and worked with the CIBSE Premises Advisory Committee (PAC) through workshops to establish the Institution’s vision and values for its new home.

It became apparent to Stuart that the relocation was a chance for CIBSE to demonstrate best practice. ‘The idea is not to be the best of the best, but to show how a typical company can decarbonise its building on a reasonable budget, and create an office that makes staff feel valued,’ he says.

Saffron Hill was chosen because it most closely aligned with CIBSE’s vision. It met the original brief’s cost and functional needs, but also took account of secondary needs around membership and commercial growth.

‘Although the cost of fit-out and purchase is higher, the value delivered per square foot was the best of the lot. None of the other buildings we saw could provide the training and conference facilities, and members’ area, and the first floor allows for growth of CIBSE Services,’ says Stuart.

CIBSE was keen to appoint an MEP specialist to lead the project, in part because the services constitute the biggest part of the project and because the first phase of the project had to work with the future decarbonisation strategy.

‘We wanted it to be led by a CIBSE Member, which would bring MEP engineering front and centre,’ says Stuart. ‘Functionality and environmental performance were key for us. Inhibit had to design for day one and for five years’ time. It’s a delicate balancing act between making sure it’s a good, serviceable building now, while being mindful of the journey we’re going on.’

floors of CIBSE’s Saffron Hill head office have been refurbished to provide modern, functional spaces

The appointment of Inhabit started with a call for expressions of interest in CIBSE Journal. The 36 respondents were sent a prequalification questionnaire and their answers were scored by PAC, with five being selected for tender. The tender document asked participants to devise a decarbonisation strategy for a sample office.

On this basis, the shortlist was whittled down to three and they were invited to interview with PAC. Based on the strategy and interview, Inhabit was selected unanimously.

‘Inhabit really impressed us in identifying what we wanted to achieve. It wasn’t about using the latest technology, but about doing good, robust engineering,’ says Stuart.

The building dates back to the 1950s and an extension was added in 2008. However, the HVAC condition was poor, says Stuart. ‘We had a robust risk process and we had a contingency for issues such as asbestos and reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) removal. We haven’t had to use the contingency for RAAC, but we’ve had to use some of it for rewiring,’ he says.

Many systems are coming to the end of their lives, including the boilers. There is no BMS and individual fan coil units are working against each other. Fire doors also need repair or replacement.

Stuart says there were no substantial issues with the structure or façade, but some of the

The new fit-out includes a variety of vibrant, flexible spaces

windows weren’t opening properly. The façade will be included in Inhabit’s review of the decarbonisation strategy.

Inhabit is currently working with CIBSE on a monitoring regime. Areas being tracked include air quality, energy use and lighting.

‘We will look at the metrics and then decide what represents value for money for CIBSE as a landlord. What we don’t want to do is gild the lily and do something a typical landlord couldn’t afford to do,’ says Stuart. The process will also consider using accreditation schemes and standards such as NabersUK and the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard.

Stuart says: ‘The building needs to support CIBSE and its people. It needs to be extrovert –it’s not just about having 100 desks, it’s about what the building does for stakeholders.’ l

Premises funding project

CIBSE’s move to its Saffron Hill premises marks a huge step for its ambition to provide first-class facilities that inspire, train and support tomorrow’s engineers.

CIBSE is seeking £2.5m funding to help support the second phase of development, which will include a training and events area, auditorium, meeting rooms, and designated areas for members, guests and staff. The new spaces will also allow CIBSE to host large-scale events and lectures.

The training and conference centre will provide an opportunity for companies to have a visible profile in the new facilities and align themselves with CIBSE’s commitment to supporting engineers.

If you are interested in funding opportunities, please contact Robert Astick at rastick@cibse.org.

Navigating net zero in booming India

Rapidly urbanising countries such as India face unique challenges in achieving net zero carbon emissions. Harley Haddow’s Shweta Salvankar proposes a framework to guide India’s built environment towards its environmental goals

The construction industry is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, responsible for approximately 50% of total emissions in the UK and 23% in India. Developing transformative strategies to achieve net zero carbon emissions in this sector is essential.

India’s rapid urbanisation and growing housing demand present unique obstacles to achieving net zero construction. These include diverse weather patterns, pollution in cities, overheating risks because of global warming in coastal and southern areas, language barriers, and economic constraints. A lack of widespread awareness of sustainability complicates these efforts, and regional differences in building materials and practices make it challenging to standardise low carbon solutions.

To address this gap, a study was conducted to develop an interim carbon assessment framework tailored to the unique challenges faced by the Indian construction industry.

The research paper ‘Paving the way to net zero carbon standards: A guide to designing net zero carbon buildings in a region that lacks carbon assessment frameworks’ offers a critical pathway for designing net zero carbon buildings in regions without standards. It shows how global best practices can be integrated with India’s distinct environmental, cultural and economic contexts.

Shweta Salvankar’s paper ‘Paving the way to net zero carbon standards’ was named the Most Significant Contribution to the Art and Science of Building Services Engineering at the 2024 CIBSE Technical Symposium

The paper also presents a structured methodology for carbon assessment, combining embodied and operational carbon evaluation in India. It incorporates sensitivity analysis, dynamic simulation and thermal modelling techniques to evaluate the lifetime carbon emissions of buildings, highlighting the benefits of integrating renewable energy systems. This approach aligns with India’s international commitments to sustainable development and offers a structured roadmap for emerging carbon assessors.

The assessment of embodied carbon is crucial in identifying the carbon footprint of specific materials. The methodology includes a detailed life-cycle assessment (LCA) of materials, focusing on their recyclability and environmental impact. The framework applies tools such as One Click LCA to evaluate material impacts across key metrics, including global warming potential and biogenic carbon storage.

The operational carbon assessment focuses on evaluating the building’s energy performance and its impact on carbon emissions. This involves dynamic thermal modelling to assess the interplay between passive and active strategies for energy efficiency. Sensitivity analysis identifies critical variables that significantly affect modelled building performance, such as building orientation, window-to-wall ratio, and shading devices. These are then optimised through iterative analysis to enhance the building’s

thermal performance. A key aspect of the operational carbon assessment is the integration of renewable energy systems, particularly photovoltaics (PVs). Exploring the potential of PVs to reduce reliance on Grid-supplied electricity demonstrates how renewable energy can significantly lower operational carbon emissions. This complemented a secondary simulation to select the most efficient active cooling systems.

The framework’s success is evidenced by substantial carbon reductions observed across multiple projects. By leveraging global best practices and adapting them to local conditions, the framework ensures relevance and practicality. It emphasises the importance of early-stage design decisions in achieving net zero carbon goals. By incorporating carbon assessment into the initial stages of the design process, architects and engineers can make informed choices that significantly impact the building’s overall carbon footprint.

The study also highlights the need for training and more awareness around standards and legislation. By providing practical and actionable strategies, the framework empowers designers and developers to implement sustainable practices. l

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The CIBSE IBPSA-England Technical Symposium 2025 will take place on 24-25 April at UCL, London. Early-bird discount is available until 16 February. www.cibse.org/ technicalsymposium

l Shweta Salvankar is a senior building performance and sustainability engineer at Harley Haddow

International rescue

To share best practice on decarbonisation and climate resilience, CIBSE has just held knowledge-sharing face-to-face workshops organised by the Chinese government. Anastasia Mylona reports on learnings for both sides

CIBSE was recently invited by the Chinese government to participate in a series of UK-China workshops on decarbonisation and adaptation policy for the built environment.

The workshops were funded by the British Embassy in Beijing and the SuDBE Programme of Chongqing University, and aimed to bring experts together to address some of the most pressing challenges in the field of decarbonisation and climate resilience.

This collaborative initiative brought together UK and Chinese industry experts, policymakers, government officials and academics - first in London and then in Chongqing - to present and discuss current policies within the sectors of buildings and infrastructure.

The result is a report to both governments on various approaches to decarbonisation policy frameworks, as well as a roadmap outlining urgent research needed to support these frameworks.

The CIBSE technical team participated in both workshops. Head of net zero policy Julie Godefroy, research manager Zoe De Grussa, and I covered a range of policies, standards and guidance. These included national policies such as Part O, and the role of the recently launched Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (NZCBS) in driving industry decarbonisation efforts. We also discussed CIBSE TM59 and future weather files, and how they were being used to future-proof buildings and services for higher temperatures.

CIBSE representatives worked with Chinese and UK academics and government officials to exchange knowledge, expertise and insights on policies to drive decarbonisation and adaptation in the built environment. The workshops offered a unique opportunity to understand different policy approaches and start a collaboration between both countries on climate resilience and decarbonisation.

“A common goal connecting both countries is the decarbonisation of the sector”

The built environment is one of the greatest emitters of carbon and other greenhouse gases in the UK and China, and yet policy on the decarbonisation and resilience of the sector is underdeveloped in both countries. As a result, current efforts are uncoordinated and ineffective to meet any national or global carbon-reduction targets.

In China, the Green Buildings policy framework sets national standards that address: safety and durability; health and wellbeing; occupant satisfaction; resource efficiency; and environmental sustainability. The policy is then adapted at regional level to address local climate, financial and social characteristics, and resource availability and requirements.

China’s officials highlighted that the country’s future focus is on financial incentives (developing green finance schemes to promote energy reduction and renewable energy generation), more national and regional regulation development, and data gathering through monitoring strategies.

Although China’s construction sector has focused mainly on new buildings and developments, they see future decarbonisation efforts focusing on the refurbishment of existing stock and the need to learn large-scale retrofit strategies from the UK.

China’s top-down approach, unlike the UK bottom-up style, provides a clear roadmap for achieving national targets. The UK government provides national policy such as Part L and Part O of the Building Regulations, but there is no consistent framework on decarbonisation and resilience. Rather, the industry is developing standards such as the UKNZCBS, to meet government targets such as net zero by 2050. The voluntary nature of standards and lack of regulatory and financial incentives means there is no clear road to decarbonisation.

However, carbon emissions in the UK have already peaked, and are currently on a downward trajectory. In China, government policy is still working towards reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060.

Furthermore, in the UK, the building industry is already quantifying the embodied carbon of buildings (and lobbying for government to regulate it – Part Z), while in China there is little consideration of embodied carbon; instead, the main focus is on reducing operational carbon.

Ultimately, each approach has its positives and negatives, with challenges in implementation, innovation, regional adaptation and incentivisation. But a common goal connecting both countries is the decarbonisation of the sector while securing building assets’ longevity and long-term resilience to climate risks.

CIBSE’s ongoing involvement in shaping policy for a sustainable, net zero future is a key part of the Institution’s global mission to lead and support the built environment in responding to the climate crisis. l

Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings regime

Deadline 26 February: proposals include plan to use multiple metrics for EPCs

CIBSE is currently seeking input to its submission to the consultation on the Reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regime, including Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

The proposed reforms aim to create a robust EPB regime that delivers accurate energy performance data to empower homeowners, tenants and industry stakeholders.

The consultation, published by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) on 4 December, seeks to refine and enhance the framework for assessing and improving the energy performance of buildings across the UK.

It addresses: EPC metrics; regulatory requirements; quality management; data accessibility; air

conditioning inspections; and operational ratings.

The consultation proposes moving away from calculating EPCs using modelled ‘per square metre’ energy costs. It says EPCs’ existing focus solely on energy costs is ‘insufficient’ and should be widened out to include factors such as thermal performance of the building’s fabric, type of heating system, and a building’s potential to integrate smart technologies, such as solar panels.

The government is proposing that domestic EPCs use four main metrics –fabric performance, heating system, smart readiness, and energy costs –with other metrics providing secondary information. It says carbon would be maintained as the single headline metric for non-domestic EPCs, but new primary

or secondary metrics may be added over time where appropriate.

This wider range of metrics will enable EPCs to take into account factors such as how well insulated a property is and whether it can lessen strain on the Grid by incorporating smart technologies, says the DESNZ paper.

The changes are in line with a package of EPC reforms recommended by the Climate Change Committee last year.

The consultation on the proposed reforms closes on 26 February. To contribute to the CIBSE response, send comments to technical@cibse.org by 16 February. l

For all current open consultations, go to: www.cibse.org/consultations

A new chapter in façade design

A groundbreaking self-supporting glass façade, the tallest of its kind in China, wraps Beijing’s unique new library. Andy Pearson finds out how engineer Eckersley O’Callaghan turned a highly complex design into a buildable reality

At the centre of Beijing’s new library lies a terraced valley, featuring a winding walkway that connects the north and south entrances. Hill-like mounds of tiered seating, stairs and terraced bookshelves line the route to create a series of informal public spaces for reading, talking and relaxing; the dramatic topography is intended to evoke that of the nearby Tonghui River. Hidden beneath the wooden terraces are private areas for studying, conferences and book restoration.

Tall, slender columns punctuate the internal valley. These burgeon into a canopy-like covering of leaf-shaped panels inspired by China’s native ginkgo trees. The columns support a flat, slender roof that overhangs the 150m x 150m square building. A series of skylights punctuates the roof, flooding the interior with daylight filtered through the ginkgo-leaf canopy.

A 16m-high glazed façade wraps around the giant building to ensure its spectacular interior is on display to passers-by. The glazing

Project team

Client: Beijing Planning and Natural Resource Bureau

Design architect: Snøhetta

Local partner: ECADI

Façade consultants: Eckersley O’Callaghan

Local façade consultant: Meinhardt

Contractor: CRCEG

(China Railway Construction Engineering Group)

is self-supporting, without so much as a steel strut or glazed fin to mar its transparency. The façade’s designers, Eckersley O’Callaghan (EOC), say this is the largest self-supporting glass façade in China and the tallest of its type ever completed.

It was an achievement recognised by the judges of the Society of Façade Engineering Façade 2024 Design and Engineering Awards, when the scheme won the International New Build category. The judges described it as: ‘A beautiful, sculptural yet highly technical and complex design – superbly detailed.’

EOC’s involvement with the project started in 2018, when it was appointed as façade consultant to the scheme’s architect, Snøhetta, after it won the international design competition with its scheme to ‘reinstate the library’s relevance in the 21st century’.

The firm’s role was to develop the façade concept to ensure it would perform as intended, while rationalising the detailing so the scheme could be built by local teams. ‘We helped steer the design direction and, by

liaising with contractors and fabricators, were able to understand the costs and buildability of the various façade proposals,’ says Minxi Bao, associate at EOC.

The architect’s initial concept was based on a glazed façade formed from a series of vertical, 3.2m-wide, curved glass panels – like giant, semi-circular sections of transparent channel stood on their ends. The glass was positioned so that it curved in opposite directions on adjacent panels, to give the walls a rippling, corrugated appearance.

The benefit of this solution, from a structural perspective, was that the curve helped the panels to resist loading, says Bao: ‘We liked the idea, because it gave the façade significant geometrical stiffness, but we understood it would be a challenge to fabricate curved units at this scale.’

EOC went to the world’s leading glass suppliers to find a potential manufacturer for the curved panels. The engineer asked for feedback on the manufacturing feasibility of the panels at two heights: 16m and 20m. This showed that, while it was possible to realise the concept at both heights, the cost of doing so would have been ‘prohibitively expensive’, according to Bao.

Developing an economical solution

EOC set about developing a more economical façade solution that would not compromise the architectural concept. It changed the glazing from curved to a more pragmatic flat panel, which it arranged in a zig-zag fashion. ‘We

Stay Ahead

The Society of Façade Engineering (SFE) brings together professionals to advance knowledge and practice in façade engineering, promoting good practice and ensuring that today’s increasingly complex building façades meet the many and varying performance criteria. Membership is open to all individuals who have an involvement in façade engineering.

For more information visit www.cibse.org/sfe

Entries for the 2025 façade awards will open soon. Register to be the first to hear: www.cibse.org/whats-on/ sfe-facade-2024-design-andengineering-awards/

came up with a pleated solution using flat panels that would be cheaper to manufacture and easier to build,’ explains Bao.

Working with the architect, the engineers also opted for the lower roof height of 16m, to ensure a buildable design that would keep the scheme within cost and buildability constraints.

In-depth structural analysis was carried out on the folded plate proposal to establish the depth and modulation of the plate, the relative stiffness of joints and the required thickness of glass. Specific areas of the façade – such as the building’s corners and its interaction with the portal frames spanning the entrances –also required detailed investigation to ensure the solution’s viability.

The flat, insulating glass units that make up the zig-zag walls are 15.8m high and approximately 2.5m wide. They are assembled from a laminated outer glazed unit comprising five panes of glass bonded together by SentryGlass interlayers. This is backed by a slimmer, two-ply inner unit. The interlayer allows the separate glass plies to act as one. The gas cavity is created by a spacer bar and sealant around the perimeter of the glass panes.

Mechanical connections were investigated for the glass-to-glass connections between adjacent panels, potentially involving cast-in inserts within the glass.

Ultimately, for visual clarity, a simple structural silicone-bonded joint was adopted to attach the vertical edge of one unit to that of its neighbour. ‘The units don’t have any intermediate support along their vertical

The glass panels on the library are positioned to give the walls a rippling, corrugated appearance

edges, so all the load needs to be resisted by the glass,’ says Bao.

The panel’s zig-zag arrangement is highly beneficial, enabling the giant glazed panels to work together to efficiently resist wind loading on the façade. Bao explains: ‘If we’d designed a completely flat façade, the glass would have had to be really thick, because we’d end up having to use a significant number of layers [to give it sufficient stiffness]; by adopting a pleated solution, we are able to use the inplane stiffness of the adjacent glazed units.’

Accommodating roof movements

The glass façade's design and detailing was engineered to accommodate both vertical and horizontal movements of the main structure, caused by dead loads, wind loads and seismic loads. EOC's relatively simple solution was to accommodate roof movement in the steel retaining channels at the top and bottom of the glazed units.

Each integrated glazing unit (IGU) has a stainless-steel profile, factory bonded to its top and bottom edges. The profiles slot into steel channels at the top and bottom of the units. These are attached to the building's structural steel frame. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) bearings line the sides of the steel profiles to enable the IGUs to slide smoothly up and down, left and right (for the in-plane horizontal) within this channel restraints.

It was not wind loading, but seismic movement that provided EOC with one of its biggest challenges – and, in particular, the interaction of the glass wall with the roof.

‘Beijing is at the junction of three seismic zones, the capital city does have a really high safety factor for earthquake action in the Building Codes,’ says Bao.

Top connection of the façade

To accommodate the vertical movements of the roof, the top connection to the main structure features a slotted hole, allowing the roof to deflect downward by 50mm and upward by 30mm, without loading the glass.

Under the worst-case seismic scenario, the building's sizeable roof, which is held aloft on the grid of slender vertical columns, was predicted to sway by up to 120mm horizontally.

To accommodate this in-plane lateral displacement, steel hemispherical rockers positioned at the centre point of the bottom of a glazed panel allow the IGUs to rock left and right.

Vertical deflections of the main structure are either caused by dead loads, or wind loads. To accommodate the vertical movements of the roof, the top connection features a slotted hole, allowing the roof to deflect downward by 50mm and upward by 30mm, without loading the glass.(see diagram) .

EOC worked closely with the structural engineer in developing the supporting solution to ensure the building's structure wasn’t over designed and that the architect's vision was maintained.

To comply with Chinese code requirements, EOC used Finite Element Analysis to model the facade in detail and quantify its performance and capability to accommodate the main structure's movements.

Controlling solar gains

The architectural requirement for the façade to be self-supporting and free from framing precluded the use of openable vents to allow passive ventilation of the giant reading room.

To keep the interior comfortable in Beijing’s hot summers and cold winters, the glazed panels have a U-value of 1.6W/m2K. Solar gain is controlled primarily by overhanging the roof, shading the façades. In addition, a bespoke high performance low-E coating applied to the glazing gives it a g-value of 0.24, to further limit the amount of

heat transmitted through the glass. ‘The glass fabricator customised a specific coating for this project to ensure performance parameters would be met,’ says Bao.

On the east and west elevations, the façade varies in height from 15.8m to 8m, where it rises over a plinth of terracotta blocks, which provide a decorative facade. The 30mmthick blocks, which are 450mm high and 2,100mm wide, appear to be bonded to the glass, but are actually attached to a subframe hidden behind.

In addition to extensive digital modelling, visual mock-ups of the façade were made to assess the quality of light transmitted to the reading room, which Bao says, ‘is quite subjective’.

The engineers were fortunate that there was no requirement for fire-rated glazing or for fire compartmentation within the glass façade. There was, however, a requirement for 120-minute separation at the glazing interface with the terracotta. This was provided using a steel plate and fire-stop detail.

From an acoustic perspective, the mass of the giant laminated glass units meant the façade’s acoustic requirement of 30dB Rw+Ctr (where Rw is the weighted soundreduction index in decibels and Ctr is an adjustment factor to account for lowfrequency noise) was satisfied for the reading room without additional acoustic treatment.

The façade developed by EOC, also helped to reduce both embodied and operational carbon.

The pleated facade provides the glass with additional stiffness, reducing the amount of material required, which cuts embodied carbon. Furthermore, additional heat energy is required to curve a glass panel, and so, moving from a curved panel arrangement to a flat panel arrangement, meant that the embodied carbon could be further reduced.

With regards to operational carbon, the use of a curved panel would have limited the number of available coatings that could have been applied compared to a standard flat panel. Hence, making use of flat panels meant that the glass could have a better thermal and solar performance, allowing the building to use less energy to heat and cool the library.

The façade also contributed to the building achieving three stars, the highest level, under China’s Green Building Evaluation Label.

The spectacular library opened its doors to the reading public in December 2023, reaffirming the library’s relevance in the 21st century. No wonder the SFE Awards judges were impressed. l

Allowing daylight in

A regular grid of skylights, set into the giant roof, ensures daylight floods the reading room. From below, the ginkgo leaf-shaped canopy gives these skylights a deceptively irregular appearance.

‘We wanted to make the skylights easy to build, so they are formed from a diagrid frame that is filled with double-glazed units supported on a rectangular hollow frame,’ explains Bao.

If the glazed elements had been any bigger, they would have had to be thicker, adds Bao, which would have increased the weight on the roof, with a corresponding increase in the size of the supporting structure needed. ‘If you remove the ginkgo leaves, the glazed diagrid is quite modularized,’ she says.

The grid of smaller skylights is enhanced by a much larger and irregular-shaped skylight that illuminates the winding central access route along the valley floor. The central skylight is formed from a diagrid of intersecting, hollow section steels, designed to support a regular grid of identically sized double-glazed units.

The ginkgo leaf-shaped canopy gives the building's skylights an irregular appearance

Bubbling to the surface

Frustrations around pay and career development are contributing to dissatisfaction among engineers, according to the latest Hays Salary Survey. Molly Tooher-Rudd talks to industry leaders about overcoming these challenges

Building services professionals have a touch of the dooms.

According to analysis from Hays, marking the 2025 Salary Survey, economic optimism among professionals has dropped significantly, with only 21% expressing a positive outlook, compared with 46% last year.

Pay rises are also down, with building services salaries rising by only 1.3%, lower than the previous year’s 2.5% increase. This modest growth in pay contributes to dissatisfaction and retention challenges among employees.

Despite the pessimism, the sector continues to demonstrate resilience in the short term, with 83% of employers

AI: friend or foe?

The rise of AI is reshaping industries worldwide, and building services engineering is no exception. While 64% of engineers express interest in training to integrate AI into the workplace, 74% of employers remain hesitant to recommend AI tools.

McNicholas says that AtkinsRéalis is cautious about how they are integrating AI into the business.

‘There’s a massive energy for AI. It feels as though the staff want to go quicker than we want them to at the moment, but maybe that’s wise,

planning to hire within the next 12 months, a modest rise from 81% last year. And 37% of employers are hopeful about job creation prospects over the next two to five years.

Employers have their own challenges. Key concerns include talent retention (52%), skills shortages (51%) and managing change (40%), all of which threaten to disrupt progress over the coming year.

The annual industry survey conducted by Hays for CIBSE Journal paints a clear picture of the challenges facing engineers. Issues such as reduced career progression opportunities, dissatisfaction with pay, and the looming

impact of AI adoption are reshaping the landscape of building services engineering (see ‘AI: friend or foe’). These hurdles, however, also present opportunities for innovation and growth if tackled strategically.

Hays has coined the phrase ‘The Great Dissatisfaction’ to describe the bubbling frustration among building services engineers regarding career progression. Opportunities for advancement appear to have dwindled, with only 62% of engineers perceiving room for growth, down from 78% last year. Positivity about career prospects has also declined, dropping from 68% to 60%.

because the consequence of it going wrong can be dangerous,’ he says.

‘It’s exciting, and many of our staff have access to a safe version of Microsoft Copilot to explore and get comfortable with. We haven’t exposed sensitive company databases, due to security concerns, but we are taking small, deliberate steps with a solid strategy in place.’

Cox highlighted the balance between enthusiasm and caution. ‘AI is a powerful tool, but potential pitfalls exist. Transparency, clear guidelines and thoughtful integration

are essential, especially for critical applications like contract drafting or safety compliance under the Building Safety Act.’

‘We’ve got someone appointed to look at future marketplace demands for skills and how we develop our talent map against that,’ says McNicholas.

SI Sealy’s Madden says AI is something that industry must learn to embrace, not fear. ‘Its utility in drafting documents and automating tasks makes it a valuable ally for engineers worldwide,’ he says.

‘Building services engineers are currently feeling dissatisfied and unable to progress in their roles for several reasons – however, it’s not due to a lack of opportunity within the market,’ says Phil Jackson, director at Hays.

‘Numerous professionals have reported a lack of transparency regarding career progression and opportunities, which needs to be addressed by firms. This lack of clarity can lead to frustration and a feeling of stagnation among employees.’

Mike McNicholas, managing director at AtkinsRéalis, agrees, emphasising the importance of creating accessible career pathways. ‘One of the key things is giving visibility to everybody on what progression is available. We need to provide a roadmap that allows people to upskill themselves in the language, the process and the key features of one domain compared to another. We call it talent resilience, encouraging engineers to expand into different ways of working.

McNicholas says AtkinsRéalis works hard to ensure formal pathways for lateral fluidity, as well as vertical progression, whether it’s practising a craft across multiple areas, stepping up to project management, or expanding into other disciplines. He says this is essential in ‘developing the skills in our employees to be able to step up and take on different roles’.

The skills shortage remains one of the most pressing issues for the industry, with 96% of firms reporting difficulties over the past year, up from 93% in 2023. Root causes include fewer entrants to the industry (56%), competition (49%) and salary concerns (31%).

‘There’s not a general shortage of capability; we’ve got lots of talent,’ McNicholas explained. ‘But when we hone it into specific areas, the shortage becomes very acute. Key areas like net zero sustainability, AI, and digital skills are particularly challenging.’

Addressing these gaps requires a multifaceted approach. Danny Madden, director at S I Sealy, highlighted the importance of structured training and mentorship. ‘Introducing employees to structured pathways, particularly CIBSE chartership programmes, will create stronger, more experienced engineers for the future,’ he says.

Consultants: Associate

Consultants:

Salary survey 2025

Madden also raised the importance of practical experience. S I Sealy has a reputation for training and developing young engineers. ‘We work on multiple project sizes, so it exposes an engineer to lots of different things,’ he says.

‘No-one is stuck designing ventilation for five years. They work on the whole project from cradle to grave, which helps engineers learn skills across all RIBA design stages.’

Madden says: ‘I’ve spoken to young engineers who left their companies because they were stuck on feasibility stages for years and never saw their designs implemented. I think this can really limit development.’

ChapmanBDSP’s apprenticeship programme typifies one potential

Consultants: Revit/BIM technician

Scotland

Contractors: CAD technician

Scotland

National

solution. Kathryn Cox, HR director at ChapmanBDSP, says one of its apprentices from the first cohort of the CIBSE apprenticeship levy has just passed his endpoint assessment.

‘After six years and four months at the company, he is now a senior mechanical engineer. These success stories highlight the value of recruiting and training talent within the organisation,’ says Cox.

Apprenticeships are ‘crucial cogs’ when it comes to closing skills gaps. ‘There are firms who are doing excellent work in this area. Overall, there’s an opening up of pathways into building services that is important for versatility and helping to improve workforce diversity,’ says Jackson.

Consultants: Senior design engineer (M&E)

Over the past year, building services salaries rose by only 1.3%, lower than the previous year’s 2.5% increase. Jackson explained that ‘post-pandemic, there was an influx in demand across building services, which added pressure to firms to increase pay quite rapidly to attract staff. That market has now calmed, and salaries are levelling out – a stabilisation that needs to happen from time to time’.

Retention challenges are exacerbated by dissatisfaction with career progression and pay. Around 43% of building services engineers say they intend to look for a new job in the coming 12 months, less than the 57% who wanted to move last year.

Of those who intend to look for a new job, 65% say they could be tempted

Consultants: Sustainability consultant

Contractors: Estimator

Contractors: Project engineer

Contractors:

Contractors:

to stay at their organisation if they were to offer better pay and benefits.

Jackson highlighted alternative strategies to compensate for limited salary growth. ‘Firms are being creative in what they can offer outside of salary,’ he says. Top benefits revealed in the survey include life insurance, pension provision and flexible working.

Cox agreed, saying that ‘companies are having to do a lot more to keep staff. Better employee benefits and a deeper understanding of what employees want all play a significant role in retention. People are looking at things much more holistically’.

Building services engineers value purpose and sustainability in their roles. While 56% feel their organisation’s employee value proposition aligns with their experience, 44% disagree. With 85% prioritising purpose and 82% valuing sustainability, Cox says that younger generations, in particular, are increasingly seeking social and environmental value, often prioritising it over salary.

‘Employers must provide clear career pathways and invest in continuous learning to drive their employees’ growth,’ Jackson explained.

McNicholas also highlighted the importance of mentorship and advocacy. ‘We’ve implemented a sponsorship programme for underrepresented groups. It’s aimed at accelerating their careers and creating advocacy for their talent. This approach has been instrumental in unlocking potential and driving retention. We often find our ambition for an individual is more than it is for themselves. We can see where they can take their careers.’

Madden highlighted that S I Sealy has never brought in an external director. ‘This really helps with retention, because it shows the people who want to progress that the opportunity is there,’ he says. ‘It’s so important to be inclusive, making sure people feel part of a team and creating that positive culture at your company.’

Cox remains optimistic. ‘Yes, there are challenges,’ she says. ‘Post-Budget, companies face greater expenses, but there are so many great opportunities on the horizon for the industry. It’s an exciting time.’ l

Kathryn Cox, ChapmanBDSP

Phil Jackson, Hays

Mike McNicholas, AtkinsRéali

Danny Madden, S I Sealy

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Standards proposed for hybrid heat pumps

Government consultation also suggests definition of a hybrid system

The government has proposed new minimum energy performance standards for hybrid heat pumps in its consultation Raising product standards for space heating (bit.ly/CJRPS25), which closes on 25 March.

It says there is currently little clarity for manufacturers about which standards to use to calculate a hybrid heat pump’s seasonal space heating energy efficiency. New minimum standards for medium-temperature application hybrid heat pumps of 125% (assuming a primary energy factor of 1.9) are proposed from mid-2027.

The government is also proposing that hybrid heat pumps be defined as ‘a system of space heating, or space and water heating, that contains an electric heat pump, a fuel boiler space heater or a fuel boiler combination heater, and master controller’.

Hybrid heat pump technology, featuring a

heat pump and gas boiler, could result in 80% of a home’s heating being provided by the heat pump, according to a recent report. Installing a heat pump in a home with a combi boiler would also be cheaper than having a heat pump alone, according to Gemserv, the author of Unlocking the power of heat pumps with hybrid installations (bit.ly/CJhybBax), commissioned by Baxi.

Gemserv wants the Boiler Upgrade Scheme to include hybrid systems. Its report states that overall emissions will be reduced by an estimated 26% if hybrid systems replace gas boilers. Hybrid boilers also offer 52% lower carbon emissions compared with gas boilers at today’s Grid carbon intensity, it adds.

Ian Rose, sales and strategy director at Passiv UK, said at the report’s launch that a new master controller was essential to optimise hybrid systems. This would give utility firms the opportunity to monitor heating remotely, and, ultimately, form the basis of heat-as-a-service.

Special features

Baxi has launched a new version of its Remeha Quinta Ace commercial boiler. Calling it the energy transition boiler, Baxi says it can run on biogas and claims it makes a versatile choice for hybrid systems.

The Quinta Ace is available in 15 outputs from 30kW to 160kW (up to 1,200kW in cascade), with a choice of aluminium or stainless

steel heat exchanger. Baxi says it is capable of operating at 40ºC temperature differential and makes a perfect partner for a heat pump in a hybrid system, where it can meet peak heating demand.

To reduce embodied carbon, the boiler uses a lower-carbon ABS plastic cover, recycled packaging and updated manuals.

ASHRAE issues IAQ guide for wildfires

New best-practice guidance on safeguarding indoor air quality (IAQ) during wildfires has been issued by ASHRAE.

It comes as wildfire events increasingly impact communities worldwide, such as in Los Angeles last month, when 28 people died and an estimated 14,000 properties were destroyed.

ASHRAE Guideline 44-2024, Protecting building occupants from smoke during wildfire and prescribed burn events, outlines best practices for building design, operation and maintenance to reduce the health risks associated with prolonged exposure to wildfire and prescribed burn smoke.

Aimed at new-builds and retrofits, the guidance is available at bit.ly/CJASIAQSM

Swegon replaces steel with wood in AHU prototype

Swegon has unveiled a prototype wooden air handling unit (AHU).

The Swedish firm has replaced the traditional steel casing of its Gold air handling unit with crosslaminated timber.

Replacing the steel enabled Swegon to reduce the AHU’s CO2 footprint by 40%, which would have been even greater for a unit bigger

than the size 005 used for the prototype. Swegon already uses recycled steel in its Gold AHUs.

Daikin plans heat pump EPD

Daikin is creating an environmental product declaration (EPD) for its commercial heat pump CZ-HT.

EPDs provide whole life carbon assessments of components, and crucial tools for calculating operational and embodied carbon in building projects.

The heating, cooling and ventilation supplier already has EPDs covering the VRV5 R-32 heat recovery system and R-32 ducted fan coils, and said it had many more in development.

CIBSE’s TM65 can be used to assess carbon in products with no EPDs.

VITOCROSSAL

Certifying success

The adoption of energy management standards has been key to enabling British Land to target net zero carbon by 2030 and begin the energy transition to heat pumps across its multibillion-pound estate. Alex Smith reports

Property giant British Land has set some of the most ambitious carbon-reduction targets in the sector and is leveraging cutting-edge technology and the latest energy management tools to achieve its goals.

The property company manages a portfolio valued at £13bn – of which it owns £8.9bn – and is aiming to achieve net zero carbon by 2030. Central to this ambitious goal is the replacement of gas boilers with heat pump systems in its properties.

The transition from fossil fuels started in 2012 with the installation of a hybrid heat pump system at 350 Euston Road, where heat pumps work in tandem with gas boilers to meet peak heat demand. In its latest project, British Land has replaced four gas boilers with heat pump chillers at its York House headquarters in London and says it will be the blueprint for future energy retrofits. (See panel ‘Switching to heat pumps’.)

Key to British Land targeting net zero carbon is the adoption of ISO standards 50001 Energy Management and 14001 Environmental Management, as well as the Nabers UK rating scheme, which provide frameworks for

measuring and reducing energy use. ISO 50001 Energy Management is used to monitor and improve the energy performance of its buildings, and ISO 14001 Environmental Management to measure and continually improve other areas of sustainability.

‘ISO frameworks demonstrate that we are operating in line with our commitments, and that we have clear objectives and goals that we are working towards,’ says John Gentry,

British Land’s head of technical services and sustainability.

CIBSE Certification offers UKASaccredited certification for ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 and 50001 and, last year, took over from the BRE as the scheme administrator for Nabers UK, the operational energy rating scheme. CIBSE Certification certified British Land’s environmental and energy management systems.

Nabers UK, which has its roots in Australia, has two UK products –Design for Performance (DfP), which drives energy efficiency in new offices, and Nabers Energy for Offices, which measures the energy efficiency of existing offices. British Land is keen to use Nabers Energy for Offices to monitor the performance of existing buildings, including retrofits such as York House. It is using Nabers DfP to accurately predict energy performance of new buildings such as 1 Broadgate.

The strength of the rating is that energy data has to be validated annually, allowing the continuous monitoring of plant, says Matthew Beales, British Land’s head of technical project delivery.

British Land has long invested in

One of two four-pipe heat pump chillers installed at York House

British Land’s York House will be the blueprint for future energy retrofits

sub-metering. This has been key for ISO 50001, which requires metered data to be submitted annually. ‘The system gave us the granularity of data to be able to really drill down into the profiles of our buildings and see how they were being operated – and where we were using energy unnecessarily,’ says Gentry.

British Land’s Credit 360 data management system records, tracks and analyses building data, including energy and water consumption. It can identify anomalies in performance – so, if an occupier’s energy or water use spikes, the system flags it, allowing for investigation and resolution of the underlying issue.

Geoffrey Brophy, British Land technical services manager, is responsible for data quality. ‘I like to know what’s going on in the building that I’m responsible for from an energy point of view,’ he says. ‘I don’t want to sit in front of an occupier and not know what I’m talking about.’

Phil Draper, managing director at Twenty One Engineering, says British Land’s metering and data systems made meeting the ISO requirements relatively straightforward. ‘Most were already within British Land’s culture. It already had internal auditors, for example,’ he says.

Meet the Nabers UK

British Land has a long association with Nabers UK, having been on the working group that established the rating scheme in the UK.

‘We need to look beyond modelled theoretical certifications, such as EPCs and Breeam, and look at actual operational rating targets, such as Nabers UK,’ says Matt Webster, the property company’s head of environmental sustainability.

British Land was the first in the UK to receive a Nabers UK DfP target rating certificate for the 1 Broadgate office in London, which is due for completion this year. ‘In projects such as Broadgate, we can see the benefit of Nabers UK in terms of efficiency, the collaboration between the design team and the property management team, and supply chain,’ says Webster.

The detailed energy modelling required by Nabers UK means that

Template for transition: York House retrofit

The retrofit of York House involved the replacement of four gas boilers and chillers with two parallel 4-pipe air source heat pumps, which concurrently supply chilled water and heating to the low-temperature heating system.

‘The benefits of using 4-pipe heat pump chillers is that there’s a yearlong cooling load, and we get to use some of the rejected heat from that process to heat the building,’ says Daniel Valente, head of projects at Nationwide Air Conditioning.

Other improvements to the HVAC system included the introduction of indoor air quality (IAQ) controls for ventilation, a full validation of the fan coil units, and confirmation of water flow rates and temperatures.

The previous gas boilers had 1.3MW of heating capacity, while the new heat pumps have a heating capacity of 600kW, with a duty standby arrangement and a combined cooling capacity of 1.2MW.

The project has resulted in a 57% annual decrease in HVAC energy usage, and electrical energy use has reduced from 982MWh in 2019 to 419MWh for the 12 months up to September 2024, even with heating and cooling moving from gas to electric.

An advanced building model, in line with the Nabers UK standard, was built to identify what the peak loads would be.

‘We came up with a proof of principal that we could actually utilise a 95% peak load design to minimise the equipment size, but also to optimise the project costs. It enables us to start controlling the building on a demand-driven strategy,’ says Draper, of Twenty One Engineering. The design was validated by the operational gas profiles of the building, he adds.

The system maintains a temperature of 17°C when the building is unoccupied, says Draper. This reduces the time needed to heat up the building, which maximises the efficiency of the heat pump.

One challenge was to ensure that a flow temperature could be maintained that was hot enough to heat the building at all times, says Valente. ‘We needed to ensure that we were able to increase the flow temperature at periods of high load, so we installed a second-stage water-to-water heat pump,’ he adds.

The unique aspect was that there was no hydraulic separation in the LTHW system, and a much lower heating capacity. ‘The water-to-water heat pump only injected heat when needed to meet the building heating load required during the winter months,’ Valente says.

The benefits of this were higher operational efficiencies, lower initial capital costs, and a simpler installation.

Screenshot

“The technical capabilities of CIBSE Certification as an independent organisation are fundamental to the integrity of standards such as Nabers UK”

British Land has the confidence to use more efficient plant and more sophisticated control philosophies in new and existing buildings, he adds.

While British Land is leading the efficiency drive, there is a growing awareness among its customer base about Nabers UK and building performance, Webster continues.

‘At York House, there are some pretty big occupiers that have set their own climate goals and climate strategies to which the building can then respond,’ he says.

Webster is ‘really pleased’ that CIBSE is now running and administering Nabers UK. ‘The technical capabilities of CIBSE Certification as an independent organisation are fundamental to the integrity of standards such as Nabers UK. It ensures the ratings are properly verified and understood,’ he says. l

For more on Management Systems

Certification at CIBSE, including ISO 50001, go to: cibsecertification.co.uk/ management-systems For details of Nabers UK, visit: cibsecertification.co.uk/nabers-uk Heat

The refurbished interior at York House

Emergency lightingUPS or static inverter/ central battery system?

Emergency lighting is a lifecritical application; when things go wrong, it saves people’s lives! If an emergency lighting system is incorrectly designed, installed and maintained, those responsible are liable by law.

How often has an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system been proposed versus the correct static inverter/central battery system (CBS)? Once is too many times!

Why the confusion?

Technically, there is synergy in their respective conversion technology; however, the application, and regulatory requirements, dictate that they are very different animals.

UPS systems are primarily designed to protect critical electrical equipment, such as IT equipment, while static inverters are inherently designed for emergency lighting applications. This distinction is crucial, as emergency lighting is governed by strict regulations that outline explicit requirements for design, installation and maintenance.

Why standards matter

Emergency lighting systems must comply with standards such as the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, BS 5266, BS 50172, and BS EN 50171.

Delving briefly into BS 50171, the

latest amendment, BS 50171-2021, came into law at the end of 2024; many specific technical aspects are required in a CBS that a traditional UPS does not incorporate:

● Clearly labelled rating plates

● Permanently marked internal wiring

● Recharge capability (ie, 80% in 12 hours)

● Subcircuit and phase failure monitoring

● Short-circuit protection

● Batteries sized correctly at end of life.

And don’t forget those downstream protective devices installed in the distribution system.

Central inverter systems must be capable of tripping any associated protective device installed in final or distribution circuits without shutting down the device or rupturing its output protective device. Failure in one of multiple output circuits does not lead to a failure of any of the other output circuits.

Maintenance

and testing

Emergency lighting systems require regular testing and maintenance to ensure functionality. Key checks include:

● Daily visual inspections for centrally powered systems

● Monthly function tests by operating the test facility long enough

to ensure emergency lamps function correctly

● Annual full discharge tests to ensure battery discharge performance and recharge capabilities.

Records of these tests, though not compulsory by law, help demonstrate compliance with mandatory fire safety legislation.

Legal and practical necessity

All occupied buildings must have emergency lighting. Compliance with regulations protects lives, ensures business continuity, and avoids penalties. So, the answer is clear: a static inverter is the correct choice for emergency lighting.

Fortunately, reliable systems –such as BPC Energy’s range of high-quality PowerPro EL static inverters – are designed for emergency lighting applications.

Our expertise in this area ensures that your system meets all relevant safety and regulatory requirements, and is tailored to your specific emergency lighting needs.

BPC Energy: your trusted partner in emergency lighting

backup systems

By understanding the distinctions between UPSs and CBS/static inverters, you can protect lives, ensure the safety of your building, comply with regulatory standards, and ensure peace of mind.

Invest in a dependable emergency lighting backup system – because when disaster strikes, there’s no room for compromise

● Contact BPC Energy today for solutions tailored to your needs: www.bpc-ups.com

Primed for heat pumps

How ready are UK buildings for heat pumps? A new study analysing the performance of existing boilers challenges assumptions about the need for radiator upgrades and fabric improvements when switching from gas, says Tim Dwyer

Many more homes in the UK may be heat pump ready than previously thought, according to a recently published paper, ‘Predicting the heat pump readiness of existing heating systems in the UK using diagnostic boiler data’.

The study evaluates the ‘heat pump readiness’ of existing UK housing, with a conclusion that flies in the face of many an established assumption that widespread radiator upgrades and building fabric improvements are essential for heat pump adoption.

Upgrading radiators is common when replacing a boiler with a heat pump in the UK, and is often more cost-effective, but can still be expensive. The paper notes that replacing an entire home’s radiator network can cost £6,000–£7,500 Add in the heat pump and this exceeds the £7,500 grant from the UK’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme. It also adds installation time and disruption to the process. Analysis from this research suggests that the transition to heat pumps may be less disruptive and costly than previously thought.

The research and paper were developed and written by Laurence Childs (UCL), George Bennett, (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero – DESNZ), Stephen Watson (Loughborough University) and Grant

Wilson (University of Birmingham). They present a novel approach to evaluating the heat pump readiness of existing UK homes by using diagnostic data from approximately 4,600 domestic heating systems. The aim of the work was to determine the proportion of homes that could switch to heat pumps without needing costly upgrades to their radiators or building fabric. This is a crucial question, because the UK plans to replace gas boilers with heat pumps to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Previous survey-based assessments have indicated that 90% or more of UK dwellings would require new radiators to deliver sufficient heat at the lower flow temperatures delivered by heat pumps, particularly low temperature heat pumps (LTHPs) that typically operate effectively with flow temperatures below 55°C.

The study highlights the limitations of survey-based methods for assessing heat pump readiness, because surveys often overestimate heat loss and underestimate radiator output. Measured data captures the real-world performance of heating systems and the heat demand set by occupants.

The study emphasises the need to employ lower flow temperatures when using heat pumps. Gas boilers typically operate at 60-70°C, while heat pumps are more efficient at flow temperatures below 45°C. The analysis

revealed that many homes already operate at flow temperatures compatible with heat pumps.

The study used diagnostic data from internet-connected combi boilers, which included gas power input, flow temperature of water going to the radiators, and control information on whether the boiler was providing space heating or domestic hot water (DHW).

The data was used to analyse the relationship between heat demand, flow temperature, and the potential for using heat pumps without upgrades. The study developed a method to estimate the underlying heat demand of a dwelling by using the power profiles of boiler operation, accounting for the heating system’s thermal mass and the rate of heat transfer to the dwelling.

The annual heat demand of boilers in this study closely aligns with the distribution modelled by the National Housing Model, as shown in Figure 1. This suggested that the sample was representative of UK boiler-heated homes.

A theoretical relationship between radiator power output and flow temperature was used to determine the required flow temperature to meet the estimated heat demand. The results were categorised based on maximum flow temperature and peak heat demand, to assess if homes could operate without upgrades when employing LTHPs or high-temperature

Heat pumps Diagnosing data

heat pumps (HTHPs, which typically can operate efficiently with flow temperatures of 65°C). Different time averaging intervals (six, three and one hour) were used to determine the impact of heat scheduling on flow temperature requirements. A longer averaging interval better represents the continuous heating profiles typically used by heat pumps.

The findings suggest that the costs and disruption of heat pump installation could be substantially lower than previously predicted. The use of real heating system performance data can supplement survey-based assessments to identify more accurately where upgrades are needed, thereby facilitating a more rapid heat pump deployment at a national scale.

The study underscores the potential of data-driven testing procedures for designing future heating systems that could lead to more accurate specification of heating systems and enable increasingly cost-effective designs of low carbon heating.

The results also suggest the potential benefits of hybrid heating systems, where supplementary electric heaters or boilers are used to meet peak heat demand, reducing the need for extensive upgrades. The study demonstrated that spreading out the heat load through longer heating periods can reduce the required flow temperatures.

The study analysed a single year of data from boilers in England and lacked detailed information about the associated buildings or heating systems, relying solely on what could be inferred from the boiler type. The

Figure 1: Comparison of annual gas power input of boilers in this study and annual space heating demand for gas-heated dwellings as represented in the National Heating Model

absence of return temperature data for most boilers necessitated estimating heating system temperatures. The study highlights that milder winters driven by climate change could further reduce flow temperature requirements.

While the estimated thermal mass of heating systems fell within a plausible range, it was probably overestimated; however, sensitivity analysis confirmed that this had minimal impact on the findings.

Radiator cooling rates were modelled using a simplified interpolation method, which may not fully capture the exponential nature of radiator cooling. A straightforward filter was applied to exclude DHW events, assuming minimal space heating demand during these occurrences.

The study acknowledges that the operational conditions during the data collection period may not reflect typical averages. Gathered after the energy crisis, the data might also reflect occupants underheating their homes. Furthermore, its focus on whole-system data limits the ability to distinguish whether a few critically undersized radiators

2: A set of cumulative distributions showing the predicted proportion of UK dwellings that could meet heat demand at low temperatures for the three different averaging models, and that applied by the original BEIS survey model

require replacement or if an entire system upgrade is needed –scenarios that have significantly different cost implications.

Additionally, the study does not consider other factors affecting heat pump readiness, such as space constraints, noise concerns, or electricity grid limitations.

The paper suggests that there will be varying requirements for fabric and radiator upgrades across dwellings when installing heat pumps, but the extent of upgrades appears lower than previous survey-based estimates.

As illustrated in Figure 1, averaging heat demand over six hours, the model found 31% of dwellings could operate at 55°C or lower without radiator upgrades, compared with 10% in Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)1 surveys. Similarly, 66% of dwellings could operate at 65°C or lower without upgrades, compared with 46% in BEIS surveys. This indicates that up to two-thirds of UK homes may be suitable for HTHPs, with around one-third also ready for LTHPs, provided heating controls allow heat load spreading.

This is a considerably higher figure than previous survey-based analyses, which suggested almost all homes would need radiator upgrades when switching from gas boilers, and indicates a larger potential for heat pump adoption in the UK using existing infrastructure. l

The full paper, with references, is available for free from BSER&T at journals.sagepub.com/home/BSE

Notes

1 BEIS existed until 2023, when it was split to form the Department for Business and Trade and DESNZ.

Figure

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Read more about our district heating solutions at grundfos.com/DH

Beware double standards

There are two standards for pressurisation design and expansion vessel sizing, which is causing confusion that threatens performance, says Spirotech’s Steve

Effective pressurisation design and accurate expansion vessel sizing are essential for ensuring the long-term health, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of water-based heating systems.

Two key standards provide guidance in this area: BS7074:1989 Application, selection and installation of expansion vessels and ancillary equipment for sealed water systems – Code of practice for domestic heating and hot water supply, and BS EN 12828:2012+A1:2014 Heating systems in buildings – Design for water-based heating systems. While both aim to achieve stable system operation, they adopt different methodologies, leading to varying outcomes when applied to the same system.

Both begin by requiring the calculation of the system’s water volume and the amount of thermal expansion resulting from temperature changes between filling and operation. But then the guidelines diverge in their treatment of reserve volume, vessel sizing methodology, and fill pressure.

Under BS7074, 10% is added to the calculated expansion volume to account for system variability. However, this standard provides no guidance on fill pressures, leaving its interpretation open. BS EN 12828 requires the addition of 0.5% of the total system volume to the expansion calculation as a reserve. This ensures the expansion vessel always contains water, which is critical for maintaining stable pressure and preventing air ingress during cooling or other operational changes.

The approach to sizing expansion vessels differs significantly. BS7074 suggests multiplying the calculated expansion volume by three and rounding up to the nearest standard vessel size. This approach can become problematic for larger systems or those with significant height differences. Iterative recalculations may be needed to achieve the desired working pressure.

BS EN 12828 determines vessel size by first calculating the minimum and

“Both standards aim to achieve stable system operation, but adopt different methodologies”

maximum working pressures. From this, the standard calculates the maximum permissible percentage of vessel usage and derives the minimum required vessel size in a single step. This method is more precise and avoids inefficiencies associated with undersized vessels.

System setup is critical for stable performance. Both standards agree on the importance of maintaining positive pressure under cold, static conditions to prevent air ingress. They specify that the minimum system pressure must be at least 0.2 bar above the static height of the system. However, approaches to fill pressure differ substantially.

BS7074 does not provide specific guidance on fill pressure, and the common practice of equating fill pressure with vessel gas pressure often results in empty vessels at startup. This can cause pressure fluctuations and air ingress, particularly in taller systems or chilled water applications. Furthermore, this setup leads to challenges with pump

Simmonds

operation. As pumps react to system pressure, they require a stable differential to prevent excessive cycling. Without sufficient water in the vessel, pumps may experience rapid start-stop cycles, increasing wear and energy use.

In contrast, BS EN 12828 specifies that the fill pressure must exceed the vessel’s gas pressure to ensure water enters the vessel. This prevents sudden drops in pressure and reduces the likelihood of air ingress. By maintaining a stable reserve volume within the vessel, this standard supports consistent pump operation. The differential pressure required to prevent pump cycling — typically 0.2 bar — is more reliably maintained, improving energy efficiency and reducing wear on components.

The differences between these standards has practical implications. Systems designed under BS7074 may experience frequent air ingress, which accelerates corrosion, increases chemical consumption and shortens system lifespan. In addition, no guidance on fill pressure and reserve volume can lead to operational inefficiencies, such as excessive pump cycling.

BS EN 12828 offers a more comprehensive framework. Its emphasis on maintaining adequate reserve volume and stable pressure ensures better reliability, reduces maintenance frequency, and extends component life. The standard may require a larger initial investment in vessel capacity, but long-term benefits outweigh costs.

Choosing the appropriate standard depends on the system’s specific requirements and operational goals. While BS7074 offers simplicity, its limitations can lead to long-term inefficiencies and reliability issues. BS EN 12828, with its more precise calculations and detailed guidance, provides a robust solution, particularly for those with complex operational demands. By understanding the differences between the standards, designers and operators can optimise performance, and reduce life-cycle costs. l

24 – 25 April 2025

UCL Bentham House

London

co-organised by CIBSE and IBPSA-England

Fit for 2050

Achieving net-zero through intelligent, resilient and sustainable design in the built environment.

The CIBSE IBPSA-England Technical Symposium explores how best to approach the challenges the building sector faces with the need to cope with more extreme weather conditions, and maximising passive approaches in the existing building stock to secure the UKs energy future.

Do new technologies and approaches hold the key, or do we just need to simply re-establish the fundamental principles of good building design through examples of best practice?

#CIBSEsymposium

SPONSORS

Driving for efficiency

By monitoring and analysing the performance of motor drives in HVAC equipment, ABB’s Richard Gee says building managers can identify opportunities for energy efficiency quick wins

With rising energy costs and firms’ commitment to reduce carbon footprints, building managers are under pressure to implement energy efficiency measures.

Often, the changes that need to be made for even small energy efficiency gains require a full Capex-intensive refurb and renew project. But there are quick wins to be made, especially when it comes to the performance of motordriven systems such as HVAC, water pumps, compressors, fans, and other production equipment.

The first place to look is the energy efficiency rating of your motors. Since July 2023, all new electric induction motors installed with a rated output of between 0.75kW and 1MW must meet IE3 efficiency level, and 2-6 pole safe area motors between 75kW and 200kW must meet the requirements of the Super Premium Efficiency class IE4 (or better) in the EU and UK.

However, electric motors can last many years. We often find customers with motors rated as low as IE2 (old Eff1) or even IE1 (old Eff2). Even though they might not need replacing in terms of functionality, swapping them for the latest, high-efficiency motors can deliver payback in months rather than years.

Ideally, all motor-driven systems that require the motor speed to vary, such as HVAC equipment, should come with a variable speed drive (VSD). If your motor-driven unit doesn’t have a VSD, that’s another quick win, with typical energy savings in the region of 25%. If it does have a VSD, there still may be opportunities for fine-tuning. The relationship between a motor and a VSD is crucial for energy efficiency. Performance can vary between brands and can change over time.

It’s also easy for these components to be over- or underspecified, and paired or installed sub-optimally – in these instances, you wouldn’t necessarily notice that they were underperforming.

If you haven’t had any diagnostics done on your motor-drive systems, it’s well worth engaging with engineers to see if fine-tuning can be done.

A survey will also help determine if your motors or drives might be nearing the end of their service life, in which case an upgrade or refurbishment will help maintain reliability. Critically, digital diagnostics tools can ensure you catch any opportunities for efficiency gains on an ongoing, real-time basis.

This was a real benefit to a recent customer that used various types of machinery to manufacture products and distribute them to a network of customers and suppliers across the UK and Europe. It needed to spot energy inefficiencies in a fast and scalable way.

Our diagnostics tools helped the customer identify inefficient and highconsumption motors and replace them without disruption to production. We installed more than 100 network analysers, 50 InSite control units, and more than 600 sensors and accessories, which means the customer can now easily understand where energy is being used the most and act accordingly.

The major benefit to the customer is that it can expect to recoup its investment in the first quarter following installation. Projected energy savings

total more than 2.5GWh per year – 40% of the site’s annual consumption.

Until energy consumption is measured, saving potential cannot be determined (measure to save). An efficient and accurate system of measuring and monitoring electrical data is important to ensure the success of all initiatives.

Firms such as ABB Electrification have high-precision, accurate energy meters and sensors to capture quality data. This can then be analysed by a BMS or energy-management system to identify opportunities to save energy.

Electrification offers real-time optimisation and control and monitoring, and reporting of energy from Grid to socket. Motor and drive efficiency is one of the simplest ways to improve operational reliability, reduce energy cost and improve building sustainability. When you add analytics providing a real-time window into energy use and offering informed insights, these upgrades make efficiency the ongoing priority. By leveraging these tools, building operators can take steps to streamline their systems and reduce costs. l

l Richard Gee is UK sales manager, motors & generators, at ABB

Motion

Demonstrating low voltage drives

Air of excitement

Ahead of the 2025 CIBSE Building Performance Awards, we review the shortlist for the Product or Innovation – Air Quality Award

This year’s shortlist for CIBSE’s Product or Innovation – Air Quality Award features five exceptional products and innovations, each showcasing significant contributions to improving building air quality. The award celebrates advancements that elevate the standards of heating, ventilation, cooling and humidification, as well as solutions that treat and enhance indoor air quality (IAQ).

The judges praised this year’s entries for their ability to meet core objectives with efficiency, reflecting the industry’s commitment to healthier and more sustainable indoor environments. These shortlisted innovations represent the cutting edge of air quality management, offering impactful solutions that align with the growing emphasis on occupant wellbeing and environmental responsibility.

Kaiterra: Sensedge Mini Indoor Air Quality Monitor

The Sensedge Mini is an advanced indoor air quality monitor designed for seamless integration into both new and retrofit projects. It measures six key IAQ parameters: PM, CO2, VOCs, ozone, temperature and humidity – allowing proactive air quality management in a sleek, discreet design. With BMS integration and cloud-based analytics, it supports automated ventilation control and provides detailed insights

for healthier, energy-efficient indoor environments.

Its modular design makes sensor replacement simple, reducing downtime and extending lifespan, while various power and data transmission options ensure flexible installations. Certified by Reset and Well, the Sensedge Mini supports sustainability and future-proofs buildings against regulatory changes.

Monodraught: Acuity Central Connectivity System

Monodraught’s Acuity system is equipped with advanced sensors, and measures key parameters such as temperature, CO2, VOCs, pollutants and humidity, offering a comprehensive view of indoor climate. Data is securely transmitted to the cloud via 4G/5G, enabling real-time analysis and proactive issue detection. Weekly reports provide actionable insights, optimising system efficiency, energy use and air quality.

The Acuity system eliminates manual data collection using IoT and cloud technologies for remote monitoring and software-over-theair updates, reducing onsite visits and carbon emissions. Its integration with Monodraught’s HVR Zero hybrid ventilation system minimises energy use by balancing natural and mechanical ventilation, while seasonal adaptability ensures year-round comfort and efficiency.

With an intuitive interface for

real-time monitoring and diagnostics, Acuity aids quick issue resolution. Its modular design supports bespoke control setups for various projects, with continuous development to ensure high performance.

Pluvo: the Pluvo Column

The Pluvo Column is a compact, energyefficient air filtration totem designed to improve air quality in urban hotspots, such as transport hubs. It processes 1m³ of air per second, creating clean air zones with a 20-60m radius, reducing exposure to pollutants such as NOx, SOx and PM10, and viruses. Its threestage filtration system, including an electrostatic precipitator, gas filtration media and F8 post-filters, captures up to 99.5% of targeted pollutants and operates with low power consumption (<700 watts).

The Pluvo Column’s modular stainless steel structure features polycarbonate panels with integrated LED or digital displays for advertising and wayfinding, making it self-funding. IoT technology enables remote monitoring and optimisation, while Pluvo manages maintenance, including pollutant collection and consumable replacement. Its compact 0.5m² footprint and straightforward installation make it suitable for diverse locations.

Constructed from recyclable materials and minimal adhesives, the Pluvo Column emphasises sustainability and circularity.

Savills: Data Led Air Handling Control

This demand-driven air supply system leverages machine learning and wireless IAQ sensors to enhance building ventilation efficiency. By integrating IAQ sensors and people counters into building management systems (BMS), it delivers fresh air precisely where needed, reducing energy waste and optimising occupant wellbeing. Granular visibility of air quality and occupancy

levels allows the system to adapt dynamically to buildings with variable occupancy patterns.

Using Well-certified sensors, it monitors temperature, humidity, CO2 and particulate levels, paired with optical people counters for 99.8% accurate occupancy detection. This data informs air handling units (AHUs), dynamically adjusting air volume based on real-time demand.

Implemented at 52 Lime Street, pictured left, the system reduced HVAC energy consumption by 40% and improved IAQ without compromising comfort. It integrates seamlessly with existing BMS infrastructure, ensures fail-safe operations, and provides dashboards for IAQ and energy performance monitoring.

Vent-Axia Lo-Carbon Sentinel Econiq

With the Future Homes Standard approaching,

which aims to cut carbon emissions in new homes by up to 75-80% compared with current regulations, Vent-Axia’s LoCarbon Sentinel Econiq is designed for low carbon heat recovery ventilation in airtight, thermally efficient homes.

Offering up to 93% heat recovery and specific fan powers (SFPs) as low as 0.39w/ls, the unit operates with noise levels as low as 15.5 dB(A), while delivering excellent indoor air quality through advanced sensors and controls.

The Sentinel Econiq includes advanced filtration options (ISO ePM10 and ePM2.5) to remove allergens and particulates, maintaining system efficiency. Designed for sustainability, it uses low-embodied carbon materials and facilitates end-oflife recycling.

To book a place at the BPAs on 27 Feb visit www.cibse.org/bpa

High per formance 4-way distribution comfort module with cooling, heating and ventilation. PARASOL Zenith offers all the benefits of active chilled beam technology with added flexibility throughout your project. With the options of constant, variable or demand control air flow, PARASOL Zenith provides the optimal indoor climate

SOLVEDONSITE

Commissioning air distribution systems for the 21st century

This module explores aspects of CIBSE Commissioning Code A: Air Distribution Systems and its relationship to the latest BSRIA updates

Commissioning an air distribution system is the process of systematically testing and adjusting to ensure it operates as intended and meets design specifications. Without proper commissioning, ventilation and air conditioning systems can deliver poor air quality, uneven temperatures, issues with comfort, wasted energy, and potential safety issues. In 2024, revisions took place on two key documents, one each from CIBSE and BSRIA, that provide essential – and now significantly updated – information to ensure that systems are commissionable by employing suitably rigorous methods. This CPD will focus on aspects of CIBSE Commissioning Code A: Air Distribution Systems, and outline how the CIBSE and BSRIA documents relate to each other.

The 2024 revision to CIBSE Commissioning Code A (CCA) details the process for setting to work, functionally testing, and regulating ventilation and ductwork systems. It may be employed to verify that systems meet specified air distribution requirements

and operate within specified tolerances, ensuring proper levels of air quality, thermal comfort and energy efficiency. This revision is a significant development on previous editions that originated more than 50 years ago and were last reviewed in 2016. The 2024 revision was created in collaboration with the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA) and the Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA), and focuses primarily on functional testing and regulating aspects. The revisions incorporate new guidance on various specialist systems, emphasise the importance of ongoing commissioning throughout a building’s life-cycle, and address specific considerations for projects involving shell and core construction and fit-outs.

CCA majors on ventilation and ductwork specifics, while reference can be made to CIBSE Commissioning Code M: Commissioning management (2022) for the overarching commissioning management process. The suggested actions are referenced to the RIBA Plan of Work, as shown in Figure 1, and CCA clarifies

Continuing professional development (CPD) is the regular maintenance, improvement and broadening of your knowledge and skills to maintain professional competence. It is a requirement of CIBSE and other professional bodies. This Journal CPD programme can be used to meet your CPD requirements. Study the module and answer the questions on the final page. Each successfully completed module is equivalent to 1.5 hours of CPD. Modules are also available at cibsejournal.com/cpd

Figure 1: The relationship between the RIBA Plan of Work and commissioning actions for ventilation and ductwork systems

(Source: CIBSE Commissioning Code A 2024)

CPD programme Air distribution systems

which activities fall under the responsibility of the commissioning specialist and which are handled by the commissioning management team. The newly revised BSRIA BG49 2024 (see boxout, ‘BSRIA BG49 and CIBSE Commissioning Code A relationship’) offers detailed methodologies for carrying out the functional testing and regulating procedures outlined in CCA. The collaborative development of CCA aims to provide a comprehensive and standardised approach to commissioning air distribution systems.

CCA 2024 has specific references to a more extensive range of air distribution systems than that of its predecessor, moving beyond the traditional focus on constant air volume (CAV) and variable air volume (VAV) systems. This version of the code also addresses the distinction between shelland-core construction and category A and B fit-outs. While primarily considering UK practices, CCA has global relevance and includes guidance for applications, noting that some practices or designs covered may not be common in the UK but are pertinent to international contexts.

CCA 2024 emphasises the significance of well-commissioned and maintained ventilation systems in ensuring a healthy indoor environment and mitigating infection risks. Appendix D underscores the importance of maintaining high air quality within buildings to enhance occupant wellbeing and minimise infection spread, referring to research and guidance from organisations including the Royal Academy of Engineering and CIBSE. Ongoing testing and balancing throughout a building’s lifespan, together with continuous monitoring and adjustments, are highlighted as being key to maintaining system performance. Well-informed decisions made at the design stage of ventilation and ductwork systems are fundamental for ensuring successful commissioning. Both BG49 and CCA emphasise the need for competent commissioning specialists to be involved early in the project. Such specialists should be trained, and possess appropriate experience and accreditation, such as that provided by the CSA. CCA emphasises that a planned and effective working collaboration between the commissioning specialists and other parties during the planning and programming stage is essential to ensure efficient project execution. As detailed in the first of the five supporting appendices, appendix A, a comprehensive specification is essential to define system requirements, tolerances, and demonstration criteria – the requirements and procedures that must be met to prove that a ventilation and ductwork system is performing as specified. This should be developed in collaboration with designers,

contractors and commissioning specialists to ensure that the system is designed for ease of commissioning and operation. This would include taking account of factors such as accessibility of components, test points, and straight ductwork lengths to facilitate commissioning activities. The design team will need to produce system schematics and layout drawings, which indicate component arrangements and access provisions. The commissioning specialist should review the design documentation to identify any potential challenges and ensure that the system is designed for ease of testing, measurement and adjustment. They should also work with the design team to develop a commissioning plan that outlines the specific tasks to be performed, the timing of those tasks, and the resources required.

CCA Appendix B outlines the duties and responsibilities of installers in relation to the commissioning of ventilation and ductwork systems. It emphasises the installer’s role in achieving an installation that enables successful implementation of commissioning procedures. Installers must have a thorough understanding of the system design and testing requirements, and should prioritise system cleanliness, protecting against contamination during installation, and ensure the removal of debris. Regular inspections during and upon completion of installation determine readiness for testing. Appendix B also highlights the importance of ductwork leakage testing, which should be conducted prior to ceiling installation or the application of insulation.

CCA explains that the onsite stage of functional testing requires thorough planning and preparation. Method statements and methodologies should be prepared and approved in advance to ensure a safe and efficient testing process. In addition to the specific technical details, the Functional Testing Method Statement/Risk Assessment (often referred to as a RAMS) should outline

health and safety arrangements, risk assessments and specific site procedures, and provide detailed information, including system descriptions, preparation requirements, commissioning procedures, roles and responsibilities, instrumentation, and relevant reference documents. Prefunctional checks are essential to verify system readiness, including ductwork leakage tests and manual fire-damper operation. CCA Appendix B notes that proper documentation of test results and certification of pre-functional testing and static completion are essentially responsibilities of the installer. For significant plant items, such as air handling units (AHUs) and fans, offsite testing can be beneficial. Suitable protection should be provided for equipment that is susceptible to frost damage in cold weather conditions, and maintaining system cleanliness is paramount. CCA outlines precautions to minimise airborne detritus during initial fan startup. Before commissioning commences, there should be a check on the readiness of the building and systems.

In CCA Appendix C, it is recommended that BG49 and materials from the CSA are referenced for details on equipment, instrumentation and flow-measuring techniques, to satisfy the needs of the various terminal types. Regular calibration of instruments is required to ensure accuracy and reliability of measurements. Guidance is provided on comparing different measurement methods when a system incorporates several terminal types, ensuring consistent evaluation of airflow rates.

Three basic ventilation and ductwork system balancing concepts are introduced in CCA: conventional CAV, VAV, and pressure differential systems, outlining their unique characteristics, functional testing, and regulating procedures. For example, for conventional CAV systems (relating to the principles of the ‘proportional balance’

BSRIA BG49 and CIBSE Commissioning Code A relationship

BSRIA BG49: Commissioning Air Systems and CIBSE Commissioning Code A: Air Distribution Systems (CCA) are complementary documents that provide guidance on the commissioning of air systems in buildings. CCA sets the overarching framework and standards for commissioning air distribution systems, while BG49 provides practical guidance and methodologies for conducting the necessary functional testing and regulating procedures in accordance with those standards. BG49 suggests specific tolerances for flow-measurement results – drawing on the recommendations provided in CCA and the procedures outlined in BG49 – that, when correctly implemented, should ensure compliance with CCA.

BG49 acknowledges the importance of CCA in the commissioning process and aims to ensure alignment between the guidance published by both organisations. The documents work in tandem to ensure the proper commissioning of air systems in compliance with industry standards and the requirements of Building Regulations.

method1), it emphasises the use of the ‘initial scan’ to assess system performance and to identify the ‘least favoured terminal’, and cautions against over-restricting the system.

The details of the regulation process for VAV systems are covered, acknowledging their dynamic nature and the need for a detailed methodology tailored to specific system components. It highlights the significance of adhering to manufacturer guidelines and becoming thoroughly familiar with the system. Pressure differential systems enable controlled space pressures for isolating or containing specific areas, such as operating theatres, laboratories, or escape routes where preventing undesired airflow is critical. The pressure differential may be controlled using self-acting or automatic pressurestabilising devices. However, it is noted that, although the initial regulation of the system will involve proportional balancing, it may be necessary to partially disrupt this balance to achieve the required pressure differentials.

Beyond the conventional systems, the code introduces more particular applications, including jet-nozzle diffusers, active chilled beams, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR) systems, and smoke-control installations.

A comprehensive and detailed report will be needed for each tested or regulated system that would typically include, at least:

l A front sheet detailing the system, asset references, and the testing organisation

l A report sheet noting who carried out the tests, completion date, issues encountered, and any residual tasks

l Specific test sheets covering fan performance, terminal velocity readings and volume flow measurements, along with schematics of the system l Calibration certificates for instruments used, or a reference to their central register.

Additional documentation, such as pre-functional checks, installation records and cleaning certificates, would also be incorporated as appropriate.

A key element of the functional testing and regulating process is the demonstration to a designated authority, such as the client or design team, to verify it meets specified requirements. Demonstrations should occur shortly after regulation (typically within two weeks) and align with the commissioning specification. The completed draft report should be issued before the demonstration for review and, once agreed after the demonstrations are completed, it becomes a formal record. Acceptance of a system may require additional steps beyond the demonstration, including proving integration with other systems, confirming functionality with building management system (BMS) controls, or verifying emergency response capabilities. These activities fall outside the

Air distribution systems CPD programme

Figure 2: An example of a calibrated volume flow sensor (connecting to a matched ductwork measuring point) that communicates through MODbus to the BMS. This particular unit can provide calibrated output relating to measured pressure or air velocity, and auto-zeros with a linearity (sensor deviation from a perfectly linear response) of 0.25Pa at pressures less than 100Pa (Source: CMR Controls)

scope of CCA, but are within the scope of CIBSE Commissioning Code M.

CCA develops guidance for the in-use stage of ventilation and ductwork systems, including review commissioning, fine-tuning, seasonal testing, post-project review, and ongoing commissioning. This is likely to benefit from the application of BMSconnected measuring stations – such as that shown in Figure 2 – which can reliably feed back calibrated flowrate measurements throughout the operational life of the systems.

CCA stresses that the commissioning specialist’s role extends beyond functional testing and includes participation in these activities to ensure sustained optimal performance. The commissioning review process involves identifying both the successful and challenging aspects, addressing any outstanding issues, and documenting the lessons learned. Finetuning and seasonal testing are important to ensure the system’s performance aligns with the design intent under varying occupancy and external climatic conditions, often in collaboration with the building’s facilities management (FM) team.

Post-project review involves evaluating the building’s overall performance against the design goals, which may include periodic revalidation of ventilation and ductwork system performance, and contributions to accreditation schemes such as Breeam and Leed. Occupant feedback, post-occupancy evaluation, and monitoring of occupancy patterns are promoted as some of the tools to inform ongoing commissioning activity.

A concise section, included as Appendix

E, provides specific guidance for commissioning air distribution systems in buildings that are completed in stages. It explains the implications of staged building completion, specifically the ‘shell and core/ fit-out’ approach, on the commissioning of ventilation and ductwork systems. It acknowledges the challenges posed by incomplete systems during initial stages and the need for meticulous record-keeping to ensure smooth progression of subsequent commissioning activities. During the ‘shell and core’ phase, the commissioning specialist focuses on proving the functionality of installed equipment and demonstrating the system’s capability to deliver the designed duty. In the ‘fit-out’ phase, the emphasis shifts towards ensuring that the fit-out design adheres to the limitations imposed by the base-build system, and utilises allocated services within permissible limits.

Together, the CCA and BG49 provide a comprehensive guide for professionals involved in the commissioning process, ensuring that air distribution systems operate safely, efficiently and in compliance with industry standards and regulations. The updated 2024 editions reflect transitions in the industry, making them particularly relevant in contemporary building projects.

Both CCA and BG49 are indispensable references for commissioning air distribution systems. This article offers a very brief overview of these excellent resources and aims to encourage further exploration of their detailed guidance. l

© Tim Dwyer 2025.

CPD programme Air distribution systems

Module 244

February 2025

1. What is most likely to be considered as the primary purpose of commissioning an air distribution system?

A To create energy-efficient building designs

B To ensure properly designed air distribution systems

C To provide quality assurance on installation of ventilation ducts

D To systematically test and adjust systems for intended operation

E To write commissioning reports

2. Which of the following documents sets the overarching framework for commissioning air distribution systems?

A BSRIA BG49

B Building Regulations Part L

C CIBSE Commissioning Code A

D CIBSE Commissioning Code M

E ISO 14025

3. Which appendix in CIBSE Commissioning Code A highlights the importance of maintaining high air quality to enhance occupant wellbeing and mitigate infection risks?

A Appendix A

B Appendix B

C Appendix C

D Appendix D

E Appendix E

4. The illustrated measuring device includes all of the following features, except which one?

A Auto-zeros with a linearity of 0.25Pa at pressures less than 100Pa

B Communicates through MODbus to the BMS

C May measure liquid flow and airflow simultaneously

D Provides a calibrated output relating to measured air velocity

E Provides a calibrated output relating to measured pressure

References:

1 Harrison, E and Gibbard, N C, Balancing airflow in ventilating duct systems, Journal IHVE, 1965 –bit.ly/CJFeb25CPD1

5. According to CIBSE Commissioning Code A, what is crucial for ensuring the successful commissioning of ventilation systems?

A Advanced variable speed fan technology

B Automated cleaning systems

C BMS-connected flow-measurement devices

D   Building energy simulation models

E Early involvement of commissioning specialists

Name (please print)

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Organisation

Address

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Email

Are you a member of CIBSE? If so, please state your membership number:

The CIBSE Journal CPD Programme

By participating in this CPD module, you consent to sharing your details with CMR Controls. CMR Controls may contact you via email and/or telephone with further information and technical insight on its services. You have the right to opt out from such communications at any time.

I understand that I will receive marketing communications from CMR Controls after completing this module (please tick here).

Go to www.cibsejournal.com/cpd to complete the module online. You will receive notification by email of successful completion, which can be used to validate your CPD records. Alternatively, complete this page and post it to: N Hurley, CIBSE, 91-94 Saffron Hill, London EC1N 8QP

Products of the month

Ideal Heating Commercial launches new CPD

CIBSE-approved course gives insights into synthetic and natural refrigerants

Ideal Heating Commercial has released a new CIBSE-approved CPD, ‘Understanding refrigerants and how they affect the choice of commercial heat pumps’, to help professionals navigate the complex world of refrigerants and their role in energy-efficient heating solutions.

Officially launched at the BESA Annual Conference on 17 October, the CPD was presented by Richard Brown, head of specification at Ideal Heating Commercial.

The course is a comprehensive introduction to heat pumps, including their operation, refrigerant cycles, and key performance indicators such as coefficient of performance and global warming potential (GWP). It also explores synthetic and natural refrigerants, detailing characteristics and how they influence the design of efficient heating systems.

Additionally, the course delves into crucial industry topics such as

decarbonisation in the heating sector and refrigerant phase-downs, concluding with insights into the future of refrigerants. Its objective is to pass on knowledge needed to select the most energy-efficient and sustainable heat pumps for commercial projects.

The CPD’s introduction coincides with the expansion of Ideal Heating Commercial’s ECOMOD range of heat pumps, which now includes models

GF Building Flow Solutions announces new CPD on MLC pipework

GF Building Flow Solutions has introduced a new CIBSE-accredited CPD course that focuses on multilayered composite (MLC) pipework. This hour-long, face-to-face session is designed for building service engineers and delves into the many hygienic and sustainability benefits of MLC systems.

The course, titled ‘The popularity and multiple benefits of MLC pipe systems’, covers market trends, relevant legislation, installation best practices, and technical aspects such as jointing technology and temperature ranges.

Following a review of the material’s features and benefits, the CPD goes on to look at hygienic considerations and how to prevent legionella, installation methods, and project examples, as well as detailed technical aspects of MLC pipe systems, including jointing technology and temperature ranges.

Rob Oakley, business development manager, said: ‘MLC pipework has several advantages when compared with other materials. Our CPD aims to deepen the attendees’ knowledge of these systems and really showcase how they can deliver reliable, hygienic and sustainable solutions.’

l To register for the CPD, visit www.uponor.com/en-gb/specification/cpdpage or contact Rob Oakley at +44 (0)7825 682930

using natural refrigerants, such as the ECOMOD 290HT, which uses R290 refrigerant, and the ECOMOD CO2, operating on R744. Both deliver high temperatures with ultra-low GWPs, complementing the existing range with R32 refrigerant.

Ideal Heating Commercial’s CPDs address industry advancements and offer practical guidance on enhancing project performance and efficiency. Others cover topics such as low carbon systems, heat networks, plantroom surveys, and boiler heat exchanger materials. They are delivered nationwide by the Ideal Heating Commercial specification team, online or in-person.

With this latest addition, Ideal Heating Commercial continues its commitment to supporting the industry with expert knowledge and sustainable solutions.

l Visit idealcommercialboilers.com/ cpd-courses

Vent-Axia and Switchee unite to boost air quality

Vent-Axia and Switchee have partnered to launch the Lo-Carbon Revive 7 fan with Switchee connectivity, tackling condensation, damp and mould in social housing.

Enhancing indoor air quality while cutting costs, the system aligns with Awaab’s Law and the 2050 net zero target.

The partnership debuted at Homes UK 2024 in November, at the ExCeL in London.

l Visit www.vent-axia.com/socialhousing

Compact and efficient: Hamworthy Heating’s Stratton Mk3 boilers

Hamworthy Heating’s Stratton Mk3 wall-hung condensing boilers deliver high performance in a compact design. When paired with a low-height frame and header kit, the cascade system offers outputs from 40-70kW with a minimal height of just 1474mm.

They feature a stainless-steel heat exchanger, 5:1 turndown ratio, and up to 97% gross efficiency. Tucker Mechanical chose the Stratton Mk3 to upgrade the Hull & East Yorkshire Centre for the Deaf. l Call 01202 662 552 or visit www.hamworthy-heating.com

New for 2025 from Jung Pumpen

Jung Pumpen has introduced the DrainMinor S shower tray pump, designed for public spaces such as gyms. This unit boasts a 70mm low-level inlet, ideal for efficient installations.

Equipped with the reliable U3K pump, it handles vertical pumping up to 6m effortlessly. A low-level float ensures dependable automatic operation, while an optional high-level alarm with BMS connectivity adds extra assurance. The DrainMinor S delivers robust performance for single or multiple shower tray wastewater needs.

l Call 0118 9821 555 or visit www.jung-pumps.co.uk

Nuaire launches CIBSEapproved Passivhaus CPD

Ventilation specialist Nuaire has unveiled a new CIBSE-approved CPD, ‘An Introduction to Passivhaus’, tailored for the commercial sector. This course explores the principles of Passivhaus design, its ventilation standards, and the benefits it offers for net zero buildings. It is available online and in-person.

Passivhaus promotes a whole-building approach to energy efficiency and occupant wellbeing. A key feature of Passivhaus-certified buildings in the UK is the use of mechanical ventilation with efficient heat recovery systems.

Nuaire offers Passivhaus-certified Boxer Packages Solutions air handling units and XBOXER XBC+ heat recovery units. Nuaire ensures these systems meet Passivhaus standards for energy efficiency, thermal comfort and indoor air quality, with independent testing under realistic conditions verifying their performance.

l Visit nuaire.co.uk

Passivent plays its part in new Passivhaus school

A new Welsh primary school has integrated Passivent SoundScoop acoustic cross-talk attenuators into its design, supporting its goals to meet Passivhaus standards and achieve a Breaam Excellent rating.

The SoundScoop units at Ysgol Penbre (Pembrey School) improve classroom ventilation by enabling cross-flow airflow while reducing noise. At just 320mm high, the units discreetly fit into bulkheads supplying fresh air, which is heated or cooled by a central air handling plant.

The units passively exhaust air back into the central circulation space for it to be extracted, tempered and redistributed back into the classrooms.

Requiring no mains power or maintenance, the system is cost-effective and eco-friendly. It complies with Building Bulletin 93 (acoustic design) and Building Bulletin 101 (ventilation and indoor air quality) standards, and can integrate fire dampers for added safety.

l Visit www.passivent.com or call 01732 850 770

Munters dehumidifiers ensure optimal storage conditions for Emorsgate Seeds

Munters has improved storage conditions for Emorsgate Seeds, the largest wild-seed producer in the British Isles.

Established in 1980, Emorsgate Seeds supplies seeds for rewilding and conservation projects across the UK.

To address humidity control challenges threatening seed longevity, Emorsgate collaborated with Munters to install desiccant dehumidifiers. These maintain consistent relative humidity levels of 45-50%, ensuring optimal storage conditions.

Following Emorsgate’s relocation to a larger farm, Munters conducted a thorough survey to ensure the system remained optimal. As a result, Emorsgate installed four more desiccant dehumidifiers to maintain conditions across its new coldstores. l Visit Munters.com

AO

and Vent-Axia win BEAMA Net Zero Collaboration Award

Vent-Axia and AO have won the BEAMA Net Zero Collaboration Award for transforming recycled fridge plastic into high-quality ventilation products.

The award recognises a commitment to sustainability and circular manufacturing.

By the end of FY2025, Vent-Axia is aiming for 70% of its sales revenue to be from low carbon products, and 90% of the plastic used in its own manufacturing to be from recycled sources.

l Call 0344 856 0590 or visit www.vent-axia.com

Diffusion completes embodied carbon calculations

Diffusion has announced the completion of all embodied carbon calculations for its range, using CIBSE’s TM65 methodology.

This milestone enables the firm to provide mid-level report figures for all its fan coil units, including the CIBSE awardwinning New Highline 235 modular fan coil range.

The company now aims to achieve Environmental Product Declarations for its fan coils, furthering its commitment to sustainability and innovation.

l Visit www.diffusion-group.com

Panasonic’s Jet Air Stream Indoor Units for PACi NX now available

The new Jet Air Stream Indoor Units for PACi NX deliver energy-efficient climate control for large spaces such as warehouses, factories, and gyms. Offering high air volume (up to 5000 m³/h) and long-throw distance (up to 30m), they ensure optimal air distribution.

Features include motorised nozzles to prevent air stratification, quiet operation, and duct-ready designs.

l Visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu

Aspen unveils quietest Silent+ Mini Lime pump yet

Aspen Pumps has launched its fifth-generation Silent+ Mini Lime, its quietest condensate removal pump yet, operating at just 16dB(A).

Perfect for noise-sensitive environments, the pump has intelligent variable speed control, reduced energy consumption, and a longer motor lifespan.

Backed by a three-year warranty, it replaces the need for multiple pumps, cutting waste and costs.

l Visit www.aspenpumps.com

Breathing Buildings’ NVHRe wins energy saving award

Breathing Buildings’ NVHRe system won the ‘Commercial Ventilation Product of the Year’ at the Energy Saving Awards 2024.

This hybrid ventilation unit combines heat recycling and recovery, offering 46% heat recovery efficiency and ultra-low energy consumption.

Designed for commercial and public buildings, it optimises air quality and comfort while helping achieve net zero goals.

l Visit www.breathingbuildings.com or call 01223 450 060

Directory

New fellows, members and associates

FELLOWS

Cheung, Ka Kin

Sham Tseng, Hong Kong

Rolton, Peter Edwin

Rushden, United Kingdom

Sanderson, Karl Steven

Sunderland, United Kingdom

Wong, Ka Chun Nicholas

Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Wong, Ka Wing

Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

MEMBER

Aamer, Mohamed Giza, Egypt

Abdul Wahid, Ihsan Mohamed Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

Abedini, Kousar

London, United Kingdom

Ahmed, Talal

London, United Kingdom

Almaaitah, Jawdat

London, United Kingdom

Al-Obaidi, Karam

Sheffield, United Kingdom

Atiso, Eugene

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Barot, Dhruvkumar

Brampton, Canada

Bhowmik, Vishal

St Albans, United Kingdom

Bontas, Matei

Bishops Stortford, United Kingdom

Bonser, Samuel

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Boyd, Justin

Barnsley, United Kingdom

Brown, Connor

London, United Kingdom

Caywood, Edward

Ponteland, United Kingdom

Chan, Kai Mei

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Connaughton, David

London, United Kingdom

Cornea, Cristian Gerard Woltersdorf, Germany

Couraud, Ann-Margareth

Mirfield, United Kingdom

Dallas, Michael

Wesham, United Kingdom

De Carvalho Braga, Gisele

Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Depala, Ketan

London, United Kingdom

Deshmukh, Chetan

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Drennan, Kirsty

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Driver, Ben

Guildford, United Kingdom

Exposito Hermida, Susana

London, United Kingdom

Farrelly, Keegan

London, United Kingdom

Fielding, Ben

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Filianakis, Nikolaos

Abingdon, United Kingdom

Fitzsimmons, Gerry

Toronto, Canada

Fung, Tsz Hin

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Garden, Mark

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Gavrilova, Mariia

Adair, United States

Giubin, Matthew

Calderwood, Australia

Gomes, Jeff Neston

Swindon, United Kingdom

Gray, Craig

Corby, United Kingdom

Hagibrahim, Youssif

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Harvey, Neil

Queensbury, United Kingdom

Hassan, Khalid Mohamed Hussien

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Healy, Abigail Christine

Botley, United Kingdom

Henderson, Calum

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Henderson, Jedd

Auckland, New Zealand

Hussein, Ahmed

Salmiya, Kuwait

Hussain, Mohammed Sharooq, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Jhumka, Ameer Hamza

Eau Coulee, Mauritius

Johnston, Lauren

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Kiley, Christopher

Lawrenceville, United States

Klug, David

Rolling Hills Estates, United States

Knight, Harry

Maidenhead, United Kingdom

Kong, Weixiu

Tulsa, United States

Kumar, Rupesh

Dublin, Ireland

Kwan, Lok Yin

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Kwok, Yu Hang Vincent

Yuen Long, Hong Kong

Lam, Po Yee

Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Lam, Sui Sang

Kennedy Town, Hong Kong

Lam, Chun Hon

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Lanza, Camilla

Byfleet, United Kingdom

Lau, Kam On Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Lau, Yiu Hong

Yuen Long, Hong Kong

Lepkowski, Lukasz

London, United Kingdom

Leyden, Peter Michael

Manchester, United Kingdom

Liang, Guojian

Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Lit, Siu Lun

Yuen Long, Hong Kong

Lynas, Tom

London, United Kingdom

Man, Wing Ho

Yuen Long, Hong Kong

Marei, Ahmed

Stockton on Tees, United Kingdom

Martin, Alexander

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

Martin Adalia, Juan

Barcelona, Spain

Middleton, Adam

Mildenhall, United Kingdom

Miller, Robert William Arthur

Preston, United Kingdom

Mohammad, Aman

Oxford, United Kingdom

Montazami, Azadeh

Coventry, United Kingdom

Mustahsan, Taha

Jubail, Saudi Arabia

Mutarah, Denson

Stoke On Trent, United Kingdom

Nwachukwu, Sunny Victoria Island, Nigeria

O’Rourke, Darren

Medford, United States

Plowright, John

Bucknall, United Kingdom

Poland, Mark

Banbridge, United Kingdom

Rahman, Obaid

Manchester, United Kingdom

Rickard, David

Bangor, United Kingdom

Risco, Gabriel Victor

London, United Kingdom

Ryan, Perry Nicholas

Barnstaple, United Kingdom

Saad, Khalil

Muscat Al Khwair, Oman

Saaim, Mohammed

Birmingham, United Kingdom

Saheed, Aadam

London, United Kingdom

Sartori, Elisa

London, United Kingdom

Scott, Stephen Colin

West Midlands, United Kingdom

Sedzro, Morkporkpor

Dublin, Ireland

Shah, Shajait Hussain

Peterborough, United Kingdom

Sham, Man Kit

North Point, Hong Kong

Shittu, Hammed Adetola

South Tyneside, United Kingdom

Smith, Thomas

Nuneaton, United Kingdom

Stillwell, Alec

Bournemouth, United Kingdom

Syed, Fasihuddin

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Tan, Wee Siam

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

Thomas, Elinor

London, United Kingdom

Ting Pong James, Wong

Lam Tin, Hong Kong

Ural, Oktay Firat

Liverpool, United Kingdom

Vyas, Max

London, United Kingdom

Welithotage, Madusanka Nilupul Surawimala

Singapore, Republic of Singapore

White, Harry

Colchester, United Kingdom

Winser, Adam

London, United Kingdom

Wong, Wai Kit Kenny

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Wong, Wai Kin

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Woolley, Alexander James

York, United Kingdom

Yehya, Monged

Cardiff, United Kingdom

Yiu Kwan, So

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Yiu, Wa Lok

Ma On Shan, Hong Kong

ASSOCIATE

Ainscough, Katrina

Preston, United Kingdom

Appleton, Andrew

Glasgow, United Kingdom

Ayrton, Jasper

Halifax, United Kingdom

Baker, Jack

Dursley, United Kingdom

Barrass, Christopher

Chester-le-Street, United Kingdom

Biddle, Thomas

Reading, United Kingdom

l This list will be continued next

InstallerSHOW 2025

InstallerSHOW - 24-26 June 2025, NEC Birmingham - is leading the charge towards sustainable building and retrofitting with the launch of InstallerBUILD in 2025.

InstallerBUILD will tackle the key issues of building sustainably and retrofitting our buildings, encouraging collaboration between trades and specifiers as we head towards Net Zero and a more sustainable built environment.

The HAUS, a full scale two-storey house build, will serve as the heartbeat of InstallerBUILD, surrounded by manufacturers and suppliers who share the vision to showcase sustainability and shine a light on innovation.

24-26 June 25 NEC Birmingham

CMR Controls manufactures low air pressure and air volume measurement sensors and control systems for standard air conditioning,clean rooms,sterile laboratories,containment facilities,and fume cupboard extract systems.

DPC CONTROLLER

Fast and accurate controls to drive high speed dampers or invertors. Full PID stand alone controls with BMS interface.

DPM PRESSURE SENSOR

Panel Mount Pressure or Velocity Transducers with remote alarms,analogue and digital interfaces.Traceable calibration certificates supplied as standard.

AIR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

A complete turn-key system to control room pressure to +/-1Pa.Fume cupboard face velocity to 0.5m/s at high speed and provide constant air changes into the labo - clean room.

CAV AND VAV DAMPERS

Accurate air flow measurement with the unique CMR Venturi built into the airtight shut-offdamper to control room pressure or constant volume.

PPS EXTRACT DAMPER

Poly-propelene control and shut offvalve incorporating the CMR Venturi Nozzle.This is essential when dealing with corrosive extract air especially from fume cupboard systems.