CIBSE national conference
Engineering a more
sustainable future
The realities of cutting carbon emissions, the future for renewables, ensuring
schools are properly ventilated, and involving clients and users in the design
process were among the cutting-edge issues discussed at the CIBSE national
conference 2009. Reports by Carina Bailey and Bob Cervi
Engineers can
Climate change a great opportunity for
help with cutting
water waste
engineers but cut out the box-ticking
How do we ensure a “water-
saver friendly building”, asked n
Building services engineers government has pledged to offer
hold the keys to some of 7m homes in the UK “whole-house”
Charlotte Parkes of AECOM, who the biggest solutions in cutting carbon-reduction packages by 2020
pointed out that 89 per cent of carbon emissions in Britain, said – estimated to be worth £42bn.
carbon emissions arising from Professor Julia King, a member of In the meantime, she reported,
water systems relate to usage in the Committee on Climate Change the CCC is soon to issue an
the home. (CCC), an independent advisory assessment of the impact of the
Savings can be made through body to government. recession. A second report to
a change in people’s behaviour The need to increase energy government on carbon-reduction
and the use of better technology, efficiency in residential and progress would be issued at the end
she said, arguing: “As building commercial buildings presents an of this year, she added.
services engineers we hope to exciting opportunity for engineers, Professor David Fisk, of King says BS engineers hold the key
influence the second and third she added – although, amid an Imperial College, London, was
aspects in this list.” economic recession, it was a testing critical of the UK’s display energy – getting an environmental brief
It is down to the individual to time too. King said current policy performance certificates (DEC) by a client and sending this off to
decide what is necessary usage on increasing energy efficiency in regime, describing it as one of the get a green rating. So the question
of water in the home, but some residential buildings would produce “sloppiest” in the world, adding being asked is not, “how can we
of the seemingly unnecessary a reduction of 9m tonnes of jokingly: “We’re now getting out-of- get a building that’s great for the
consumption can be blamed on carbon dioxide (9 MtCO2). But the work estate agents to get your DEC environment?”, but “how can we
the technology used in showers, “technical potential” in the sector ... by telephone!” get a BREEAM Excellent rating?”
toilet flushing, and so on. meant a possible cut of 43 MtCO2. He said this was part of the He added: “That’s where tick-box
Industry would have to meet She pointed out that the process of “tick-box engineering” engineering becomes dangerous.”
revisions to Part G of the Building
Regulations, a consultation
document which proposed
In search of a definition of zero-carbon
applying a calculator to water
appliances to determine usage, What does ‘zero-carbon buildings’ generated energy or physically
Parkes said. The final revisions mean and how can they be linking the development to a nearby
were still awaited. delivered? This difficult question energy centre. The consultation
But she added that such was posed by Stephen Ward, a set out three options for what that
measures should not push the sustainability director at AECOM. on-site compliance target should
boundaries of user acceptability He said he believed that the be, ranging from 44 to 100 per
and should meet the practical most significant “evolution” to cent below current 2006 TER. But
aspects of a building, such as come out of the UK government’s DCLG is expected to discourage
drainage and plumbing. consultation document on defining developments being connected to
Chris Northey, of public zero carbon was not having to Ward: zero carbon can be on- and off-site off-site renewables by a private wire,
health engineering group BDSP meet the zero-carbon target purely which previously counted towards
Partnership, said that, with on-site: “We’re talking about zero The Department for Communites achieving the Code for Sustainable
government subsidy and tax carbon on a net zero basis, so we’re and Local Government (DCLG) Homes. And, according to Ward,
relief, the costs of installing not saying buildings have to be zero had introduced the idea of carbon an open question still hangs over
waste-water recycling systems carbon every minute of the day, so compliance, which is the target whether unregulated energy use
could be recouped within a year. as long as [they are] net zero over that the industry has to meet, will be included in the definition for
the year.” whether it be done using on-site non-domestic buildings.
18 CIBSE Journal June 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEjun09 pp18-20 conference.indd 18 29/5/09 11:15:20
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