Letters

Our green ambitions must not lose sight of embodied energy

Embodied energy appears to be the elephant in the room when it comes to low and zero carbon technology. On investigation of the embodied energy of various technologies with manufacturers, the same response is given: ‘We are looking into that.’ This concerns me, because there should surely be quantitative figures before that technology is classed as low or zero carbon? This ignorance around embodied

energy was further highlighted when I read your article ‘Down to Zero’ (February Journal, page 36). The article investigated the cost of changing buildings to zero carbon. Now, forgetting the obvious question as to whether these homes would be zero carbon in reality, I was enormously frustrated to read how ordering photovoltaic cells in bulk from China will reduce cost. This is another example of how zero carbon energy is being implemented to tick boxes without the question of embodied carbon being raised, let alone answered. Surely each manufacturer that

wants to provide low and zero carbon technology should have to prove their embodied energy credentials before they are classed as such, with government grants promoting their implementation. To me, this is just the start of the further investigation into low and renewable technology. An obvious next step would be the

Making it pay

Inspection brings dividends for new government offi ces

www.cibsejournal.com

CIBSEfeb10 cover.indd 1

investigation into the impact of the tapping of locally generated electricity into the national grid. We are told that the grid is already at breaking point, so these technologies are required. However, arguably this breaking point is not due to load but because of inefficiencies within the grid. These local technologies will only add to this situation unless they are regulated sufficiently.

Lyndon Jones Disillusioned low carbon building services engineer

We need national leadership on Building Information Modelling

Rob Manning and Chris Hindle’s article in the January Journal (‘Model activity’, page 48), which explains the process and application of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in industry, was very interesting and highly informative. A key point communicated

28

CIBSE Journal April 2010

adoption, software interoperability issues and the unwillingness to explore technological advancements. In order to resolve such issues, the development and implementation of BIM practices requires the support of various bodies – government regulators, discipline-specific institutions, contractors, consultants and manufacturers/suppliers. The formation of a national infrastructure

focusing primarily on the development and implementation of BIM practices and standards in the UK is vital to enhance efficiency in the design and construction industry.

Nahim Iqbal, BIM development leader, Ryder Architecture

Let’s all take a sabbatical

I would go further than Roger Smith (‘Complementary skill’, February Journal,

28/1/10 16:11:00

was the need for collaboration that supports the successful design and construction of a building. BIM is an ideology that is currently

in its infancy in terms of industry-wide implementation – therefore the doors for innovation remain open and opportunities exist for those who wish to cross the boundaries currently set. But industry is still hindered with slow

page 24) by advocating that design engineers be required to take a sabbatical once every seven years to operate the buildings they have designed.

Eur Ing Int PE Larry Spielvogel, PE, CEng, FASHRAE, FCIBSE, FSLL

February 2010

Nuclear soaks up funding

I’m surprised that there is still confusion with regard to the difference between electricity and primary energy (March Letters, page 26). Aside from the fact that nuclear power hasn’t generated 20 per cent of the UK’s electricity requirement for decades, this is not the same as ‘20 per cent of the total energy generation’. In fact the contribution to total energy supply from nuclear power is around 4 per cent. Disregarding all the other downsides

DOWN TO ZERO

Is this carbon target really achievable?

LIGHTING FOCUS

Concerns raised on LED technology

RED-HOT TOPIC

New guidance on non-dom boilers

CIBSE AWARDS

We reveal the winning fi nalists

associated with nuclear power, the real monetary costs are so great that all other technologies, including energy efficiency, are invariably starved of adequate funding, and progress which could be made is slowed almost to a standstill. This must not be allowed to happen if we are to move to a sustainable future.

Brian Edwards MCIBSE

Driving forward on nuclear

Given the growing media hype concerning the ‘saviour’ of the energy crisis, namely the electric vehicle, am I the only one who sees this as akin to the children’s tale, The

Emperor’s New Clothes? Are the powers

that are advocating this initiative mindful

of where we get our electricity from, and more importantly how inefficient and carbon rich this process is? Now if the government were pushing

nuclear powered cars that would be another matter, but you wouldn’t want to crash one of those would you!

Stuart Long MBA, CEng, FCIBSE, MASHRAE

CIBSE Journal welcomes article proposals from any reader, wherever you are – whether it be letters, longer opinion pieces, news stories, people or events listings, humorous items, or any ideas for possible articles.

Please send all letters and any other items for possible publication to: bcervi@cibsejournal.

com, or write to Bob Cervi, Editor, CIBSE Journal, Cambridge Publishers Ltd, 275 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8JE, UK. We reserve the right to edit all letters. Please indicate how you wish your letter to be attributed, and whether you wish to have your contact details included.

www.cibsejournal.com Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84