Resilient
“They recognise that improving building ventilation can play a huge part in helping the country recover from the pandemic and make buildings more infection resilient in preparation for future health emergencies,” he added. “They also noted the importance of using properly trained and accredited
ventilation and IAQ specialists to carry out remedial work on buildings and on avoiding ‘silver bullet’ solutions.” Stephen Reicher, on behalf of Independent SAGE, said: “Obviously it makes good public health sense to ensure that the shops and restaurants and offi ces we use are properly ventilated and that no-one is working while infected. But it also makes sound economic sense to give the public confi dence that they can use these spaces in safety.” PCS health and safety offi cer Tracy Edwards added that the coalition was only
asking for what is already required by law. “We want workplaces to be safe, we want the public to know they are safe, and we want employers to work with us to ensure that happens. The Pledge will help us achieve that”. Lara Wong, from the group Clinically Vulnerable Families, said many
vulnerable people were eff ectively being excluded from shops and restaurants and other public spaces because they cannot be sure that these are taking the steps necessary to protect them. “The Pledge will help give us the confi dence we need to be part of the public again,” she told the launch. The government’s chief medical adviser Professor Chris Whitty had already highlighted the importance of businesses investing in better ventilation to help them recover from the pandemic, keep their employees safe, and to prepare for future health emergencies. “We have realised the extraordinary importance of improving the ventilation of workplaces, not just for Covid but also for many other respiratory infections,” Professor Whitty said. “If we invest in that now, we’ll both help the aftermath of Covid, but also cut down on things like fl u outbreaks.” He put investment in ventilation as the second most important step businesses could take behind helping their staff get fully vaccinated – and highlighted the direct link between poor IAQ and health conditions that put extra pressure on the NHS. “The pandemic has raised the profi le of building ventilation and clearly demonstrated the link between poor IAQ and a range of respiratory infections,” said Fox. “Improving indoor ventilation reduces the risk of transmitting diseases between people so investment made now can have signifi cant long-term economic and social benefi ts.” BESA will also be highlighting the Pledge at a special webinar during National Clean Air Day on June 16. For more information and to sign up go to: www.
thebesa.com/besa-webinars *BESA’s Beginner’s Guide to IAQ provided an overview of the problem and its Guide to Good Practice for IAQ focused on the importance of measuring and monitoring air quality to deliver better health and well-being outcomes. The fi rst was developed in partnership with Mitsubishi Electric and has been
downloaded for free more than 2,000 times. The second was recently updated to refl ect the latest advice from the World Health Organisation on maximum exposure limits to harmful airborne contaminants. BESA also launched Buildings as Safe Havens – a practical guide, in
partnership with Mitsubishi Electric in April. This provides a step-by-step approach to getting the most from working with IAQ specialists, so facilities managers and end users can achieve the best results for their buildings. All three guides can be downloaded for free from:
www.theBESA.com/iaq
ViewPoint O
Rising gas prices spark shift to heat pumps
By Jonny Hancock, product manager at NIBE Energy Systems
fgem’s new energy price cap has certainly been a hot topic recently, having lasting consequences for approximately 22 million customers across the UK.
The unprecedented increase in global gas prices, due in part to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has contributed most heavily to this crisis. To our calculations, the price cap for gas has risen by around 80% since April 2021 including standing charges. Clearly this isn’t the price rise for all; some householders are seeing higher increases, but it does demonstrate the impact of the change particularly for those using gas. Now more than ever, we can see what the future could hold in store for a
society dependent on fossil fuels – limited supply due to a phasing out of carbon intensive fuels and potentially hiked up costs. Homeowners are aware that maximising the energy effi ciency of their properties is the best way to reduce the impact of higher bills. However, we need to emphasise that heat pumps are a viable alternative to gas boilers and could in fact lower energy bills today. The demand for energy effi cient measures including heat pumps and cavity wall insulation saw a 20% spike ahead of the increase in energy bills, according to data from Rated People. The Renewable Heat Incentive also saw a surge in applications before it closed in March. Indeed, the new price caps tell us much about both the comparable
performance of fossil fuel and low carbon systems and the resulting running cost to provide 1kWh of heat. A heat pump system operating at a 350% effi ciency will have a running cost comparable to a gas boiler operating very effi ciently at 90%, at 8.18p/kWh of heat delivered. It is worth noting that many incumbent gas boilers are likely to have a lower effi ciency rating, suggesting the potential for heat pumps to become even cheaper as time progresses. The potential for heat pumps to provide cleaner, cheaper energy in the years
to come is even more interesting when we consider the eff ect of environmental levies. We know the government is considering a consultation on rebalancing these which will further increase the attractiveness of heat pumps vs gas boilers. Moreover, if the heat pump installed is smart and can use energy when it is cheapest then costs can be reduced even more. Our NIBE S-Series heat pumps allow customers to control their heating from a smart phone, access real time data and optimise settings to provide improved comfort and lower bills. It is clear, therefore, that the main way that we can prevent an escalating
cost of living crisis and high levels of fuel poverty is to focus on the potential of such low carbon solutions. It is promising to see that the Government is set to increase its current support for heat pumps in particular; the Queen’s speech, for instance, set out legislative aims to extend the price cap and encourage innovation across sector through the Energy Security Bill. The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) has also just opened for applications,
providing monetary support for homeowners looking to move away from fossil fuel heating. Within the fi rst day, hundreds of applications had been made to the scheme demonstrating high demand. If you don’t yet off er your customers heat pumps as a solution, but would like
to know more about them and the benefi ts of a low carbon proposition, visit our website to fi nd out about our NIBE Pro Installer Partner Programme, which is designed to guide and assist you and your team towards making this change.
www.nibe.eu/en-gb/installer/what-is-nibe-pro
DOWNLOAD THE HVR APP NOW
June 2022
9
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
