Can this Really Happen
H&V News May 2021
H&V News has been part of my HVAC & M&E Industry life for many many decades, and remains a valuable asset to our Industry.
I’ve spent this morning scan reading and reading those items of specific interest. Also in a previous life the RAC section is of nostalgic interest, starting out in the 1960’s as a refrigeration apprentice.
If you were to read Neil Merrett’s comment page 3, and move on into all the articles, “Upfront” and other news, I don’t think it would be unreasonable to say, what an overall mess we are in, both environmentally, Legislation and not least of all the construction of new builds, the upgrading of the existing built environment, Domestic, Commercial and Industrial.
My point is are we kidding ourselves, to assume the ambition of ZERO carbon is going to happen. If you take all the numbers, statistics available, correct or otherwise in all our Industry publications and Newspapers, all can be argued over at great length.
Wouldn’t we be better off using all our existing tools we have at our disposal, to begin to mitigate the carbon time bomb. Or do those of my peers and those in power seriously believe the argument for ZERO carbon is attainable by 2050 or partially by 2035.
Putting that to one side, Building safety (fire), indoor air quality and prospective solutions, doesn’t help the ZERO carbon argument. So much legislation exists to avoid another Grenfell, but if we can’t manage to ensure the existing legislation can be enforced, why add more, if we can’t control and deliver what we have in place now. I have always had great respect for Hywel Davies of CIBSE page 4, always his comments and addresses make complete sense,.
Page 12, Building Standards, if we adhered and correctly applied our current regulations, what more is needed, is it jobs for boys to change it? Passive House (Passiv Haus) has been around for decades, it can be made to work in all builds. What we don’t do and can’t deliver is the proof after construction that it delivers the savings claimed or designed, or if we can publish the performance, to encourage better buildings. Why can we in the 21st century continue to build poorly performing structures and not have to answer for them?
If any current Building Regulations or new ones when needed, cannot be “policed” and enforced what is the point!
Another unpleasant thought, are all the vested interests in our Industry such as fossil fuels of all persuasions able to sign-up to a ZERO carbon future? Of course they can’t.
For them to change and eliminate fossil consuming product and stay in business will take many decades. Add to this the much larger Far East manufacturers already selling very successfully in the UK with more to come like “Haier” page 14. To compete on the world stage, you have to be the best. The much heralded Heat Pump is part of the overall heating solution, with added value and add-ons, District heating is growing, both small and large infrastructure projects, using low carbon or maybe ZERO Carbon primary heating solutions.
What is the true case for Hydrogen, no one has the finite answer so far. So why build a boiler for a fuel that may never be economic to manufacture and be “green”?
Governments come and go, legislation is almost out of date before it becomes law.
Add to this poor decision process’s by the administration in charge, must suggest again ZERO carbon cannot be achieved. Very few Government Ministers appointed are qualified experts in the positions they hold. They rely on outsourcing, to enable them to “perform” But if the input is as a result of vested interest lobbying, how does that help the final cause?
Why can’t we break these issues down into bite size doable chunks, plan it well, deliver it and move to the next challenge. Knock the projects off one by one prove it works then tackle the next issue. Is moving in so many directions all at once in the vain hope it may work.
The current ZERO carbon challenge is not deliverable in my opinion, and I welcome those cleverer than myself and who think they know it can happen, to prove it and put it into the Public Domain. Convince us ordinary mortals you have the provable solutions using understandable words.
How many tens of thousands of column inches in all manner of publication telling us what is wrong, with few if any delivering the provable solutions. We have the tools of technology, we have the products here and now, we don’t currently have trained people to deliver it all in one go. How can anyone sustain the argument of delivering ZERO carbon by specific dates, not knowing how to deliver on these promises.
This is not defeatist talk, but pragmatic argument to find a better way forward if we are to deliver on this ZERO carbon promise.