CIBSE Journal – February 2025
What caught our eye in the CIBSE Journal this month?
Large-scale heat pump rollout possible despite barriers (p.7)
The results of the Electrification of Heat Demonstration Project, 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… [heat pumps] 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.
This sounds promising if the barriers can be overcome, particularly when combined with this article:
How ready are UK buildings for heat pumps? (p.39)
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.[1]?[2]?
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Most UK homes will overheat without retrofit (p.7)
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 this claim is based on uses modelled data (Energy Plus) and the CIBSE TM59 bedroom criteria. Researchers claim bedroom temperatures will exceed the 26°C threshold 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. The TM59 pass/fail threshold is 1% of occupied hours.
This level of overheating seems very high (outside of heatwaves) as most complaints about overheating are limited to flats and locations where there are constraints on opening windows at night (noise, security etc).
We do know that a recent Loughborough study recommended that the TM59 bedroom criterion is more onerous than it needs to be and their recommendations are shaping the revised TM59 (2025) due out this year.
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It would be interesting to know how changing the criteria used might affect the prediction for how many UK homes will overheat without retrofit measures.
AI Growth Zones to fast-track data-centre infrastructure (p.9)
As we wrestle with how to utilise the power of AI without it jeopardising our data security, there’s another factor to consider:
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%.
It is crucial that the carbon cost of AI is considered by users alongside other considerations, and the additional energy use justified for the use in question. This is difficult when there is little information available on the relative energy intensity of different models. .https://www.cibsejournal.com/news/ai-growth-zones-to-fast-track-data-centre-infrastructure/
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Certifying success (p.34)
British Land has set some of the most ambitious carbon-reduction targets in the sector, and are leading in not just in setting targets, but delivering on them in practice. They have been on the working group that brought NABERS to the UK, and are walking the walk within their portfolio valued at ￡13bn.
“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.?
The detailed energy modelling required by NABERS UK means that British Land has the confidence to use more efficient plant and more sophisticated control philosophies in new and existing buildings, he adds.
Air of excitement (p.47)
This year’s shortlist for CIBSE’s Product or Innovation – Air Quality Award includes the Pluvo Column which could easily be mistaken for an advertising board.
The Pluvo Column is a compact, energy-efficient 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.
I don’t think I have given any of these a second glance before, but I will definitely be looking out for them in future and appreciating their efforts for my lungs!