The HVAC industry is all about sustainability. We live and breathe it. We even preach sustainability to the unconverted. But is sustainability confined to the systems we design, manufacture and install and how sustainable is our industry?

Due to constant cost pressures and close project scrutiny, many new building and building retrofit schemes are being forced to seek out innovative ways of meeting budget without detriment to completion schedules.

Commercial building refurbishment continues to grow in importance as the UK struggles to tackle a burgeoning budgetary deficit and Government finances get ever tighter. However, although the fiscal outlook looks bleak, the downturn does offer a real opportunity for the commercial heating sector to play its part in raising the energy efficiency of existing buildings and lowering their carbon footprints and energy costs.

Solid state lighting (or LEDs) is already being seen as the future of lighting; its potential for CO2 reduction is drawing the attention of designers and Governments across the world. But are LEDs matching these expectations? The progress from widespread use in theatrical and architectural lighting since the turn of the century has been truly dramatic and today LEDs are serious contenders in main stream interior lighting.

The fact that many of us are dealing with linear or compact fluorescent lamps on an almost daily basis makes it very easy for many people to take them for granted and overlook their inherent complexity. But this complexity in design and manufacturing can have a major impact to on the way these light sources need to be treated at the end of their life – and should inform the specification process at the beginning of their life.

One of the many environmental initiatives to come out of Europe is the gradual phasing out of older, less efficient light sources, and this process has already begun. As a result, building operators who hang on to older light sources such as T12 fluorescent tubes and some high pressure sodium (SON) lamps are now finding they have to pay a lot more for replacements.

The Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) that came into effect in April 2010 were a welcome development, but also a missed opportunity. Pure renewables such as wind, photovoltaics (PV) and hydro power were the big winners, but only very small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) was supported, which confused a lot of energy experts.

It’s not often that the magazine becomes the main focus of a news story but this month I have pleasure in bringing you the news that I have received the award for KNX Champion of the Year.

Over the last few years we have brought you regular news on the building controls industry, championing the cause for better controls systems, both through the pages of BSEE and through our Building Controls awards programme.

Interpretation of legislation in the commercial building services industry may lead to unnecessary costs in improving existing buildings. We believe greater carbon savings can be achieved in the short term with a change in approach to heating and hot water solutions.

With the latest story to hit the news being that Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband have kick started a national scheme to upgrade household heating systems to cut carbon, save money on fuel bills and sustain work for the heating industry, we have to ask ourselves whether it is going to really make the difference that the Government expects.

Action on climate change is gathering pace. The UK Government recently targeted climate change doubters in a prime time TV advert, by sending out the message that climate change is already under way. Meanwhile, the Committee on Climate Change has called for the Government to accelerate carbon emission reductions to meet UK carbon budgets.

As we welcome in the New Year it is a good time to take a look at the industry and what is happening in it.

One area which will continue to shine is that of building controls and we couldn’t talk about this area of the industry without giving you one final reminder that the deadline for entries for the 2010 Building Controls Industry Awards is Friday 29 January 2010. You do still have a few days to spare but don’t leave it until the last minute or you may miss the deadline.

Yan Evans, Technical Director of Baxi Commercial Division discusses whether or not there is a valid argument for a commercial sector heating equipment scrappage scheme along the lines of the proposed domestic boiler scrappage scheme that has recently been tabled as an early day motion by MPs.

Over recent years a number of new pieces of legislation have come into force regulating the amount of energy usage in buildings. These support the government targets on reducing the amount of carbon emissions in the UK by 80% on 1990 levels by 2050. Further important changes to this legislation are on the cards.

As lighting control technologies continue to develop there is considerably more scope to address each user's requirements as well as environmental and sustainability issues. 

Controls for building services in general, and lighting in particular, have received a real boost in recent years, thanks to the recognition that no matter how well designed a piece of kit is, it will only be as efficient as the way it is controlled.

Since the launch of the 2010 Building Controls Industry Awards last month the response has been staggering and we have been flooded with requests for more information and entry forms.

Which is great news - not just for the awards, but for the whole of the industry because it means that there are plenty of people out there whose colleagues think that they should be recognised for the excellent work which they do in the building controls industry.

In projects where the building services specifier or installer is acting in a project management role, it's important to see the safe disposal of end-of-life electrical equipment as an ideal opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint of the project.

It's estimated that power quality problems cost European businesses €150 billion as a direct result of their electrical power installations not being sufficiently reliable and resilient for today's and future operating demands.

This month sees the launch of the Building Controls Industry Awards 2010 which are being held in association with the Building Controls Industry Association (BCIA) and BSEE.

When it comes to site safety there are hundreds, if not thousands, of potential hazards and risk limitation processes attributed to heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) work.  These vary from simple things, such as dust creation and the process of clearing it, through to immediate life threatening examples, such as exposure to poisonous substances and how to protect the user and others from it.

It is now generally accepted that the only way the UK is going to achieve its carbon emissions targets is by tackling the energy wastage in existing buildings. This is because, while legislation such as Part L of the Building Regulations does a lot to control the energy consumption of new buildings and major refurbishments the fact is that the turnover of building stock is too low for this to make a major difference. In addition, the latest Part L consultation document makes no reference to the consequential improvements that will drive upgrades to the energy performance of existing buildings

The lack of skilled people entering the building services industry continues to be a problem but the good news is that many companies are now taking matters into their own hands and offering in-house training specific to their products.

One of the trends that nearly always accompanies an economic downturn is that more organisations decide to refurbish their existing premises rather than move to new premises. Or they may choose to delay any action altogether.

Being able to control all of the systems and services in a building is now seen as one of the most efficient ways to manage your energy use and reduce your carbon footprint, but while we are all aware of this in theory do we actually know where to turn to make it happen?

Lighting in the built environment can be responsible for up to 40% of a building's electricity costs - and a similarly high proportion of its CO₂ emissions. So lighting is an obvious target for those seeking to reduce carbon emissions; but usually only when the costs of implementing the means of reduction will pay for themselves. This explains the attractiveness of some so-called quick wins that ultimately compromise the quality of the original lighting scheme.

With buildings accounting for 40% of the world's energy use, building control systems must now play a vital role in facilitating energy efficiency.  While BREEAM-accredited buildings might be the built environment's ideal, the reality is that the vast majority of existing building stock is out of step with the latest in green design.

Over the last 12 years, capital expenditure on school buildings has risen from under £700 million in 1996-97 to £6.7 billion in 2008-09 and will rise to around £8 billion in 2009-10.  A number of capital building programmes in the education sector are now well underway including the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) Programme, the Academies Programme and the recently announced Primary Capital Programme to rebuild and refurbish 50% of primary schools.

Thanks to the recent advances in fluorescent lighting technology, specifiers now have considerably more choice in selecting the best luminaires for high and low bay applications.

The old adage "if it looks too good to be true, then it usually is" is as appropriate for this industry as it is for many others. Bargain prices for items such as wiring devices, circuit protection products and other electrical ancillaries are a bargain for a reason, possibly several reasons. They may be counterfeit and carry the distinguishing marks of well known brand names, they may be very good imitations or facsimiles of well known products but carry another manufacturer's logo or they simply are manufactured in and sourced from low cost countries using budget components with a lesser regard for quality and safety.

The whole business world is busy depressing itself by repeating bad news stories. How many of us have joined in this process by talking about bad news in our business, and by the way did you hear about someone else who is having much worse problems? Talking continuously about lack of confidence in the future, or speculating that there must be a cliff out there that we are all going to fall over, does not help to find opportunities.

When history writes about the era we are now living through, it will be the politicians, scientists and the higher-profile green activists who will feature when issues relating to climate change are held up for scrutiny.

The subject of energy efficiency continues to be a topic on which everyone in the industry has something to say and with new products continuing to emerge it feels like there are new developments on a daily basis.

The target of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions set out in the Climate Change Act passed in November last year can easily be seen as a remote and abstract benchmark, one which we have plenty of time to take action to achieve. But with the first key deadline fast approaching next month, where the government will be laying down the levels for the first three Carbon Budgets, the task is quickly becoming a more immediate concern.

The introduction of energy targets in support of the Building Regulations and other legislation is focusing minds very firmly on the efficiency of all of a building's services and lighting is no exception. Achieving higher efficiencies in lighting requires a combination of more efficient luminaires better lamps, and improved control.

While the current economic crisis continues to make headline news, there are a number of areas within this industry which are still showing signs of major activity and one of the main ones is schools.

Keeping control of energy usage in buildings is a key contributing factor in protecting the environment. A building management system such as the Desigo range from Siemens can facilitate this control. It can provide a comfortable working environment for building occupants enhancing productivity, ensure compliance with current energy legislation and contribute significantly to reducing energy usage leading to a smaller carbon footprint. However all too often the capabilities of the BMS itself are not fully utilised and the potential benefits are lost.

All organisations must respond to change.  It's the same for trade associations like BEAMA and its members. In October 2008, we published our White Paper - an industry response to climate change, clearly laying out the contribution manufacturers of electrotechnical equipment can make towards helping the Government achieve its very challenging targets.