Newly qualified building services engineers have only just begun their education. Today climate change and legislation are dramatically changing the face of the sector making it essential for engineers to keep up-to-date with all the major issues affecting building services design. Commercially consultancies cannot afford to stand still since clients are becoming better educated and so more demanding. For end-users major investment decisions are now strongly influenced by energy prices, environmental laws, and the likely future of direction of government policy.

Climate change is definitely the biggest headline for building services at the moment. Finally, the effects of climate change have entered the mainstream with not a day going by without an energy efficiency story hitting the news stand. Meanwhile, the Government now accepts urgent action is needed and is considering implementing a climate change bill in a bid to meet carbon emission targets.

Since the building services sector is a high energy user the industry has been working for some time on meeting low-energy targets through development of innovative products, renewables, new techniques and more environmentally sustainable approaches. Although these developments have provided challenges in themselves since the use of renewables is still a fairly new area. Specifying renewables can be tricky since sustainable technology can throw up unique variables that need to be taken into account when considering a building’s energy performance. For instance, the growing use of biomass boilers has grabbed the headlines in recent months, but despite impressive carbon credentials there are still technical considerations that need to be answered before specifying them.

Specifying renewables can also be tricky owing to planning regulations. Planning authorities have caused endless headaches for those looking to use solar thermal or PV panels. However, planning regulations are about to change to remove these obstacles and make it easier to specify sustainable products working towards Government’s longer-term view on renewables.

But, with low-energy products there is always the question of money. Consulting engineers need to confidently fight the corner for sustainable products since in the long-term environmental technology will become the only way forward. By choosing energy efficient products now consultants can avoid causing their clients’ headaches later on. Legislation is already putting the squeeze on energy hungry technology while the climate change levy has now started to bite. Not only do consultants need to inform clients of the benefits of whole life costs versus capital costs, they also need to spread the news to contractors and facilities managers. Sustainability needs to be seen as a commercial choice that cannot only help the environment but can also aid the supply chain in making money.

Despite energy saving measures climate change is already appearing to affect the weather. Hotter summers are now threatening to make nonsense of the industry’s traditional methods of designing and sizing cooling for buildings. Chillers that once looked generously sized are beginning to look dangerously undersized. However, specifying larger chillers can mean that the units are oversized for the remainder of the year, not an energy efficient solution. As the climate continues to change the building services sector needs to rise to this challenge.

As well as affecting chiller size, climate change is affecting the choice of refrigerants used in air conditioning. Owing to their global warming potential the future of HFCs hangs in the balance and depends on achieving acceptable leakage rates. This critical issue, which will determine the industry’s future direction, will be decided by a coming review under the F-Gas Directive.

Meanwhile, as the industry awaits this decision it is important to consider HFC alternatives. Are HCs too flammable, is ammonia too toxic, alternatively are carbon dioxide systems the way forward or just a current fad? The latest field trials on CO2 products will hopefully soon give some indication of their longevity.

Although sustainability and energy efficiency are key to current and future thinking the building services industry cannot ignore issues that have been facing it for a number of years, such as legionella and asbestos. Despite repeated advice from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) and high profile cases like the outbreak in Barrow-in-Furness, cases of Legionnaires’ disease are surging in the UK. The Health Protection Agency (HPA) voiced concerns that in August there were 119 cases of the disease compared to 63 in August 2005.

In the case of Barrow-in-Furness poor maintenance led to the disaster at the Forum 28 centre which resulted in seven deaths and 172 serious injuries. Here design services manager, Gillian Beckingham was accused of failing to ensure the maintenance of the cooling towers and despite being found guilty of one charge of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, was cleared of corporate manslaughter. However, although Ms Beckingham avoided a custodial sentence, leading legal experts have warned that it is not a time to relax.

Maintenance is key to preventing an outbreak, but system design is also crucial to reduce the risk of legionella by, for example, shortening pipe runs. Consulting engineers also need to carefully consider the type of cooling system they specify and weigh up the benefits. Over the last few years there has been a marked swing to air cooled alternatives from cooling towers and evaporative condensers because of the health and safety requirements of wet systems. However, here lies a dichotomy since water cooled systems are recognised as energy efficient products. Therefore, one arm of the Government is encouraging the use of cooling towers and evaporative condensers for energy saving reasons while another arm is advising industry to avoid them for health reasons. As fuel costs continue to soar and legislation tightens, legionella control is sure, then, to become an intrinsic part of the energy efficiency debate.

Another timely issue at the moment is the control of asbestos. November saw the introduction of The Control of Asbestos Regulations 2006 which aims to significantly strengthen worker protection by reducing exposure limits and demand training for anyone liable to be exposed to asbestos. These Regulations bring together the three previous sets of Regulations covering the prohibition of asbestos, the control of asbestos at work and asbestos licensing. Building services engineers will have to ensure they comply with the Regulations for refurbishment projects. When redesigning services in an existing building consultants will need to consider how the presence of asbestos will affect the design and installation of products. If asbestos is present the question will always arise on whether to remove it or, if the material is in good condition to leave it, monitor its condition and ensure it remains undisturbed. Here a decision needs to be made following a risk assessment. As a serious health and safety decision the outcomes could be fatal so everyone in the supply chain needs to be aware of the Regulations and how to comply.

Over the next decade as the Government strives to meet carbon emission targets, the building services sector will continue to be a fast-moving sector. The construction industry will be relying on consultants to answer the important questions of how to heat and cool buildings efficiently and safely, making it essential for them to remain informed.

If you are interested in key issues facing the building services sector visit H&V07 and the co-located RAC07, the UK’s only dedicated event for the refrigeration and air conditioning industry, (NEC, Birmingham, 27 February-1 March 2007).

The event will embrace cutting-edge sessions in the seminar programme reflecting the industries growing concerns with climate change, energy usage and environmental issues. These will be complemented by practical presentations in the Skills Centre and a constellation of the latest low energy technology and products on exhibitors’ stands.

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