Modern Building Services

14 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES AUGUST 2022 A national target of achieving a 78% reduction in carbon emissions by 2035 compared to 1990 levels stands as a key enabler for the green transition that was laid down in the Government’s Sixth Carbon Budget. Taken alongside stats from the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) 2022 Progress Report to Parliament 1 stating that the building sector contributed to 20% of total UK emissions in 2021, this is clearly an area where progress is paramount for decarbonisation. More specifically, heating is a major source of building emissions that must become more efficient in practice to reduce energy demand and drive considerable change in the provision of building services. Patterns of consumption It is evident that changing patterns of building occupancy have placed greater emphasis on energy consumption in residential dwellings. The emergence of remote working due to the pandemic, has contributed to increasing emissions from homes. According to the CCC’s latest report, residential buildings account for 80% of the total emissions from the built environment, rising 7.7% from 2020 to 2021 due to working-from- home arrangements. Despite falling 4.7% from 2021 to 2022, this figure remains above pre-2019 levels. With this in mind, working from home has the potential to make reducing energy demand an increasingly difficult task. This is not to say that commercial buildings can be overlooked. As such sites tend to be larger by their very nature, they typically produce more carbon emissions, and can be more susceptible to inefficient practice. Despite the rise of hybrid working, the CCC has also revealed that there has been no significant change in energy intensity in office buildings since 2014. As such, energy use needs to evolve dramatically across the building construction as a whole, and optimising utility provision is a key part of this. User experience At the same time, building contractors should bear in mind occupant needs when installing energy-efficient heating solutions. Working from home has increased the need for temperature requirements that are room specific, while soaring energy prices also mean homeowners FEATURE AIR CONDITIONING, COOLING & VENTILATION With building sector emissions posing a major challenge to meeting climate commitments, contractors must consider efficient solutions that both reduce energy demand and keep occupant welfare in mind. Franz Huelle , Head of Technical at REHAU Building Solutions, discusses the potential for smart controls to ensure energy efficiency without compromising the end-user experience. Realising sustainable demand through smart temperature control