Modern Building Services

INDUSTRY NEWS 6 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES FEBRUARY 2021 Hydrogen is unlikely to be the golden ticket to decarbonisation heat in buildings Hydrogen has been hyped for heat for meeting the UK’s zero carbon target. It has a major impact on the need, or otherwise, for new-build and retrofit energy efficiency improvements or electric heat pumps. Why enhance our buildings if our current natural gas can be simply switched to zero-carbon hydrogen? LETI has investigated if hydrogen is likely to come via the repurposed gas grid. LETI’s neutral approach has allowed them to navigate through the mass of vested interests to gain a more realistic insight of its potential for heat in buildings. LETIs paper concludes that when considered holistically, it seems unlikely that zero carbon hydrogen supplied via a re-purposed gas mains network will be available, for the vast majority of buildings, for the foreseeable future. Is Hydrogen zero carbon? Hydrogen is an energy carrier, the carbon associated with it depends on how the hydrogen is produced. ‘Green’ hydrogen from renewable power electrolysis is zero emissions. However, the UK gas supply industry advocates ‘Blue’ hydrogen manufactured frommethane with carbon capture of its high emissions using yet to be proven at scale carbon capture and storage technology. This LETI document acts as a concise primer for those seeking clarity on the likelihood of hydrogen for buildings becoming a means of heat delivery for buildings via the gas pipe network. It is based on an extensive review of published documents from a broad range of viewpoints. For those who wish to dig further, an extensive reference list is included. For more details see www.leti.london Water Pumps and the Europe-wide opportunity for huge energy savings Despite the UK’s departure from the European Union, the British Pump Manufacturers’ Association (BPMA) will retain its membership of Europump, the European Association of Pump Manufacturers. Established in 1960, this influential body represents 16 national pump associations in 12 EU Member States as well as Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK. Europump members represent more than 450 pump companies with a collective production value of more than €10 Billion and an employee base of some 100,000 people across Europe. As a founding member, the BPMA will continue to play a significant role in the activities carried out by Europump, as much of the work undertaken will remain of relevance and importance to the UK. One such area of activity relates to the EU’s ongoing revision of the Eco-Design Directive and its Implementing Measures, which are intended to facilitate a notable reduction in the energy used by a broad range of products and equipment, be they for domestic, commercial, or industrial applications. In essence, the BPMA, alongwith its counterparts across Europewant to implement the extended product approach (EPA) for water pumps. This wouldmean, in energy use assessment terms as required by the Directive, that not only should the actual pump be included, but also the associated electricmotor and control system, which collectively comprise the entire pumping unit. Interestingly, and by way of precedence, this approach has already been readily accepted in the case of heating pumps. City gives green light to flower power tower A new 30-storey office tower with green walls and roof nestling next to London’s walkie talkie building has been approved by the City of London Corporation, CLC. Hong Kong-based developers Tenacity Group are behind the scheme which is the first tall building approved by CLC this year. The proposed new tower at 55 Gracechurch Street, between Monument tube station and Leadenhall Market, offers 34,000 sqm of office space and 2,500 sq m of retail, cultural and open space. Fletcher Priest Architects’ design includes a garden terrace and a suspended treetop public walkway with panoramic views across London. The tower’s roof will harvest rain to irrigate the building’s plants and surrounding trees. CIC appoints new chair for its Alternative Disputes Resolution Management Board The Construction Industry Council (CIC) has appointed Matt Malloy as the new chair of their Alternative Disputes Resolution (ADR) Management Board. Matt has extensive experience in dispute resolution and has been appointed in over 800 construction and engineering disputes. Adjudication is a process designed to help resolve disputes cheaply and efficiently and if a contract does not contain an adjudication procedure then the parties may apply to CIC to nominate an adjudicator from the CIC Register of Adjudicators. The ADR Management Board oversees the operations of the CIC as an Adjudicator Nominating Body (ANB), including maintaining the Register of Adjudicators and making nominations. “The era of the office is not over. Far from it.”