The growth of the chilled beam market accelerated from 2000 – 2008 but what will happen in the next few years to this system with the introduction of ECM smart motors and Variable Air Volume (VAV) to fan coil units?

Gareth Evans from PPM Technology discusses the advances in technology that have made it possible for a wireless system to continuously monitor the indoor environment allowing a scientific approach to the systematic monitoring and management of IAQ.

Monodraught has a long history of working with academic partners to help develop its range of low-energy building services products. These include the natural ventilation system known as Windcatcher, which is used by over 1100 schools throughout the UK to deliver fresh air to a room from roof level whatever the wind’s direction, and without mechanical assistance. Monodraught and Brunel University have been investigating the performance of Windcatcher systems for the past four years by measuring key components of air quality (temperature and carbon dioxide concentration) in five schools and sixteen school classrooms ventilated by square Windcatchers. The data has been compared against current UK benchmarks, such as Building Bulletin 101 (BB101).

Nuisance odours, grease, fat and other contaminants are routinely exhausted from commercial kitchens into the environment without proper concern for the problems they cause or the correct application of the filtration systems that should be used to prevent them.

Shorter supply chains, less time spent onsite with improved installation and commissioning are all benefits that engineers are able to draw on when dealing with suppliers who understand this rationale to help bring programmes in on time. Here Peter Rees, Technical Director of Tour & Andersson, explains why it is not only operational efficiencies that are borne out of pre-fabricated systems, but technical solutions that provide real value engineering can be delivered in a pre-assembled format too.

The credit crunch is at the top of the news agenda and whilst there's no doubt that we are all becoming sick of the dreaded ‘R' word, it is having a major impact on the commercial building market.

The clock is ticking. The Government has set clear targets for buildings to become carbon neutral. With new homes and new schools facing a 2016 deadline, public sector non-dwellings required to become zero carbon by 2018 and other non-dwellings needing to comply by 2019.