a large difference between internal and external temperatures to be cost-efficient.8 It may be suitable in some parts of Scotland and northern England, but not in the milder climate of the southern British Isles, which includes Cardiff. The building control systems in the Cogan Terrace houses were able to deliver Passivhaus standards of energy efficiency without the expense of Passivhaus standards of construction. Kelly and Sassis analysis demonstrates state-of-theart building control system technology, which is affordable and flexible enough to deliver comfort and energy efficiency in the domestic setting. The Future Homes consultation does not appear to recognise how far the technology has matured in recent years, stating that building controls would typically be installed in large commercial buildings, but not usually in dwellings. Future Homes discusses some elements that might be incorporated into a building control system, such as thermostatic radiator valves that respond to the temperature in a given room rather -0.30 80% -0.35 -0.40 60% -0.45 40% -0.50 -0.55 20% -0.60 06:57 07:12 07:27 07:42 07:57 08:12 08:27 08:42 08:57 0% Proportion demand control ventilation is open | COGAN TERRACE Air quality index SMART HOUSING Air quality index Proportion DCV vent is open Figure 2: Graph shows demand control ventilation increase as air quality falls at around 08:20 Time than a central thermostat. However, it does not recognise the value in making a building smart using building controls. The analysis shows a holistic system delivering the high levels of energy efficiency required by Future Homes by making lowcost technologies responsive, avoiding the capital costs involved in replacing them with more complex and expensive systems, such as heat pumps. The ubiquitous building control system offers a user-friendly, room-specific, demand- AQUAMATIC AMV-FE SERIES controlled, energy-efficient solution that is cost-effective for new and existing builds, says Sassi. Building controls have a role to play in delivering the governments commitment to cut UK carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 and it is to be hoped that the final draft of the Future Homes policy enables the full use of their potential. CJ DAVID MILES is content manager, DAN CASH is a director of consulting, and KAT KELLY is a senior data scientist, all at Atamate. NEWRE U FEAT BOOSTER SETS Enhanced booster sets available with two to eight intelligent pumps, suitable for large residential or commercial premises including hospitals with Fire Sprinkler Mode for combined domestic water and sprinkler systems to BS9251:2014 Call 01206 215121 www.aquatechpressmain.co.uk Aquatech Pressmain is an AGM Plc brand. 34 July 2020 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE July 2020 p32-34 Atamate.indd 34 19/06/2020 17:42