SCHOOLS | SPONSORED Q&A Environments for learning As we look towards a sustainable future, what should schools and colleges be doing to improve energy efficiency and air quality in their buildings? We ask leading suppliers for their advice Steve Simmonds, special projects engineer for Spirotech Where is a good place to start to improve the energy efciency of a school or universitys heating system? Testing the condition of the system uid. This will point to the causes of issues such as erosion, corrosion and biological contamination, each of which can affect the efciency and performance of the unit and lead to balancing issues, pump inefciency, kettling, or poor circulation. Good water-quality management within a properly set-up system will combat the conditions that cause these problems, and deliver greater efciency, reduced maintenance and, ultimately, a longer system life. As the market moves towards more sustainable, energy-saving technologies and reducing carbon footprints, the quality of the uid within heating and cooling systems becomes ever more important in fact, it is the single most important component of the system. modern energy-efcient buildings. This includes replacing ageing systems with upgraded green models, contributing to schools operating to carbon net zero. Spirotech offers two levels of water testing: basic sampling, and a full analysis and in-depth report. We have also extended our educational CPD portfolio to include Understanding water quality and total solutions. This identies problems caused by poor water quality, and explores the technical solutions and product types required to solve them. Topics include hydronic stability, regulations and guidelines, how water conductivity causes corrosion, and the impact of hard and soft water. To register, visit www.spirotech.co.uk/cpd. So, can it make a contribution towards net zero? The focus on better heating has been highlighted in the governments School Rebuilding Programme, which seeks to transform 500 schools into The quality of the fluid within heating and cooling systems is the single most important component of the system Spirotech offers two levels of system water testing 38 April 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Apr 22 pp38-39 Education Q&A Supp.indd 38 25/03/2022 15:19