EVENT | BUILD2PERFORM NO TIME TO LOSE There was a sense of urgency at the fifth Build2Perform Live, as industry discussed how to respond to the climate emergency and accelerate the move towards zero carbon buildings. Liza Young and Alex Smith share their highlights HISTORIC RETROFITS At the session on retrofitting and refurbishing historic, listed and rural buildings, Historic Scotlands Moses Jenkins presented a case study of 120-year-old Holm Farm Cottage. Maintaining moisture movement within the fabric of the traditionally constructed building was a key element in the retrofit, Jenkins said. Within six months of a previous 18,000 retrofit, the building developed severe mould because the insulation was not permeable to moisture and pathways for air to move around had been sealed up. Jenkins said the old insulation was replaced with vapourpermeable material, sealed vents were opened up, and extract ventilation was incorporated. We took account of the occupants of the building and how they lived, and the problems and slugs went away, he said. A ttendees at the fifth CIBSE Build2Perform Live were given a two-day insight into the challenges facing the building services industry if it is to meet ambitious zero carbon targets. A wide-ranging presentation by Lady Brown set the scene. The deputy chair of the Climate Change Committee (CCC) challenged the construction sector to match other sectors on reducing carbon emissions. She told a full auditorium that UK emissions from construction had only fallen by around 1-2% between 2013 and 2018, while power companies had cut CO2 by around 55%, and industry and waste firms by 11-12%. Brown also highlighted average temperature projections for 2100 from the UK Climate Predictions report for 2018. In a high-emissions scenario, there is a range of warming from 0.7C to 4.2C in winter, and 0.9C to 5.4C in summer. Her presentation, Fit for the Future in a Changing Climate, focused on two strands of the work being done by the CCC: mitigation what has to be done to reduce greenhouse gases and adaptation, the actions needed to reduce the countrys vulnerability to climate change. Lady Brown explained that, while less rainfall in the UK was likely to lead to water shortages, demand could potentially still be met with adaptation measures, such as planting more trees, and building flood resilience and sustainable urban drainage. For buildings to meet 2050 zero carbon targets, she said there would need to be a focus on efficiency in the next decade, plus the adoption of heat networks, heat pumps and hybrids. In the 2030s/40s, there would have to be widespread electrification and a potential switch to hydrogen in the gas grid. The CCC has advised the government to look at hybrid solutions to reduce carbon emissions from the UKs 29 million existing homes. Heat pumps could be used to provide the base load, with gas-fired technologies only employed for heating and hot water during peak demand periods. Lady Brown said this would allow more flexibility, with only an additional 40kW of electricity required for a home to power its heat pump. There was intense interest in heat pumps across the show, including in the seminar by Lochinvars Scott Mason (pictured above) and the session on the specification, integration Baroness Brown of Cambridge 24 January 2020 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Jan20 pp24-27 Build2Perform v2.indd 24 20/12/2019 15:14