EWS IN BRIEF No upgrades needed for 15% of domestic heat pump retrofits Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson has said that 15% of UK homes could have a heat pump installed with no other upgrade costs. The energy utility company is preparing to install thousands of heat pumps for customers this year in response to the governments Boiler Upgrade Scheme, due to start on 1 April. The fund will provide grants of 5,000 for new air source heat pumps and biomass boilers, and 6,000 for ground source heat pumps, and will run until 2025. Octopus Energy has invested 10m in a heat pump R&D centre. Consultants withdraw from business operations in Russia Aecom among firms pulling out, as others offer financial support for Ukrainians International design consultants, including Aecom and Foster + Partners, have announced their withdrawal from Russia following the countrys invasion of Ukraine. Last month, Aecom announced that it was immediately exiting its business operations in Russia. Its chief executive, Troy Rudd, said: We support the people of Ukraine who are RICS updates fire safety guidance on external walls The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has updated the EWS1 form to reflect a more proportionate approach to fire safety checks. Published on 16 March, the new version of EWS1 reflects the BSI PAS 9980:2022 guidance note, which offers a new methodology for carrying out external wall fire risk appraisals of multi-storey or multi-occupied residential buildings. The PAS replaces the governments Consolidated Advice Note, which was withdrawn in January after concerns that it was being interpreted too cautiously. The RICS has also updated its valuation guidance on properties in multistorey, multi-occupancy residential buildings with cladding. Online tribute to Max Fordham created Max Fordham Associates has created a section on its website in memory of its founder, who died in January at the age of 88. The Remembering Max pages include his most notable projects and innovations, details of his early life, and the memories and reflections that those who worked with him have shared. The website is at www.maxfordham.com/ remembering-max People in Vienna protest against the Ukraine war facing tremendous suffering as a result of Russias unlawful invasion. Russias actions are inconsistent with Aecoms values and have compromised the business environment for Aecom, our clients and our joint activities in Russia. The global engineering giant said that leaving the Russian market would cost it around $10m. Architect Norman Foster declared in a handwritten note on Instagram that Foster + Partners was leaving Russia. It read: We deplore the Russian invasion of Ukraine and as a result we have stopped work on all our projects in Russia. The architect had two schemes in the country. Other architects to suspend projects in Russia included David Chipperfield Architects, Zaha Hadid Architects and Swiss studio Herzog & de Meuron. Sweco, which has no current work in Russia, has donated 400,000 to Mdecins Sans Frontires to help people in Ukraine. Ramboll UK said it would donate one million Danish kroner (112,000) to a Ukrainian refugee organisation. RIBA has opened up its jobs platform to match Ukrainian refugees with employment opportunities as part of its response to Russias invasion of the country. The move means that RIBA chartered practices can advertise job or apprenticeship roles for displaced architects and architectural students for free on the platform. Insulate 19 million homes to improve energy security, says Labour Labour wants 19 million homes to be insulated within a decade as part of its new five-point plan for energy security, which was published on 8 March. As global gas prices soared in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine, the official opposition said that all homes would have to be upgraded to the Energy Performance Certificate Band C rating by 2030. Bringing all homes up to this standard would cut national gas imports by up to 15%, save households in improved homes an average of 400 a year on their energy bills, and support around 100,000 jobs in every region, claimed Labour. Other key points in the plan include a call to double the UKs onshore wind capacity to 30GW by 2030, increase offshore wind capacity to at least 75GW by 2035, triple solar power output by 2030, and back tidal power. Labour also called on the government to raise its ambition for the UKs hydrogen economy, and make a final investment decision on the planned Sizewell C nuclear plant. Shadow secretary of state for climate change and net zero Ed Miliband launched the plan on a visit to the University of Salford with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham. He said: Energy security is national security. Homegrown, clean power is the cheaper, more secure route to energy security and sovereignty. We can make ourselves safer and more secure, and keep bills lower with a green sprint, including a plan to insulate millions of homes. 6 April 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Apr 22 pp06 News.indd 6 25/03/2022 17:30