HEATING, PLUMBING & VENTILATION
With the UK having experienced one of its warmest summers on record, overheating in buildings has very much come into focus. In fact, the Building Engineering Services Association recently called for urgent action to tackle the growing number of overheating buildings, suggesting the rising number of deaths linked to longer and more intense heatwaves is creating a very serious building safety issue.
Imperial College London research estimates that more than 1,147 heat-related deaths during the summer were caused by climate change. This worrying statistic is supported by data from environmental campaign group Friends of the Earth, that identified nearly 5,000 neighbourhoods in England now regularly suffer from heat stress.
This, and the Part O building regulations’ aim to reduce unwanted solar gains and remove excess heat from internal environments, is exacerbating the need for building designers, architects and property developers to implement more efficient ventilation and cooling systems into building design as early as possible.
WHAT’S CAUSING OVERHEATING?
In recent years, the UK has seen a rise in summer temperatures. However, buildings have not been designed and built for these conditions. Many commercial and residential buildings are designed to trap heat to improve insulation and reduce energy expenditure during the winter. Conversely, this is problematic in the summer.
Insufficient ventilation is also another likely contributor to the increased instances of overheating in buildings. Many UK residential properties and public buildings often lack adequate ventilation to prevent heat from building up. It’s also worth noting that while many buildings are designed to embrace natural light by having large windows, there is often a lack of external shading, meaning increased solar heat gain.
IMPLEMENTING VENTILATION AND COOLING EARLY IS CRUCIAL
Using ventilation and cooling in any type of commercial or residential building is a hugely effective way of keeping temperatures down – vital during the UK’s increasingly hot summers. Studies have revealed that comfort and productivity can be significantly boosted simply by maintaining optimal temperatures and humidity levels. Keeping temperatures between 20°C and 24°C, and humidity between 40% and 60% is reported to boost productivity by more than 10% and enhance decision-making skills and cognitive function.
Integrating ventilation and cooling early in building design not only helps lower internal temperatures, but enables a holistic design approach to ensure systems and architecture work together to optimise natural ventilation while preventing the risk of costly retrofits in the future. Ensuring healthy air quality and temperature levels can also reduce the incidence of fatigue, asthma, headaches and allergies.
REDUCING HEAT GENERATED INTERNALLY
The implementation of ventilation and cooling systems is just the beginning. Identifying and using ways of reducing any heat generated internally is also crucial, emphasising the importance of specifying and incorporating energy efficient lighting and heating systems.
For instance, replacing traditional bulbs with more efficient LED lighting enables reduced generation of heat. Additionally, integrating lighting and heating into building controls and automation systems means they can be automated to turn on and off in response to external conditions and occupancy levels.
BALANCING COMFORT AND AESTHETICS
While the need for increased ventilation gains significance as average temperatures rise, designers and architects must pay close attention to building envelope design and find the right balance between comfort and aesthetics.
Implementing ventilation systems, especially those in demanding commercial and residential environments, can often impact building aesthetics. With that in mind, building designers and property developers should look to introduce external shading to block direct sunlight from reaching windows and use green roofs to provide additional insulation and cooling benefits. As a result, this will reduce the level of ventilation required while ensuring aesthetics aren’t compromised during the design.
The increased need to incorporate more energy efficient systems and substantially reduce internal temperatures in commercial and residential buildings across the UK exacerbates the importance of using the expertise and knowledge of MEP design and sustainability consultants, such as Whitecode Consulting.
Combating the challenge of overheating will require a truly holistic approach, not just from a building design perspective, but also from property developers, architects, designers and consultants. Finding the solution will help ensure a greener, brighter and cooler built environment in coming years. www.whitecode.co.uk