Knowledge is the key to success if contractors are to take advantage of new opportunities in energy-efficient systems, argues Nygel Humphrey, marketing manager, commercial, at Vent-Axia
TODAY'S HVAC industry is a low carbon world - it has to be. Buildings account for at least 40% of the UK's CO2 emissions, with the majority generated by the energy-consuming services used in heating, cooling and ventilating.

Government success in reducing carbon emissions from buildings will play a large part in determining whether it meets its targets under the Kyoto agreement. It also has carbon reduction obligations under statutory legislation, such as, the Sustainable Energy Act 2003, the Housing Act 2004 and the Climate Change Programme. The latter sets out how energy efficiency promises to save 10.2M tonnes of carbon per year by 2010.

Meanwhile, the regulatory framework is changing to ensure that contractors take steps positively to embrace low carbon technologies.

Legally green

From April 2008, as part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will be required for commercial buildings and Display Energy Certificates for public buildings.

From April 6, 2008, an EPC will be required on the sale or rental of commercial premises with useful floor areas greater than 500m2. And from October 1, 2008, an EPC will be required on the construction, sale or rental of all but a few exempted commercial premises.

EPCs will also be issued for new homes from April 6, 2008. In this residential sector, the Code for Sustainable Homes complements the introduction of EPCs as an assessment of new housing in England.

The code provides a framework within which progressive home builders can be recognised for going beyond the requirements. It also sets standards for a wide range of other aspects of sustainability not covered in the regulations, but critical in limiting the environmental impact of housing.

M&E Sustainability is a campaign group formed by an alliance between the Electrical Contractors Association and the Heating and Ventilating Contractors Association. Its chairman, David Frise, believes the low-carbon world presents big business opportunities, but 'very few companies have much idea how to exploit them'.

So M&E Sustainability is producing contractor-specific guidance covering a whole range of technical subjects alongside a series of nationwide seminars alerting contractors to changing legislation and new political and economic targets.

Industry also has an important role to play. Vent-Axia, for example, has introduced Lo-Carbon, a ventilation range with a host of energy-saving features included as standard.

Sensible sentinel

The company's Sentinel on-demand ventilation system is a key component in the Lo-Carbon approach. Designed to meet modern building management control principles, the system responds to the ventilation requirements of a room at any one time providing the right level of supply or extract only when required.

Vent-Axia believes the Sentinel answers questions such as 'Why ventilate a room you're not using?' or 'Why over-ventilate a room with only one or two occupants inside?'

It overcomes many of the issues encountered with a traditional fixed-volume ventilation system that is either on or off, irrespective of the number of people in the room, risking room over-ventilation, burning valuable money and a wasteful use of energy.

Vent-Axia says it also improves comfort, keeping CO2 levels within prescribed regulatory limits for schools and lecture theatres. Required airflow rates can also be comfortably achieved in office meeting rooms or open plan areas, and for spaces requiring ventilation for limited periods, such as hotel bathrooms, flats or apartments.

Controlled mechanical ventilation using heat recovery is another option worth considering if government targets are to be achieved. Heat recovery can save between 70-95% of the heat energy that would otherwise be wasted. Changes to Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations conspire to make central extract or whole-house heat recovery the preferred ventilation solution in the newbuild market place.

While the drive towards energy efficiency promises significant opportunities, unless contractors start investing in the necessary knowledge and skills they could wake up one day and find the market has moved on without them.

www.vent-axia.com