The new year: a time to change your old habits and make a new start. Or so they say, anyway.

But those in the building services industry will find little time for old habits in 2006: with the implementation of new energy regulations and some ambitious initiatives from CIBSE, this year should be stimulating, if nothing else.

Energy conservation is top of the agenda. The introduction of the long awaited amendments to Parts L and F of the Building Regulations, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the growing number of planning authorities insisting on a 10% renewables contribution to a building’s energy demand are great opportunities for engineers.

True, all these rules and regulations will undoubtedly prove a challenge for design teams and engineers. But these complex requirements also provide an opening. Only building services engineers currently have the specialist knowledge to develop designs to comply with these rules, which makes 2006 an ideal opportunity to elevate the status of engineers in the design team.

CIBSE, too, is doing its bit to elevate the status of engineers by launching a register of competent, low-carbon consultants – an ambitious initiative to drive up standards in low-carbon design. What needs to happen now is for the Government to build on the initiative and make this register the basis of a competent persons scheme for dealing with low-energy design and Part L compliance.

But, lest the industry get carried away on a wave of New Year’s optimism, it is worth injecting a note of political reality at this point. As we report (see News page 8), at least one MP is concerned that the Government may yet stymie our increasing commitment to energy conservation if its energy review favours nuclear power. If this happens, and nuclear energy can meet future power demands, politicians will quickly lose interest in energy conservation.

Politics aside, there is much to look forward to over the coming year and plenty of reasons for cheer. Who knows, there may even be some World Cup success to celebrate. Well, you never know…

Best wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year.

Source

Building Sustainable Design