Everybody is talking about climate change and its inevitable impact on our life and economy. Numerous experts from this country’s construction and other industries have come up with concrete ways to adapt to climate change and make our living and working environment more sustainable. Now, building-services engineers are leading the way with their innovative approaches to making buildings more energy efficient.

Conventional concepts of designing building services have been replaced by creative techniques backed by sound scientific evidence. For example, rather than designing for ambient temperatures of 28ºC, the aim is now for 32ºC and even higher in urban city centres. Instead of simple demolition, new technologies and procedures are implemented to change the functions of aged structures and improve their energy performances.

Building-services engineers are also making extensive use of renewable energy sources. For example, installation of batteries and fuel cells in buildings helps storing electricity generated by solar photo-voltaics (PV). When there is a surplus of electricity on a sunny day, it can be used to electrolyse water, producing hydrogen and oxygen that are kept for use when there is less solar energy to power the PVs.

Finally, as traditional devices such as boilers and chillers are yet to phase out, building-services engineers improve their use in existing buildings by choosing the most efficient brands and linking them to effective control systems. Such proactive mindset ensures that all possible is done to enhance the quality and sustainability of our life and environment.