Making buildings more energy efficient and sustainable

• When did you first become interested in engineering?

As a child I loved taking things apart and putting them back together again. I went on to do engineering and technical drawing at college, then an engineering degree at university.

• You now work as a building services engineer. For the uninitiated, what is this exactly?

Traditionally building services was just seen as pipes and wires, but now it’s much more holistic; rather than just designing the heating and lighting and bolting them on we look at the whole project and how it can work more efficiently. It’s an area that has been pushed a lot more in recent years because of the big drive energy efficiency.

• So sustainability has become much more important in modern buildings?

Yes, and Pope Consulting has always been ahead of the curve. We were doing things like solar panelling long before energy efficiency regulations were brought in. Before Part L of the building regulations came in in 1986 there was no requirement to have any energy efficiency in buildings, which seems unbelievable. I remember people talking about how it would change things and it really has. Lighting, heating systems – everything is now about how sustainability can be included. We deal with a broad range of commercial properties and large domestic properties and it is incredible what you can do now to make a building more energy efficient.

• Any especially memorable projects?

One was The Avenue, a new build in Reading. Half was a special educational needs school and half was council offices. The school needed heat but the offices needed cooling. Engineers are natural problem solvers so we used a ground source heat pump and devised a way of taking heat out of the school and turning it into cool air for the office. Another was a crematorium in the Midlands. There can be a lot of metal in bodies – artificial hips, fillings, that sort of thing – and a regulation came in saying that you had to cool the flue gases to ensure that the products didn’t end up in the atmosphere. We devised a way of using the waste heat from this cooling to heat the chapel and the waiting areas.

• What advice would you give to aspiring engineers today?

Some of the best engineers I have ever worked with started out as electricians, plumbers and installers then moved into engineering – they know how it all goes together – so that’s one route. But you can also do a HND or degree course. At Pope Consulting we’ve had one apprentice and we would look to do that again.

• How has lockdown affected you?

My industry has not been as hard hit as many. I have been working from home and construction has carried on. When not working I like doing exactly what I’ve been allowed to do in lockdown. I walk the dog, do some gardening and spend time with the family.

• Further information: www.popeconsulting.co.uk

---

A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, I am asking you to please purchase a copy of our newspapers.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspapers.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

Stay safe, and best wishes.