Author Description

Guide B provides guidance on the practical design of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. It represents a consensus on what constitutes relevant good practice guidance. This has developed over more than 70 years, with the Steering Groups for each edition of the Guide expanding and pruning the content to reflect the evolution of technology and priorities.Since the last edition of Guide B in 2005, the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive has been introduced. This requires national building energy regulations to be based on calculations that integrate the impact of the building envelope and the building services systems, formalising what was already recognised as good design practice. In addition, the use of voluntary energy efficiency and sustainability indicators has increased.These changes have influenced the content of Guide B, but the emphasis remains on system design. The guidance in Guide B is not in itself sufficient to cover every aspect of the effective design of HVAC systems. Energy (and carbon emission) calculations will also be needed, and a range of other environmental criteria may specified by the client. These may, for example, include whole-life costing or assessments of embodied energy or carbon. The balance between building fabric measures and the energy efficiency of HVAC systems is important, as is the balance between energy use for lighting and for heating, ventilation and cooling. More detailed information on energy efficiency and sustainability can be found in Guides F and L respectively. The Guide does not attempt to provide step by step design procedures – these can be found in appropriate textbooks.