Heating, ventilation, air conditioning engineers design and develop heating, ventilation, air conditioning and possibly refrigeration systems for usage in residences, manufacturing sites, offices, commercial buildings, etc. They strive for solutions that serve the needs of clients and respond to architectural restrictions of sites.
No competences in this bucket.
District heating and cooling exploits local sustainable sources of energy to provide heating and potable hot water to a group of buildings and contributes to improve the energy performance.
The modern and traditional cooling systems such as air conditioning, ventilation, or radiant cooling, and their energy saving principles.
Electric heating systems contribute to indoor comfort and energy saving under the right conditions (low frequency use, or very highly insulated buildings). They include InfraRed and electric floor/wall heating.
The systematic approach to the development and maintenance of engineering systems.
Approach to design which includes several related disciplines, with the aim to design and build according to the Near Zero Energy Building principles. The interplay between all aspects of building design, building use and outdoor climate.
Discipline that applies principles of physics, engineering and materials science to design, analyse, manufacture and maintain mechanical systems.
Various types of heat pumps, used to produce heating, cooling and potable hot water making use of an energy source with low temperature and bringing it to a higher temperature.
The engineering elements like functionality, replicability, and costs in relation to the design and how they are applied in the completion of engineering projects.
The different parts constituing heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems such as the different valves, fans, compressors, condensers, filters and other components.
The power transmission systems that use the force of flowing liquids to transmit power.
Theoretical and practical applications of the science studying the action of displacements and forces on physical bodies to the development of machinery and mechanical devices.
Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.
No competences in this bucket.
Investigate and advise on a ventilation system that fits the energy demands but also guarantees good indoor air quality according to minimum indoor air quality levels. Consider alternative ways of ventilation (e.g., stack ventilation, use of chimney effect, natural ventilation).
Calculate and evaluate the total energy use of the ventilation system regarding electrical power consumption, heat loss of the system and the building, on a yearly base, in order to select a fitted concept.
Select heating and cooling systems, specifically in relation with the buildings' architectural design and building functions. Discuss the relation between architectural design and selection of heating and cooling systems in a multidisciplinary team.
Design the details of electric heating systems. Calculate the needed capacity for space heating under given conditions complying with available electrical power supply.
Design a district heating and cooling system, including calculations of heat loss and cooling load, determining of capacity, flow, temperatures, hydraulic concepts etc.
Design a heat pump system, including calculations of heat loss or transmission, needed capacity, mono- or bivalent, energy balances, and noise reduction.
Investigate and select the appropriate system according to the heating and cooling generation system. Design and evaluate solutions for different types of rooms and spaces regarding square metres, height, human comfort and occupation, adaptation and control strategies. Design a system taking into account the relation with the heating and cooling generation system.
Determine the appropriate system in relation to available energy sources (soil, gas, electricity, district etc) and that fit the NZEB demands.
Determine available heat and energy sources choosing among different types of available heat sources, taking into account the influence of source temperature on energy efficiency.
Use solar tube collectors systems to generate and store domestic potable hot water and heating, in order to increase energy performance.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of district heating and cooling system. Realise a standardised study to determine the costs, restrictions, and the demand for heating and cooling of the buildings and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of electric heating. Realise a standardised study to determine whether the application of electric heating is appropriate under the given condition and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a heat pump system. Realise a standardised study to determine costs and restrictions, and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Adjust designs of products or parts of products so that they meet requirements.
Give consent to the finished engineering design to go over to the actual manufacturing and assembly of the product.
Revise and analyse financial information and requirements of projects such as their budget appraisal, expected turnover, and risk assessment for determining the benefits and costs of the project. Assess if the agreement or project will redeem its investment, and whether the potential profit is worth the financial risk.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of a project, plan, proposition or new idea. Realise a standardised study which is based on extensive investigation and research to support the process of decision making.
Gain, correct or improve knowledge about phenomena by using scientific methods and techniques, based on empirical or measurable observations.
Create technical designs and technical drawings using specialised software.
No competences in this bucket.
Energy production for heating and potable hot water making use of biogas (the biogas is generated off-site), and its contribution to energy performance.
Technology that generates electricity and captures the heat that would otherwise be wasted to provide steam or hot water, that can be used for space heating, cooling, domestic hot water and industrial processes, thus contributing to energy performance.
The different components that constitute air conditioning systems such as condensers, compressors, evaporators and sensors.
The design principles of water distribution systems for heating, cooling and domestic hot water and the relation with insulation, energy saving by optimal hydraulic design. The nature of energy loss in these systems caused by heat transfer, pressure loss (resistance of tubes and valves) and electrical power for pumps and valves.
Low temperature heating and high temperature cooling, generated by use of geothermal energy, and their contribution to energy performance.
The elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.
The modern and traditional heating systems alimented by gas, wood, oil, biomass, solar power and other renewable energy sources and their energy saving principles.
The field of engineering that deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.
The practice of reducing energy consumption and using fewer energy services. As a sustainable process, energy conservation is done by replacing used energy with alternative sources, using more efficient energy products, or refraining from particular energy products or services to conserve it.
The characteristics and properties of fluids, including gases, liquids and plasmas, at rest and in motion, and the forces on them.
Heating systems fuelled by gas, wood, oil, biomass, solar power, and other reneable energy sources and their energy saving principles, applicable specifically to industrial buildings and facilities.
The use of software to track all information concerning a product such as technical specifications, drawings, design specifications, and production costs.
The characteristics and properties of the different fluids used in heat pump and refrigeration cycles.
The branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat and other forms of energy.
The types of mechanical ventilation systems that permits the exchange and circulation of air.
No competences in this bucket.
Estimate the heating and cooling demands of the building, determine the demands of domestic hot water. Make a hydraulic scheme to fit in the CHP unit with a guaranteed return temperature and acceptable on/off switch numbers.
Design an absorption cooling generation system with solar regeneration by heat tube collectors. Calculate accurate cooling demand of the building in order to select the right capacity (kW). Make a detailed design of the installation, principle, automatisation strategy, using available products and concepts, select fitted products.
Design a solar thermal energy system. Calculate accurate heating demand of the building, calculate accurate domestic hot water demand in order to select the right capacity (kW, litres). Make a detailed design of the installation, principle, automatisation strategy, using available products and concepts. Determine and calculate external heating.
Design in detail a geothermal energy system. Determine construction site boundaries e.g., needed space, area, depth. Make detailed descriptions and drawings of the design.
Design hot water distribution systems for uses such as heating and distributing potable water. Design insulation systems and solutions for heat recovery. Consider the influence of insulation on the total demand for energy and calculate the insulation needs.
Design systems that achieve energy performance using passive measures (i.e. natural light and ventilation, control of solar gains), are less prone to failures and without maintenance costs and requirements. Complement passive measures with as few as necessary active measures.
Draft ventilation network. Prepare and plan the ventilation layout using specialist software. Design heating or cooling systems as required. Improve efficiency of ventilation network to lower energy consumption, including the interplay between a near zero energy building (nZEB), its use, and the right ventilation strategy.
Apply the knowledge of essential indoor environmental quality parameters to select the most appropriate ones for the Building Management System (BMS).
Design and calculate installations for heating and potable hot water (PWH) making use of biogas.
Operate climate control installations.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of the application of solar cooling. Realise a standardised study to estimate the cooling demand of the building, costs, benefits and life cycle analysis, and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Perform the evaluation and assessment of the potential of solar heating systems. Realise a standardised study to estimate the heat loss of the building and the heating demand, the demand of domestic hot water, the needed storage volume and the possible types of storage tank, and conduct research to support the process of decision making.
Give advise on design, safety issues, and cost reduction to architects during the pre-application phase.
Offer advice to service technicians in case of machinery malfunctions and other technical repair tasks.
Interpret and analyse data collected during testing in order to formulate conclusions, new insights or solutions.
Conduct experimental, environmental and operational tests on models, prototypes or on the systems and equipment itself in order to test their strength and capabilities under normal and extreme conditions.
Create detailed technical plans of machinery, equipment, tools and other products.
Design prototypes of products or components of products by applying design and engineering principles.
List the design specifications such as materials and parts to be used and a cost estimate.
Place heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration boilers, which heats up water and circulates it through a closed radiator system to distribute heat around a structure. Connect the boiler to a source of fuel or electricity and to the circulation system. Connect it to the water supply if it features an automatic filling system. Configure the boiler.
Place a furnace which heats air to be distributed around a structure. Connect the furnace to a source of fuel or electricity and connect any air ducts to guide the heated air. Configure the furnace.
Install ducts to deliver and remove air. Determine whether the duct should be flexible or not, and select the appropriate material based on projected usage. Waterproof and airproof the duct and insulate it against temperature influence to ensure maximum efficiency and prevent contamination with mould. Make the correct connections between the ducts and endpoints.
Lead, supervise and motivate a group of people, in order to meet the expected results within a given timeline and with the foreseen resources in mind.
Perform tests putting a system, machine, tool or other equipment through a series of actions under actual operating conditions in order to assess its reliability and suitability to realise its tasks, and adjust settings accordingly.
Record data which has been identified specifically during preceding tests in order to verify that outputs of the test produce specific results or to review the reaction of the subject under exceptional or unusual input.
Use computer-aided design (CAD) systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimisation of a design.