Established 1976 (1976) Region served Worldwide | ||
Professional title Chartered Building Services Engineer Services Professional accreditationPublicationsTrainingAward and bursariesConferences and events | ||
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE; pronounced 'sib-see') is an international professional engineering association based in London that represents building services engineers. It is a full member of the Construction Industry Council, and is consulted by government on matters relating to construction, engineering and sustainability. It is also licensed by the Engineering Council to assess candidates for inclusion on its Register of Professional Engineers.
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History
The Chartered Institution of Building Services (CIBS) was formed by the 1976 merger of the Institution of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (founded in 1897) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (founded in 1909), receiving a Royal Charter in the same year. The word 'Engineers' was added in 1985, and hence the Institution became CIBSE.
Overview
The Institution's objective, as defined in the Royal Charter, is to "support the Science, Art and Practice of building services engineering, by providing our members and the public with first class information and education services and promoting the spirit of fellowship which guides our work." The Institution is primarily focused on:
With a dual focus on both the engineering and the construction sectors of the economy, CIBSE provides a coordinating role for the application of multi-discipline science and engineering principles in the built environment, and promotes the delivery of integrated projects by working with others in construction.
Membership
As of May 2014, CIBSE claimed a membership of over 21,400, from 98 countries. The Institution is organised on a regional basis; with 16 regions in the United Kingdom and three regions overseas:
CIBSE has eight grades of membership, with the upper four granting designatory postnominals. These are:
Below this there are four grades of membership with no designatory postnominals:
CIBSE Societies
Three societies and one institute exist within CIBSE to reflect special areas of expertise that exist within the field of building services:
CIBSE Special Interest Groups
CIBSE lists a number of special interest groups that operate within the Institution:
The CIBSE-ASHRAE group is unique within CIBSE in that it is not associated with a particular sub-discipline of building services and aims to focus primarily on issues connected with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).
Certification
In recent years there has been an increasing focus on sustainability and green design by the UK government. The implementation of Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) of the U.K. Building Regulations in 2006 led CIBSE to set up the Low Carbon Consultants Register to ensure that a body of competent and trained professionals was available to implement the various requirements of the regulations, specifically in undertaking the relevant calculations to demonstrate the required reduction in carbon emissions from buildings both in design and operation. Members of the Register must undertake specific training and examinations to demonstrate their competence in various aspects of the regulations.
The CIBSE scheme further offers accreditation as a Low Carbon Energy Assessor (LCEA), again subject to specific training and examinations, who are then able to provide the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs), as required under the Energy Performance in Buildings Regulations (EPB Regulations). These certificates can only be provided by accredited energy assessors who are members of an approved scheme such as the Low Carbon Energy Assessors Register. Furthermore, assessors are required to update their training regularly to ensure that continued high standards of competency are met.
The LCC scheme has been expanded in recent years to include for the grade of Low Carbon Consultant: Energy Management Systems, these LCC's having been trained and tested by CIBSE to ensure they have the relevant competencies to assist organisations to implement BS EN 16001.
CIBSE also offers certification for Air Conditioning Inspectors, to perform inspections as required by the Energy Performance of Buildings (Certificates and Inspections) (England and Wales) Regulations 2007.
On 17 May 2012, CIBSE Certification was approved as a Certification Body for Green Deal Organisations and their Advisors. This will enable CIBSE Certification to offer training and certification to professionals wanting to offer advice under the Green Deal.
Training
Many training options are available through CIBSE, with the aim of providing specialised courses, conferences and seminars for those within the building services industry. Mid Career College (MCC) is a branch of CIBSE which focuses on providing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) training, to improve and enhance the skills required to be engineering professional. Included are a range of courses from fire safety and mechanical and electrical services courses, to facilities management and business skills-focused training. Online modules can also be completed which can be used to contribute towards the Edexcel Advanced Professional Diploma in Building Services Engineering.
CIBSE Publications
CIBSE publishes several guides to building services design, which include for various recommended design criteria and standards, some of which are cited within the UK building regulations and therefore form a legislative requirement for major building services works. The main guides are:
In November 2011 CIBSE made its full range of published guidance (including all the CIBSE Guides, CIBSE Commissioning Codes, Applications Manuals, Technical Memoranda, Lighting Guides) available for free to its members through the Knowledge Portal.
CIBSE also publishes a monthly magazine, the CIBSE Journal (formerly the Building Services Journal). This covers industry news, analysis, comment, features, technical articles, regulatory advice and learning tools.
Two quarterly technical journals are also published in association with Sage: Building Services Engineering Research & Technology (BSERT) is free online to all CIBSE members and Lighting Research & Technology Journal (LR&T) which is free for Society of Light and Lighting members only.
Building Performance Awards
The Building Performance Awards (formerly the Low Carbon Awards) are held annually by CIBSE to recognise excellence in making buildings work. The 2015 Awards were presented at Grosvenor House in London, with prizes allocated in the following categories:
Past CIBSE presidents
Past presidents (2000–present) include:
For the complete list, refer to CIBSE Official Website – CIBSE Past Presidents (1898–present)
The current CIBSE President, Peter Kinsella CEng FCIBSE of Lehr Consultants, took office on 8 May 2014 and is CIBSE's first internationally based (i.e. outside of the UK and Ireland) President.