Introduction to Mechanical & Electrical Building Services

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Key Areas
Course content
Learning outcomes
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Key Areas

Building services engineers are responsible for ensuring cost-effective, environmentally sound, sustainable design and the maintenance of energy-using elements in buildings. As such, they are essential to the Governments aim in reducing carbon emissions

In order to achieve this, working closely with architects and other engineers, they make use of equipment and materials involved with; heating, air conditioning, water, drainage and plumbing, natural and artificial lighting, building facades, escalators and lifts, ventilation and refrigeration, communication lines, telephones and IT networks, security and alarm systems, fire detection and protection, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, public health engineering and work with utility suppliers such as those that supply gas, electricity and renewable sources.

The aim of this module is to introduce the role of the modern building services engineer; why we need building services - what are they, what they look like and what they do.  It covers areas of mechanical services such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and their control.  On the electrical size, it covers, for example, three-phase supplies and its distribution, electric shock prevention, earthing and uninterruptable power supplies.

Course content 

• Introduction - the role of the modern building services engineer              

• The design process        

• Mechanical & Electrical Building Services - Introduction 

• Why do I need to know about building services?              

• What to building services do?    

• What do building services need?             

• How long do building services last?         

• Comfort              

• HVAC systems  

• Ventilation         

• Air conditioning

• Refrigeration - vapour compression cycle            

• LZC energy sources        

• Control systems - a necessary evil           

• Electrical services            

• Electrical supplies to buildings   

• Supply arrangements    

• Distribution inside the building 

• Electric shock    

• Metering and power factor        

• UPS systems - rotary and static 

• Fire alarm and fire detection systems    

• Sustainability - the role of the Building Services Engineer               

Learning outcomes