As part of the industry's commitment to low-carbon innovation, S&P UK Ventilation Systems has actively embraced CIBSE TM65 to assess and reduce the environmental impact of its product portfolio.
In this interview, Technical Manager Ian Davis shares how S&P UK Ventilation Systems has integrated CIBSE TM65 into its product evaluation processes and how the methodology has influenced decision-making, sustainability strategy, and stakeholder engagement.
1. How has your organisation used CIBSE TM65 to assess embodied carbon in building services products, and what impact has it had on your decision-making process?
S&P UK Ventilation Systems is the UK subsidiary of a Spanish-owned company, with its head office based in Barcelona. Our engineering team in Spain has produced data sheets for over 130 products, which has enabled me to generate CIBSE TM65 calculations and publish them accordingly. This building services data is now readily available to clients through direct enquiry, helping designers and consultants access the embodied carbon information they need to support low-carbon design decisions.
2. What do you consider to be the most valuable aspect of CIBSE TM65 – is it the methodology, the simplicity, the standardisation, or something else?
What makes it stand out for you or your clients?
We found that the CISBE TM65 methodology offers a straightforward and accessible way to present embodied carbon data. Our Managing Director, Alex Finch, has shown a strong personal commitment to carbon reduction, and together we attended the excellent CIBSE TM65 training course provided by CIBSE.
Following this, Alex encouraged me to take the lead in gathering the necessary data, and to write and deliver a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) session for our clients, focusing on embodied carbon and the CIBSE TM65 methodology.
Since Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are still relatively scarce for MEP products, consultants have responded positively to the standardised and consistent format CIBSE TM65 provides. It’s not just useful for comparing ventilation systems, it’s applicable across a wide range of building services. In addition, guidance from the London Plan, which references CIBSE TM65, has further encouraged consultants to adopt this approach.
3. To what extent has CIBSE TM65 influenced your approach to sustainability, procurement, or specification within your projects
To date, our focus has been on publishing data related to our existing products. Given that the CIBSE TM65 methodology is still in its early stages, there are currently no established benchmarks or comparative data available to assess whether our emissions figures are high, low, or average. However, the CO₂ values we have compiled across our product range have enabled us to make informed decisions - particularly in choosing one product over another based on its lower environmental impact.
Recently, our group appointed a Sustainability Manager based in Barcelona. He is leading the effort to coordinate the analysis of our data and is actively exploring strategies to reduce our carbon values. This initiative is aligned with our broader sustainability commitment and long-term environmental objectives.
4. How important do you think third-party or independent verification of CIBSE TM65 calculations would be for driving trust and consistency across the industry?
One of the most common questions I’m asked during CPDs delivered to consultants relates to trust: how do consultants know that the data is accurate? Well, I know the data is accurate, and the rest of S&P trusts the data, but with the Embodied Carbon Verification (ECV) from CIBSE Certification, we now have that extra clout and independent third-party verification.
5. How do you feel the Embodied Carbon Verification (ECV) service, developed by CIBSE Certification, meets the needs for transparency and accuracy around embodied carbon reporting?
As part of periluminal research that informed CIBSE the development of their calculation methods, 60 MEP manufacturers were consulted. Only 15 out of those 60 manufacturers were about to provide material breakdown data, and only 4 were able to give locations of factory and energy usage.
S&P feel as though they are at the forefront and pride themselves on the transparency of their data. CIBSE Certification ECV ensures that clients not only have confidence in S&P, but they are also not held back by competitors who maybe publishing questionable self-declared data.
6. How do you feel the annual monitoring aspect of the ECV service considers product changes and ensures accuracy around embodies carbon reporting?
It is absolutely essential. The S&P methodology not only ensures that any material changes to our products are accurately accounted for, but it also enables us to update our energy usage data accordingly. With full knowledge of our factory locations and access to our actual power consumption figures, we have been able to publish mid-level CIBSE TM65 values—making us one of the few MEP manufacturers currently providing this level of detail.
A key milestone in our sustainability journey has been the installation of 729 solar panels on the roof of our Madrid factory. This has allowed us to operate using 100% renewable energy at that site, resulting in a 45% reduction in overall energy consumption and saving several megawatt-hours annually. Because this energy is generated independently of the national power grid, it has significantly lowered our CIBSE TM65 carbon values.
Going forward, our sustainability initiatives will continue to be monitored and recognised through annual reviews conducted under CIBSE Certification, ensuring transparency and accountability in our progress.
7. Are you seeing increased demand from clients or investors for low-carbon materials or verified data?
Yes, we are observing a steady increase in demand, with customers and clients reaching out directly to request our data. A significant number of clients prefer to obtain the data directly from us, which provides valuable insight into how many of our customers are actively seeking it.
This direct engagement enables us to monitor demand more effectively, offering greater visibility than we would have if the data were simply published on our website without tracking mechanisms.
Learn more about ECV, start verifying your CIBSE TM65 calculations today.