1. Developments in HVAC engineering

The economic context in relation to energy prices, the quest for greater building quality and the demands of environmental protection measures have all led to a major transformation in the concepts and technologies used in recent years.

In my opinion, these aspects must be seen in conjunction with the changing relationship between the various constraints involved in building design, which has gradually evolved from the predominance of the coupling between frame and envelope at the beginning of the century to that of the coupling between technical equipment and the functions of the envelope.

So, from rudimentary energy management, the resources of microprocessors enable the technical management of a building, the scope of which goes far beyond the needs linked to the consumption of different energy uses.

For many...