# Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE; pronounced 'sib-see') is an international professional engineering association based in London, England 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.

## History

CIBSE was formed in 1976, and received a Royal Charter that same year following a merger of the Institution of Heating and Ventilation Engineers (founded in 1897) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (founded in 1909). Previously CIBS, the word 'Engineers' was added in 1985, and hence the Institution became CIBSE.

### Royal Charter

Under the CIBSE Royal Charter and By-laws, the Institution's primary objects are:
* The promotion for the benefit of the public in general of the art, science and practice of such engineering services as are associated with the built environment and with industrial processes, such art, science and practice being hereinafter called "building services engineering".
* The advancement of education and research in building services engineering, and the publication of the useful results of such research.
CIBSE Regulations are informed by the Royal Charter and By-laws and cover matters relating to membership, election of the board, the chief executive, and regions and divisions.

## Membership

CIBSE has seven grades of membership, with the upper four granting postnominals:
* Fellow (FCIBSE)
* Member (MCIBSE)
* Associate (ACIBSE)
* Licentiate (LCIBSE)
* Graduate
* Student - full and part-time
* Affiliate
Members assessed by CIBSE for professional registration may be granted the following postnominals by the Engineering Council:
* Chartered Engineer (CEng)
* Incorporated Engineer (IEng)
* Engineering Technician (EngTech)

## Related bodies

Four societies and one institute exist within CIBSE to reflect special areas of expertise that exist within the field of building services:
* Society of Facade Engineering (SFE) was set up in 2003 as a Society of CIBSE but with the support of the IStructE and RIBA. Its aim is to advance knowledge of and practice in facade engineering.
* Society of Light and Lighting (SLL) acts as the professional body for lighting in the UK. It represents the interests of those involved in the art, science and engineering of light and lighting in their widest definition and has over 3,000 members in the UK and worldwide. The SSL was originally founded in 1909 as the London-based Illuminating Engineering Society (not to be confused with the Illuminating Engineering Society based in New York).
* Society of Public Health Engineers (SoPHE) provides a higher profile and focus for public health engineers within CIBSE.
* Institute of Local Exhaust Ventilation Engineers (ILEVE) was established in 2011 to promote air quality in the workplace and to reduce ill health and death due to airborne contamination and hazardous substances in the working environment.
* Society of Digital Engineering (SDE) was formed to provide a home for those involved in digitising the built environment, either as designers, contractors, manufacturers, clients, facility managers or software vendors.

### Groups

Various special interest groups operate within the Institution. These are free to join either as a member or non-member.
* ASHRAE
* Building Simulation
* Chimneys and Flues
* CHP and District Heating
* Daylight
* Electrical Services
* Energy Performance
* Young Energy Performance Group
* Facilities Management
* Healthcare
* Heritage
* Homes for the Future
* HVAC Systems
* Information Technology (IT) & Controls
* Intelligent Buildings
* Lifts
* Natural Ventilation
* Resilient Cities
* School Design

### Networks

* Young Engineers Network (YEN)
* Women in Building Services Engineering (WiBSE)

### Patrons

CIBSE Patrons are businesses which collaborate to give financial, technical and moral backing to initiatives led by CIBSE.

## 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.

## 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. and the provision of 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.

## 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:
* Guide A: Environmental design
* Guide B: Heating, ventilating, air conditioning and refrigeration
* Guide C: Reference data
* Guide D: Transportation systems in buildings
* Guide E: Fire safety engineering
* Guide F: Energy efficiency in buildings
* Guide G: Public health and plumbing engineering
* Guide H: Building control systems
* Guide J: Weather, solar and illuminance data (now withdrawn)
* Guide K: Electricity in buildings
* Guide L: Sustainability
* Guide M: Maintenance engineering and management
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 publishes a monthly magazine, the CIBSE Journal (formerly the Building Services Journal). Two quarterly technical journals are 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.