BB101 UPDATE
INTRODUCTION
The revised guideline on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air
quality in schools (Building Bulletin 101) is expected to be released
by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) in 2018. The latest
draft version (January 2018) is understood to have been approved by
the Secretary of State for Education.
The revised document makes a number of key changes in terms
of assessment methodology which will have both practical and
economic implications which this note aims to summarise.
BB101 2018 OVERVIEW
The new document has been revised to accommodate the
recommendations and methodology contained within CIBSE
Technical Memorandum (TM) 52 (The limits of thermal comfort:
avoiding overheating in European buildings) 2013.
This approach has already been trialled through the Priority Schools
Building Programme and the ESFA Facilities Output Specification
(FOS), but there are a few subtle differences.
CIBSE TM52 was generated in response to the absence of an
adequate definition of overheating in naturally ventilated buildings.
In the past, overheating was generally defined as a number of hours
over a particular temperature, irrespective of conditions outside the
building. BB101 2006 provided the following criteria for overheating
assessment:
• Internal temperature should not exceed 28°C for more than 120
hours per year
• The difference in internal to external temperature should not • Revised weather file (notably 2020 version)
exceed 5°C
• Maximum internal air temperature of 32°C
In order to pass, all occupied rooms need to meet at least two of
these criteria. The current document also provides guidelines for
ventilation flow rates (depending on room type) and indoor air
quality levels, in the form of carbon dioxide concentration (ppm
CO2).
Recent work embodied in European standards suggests that the
temperature that occupants will find uncomfortable changes with
the outdoor conditions in a predictable way. This can be referred to
as adaptive thermal comfort.
Adoption of the new guideline will provide a more flexible and accurate assessment
for the operation and lifetime of the building in terms of occupant thermal comfort.
The revised BB101 document provides a more comprehensive
assessment of the risk of overheating due to the calculation
methodology used, weather and temperature criteria and focus
on adaptive thermal comfort, rather than the fixed benchmark
temperature thresholds contained within the current BB101
standard. As such, adoption of the new guideline will provide a more
flexible and accurate assessment for the operation and lifetime of
the building in terms of occupant thermal comfort.
There are a number of other technical implications for the new
overheating assessment.
• Revised temperature assessment
• New ‘performance in use’ criteria testing post construction
The document also introduces a new assessment requirement
under thermal comfort - prevention of cold draughts. Under this
criterion, designers need to assess draught risk using natural or
mechanical systems by checking supply air velocity and temperature.
Further, the revised BB101 document introduces a new category for
ventilation - hybrid - in addition to the natural and mechanical systems
that were already defined. Hybrid refers to systems that are generally
passive but use fans where external environmental conditions mean
temperature or CO2 cannot be adequately controlled via natural
means. These ‘mixing boxes’ are already well understood through
usage in ESFA FOS compliant school specifications.
Finally, the new guidelines also state that where mechanical
ventilation is utilised, this should not be the sole method of
summertime ventilation in occupied spaces and wherever possible
there should be supplementary opening windows or vents, with
sufficient effective opening area (in order of 3 to 5% of floor area).
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 TECHNICAL COMPARISON

SYSTEM VENTILATION CO2 OVERHEATING

2005 WEATHER
NATURAL
VENTILATION THRESHOLD TEMPERATURE
ASSESSMENT
BB101 2006

MIN: 3 L/s/p MAX: 5,000 ppm

AVERAGE: 5 L/s/p CONTROL: 1,000 ppm

CAPABILITY: 8 L/s/p AVERAGE: 1,500 ppm

MECHANICAL
VENTILATION

MAX: 2,000 ppm 2020 WEATHER

(20 MIN DURATION) ADAPTIVE COMFORT

NATURAL
ASSESSMENT
VENTILATION
BB101 2018

AVERAGE: 1,500 ppm

AVERAGE: 5 L/s/p

TYPICAL: 8 L/s/p
(Based on CO2 -
demand control)
MAX: 1,500 ppm
MECHANICAL (20 MIN DURATION)
VENTILATION
AVERAGE: 1,000 ppm

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IMPACT ON SCHOOL DESIGN
The existing BB101 criteria is based on absolute temperature
thresholds, therefore, they are highly influenced by the weather
file used. Under the revised guidelines, it will be very difficult to
demonstrate compliance using a traditionally naturally ventilated
building with openable windows.
Consequently, there will be both design and capital cost implications
in terms of the specification of the building materials and ventilation
systems and these will be dependent on both the location and
development details.
• Thermal mass, particularly to meet the standards for warmer
locations such as London, either in the form of heavyweight
fabric or phase change materials with a high decrement factor.
The new prevention of cold draughts criteria will mean that low level
openings as the sole form of ventilation (in the form of traditional
windows) will be unlikely to comply unless they are either very long

Under the revised guidelines, it will be very difficult to demonstrate compliance using
and narrow, or at a suitable height to allow air to mix adequately
before reaching occupants. Tall spaces, such as halls or double
height zones, will be more readily able demonstrate compliance.

a traditionally naturally ventilated building with openable windows. The final BB101 document is expected to provide further guidance
on the usage of heating emitters, such as radiators, to preheat air

In practical and design terms, the changes will lead to adoption of hybrid (mixing box)
during mid-season to demonstrate there are no cold draughts.

or mechanical solutions
TECHNICAL IMPACT
In practical and design terms, the changes will lead to adoption of
hybrid (mixing box) or mechanical solutions, as both options can
provide increased flow rates and control while limiting cold draughts
through heat recovery.
Hybrid systems are further promoted through the clause that,
where practicable, mechanical ventilation should not be the sole
method of summertime ventilation in occupied spaces. I.e. openable
windows or louvres are still required as supplementary ventilation.
Compensating factors here would include poor external air quality
or high ambient noise levels.
A higher summer ventilation rate will likely be required to meet the
revised weather file requirements.
The extent of building fabric specification uplift to meet the revised
overheating guidelines will be highly dependent upon the building’s
location, form and occupancy characteristics, however, a combination
of the following measures is expected to be required:
• Increased application of solar gain control measures such as
external shading devices (brise soleil, overhang etc) or low solar
heat gain coefficient glazing (g-value).
• Adoption of secure passive night cooling approaches.

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COST IMPACT
In capital cost terms, the average cost of adoption of hybrid ventilation systems is
In capital cost terms, the average cost of adoption of hybrid
ventilation systems is estimated at approximately £47/sqm GIA

estimated at approximately £47/sqm GIA (circa £3,000 per classroom), while the
(circa £3,000 per classroom), while the estimated maintenance cost
is between £150 to £300 per annum, depending on the complexity
and type of system adopted.
When compared to schools that previously complied solely with estimated maintenance cost is between £150 to £300 per annum, depending on the
complexity and type of system adopted.
an openable window approach, this will result in an uplift in capital
cost, as the revised guidelines require that openings should still be
provided as supplementary ventilation.

REFERENCES
Buildings, B. (2017). Raising standards, BB101 infrographic. CIBSE Journal April , 10 - 11.
Daniels, R. (2016). Business Engagement Assessment; REvision of Departmental Guidelines on ventilation, indoor air quality and thermal comfort in schools. London: Department for Education.
Daniels, R. (2017). Building Bulletin 101 Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools v1.3. London: Department for Education.
Nicol, F. (2013). CIBSE TM52 The limits of thermal comfort, avoiding overheating in European buildings. London: CIBSE.
VES. (2017). Technical Guide Building Bulletin 101 Update. VES.

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