RIDGEProperty and Construction Consultants

Green Breakfast: Why bother with energy efficient buildings?

Darren Aspinall Architect9th November 2011

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Agenda

Wake you all up….Why Bother with Energy Efficient buildings?The Global ContextThe Local ContextBuilding Issues

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Global Context

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Global Context

Reliance on non-finite fossil fuelClimate Change

• Global Warming (0.75°C increase in a Century)• Higher temperatures• Extreme weather conditions• Flooding & Drought• Pollution• Impact upon Biodiversity

Increasing Energy Costs• Resource depletion• Peak oil• Fuel Poverty• Security of supply

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Local Drivers….Legislative

• Kyoto Protocol (Cut Greenhouse Gas emissions by 12.5% by 2012)• Climate Change Act 2008 (26% Co2 reduction by 2020, 80% by 2050)• Building Regulations Part L step change• Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) & BREEAM• Planning Requirements via the Environment Agency• Funding requirements (DCSF)

Local Impacts upon building….Increased ComplexityIncreased TimeIncreased CostIncreased Performance?

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Global Context

Is it all a ‘drop of water in a sea of oil’?Can Developing Countries be balanced?

• World energy consumption is expected to grow 53% by 2035• Predicted that global carbon emissions will increase by 43% by 2035• Half of this growth expected from China and India• China: Currently building at a rate of 2 coal fired power stations/week

That’s a lot of trees for the developed world to hug!‘Business as usual’Technology & science will find a way

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Global Context

A battle for the hippie tree huggers?From the early adopters to the mainstream?

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Local UK Context

The Market• Existing Building Stock• Feed in Tariff / Renewable Heat Incentives• Resistance to renewable technologies• ‘Scale-ability’ of renewable technologies• Lifestyle: needs to become trendy • People vote with their wallets

How many MPG does your building do?• Design performance Vs actual ‘in use’ performance• Lack of comparable reliable data• User preference & short circuiting (‘Human factor’)• Young/Old, Male/Female differences

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Building issuesFabric measures

• Is heat loss such a big problem? • Design for climate change & heat gain?• Fabric insulation – Bigger Buildings!• Air tightness & controlled ventilation• The construction team just don’t get it!

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Building issuesTechnology Measures

• Reliability & Robustness• Capital cost & payback• Complexity of use• Maintenance requirements – like a car? • Aesthetics issues for roll out

Standards & Skills• Inconvenient, onerous & unrealistic ‘tick box brigade’ standards• Larger design teams with more up-front costs• Inconsistent Planning System• Lack of design & construction skills to deliver standards• User knowledge & training

Supply chain Issues• Is it yet mainstream? • Same cost? Same delivery time? Same quality?

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The solution?

Flood resistant! FSC certified timberExempt from BREEAMLow Tech build and useSail to another country if you need to!

You don’t need an Architect to design one!

Construction Green Breakfast Blake Lapthorn

09th November 2011

Low Energy Building Design – Why Bother ?

Gavin Walker – C. Eng LCC

Peter Brett Associates LLP

Low Energy Building

A Few Alternatives

Bother One – Emissions Reductions

climate change – more extremes hotter summerswetter wintersextreme events – flooding, hurricanes, droughtsreparations – “to those who will not have the benefit of two billion years of accumulated reserves” David Mackay - Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air

Low Carbon buildings

EMBODIEDdemolitionconstructiontransport

OPERATIONALregulatedunregulated

Bother Two : Security

Russian Gas

Middle Eastern Oil

Brazilian Sugar Cane

Canadian Biomass

Bother Three : Legislation

Bother Three : Legislation

Planning policiesmandatory emissions standardsmandatory fabric efficiency standardszero carbon residential 2016zero carbon public buildings 2018zero carbon buildings 2019

Bother Four – What are buildings for ?

ProductivityComfortHealth and well being

Bother Five - Economics

MICROreduce fuel billsrevenue from Gov subsidiesresearch grants

MACROcontrol economic conditionsbuild another economic base –forefrontasset values

marketingreduced vacancy rates

Summary

B1 : Climate change responsibilitiesB2 : Energy Security

B3 : Legislation GOOD DESIGNB4 : ComfortB5 : Economics

How do we do it ?

Lean – passive / activeMeanGreenAllowable solutionsFinancial Pooling