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Raft of policies set course for
greener future, say ministers
n
The government has
announced a multi-million-
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pound investment in renewables
to shift Britain into a low-carbon
economy and create thousands of
jobs in the green sector.
At the same time it released more
details of its long-awaited definition
of zero carbon homes.
The new White Paper, The
UK Low Carbon Transition Plan:
National Strategy for Climate and
Energy, commits the government
to investing millions in offshore
wind power, wave and tidal energy,
geothermal energy and nuclear.
A number of other supporting
documents were also published,
including the UK Renewable Energy
Strategy, which maps out how the
government will achieve 15 per
cent of all energy generated from
renewables by 2020.
The White Paper was released
shortly after a report by the Carbon
Trust, a government-backed
agency promoting low-carbon
technologies, which found that the
UK could generate up to £70bn and Renewable technologies such as solar power are set to benefit from the government’s new energy strategy
220,000 jobs in offshore wind and
wave power. regulations, and other energy used Foundation, a body which aims in its zero-carbon definition. In
Housing Minister John Healey in the home. to improve new-build standards, addition, more help is being made
has also reaffirmed that all new Following criticisms that the shows that the 2016 target for available to UK householders to
UK housing will be zero carbon current minimum regulatory England and Wales to reach zero make their homes more energy
by 2016. For a home to be zero standard for energy efficiency was carbon is one of the most ambitious efficient through CERT (Carbon
carbon, he said, its net emissions, not suitable, Healey has set up a task internationally, and that the UK is Emissions Reduction Target), and
including those produced by group to examine energy efficiency unique in using carbon emissions CESP (Community Energy Saving
appliances should be equal to zero metrics and standards that could be instead of energy as its key Programme), a newly introduced
or negative across the year. used. The results will aim to provide measurement metric. finance initiative. The programmes,
When the government uses the a clear new standard that will be It is also one of the only countries funded by energy firms, will provide
term “energy use” it refers to both announced by the end of this year. to propose including both regulated around £3.5bn for householders to
that contained within the building Another new report by the NHBC energy and unregulated energy carry out energy efficiency projects.
Advice framework aims to give projects a soft landing
A document aimed at helping than anticipated. The Soft Landings The soft landings approach was use. The result: buildings perform
design and engineering teams Framework provides a simple initiated by architect Mark Way better with less effort.”
conduct reviews of new buildings mechanism by which project teams when he was at the RMJM practice. The report says the proposed
during their handover has been can remain involved after practical Way and a group of designers and extended “aftercare” period for a
published by research body BSRIA completion, in order to identify contractors tested the scheme with building, running up to three years,
and the Useable Buildings Trust emerging problems, resolve causes buildings run by the University of will also provide valuable insights for
(UBT). It contains procedures and of energy wastage, and help the Cambridge. The UBT is now working the individuals involved to take back
checklists to enable teams to carry occupants gain full control over the with a similar group of professionals to their own workplace.
out systematic post-occupancy building’s environmental systems.” to look at how the Framework can be It adds: “This in turn will help to
evaluation of buildings. BSRIA is also launching a soft applied on schools projects. improve the goods and services
Roderic Bunn of BSRIA said: “We landings user group for early The Framework’s lead author, they and the industry provide, and
know that few new buildings are adopters of the Framework, which is Bill Bordass of UBT, said: “Soft make sure that their future efforts are
truly operationally ready at handover based on work conducted in recent Landings helps to manage client targeted more accurately on the things
[to the client], and that energy years by a number of organisations, and design aspirations through the which will really make a difference.”
consumption is often far higher including CIBSE and consultancies. procurement process and on into www.softlandings.org.uk
6 CIBSE Journal August 2009 www.cibsejournal.com
CIBSEaug09 pp06-07 news.indd 6 23/7/09 15:51:27
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