Fabric of success
The ambition to achieve zero-carbon buildings in the UK non-domestic commercial sector has become a centrepiece of the government’s drive for a greener environment. CIBSE’s Hywel Davies considers the challenge ahead
T
he greatest single challenge facing the UK construction industry is to be able to deliver low carbon buildings on the ambitious scale envisaged by government policy and required
by the Climate Change Act. The recent consultation on proposals for achieving ‘zero carbon’ non-domestic buildings, and the forthcoming 2010 changes to Part L create a whole new set of issues. Last month Communities and Local Government
(CLG) confirmed that the 2010 changes to Part L will require a further reduction of 25 per cent in carbon emissions from new buildings. The 2013 revision is likely to increase that cut to 44 per cent, which looks set to be the level for fabric energy efficiency requirements for zero carbon buildings from 2016. To inform the response to the CLG consultation on
zero carbon non-domestic buildings, CIBSE held two workshops in February for groups of practitioners and colleagues. The events, in London and Bristol, were organised with Sponge, the young professionals’ network, and CIBSE South West Region. Some of the comments made at these workshops
are shown on page 24. One overriding point that participants made was the need for policy to focus not just on carbon, but on actual energy use. CIBSE’s assessment of the issue of zero carbon ‘non-
doms’ is illustrated in the pyramid shown opposite. CLG proposed a threefold hierarchy comprising energy efficiency, followed by on-site or linked renewable energy, and finally ‘allowable solutions’, primarily off- site renewables. CIBSE has developed this hierarchy to show the need to focus on fabric energy efficiency, demand reduction and efficient use of energy before considering renewables on any site, or any other form of ‘allowable solution’. CIBSE agrees that challenging energy efficiency
Hywel Davies addresses professionals attending the London workshop
22
CIBSE Journal April 2010
standards for non-domestic buildings should cover space heating and cooling, and use kWh/sq m/year as an indicator of energy performance. However,
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