Inform Built Environment
LANDMARK STUDENT DIGS A new name has been revealed for a cutting-edge student accom-
INNOVATION
modation development at the University of Bradford campus. The sustainable stu- dent village aims to be the first BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ student accommodation in the UK, and will be called ‘The Green’.
The £40M student village opens next September, providing a unique living experience for over 1,000 students that incorporates a number of features to allow students to live sustainably.
bradford.ac.uk/the-green
Rainwater systems ‘add emissions’
Energy use of homes increased by recycling, says report
Rainwater harvesting and grey- water recycling systems actually
add to the energy use and CO² emissions of homes, according to the NHBC Foundation.
In a new report, the body says that the increase in greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to the manufacture, installation, operational energy and carbon intensities of the systems in com- parison with mains water. The report, The Energy and Carbon Implications of Rainwater Harvesting and
Greywater
Recycling, finds that the emissions increase can be as much as 100%. The findings call for vital devel- opments in rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling technolo- gies – hinting to necessary reviews of the Government’s water effi- ciency policy. This is relevant in light of encouragement for these technologies through the Code for Sustainable Homes and Part G of the Building Regulations.
Warmer homes for some RWH and GWR technologies need to be improved
“Both the Code and Part G apply universally regardless of whether homes are being built in Kendal with its 1,500mm annu- al rainfall or Chelmsford with its 625mm. Is that logical?,”said Neil Smith, NHBC Foundation’s research manager.
“We may all agree that it makes sense to save water, is rainwater harvesting the best way to do it?” The study was conducted with the help of RWH and GWR sys- tem suppliers who were identify- ing a number of generic systems.
These systems were assessed against
selected building types including houses, flats, a hotel, an office building and a school. Carbon footprints were calcu- lated over 15, 30 and 60 year sys- tem lifetimes plus four scenarios to explore the effects of future changes. A calculation highlights the carbon emissions of an aver- age 90m² house with a RWH system including a polyethylene tank: over 30 years the carbon footprint is around 1.25-2 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
A breakdown of how much insulation has been installed in homes across different parts of Britain under the Government’s energy saving scheme has been revealed. The figures, published by the Energy Saving Trust, show how much loft and cavity wall insulation was installed in each local author- ity from 2008-2010 as part of the Government’s require- ment on energy companies to help consumers save ener- gy, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). The top five local authori- ties that have seen the highest percentage of their area’s housing stock lagged are: Kirklees 22.5%; Isle of Anglesey 18%; Carmarthenshire 14.6%; Wyre 13.4%; South Ribble 13.3%. The five worst are: Westminster 0.2%; Kensington & Chelsea 0.5%; Tower Hamlets 0.5%; Hammersmith and Fulham 0.7%; Southwark 0.7%.
BRIEFS ON MONDAY 6 SEPTEMBER, THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY GENERATED BY WIND CAME CLOSE TO 10% OF THE TOTAL OUTPUT IN THE UK 12 | Sustainable Business | October 2010
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