News News in brief
Tide turns for Scotland Support for tidal energy creation in Scotland should be increased, according to the results of the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Orders Consultation. More than 90 per cent of respondents said the current funding levels should be increased to match that given to wave energy. The Scottish government will now review the situation in 2011.
Tearing down barriers Housing minister Grant Shapps has promised to ‘tear down’ barriers such as ‘a complex and bureaucratic planning system, regulatory burdens, and a lack of access to land and finance’ to encourage a self-builders revolution. More than 20 per cent of all new homes in the UK are self-built – one of the lowest in Europe.
Support for Green Deal A letter has been written to industry by the UK government requesting expert advice into how well the energy performance of buildings regime is working in England and Wales. The move is in preparation for the introduction of the government’s Green Deal, which will offer consumers energy efficiency improvements to their homes, community spaces and businesses.
www.decc.gov.uk
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New boss for MottMac Keith Howells has taken over as chairman of the employee- owned Mott MacDonald Group, following Peter Wickens’ retirement. Howells first joined the board in 2002. Meanwhile, Richard Williams has taken over as managing director of Mott MacDonald’s transportation business, following the retirement of Ron Williams.
Minimum carbon price Multi-disciplinary consultancy Atkins has welcomed government plans to set out further details of a minimum price for carbon, believing it will encourage the UK’s engineering and design sector to boost its nuclear and renewable energy skills.
BREEAM excellence up for award
The BREEAM Excellent Bristol Civic Justice Centre has been nominated for a Civic Trust Award. The design included daylight modelling to create good lighting conditions, and to minimise energy consumption and carbon emissions. The building’s services were designed by engineering consultancy Hillson Moran. The awards will be announced on 4 March.
Plan to boost take-up of local microgeneration n
The UK government has set out its aims for helping
communities become more self-sufficient in the way they use heat and power, by launching a consultation on its microgeneration strategy. Climate Change Minister Greg
Barker said that empowering communities to generate their own energy could create an income for them, as well as saving money on fuel bills and increasing domestic energy security. Homes, schools and businesses
are already guaranteed cash payments through the ‘feed-in tariff’ for producing their own green electricity through technologies such as solar panels or small wind turbines, as well as for selling it to the national grid. Barker said: ‘I want to see
more homes, communities and businesses generating their own energy. We can literally bring power back to the people. Microgeneration is a key part of this vision.’ The consultation on the strategy will look at four key areas for
trialling of new technologies;
• Skills: developing the microgeneration supply chain to ensure it is properly equipped with the right people to meet the expected rise in demand, as well as creating and sustaining jobs in the UK; and
Ministers say they want to see homes and businesses generating energy
development. These are: • Quality: ensuring consumers have confidence that equipment and installation is reliable and adheres to the highest standards;
• Technology: examining how to improve products through more
• Advice: providing more accessible advice and information about microgeneration to homeowners, communities and small businesses. The chief executive of the Micropower Council, Dave Sowden, welcomed the development: ‘We’re delighted the government is embarking on the development of a new vision for a true mass market UK microgeneration industry and bring sustainable energy self- production in reach of every citizen. ‘We look forward to working
closely with the government on a new policy framework to allow every citizen, business, school, hospital, community and other organisations to grow their own energy.’ The consultation ends on 16 March.
www.decc.gov.uk
World tunes into BIM
Putting Building Information Modelling (BIM) to use when designing buildings is expected to become the norm in Europe, according to a webinar organised by the CIBSE/ASHRAE Group at London South Bank University. Dennis Knight, of Whole Building Systems, delivered his presentation live from the US, and delegates tuned in from Australia, Abu Dhabi, Canada, New Zealand and Vietnam. BIM has already been widely
adopted by architectural and design practices across the US, said Knight. This was because the 3D visualisation offered by BIM software dramatically reduced the number of clashes in a building design. ‘BIM will not only change how we design and operate buildings, but also how we communicate with our clients and supply chain partners.’ The webinar recording can be found at
www.cibseashrae.org
12 CIBSE Journal February 2011
www.cibsejournal.com
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