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OPINION


it can only be introduced if legislation of equal or greater burden is repealed. But if improvements meet the Green Deal’s Golden Rule, then they must be cost beneficial, and so not be a burden. That may satisfy coalition ministers, but may not convince landlords facing additional costs under the new regulations. Several potential questions about


how the Green Deal will work in practice won’t be answered until the regulations are made. For example, what types of commercial properties will be affected, what level of energy performance will be specified, and how long will landlords have to comply? Landlords might also be wondering what will transpire in cases where the energy efficiency works to be carried out interfere with the existing legal rights of other tenants to enjoy the beneficial use of their tenancy. For example, installing insulation in a multi-tenanted office building could well upset some tenants whose businesses could be adversely affected as a result of the disruption. Indeed, landlords need to start thinking about the energy efficiency of their buildings now, in order to stay ahead of the game. Otherwise they risk not being able to let the property, or of the potential rental being reduced, or of having to carry out potentially costly work to a tight timescale. Clauses 74 and 75 contain one


further interesting provision. The current rules for disclosure of EPCs in the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations may be amended, making EPCs far more widely accessible. Again, new regulations will be required, but the intent appears clear, to make EPCs far more widely available than hitherto. We live in interesting times.


WEB LINKS


The full legal text of the Energy Act 2011 is at www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2011/16/ pdfs/ukpga_20110016_en.pdf. The Act applies to the United Kingdom as a whole, although some aspects of the Act are only applicable to parts of the UK.


The Department of Energy and Climate Change has an extensive page giving further information and links to policy documents: www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/ legislation/energy_act2011/energy_act2011. aspx


MANUFACTURER’S VIEWPOINT


If we’re serious about cutting carbon, we should all adopt the ‘ECR’ approach to building services, writes Martin Fahey of Mitsubishi Electric, sponsor of this column


Why we should all adopt an ECR approach to building services?


Buildings need heating, ventilation, power


and sometimes cooling. Without these, we cannot create the habitable, operational and profitable spaces we all require to live, work and play in. At the same time however, we want our buildings to be energy efficient, less carbon intensive, and to use more renewable technologies. As the industry responsible for producing, specifying and maintaining the technology that can answer these needs, everyone in the building services sector needs to find ways of delivering what a building wants while addressing the challenges of what it needs to achieve. At Mitsubishi Electric,


we’re aware that reconciling these needs and wants has changed the way equipment purchases have to be made. That is why we have developed what we call the ‘ECR’ approach – which should be adopted once every possible measure has been taken to reduce the overall energy demand. Firstly, the heating, cooling, power and ventilation requirements should be delivered in ways that are as efficient as possible. Next, they should help the building emit lower amounts of carbon and finally, wherever possible, they should incorporate renewable energy.


EFFICIENT: Maximum efficiency is paramount: The cheapest and cleanest kilowatt of energy is the one you do not use. Achieving this means more than just sealing a building’s envelope – it also requires the selection and correct specification and installation, maintenance, monitoring and operation of the most energy efficient technologies available. Short-term decisions need to give way to those that take a whole lifetime view. As their costs increase and availability decreases, the use of fossil fuels on site


www.cibsejournal.com


The task ahead of us is so large that we rapidly need to find those mass- market solutions that can deliver the energy savings we require as soon as possible


become a less and less attractive option – especially as the technologies that burn them are already at the peak of their efficiency. Greater economies can be realised by switching to alternatives, indeed, a future with electricity as the only point-of-use energy is now both possible and desirable due to the lower direct emissions this will generate moving forward. CARBON: Buildings in all their forms account for 44% of the UK’s CO2 emissions. Reducing this burden and specifically those emissions generated by heating – and by cooling and ventilation in some commercial properties – is key. This can be achieved through innovating more efficient products, removing the direct use of fossil fuels from buildings, recovering waste heat to use elsewhere and replacing equipment in a timely manner. RENEWABLES: The UK building stock is able to accommodate renewable technologies relatively


easily. We are also fortunate that our climate is often ideal for supplying renewable energy via currently available technology. Renewable solutions for use in buildings


are varied and span both heating and power generation. Their inclusion gives buildings a level of energy independence, and the skills exist to incorporate them. The task ahead of us is so large that we rapidly need to find those mass-market solutions that can deliver the energy savings we require as soon as possible. We firmly believe that the ECR approach


places efficiency, carbon reduction and increased use of renewable energy at the centre of every decision-making process in respect of fulfilling a building’s heating, cooling, ventilation and power requirements. If you would like to join the debate, visit www.greengateway.mitsubishielectric.co.uk.


SPONSORED BY


December 2011 CIBSE Journal 21


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