Low carbon buildings
A culture of sustainability
Phil Marris looks back at 2016 and the appetite for harnessing new, low-carbon technologies and industries
the shake-up in politics both in the UK and across the Atlantic. Despite the future of sustainability initiatives feeling uncertain in the US following the election of Donald Trump as President, in the UK, the attitude towards building a more sustainable environment has continued to gain momentum. In 2016 this became noticeably more widespread – as 194 parties chose to ratify the Paris Agreement to keep the global temperature rise to a minimum. For London in particular, 2016 was the year that Sadiq Khan was appointed London Mayor – a Mayor who has pledged to create a cleaner, greener London by creating and harnessing “new, low- carbon technologies and industries that represent the jobs and businesses of the future.” But the question remains: have sustainability initiatives helped to make our buildings become more energy-efficient? What can we expect will change with regards to energy efficiency over the next 12 months? There have been some changes – some big, some small - but all indicate that a culture towards improving sustainability is beginning to emerge.
I Wising up to efficiency
As of the 1st April this year, UK tenants are permit- ted to request consent from their landlords to carry out energy efficiency improvements to privately rented properties. The introduction of this legislation has meant that landlords are unable to reasonably refuse consent. This change should encourage those specifying new homes to include technologies which prioritise energy efficiency – as this is something at the forefront of prospective tenants’ minds.
Building regulations review
Ventilation in schools: In June 2016, a consultation was opened to discuss the revision of the Building Bulletin Issue 101 with regards to Ventilation in Schools. In the last year there has been an increased interest in Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and its impact on building occupants – particularly children. Poor IAQ can impact concentration and performance in the classroom of both teachers and pupils, and the legislation surrounding correct carbon dioxide levels must be accurate. Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) or mechanical ventilation is a solution which can solve the problem of poor IAQ as it intelligently
February 2017
www.heatingandventilating.net
n December 2015 – a month where the signing of the Paris Agreement occurred – few could have predicted the changes witnessed in 2016; namely
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