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Climate change adaptation in the built environment
Posted on: 4 September 2013
By: mackene
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Filed under: News
The Modern Built Environment Knowledge Transfer Network on behalf of the Climate Ready Support Service led by the Environment Agency undertook two surveys to assess the knowledge of climate change adaptation in the industry. The first survey focused on the levels of knowledge, current attitudes, engagement and activity related to climate change adaptation. The majority of the participants felt that they understood the phase climate change adaptation but less than 15% regarded it as a high priority for their business. A second survey was undertaken to capture the knowledge and experiences from the 50 projects that took part in the Technology Strategy Boards funded Design for Future Climate competition. This survey focused on understanding the challenges and opportunities of climate change in projects with the aim of capturing the lessons learnt.
Economy of sustainable construction
Posted on: 8 August 2013
By: mackene
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The latest issue of “Foundations”, the magazine of the Holcim Foundation, is dedicated to the 4th International Holcim Forum which took place in Mumbai, India, and focused on the importance of sustainable construction in driving economic development. The 80-page publication is a summary of the Holcim Forum, attended by some 350 representatives of various industries and disciplines from around 40 countries. It includes an array of photos of participants and the four Forum workshops where participants exchanged their ideas and took part in topic-related excursions to sites in the city of Mumbai. The workshops covered improvement of informal settlements, densification, urban metabolism, and gains delivered by sustainable buildings.
Next steps to zero carbon homes: Allowable solutions
Posted on: 8 August 2013
By: mackene
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The government recognises that it will not always be cost-effective, affordable or technically feasible for house builders to reduce all carbon emissions through on-site measures, like fabric insulation, energy efficient services, and/or renewable energy generation (eg solar panels). With this in mind, the government has published a consultation paper which sets out and seeks views and further evidence on the main principles, price cap and processes for the delivery of ‘allowable solutions’, off-site projects or measures that reduce carbon emissions, which house builders may support to achieve the zero carbon homes standard. A related impact assessment has also been published. This provides a preliminary analysis of options for the delivery of Allowable Solutions under the zero carbon policy, and sets out design principles for Allowable Solutions’ measures, pricing and delivery models. It also seeks evidence to inform further work which will be undertaken following this preliminary consultation and which will be reflected in further formal consultation in due course on the detailed design of Allowable Solutions. This can be found here.
Closing the gap between design and as-built performance – New homes – Interim progress report
Posted on: 5 August 2013
By: mackene
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The Zero Carbon Hub has published an interim report looking at how to close the performance gap in new homes. The report is based on a continuing collaborative industry project led by the hub. It involves 140 industry experts across 90 companies, who are participating in the executive committee, steering group and working groups. The initial report highlights issues that could influence the gap between intended (as-designed) and as-built performance, and some early findings.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in new homes: VIAQ final report
Posted on: 5 August 2013
By: mackene
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The government needs to step in to help ensure good performance of mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR) systems in homes, a task group led by Zero Carbon Hub has concluded. The hub’s ventilation and indoor air quality (VIAQ) task group says concerted government-led action is needed to develop and promote good practice and ensure public health and safety, with new research informing future Building Regulation requirements.
Public consultation on sustainable building
Posted on: 25 July 2013
By: mackene
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The European Commission wants to gather views and additional information on the possible introduction of EU wide measures to achieve better environmental performance of buildings. Resource use and related environmental impacts all along the life-cycle of buildings are in the scope. The consultation puts forward questions related to the problem definition as well as to possible policy options. It looks at both demand and supply side measures. The consultation, which ends on 1 October 2013, offers an opportunity to all interested parties to express their views and to provide additional information to the European Commission.
FutureFit Final Report Part 2. An insight into the retrofit challenge for social housing
Posted on: 25 July 2013
By: mackene
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Leading affordable housing association Affinity Sutton has launched the final findings of FutureFit, its pioneering retrofit project. FutureFit is helping Affinity Sutton develop an informed, well-formulated policy on energy efficiency in existing homes, to reduce fuel poverty and inform the wider debate on carbon targets. The first FutureFit report showed us how difficult it can be to engage people on energy efficiency and the higher than anticipated costs to install works. It also showed us how well positioned the social housing sector could be to deliver wide-scale retrofit. This second stage report highlights similar pitfalls and benefits with retrofit. On the one hand it confirms the unpredictability of an individual household’s energy consumption and the challenge in tracking how much energy anyone actually uses from one year to the next. It also flags the potentially serious consequences of using the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) as a modelling tool for retrofit in existing homes. The study also considers the implications for financing retrofit measures via Green Deal for Affinity Sutton housing stock.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery in new homes: Final report
Posted on: 18 July 2013
By: mackene
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This final report from the Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality (VIAQ) Task Group reviews available evidence on the performance of MVHR in new homes. It sets out key recommendations to ensure that future installations are well designed, installed and commissioned and have clear operational guidelines for occupants.
Energy performance certificates in buildings and their impact on transaction prices and rents in selected EU countries: Final report
Posted on: 18 July 2013
By: mackene
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This study considers whether or not the energy performance certificates (EPC) rating of a building has an effect on the sale or rental price. The study carried out detailed econometric analysis on combined datasets of EPC information and data on sales prices and rents. As each EPC scheme and country or region is different, it can be expected that the strength of any such effect will vary. The underlying policy regimes are thus assessed in a harmonised way and overall conclusions for policy makers drawn.
Improving building performance: Sparing no expense to get something on the cheap? London, 12 June 2013
Posted on: 16 July 2013
By: mackene
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Filed under: Events presentations
Bill Bordass, who in 1984 up William Bordass Associates, which studies the technical and environmental performance of new, existing and historic buildings, presented the Inaugural George Henderson Memorial Lecture at the UCL Energy Institute. He considered why the quest for more sustainable, lower-energy buildings seems to be turning into a complicated, expensive and bureaucratic obstacle race; and what we might do to change this. As one of the UK’s leading buildings performance evaluation experts, he shared his extensive experience to identify what works and what needs attention. A video and slides from the event are available online.
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