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Retrofit incentives
Posted on: 11 July 2013
By: mackene
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Filed under: News
This report produced by the Retrofit Incentives Task Group examines financial incentives to increase the uptake of domestic energy efficiency measures. It outlines proposals for the three most promising incentives – variable Stamp Duty, variable Council Tax and an Energy Efficiency Feed-in-Tariff – and includes economic analysis of their potential impacts.
Smart buildings: people and performance
Posted on: 10 July 2013
By: mackene
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Building management systems now have the capability to learn and even anticipate their occupants’ needs, according to a new from the Royal Academy of Engineering. The report highlights both the opportunities and the risks associated with these advances in smart technologies. By 2020, there will be an estimated 50 billion networked appliances and sensors worldwide, constituting a vast global network of data-generating devices such as sensors and their URLs, known collectively as the ‘internet of things’. These sensors enable building management systems to respond to their occupants’ needs and preferences for light, temperature settings and other services. They can help to save energy and other resources by switching devices off when they are not in use. The report argues that it is vital that buildings can evolve and adapt to accommodate their users and allow them control over their environment. Architects and engineers need to anticipate the needs of users, consulting with them at the start of the design process.
The limits of thermal comfort: avoiding overheating in European buildings
Posted on: 10 July 2013
By: mackene
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The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has released a new guide to provide greater understanding and improved prediction of overheating in commercial buildings. Price £42 (Free to CIBSE members )
The SME’s Quick Guide to Sustainability
Posted on: 27 June 2013
By: mackene
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Constructing Excellence has published a guide, written by the Constructing Excellence Sustainability Task Group, as a simple way to create more understanding of the broader ideas of sustainable construction within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It is also intended to enable SMEs to engage with the sustainability agenda through construction, identify business benefits and opportunities and raise standards in the construction industry. The guide is focused upon small building and construction businesses.
What colour is your building?: Measuring and reducing the energy and carbon footprint of buildings
Posted on: 27 June 2013
By: mackene
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This book presents the result of many years’ analysis and design of low energy buildings. The first part of the book focuses on how to measure and benchmark CO2 emissions due to the operating, embodied and transport energy consumption associated with commercial buildings and the people using them. A simple whole carbon footprint methodology is proposed which can be used to put into context real (not theoretical) energy consumption, embodied carbon (new build and refurbish v demolish), and the significant impact the location of a building has on the CO2 emissions of people travelling to work. The second part of the book provides clear, practical guidance to developers, planners, architects, engineers, building owners, facility managers, and tenants on how to reduce the whole carbon footprint. This includes 10 steps to low energy buildings, the contribution that renewable energy can realistically make, the use of lower carbon materials in construction, refurbishment and fit-out, and how to encourage greener methods of travel. An overview of the ingredients to include in a business case to justify investment in low energy/carbon buildings is also provided. Price £35
Relish: Residents 4 Low Impact Sustainable Homes
Posted on: 14 June 2013
By: mackene
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The purpose of this project is to reduce energy use in existing occupied homes through low cost, sensible refurbishments giving maximum return, in terms of energy savings, per pound spent. Our ambition is to create a new standard for low carbon retrofitting, similar to the Code for Sustainable Homes, which has brought about major changes in the new build sector since its implementation. A recent report tracks the progress of the last 14 months, where the Relish team have been busy implementing Relish principles and collating information and results from a much larger project than in stage one.
The future of sustainable housing: have your say. London, 3 June 2013
Posted on: 13 June 2013
By: mackene
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Filed under: Events presentations
The Government is currently conducting a standards review which will affect the regulatory landscape for housing. Whatever the result of the review, BRE thinks that the UK housing sector will continue to require the sort of framework, benchmarks and guidance currently provided by Code for Sustainable Homes, the standard for new homes introduced by Government in 2007. This view was backed up by the 150 guests who attended this event, reiterating a need for a housing code that will benefit householders and house builders, the wider UK industry and economy and the environment. Video presentations and report are available online.
Designing homes for the 21st Century: lessons for low energy design
Posted on: 8 May 2013
By: mackene
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A fundamental review of housing design is needed if the UK is to produce successful low carbon homes of the future, according to a new guide by the NHBC Foundation. The guide explores the challenges of designing zero carbon homes and helps identify the processes needed to achieve cost effective and practical design. It finds that current design and procurement practices need to change if these are to be addressed. Registration is required to view the document.
Passivhaus development
Posted on: 2 May 2013
By: mackene
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A planning application has been lodged for what its designers claim would be one of the largest-scale UK examples yet of a housing development embodying the low-energy Passivhaus housing construction technique. Archihaus has applied to build 150 homes using the Passivhaus approach in the village of Kingstone near Hereford and the Welsh border.
Financial support for energy efficiency in buildings
Posted on: 26 April 2013
By: mackene
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This report, and the Staff Working Document , presents the results of an analysis and draws conclusions as to how EU-level funding, funds from the European Investment Bank and other public finance institutions together with national support programmes could be better employed for increasing energy efficiency in buildings in the future.
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