Glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising, cloud forests are drying, and wildlife is scrambling to keep pace. It's becoming clear that humans have caused most of the past century's warming by releasing heattrapping gases as we power our modern lives. Called greenhouse gases, their levels are higher now than in the last 650,000 years. We call the result Global Warming.
Peak oil production around 2004-2010 After that, much more expensive to find / refine Economies built on oil / gas will struggle leading to higher oil prices
Global oil prices are rising exponentially, dependence on unsustainable fossil fuels is not economically viable. We need to become more efficient and find alternative sources of energy to reduce our reliance on oil
Government Legislation Every building which is constructed, sold or rented will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) - similar to labels on domestic appliances e.g. refrigerators. These certificates assess each building, rating their energy efficiency and carbon emissions. Buildings rated A - G, (A is the most efficient, G is the least) also providing advice on how to increase the rating. Much easier to compare buildings of the same type. Prospective buyers or tenants can factor the future costs of fuel and energy into investments. Energy performance certificates are being phased in as follows: From 6th April 2008 all buildings with a floor area exceeding 10,000 sqm From 1st July 2008 all buildings with a floor area exceeding 2,500 sqm From 1st October 2008 all other buildings The penalty for failing to produce an EPC is 12.5% of the ratable value of the building (min penalty 500, max 5,000), with a default penalty of 750 if this formula cannot be applied. In Northern Ireland there is approximately 700,000 dwellings. Each year there is a new build of 12,000, and demolitions of 2,000 By 2010 the government target to increase energy efficiency by 30%
Building Research Establishment s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) established method of building assessment, sets the standards of best practice for achieving sustainable development. Required when producing buildings for UK regulatory and government bodies They provide building assessments by licensed & trained assessors in the following areas: Management: overall management policy, commissioning site management and procedural issues. Energy use: operational energy and carbon dioxide issues. Health and Well-being: indoor & external issues affecting health. Pollution: air & water pollution issues. Transport: transport-related CO2 factors. Land Use: green & brown-field sites. Ecology: ecological value conservation & enhancement of the site. Materials: environmental implication of materials. Water: consumption & efficiency. Buildings rated as PASS, GOOD, VERY GOOD or EXCELLENT. The assessor may be involved in the design from the early stages to help achieve the best possible environmental rating.
Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) This sets out the Government's plan for achieving sustainable 'Zero Carbon' new-build housing by 2016 The Code identifies key levels of attainment from 1 through to 6. 'Level 6' represents a 'Zero Carbon' house The Code determines that energy efficiency has a minimum standard that must be achieved according to code levels 4, 5 & 6
Level 4 / 'Silver widely-available technology but it represents an advance on normal UK building practice. The very good energy and CO 2 performance is achieved without the addition of renewables or other 'bolted-on' equipment. Level 5 / 'Passivhaus Maximises use of energy efficiency technologies, represents a big advance on normal UK building practice. If it were applied in full to housing, it would lead to an 80% reduction in CO 2 emissions vs. the average for the existing dwelling stock. Level 6 / 'Gold Lower primary energy use reflects savings in space & water heating, cooking, lights & appliances. Lower CO 2 emissions due to stricter requirements for efficient electrical appliances/equipment & for more electricity-producing renewable technologies. CO 2 emissions would be 5% of those of a normal UK building in the stock. Zero carbon homes valued under 500,000 built by 2012 will pay no stamp duty those valued over this figure will save 15,000 on stamp duty
As an individual
As an individual Reduce waste avoid excess packaging & unnecessary carrier bags, buy products which you can use again instead of disposable items. Recycle Most councils run doorstep collections for paper, glass & plastics. Local civic amenity sites can also accept many other materials e.g. clothing & electrical items. Compost garden and food waste More than 1/3 of household rubbish is organic, including garden & food waste. Compost this instead of sending it to landfill. Safely & responsibly dispose of hazardous waste items Some items contain environmentally hazardous materials & need to be carefully disposed of, e.g. paint, batteries & oil.
As an individual Water has an embodied energy due to the methods used to store, transport & make it drinkable. To achieve sustainability we should reduce consumption, harvest rainwater and recycle grey water. The average UK inhabitant uses 135 liters of water per day. 50% is used on personal hygiene (bathing/showering etc) & flushing toilets. There are many simple methods of reducing water consumption; Fit flow-restrictors on household taps Fit low flush toilets Install a rainwater harvesting system In areas where consumption is metered, these measures can result in huge savings.
As an individual Rainwater Harvesting 200 litres of rainwater a day falls onto the roof of a 100m 2 building in the UK. Normally this water is collected in guttering, flowing through downspouts & away to drainage. However, systems exist to collect this to fill cisterns to flush toilets & run washing machines.
As an individual Renewable Energy Sources Biomass boilers utilises wood s carbon neutral energy to power boilers which can generate both heat and electricity Windmills a simple, easy method of generating clean electricity. The larger the blades turned by the wind, the more power is generated, excess can be sold back to the national grid. Photovoltaic (PV) cells semiconductor panels of glass and aluminium use the sun s light to generate electricity which can be converted for domestic use, stored, or sold back to the national grid. Solar Panels flat plate heaters or evacuated tube collectors, absorb heat from the sun to heat household water. At times this can provide up to 2/3 of domestic hot water. Geothermal Energy ground sourced heat pumps, an offshoot of refrigeration technology. Absorbs heat through coils of piping placed in the earth surrounding the house.
As a designer Office Environmental Policy Paul McAlister Architects are committed to sustainability both within the office and through producing socially responsible and environmentally sustainable buildings. The principles of Sustainability are incorporated at every stage of the design process and are managed by our design team. Design Strategy In each project we aim to find the optimum balance between sustainability, value and design quality, based on our client s priorities and taking a life-cycle approach. We design robust and durable buildings without compromising on aesthetic quality. Innovation forms a central part of our approach in relation to new materials, technologies and energy use. We work closely with service engineers with a strong track record in sustainable design.
As a designer Materials The choice of materials greatly affects a building s environmental impact Embodied Energy All materials undergo processing, leading to waste generation and energy use. This may be minimal, e.g. vernacular builds using locally sourced materials, or extensive, e.g. a large prefabricated construction. Cut down on non-renewable/harmful materials Many man-made forms of insulation contain harmful chemicals and/or use ozone-depleting HCFC s and non-renewable resources during their manufacture. Opt for greener alternatives where possible.
As a designer The low carbon house High quality of design & construction Should not require a conventional heating system Heating demand met by electronic heat-recovery/pre-heating 10 Design Principles for a Passive House Super insulation the external building envelope should not give a U-value of more than 0.15 W/m 2 K Space heating Use of heat recovery ventilation in conjunction with super insulation
As a designer High volume to external surface ratio Triple-glazing glazing & frames should have a combined U-value of no more than 0.8 W/(m 2 K)
As a designer Air-tightness air leakage must be less than 0.6 x volume of the house/hour ( or >than 1 m 3 /hr/m 2 @50Pa) Whole house mechanical ventilation with heat recovery. The recovery rate should be no less than 80%
As a designer Elimination of cold bridges Use bridge-free connection details Passive solar gain In some parts, solar heat gains are, on average, can be greater than heat losses, even in winter
As a designer Thermal mass reduces summer overheating, maintains stable winter temperatures Renewable energy particularly for water heating & electricity generation
As a developer The reasons why more and more Developers are opting for developments using sustainable energy solutions are increasingly clear. Saleability in uncertain market place Buyers are becoming more environmentally aware. In the past the public sector led the way in moving to sustainable buildings. Now the general public realises that sustainable is good. Energy Security Energy concerns are ever more pressing for Irish businesses and home owners, and our economy is one of the most dependent on imported fossil fuel in the world. Besides spiralling fuel prices, the Irish property market has to cope with the new energy ratings system for buildings, and Kyoto fines, European CO2 targets, carbon tax etc Green is good for asset value Buildings that generate their energy through solar power sounded like science fiction just a few years ago. But today they make sound economic sense. They may cost more to build, but they add value from day one There is growing international evidence that buyers and tenants are willing to pay a premium for green buildings As time goes on there will be even more demand for buildings that opt for cheap, clean, renewable energy sources Sustainable developments helps you to stand out Using sustainable technology to generate energy (heat) helps you stand out from the crowd: You can market your developments as more hi-tech, more environmentally aware and more beneficial to these energy-aware customers than your competitors As an early adopter, you will gain free publicity and public goodwill as a result of your vision
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for joining us today and invite you to join us at our next seminar on the 6 th November titled Achieving the Carbon Neutral House using renewable energy sources Paul McAlister Architects The Barn 64a Drumnacanvey Road Portadown Co. Armagh BT63 5LX t. 028 3835 5111 f. 028 3835 5112 e. info@pmcarchitecs.com w. www.pmcarchitecs.com