Sustainability Flashcards
Building Reg Part L
2021 change
- Part L Build Regs – Conservation of fuel and power
- SAP Standard Assessment Method Calculation (dwelling)
- SBEM Simplified Building Energy Model (non domestic)
- 2021 - 30% less Co2 emission than before e.g Air source heat pumps now often used in housing
Sustainable Development
- Meets present needs without impacting on future generations.
- Coal, Oil & Gas all produce CO2 and are finite resources i.e. UNsustainable
3 Pillars of Sustainability:
- Environmental - rates of renewable resource harvest, pollution creation, and non-renewable resource depletion that can be continued indefinitely. If they cannot be continued indefinitely then they are not sustainable.
- Economic sustainability - the ability to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely.
- Social – liveability, health equity, community development, human rights, labour rights.
Climate Control Regulations
- Climate Change Act 2008; Reduce UK emissions by 26% 2020, 80% 2050.
- Kyoto Protocol; Linked to UN framework binding internationally emission reductions for developed nations (responsible for most emmissions)
Criteria by which sustainability is measured in relation to finished buildings:
- Energy Performance Certificates; Most domestic dwellings require an EPC which outlines the energy performance of the property. Providing indicative costs and what could be done to improve the efficiency of the property.
- Display Energy Certificates; DEC’s display actual energy consumption of public buildings to provide transparency about the energy efficiency of publicly owned buildings.
BREEAM;
Building
Research
Establishment
Environmental
Assessment
Method.
Environmental performance of new & existing buildings.
- Management,
- Health,
- Energy,
- Transport,
- Water,
- Materials,
- Waste,
- Ecology,
- Pollution,
- Innovation
Building Regs;
Standards for design, construction and alteration works aimed to achieve:
- Fire safety
- Structure
- Access
- health,
- safety,
- welfare,
- convenience,
- energy efficiency
- sustainability
Energy Generation:
Sustainable energy can be:
- solar,
- wind,
- hydro,
- geothermal or
- biomass (natural fuel e.g. wood).
Sustainable materials:
Don’t deplete natural resources or detrimentally impact the environment;
- Bamboo,
- Wood,
- Wool,
- Linen,
- Straw,
- Clay,
- Stone,
- Coconut.
Renewable energy
- Ground source heat pumps works by using the evaporation and condensing of a refrigerant to move heat from one place to another.
- Air-source heat pumps extract heat from outside in a similar way to ground source heat pumps.
- Passive is ideal whereby the building temperature is controlled either by solar gain or deterrent i.e. no additional energy is required to control temperature.
Energy conservation (no active system)
- In passive solar building design,
- windows,
- walls, and
- floors are made to:
- collect,
- store, and
- distribute solar energy in the form of
- heat in the winter and
- reject solar heat in the summer.
- It does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.
Life & Whole life costing
Life cycle (building) costing:
- reviews capital costs,
- operational and
- replacement costs as well as disposal costs.
Whole life (building & business) costing;
- considers non-construction costs as well as
- income generated.
Buildings vs the environment.
Holistic consideration
- Energy use; e.g. Passive vs gas CHS,
- Land use; Green belt vs brownfield
- Biodiversity; Preserve existing wildlife
- Water; Discharge (diesel, paint, chemical) from construction into nearby river or SW run off
- Sustainable Materials; wood, wool, stone
- Pollution; Use of diesel engines, demolition
- Waste minimisation; Large quantities of material requiring disposal e.g. insulation, concrete, tiles
Design considerations (sustainability)
- Site; Green vs brownfield
- Building form; solar gain materials;
- Sustainable lighting; use of natural light
- Ventilation; natural through aligning building with prevailing wind heating;
- Insulation, solar gain
- Water; green roof
- Drainage; Permeable paving, Swales, Rainwater harvesting
Green roof
- Covered with vegetation planted over a waterproofing membrane.
- Reduce SW run off, reduced heating & cooling, increased biodiversity, increased durability/lifespan, improve air quality
- Cons – Increased capital costs, structural load, specialist contractors, maintenance required
