Level 1 - Sustainability Flashcards

1
Q

N1. What are the Building Regulations?

A

• A set of regulations and standard that all new buildings must be built to.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

N2. Can you name some of the building regulations?

A
  • A = Structure.
  • B = Fire Safety.
  • C = Site Preparation.
  • D = Toxic Substances.
  • E = Resistance to Sound.
  • F = Ventilation.
  • G = Sanitisation and Hot Water.
  • H = Drainage and Waste Disposal.
  • J = Heat Producing Appliances.
  • K = Prevention from falling, collision or impact.
  • L = Conservation of Fuel and Power.
  • M = Accessibility.
  • N = Glazing.
  • P = Electrical Safety.
  • Q = Security.
  • R = High speed comms networks
  • 7 = Materials and workmanship
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

N3. Can you tell me more about Part L?

A

• Part L Conservation of Fuel and Power.
• It is broken down in 4 parts.
o Part L1 A = Conservation of Fuel and Power in a new Dweling.
o Part L1 B = Conservation of Fuel and Power in an Existing Dwelling.
o Part L2 A = Conservation of Fuel and Power in a new non-domestic.
o Part L2 B = Conservation of Fuel and Power in an existing non-domestic.
• In 2013, the performance criterion for a Part L was increased by 6% for dwellings, and 9% for non-domestic buildings.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

N4. Can you explain BREEAM?

A

• BREEAM, which stands for Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Method, is a way of rating the sustainable performance of a building.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

N5. What are the BREEAM Ratings?

A
  • Unclassified. (below 30%)
  • Pass. (30% and over)
  • Good. (45% and over)
  • Very Good. (55% and over)
  • Excellent. (70% and over)
  • Outstanding. (85% and over)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

N6. What can be done onsite to improve sustainability?

A
  • Waste Management, i.e. the segregation of waste for recycling.
  • Just in time Deliveries.
  • Waste Management Plans.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

N7. What is a Waste Management Plan?

A
  • It will outline how materials will be managed efficiently, and how waste will be disposed of legally.
  • It should explain how the re-use and recycling of materials will be maximised.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

N8. What do you understand sustainability to be in principle?

A

• Sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

N9. What Statutory Requirements do you know about relating to Sustainability?

A
  • Climate Change Act 2008.
  • Energy Protection Act 2005.
  • COSHH.
  • Building Regs.
  • Energy Performance Certificates.
  • Control of Asbestos Regulations 2008.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

N10. What is the Climate Change Act 2008?

A
  • A Framework setup to create an economically viable path to reducing green house gas emissions.
  • Introduced as a result of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
  • As a result of the Kyoto Protocol in 1992.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

N11. What did the Climate Change Act 2008 introduce?

A
•	The Carbon Reduction Targets:
o	34% efficiency by 2020.
o	50% efficiency by 2030.
o	80% efficiency by 2050.
o	All in comparison to the 1990 emission levels.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

N. What happened in 1992 in Rio?

A

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. (U N F C C C)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

N. What did the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change introduce?

A

• The Kyoto Protocl, which the UK signed up to an eventually influenced the introduction of the Climate Change Act 2008.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

N. What is the Energy Protection Act 2005?

A

• A piece of legislation aimed at governing the use of energy and its markets.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

N. What is COSHH?

A

• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

N. What is an Energy Performance Certificate?

A

• An EPC is a rating system for rating the sustainability of a building.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

N. What is the Control of Asbestos Regulation 2008?

A

• A piece of legislations which imposed obligations on Employers to:
o Manage exposure to asbestos within the workplace.
o Undertake Risk Assessments before commencing work around asbestos.
o Create a detailed plan (Method Statement) of how the works will be carried out around the asbestos.
o Prevent and reduce exposure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

N. What are the types of asbestos?

A
  • White = Chrysotile.
  • Brown = Amostie.
  • Blue = Chrosidolite.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

N. What does BREEAM stand for?

A

• Building Research Establishments Environmental Assessment Method.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

N. What is BREEAM?

A

• A method of assessing, rating and certifying a building sustainability.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

N. How is a building rated under BREEAM?

A

• Against nine criteria:

  1. Energy.
  2. Land use.
  3. Water.
  4. Health and Wellbeing.
  5. Pollution.
  6. Transport.
  7. Materials.
  8. Waste.
  9. Management.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

N. What is the process of getting a BREEAM Rating?

A
  1. An assessment should be carried out at design stage to receive an interim certificate.
  2. A second assessment should be carried out post construction to receive the final certificate.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

N. What is an Energy Performance Certificate?

A

• It gives a property a rating based on its energy efficiency, from A – G.

24
Q

N. What renewable technologies do you know off?

A
  • Wind = Wind Farms (Wind Turbines).
  • Hydro Electric = Water from dams.
  • Solar = Poly voltaic Panels and solar panels.
  • Ground = Ground Source heat pumps.
25
Q

N. What is a Passivehaus?

A

• A Fabric first approach, whereby the materials used to insulate a building mitigate the requirement for space heating, whilst also creating good indoor quality. Achieved through Good insulation, air tightness and solar gains.

26
Q

N. What is a Brownfield Site?

A

• Brownfield land refers to land that has been previously used for industrial purposes, or commercial usage and is now being redeveloped.

27
Q

N. What is a Greenfield site?

A

• Sites or land that is not constrained by any existing buildings or structures. It is the opposite of Brownfield land.

28
Q

N. Is the RICS interested in Brown/greenfield land?

A

• Yes, in 2014 the RICS suggested that a new classification, called amberfield land be introduced, to highlight land that was/could be developed.

29
Q

N. What rating service does the RICS provide with regards to assessing sustainability?

A

• RICS Fit out Rating (SKA)

30
Q

N. What is SKA?

A

• A environmental assessment tool for sustainable fit outs.

31
Q

N. When can SKA be used?

A

• It can be used on any non-domestic fit out project, informally or by professionals, with similar criteria to BREEAM.

32
Q

N. What does EA stand for?

A

• Environmental Agency.q

33
Q

N. What does the EA do?

A

• Is in charge of protecting and enhancing the environment of England.q

34
Q

N. What does WRAP stand for?

A

• Waste and Resources Action Programme.

35
Q

N. What is WRAP?

A

• A registered charity, aimed a reducing waste on projects and products.

36
Q

N. What is the Carbon Trust?

A

• An organisation aimed at helping other organisations reduce their carbon emissions, through improving their energy efficient and carbon management.

37
Q

N. What is Embodied carbon?

A

• Embodied carbon is considering all the carbon the will be used in the creating of a product. From sourcing the materials, manufacture, delivery, construction, and disposal.

38
Q

N. What is Contaminated land?

A

• Any land which appears to be in a condition that could cause harm to a Human, or the environment.

39
Q

N. How do you identify contaminate land?

A
  • First undertake a desktop study, to review historical data on the land use.
  • Take invasive samples and test the quality of the land.
  • Remediate the area.
40
Q

N. Who pays for remediation?

A
  • In the first instance it should be the person who contaminated the land.
  • If they are not available, then it should be the current owner.
  • If no owner, then the Local Authority or Environmental Agency will remdiate.
41
Q

N. Are there any RICS Guidance notes for contaminated land?

A

Advice is needed by all types of owners, occupiers, lenders, investors, and public and private bodies as to:
• their environmental duties and liabilities;
• how to determine and quantify liability;
• the implications for asset management arising from
any actual or potential liabilities;
• who to look to for advice and how advisors should
be appointed;
• the steps to take to minimise or eliminate liability; and
• the likelihood of ongoing, new or potential liability

42
Q
  1. What is sustainability?
A

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

RICS Guidance Note - Sustainability improving performance in existing buildings (1st 2013)

Clients may have an existing environmental policy or Environmental Management System that sets out an overall sustainability vision, as well as detailed objectives and targets.

43
Q
  1. Why do you feel sustainability is important to you as a surveyor and to the profession generally?
A

The earth’s capacity is finite. Unsustainable land-use practices, buildings and construction coupled with an ever-growing population are responsible for the depletion of natural resources and loss of biodiversity and habitat.

At global, national and local levels RICS and its members are committed to creating and maintaining a healthy environment not only for today but also for future generations by adhering to the following principles:

  • protection of the environment through the preservation of natural capital;
  • promotion of social equity by ensuring access to services for the benefit of all; and
  • support of a healthy local economy, including high levels of employment.
44
Q
  1. What is the Energy Act (2013)?
A

Government legalisation setting targets for the reduction in carbon emissions setting a 2030 target range, including measures for electricity market reform.

45
Q
  1. What is the Green Deal?
A

A mechanism for funding energy efficiency improvements
Instead of paying up-front to have energy efficiency measures installed in a property, the cost is funded by long-term savings on electricity bills. The green deal launched in autumn 2012, but financing did not become available until January 2013.
A green deal assessor is require to inspect the property and specify energy efficiency measures to be installed, in domestic properties these are limited to a value of up to £10K (there is no limit on non-domestic properties).
‘Green Deal Providers’ finance the upfront costs and are paid back through savings in utility bills.
Accredited installers install the measures.
The pay-back period for domestic properties must not exceed the length of time the improvements last. For non-domestic properties, the pay-back period may be shorter, to allow payback within the lease period.
Energy efficient measures for installation could include:
• Double glazing
• Solar thermal
• PV panels

46
Q
  1. What is the EU’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2012)?
A
  • Target for all new buildings in the EU to be ‘Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings’ from 2020 (all new public buildings from 2018)
  • Requirement for EPCs and DECs
  • From April 2018, it will be unlawful to rent out residential or business premises with an EPC rating of F or G
47
Q

5a. Can you explain EPC’s and DEC’s?

A

Nearly Zero-Energy Buildings
A building that has a very high energy performance. The nearly zero or very low amount of energy required should be covered to a very significant extent by energy from renewable sources, including energy from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby.

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC)
• Buildings are rated from A to G on EPC’s, with A representing a very efficient building and G a very inefficient building.
• EPCs are required for all commercial buildings over 50m2 when they are built, sold, let, refurbished.
• EPCs are valid for 10 years and must be made available free of charge to tenants.
• Obtaining an EPC is the responsibility of the party undertaking the construction works.

Display Energy Certificate (DEC)
• Show the energy performance of a building based on actual energy consumption.
• Rated from A to G.
• Required on public buildings.
• On buildings less than 1000m2 DECs are valid for 10 years.
• On all other buildings they are valid for 1 year and must be updated annually.

48
Q
  1. What is the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (2012)?
A

The 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive establishes a set of binding measures to help the EU reach its 20% energy efficiency target by 2020. Under the Directive, all EU countries are required to use energy more efficiently at all stages of the energy chain from its production to its final consumption.

49
Q
  1. What are the goals of the Climate Change Act (2008)?
A

To reduce emissions by at least 80% in 2050 from 1990 levels.

50
Q
  1. What is the Kyoto Protocol?
A

An international treaty, which extends the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that commits State Parties to reduce greenhouse gases emissions, based on the premise that
• global warming exists
• man-made CO2 emissions have caused it.
Requires an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, based on 1990 levels.

51
Q
  1. Why might BREEAM be used?
A

Benifits/Advantages

Increase asset value;
Reduce operating costs;
Planning policy / requirement;
Client corporate social responsibility; and
PR.
52
Q
  1. What is the Code for Sustainable Homes?
A

The code for sustainable homes is the national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new homes.
The code provides 9 measures of sustainable design:
• Energy/CO2
• Water
• Materials
• Surface water runoff (flooding and flood prevention)
• Waste
• Pollution
• Health and well-being
• Management
• Ecology

53
Q
  1. What is LEED?
A

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

The most recognised green building certification worldwide and is used throughout North America and internationally.

Best suited to:
• New build developments;
• Major refurbishments;
• Existing buildings in operation.

Least suited to:
• Existing building minor refurbishments.

Buildings are rated on a scale of:
•	Certified;
•	Pass;
•	Silver;
•	Gold;
•	Platinum
54
Q
  1. What is SKA Rating?
A

Founded by Skansen as a result of research by the RICS and AECOM.
• SKA Rating is an environmental assessment method for sustainable fit-outs in the UK.

55
Q
  1. What are sustainable technologies?
A
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Photovoltaic Panels
Solar Thermal Panels
Wind
District Heating
Biomass
56
Q

What are the Minimum Energy Efficiency Regulations S2015

A

The Energy Efficiency Regulations 2015 were passed by law in April 2015

Implementation of MEES is in stages:
- New leases from 1 April 2018 (for both commercial and residential properties) to include lease renewals / extensions
- All existing leases from 1 April 2023 for commercial properties (1 April 2020 for residential properties)
- Penalties for non-compliance will be based on the rateable value and begin from £5000, rising to £150,000
-Policed by the Local Authority
-The Standards do not apply to the grant of long lease in excess of 99 years
-Properties that do not need an EPC will be exempt from the regulations
Tip: Understand what properties are exempt from an EPC

57
Q

What property’s are exempt from the EPC?

A

You don’t need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) if you can demonstrate that the building is any of these:

  • listed or officially protected and the minimum energy performance requirements would unacceptably alter it
    a temporary building only going to be used for 2 years or less
  • used as a place of worship or for other religious activities
  • an industrial site, workshop or non-residential agricultural building that doesn’t use much energy
  • a detached building with a total floor space under 50 square metres
  • due to be demolished by the seller or landlord and they have all the relevant planning and conservation consents
  • Vacant buildings and demolition

A building is also exempt if all of the following are true:

  • it’s due to be sold or rented out with vacant possession
  • it’s suitable for demolition and the site could be redeveloped
  • the buyer or tenant has applied for planning permission to demolish it