Sustainability Flashcards
(133 cards)
1
Q
What is sustainability?
A
2
Q
What is sustainable development?
A
3
Q
What are the triple bottom line principles?
A
4
Q
Can you tell me about any Climate Change Conventions or Protocols you are aware of?
A
5
Q
What targets did one of these set?
A
6
Q
What are the most recent EU / UK targets relating to sustainability?
A
7
Q
What is the Paris Agreement?
A
8
Q
What was the Kyoto Protocol and what were it’s targets?
A
9
Q
What are the 2020/2030/2050 EU targets?
A
10
Q
Explain your understanding of COP26.
A
11
Q
What did the UK Climate Change Act 2008 do?
A
12
Q
What are carbon budgets?
A
13
Q
What did the Infrastructure Act 2015 say about climate change?
A
14
Q
What is the renewable heat incentive?
A
15
Q
How can buildings impact upon the environment?
A
16
Q
Can you give me an example of a sustainable design feature?
A
17
Q
Can you give me an example of an environmental assessment method for buildings?
A
18
Q
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
A
19
Q
What is an EPC?
A
20
Q
What buildings require an EPC?
A
21
Q
When is an EPC required?
A
22
Q
Which buildings are exempt from having an EPC?
A
23
Q
When do you need to display an EPC?
A
24
Q
What is included in an EPC?
A
25
How would you find an EPC?
26
When are the penalties for not having an EPC?
27
What is a DEC?
28
When is a DEC required?
29
What must accompany a DEC?
30
What are the penalties for not having a DEC?
31
What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
32
What is BREEAM/SKArating/LEED/Passivhaus?
33
What happened to the Code for Sustainable Homes?
34
What is the Climate Change Levy?
35
What Building Regulation relates to energy efficiency?
36
Name one example of Government policy on energy efficiency for buildings?
37
What is ESOS?
38
When was CRC abolished?
39
What replaced it?
40
How did CCL rates change?
41
What is the SECR regime?
42
When was it introduced?
43
For what type of company?
44
Who is exempt?
45
What are the requirements?
46
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
47
What is a Memorandum of Understanding?
48
What is a green lease?
49
What RICS guidance relates to sustainability?
50
How can an EPC impact upon value or use of a building?
51
How do you assess a building’s sustainability characteristics?
52
Tell me about sustainable design / construction considerations/materials.
53
What improvable features would you be looking for and how do these relate to different property types/ages?
54
Tell me about how you would apply a sustainability matrix in your work.
55
What is Off Site Manufacture (OSM)?
56
Tell me about tenant/lender/investor considerations in relation to sustainability.
57
Explain your understanding of the Green Deal to me.
58
How can building conservation relate to sustainability?
59
What features would you recommend in this context?
60
Tell me about RICS guidance on Life Cycle Costs.
61
What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals?
62
How many are there?
63
What is the target achievement date?
64
How are RICS working towards the SDGs?
65
What is the RICS Value the Planet campaign?
66
How can the private sector work towards the SDGs?
67
What is SUDS?
68
What is net biodiversity gain?
69
What do each of ISO 14001 and 50001 relate to?
70
What is an Environmental Management System (EMS)?
71
What is sustainable procurement?
72
What is social value?
73
What does the term whole life carbon mean?
74
How does whole life carbon differ from life cycle costs?
75
What opportunities to decarbonise exist in the building life cycle?
76
What is a post-occupancy evaluation?
77
What is an Environmental Impact Assessment and when would one be carried out?
78
What methods of construction are more sustainable?
79
What are Modern Methods of Construction?
80
What is PAS 2035?
81
When and why was the Green Grant scrapped?
82
What further changes are proposed to minimum energy standards relating to private residential property?
83
Explain your understanding of NABERS.
84
Explain a key proposal of the Energy White Paper.
85
What changes are likely to be made to MEES under this?
86
Explain the proposed changes under current Government consultation to MEES for non-domestic properties?
87
Explain how EPC reporting on the Government website has changed.
88
Explain the proposals under the Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard.
89
Explain the proposals under the Government's Net Zero Strategy and Heat & Buildings Strategy.
90
What is the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme and what will it fund?
91
Explain a key theme discussed in the RICS and World Built Environment Forum Sustainability Report 2021.
92
What is the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)?
93
What is the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR)?
94
What are the Taxonomy Regulations?
95
Explain your understanding of the B Corp certification.
96
What is BOPAS?
97
What changes is the Government making to the use of rebated diesel and biofuels?
98
How will this affect the construction industry?
99
Explain the key objectives of the Environment Act 2021.
100
What is the role of the Office for Environmental Protection?
101
What are Scope 1, 2 and 3 carbon emissions?
102
What does Approved Document L relate to?
103
What recent changes to the Building Regulations have been made to work towards the Future Homes and Buildings Standard in 2025?
104
What does Approved Document S relate to?
105
Why is the Government encouraging the use of electric vehicles?
106
What is the UN Race to Zero?
107
What is the World GBC Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment?
108
What are the Scottish Government’s targets to reduce carbon emissions?
109
What does Scotland’s National Performance Framework say about sustainable development?
110
What legislation do we have in Scotland relating to sustainability?
111
What section of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 covers EPC requirements?
112
How do the EPC requirements impact your role?
113
What are the key dates for EPC’s?
114
What falls outside of EPC requirements?
115
What does the recommendation report contain?
116
Explain what Section 63 relates to.
117
What options does a building owner have within the Action plan?
118
How have you carried out capital cost and value engineering exercises to determine the impact of sustainability issues on design and construction processes?
119
How have you carried out life cycle cost exercises which take account of sustainability issues?
120
Explain your understanding the measures undertaken by governments and international bodies to encourage the reduction of the environmental impact of development.
121
What are your level 2 examples?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience
* EPC in Braemar - Took various notes required for producing EPC. Property was a relatively new property and was fitted with modern air source heat pump system. I collected the relavent details that allowed me to accurately input the system into the software.
* EPC in St Cyrus - EPC required by owner to receive funding for installation of solar panels. Recorded relavanet details such as oreintation and overshading and asked for MCS certificate.
122
What are solar panels?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* They allow the conversion of sunlight into electricity
* Sunlight contains energy known as photons
* When photons hit solar modules within the solar panel they cause electrons to flow through the bottom layer
* Movement of electrons generates electricity that flows into an inverter
Inverter converts DC electricity into AC that is then used to power the building
123
How did you record the solar panels at St Cyrus?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* I recorded the orientation of the panels
* The level of pitch
* Levels of overshading
* Total installed capacity which is noted on the MCS certificate
124
Was there an improvement after having the solar panels installed?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
Yes, there was an increase of 6 sap points
125
What is an MCS certificate and why do you need one for an EPC?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* Microgeneration Certification Scheme certificates are proof that installations have been designed, installed and commissioned to a high standard using only MCS certified products by an MCS certified installer
* The certificate itself lists specific information relating to the installation and the part that is required for the EPC is the peak KW generation
126
What is an air source heat pump?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* System transfers heat from outside air into water which is used to heat property and water stored in a cylinder to be used for hot water
* The heat from external air is absorbed into a fluid which passes through a heat exchanger into the heat pump, which raises the temperature and then transfers that heat into the water
127
How did you record the air source heat pump?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* You have the option to input the model number director into the system so that it chooses the exact system.
* Have to record type of system (air to water), heat emitters and heat controls
128
Are there any issues with air source heat pumps?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* Exspensive
* Not capable of producing high levels of heat
* Inefficient in cold weather
* Noisy
129
How do you carry out an EPC?
## Footnote
Summary of Experience - Level 2 - Green
* Inspect property and record various details such as construction, glazing, heating and so on
* Take various measurements such as heat loss, party walls and wall thickness
* Input data in Elmhurst software which produces the certificate
130
What recent developments under this heading both generally and regarding EPCs in particular?
131
How did the air source heat pump in Braemar influence the outcome of the assessment?
132
Apart from EPCs how have you applied your skills to level 2 on this topic?
133
If two flats in the same building have the same footprint and heating system, what else might contribute to different EPC assessments?
