Sustainability Flashcards

Question

What is an EPC?

Answer 1

An Energy Performance Certificate. It contains the following: * A 4 page document which sets out the energy efficiency of a property on a traffic light system of A to G, A being the most efficient * Provides an indication of how much it’ll cost to heat & power a property * Includes recommendations of energy-efficient improvements, the cost of carrying them out & the potential savings in pounds & pence that each one could generate

Answer 2

A Display Energy Certificate is designed to show the energy performance of public buildings and are scaled from A to G, A being most efficient. Public authorities must have a DEC for a building if all of the following are true: * it’s at least partially occupied by a public authority (council, leisure centre, college, NHS trust) * It has a total floor area of over 250m2 * It’s frequently visited by the public

Answer 3

* Simplified Building Energy Model * A government-defined process in accordance with Building Regs Part L * It’s a calculation of the energy performance of new commercial / industrial / retail buildings * It’s also used to generate EPC’s for non-domestic buildings and at the point of sale or rent

Answer 4

* optimising site potential * minimising non-renewable energy consumption * use environmentally preferable products within specifications * protect & conserve water * enhance indoor environmental quality * optimise operational & maintenance practices

Answer 5

* using insulation with high U values * ground source heat pumps * photovoltaics

Answer 6

Through Passivhaus & Energy Impact Assessments

Answer 7

- a performance-based set of design criteria for very low energy buildings, which can help create buildings which use around 90% less energy than standard UK buildings * Passivhaus design seeks to eliminate the need for space heating & cooling and is based on the principle of reducing heating loss to a minimum

Answer 8

* New addition to the approved documents in December 2021 which takes affect in June 2022 * Also entitled ‘Overheating’ * aims to limit unwanted solar gains in summer and provide adequate means to remove heat from the indoor environment * states that account must be taken of the occupants safety and their reasonable enjoyment of the residence * states that mechanical cooling should only be used where insufficient heat is capable of being removed from the indoor environment without it

Answer 9

* Environmental Impact Assessment * Process of evaluating the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or development * The assessment will consider inter-related socio-economic, cultural & human-health impacts, both beneficial & adverse

Answer 10

It’s essentially doing more with less, so using material resources in the most sustainable manner while minimising their environmental impact. Examples include: * using fewer materials * optimising use of materials * preventing waste * using materials that are reclaimed or have a higher recycled content * different parts of the supply chain working together

Answer 11

Energy that comes from a source that is not depleted when used. For example, * solar energy * geothermal energy * wind energy * biomass * hydropower

Answer 12

* They convert sunlight into electricity * Light energy strikes cells, electrons are knocked loose from atoms * Positive & negative electrical conductors capture electrons in the form of current * The energy is stored in batteries or immediately used to power the building

Answer 13

* they absorb energy from the warmth in the ground * they comprise of a series of pipes buried underground which extract this solar energy * this energy is then converted into heat for use in the home

Answer 14

* Energy recovery is any technique or method of minimising the input of energy to an overall system by the exchange of energy from one sub-system to another * Such as heat recovery in buildings

Answer 15

* sets out a global framework to avoid dangerous climate change by limiting global warming the well below 2 degrees Celsius and pursuing efforts to limit it it 1.5 degrees Celsius * under the Paris Agreement, each country must determine, plan & regularly report on the contribution that it undertakes to mitigate climate change

Answer 16

The UK Government’s agreement with the construction industry in 2013, which sets out the following targets to be achieved by 2025: * 50% reduction in whole-life greenhouse gas emissions * 50% reduction in construction time (inception to completion) * 33% reduction in whole-life costs * 50% reduction in the trade gap between imports and exports

Answer 17

* Wind Turbine * PV cells * GSHP * Rainwater harvesting * Increased Insulation * Natural ventilation

Answer 18

* Also known as sedum roofs, grass roofs or living roofs * roofs that are completely covered with plants & vegetation * the vegetation is usually planted over a drainage membrane that sits on top of the roof, along with additional layers such as root barriers & waterproofing products

Answer 19

* measure how effective a material is as a heat insulator - the lower the U-value is, the better the material is as a heat insulator

Answer 20

* mainly created as a solution to standing surface water * consist of a large hole or pit that receives surface water from a drainage pipe & helps the water to slowly percolate through the soil, reducing the risk of flooding

Answer 21

* Carbon neutral means that net carbon emissions equal zero * through a process of calculating building operational emissions, reducing those emissions & offsetting residual emissions

Answer 22

* Horizontal shading to glazing * Limiting areas of glazing * orienting glazing away from south facing * use of reflective glazing

Answer 23

* filter strips & drains * swales * permeable surfaces * basins & ponds * underground storage * green roofs * rainwater harvesting

Sustainability Flashcards

(47 cards)