Elemental

In the grand tradition of the construction industry, I’m hanging up my blogging boots for the festive period and having a Xmas shutdown. See you all in the New Year.

admin Housekeeping

::via English Partnerships

The Summit House at Allerton Bywater Millenium Community, a local project, has been opened by Yvette Cooper.

The Summit House was first built for national regeneration agency English Partnerships to display at the Sustainable Communities Summit, held in Manchester last year. There it was used to demonstrate how a high-quality, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly home could be built using off-site construction techniques.

Zero-carbon housing is definitely flavour of the month.  I can’t find any information of the carbon consumption of this building, but it is unlikely to be zero-carbon.  If anyone has any further information, please post a comment or email me.

admin News Allerton Bywater, English Partnerships, Manchester, Yvette Cooper

Additional guidance has been published on the NCM FAQ’s page regarding how to deal with shared spaces within blocks of flats using iSBEM:

Each flat is a separate dwelling and must be assessed using SAP (the relevant guidance is in ADL1A). However, the common areas in the flats are not classified as dwellings. As stated in ADL1A paragraph 14, the appropriate approach to compliance depends on whether the common areas are heated or unheated. If they are heated, the guidance in ADL2 should be applied using SBEM. If they are unheated, reasonable provision would be to provide fabric elements that meet the fabric standards set out in paragraphs 33 to 36 of ADL1A. 

A new activity will be added to the activity database in a future version of iSBEM for these areas. For now, please select Building type ‘Hotel’ and activity ‘Circulation area (corridors and stairways)’. This activity has no DHW demand associated with it. It is still necessary to assign a DHW generator to these areas, this will not cause any problems in the project because the generator will not be used where there is no DHW demand. The default DHW generator should be used in this case, if gas is not available in the building, the DHW fuel should be changed to any fuel other than natural gas.

In related new, IES have announced that their SAP 2005 and SBEM packages have been approved by DCLG. Version 5.6.1 was released yesterday:

IES are the only provider that can now offer approved software for all of the possible CO2 calculation methods allowed under Part L:

·               SAP 2005 (L1A)
·               Dynamic Thermal Simulation (L2A)
·               SBEM (L2A)

admin Regulation calculation, dsm, ies, isbem, ncm, Part L, SAP, SBEM, simulation, Software

Vilnus Vesma (who I mentioned previously here) has some great resources on his website including the Reditorial, which as long as you credit him, you can recycle the information from into newsletters.

He also has some cartoons, penned by himself including the one at the top of this post.

And finally, a news page which has some interesting stuff (but I would prefer to see an RSS feed on it – I’m already seeing the impact of IE7 on the way people are reading this site and as more businesses begin to roll it out as standard issue, RSS will become the default way to read news oriented websites – 2007 will be the year of RSS hitting the mainstream).

admin News Resources, Vilnus Vesma

One of my favourite books of 2006 was ‘The World is Flat‘ by Thomas L. Friedman. It’s a long read at nearly 600 pages, but worth it. The guy can write (he’s got a Pullitzer) and puts forward a convincing case for the flattening of the world and some of the the benefits of globalisation.

Charles Lockwood has a great interview with Thomas here (pdf) where he explains the challenges he sees in ‘green going mainstream’ (my emphasis added):

The environmental movement. They got
wrapped up in green as a personal virtue—
“We are better because we are green”—
and they’ve put off a lot of people, I think.
That’s why my whole goal for this year is to
redefine green—to redefine it as not liberal,
tree hugging, sissy, girly-man, and unpatriotic.
I want to redefine green as
geostrategic, geoeconomic, capitalist, and
the most patriotic thing you can do. My
mantra is that green is the new red, white,
and blue. To name something is to own it.
Right now the opponents have owned the
word green. I want to retake it from them
and redefine it in geopolitical, geostrategic,
patriotic terms. Then it scales.

Capitalist greenery – the way forward?

admin Economics capitalism, Charles Lockwood, globalisation, manifesto, Thomas L. Friedman

The general flavour of reaction seems to be to welcome the CSH, but with many calls to address existing housing stock.

Friends of the Earth agree that the Code should be mandatory – I think it will be by April 2008.

Places for People believe it should apply to all housing.  I would agree in principle, but more research needs to be done to see what exactly is feasible.  Trying to enforce unachievable targets is a worse sin than doing nothing at all in my book.

Green Building Press have a good summary of reactions, including CPA (Construction Products Association) who expressed disappointment that it does not provide greater recognition for manufacturers and suppliers who have developed sustainable building materials (something I commented on here).  It will be taken on board if EcoPoints are used, but a new document is due, BRE Green Guide 2006. The Guide is due for electronic publication in January 2007 and replaces the Green Guide to Specification. Good quotation from Micheal Ankers of CPA:

“Improving the existing housing stock by 1% each year would save more energy than making the entire housing new build, zero carbon.”

Treehugger, a US green blog has also picked up on the story.

RIBA’s president Jack Pringle has welcomed the news, and again reiterates the need to look at the existing housing stock:

“Action targeted at new homes can only be the start, and still more needs to be done. The Government’s manifesto proposed a Code for Sustainable Buildings and I hope to see further steps by the Government to tackle the energy performance of existing building stock. The RIBA has put its weight behind challenging carbon reduction targets which we believe are vital. Today has seen a fine step forward by the Government but further action is needed if we are to design our way out of climate change.”

admin Regulation Construction Products Association, CSH, embodied energy, EPBD, existing housing, Friends of the Earth, Jack Pringle, Micheal Ankers, Part L, RIBA, sustainable building materials

It’s been a long time coming (public consultation on the code was between 4 December 2005 and 6 March 2006) and it won’t be enforced until April 2007, but today the Code for Sustainable Homes (pdf, 28 pages) was published. Full technical guidance on how to comply will be issued in April.

Some reaction has already been issued, TCPA here (they comment on the fact that this applies to housing only at this stage), BBC here (they mention the proposal to bring water use into the Building Regulations), Building here (subscribers only), Guardian here (controversially – “The House Builders Association dismissed the plan as “gesture politics” that threatened to undermine the government plan to build tens of thousands of new homes in the south-east.”), BRE are more optimistic here, EST here.
As I predicted last week, the definition of zero carbon housing has been clarified as:

A zero carbon home is one with ‘zero net emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from all energy use in the home’. The definition encompasses all energy use in the home (including energy for cooking, TVs, computers and other appliances) rather than just those energy uses that are currently part of building regulations (space heating, hot water, ventilation and some lighting). It means that over a year there are no net carbon emissions resulting from the operation of the dwelling. This could be achieved either through steps taken at the individual dwelling level or through site wide strategies. So it will not be necessary for each dwelling to have its own microgeneration capacity where development level solutions would be more appropriate.

As expected, the Code builds upon EcoHomes, and from April 2007 CSH will replace EcoHomes for new housing in England. For those of us who are accredited EcoHomes assessors, we will be able to carry out CSH assessments. From the BRE website:

Compliance with the Code Assessment will consist of a two step process – an initial assessment at the design stage and final certification after construction as detailed below:

• Design Stage Review

• Based on design drawings, specifications and commitments
• Results in interim certificate of compliance

• Post Construction Review

• Based on the design stage review
• Confirmation of compliance including site records and visual inspection.

The rating system is from 1 star to 6 stars. The BRE think that a 3 star is equivalent to EcoHomes ‘Very Good’. The categories will look very familiar to anyone used to EcoHomes. The main changes from the old EcoHomes scheme are that minimum levels have been set for energy and water at each ’star’ level (theoretically, in EcoHomes if you do fantastically well in every other section, you could do badly in these two and still claim and ‘Excellent’ or ‘Very Good’ rating). The rest of the categories retain the flexibility EcoHomes had.
(click to enlarge)
My initial thoughts:

• I would have liked to have seen this code as mandatory. Until April 2008 it is voluntary only and after that it will be up to the results of the consultation. At least the voluntary period running concurrently with the consultation ought to speed the process up a little.
• I’m happy to see that PCR’s (post construction review) are mandatory
• The starting point for a 1 star building is a 10% improvement on Part LA 2006 – had the scheme been mandatory, this would surely have been set at the same level as Part L1A – so what does this mean for the future development of both CfSH and Part L1A, which will now become inextricably linked?
• Mention is made of the BRE Green Guide 2006 – I look forward to it’s publication. Ecopoints are mentioned as an aspiration for the future.
• Some of my favourite bugbears of current housing are there – space for home offices, cycling facilities, composting facilities and waste and recycling facilities – could this spell the end for the two-bed shoebox apartment blocks that are springing up all over Leeds? Developers may be forced to look beyond the bottom line, and start providing spaces which are livable in.
• It is not clear how the star system will relate to building labelling which will be brought in in response to EPBD. The vast majority of existing housing would fail to gain a 1 star rating? The star rating is said to ‘complement’ the proposed building labelling system.

What does the future hold? The timetable looks like this:

• April 2007 – further guidance issued and the code becomes voluntary
• June 2007 – EPBD building labelling becomes mandatory for all new houses
• April 2008 – CSH possibly becomes mandatory along with a change in Building Regs Part L1A (10% improvement on Part L1A 2006?)? Water use included in Building Regs?
• 2009 – EPBD building labelling becomes mandatory for all houses which are sold or leased
• 2010 – 25% improvement on Part L1A 2006
• 2013 – 44% improvement on Part L1A 2006
• 2016 – zero carbon housing

Looking into my crystal ball, it is highly probable that in the next review of Part L1A, CSH will become mandatory and the two run side by side. The consultation process for this has been announced today here. The consultation is an interesting read (pdf, 44 pages) but it will be April 2008 before anything from this is implemented. The pace of change is very frustrating.

Today’s publications are great news for new housing, but as many others have pointed out this accounts for only 1% of the housing stock in England. Once EPBD kicks in and sellers begin to realise that their houses are not competing with new build, pressure will begin to build for addressing the problems with the existing stock. Now that CSH is published, let’s turn our attention to the existing stock and really begin to make a difference.

admin Regulation BRE, CSH, EcoHomes, EPBD, existing housing, Part L, timetable

There are virtually no podcasts out there which overlap with this blog. (Give it 12 months and things might be different). But I have come across this 48:39 min podcast from Yorkshire Forward featuring firstly George Martin from Wilmott Dixon, who I saw do a similar speech back in June. At approximately 21:14 Andrew Mason starts speaking on 7 generation thinking. At 30:15 Alan Bell talks about green buildings including the House of the Future at the BRE.
http://www.yorkshire-forward.com/asset_store/audio/masterclass5_12730.mp3

There are a few other podcasts on the YF site which might be of interest, and now that gadgets such as iTrip and Tunecast are now legal, there’s no reason not to load up your iPod (other mp3 players are available) and listen on your commute or whilst getting to your next meeting.

admin Geekery Alan Bell, Andrew Mason, BRE, George Martin, mp3, podcasting, Wilmott Dixon, Yorkshire Forward

 ::via GNN:

The next step in the Government’s drive to increase microgeneration begins today as Phase 2 of the DTI’s Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) opens.

About time too – this has been expected since April.  It is the successor to the old Clear Skies program.  Notably there is an approved list of 7 suppliers for the 5 technologies:

• Solar PV – Dulas, Solar Century, British Gas
• Solar Thermal – Dulas, Filsol, British Gas
• GSHP – Glen Dimplex, EOn, British Gas
• Wind – EOn, Dulas, British Gas
• Biomass – RES, EOn, British Gas

(I suspect it will work much the same way as Warmfront, which I discussed here).  BRE are administering the scheme.  The pot of money is £50m in total for this phase.

More information can be found on the website.

admin News BRE, DTI, funding, grants, LCBP, low carbon buildings program, renewables

In an attempt to avoid the mistakes of some of the Millenium Projects (remember the Dome…) and the fiasco that still rumbles on (Wembley) the ODA are pushing legacy and accountability as key watchwords.  They have launched a blog and released some video showing how they are ‘on track’ (Real Player, Window Media Player and Flash, 4:12 mins).

I’m glad to see they have planned for 1 year of testing and commissioning – hopefully by 2011 everything will be built and some real testing take place.

admin News accountability, legacy, London2012, ODA, Olympics