Elemental

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Well, I never thought I’d write that as a blog title! I’m not a fan of electric heating and haven’t been since before I did some investigation into Part L back in 2002.

However, as I was browsing through my copy of h&v news this week I came across an article by Kelly Butler of TEHVA, some of which I agreed with. As I said when I started blogging, changing my mind is my prerogative:

it is clear that as the generation of electricity de-carbonises, any form of heating that uses electricity increases in carbon defined popularity. But de-carbonisation is some way off yet and it takes a big leap of faith in political terms to guide us towards a more strategic set of policy instruments that appreciate that the services of the future need to built into the houses of today.

His crystal ball is showing him a future where the grid is decarbonised and it’s business as usual. Butler goes on to point out the applications where electric heating is suited:

domestic electric heating and hot water services are ideally suited to dwellings that have:

• Low heat requirements and the need for highly responsive well controlled heating, which is why they are so popular in new apartments.

• Restrictions on other services, such as gas pipe for high rise or economically unviable CHP; again relevant in apartments.

• Small hot water draw-off, with smaller cylinders and in some cases instantaneous delivery.

• Some form of renewable such as solar or heat pumps which needs to work with a supplementary heat source.

However, one thing Butler tries to gloss over is the fact that heating water using electricity (which is a scarce resource) could be at the detriment of using it for other uses which cannot be fuelled any other way. The grid capacity is just not there. Also the vision of business as usual with a decarbonised grid seems rosy and contrary to say, a Transitions Towns type vision. As Butler says himself, it is a big leap of faith, but I suppose it is one possible scenario of the future.

I wasn’t completely won over by the electric heating special feature though – the page opposite had a marketing pitch from an electric heating manufacturer which was wholly lacking in substance. Electric heating has it’s place, and will probably continue to replace some gas applications in the future, but an article on how to ‘trick’ Part L compliance does still not sit well with me.

mel starrs Opinion Electric heating, electricity, Kelly Butler, renewable energy

What caught my eye today, March 9th:

• How to save money running a startup (17 really good tips) – The article that started the workaholic furore. Leaving that point aside, the tips are pretty good, especially the second monitor and the expensive chairs. Look after your staff appears to be the mantra – it pays for itself in the end.
• Fire the workaholics – This response by 37 Signals to Jason Calacanis’ (slightly) misrepresented tip of firing folks who are not workaholics has some good points. Worth following the thread to read Jason’s original and subsequent posts.
• Yorkshire’s Top Architects – Carey Jones knock SMC Gower off the top of the chart and DLA jump 3 places. Rance Booth and Smith drop from 21 to 30. All the usual suspects really…
• Go Caroline! – Building – Chris Addison (best known to me from ‘The Thick of It’ – what’s he doing writing for Building?) spoofs Caroline Flint. Best line – ‘I saw it on Grand Designs once’.
• Lightweight vs Heavyweight Construction Seminar – 13th March, Bristol – Is it better from an environmental point of view to build lightweight framed construction with insulation infill or heavyweight masonry construction with thermal mass?
• What’s wrong with cheap flights to Krakow? – Building – What on earth was Mark Leftly thinking? Gets quite rightly trounced in the comments, not so much for his views (he’s welcome to them) but the lack of journalistic rigour to the article. Nil point. Could do much better…
• Second Life avatars and Brazilians: the same carbon footprint – Ack! The internet’s carbon footprint revealed! Not good news…
• A New Form of Accounting as Carbon Calculator Goes Live – CALM is the first free business-based calculator which shows the balance between annual emissions and carbon sequestration of the key greenhouse gases associated with the activities of individual land-based businesses.
• Government fails to deliver on Part L – members of M&E Sustainability have denounced the Govt?s reluctance to enforce Part L. Describing the situation as ?shambolic?, they have raised serious doubts about the future impact of of other sustainability measures.
• Planning policy on renewable energy – Scottish proposal to dump planning permission for domestic renewables
• As Indians get power, carbon emissions rise – India has pledged to ensure that its per capita emissions never exceed those of the developed world. It points out that it contributes 4.6 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases although its people represent 17 percent of the world’s population.
• ASHRAE green building standard (189.1P) open for second public review- 3/3/2008 1:43:00 PM – Building Design & Construction – Proposed Standard 189.1 will provide minimum requirements for the design of high-performance new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, addressing energy efficiency, a building?s impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water use etc
• Water to be the next commoditised resource – Wind generation requires just five litres of water to generate five megawatts, the average amount of energy consumed by a household per year. Coal requires 10,000 litres, while nuclear needs 12,500, to produce the same amount of power.
• Rising energy prices could make microgeneration viable – Faithful and Gould at EcoBuild

mel starrs News Carey Jones, Caroline Flint, Chris Addison, Energy, energy efficiency, energy prices, Freemasonry, India, M&E Sustainability, Mark Leftly, pence, Rance Booth, renewable energy

I know I said I had gone for Xmas, but a quick comment on the supplement to PPS1:

para.  20:

In particular, planning authorities should:
– not require applicants for energy development to demonstrate either the overall need for renewable energy and its distribution, nor question the energy justification for why a proposal for such development must be sited in a particular location;
– ensure any local approach to protecting landscape and townscape is consistent with PPS22 and does not preclude the supply of any type of renewable energy other than in the most exceptional circumstances;
– alongside any criteria-based policy developed in line with PPS22, consider identifying suitable areas for renewable and low-carbon energy sources, and supporting infrastructure, where this would help secure the development of such sources, but in doing so take care to avoid stifling innovation including by rejecting proposals solely because they are outside areas identified for energy generation; and

- expect a proportion of the energy supply of new development to be secured from decentralised and renewable or low-carbon energy sources.

Now read that again with the mindset that regulation exists to form boundaries.  Is it just me, or is this giving permission to innovate (which surely does not need to be given).  An awkward way of saying things, in my opinion – being specifically told what we don’t have to prove…

mel starrs Opinion Climate Change, energy development, energy generation, energy justification, energy supply, low-carbon energy sources, PPS, renewable energy

Since August 2006 this resource has been available and I failed to mention it until now. http://maps.restats.org.uk

From the press release: The collection of renewable energy statistics – began in 1989 via a project carried out by ETSU (now FES – a part of AEA Technology Environment) on behalf of the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Statistical Office of the European Communities (SOEC, also referred to as Eurostat). The project identified all relevant renewable energy sources and, where possible, information was collected on the amounts of energy derived from each. The database now contains 17 years of data from 1989 to 2005. RESTATS currently holds information on heat and electricity generated from all the following sources:

* Biofuels, including the combustion of biomass and wastes, co-firing, gas from landfill sites and digestion processes
* Hydro-electricity, both large and small-scale
* Wave power
* Wind turbines and wind-farms – onshore and offshore
* Solar – active solar heating and photovoltaics
* Geothermal aquifers
Information contained in the RESTATS database provides support to Government and Industry in a range of activities related to renewable energy. In particular, it is perhaps the most reliable means by which the success of the UK New and Renewable Energy Programme can be measured and monitored. More info at http://www.restats.org.uk

mel starrs Uncategorized Biofuels, electricity, Energy, renewable energy, renewable energy locations, renewable energy sources, renewable energy statistics, Statistical Office of the European Communities, Sustainability, UK Department, United Kingdom

 I wrote this back in December last year and for the life of me I can’t remember what else I was going to add to it. It’s mostly all been said now, but the most interesting tidbit (which is why I’m publishing it now, woefully out of date) is the prediction from Arup – I wonder if that still holds true?

The backlash begins in earnest…

 It’s all a bit predictable – two steps forward and one step back again. Public awareness of issues such as carbon footprinting, renewable energy and water conservation are probably at their highest in the past 20 years. And so, the irksome critical naysayer’s start to inch forward their views, knocking back what have generally been positive messages (and as I have said before – there is no point in scaring people into being green).

 I have made my views on the B&Q Windsave turbines clear here – there are very few sites in the UK where they will be effective and the payback is still uneconomical. That said, the tone of this article in the Guardian is uncalled for in my opinion.

Arup are being slightly more bullish in their predictions. In a report undertaken for Zurich, looking at typical housing in 2080, they proclaim :

 ‘Wind energy systems are one of the most cost-effective, home-based, renewable energy systems available. Depending on the location of the home, a small wind energy system can lower an electricity bill by 50 to 90%.’

It follows an article entitled ‘Wind turbines ‘may actually do more harm than good’ in The Daily Mail of all places (::via Treehugger). Whilst analysis of some of their arguments concurs with my own analysis of Windsave, I have a few issues with the article.

::thanks also to Shades of Green

mel starrs Uncategorized electricity bill, energy systems, renewable energy, renewable energy systems, Sustainability, the Guardian, United Kingdom, wind energy system, Zurich

Found this great little article by M. BHUVANASUNDAR, chairman, Indian Institute of Architects, Coimbatore Chapter, Coimbatore in The Hindu on green buildings.  Two definitions of green to add to the arsenal:

The voluntary pursuit of any activity, which encompasses concern for energy efficiency, environment, water conservation, use of recycled products and renewable energy is defined as green.

and

Green buildings embody a design intent on balancing environmental responsiveness, resource efficiency, and cultural and community sensitivity.

mel starrs Uncategorized Coimbatore, Coimbatore Chapter, energy efficiency, Green Building, India, Indian Institute of Architects, renewable energy

Looks like Matt Grace has moved to Enermodal Engineering (a Canadian company) in Calgary:

Leading UK Sustainability Expert Joins Enermodal Calgary: Matt Grace, B.Eng., M.Sc., C.Env.

Matt Grace brings to Enermodal 12 years of professional experience in sustainable building design and assessment, including work on office, institutional, industrial and housing developments, renewable energy and energy efficiency. He has conducted over 150 assessments of green buildings, developed BREEAM (the UK equivalent to LEED), and conducted building research for the International Energy Agency. Matt’s education includes degrees in both Engineering and Energy and the Environment, and he is a Chartered Environmentalist (UK). We look forward to the fresh perspective on green building design and rating that Matt brings to Enermodal.

Matt was last seen at Ferguson Brown, whose website is still under development some 8 months after I first reported it ‘coming soon’.  The Calgary office of Enermodal opened in November from what I can gather.

Good luck in Canada, Matt…

mel starrs Uncategorized Calgary, Canada, Energy Agency, energy efficiency, Enermodal Engineering, Ferguson Brown, Matt Grace, News, renewable energy, United Kingdom

Following a tip-off from WorkinProperty (another new kid on the construction blogging block) I followed the proceedings here.  Not sure how long the chat will stick around so I’ve cut and paste it below the break for reference.  It was hard to determine how many of the questions were pre-picked and how many were ‘live’.  Some of the answers seemed fairly polished with links peppered through them but others were definitely more on the hoof.  It’s a good way to guage the government’s perspective of what puplic opinion is on various issues – as the discussion was moderated, those questions which were more relevant (or answerable) will probably have been chosen (they had a few hundred to choose from and only an hour to answer them).

Topics covered include recycling (I covered recent figures on Leeds here),  lightbulbs, plastic bags, food, carbon allowances (DEFRA’s rough guide available here (pdf, 41pages) and the RSA’s working paper came out today (pdf, 7 pages)) and nuclear energy.

Read more…

mel starrs Uncategorized Alan Covel, anaerobic digestion technology, Andrew Candish, Australia, Beth Hewis, Britain, Chris Preist, continued gas, David Milibands, David Norman, Douglas Alexander, electricity, electricity companys, electricity mix, electricity supply, electricity use minute, Energy, energy consumption, energy efficient ones, energy generation, energy saving devices, Energy Saving Trust, energy usage, Europe, Fergus Munro, food, food air miles, food choice, Food Standards Agency, food supply, George Percy, Gill Rhodes, Green Alliance, greenhouse gas, greenhouse gas emissions, Harriet Crosthwaite, Honda, House of Commons, Hungary, incineration, India, Jack Straw, Jill Dowling, John Berry, Jon Doyle, Leeds, London, lower energy lightbulbs, Martin Maloney, Michelle Slater, Miliband, Milliband, National Farmer\'s Union, non-renewable energy, nuclear energy, particular technologies, plastics, renewable electricity supply, renewable energy, Richard Billingham, Rosie Harper, Rowena Moore, Royal Society of Arts, Sam Parry, satellite dish, Sophie, Sustainability, Thames, then produce energy, Tim Duke, UK government, UK greenhouse, United Kingdom, United States, woody biomass energy, www.davidmiliband.defra.gov.uk

Gristmill have a great post up on how to answer critics who attempt to label those who attempt a greener lifestyle as hypocrites:

The merits of carbon offsets are hotly debated, so erring on the side of caution would mean abjuring all carbon-emitting activities. That rules out all non-self-propelled travel; it means going off-grid and growing all one’s own food and neither participating in nor purchasing the results of any industrial process. Etc. It’s possible to reduce one’s environmental footprint substantially, even to get it close to zero, but it requires extraordinary effort and self-discipline, and a life far, far out of the mainstream in any developed country.

Any attempt to live carbon free is in the widest sense of the word, not sustainable.  Sustainable development definitions commonly refer to the “interdependent and mutually reinforcing pillars” of sustainable development as economic development, social development, and environmental protection.

By attempting to do a “Tom and Barbara” and withdrawing from society, you ignore the economic and social development pillars.  So whilst carbon free on an individual basis is no doubt an exemplary state, if your sphere of influence does not extend beyond the boundaries of your own home, it cannot said to be contributing to a more sustainable planet.

On the other hand, this is not carte blanche for tearing round the world on private jets attending meetings (“It’s OK – we discussed renewable energy when we got there”) (not that many in the construction industry have private jets, but hey, I’m trying to make a point).  The diagram above shows a sustainable state in the centre.  This is a balancing act – a somewhat precarious one, and no doubt there will be slip-ups along the way. 

Sustainable development is a very complex issue, which includes factors far beyond the normal realm of a corporation (but which are increasingly becoming issues).  We are all now familiar with CSR (corporate social responsibility) but as we delve deeper into this, we will find ourselves becoming involved in politics, economics, social equality – issues which we may not be comfortable with proclaiming a public opinion on, especially as to do so may contradict or compromise longstanding relationships within the industry.

Focussing on carbon produces concrete facts and figures and draws attention away from more intangible or tricky fields of reporting.  The cynic in me fears for many it will be a welcome distraction, and an ideal vehicle in which to to bury bad news.

I believe the challenge which lies ahead for the industry is not how little carbon you have used this year (although that does seem to be flavour of the month at the minute) – but how you align your company activities so they all meet in the centre of the diagram.  In this more critical, political and transparent atmosphere, empty promises and canny marketing ploys will increasingly fail to meet the grade.  The sticky bit comes when deciding how to report this ‘balance’.  In order to report, your position must be stated – on matters which currently are often not made public outside the confines of the company and may very well never have been written down (such as social, economic and political beliefs and models).  There is a further danger that by stating these, rather than merely infering them, companies may alienate staff as well as clients.  Interesting times ahead.

mel starrs Uncategorized food, Management, Marketing, renewable energy, Sustainability, Tom

Building Design reports that at the BCO (British Council for Offices) conference in Dublin 2 weeks ago (I was unfortunately unable to attend), agents were concluded to be the main stumbling block in designing green office blocks:

Developers, though, are not the biggest barriers to the spread of sustainable design. If occupiers will pay more for green buildings, developers will build them: it’s as simple as that. Agents are the real sticking point, because they are refusing to let green buildings, claiming they do not have the standby facilities and power generation capacity that occupiers need.

This is a valid point and one which I have recently been exposed to. We have hopefully overcome any reservations by the agents by providing a flexible solution which will suit a broad range of occupiers (the project is currently a speculative office block). Compromises may have to be made on carbon consumption, but a zero energy building which overheats in summer due to high internal loads (people and computers) is obviously inferior to a low carbon building which meets the comfort criteria required by the occupiers. Sustainable construction needs to be seen in a broader context than purely carbon, or we run the risk of building uninhabitable buildings which are not fit for purpose – the opposite of sustainability. The same can be said for renewable energy – slapping 10% renewables on a leaky glass and steel box does not mean you have built sustainably. I’m glad to see that Ken Livingstone is taking a pragmatic approach (not every scheme in London needs to meet 10%, such as King’s Cross – but it does need to be at least considered), but other councils are taking differing views.

We must strive wherever possible to reduce carbon consumption to the absolute minimum, but not to the detriment of the many other parameters to which we all design. Communicating this message to the market is a key challenge, which I look forward to tackling on a daily basis.

From the same conference, Building reports that RIBA want BCO to raise the maximum temperature in summer from 22º to 24º:

Corenet has argued that 30,000 tonnes of carbon could be saved a year if offices were 24°C all year round. This is the equivalent of the carbon generated by 90,000 return flights between London to New York.

Again, this has to be a good idea – and I can’t see the agents arguing against it (could they?). The higher temperature in the winter (from 20º to 24º) seems counterintuitive, until you take into account the fact that with buildings being built to much higher fabric standards and with high internal gains from occupants, the heating season has shortened considerably.

In a tenuous link to the above, it has been announced today by RICS that:

Four leading UK property bodies have formed an alliance to tackle major property issues in a more co-ordinated way while retaining their separate identities and roles.

The formation of the Property Alliance, announced today, will give the commercial property sector a stronger voice on issues where greater coherence can make a difference.

The four members of the Property Alliance are:

• British Council for Offices (BCO)
• British Property Federation (BPF)
• Investment Property Forum (IPF)
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

Among its first actions the Property Alliance has agreed to set up a pan-industry research group to improve coordination of research programmes across the sector and maximise the impact and reach of that research.

The Alliance will also be undertaking work designed to examine levels of satisfaction among commercial property tenants.

It will worthwhile keeping an eye on this alliance and how their work ties into EPBD (European Performance of Buildings Directive) and it’s impact on the UK commercial property market. It seems to me to be the obvious direction for research to go next.

And stateside I came across a great article in the NYT looking at green architecture and the relationship between design and sustainability.  This quote made me snort:

“I think the trouble with environmentalism is that at most architectural schools it’s been confined to a dreary backwater of mechanical engineering,” he said. “That’s not the way we teach it here.”

They reprieved themselves by going on to state:

David W. Orr, chairman of the Environmental Studies Program at Oberlin College in Ohio, says he thinks that teaching sustainable design requires a whole new educational approach, one that includes architecture but incorporates many other disciplines.

Well said.  Now, how do we go about that particular conundrum?

mel starrs Uncategorized British Council for Offices, British Property Federation, David W. Orr, Dublin, Green Building, Ken Livingstone, London, Marketing, New York, Oberlin College in Ohio, Ohio, Property Alliance, renewable energy, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, steel box, Sustainability, United Kingdom, zero energy building