Not Zero Carbon
For the best part of twenty years all new buildings in the UK have had to comply with the carbon reduction requirements of the Building Regulations.
These compliance calculations (often referred to as SBEM or SAP calculations) have a huge impact on the fabric and MEP services specification, yet many are still unaware of their limitations, that is, the calculation methodology standardises many fundamental aspects of a building’s activity to produce consistent and comparable energy assessments (e.g. heating & cooling set-points, occupancy and heat gains from lighting & equipment). The results of these calculations therefore do not reflect the real building and should not be relied upon as an indicator of how the building will actually perform.
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Compliance calculations and net zero operational carbon
With climate change firmly on the agenda of developers, contractors and design professionals alike (be it due to legislative or aspirational targets), there's been a huge number of new build developments targeting 'net zero carbon'.
But here's the problem. In the absence of a standardised definition and scope of net zero carbon (not for much longer - in the form of the eagerly anticipated UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard), there are numerous interpretations of what net zero carbon is.
Until there is a standardised definition, there can be no wrong interpretation, however, what is crystal clear, is that the compliance methodology described above is widely considered to be a sub-standard approach for demonstrating that a development will achieve net zero operational carbon.
There is a place for compliance calculations in new-build design, but not when it comes to net zero carbon.
Then there's embodied carbon, but there's far more qualified people in my network who can talk about that than me...
Commercial Director at Tradstocks Ltd
2 年HES launched their carbon calculator for building stone last week and as you might imagine, by far, transport of the material is the biggest producer of carbon. Dragging thousands of tonnes of any building material half way round the world makes no sense. We should source locally support our own industry where we have oversight is modern slavery, H & S and can ensure we use the lowest carbon option. We need to learn the difference between price and cost!
If you’re an architect, developer, or investor who actually cares if a building works—not just if it gets a badge—talk to us.
2 年It's really odd that our industry struggles with how to design with performance in mind. I am really interested in examining this question in detail because if we don't solve it we can forget net zero. Also David Ross what are your thoughts on oversizing in the industry, I believe from what I have experienced, that this is a contributor to inefficient plant and equipment putting us further form our targets. So how can we get into projects and help deliver designs which meet the needs of the building while also having the artistry of being sized on point.
Senior Engineering Manager at Mace | Building Physics and Energy Lead | LCA Specialist
2 年Absolutely right... Lost count how many times I had to explain to people SBEM is compliance not the calculation tool!
Chartered Engineer experienced in climate change mitigation in consultancy & the public sector in Scotland, England, EU & Lebanon.
2 年For defining good outcomes of construction projects, Net Zero should be primarily about what the design and construction can achieve - ie minimising operational energy and embodied carbon. The Net Zero Public Sector Buildings Standard - including its IES-authored, excellent dynamic simulation modelling guide- prioritises this.
Business Development Manager @ Leyton | R & D Tax Relief
2 年Super stuff David. Need to catch up with you about the launch of our Smart Cities series over at Sustainable Growth Voice