Blake Lapthorn were pleased to welcome Darren Aspinall of Ridge and David Walker of Peter Brett Associates to its Construction green breakfast on 9 November 2011.

1. RIDGE
Property and Construction Consultants
Green Breakfast:
Why bother with energy efficient buildings?
Darren Aspinall Architect
9th November 2011

2. Agenda
Wake you all up….
Why Bother with Energy Efficient buildings?
The Global Context
The Local Context
Building Issues RIDGE

3. Global Context
RIDGE

4. Global Context
Reliance on non-finite fossil fuel
Climate Change
• Global Warming (0.75°C increase in a Century)
• Higher temperatures
• Extreme weather conditions
• Flooding & Drought
• Pollution
• Impact upon Biodiversity
Increasing Energy Costs
• Resource depletion
• Peak oil
• Fuel Poverty
• Security of supply
RIDGE

5. Local Drivers….
Legislative
• Kyoto Protocol (Cut Greenhouse Gas emissions by 12.5% by 2012)
• Climate Change Act 2008 (26% Co2 reduction by 2020, 80% by 2050)
• Building Regulations Part L step change
• Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) & BREEAM
• Planning Requirements via the Environment Agency
• Funding requirements (DCSF)
Local Impacts upon building….
Increased Complexity
Increased Time
Increased Cost
Increased Performance?
RIDGE

6. Global Context
Is it all a ‘drop of water in a sea of oil’?
Can Developing Countries be balanced?
• World energy consumption is expected to grow 53% by 2035
• Predicted that global carbon emissions will increase by 43% by 2035
• Half of this growth expected from China and India
• China: Currently building at a rate of 2 coal fired power stations/week
That’s a lot of trees for the developed world to hug!
‘Business as usual’
Technology & science will find a way
RIDGE

7. Global Context
A battle for the hippie tree huggers?
From the early adopters to the mainstream?
RIDGE

8. Local UK Context
The Market
• Existing Building Stock
• Feed in Tariff / Renewable Heat Incentives
• Resistance to renewable technologies
• ‘Scale-ability’ of renewable technologies
• Lifestyle: needs to become trendy
• People vote with their wallets
How many MPG does your building do?
• Design performance Vs actual ‘in use’ performance
• Lack of comparable reliable data
• User preference & short circuiting (‘Human factor’)
• Young/Old, Male/Female differences
RIDGE

9. Building issues
Fabric measures
• Is heat loss such a big problem?
• Design for climate change & heat gain?
• Fabric insulation – Bigger Buildings!
• Air tightness & controlled ventilation
• The construction team just don’t get it!
RIDGE

10. Building issues
Technology Measures
• Reliability & Robustness
• Capital cost & payback
• Complexity of use
• Maintenance requirements – like a car?
• Aesthetics issues for roll out
Standards & Skills
• Inconvenient, onerous & unrealistic ‘tick box brigade’ standards
• Larger design teams with more up-front costs
• Inconsistent Planning System
• Lack of design & construction skills to deliver standards
• User knowledge & training
Supply chain Issues
• Is it yet mainstream?
• Same cost? Same delivery time? Same quality? RIDGE

11. The solution?
Flood resistant!
FSC certified timber
Exempt from BREEAM
Low Tech build and use
Sail to another country if you need to!
You don’t need an Architect to design one!
RIDGE

12. Construction Green Breakfast
Blake Lapthorn
09th November 2011
Low Energy Building Design – Why Bother ?
Gavin Walker – C. Eng LCC
Peter Brett Associates LLP

13. Low Energy Building

14. A Few Alternatives

15. Bother One – Emissions Reductions
climate change – more extremes
hotter summers
wetter winters
extreme events – flooding, hurricanes,
droughts
reparations – “to those who will not have the benefit of two billion years of accumulated
reserves” David Mackay - Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air

16. Low Carbon buildings
EMBODIED
demolition
construction
transport
OPERATIONAL
regulated
unregulated

17. Bother Two : Security
Middle Eastern Oil
Brazilian Sugar Cane
Russian Gas
Canadian Biomass

18. Bother Three : Legislation

19. Bother Three : Legislation
Planning policies
mandatory emissions standards
mandatory fabric efficiency standards
zero carbon residential 2016
zero carbon public buildings 2018
zero carbon buildings 2019

20. Bother Four – What are buildings for ?
Productivity
Comfort
Health and well being

21. Bother Five - Economics
MICRO
reduce fuel bills
revenue from Gov subsidies
research grants
MACRO
control economic conditions
build another economic base –
forefront
asset values
marketing
reduced vacancy rates

22. Summary
B1 : Climate change responsibilities
B2 : Energy Security
B3 : Legislation GOOD DESIGN
B4 : Comfort
B5 : Economics

23. How do we do it ?
Lean – passive / active
Mean
Green
Allowable solutions
Financial Pooling