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Delivering a Sustainable Future
Ventilating dwellings in noise exposed areas
Developers must carefully consider the technical impacts of any planning requirements which preclude the use of openable windows in residential developments. The limited technical solutions currently available mean that any such requirements will severely constrain the ventilation strategy and have a direct impact on Part L1A CO2 compliance. Where planning requirements for developments in areas [...]
BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment and Planning
Existing buildings are currently responsible for approximately 27% of CO2 emissions produced in the UK. With local planning authorities updating their policies to reflect the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), in the absence of the adopted local plan, the use of BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment is expected to increase significantly. Paragraph 95 of the NPPF states [...]
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Tagged Assessments, BREEAM, CO2 emissions, Environmental standards, Planning, Refurbishment, Sustainability, Zero carbon
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We extend our work on Europe’s largest regeneration project
Hampton House – Nine Elms Following our work through the planning process, Richard Hodkinson Consultancy has recently been appointed to continue involvement on this high-quality mixed-use scheme. We are to provide a range of environmental assessments through the design and build program. The Nine Elms project, on the south bank of the Thames, is the [...]
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Tagged Assessments, BREEAM, CO2 emissions, Code, Energy Performance Certification, Environmental standards, Part L, SAP, Sustainability
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Looking forward to 2013
Planning The wider adoption of Community Infrastructure Charging Schedules (the use of planning obligations will be more restricted from April 2014); The expiration on 27 March 2013 of the 12-month NPPF transitional period, designed to allow some protection for existing local plans depending on the date of their adoption, even where there is a limited [...]
CASE STUDY: CHP viability in domestic scenarios
In line with the London Plan, energy supply through CHP is becoming the norm in new London developments. The Mayor has introduced mandatory use of CHP in developments of 500+ dwellings through planning guidelines. Nonetheless, Richard Hodkinson Consultancy is experiencing an increasing number of London based Local Authorities demanding CHP on new residential developments, [...]
Delivery of district heating on phased developments – things to consider
District heat networks (generally with CHP) are increasingly common for medium and large scale developments in order to provide the CO2 reductions necessary for planning policy and Building Regulations compliance. Delivery of these networks on phased developments is complex. For effective delivery, it is important to consider a number of issues at an early stage. [...]
Assessment of thermal mass gives Part L 2010 advantage
A review of the treatment of thermal mass under Building Regulations Part L1a suggests that, rather than relying on default assumptions, there is an advantage to be gained by undertaking an individual dwelling assessment. The results of a thermal mass parameter assessment are similar for a range of house types on the same development. This [...]
Electric heating for Code for Sustainable Homes level 4
The 25% dwelling emission rate (DER) improvement over Part L1A 2010 CO2 standards required for Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 compliance is being achievable via multiple routes. These have focussed on the use of decentralised energy, heat pump technology, or high efficiency gas boilers, with further CO2 reductions through the use of renewable technologies. [...]
Carbon Reduction Commitment reports
It’s going to be a busy few weeks for businesses involved in the Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency Scheme. All annual Carbon Reduction Commitment reports and evidence for the 2011/12 financial year must be submitted by the last working day of July. However, many companies will have only just received annual energy statements from their [...]
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Tagged Assessments, Climate change, CO2 emissions, Energy efficiency
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Energy improvements at Parkview and Sunrise Estate
We were recently commissioned to carry out an Energy Audit for a community led refurbishment project in the London Borough of Havering. The aim of the project was to ensure that any future upgrades to the energy performance of the three 1960s tower blocks on the Parkview and Sunrise Estate are undertaken to the [...]
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Tagged CO2 emissions, Energy modelling, Refurbishment, Sustainability
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Thermal bridging in energy efficient buildings
A thermal bridge is created where materials that are relatively poor insulators are in contact across an insulation barrier. This creates a low resistance path for heat to escape from in an otherwise well insulated construction. Limiting thermal bridges is becoming increasingly important with higher environmental standards such as Code Level 4 and the [...]
Part L and community energy averaging
Building Regulations require that all dwellings connected to a district heating network are apportioned the same CO2 reduction. This has significant consequences for phased developments where phases are subject to differing planning or Building Regulations requirements. It is important to consider this issue early in the build program to ensure that sufficient provision for Energy [...]
Demonstrating compliance with Part L 2010
Is a good EPC rating a guarantee of good energy performance? Rightly or wrongly, there has been a concern that design criteria for energy efficiency, which are used by energy assessors as the basis for energy performance certification, have not always carried through to the final construction of projects. New requirements in force with the [...]
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Tagged CO2 emissions, Energy efficiency, Energy Performance Certification, Part L
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Guide to Part L1a 2010 criteria
Approved Document Part L1a – New Dwellings Design Stage SAP to Building Control “No later than the day work starts” Approx 25% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with a 2006 compliant dwelling Maximum average fabric u-values have decreased (eg Walls from 0.35W/m2K to 0.3W/m2K) Carbon emissions for electricity from grid increase by 22.5% (Partly compensated [...]
Solar renewables and Part L 2010
Photovoltaic (PV) Panel Annual Energy Output SAP 2009 has been updated to calculate CO 2 emission rates for the new Part L 2010. The assumed level of annual solar radiation in the UK has been increased from the 2005 version of SAP. This means that ‘1kWpeak’ of PV system will now show a greater electrical [...]
Improving air tightness in new dwellings
The importance of air tightness in new dwellings Up to 30% of heat losses in a modern, well-insulated building are estimated to result from ‘air leakage’. Heat escapes through gaps in the building envelope, such as around a pipe fitting, or between poorly fitted slabs of wall insulation. This is heat loss by ‘convective bypass’, [...]
Benefits of a green roof
Sustainability benefits of green roofs Also known as ‘living roofs’, green roofs can make a significant contribution to sustainability at the planning application stage, as well as having the potential for achieving Code and BREEAM credits in the Energy, Materials, Surface Water Runoff, Health/Wellbeing and Ecology Sections. There are two types of green roof: ‘intensive roofs’, [...]
Air Source Heat Pumps and renewable energy planning policy
AIR SOURCE HEAT PUMPS IN THE UK Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) are a mature technology, and widely used in Europe. Due to their efficiency they can greatly reduce the energy needed for heating homes. However, they are relatively new to the UK home heating market, and their status a low carbon technology is controversial [...]
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Tagged CO2 emissions, Heat pumps, Planning, Renewable energy, SAP
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Climate change checklist for PPS 1 compliance
A climate change report to be submitted with a planning application should address the following questions: Has the highest reduction in CO2 emissions been provided? Has the fullest possible use of public transport, cycling and walking been incorporated, reducing the overall need to travel, especially by car? Have existing or planned opportunities for decentralised and [...]
Greywater recycling and CO2 emissions
Using greywater for WC flushing is less energy efficient than using the mains water supply. Traditional water saving techniques such as aerated taps and dual flush WCs remain the most important technologies to improve water efficiency. We have calculated that the CO2 emissions associated with greywater recycling systems are around 1kgCO2/m2. This offsets typical savings [...]
