News archive for January, 2015
Demonstrating Sustainable Development to Planning Authorities
Posted on January 13th 2015
As Government policy gradually relaxes prescriptive standards for sustainable urban planning and housing quality, the challenge for developers is to find new ways to demonstrate sustainable development for planning applications. A number of key environmental issues are increasingly seen as important, including resident comfort (overheating, ventilation and daylighting), climate change resilience, microclimatic assessment and accessibility. The assessment of these is …
Building User Guides & Operation & Maintenance Manuals
Posted on January 13th 2015
Building User Guides can reduce operational energy use and provide savings through effective use of the building and its systems. They allow the achievement of a BREEAM credit and also provide occupants with easily accessible, non-technical information to allow them to use the building efficiently and without difficulty. The Building User Guide is separate to the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) …
Is it Time to Switch Your Biomass Boiler On?
Posted on January 13th 2015
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) can make previously unused biomass boilers profitable to use. Retrospective registration for the non-domestic RHI (which is the applicable scheme for residential community heating) can provide a significant revenue stream for developers with biomass boilers installed on or after 15th July 2009. The RHI is a Government environmental programme that provides financial incentives to increase …
Benefit of Detailed Lighting Designs
Posted on January 13th 2015
Detailed energy efficient lighting designs hold the key to cost-effective compliance with non-residential Building Regulations. Lighting energy consumption in an office can account for 50% of the regulated energy use, and in a retail unit this figure is typically around 75%. The tables below demonstrate the improvements which can be achieved by specifying an efficient lighting design, incorporating daylight sensing …
Reducing Overheating with Thermal Mass
Posted on January 13th 2015
Materials with a high thermal mass such as concrete slabs or masonry walls will absorb sunlight and internal gains, and store it during the day. Providing there is a significant temperature drop at night, the heat will then be released, in turn shifting the period of high internal temperature to when the outside air is cooler (this effect is called …