News archive for 2018
Thermal Bridging Easy Win for Cost Effective Part L Compliance
Posted on June 26th 2018
The Draft London Plan’s 10% target improvement over Part 2013 through energy efficiency measures prioritises fabric energy efficiency over low carbon and renewable energy technologies. Thermal bridging is an easy win for both fabric efficiency and CO2 targets. Switching from a default strategy to calculated psi-values – a combination of Accredited Construction Details and bespoke psi—value calculations – recently secured …
Combined Heat & Power (CHP) and Air Quality – The new draft London Plan
Posted on June 26th 2018
The release of the draft new London Plan contains a number of significant and ambitious energy policy changes from the existing London Plan. In particular, the future of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) as the go-to energy source for communal heating is now unclear. The role of CHP has been subject to a very clear demotion in the communal heating …
Planning Success for Oval Gas Works
Posted on June 26th 2018
We are delighted that the Oval Gas Works secured resolution to grant earlier this month at Lambeth’s Planning Committee. The high-profile mixed use development comprises of 738 residential units, 10,160 sqm of office space and 147 sqm of community space, and sees the careful restoration of the listed gasholder. We worked very closely with Berkeley Homes (Central London) to provide …
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Posted on May 24th 2018
Do you want to keep receiving our newsletter? If so, ensure you update your preferences today to remain on our distribution list. Our newsletter contains key energy and environmental issues, policy and regulatory changes. We are committed to continue our compliance with GDPR and never sell or pass on your data, we’ll only use it to send you our newsletter on a monthly basis. …
CMA Recommends Regulating Heat Networks
Posted on May 22nd 2018
According to the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA), District Heating Networks still suffer from lack of transparency and high operational costs due to upfront cost cutting. To address these issues the CMA’s provisional view was that the sector should be regulated. A study conducted by the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) in March 2013 identified Developers’ difficulty in …
Final Hackitt Report Published
Posted on May 22nd 2018
The final Hackitt Review of Building Regulations and Fire Safety report, Building a Safer Future, was published last week. It recommends a new regulatory framework for building safety to address identified weaknesses in the system. Dame Judith is clear that the current system is not fit for purpose. The report says that a cultural change in the construction industry is essential …
Works Completed at Brandon House for Crest Nicholson
Posted on May 22nd 2018
We have just seen the completion of Brandon House, an exceptionally designed residence in the London Borough of Southwark which was built by Crest Nicholson. The site consists of 97 dwellings including 9 townhouses and over 3,000m2 in office and retail space. We worked closely with the design and construction team to advise on the most effective way to comply …
Selecting HIUs for improved efficiency of District Heating Networks
Posted on March 15th 2018
Overestimating peak dwelling heat loads and therefore the dwelling heat interface unit output, combined with poor commissioning will lead to an overpriced and inefficient network. This will be reflected in high heating bills for consumers, high ongoing maintenance costs, and higher heat losses in communal areas. The dwelling heat interface unit (HIU) is one of the key components of a …
Draft NPPF aims to promote sustainable design with higher density development
Posted on March 15th 2018
The draft National Planning Policy Framework was published for consultation this month (March 2018). Key elements of the revised framework are listed below where relevant to our work. We will be interpreting these requirements in the new few months and contributing to the Government’s consultation: Flexibility with daylight standards – the updated document states that local plans should optimise the …
More specialists join the Hodkinson team
Posted on March 14th 2018
We are delighted to welcome two new people to our team, Norbert Szekely and Vicky Kontopoulou. Norbert joins our District Energy team as a Senior Specialist with experience gained at a district heating product manufacturer. This strengthens our district energy capabilities in response to the growing demand for strategic energy solutions particularly on major regeneration projects particularly in the London …