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Sunday 10 April 2005
| Coming up next time (10 May): | |
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Seminar report - Small-scale wind turbines |
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Research reports |
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News and reviews |
Looking to the future
After a short break Get Sust! returns to face the final instalment of the academic year with renewed vigour. In particular, we want to do our best to help our student readers on their way to successful careers in sustainable construction.
With this in mind, we are planning to run a very simple careers service for a trial period. In the May and June issues of Get Sust!, we will publish short details of students who are looking for placements, work experience, permanent vacancies or opportunities for further study; and we will also publish details of vacancies or courses that are sent in by readers who are employers, practitioners or course leaders.
This is how it will work:
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if you are seeking an opportunity, send an e-mail to editor@get-sust.com stating your name, e-mail address, qualifications and what sort of opportunity you are seeking |
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if you have a vacancy or run a course that has spaces, send short details to editor@get-sust.com. |
Please send details to Get Sust! by 1 May or 1 June in order to be included in the 10 May or 10 June issues respectively. We reserve the right to edit submissions (for length etc).
And as usual, please do keep the ideas and comments coming in. Send to: editor@get-sust.com.
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 |  |
Can we cut it? Yes we can.
Our homes use up thirty percent of the UK’s total energy requirement. If we are to meet government targets for reducing carbon emissions, this level of energy consumption cannot be sustained. The question is: can we cut it?
Researchers from the UK’s Environmental Change Institute say “Yes, we can”, and if what they say is true then erstwhile Bob-the-Builders across the nation need to prepare for the boom in demand for LZCs so that we can control our PCAs.
If that sounds like Bob’s been at the cat food again, let me explain... LZCs are “low or zero carbon technologies” such as heat pumps, solar hot water systems, photovoltaics, and combined heat and power (CHP) systems. PCAs are “personal carbon allowances” - a proposed new approach to making the general public more aware of the consequences of energy profligacy.
The Oxford University-based team came to their conclusion after a two-and-a-half year study into domestic energy usage called the “40% House” project. The title comes from the fact that the average home will need to achieve a 40 percent saving if we are to meet the government’s overall target to cut UK carbon emissions by 60% by 2050. The study has taken account of climatic predictions, projected demographic changes, legislative constraints, technological developments, construction market analysis and a whole lot more.
They conclude that - if we get it right - homes of the future will be more comfortable, more densely packed, and smaller (because more of us will be living alone). They will also be net exporters of electricity, because they will typically incorporate two LZCs per household.
The team’s final report, which was unveiled at a conference on 23 March, presents a detailed manifesto for change to the UK housing sector which, if adopted, would result in: the demolition of some 14% of current homes that are simply beyond redemption in terms of energy-efficiency; significant energy improvements to the rest; and building 10 million new very efficient homes between 2005 to 2050.
The beauty of their proposals is that they are not asking anyone to do anything that can’t be done already. The LZC technologies that underpin the energy-savings in both new and existing dwellings are already with us. All that is required is a process of “market transformation” - in other words, government intervention to encourage consumers to demand these energy-efficiency measures. This, they believe, is well within current capabilities, particularly when the requirement for energy labelling of buildings gets under way. But the introduction of PCAs is, they suggest, another useful (and pain-free) way to drive forward change. PCAs, they argue, are an equitable solution to raising public awareness of energy use, because setting a cap on individual consumption does not exacerbate fuel poverty, unlike direct fuel taxes.
Their vision is powerful - and optimistic. UK consumers may be at the front of the queue for the latest in electronic gadgetry, but when it comes to our homes we’re a traditional bunch. A recent feature in The Guardian poured consumer bile on “new-fangled” condensing boilers - a technology that’s been with us for more than 20 years... So, without firm support from government, it may be some time before we see Bob up on the roof installing a micro-turbine!
Learn more:
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• | The 40% House conference was organised by the University of Oxford Environmental Change Institute. The full report and some of the presentations from the event can be downloaded at http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk. |
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• | See “Brave new world” by the ECI’s
Brenda Boardman in The Guardian (Society section), Wednesday 30 March, at http://www.theguardian.co.uk. |
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• | See also: “The new boiler that's causing a heated row” by Phillip Inman in The Guardian, Saturday April 2. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Manifestos galore
The political parties are not the only ones to publish manifestos in the past month - RIBA is also getting in on the act.
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) launched its Manifesto for Architecture last month in anticipation of the General Election campaign. The manifesto lists "21 Actions for a Better Britain", and has been sent to all parliamentary candidates.
The 21 key action points include:
| • | Making government funding contingent on good design quality |
| • | Introducing Stamp Duty relief on the first sale of sustainable homes |
| • | Using the development of publicly owned land to pioneer sustainable design and construction techniques |
| • | Using the 2007 council tax valuation review to offer discounts to householders and private-sector landlords if they adopt energy efficiency or waste reduction schemes. |
| • | Widening the coverage of energy labels - due to be introduced for buildings open to the public from 2006 - to cover all new projects. |
Learn more:
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• | Download the RIBA Manifesto for Architecture (pdf) from http://www.riba.org/go/RIBA/News/Policy_4440.html. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Join the comfort network
The Network for Comfort and Energy Use in Buildings (NCEUB) is a new forum for researchers, consultancies, designers and manufacturers concerned with building- related energy issues and the requirements for human thermal comfort.
The organisers are particularly keen to encourage practitioners to join the 80-strong group because the aim is to define and promote the research that is needed to understand and enhance the thermal comfort of building occupants. The network is funded by the EPSRC, and it will result in research to underpin new norms and standards for indoor climate and design guidance for building controls.
The intention is that the network will also be a centre for information, with regular meetings and an international conference in 2006.
Learn more:
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• | Contact Dr Janet Rudge (e-mail: j.rudge@londonmet.ac.uk) or Professor Fergus Nicol (e-mail: f.nicol@londonmet.ac.uk). |
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• | See http://www.learn.londonmet.ac.uk/portfolio/2002-2004/nceub.shtml. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Energy-efficient ventilation for city dwellers
What is the best ventilation strategy for inner city dwellings, where security is an issue? A post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of London’s Coin Street social housing development has put the spotlight on mechanical ventilation with heat recover (MVHR) systems.
Andrew Macintosh and Koen Steemers of Cambridge University’s Department of Architecture conducted a thorough investigation into the energy performance of the Coin Street homes and their MVHR systems. As well as monitoring the systems for a short period, they used questionnaires to find out whether the occupants’ behaviour was having an impact on efficiency.
They found that, despite the overall success of this housing scheme, the MVHR did not perform in line with expectations. Indeed, energy consumption was higher than if natural ventilation alone was available. Two main problems were identified: firstly, most occupants did not fully understand the system, and did not realise how their own actions would interfere with the system’s performance; and secondly, the designers had not fully accounted for the implications of the occupants’ behaviour. Indeed, instead of spending the money on the MVHR units, the designers could have achieved the same standard of energy efficiency by specifying an extra 300mm of mineral wool insulation around the entire property (not allowing for construction and space costs). On the other hand, without the MVHR system, they would have needed to find an alternative solution for ventilating the bathrooms, which would have had implications for both noise and energy.
Most post-occupancy studies are of office buildings, so as well as shedding light on the performance of MVHR for domestic applications, this paper is a useful addition to the POE literature.
Learn more:
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• | See “Ventilation strategies for urban housing: lessons from a PoE case study” by Andrew Macintosh and Koen Steemers, Building Research & Information (January- February 2005) 33(1), 17-31. See http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/09613218.asp. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Are you sitting comfortably?
Ask a group of people in the same room whether they feel too warm, too cold or just right, and chances are they will each give a different answer. “Comfort” is highly subjective. Of course it is closely linked to climate, but it is also affected by more abstract issues such as culture (see “Conference report - Closing the loop: post- occupancy evaluation” in Get Sust! no. 4). Two researchers from Lancaster University, who have been investigating this thorny issue, suggest that we must begin a nation-wide debate on comfort, or face a future where we live and work in energy-guzzling “climate fortresses”.
It seems that, in their concern for meeting future trends in outdoor temperatures, clients are beginning to demand ever more exacting indoor conditions. One buildings services engineer interviewed by researchers Heather Chappells and Elizabeth Shove reported that a client had asked for their building to be able to cope with outdoor temperatures of 40 degrees C! Such attitudes are rightly raising concerns over the energy demands that future air-conditioning systems might make.
This is just one example from several reported by Chappells and Shove in the January/February issue of the journal Building Research & Information, based on their detailed study that involved 13 architects, building services engineers, property developers, manufacturers and regulators. The participants in the study were selected specifically for their expertise in this field, and the findings make very interesting reading. In particular, opinions on how to tackle the comfort problem varied considerably. Chappells and Shove view this positively, saying that the diversity of opinion suggests that there is also a wide range of possible solutions.
The key problem they identify is that people are coming to expect standard comfort conditions in offices, shopping malls and cars. To counter this growing demand, the authors conclude that we need to embark on a nation-wide debate that will raise awareness of the environmental costs of uniform conditions - and their article is an excellent starting point.
Learn more:
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• | “Debating the future of comfort: environmental sustainability, energy consumption and the indoor environment”, by Heather Chappells and Elizabeth Shove, Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, Building Research & Information, (January-February 2005) 33(1), 32-40. See http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/09613218.asp. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Maximising daylighting in offices
A lack of simple evaluation tools is, according to one research team, one of the reasons why only 10 percent of US commercial buildings have daylighting schemes, even though almost 50 percent of the buildings are equipped with energy-efficient lamps and ballasts. To combat this problem, the team has developed one such tool, which they describe in the February issue of the journal Building and Environment.
Moncef Krarti, Paul Erickson, and Timothy Hillman of the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, suggest that some of the simulation tools currently available are time- consuming to use, and require calculation procedures that are specific to one site or one climate zone. Instead, they propose a simpler method that can be used as a pre- design tool to assess the potential of daylighting to reduce reliance on artificial lighting in office buildings.
Their technique estimates the potential for cutting artificial lighting by referring to building perimeter areas, window transmittance and window area; and their report explains how the model was tested for several combinations of building geometry, window opening size, and glazing types for four geographical locations in the United States.
Learn more:
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• | “A simplifed method to estimate energy savings of artificial lighting use from daylighting”, by Moncef Krarti, Paul M. Erickson, Timothy C. Hillman, Building and Environment 40 (2005) 747-754 |
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• | The article is available on-line to Science Direct subscribers at http://www.sciencedirect.com. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
A sustainability “index” for project assessment
Grace Ding of the University of Technology, Sydney, has developed a new model for assessing the sustainability of construction projects. The system defines four key “sustainable development determinants” - financial return, energy consumption, external benefits, and environmental impact. Writing in the January/February issue of the journal Building Research & Information, she explains the background to this assessment technique and uses a case study to demonstrate its power.
Learn more:
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• | “Developing a multicriteria approach for the measurement of sustainable performance” by Grace K.C.Ding, Building Research & Information (January-February 2005) 33(1), pp3-16. See http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/09613218.asp. |
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• | See also: “Review: Life-cost approach to building evaluation”, below. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Life-cost approach to building evaluation
By Craig A Langston
Students are notoriously poor at managing their money. Making sure there’s enough change for a pint after the rent has been paid is about as much as most would wish to have to cope with. Unfortunately for readers of Get Sust!, calculating the cost of a construction project is a complex issue that can no longer be avoided. A truly sustainable project is the result of a team effort; and all team members will need to be aware of the cost implications of their decisions. So you’ll just have to knuckle down and get a basic grasp of buildings-related economics...
Thank goodness, then, for Professor Craig A Langston’s new book, which will give you a pretty good foundation in just twelve short chapters.
Each chapter represents one week’s worth of an undergraduate-level course on life- cycle costing. The chapters include “learning objectives, “lecture notes”, worked examples, review questions and a summary of key points. Presentation slides to accompany the text can be downloaded from the publisher’s website (http://www.elsevier.com).
With most courses, the early weeks of study can be a little mystifying; and so it might seem with this book. The plethora of equations and abbreviations (DPV, NPV, IRR, BCR, NB, SIR, DCF, DFV...) in the early chapters might seem off-putting, but if you can grit your teeth and persevere as far as Chapter 8 (life costing in practice) it all suddenly falls into place. At which point the wise reader will go back and work carefully through the exercises in chapters 1-7 which they have skipped over at the first read! (OK, we’ve all been there...)
In fact, these early chapters in particular may also prove to be a valuable primer for practitioners who are having to get to grips with life-cycle costings for the first time.
The only slight caution I have in recommending this book is that it might not accurately reflect the needs of UK-based readers. (The author is Chair of Construction Management and Director of the Built Environment Research Group at Deakin University in Australia.) For example, life-cycle costing (or whole life costing) is becoming an important tool for procurement in the public sector in the UK, which is not mentioned. Indeed, the term “whole life cost” is widely used in this country in preference to “life-cost”, which the author prefers. But these minor issues do not detract from the overall usefulness of the book.
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• | “Life-cost approach to building evaluation” by Craig A Langston is published by Butterworth Heinemann, price £29.99. ISBN 0 75066 630 7. |
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• | Order a copy on-line at http://www.elsevier.com. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Geothermal energy: utilization and technology
Edited by Mary H. Dickson and Mario Fanelli
This book aims to present a detailed introduction to the various methods and technologies used to exploit the earth’s heat. Beginning with an overview of the principles, leading experts in the field write on the main applications of geothermal energy - from space and district heating to industrial applications. The book also discusses environmental impact and the economic, financial and legal aspects of the technology. Case studies are included throughout.
The editors are both affiliated with the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of Pisa, Italy, and Mary Dickson is associate editor of the international journal Geothermics.
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• | “Geothermal energy: utilization and technology”, by Mary H. Dickson and Mario Fanelli (eds) is published by Earthscan price £55 (10 percent discount for on-line orders) ISBN 1844071847 |
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• | Order on-line at http://www.earthscan.co.uk. |
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Reclaimed water
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has produced a new guide that will enable building designers, operators and developers to understand and specify water reclamation systems.
The guide outlines the different systems and techniques available for reclaiming and using rainwater and grey water (i.e. water that has been used for bathing or laundry). It also gives an overview of the design approach and a description of how systems can be sized to provide the optimum capacity.
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• | “Reclaimed water” costs £15 (plus p&p) for CIBSE members and £30 (plus p&p) for non-members. Order on-line at http://www.cibse.org/publications. |
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• | This is the first publication in the CIBSE Knowledge Series, a range of practical guides that will cover the key areas within building services. |
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Recycling your window waste: a good practice guide
This two-part good practice guide from WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) is designed to provide window fabricators, installation professionals, site managers and other professionals working in the housing sector with practical guidance on how to recycle window waste.
Research commissioned by WRAP has found that there is up to 500,000 tonnes of flat glass waste arising from buildings in the UK every year. The domestic replacement window sector is one of the UK’s main sources of glass waste, with around 6.8 million window units replaced each year. These units account for around 190,000 tonnes of waste, including 90,000 tonnes of glass and substantial amounts of timber, PVC-U and other frame materials. At present, very little of this waste is recycled.
This new two-part guide highlights recycling opportunities and the potential cost savings. In addition, it stresses the benefits of gaining good environmental credentials through recycling.
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• | Copies of the guide can be downloaded from the WRAP website at: http://www.wrap.org.uk/materials/glass/processing_collection/flat_glass.html. |
| © Melanie Thompson 2005 | |
Detailing for deconstruction
The end of a building’s life can be as significant as its beginning - in terms of sustainability and waste-minimisation.
This seminar, sponsored by the Scottish Ecological Design Association (SEDA), the Lighthouse Centre for Architecture and the Scottish Executive focuses on the ways in which careful design can ensure that building components can be re-used once the building reaches the end of its useful life. It takes place at The Lighthouse Centre for Architecture and Design, Glasgow, on Friday 15 April (1.30pm to 5pm).
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• | Contact Gill Pemberton, SEDA administrator. E-mail: info@seda2.org. |
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• | See http://www.seda2.org. |
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Novel ways with recycled concrete
“Recycled innovations - the first step to a big idea”, is a free lecture in a series organised by The Concrete Centre. Three speakers will present their personal approach to recycling:
| • | Steve Bowkett, of London South Bank University, tells how he cast and built a recycled glass-aggregate concrete worktop for his new kitchen. |
| • | Tito Chaudhuri, of Chaudhuri Architects, describes the planning, design and construction of a concrete extension to his own home, which has been clad externally with the formwork. |
| • | Alan Chandler, Architect and Lecturer at UEL, explains the use of fabric formwork for casting highly original “duvet-like” concrete walls and panels. |
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• | "Concrete Elegance" takes place on Wednesday 20 April (6.30pm) at The Building Centre, 26 Store Street, London, WC1 |
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• | E-mail: events@buildingcentretrust.org. |
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• | See http://www.concretecentre.com. |
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Small scale, buildings-integrated wind power
The number of small-scale wind turbines in use has risen dramatically as they become more efficient and cost-effective. Buildings-integrated wind systems have also been the subject of considerable research and show a great deal of potential with many successful prototypes being developed.
BRE is hosting a one-day event, in partnership with the British Wind Energy Association, to discuss these developments and an exhibition will show how they can be incorporated into building developments.
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• | This event takes place on 28 April
at BRE’s headquarters near Watford. Contact BRE Events for more details. E-mail: events@bre.co.uk. |
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Re-fabulous homes
We’ve all heard of “pre-fab”, but what about “re-fab”? According to the Housing Forum, “re-fabulous homes” can provide a quick and economic solution to housing provision because they carefully re-use existing properties where redevelopment would be a retrograde option.
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• | Find out more on 16 May 2005 (2pm
to 6pm). Tickets cost £50.00, and are available from the
Housing Forum. Tel: 020 7592 1100. E-mail: Zoe.legrand@constructingexcellence.org.uk. |
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Conference on passive and low-energy cooling
The “Passive and low energy cooling for the built environment conference” (palenc 2005) takes place at Santorini, Greece on 19 to 21 May 2005.
This event will focus on technologies to deal with the summer performance of buildings, particularly ventilation, solar control, use of thermal mass, thermal comfort, urban microclimate landscaping, low-energy architecture, innovative components and materials, and advanced and alternative air-conditioners.
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• | Details are at http://palenc2005.conferences.gr/. |
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resourceO5 - The low carbon technologies conference and exhibition
Organised by BRE, and supported by the Energy Saving Trust, the Carbon Trust and RIBA, this event draws together the leading experts on energy efficiency and low carbon technology. Over three days, case studies, demonstrations and visits will be used to explain the benefits of low-carbon technologies for housing, non-domestic buildings and community-wide projects.
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• | resource05 runs from 13-15 September at BRE’s headquarters near Watford. |
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• | Full details are at http://www.resource05.com. |
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New masters courses: Regeneration, conservation and sustainable design
From September 2005, the University of Dundee will offer the first urban design programme to concentrate specifically on regeneration through conservation and sustainable design.
The course has been devised to meet a need for more interdisciplinary training in the built environment. It will achieve this through a unique feature - the "city laboratory" - where architects and planners will work together and learn from each other in a non- hostile environment. The idea is to encourage the development of critical and reflective understanding of the issues that are fundamental to sustainable architecture.
The programme can be taken on a full-time or modular basis.
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• | For further information and entry requirements
contact Cherry White, Faculty Secretary, Duncan of Jordanstone
College of Art and Design, University of Dundee. E-mail: c.a.white@dundee.ac.uk. |
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• | Details are at http://www.trp.dundee.ac.uk/courses/RCSD.html. |
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Year-out student opportunity
Brock Carmichael Architects, of Liverpool is looking for newly ARB-registered architects, and Part 1, Year-out students to join its award-winning practice. Projects cover new build, refurbishment, commercial, education, housing, city living, listed and historic buildings.
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• | Visit http://www.brockcarmichael.co.uk. |
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• | Send your CV and examples of work
to Gordon Almond, Brock Carmichael Architects, 19 Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9JQ. E-mail: almond.g@brockcarmichael.co.uk. |
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Newly qualified landscape architect, London
Livingston Eyre Associates Ltd is looking for a recently qualified Part 4 Landscape Architect and a Part 3 Graduate Landscape Architect to work in its Shoreditch studio on large-scale urban renewal, new schools and health projects.
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• | Please send a brief CV with examples of your work (no more than five A4 sheets please) to: Laura Stone, Livingston Eyre Associates Ltd, 35-42 Charlotte Road, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3 PG. E-mail: laura@livingstoneyre.co.uk. |
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• | See http://www.livingstoneyre.co.uk. |
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