Autumn 2010 Issue 45

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ConstruCtIng the future 45

Local planning 07PassivHaus – past, present and future 09Are we renewable ready? 11A real test for building structures 12Sustainable housing refurbishment 13

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Constructing the future is published by the BRE Group, a world leading research consultancy, training, testing and certification organisation, delivering sustainability and innovation across the built environment and beyond. The BRE Group is wholly owned by the BRE Trust, a registered charity aiming to advance knowledge, innovation and communication in all matters concerning the built environment for the benefit of all. All BRE Group profits are passed to the BRE Trust to promote its charitable objectives.

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Localism, localism, localism

The UK’s coalition government has made very clear its determination to devolve housing and planning decisions to local communities. Whilst this has been widely welcomed, there are some very important concerns that need to be addressed.

One is that local communities may simply resist new housing and other construction in their areas. They often associate such developments with a reduced quality of life and environment within those communities – loss of amenity, traffic congestion, strained public services, costly infrastructure provision, increased carbon emissions, a degraded natural environment and so on.

But with around 4.5 million families on housing waiting lists and a further 6.3 million new households expected to form over the next twenty years, the demand for new housing remains very urgent.

Another concern is that local authorities, freed from central constraints, will each develop different and wide ranging sets of planning regulations and requirements – confronting developers and construction companies with a different set of hoops to jump through with almost every new project.

One way in which local authorities can address these issues is by using BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) as the basis of their planning frameworks. They can tailor BREEAM and CSH requirements to their own circumstances so that communities are reassured that new developments will improve their local economies without degrading the environment. At the same time the overall approach taken by BREEAM and CSH is retained so the goal posts are not being continually moved for builders.

A programme of advice and guidance for local authorities wanting to use BREEAM and CSH to achieve the sustainable planning that will benefit both planners and developers, is being run by BRE Global – see page 7.

samantha Borley BREEAM Local Government Consultant for Non-Domestic Buildings

01 Comment

02 news

07 how will local planning deliver the homes and developments we need? The Government is giving local authorities and communities much greater freedom to decide how housing and other development needs should be met.

09 Passivhaus – past, present and future It has been just over five years since the PassivHaus concept was introduced to the UK, but where are we now?

11 Are we renewable ready? Although welcome, a new ‘renewable age’ of energy production will not be the panacea for all our energy ills.

12 A real test for building structures When the theoretical calculations and investigative small-scale testing have been done, research scientists and practitioners often complete their understanding on large or full-scale building elements and components to ensure their data and any resulting models are accurate.

13 sustainable housing refurbishment The energy efficiency of the UK’s older housing stock will play a much bigger role than new housing in reducing the UK’s carbon emissions.

New lease of life for terraced homes in Wales A project to refurbish six former Welsh miners’ houses into sustainable and desirable modern homes was launched recently by Jane Davidson AM, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing.

The Wales Eco Terrace Project in Penrhiwceiber, Rhondda Cynon Taf demonstrates how single-skin stone-walled Victorian houses can be transformed into spacious, energy efficient low carbon homes. It is estimated that their CO2 emissions and heating bills will be halved, an important achievement as terraced dwellings of this kind present a major barrier to improving the overall energy efficiency of the Welsh housing stock.

The homes, which are owned by the Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, have been refurbished under the Heads of the Valleys Regeneration Programme, with Rio appointed as architects.

BRE Wales advised the project team on energy and sustainability issues to ensure that the homes reached the ‘EcoHomes’ Excellent standard. ‘The interiors of the homes have been completely gutted and redesigned to make the maximum use of space and light,’ says BRE Wales Director, Nick Tune. ‘All aspects of design have been thoroughly reviewed, including fabric, services, materials and occupant use, with the aim of minimising energy consumption.’

Insulation and triple glazing will reduce heat loss and improve energy efficiency, while roof mounted solar thermal collectors linked to ‘A’ rated condensing boilers keep energy bills low. Use of water butts, low capacity baths and water flow regulators will reduce water demand.

The open and flexible living spaces are conducive to modern family life. Daylight to internal spaces has been increased to reduce the demand for artificial lighting and increase the occupants’ well-being, and full advantage has been taken of beautiful views of the local valley.

‘As well as bringing older homes into the 21st century and reducing carbon and other environmental impacts,’ says Nick Tune, ‘this is the kind of regeneration that can boost local economies during these difficult financial times – reinvigorating streets and communities.’

When in use, the homes will be monitored for energy consumption, and for reductions in heat loss and air leakage.

For more information Linda McKeown, T 01923 664569, E mckeownl@bre.co.uk

news 01 | 02

Schools use little grey cells to go greenUK primary and secondary schools are being invited to join a Europe-wide project in which 8-14 year old pupils will become Carbon Detectives on a mission to find their school’s carbon waste – and ways of eliminating it.

The Carbon Detectives programme will engage pupils and teachers in fun, interactive activities that help schools to become more sustainable, while delivering Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) elements into the curriculum and sharing experiences with other schools across Europe.

To become involved, schools simply register at www.carbondetectiveseurope.org. They are then provided with their initial carbon footprint, and access to a range of new teaching materials, planning tools and carbon calculators to help reduce it.

‘This three year programme will inspire young people to learn about how their everyday lives and the choices they make affect the global environment,’ says Karen Young of BRE, who is operating the scheme in the UK. ‘When multiplied across thousands of participating schools, it will be a powerful force for carbon reduction, and for encouraging communities, local authorities and politicians to get more involved in sustainability.’

Participating schools will be able to enter a national competition that provides an opportunity to showcase their artistic and imaginative talents. It will be open to all registered schools shortly.

Teachers will be able to benefit from specially developed training courses being run across the country in 2010. These will help them to deliver the ESD elements of the curriculum, and will provide more details on the Carbon Detectives programme and the national competition.

Carbon Detectives is supported by the Intelligent Energy Europe Programme, and in the UK by the Department for Energy and Climate Change, the Department for Education and CREATE (Centre for Research, Education and Training in Energy).

For more information Karen Young, T 01923 664656, E youngk@bre.co.uk www.carbondetectiveseurope.org

Jane Davidson AM, Minister for the Environment, Sustainability and Housing at the launch of the Wales Eco Terrace Project. Photo © Peter White, BRE

UK pupils are being encouraged to find their schools’ carbon waste – and ways of eliminating it – as part of a Europe-wide project.

The sole responsibility for the content of this publication lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Communities. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

New emissions testing regulations – burden or benefit?New European regulations will require manufacturers of construction products to undertake chemical emissions testing.

The British Measurement and Testing Association (BMTA) is hosting an event on 17 November, to consider whether the new regulations will necessarily be a burden to manufacturers and test laboratories – or whether there are benefits to be gained from a new market in low emission products.

Those attending the event at BRE in Watford, will hear about the existing and proposed legislation and standards, the implementation of a product emission testing scheme in Germany, proficiency testing schemes, and business opportunities deriving from emission testing. The programme will include practical demonstrations of emissions testing.

The event is aimed at companies manufacturing and using construction products and related items – such as flooring, surface coatings, adhesives and sealants, papers and textiles – along with test laboratories that monitor buildings and workplace environments, and carry out product emissions testing involving, for example, volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

With a prestigious line up of speakers and chaired by the BMTA President, Dr Jeff Llewellyn, the event is being co-sponsored by BRE Global, Markes International and the Institute for Environment and Health at Cranfield University.

For more information Carol Smith or Peter Russell, T 08456 444 603, E enquiries@bmta.co.uk

news

Turning sustainability strategy into realityRecent research has found that 68% of businesses cite sustainability as either ‘very’ or ‘highly’ important, and of these 70% have a sustainability strategy in place. But it is not clear that this high level commitment is actually improving sustainability on the ground.

Sustainability is not just about saving the planet and being ‘green’, it can be key to achieving business goals, securing recovery, encouraging long-term growth, saving money and staying ahead of the game. It can also, however, be mistakenly seen as being a barrier to business success, especially in tough times.

A new series of ‘Principles of sustainability’ training courses has been launched to improve the understanding of this challenging subject, and help those attending to move their businesses forward in the key areas of:

– making the case for sustainability and taking the business along

– delivering economic, social and environmental benefits – reducing waste and water consumption – managing energy and carbon.

The courses will raise awareness of relevant legislation, increase understanding of environmental impacts and encourage delegates to critically examine the economic models and ethical/social issues that affect their businesses. Being launched this Autumn, the courses will be delivered through a range of modern media. They aim to cut through the ‘green wash’ that can obscure the facts about sustainability, and directly help delegates to integrate sustainability into their own business processes.

For more information T 01923 664829 www.bre.co.uk/training

Construction products will require chemical emissions testing.

BRE Trust increases research spending The BRE Trust’s spending on built environment research projects rose to more than £2.7 million this year, a significant increase on last year.

At its AGM on 28 July, the Trust’s Chairman Sir Neville Simms announced that the net profit of the BRE Group – comprising BRE, BRE Global and FBE Management – was £3.05 million, based on a turnover of £46.6 million. ‘The financial performance of the BRE Group remains strong and has shown significant improvement despite the general market conditions,’ said Sir Neville.

£1.8 million was used to support projects being carried out through the Trust’s managed research programme and the NHBC Foundation. Much of the remaining research funding was used to support BRE University Centres of Excellence, including the four Chairs of the Centres and 26 PhD and engineering doctorate students. PhD funding has also been provided to the universities of Birmingham and Loughborough.

As part of its programme to produce and update publications needed by the industry, the Trust approved fifty two publications, of which ten have been published and the others are in advanced stages of production. Another 20 were produced as outputs from the research programme. The Trust is also supporting the web-based magazine, building4change, which aims to become the hub of knowledge for built environment sustainability issues.

For the fifth consecutive year the Trust has provided Parmiter’s School in Watford with support and financial assistance to enable a group of sixth form pupils to participate in the Engineering Education Scheme (England), which is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s ‘Best’ programme.

The scheme enables pupils to work on real research projects, guided by mentors from local companies – in this case BRE Global – so they can experience science, engineering and technology first hand. This year’s project on ‘Research into the energy saving properties of phase change materials’ gained the Parmiter’s students a gold award in the British Association for the Advancement of Science CREST scheme.

For more information Chris Watson, T 01923 664743, E watsonc@bretrust.org.uk www.bretrust.org.uk

BreeaM aCCreDITeD ProFeSSIonal (aP) WorKSHoPSBREEAM APs provide the design team with expert advice on built environment sustainability.

BREEAM AP workshops are on: 19 October at BRE Watford 5 November in Scotland 24 November at BRE Watford 30 November in Wales 14 December at BRE Watford

www.bre.co.uk/training

reD BooK 2010

– World renowned listing of independently certified products and services.

– Essential specifier reference website for the design, specification and purchase of fire and security products.

Available in print, on CD, on line, and now also on a memory stick.

T 01923 664100 E enquiries@breglobal.com www.redbooklive.com

news 03 | 04

New training courses in ScotlandA new series of built environment sector training courses in Scotland has recently been announced. The courses will be held over the coming months at BRE Scotland in East Kilbride, and will make use of case studies, software tools and hands-on practice to cover a range of key issues for today’s industry, including:

Air conditioning inspection – for experienced practitioners and APEL applicants. Asbestos – IATP approved asbestos management training. Energy Management – understanding where and how an organisation uses energy and the opportunities for cost-effective reductions in energy use. Energy Performance Certification training – BRE is approved by the Building Standards Division of the Scottish Government, to operate an EPC Scheme for Domestic and Non-Domestic Buildings in Scotland. Renewables – a comprehensive introduction to renewable energy technologies. SBEM – refresher course for those who have completed a full SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) training course.

For more information T 01355 576200, E trainscotland@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

New-look Surface Design ShowThe Surface Design Show, the only UK exhibition for architects, interior designers and specifiers wanting to source the most innovative and creative surfaces on the market, is undergoing a revamp for 2011.

The key theme is ‘Material Thinking’ – looking at what is shaping the future in materials and focussing on pushing the boundaries of existing materials. New feature areas will be created with this theme running throughout the content.

‘Our hugely popular Preview and Gala Evenings return... with a twist!’ says the Show’s Marketing Manager, Vanessa Barnsdale. ‘The evenings will feature world class speakers, debate and networking opportunities.

‘Brand new for 2011 are three “materials pavilions” that will showcase what’s new in the areas of timber, concrete and glass. The Inspiration Centre will showcase innovative and inspiring products that are new to the market, and the BRE Green Guide Theatre will once again feature all the hot topics in sustainability.’

Providing visitors with a unique opportunity to touch, feel and test the latest surfaces, discover the latest innovations in the industry and network in an exclusive environment, the Surface Design Show will take place from 15–17 February 2011 at The Business Design Centre.

For more information www.surfacedesignshow.com

The new-look Surface Design Show is on 15-17 February 2011.

Innovation Park membership scheme – one year onWith a number of high-profile companies now on board, the BRE Innovation Park membership scheme has proved extremely popular since its launch in July 2009.

The main purpose of the Innovation Park is to demonstrate and communicate the latest innovations and applied research in building design and sustainability. As such the Park has become a test bed for trialling new solutions, in response to the challenges faced by the construction industry, with the key aim of catalysing change and moving the industry forward.

Members benefit from discounted group visits to the Park, opportunities to network with and learn from the UK’s most go-ahead manufacturers, architects, designers and developers, and access to meeting and conference facilities in a unique location – as well as exposure to the thousands of visitors who visit the Park each year.

For more information on joining the scheme Dolores Kelly, T 01923 664293, E KellyDM@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/innovationpark

SBEM 2010 launchedAn enhanced new version of the software tool SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) was unveiled in July. It will enable designers, developers and suppliers to demonstrate compliance with the revised Part L of the Building Regulations, which takes effect in October across England and Wales.

SBEM calculates the energy use and carbon emissions for all non-domestic buildings. Now in its fourth version, the revised SBEM implements a number of technical enhancements to the calculation procedures, and generates target emission rates according to the new 2010 methodology.

The new tool and associated documentation, produced by BRE on behalf of Communities and Local Government (CLG), is available to download from www.2010ncm.bre.co.uk.

For more information Linda McKeown, T 01923 664569, E mckeownl@bre.co.uk www.2010ncm.bre.co.uk

Solar PoWer on BUIlDInGS 20 October 2010 at BRE Watford

Conference examining the economics of BIPV

Making money by incorporating PV into building design – the aesthetically acceptable approach

T 01923 664462 E breeam@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/BIPVconference

news

Responsible sourcing award for Celsa Steel. From left: Derek Hughes (BRE Global), Francesc Rubiralta (Celsa Steel UK) and Deputy First Minister for Wales, Ieuan Wyn Jones AM.

Kick-starting a green economy in WalesA new mini-community of zero and near zero carbon homes, on an old steel works site in Ebbw Vale, aims to not only stimulate the development a low carbon built environment in Wales, but also kick-start a ‘green’ economy.

The Welsh Future Homes project, launched on 4 August by Jane Davidson AM, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing, comprises three affordable houses and a visitor centre. Constructed from a range of locally sourced materials, all of the buildings demonstrate high sustainability credentials and low energy costs of as little as £50 per annum.

The development, a partnership project between BRE Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government, Blaenau Gwent Council and United Welsh Housing Association includes:

– A three-bedroom PassivHaus, designed by Bere Architects and developed by United Welsh Housing association to meet Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH). It was constructed with a close panel timber frame system, developed by BRE, Bere and Holbrook timber frame, and clad with Welsh Larch.

– A three-bedroom house developed by Dragonboard (a company from Flint) to meet CSH Level 5. It uses the company’s own innovative board product, instead of oriented strand board, and plasterboard.

– A two-bedroom PassivHaus that is similar to the one listed above, but clad in Welsh lime render. A PassivHaus-standard window, the first to be developed and manufactured in Wales (see page 6), is being demonstrated on this house.

– A visitor centre designed by the Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) and constructed from the Ty Unnos post and beam system developed by WSA, Woodknowledge Wales, Coed Cymru and partners.

‘As well as developing sustainable homes,’ said BRE Wales Director Nick Tune, ‘we wanted to develop a range of Welsh-made construction materials and products that could meet the high sustainability criteria now essential in developing a low carbon built environment.’

Jane Davidson said, ‘The products developed here in Wales will act as a catalyst for a ‘greener’ economy by promoting the take up of indigenous construction materials, products and build systems.’

For more information Sue John, E sue.john@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk

Three-bedroom PassivHaus designed to be the first CSH Level 6, zero-carbon home in Wales.Photo © Peter White, BRE

BreeaM aWareneSS CoUrSeS28 September / 28 October / 25 November An insight into best practice in BREEAM assessment and making the most of a project’s potentialT 01923 664462 www.breeam.org/events

The main areas for company differentiation’‘There is no doubt that sustainable production and responsible sourcing are now becoming the main areas for company differentiation,’ said Francesc Rubiralta, General Manager of Celsa Steel UK, after being presented with an Eco-Reinforcement responsible sourcing certificate at a special event at Celsa’s UK facility in Cardiff.

Eco-Reinforcement is a third-party certification scheme developed by the reinforcing steel industry to comply with BRE Global’s BES 6001:2008 Framework Standard for the Responsible Sourcing of Construction Products. It provides a means for construction clients, specifiers and contractors to purchase reinforcing steel from a supply chain that is pro-actively addressing issues of sustainability.

‘I am delighted to see this Welsh-based company leading the way in forging a new sustainable economy for the 21st

century,’ said Ieuan Wyn Jones AM, the Deputy First Minister for Wales, who attended the event.

Presenting the Certificate, Derek Hughes, the Responsible Sourcing Scheme Manager at BRE Global said, ‘Celsa is an important member of the Stakeholder Group that was established to develop the Eco-Reinforcement scheme, and continues to help lead the way in developing responsible sourcing in the steel reinforcement sector.’

For more information Eco-Reinforcement www.eco-reinforcement.org Responsible sourcing www.bre.co.uk/sourcing

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BREEAM Data Centres 2010 A new green building standard could reduce energy use in data centres by more than 50%.

A working group of influential organisations has guided the development of a far reaching revision to the BREEAM method for assessing the environmental performance of data centres.

BREEAM Data Centres 2010 has been tailored to assess the particular environmental impacts of these distinctive buildings, whilst retaining BREEAM’s holistic approach to assessing the sustainability of buildings. It encourages the latest design and operational thinking in this rapidly changing sector.

‘The nature of their activity means that data centres are inherently high users of energy,’ says Carol Atkinson, CEO for BRE Global, ‘often being more than ten times as energy intensive as a typical office. We estimate that by designing and building a data centre to BREEAM ‘Excellent’ standard, energy use can be cut by more than half compared to a conventional new build facility.’

The new scheme has been developed using the existing BREEAM methodology as a framework, but adapted significantly with the help of leading organisations – including Digital Realty Trust, HSBC, Hewlett Packard and EDF Energy – whose ‘real world’ experiences of the particular characteristics of these buildings has been invaluable.

‘We are committed to building all future projects to BREEAM standard in Europe,’ says Digital Realty Trust’s Chief Technical Officer, Jim Smith, ‘and were the first to achieve BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating for a data centre in Europe’.

For more information www.breeam.org/datacentres

news 05 | 06

First PassivHaus window manufactured in WalesThe first window manufactured in Wales to meet PassivHaus requirements is being showcased at the recently launched Welsh Future Homes project in Ebbw Vale (see left).

Woodknowledge Wales, Bere and BRE worked with Beyer, a UK window designer, and eight Welsh joiners to develop the window, which can be made in Wales using Welsh timbers.

This could be an important step in increasing the UK uptake of PassivHaus homes and other buildings. Until now PassivHaus windows have generally had to be imported from Germany and Scandinavia, and have represented the main extra cost in achieving the PassivHaus standard.

PassivHaus is a construction standard that makes use of efficient components and a whole house ventilation system to give exceptionally low energy use and running costs. There are around 17,000 buildings constructed to the PassivHaus principles worldwide, including a small but growing number in the UK (see page 9).

‘Several companies have worked together to produce this window system,’ says Nick Tune, Director of BRE Wales. ‘Our aim was to develop and manufacture in Wales, using local timbers, a window that met the most stringent performance criteria.’

The windows now being demonstrated and monitored in a two-bedroom PassivHaus home at The Welsh Future Homes project, have been manufactured from heat treated larch and designed to achieve the typical PassivHaus window U-value of 0.8.

For more information Nick Tune, T 01639 864760, E tunen@bre.co.uk www.passivhaus.org.uk

Cool roofs A new publication is encouraging the use of ‘cool roofs’ in the UK to combat excessive interior heat gains and reduce urban smog formation.

‘Cool roofs’ is a generic term describing a range of roof types that incorporate external finishes with high levels of solar reflection and emissivity (a measure of the material’s ability to radiate or emit absorbed energy). They mitigate excessive interior heat gains, reducing the need for air conditioning and improving energy efficiency.

Research has demonstrated that cool roofs can contribute to passive cooling and to combating the urban heat island effect, thereby helping to reduce the incidence of urban smog formation. An urban heat island is a metropolitan area that is significantly warmer than its surrounding rural areas, mainly because urban development uses materials that effectively retain heat.

The new Information Paper, Cool roofs and their applications in the UK, explains what cool roofs are and how they work, their benefits and applications in the UK. ‘Cool roofs are expected to emerge as a valuable design and retro-fitting option in coming years,’ says co-author Pieter de Wilde.

For more information T 01344 328038 www.brebookshop.com

A new green building standard could reduce energy use in data centres by more than 50%.

Bre InnovaTIon ParK MeMBerSHIP SCHeMe

JoIn USAs a member of the BRE Innovation Park, you will be part of an exclusive club working in the built environment to push the boundaries of current knowledge and practice.

T 01923 664293 E KellyDM@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/innovationpark

CSHGovernMenT

Local planning

HoW WIll loCal PlannInG DelIver THe HoMeS anD DeveloPMenTS We neeD?

Within the first weeks of coming to office in April this year, Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, wrote to all local authorities informing them that they were no longer bound by the housing delivery targets imposed by the previous Government’s regional spatial strategy.

This was in line with planning policy positioning papers the Conservative Party published before the election. One of these, ‘Open Source Planning’, set out plans to reframe the planning system and make it much more bottom-up and grass-roots led. As a result, a number of local authorities that had been given housing delivery targets they were not comfortable with, have already dropped plans to meet them.

Not in my back yard? Tearing up previous building targets has left the building industry concerned about a possible return to ‘not in my backyard’ reactions by many local communities to housing and other development proposals in their areas. Where will the urgently needed new housing then be built?

The need to encourage an acceptance of new housing proposals is addressed in another planning paper written before the election, ‘Building Strong Foundations’. This suggests using incentives to bring about the growth in house building needed to close the deficit between the number of families on housing waiting lists and the number of homes being built each year.

An example of these incentives is a matching system in which the funding derived from any new local housing or commercial building development will be matched by central government. New council tax or business rates that the developments generate, for example, will be effectively doubled for the first six years with the aim of incentivising growth rather than imposing it.

This may be a useful carrot for cash-strapped local authorities, but what of the communities themselves? Standards of planning that reassure them that their local areas will be enhanced, rather than degraded by new developments, could go a long way towards bringing them on board. BREEAM and CSH can have important roles to play in this as discussed later.

The UK Government is giving local authorities and communities much greater freedom to decide how housing and other development needs should be met. They will be able, for example, to insist that developments achieve standards beyond those in building regulations. In fact, many planning authorities are already doing this by using BREEAM and the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) to set conditions for planning permission.

Justin Halewood discusses the new grass-roots approach to planning, the concerns this raises for the building industry, and BRE Global’s programme to help meet the needs of both planners and developers through BREEAM and CSH.

‘ A Bill will be introduced to devolve greater powers to councils and neighbourhoods and give local communities control over housing and planning decisions.’ Queen’s speech May 2010

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Bringing planners and developers together Many local authorities have shown an interest in using BREEAM and CSH in local planning, and BRE Global – which manages and develops BREEAM and was heavily involved in the development of CSH – is working to help them do this. A programme of advice provision is giving guidance on how local authorities can meet their own needs and those of the supply side developers and builders working with them.

This programme is allowing BRE Global to act as a sort of broker between developers and planners on the issue of localism, in order to formulate a shared vision of what sustainable development now means on the ground and in planning policy.

As part of its work to provide greater support to the local planning community, BRE Global has recruited a BREEAM Local Government consultant for non-domestic buildings, Samantha Borley. She has a mandate to actively engage with and support local authorities in their application and understanding of BREEAM in their areas, and to help them meet their sustainability aspirations.

‘We are exploring how BREEAM and CSH can be customised to suit local conditions and meet local demands,’ says Borley. ‘Is there, for instance, a way that local authorities can cherry pick certain elements of the BREEAM/CSH assessment, or emphasise them?

‘Water scarcity is a major issue in South East England, for example. The CSH water requirement to use no more than 80 litres of water per person per day is not normally mandatory for CSH level 3. But it could be made mandatory by local authorities in low rainfall areas such as the South East.

‘The key factor is that we are not taking a one size fits all approach – it’s about allowing the schemes to have the flexibility to suit the local contexts.’

As part of its programme, BRE Global has been running local authority workshops, packaged under the banner of Sustainability through planning. Three have already been held in June, July and August of this year and more are planned – details will soon be available at www.bre.co.uk .

These one-day events are divided into three parts. In the first, planning authorities give a presentation describing the planner’s perspective, including their experiences of writing planning policy for BREEAM and CSH and then implementing it. Then developers’ perspectives are addressed, and they are given a platform to tell the planners what works for them and what doesn’t. The third element of the day is a question and answer session.

07 | 08

Giving local communities what they want A point that comes up time and again at the workshops is the need to move away from planning based mainly on calculations of demand and financial viability, to a much more holistic measurement of sustainability.

Having been given power to make planning decisions for themselves, local communities will not tolerate unwelcome developments. They will expect the appropriate provision of amenities, resources, open spaces, transport and services, along with minimal carbon and other environmental impacts, and so on.

BREEAM and CSH can be tailored to ensure demands of this kind can be met, and therefore to deliver growth that is both economically and environmentally acceptable. And very importantly, if developments tick these boxes, local authorities will be more willing to release the necessary land, confident that they will be improving the local economy without degrading the environment. This is vital if sufficient land for housing is to be made available to prevent the sort of house price bubble that recently culminated in financial turmoil.

Guidance note A guidance note written for local planning authorities who want to use – or have already incorporated – BREEAM and CSH in their local development frameworks, is freely available at www.BREEAM.org/planning.

It draws on the key lessons learnt from the experiences of local planners who have used BREEAM and CSH in this way. The guidance is in two sections, one aimed at planning policy officers and the second at development control officers. It will form the basis of a BRE Information paper being published later this year.

More information Anyone wanting more information and guidance on using BREEAM and CSH to help achieve sustainable planning that is acceptable to local communities and economically viable for developers, should contact Samantha Borley – T 01923 664514, E borleys@bre.co.ukJustin Halewood is a BREEAM Technical Consultant at BRE Global.

A regulations mess? Of course, local authorities are well aware of the need to meet housing and other development demands in their areas, despite the removal of centrally determined targets. But another concern for the building sector is that the process of doing this could involve an uncontrolled proliferation of regulations and bureaucracy, as a result of the local authorities having greater freedom to set their own standards and requirements.

This is a concern that the use of BREEAM and CSH by local authorities as part of their planning requirements could address. The appeal of these standards to the building sector is the consistency they offer, and the fact that they give very clear and set targets – the goalposts aren’t continually moving.

With this sort of consistency in place, construction companies can invest in new design solutions and in their supply chains with confidence, and without the fear that this investment will be wasted by changing requirements. This has already helped to pull down the cost of building – particularly to the CSH – at a very fast rate, because construction companies have been able to build up economies of scale.

But that does not mean that BREEAM and CSH can’t be adapted to meet local needs. On the contrary, while they are national standards, they are flexible enough to meet local agenda without affecting their overall approach. It is therefore possible to localise them in a way that ensures developers will encounter standards they are familiar with. As a result construction companies don’t have to re-engineer and retool their business to meet a unique, locally specific standard for each new job.

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Passivhaus

It has been just over five years since the PassivHaus concept was introduced to the UK, but where are we now? Gavin Hodgson reports.

Photo © Tim CrockerBuilding © bere:architects

09 | 10

PassivHaus certified home on Ranulf Road, London by Bere Architects Canolfan Hyddgen training and education centre for Powys County Council by JPW Construction. In addition to gaining PassivHaus certification, this project won a BREEAM Award for Wales.

THe PaST Policy targets and building physics define the way forward

In 2005 the impending requirements of Part L 2006 were the key concern for many building professionals. But researchers at BRE were looking further into the future, to the development of higher energy efficiency standards for the Energy Saving Trust, and standards that could be used in the Code for Sustainable Homes.

Whilst this early work showed the importance of airtightness and thermal-bridging for achieving energy efficiency targets, a fundamental question remained to be answered – how far could (or should) energy efficiency be taken? Then a well timed telephone call from the Energy Research Centre for the Netherlands in 2005 introduced BRE to the concept of ‘PassivHaus’.

An immediately apparent advantage of the PassivHaus approach was the potential to achieve a higher energy efficiency standard, whilst reducing capital expenditure on the heating system and, potentially, on renewable technologies – which is especially important when trying to achieve Code levels 5 and 6.

In addition, results from the CEPHEUS project, which monitored more than 200 completed PassivHaus dwellings in Europe, confirmed that they had achieved an exceptional level of thermal comfort. Even in cold snap conditions, and without any heating, a PassivHaus could maintain an internal temperature of 16-17oC. This fundamental trait of PassivHaus design could have very positive repercussions in the UK in terms of excess winter deaths, fuel poverty and security of supply.

In 2007, as a result of the Promotion of PassivHaus (PEP) project, BRE launched the www.passivhaus.org.uk service which disseminated the lessons learnt from the European PassivHaus experience. The website is still going strong with over 2,500 active members. It also provides a free ‘PassivHaus Primer’ and a forum for discussion.

THe PreSenT PassivHaus adopted in several schemes

The uptake of PassivHaus in the UK has been similar to that in Germany and Austria some years previously – once the initial promotion occurs, it takes a number of years for the first demonstration projects to be realised. The first UK projects where delivered in 2009, with many now in construction and hundreds of units (of all building types) going through planning and detailed design.

PaSSIvHaUS FaQs

Is PassivHaus better than the Code? It is not really a question of being ‘better’ because PassivHaus and the Code for Sustainable Homes have different objectives. The Code sets targets for wider environmental standards, which include energy requirements (Ene.1) that are linked to Part L (fundamentally concerned with CO2 emissions). The PassivHaus standard only covers the energy required for space heating. The two standards are, however, mutually beneficial because PassivHaus can be used to satisfy the Ene.1 and Ene.2 requirements of the Code, and the Code encourages a better overall environmental standard to be achieved.

What are the challenges in delivering buildings to the PassivHaus standards? The main challenge is achieving the required level of airtightness (n50 = 0.6), but the risk can be minimised though good design and specification. Several developers and architects have now had dwellings successfully tested to this level of performance.

Can I open windows in a PassivHaus? Yes! You can open the windows in any house that incorporates mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, but the occupant should expect an energy penalty for doing so.

Is a PassivHaus costly to build? Experience in Europe indicates that while a 6% extra overall cost is likely, the quality assurance procedure can actually help to reduce costs. In the UK there are not enough completed units to have a definitive answer, but Canolfan Hyddgen achieved PassivHaus and BREEAM ‘Excellent’ for the same price as basic Part L2 compliance (see ‘PassivHaus Primer’ at www.passivhaus.org.uk for more information). A housing project in London, which BRE is advising on, has achieved PassivHaus for the same cost as a delivering a typical social housing project.

Are PassivHaus products widely available? All products can be sourced in the UK, although PassivHaus windows have had to be imported and re-sold at higher costs (but UK manufacturers are making progress in developing their own solutions – see page 6 ). PassivHaus windows have generally been the main extra cost in delivering PassivHaus.

Can I have a traditional heating system? Yes, although it is not strictly needed for a PassivHaus and will potentially increase overall cost.

What types of buildings can the PassivHaus concept be applied to? All buildings, although it can be difficult in existing dwellings because of technical and functional constraints.

Will adopting PassivHaus facilitate compliance with building regulations and the Code for Sustainable Homes? Yes! If a compliant design specification is derived from the PassivHaus Planning Package (PHPP) and transposed into SAP, a 30 to 45% improvement in CO2 emissions can be realised, depending on building type (this percentage improvement can be achieved without the use of a heat pump, biomass or other low-carbon or renewable technologies).

The handful of completed projects are demonstrating that, with careful planning, PassivHaus standards can be achieved without additional capital expenditure, but the number of completed projects is still too small to be conclusive. The certified projects in the UK include, in addition to a number of homes, a training and education centre and a centre for disability studies.

Two new affordable PassivHaus homes were launched in August as part of the Welsh Future Homes Project on the site of an old steel works in Ebbw Vale, Wales. Each of the buildings has been constructed from a range of locally sourced materials. On one of the homes, Woodknowledge Wales, Bere Architects and BRE worked with Beyer, a UK window designer, and eight Welsh joiners to develop a PassivHaus standard window that can be made by Welsh joiners using Welsh timbers (see pages 5 and 6).

THe FUTUre More training, more delivery and reduced capital costs

The PassivHaus concept is now well understood and a number of projects have been realised, but the mainstreaming of PassivHaus will require more training and education.

The completion of more projects will create a demand for UK-manufactured products, and provide firmer data on the benefits, potential disadvantages and costs of adopting PassivHaus.

In 2010/11, to support the greater uptake of PassivHaus, BRE will be offering:

Training courses, from September this year, for designers and consultants wanting to become ‘Certified European PassivHaus Designers’. There will also be a certification scheme so that qualified designers can offer a certification service directly to their clients.

UK wide CPD seminars on PassivHaus – these half-day RIBA accredited seminars will introduce those attending to the design requirements of the PassivHaus concept.

A new publication, written in partnership with the NHBC Foundation on the ‘Lessons learnt from the PassivHaus experience in Europe’.

For more information www.passivhaus.org.uk

Gavin Hodgson is a Senior Consultant in BRE’s Housing Group.

Are we renewable ready?

are We reneWaBle reaDy?Feed-in-Tariffs and the Government’s Green Deal will stimulate greater take up of renewable energy in homes – but will we have the technologies and attitudes to energy efficiency needed to get the best return on this investment? The Director of the BRE Centre of Excellence in Energy Utilisation (an integral part of the Energy Systems Research Unit in the Department of Mechanical Engineering) at the University of Strathclyde, Professor John Counsell, says that, although welcome, a new ‘renewable age’ of energy production will not be the panacea for all our energy ills – new approaches to building management and design are among many issues that must also be addressed.

Professor John Counsell and his team of researchers in Strathclyde (funded by the BRE Trust, SFC, EPSRC and TSB) are trying to transform the energy management and design of buildings, by developing new products and technologies for reducing energy demand, managing electricity loads and operating buildings more efficiently.

Professor Counsell’s background is in mechanical and control systems engineering. After completing his PhD at British Aerospace and joining (in 1991) EA Technology, he saw a ‘huge opportunity’ to transfer his skills in leading-edge systems engineering to the demand-side energy management business.

From aerospace systems to gas-fired central heating boilers may seem a bit of a leap, but for Counsell it is a logical progression. ‘People should be steering buildings in much the same way as they drive cars or pilot planes,’ he says. It’s not surprising therefore, that researchers in his department are currently developing new algorithms for centralised and decentralised building control systems, based on those used in the aerospace industry.

Technology advances are vital to the UK’s energy supply, and many will facilitate the greater use of renewable energy. The wide ranging benefits of reducing energy demand, for example, will include making renewable energy use a more viable alternative to the national grid. Electricity load management is also crucial to the success of renewables, including the ability to store excess energy generated in favourable conditions for later use when generation is difficult. Photovoltaic systems, for example, may generate more energy than a household needs during the day – that excess needs to be efficiently stored for use during the evenings and weekends. By combining PV with systems such as micro CHP to create hybrid microgeneration schemes, it will be feasible to overcome PV shortfalls in winter months and minimise reliance on the grid.

Electricity load management methodologies are starting to emerge, but this is a long-term objective. ‘There has been a lot of research and development,’ says Counsell, ‘but the big challenge for researchers is still how we guarantee power demand and supply matching, when we don’t know what the demand or the nature of the future supply will be. Faced with this massive uncertainty, we need some kind of governor technology for matching energy supply and demand.’

Professor Counsell also stresses the importance of an integrated approach to building design. ‘There is no point in improving a building’s insulation, for example, if you then throw in a lot of high carbon impact and inefficient electronic devices and heating systems. We’ve known for many years how to improve the basic fabric of buildings, but we’re only beginning to learn how to better manage and use energy in them.’

Control systems Another area of interest to Counsell’s team is the controllability of buildings – a concept that is growing more important for climate-adaptive buildings that must be designed with controllability in mind.

‘ We want to develop control system as sophisticated as those in cars and planes,’

he says,‘ and to achieve the same advances in building control that we have recently seen, for example, in fuel-injection engines. We have to be careful with heating systems – if the building is now a sealed box we can’t get heat out to prevent overheating without using energy, so we have to control it better to minimise overheating situations.’

The primary issue for Counsell is that many so-called ‘advanced control systems’ don’t work that well. As a result people tend to interfere with them, switching things on and off and changing the settings, so the energy performance is even worse than that achieved with no control system at all.

We must understand the requirements and deliver what building users want, not introduce crude and simple systems that can actually make the building less energy efficient and less comfortable. What is the point, for example, of having thermostatic control if you put the thermometer over a radiator? ‘The people who install systems in planes and cars are highly skilled, and we need to establish the same level of expertise in the installation of building systems.’

Changing attitudes In addition to the technology challenge is the need to change the attitudes to energy management of those who design, build, sell and use buildings – we must all think more about managing and improving energy use. Advanced controls for reducing energy use and managing loads in buildings, for example, should become integral features and not just afterthoughts.

‘When people buy a laptop, ’ says Counsell, ‘they expect it to have the latest features, so why should buying a building be different?’He recognises that it will not be easy to change people’s habits or persuade business that it’s worth investing in buildings designed to lower energy use. ‘You can’t buck the market,’ he says. ‘Education is a good thing but it’s also a very slow process. Shorter-term success will only be achieved by financial drivers. Initiatives such as Feed-in Tariffs will help, and a target for the research centre is to remove the need for expensive-to-install 240V sockets in buildings, to simultaneously create big cost and energy saving incentives for builders, home owners and landlords.’

Longer term Counsell believes that solving the energy problem will ultimately depend on long-term investment. Too much is currently spent on ‘propping up what previous generations have done,’ rather than investing in proactive energy demand reduction and electricity load management, which could lead to significant savings for consumers as well as reduced emissions and energy use. Strong partnerships between governments and appliance manufacturing can bring about the reductions in carbon emissions needed by 2020 and 2050 by driving through advanced technologies into appliances.

‘There is too much spent on small-scale projects,’ says Counsell. ‘We need some very large initiatives to have a real impact on energy issues in future – creating jobs and stimulating economic growth without increasing the national debt.’ He believes that BRE is well placed to help with such initiatives. ‘We have unparalleled expertise in building energy use, and the independence needed to iron out poor performing products and design practices, and provide advice to government and the building industry on requirements for future building regulations.’

‘We must learn to control our demand for energy,’ concludes Counsell, ‘or there’s no end to how much we’ll have to spend on infrastructure to meet our energy needs and carbon reduction targets. To do this we need a new technological paradigm, plus significant investment in research and development to deliver new solutions that work.’

For more information Linda McKeown, E 01923 664569 T mckeownl@bre.co.uk

When the theoretical calculations and investigative small-scale testing have been done, research scientists and practitioners often choose to complete their understanding on large or full-scale building elements and components to ensure their data and any resulting models are accurate. A recent example has involved applying huge forces to large concrete columns. Peter White reports.

At the BRE structures laboratory in Watford, a number of large concrete columns have recently been subjected to gradually increasing loads of many hundreds of tonnes – until finally they cracked and crumbled under the impossible pressure.

This destructive force was being generated, under close scientific scrutiny, by the extraordinary Amsler large-scale test facility. The only one of its kind in the UK, the Amsler can generate loads of up to 1000 tonnes and apply them to full-sized building components.

The recent tests on building columns have been carried out as part of an EPSRC funded research project led by Dr Antony Darby of the BRE Centre of Excellence at the University of Bath, into the strength of rectangular concrete columns that have been wrapped in fibre reinforced polymer (FRP).

Strengthening concrete columns Wrapping with FRP has proved successful in strengthening circular columns. The FRP confines the concrete and can result in increases in load and strain capacity of more than 100%. But most columns are actually square or rectangular in cross section. Tests, mainly on small-scale rectangular columns, have shown a lower increase in strength, but still a valuable gain of up to 50%.

‘Simple empirical models have been developed to predict the increase in strength, based on small-scale tests,’ explains Rachel Coonan who has been conducting the recent tests as part of a PhD studentship. ‘But the limited size of the columns used provides little justification for the use of these models on the larger rectangular columns found in practice.’

‘We needed to carry out large-scale tests to obtain the information required to produce a reliable model of the behaviour of FRP wrapped rectangular columns. Our research focused on three poorly understood issues – the effects of column size, cross-sectional aspect ratio and load eccentricity.’

When a circular column is wrapped with FRP the confining forces are applied evenly around the column perimeter. But when wrapping rectangular columns the forces are focused at the corners and the confinement varies throughout the section. As a result, the column’s size and aspect ratio affect the level of strength added by FRP wrapping – while any uneven loading has a further impact on the forces acting at the corners, and the effectiveness of the confinement generated within rectangular columns.

The Amsler tests conducted on the columns were designed to examine column strength in respect of these issues. Other BRE facilities were then used for further testing of the columns after they had been loaded to the point of failure. The programme was carried out at this laboratory because it is the only test centre in the UK able to subject such large test specimens to loads of up to 1000 tonnes, and then support the necessary subsequent investigations.

The information obtained from these tests will be used in the development of a reliable model for strengthening rectangular columns based on actual, observed behaviour.

Well established links The BRE Group already has well established links with the University of Bath. For example this project is being conducted in the BRE Centre of Excellence for Innovative Construction Materials which is based at the University and supported by the BRE Trust.

Established in 2006, the Centre conducts leading research, development and consultancy in the field of innovative and sustainable materials. The Trust funds a number of PhD studentships and a professorial chair both there, and at four other centres of excellence based in universities around the country.

Other unique test facilities As well as the Amsler and its other structural testing facilities, BRE is also home to many unique material, fire and acoustic test facilities.

‘We use these resources to work in support of industry research,’ says Julie Bregulla, Associate Director, Structural engineering, materials and construction consultancy at BRE, ‘helping clients, architects and engineers to incorporate innovative products and techniques into their projects.’

For more information Peter White, T 01923 664309, E whitep@bre.co.ukPeter White is a member of the BRE Marketing Team

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a real TeST For BUIlDInG STrUCTUreS

testing building structures

Rachel Coonan (centre) preparing a concrete column for testing in BRE’s unique Amsler large-scale test facility, with David Brooke (left) from BRE and Will Bazeley from Bath University.

sustainable housing refurbishment

done as part of routine maintenance, and demonstrates that fitting energy saving measures can be just a marginal additional cost to work that must, in any event, be done to maintain an older property.’

A more unusual piece of preparatory maintenance in this project was the need to straighten out and structurally reinforce a clock tower.

Improvement measures Insulation was a key element of the work to improve the overall energy efficiency. A number of alternative insulation types have been installed in different rooms so that their performance can be monitored, along with their impacts on the room space – for example, both internal and external insulation methods have been used, such as aerogel, phenolic foam, PIR, PUR and EPS.

The heating systems installed (and to be researched) include an air source heat pump, a low emission gas boiler with heat recovery from its flue, and mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.

A presentation area, where the refurbishment methods used will be demonstrated to visitors, will be temperature stabilised using an innovative phase change material from BASF as a backing to suspended ceiling tiles. Performances will be monitored over time and fed back to the research teams for continual product improvement. The latest innovations in low energy LED lighting have also been installed throughout the terrace.

Replacing the windows has provided an opportunity to compare the performance of newly made timber sashes and uPVC look-alikes, with that of refurbished original

reSearCH BRE and several partner organisations have taken up this challenge through a flagship research project to refurbish of a set of Victorian houses on the BRE Innovation Park in Watford.

The aim set has been to sustainably refurbish these buildings from an EPC F rating to a B / A rating, taking account of buildability, practical application and cost. The project has been carried out with client, supply chain and delivery partners to ensure all stakeholders’ needs are understood. The partners include DECC, Saint Gobain, BASF, CRH, Wates, Dodds, Housing Market Renewal Pathfinders and the Prince’s Foundation.

‘This project has pulled together many of the key stakeholders involved in refurbishment,’ says Oliver Novakovic, Director of Housing Futures at BRE, ‘and defined a set of clear objectives to help inform the 80% challenge and Green Deal set by government.’

Energy improvements as part of maintenance Some reconstruction work was needed to stabilise the buildings before refitting could begin, including replacing rafters and removing a rotten beam from above a former carriage doorway. The buildings have also had to be re-roofed – using as many of the original tiles as possible, along with appropriately ‘old looking,’ new Redland tiles – and some preparatory work in terms of drainage and the re-running of cables, etc was needed.

‘This is the sort of work that you encounter on many refurbishment projects,’ says technical consultant, John O’Brien of BRE’s Housing Group. ‘It is what should be

sashes that have been retained in the presentation area. It is hoped that data gathered from this project will inform the planning authorities regarding the use of more energy efficient window solutions in future.

The original sashes have been renovated and reglazed using innovative vacuum double glazing from Pilkington. Their EnergiKare product uses two layers of 3mm glass with a 0.2mm evacuated gap and near-invisible spacers, delivering a centre-pane U-value of around 1.4. A rating of this sort is a considerable achievement in such a slim unit. This slimness allows the use of double glazing in the original sashes of buildings where maintaining the original appearance (of single glazing) is important, such as in listed or heritage buildings.

The replacement uPVC windows have a whole window U-value of 1.4, the timber sash replacements have a whole window rating of 1.5, and composite windows used on the eastern facade have a whole window rating of 0.9. Velux triple glazed rooflights with a U-value of 1.0 have been installed in a demonstration flat upstairs.

The insulated floors in one of the demonstration homes has been fitted with an innovative new flooring system that is suitable for use in flood-prone locations. Again its performance will be monitored and the data fed back to the supplier, Saint- Gobain, and also to risk assessors with the aim of improving insurance products.

These measures are all elements of the first phase of the project, which has seen the complete refurbishment of the exterior of the terrace, the completion of two of the three demonstration homes, and the development of the presentation area which is now ready for use.

SUSTaInaBle HoUSInG reFUrBISHMenT

The energy efficiency of the UK’s older housing stock will play a much bigger role than new housing in reducing the UK’s carbon emissions, and preventing rising energy costs for householders. Older dwellings are not only far greater in number, they are also generally poor in terms of energy efficiency. Just 1% of existing homes achieve Bands A or B on Energy Performance Certificate scales and so are able to contribute to carbon reduction goals. Meeting the challenge of refurbishing older homes, while reducing the amount of carbon they emit through heating, lighting and hot water generation, will require an effective programme of research, along with the provision of authoritative assessment and appropriate training.

What’s next The next phase of the project includes plans to refurbish the third home, establish project rooms and workshops for disseminating the information obtained during the project, and build a new exhibition hall at the rear of the terrace.

For more information www.rethinkinghousingrefurbishment.co.uk

aSSeSSMenTGiven their increasingly crucial role in carbon reduction and other targets, it is important to know whether housing refurbishments are fulfilling their potential for improving the environment. BRE Global has been working to develop an assessment methodology to achieve a widely accepted means of assessing the environmental performance of refurbished homes.

To this end, a new BREEAM scheme has been developed – BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment – that has recently been the subject of an extensive pilot programme. The experience of the BRE team working on the Victorian terrace has helped this process. ‘Members of the team have been advising us on the development of the new scheme,’ says Gavin Summerson of BRE Global, ‘after having encouraged us to produce it in the first place’.

And there have been other calls for an industry-acceptable standard to measure the greening of existing homes. For example, in June the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) called for a code for sustainable refurbishment to stand alongside the Code for Sustainable Homes, saying this was needed to ensure that refurbishment work is done to a high level – and doesn’t have to be re-done.

In addition, the new assessment scheme will tie in with the Government’s pledge to help homeowners make their properties more energy efficient through the Green Deal. ‘BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment is a national standard that can be used in a local context to address local issues,’ says Summerson. ‘By providing a standard to measure homes against, it will help to maximise the impact of the Green Deal.’

Pilot In July, more than 300 UK homes were assessed under the new scheme as part of a pilot programme. While BREEAM assessors have led the work on the pilot, clients, construction companies, designers and others have also been involved to ensure the scheme works well in real situations.

‘This pilot process will test the new BREEAM scheme against a variety of house types around the UK,’ says Summerson, ‘so that we can be sure it is pitched at a practicable level that is both appropriate for the existing housing stock and is able to deliver key sustainability objectives.’

The results of the pilot are now being analysed and will be fed into the development of the final version which is due to be launched later this year.

How it works The new scheme provides a single standard for assessing the performance of housing refurbishments against environmental objectives, which include reducing energy and water consumption, cutting waste and maximising the use of environmentally sensitive materials.

Refurbishments are rated by independent licensed BREEAM assessors on a scale from Pass through to Outstanding, based on scores achieved in the categories listed below. The assessment report is then sent to BRE Global for audit and certification. The assessment can also be carried out at the design stage to obtain an interim certificate. For a final certificate the assessment is carried out post-refurbishment, using evidence that demonstrates the improvements made to the home.

The assessment categories are: Energy – CO2 savings, improvements to the fabric and other energy efficiency improvement measures.

Water – retrofitting water efficient equipment and setting water efficiency standards for new sanitary-ware.

Materials – retaining existing building elements and using low impact new materials.

Surface water – using permeable paving, retrofitting SUDS, and encouraging flood risk and resilience measures for properties in medium-high flood risk zones.

Waste – providing recycling and compost facilities, and minimising refurbishment and demolition waste.

Health and wellbeing –improving accessibility, daylighting and sound insulation, and avoiding use of volatile organic compounds and overheating risks.

Management – improving the security of the home, providing fire detection equipment, and ensuring construction impacts are minimised in larger-scale refurbishment projects.

Ecology – ensuring existing ecological features are protected and encouraging greater biodiversity.

For more information www.breeam.org

TraInInGThe Victorian terrace project described earlier is one of more than 350 exemplar refurbishment projects with which BRE has links (another in Wales is described on page 2).

The information that these projects are delivering is essential to achieving the sustainability we need because the sustainable refurbishment of housing is not easy. Nearly half of UK housing is described as ‘hard to treat’ and it is often difficult to know how to achieve the best outcome, particularly with limited funds.

The exemplar schemes are showcasing what can be achieved with typical UK housing stock, as well as exhibiting new innovative materials and technologies – for example phase change material, space efficient and eco-insulation, vacuum glass, renewables technologies and best work practice.

Many of the demonstration dwellings have been monitored before and after refurbishment to establish the impacts of the work. A key goal is to identify how dwellings that started with typical SAP ratings of G to F can achieve revised SAP ratings of B to A.

Based on BRE’s extensive involvement with these projects, BRE Training has developed courses in which experts pass on the knowledge and experience gained. They aim to help designers, construction professionals, and local authority

and social housing landlords to plan and execute successful, cost effective and sustainable housing refurbishment.

For more information www.bre.co.uk/training

PUllInG IT all ToGeTHerWith so much activity around refurbishment and so much at stake, it is essential that knowledge gained from research projects such as those discussed earlier is disseminated across the industry. The Energy Saving Trust and BRE have therefore joined forces with industrial partners to create the National Refurbishment Centre (NRC).

The NRC will enable the practical delivery of green retrofit through the evidence gathered from a national demonstration programme of over 500 exemplars. This large repository of independent data will inform ongoing research and enable stakeholders to make practical evidence-based decisions.

Through a series of workshops and online questionnaires in summer 2010, the NRC and partners set out to capture national attitudes towards refurbishment – to find out from different stakeholders what they believed had to be done to create a practical roadmap towards volume refurbishment.

A report setting out the findings of this investigation will be available in autumn 2010, and will provide evidence to inform the NRC’s workstreams and marketing development strategies.

For more information www.rethinkingrefurbishment.com

Sustainable Refurbishment for Housing

16 SePTeMBerBRE Watford

A course on planning and executing successful, cost effective and sustainable housing refurbishment.

T 01923 664829 E train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

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Photos © Peter White, BRE

RECENT PUBlICATIONS EvENTS AND TRAINING

REPORTS

Energy efficiency in new and existing buildings. Comparative costs and CO2 savings (FB 23) This BRE Trust report considers the relative impact on UK CO2 savings targets of constructing new zero-carbon buildings, compared with improving the energy efficiency of the existing stock. £30 (£20 for subscribers)

DIGESTS Concise reviews of building technology.

Evacuation modelling and human behaviour in fire (DG 516) This Digest provides practical advice and guidance on the use of numerical models to predict human behaviour during emergency building evacuation. £16.50 (£11.50 for subscribers)

Assessment of timber structures (DG 517) Considers the structural role of timber element, covers the inspection and appraisal of timber structures (roofs and floors) for signs of deterioration, modification and defects, and provides information about biological attack (insects and fungal decay). £16.50 (£11.50 for subscribers)

Sprinkler systems for fire protection of commercial and industrial buildings (DG 518) Summarises the key information needed by business managers/operators, specifiers, users, insurers and approving authorities to select, design and maintain sprinkler systems. £16 (£11 for subscribers)

INFORMATION PAPERS The latest BRE Group research information and how to apply it.

Alkaline ash binders. Reduced environmental impacts for precast concrete products (IP 9/10) This Information Paper examines reducing the environmental impact of cements by developing alkaline ash binders, and presents the results of industrial-scale production trials conducted by two major manufacturers. £9.50 (£8 for subscribers)

SAP for beginners. An introductory guide for building professionals (IP 10/10) Describes the background to SAP and its position in the EPBD. Outlines the SAP calculation process and the information required, and summarises the key differences between SAP, BREDEM and Reduced-data SAP. £13 (£10.50 for subscribers)

Sustainability in foundations. A review (IP 11/10) Presents a review of the sustainability agenda, details influences on current foundation practice, discusses methodologies for assessing the sustainability of foundations and presents best practice guidance. £13 (£10.50 for subscribers)

An introduction to the use of fire modelling. A review (IP 12/10) Discusses some of the problems that may be encountered when using fire models and gives some tips for effectively presenting the results. £9.50 (£8 for subscribers)

Cool roofs and their application in the UK (IP 13/10) Provides an introduction to cool roofs – what they are and how they work, their benefits and their application in the UK (see page 6). £13 (£10.50 for subscribers)

TO OBTAIN THESE PUBLICATIONS OR TO SUBSCRIBE TO BRE CONNECT www.BREBookshop.com T 01344 328038 F 01344 328005 E brepress@ihs.com

BREEAM and CSH assessor training Several times a year at BRE Watford The economic recovery is stimulating the demand for more green buildings, which in turn is boosting the requirement for more BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) Assessors. Assessor training for all of the BREEAM schemes and the CSH is available from BRE Global. Contact: 01923 664462, breeam@bre.co.uk www.breeam.org/training

Bringing innovative construction products to market 8 September in London A joint BRE and LCIC event bringing grant makers, venture capitalists, government agencies, innovators, product developers, product certifiers and construction companies together to help take new concepts to market. Contact: 01923 664800, events@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/events

Training for PassivHaus designers 8-15 September at BRE Watford and 13-20 October at BRE Wales A new training course to become a Certified European PassivHaus Design Consultant. This will allow designers to register with BRE to issue PassivHaus Institut (PHI) ‘Quality Assurance’ certificates for their completed projects. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Sustainable refurbishment for housing 16 September at BRE Watford A course demonstrating how to plan and execute successful, cost effective and sustainable housing refurbishments. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Thinking of becoming a renewable energy installer? 20 September at BRE Watford Seminar providing an overview of the business, financial and technical considerations of setting up a renewable energy installation business. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Generating an income from Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) 21 September at BRE Watford Seminar delivered by independent experts to provide a full understanding of the benefits of the FITs scheme, and address the options that should be considered before participating. Contact: 01923 664800, events@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/events

Does beauty matter? 23 September at RIBA RIBA will be holding its fifth annual research symposium, focusing on one of the basic principles of architecture: beauty. The symposium is sponsored by the BRE Trust. Contact: Mina Vadon, 0207 307 3761, mina.vadon@inst.riba.org

Practical fire safety training Various dates at BRE Watford Practical training course covering the principles of fire safety, fire safety legislation, and when and how to use a fire extinguisher appropriately. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Energy management 27-28 September at BRE Watford Course demonstrating how to put in place a structured approach to energy management in an organisation. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Energy Management System BS EN 16001 29-30 September at BRE Watford Course providing a systematic and practical approach to energy management systems in accordance with BS EN 16001. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Energy Solutions 6-7 October in London Energy Solutions is the UK’s fastest growing energy management event and the only major energy exhibition to be based in London. Attendance is free. Contact: www.energysolutionsexpo.co.uk

Solar power on buildings 20 October at BRE Watford Conference to examine the economics of building integrated photovoltaics, the available technologies, and their financial, architectural and certification aspects. Contact: 01923 664800, events@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/events

Fire safety for managers and supervisors on construction sites 25 October at BRE Watford Course explaining how the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the Construction (Design and management) Regulations 2007 and the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, come together for the management of fire risks on construction sites. Contact: 01923 664829, train@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/training

Becoming MCS certificated Series of seminars at BRE Watford Will help those attending to become certificated under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS). Each event in the series will focus on a specific renewable energy, including solar photovoltaics, solar water heating (solar thermal), biomass, heat pumps and small wind turbines. Contact: 01923 664800, events@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/events

SMARTWaste Plan and SWMP Training Series of events at BRE Watford Training to comply with Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) requirements, and to use the free web-based tool, SMARTWaste Plan for preparing, implementing and reviewing SWMPs. Contact: 01923 664800, events@bre.co.uk www.bre.co.uk/events

MORE INFORMATION For more information on events and training courses, www.bre.co.uk/events T 01923 664800 E events@bre.co.uk