Sustainability Flashcards
RICS Futures Report 2020
What is the general message?
Detailing how community and industry are changing focus to technology & sustainable goals
What ‘Green’ systems are you aware of?
PV’s
Ground Source Heat Pumps
Air Source Heat Pumps
Sedum Roofs
Rainwater Harvester
What are the three pillars for sustainability?
- Economy
(Tax, legislation, profit, supply chain, jobs) - Environment
(Legislation, equality, fair pay, community benefits, infrastructure, health and wellbeing) - Community/Social
(Legislation, protection of the environment: land, water, air, ecology, waste minimisation, climate change, energy efficiency, materials)
What is the Brundtland Report 1987 ‘Our Common Future’?
It was a UN Project which developed guiding principles for sustainable development.
Brundtland Report 1987 - Definition of sustainability?
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
What is the sustainability concept brought about by the United Nations Global Compact?
- Labour
- Environment
- Anti-corruption
- Human Rights
UN Global Compact - How many sustainable development goals are there and can you name them?
17 Sustainable Development Goals
- No Poverty
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Wellbeing
- Quality Education
- Gender Equality
- Clean Water & Sanitation
- Affordable & Clean Energy
- Decent Work & Economic Growth
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Reduced Inequalities
- Sustainable Cities & Communities
- Responsible Consumption & Production
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
- Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
- Partnerships for the Goals
What is the RICS guidance on sustainability?
In conjunction with the United Nations:
‘Advancing Responsible Business in Land, Construction and Real Estate Use and Investment’
RICS Sustainable Business Toolkit
What part of the building regulations applies to sustainability?
Part L - Conservation of Fuel and Power
- Limiting heat gains and losses
- Providing and commissioning energy efficient fixed building services with effective controls
- Providing the owner sufficient information about the building, the fixed building services and their maintenance requirements
What is BREEAM?
Building
Research
Establishment
Environment
Assessment
Method
Is BREEAM recognised Globally or Nationally?
Globally
What are the BREEAM Categories?
- Water
- Energy
- Waste
- Transport
- Pollution
- Materials
- Land Use and Ecology
- Management
- Innovation
- Health and Wellbeing
What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
An American based Environmental Assessment
How is LEED different from BREEAM?
- LEED’s thresholds are based on percentages, while BREEAM uses quantitative standards.
- LEED is considered to be simpler in its approach, while BREEAM is more academic and rigorous.
What is SKA?
It is an environment assessment tool for sustainable non-domestic fit-outs led and owned by RICS.
What is DEC?
Display Energy Certificate
- Raise public awareness of energy use and to inform visitors to public buildings about the energy use of the building
What are the DEC requirements?
Public authorities must have a DEC for a building if all the following are true:
- it’s at least partially occupied by a public authority (eg council, leisure centre, college, NHS trust)
- it has a total floor area of over 250 square metres
- it’s frequently visited by the public
How is the UK Government improving sustainability?
Reduce carbon emissions by 50%
Implement Site Waste Management Plans
Water and Energy Conservation
Introduction of Code for Sustainable Homes
Sustainable Procurement
Kyoto Protocol
Paris Agreement (2 Degrees mark)
What is an Environmental Impact Assessment?
Assessment of possible positive or negative impacts that a proposed project may have on the environment, consisting of environmental, social and economic impacts
How are BREEAM assessments carried out?
In 2 stages
- Design stage assessment and interim certificate
- Post construction assessment and final certificate
There is an optional pre-assessment report which can help designers understand where improvements can be made
What are the Government Common Minimum Standards?
They are referred to in the Government Construction Stragey and require an environmental assessment to be carried out on all public projects. Where BREEAM is used projects are to achieve ‘Excellent’.
Give examples of each of the three pillars of sustainability?
Social - Providing affordable housing as part of a residential development
Economic - Swift payment to improve cashflow through the supply chain?
Environmental - LED lighting to reduce energy consumption
What is a breathable building?
It is a natural ventilation system.
It relies on convection to draw air up through the centre of the building and out of an exhaust at the centre, in through vents in the façade.
Are you aware of any upcoming changes to BREEAM?
- Ene 01 Reduction of energy use and carbon emissions
- Hea 02 Indoor air quality
What is COP26?
Confrence of Parties - 26th meeting to discuss and agree targets to reduce carbon emissions & improve sustainability
What is an EPC?
Energy Performance Certificate (Rating A-G)
- Valid for 10 years
Info on a home’s energy use and typical cost. Also a recommendation report with suggestions on how to reduce energy use and save money.
Required before a building is marketed for sale or rent
When must you display an EPC?
Commercial property’s over 500 sq. m frequently visited by the public
How long is an EPC valid for?
10 years
When is an EPC not required?
- Listed buildings
- Places of Worship
- Temporary Structures
How is BREEAM enforced (not legally binding)?
- Buildings are designed to achieve BREEAM credits and can be set as a client brief item to achieve a specific rating.
- Can be included as a planning condition
Can you give me an example of a method of sustainable construction?
SUDs - Attenuation tanks to manage excess water run off - water storage
Give an example of a sustainable product or technology that you have encountered?
SUDs
PV Panels
EV chargers
Green roof
What are the levels for BREEAM; how are they achieved?
Outstanding - Over 85%
Excellent - 70-85%
Very Good - 55-70%
Good - 45-55%
Pass - 30-45%
What current challenges is Covid and/or Brexit bringing to Sustainability?
- Material shortages
- Improved air quality in some places
- Reduced travel, remote working
- PPE protection that is non bio-degradable - helping to increase awareness on long term sustainability
Brexit - shortage of lorry drivers saw shortages in fuel in recent months may help encourage more electric car demand…. more demand for electric car charging stations & fast charge points required in all new homes from 2022.
What does MEES mean?
Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard
Set of rules which say that if you are a landlord who is responsible for letting properties in England or Wales then you need to ensure that the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) asset score of your rental property is at least an E.
When does MEES not apply to?
Buildings not required to have an EPC such as:
- Industrial Sites
- Non residential Properties
- Agriculture Buildings
- Certain listed buildings
- Holidays lets etc
What is U-Value?
Thermal efficiency of a material - lower the better.
What is a G-Value?
A measure of how much solar heat (infrared radiation) is allowed in through a particular part of a building - lower the better.
How does the RICS promote sustainability?
- RICS SKA rating for internal fit-outs
- Sustainability reports
- ICMS: International Cost Management Standard
- New Rules for Firms/Members
What is Passivhaus?
Passivhaus or ‘Passive House’ is an energy performance standard for dwellings, commercial, industrial and public buildings that can be adopted throughout the world.
This means that a traditional heating or cooling system is no longer essential.
The Passivhaus standard can be achieved by measures including:
Shading.
Pre-cooling of the supply air.
Natural ventilation.
Air-tightness.
Mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR).
Insulation.
Avoidance of thermal bridges.
Passive solar gains.
Exploitation of internal heat sources.
What does Net Zero mean?
Zero carbon emissions or carbon neutral - i.e. carbon credits awarded to offset carbon footprint
What are carbon emissions?
There are both natural and human sources of carbon dioxide emissions. Natural sources include decomposition, ocean release and respiration.
Human sources come from activities like burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation, deforestation
What are the 7 elements of sustainable building
- Insulation
- Air tightness
- Thermal Mass
- Natural Light
- Sustainable Material
- Structural Systems
- Deployment of renewable technologies
What is sustainable development?
Economic development that is conducted without depletion of natural resources
What is the Construction Leadership Council?
The CLC works between industry and government to identify and deliver actions supporting UK construction in building greater efficiency, skills and growth.
What is your companies sustainability policy?
Speak with PK
Give me some examples of how the energy performance of existing building can be improved using a recent project as an example?
- Replacement of fluorescent tube lighting with LED’s
- Upgrading of external windows and doors
Explain what you understand by the term “Cold Bridging”
Cold Bridging is where elements of the structure are colder than the main elements of the structure and condensation occurs on the surface, sometimes interstially which is inside the surface
What is a Brownfield Site?
Brownfield land refers to land that has been previously used for industrial purposes, or commercial usage and is now being redeveloped.
What is a Greenfield Site?
Sites or land that is not constrained by any existing buildings or structures. It is the opposite of Brownfield land.
What is Embodied carbon?
Embodied carbon is considering all the carbon the will be used in the creating of a product. From sourcing the materials, manufacture, delivery, construction, and disposal.
What is the Climate Change Act 2008 ?
The Climate Change Act commits the UK government by law to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 100% of 1990 levels (net zero) by 2050. This includes reducing emissions from the devolved administrations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), which currently account for about 20% of the UK’s emissions.
What is the RICS campaign in relation to sustainability; what is the message?
ValueOurPlanet
‘Our Value the Planet campaign promotes the preservation of the planet through the implementation of the UN’s sustainable development goals. We encourage our professionals to implement the SDGs. The campaign also offers us a great opportunity to highlight the public interest responsibility of RICS and demonstrate the benefits that the surveying profession provides in offering solutions to society’s most challenging issues’
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
Implemented the objective of the UN to reduce the onset of global warming by reducing greenhouse gas concentration in the air.
What did the UK agree to as part of the Kyoto Protocol?
12.5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Earth’s greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet. The main gases responsible for the greenhouse effect include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and water vapor (which all occur naturally), and fluorinated gases (which are synthetic)
Can you tell me any recent update to the regulations for sustainability?
Came into force June 2022
- Thicker insulation for walls, floors and roofs (Pitched and flat)
- Solar PV
- Glazing
- Electric Charging Points
Can you tell me any recent update to the regulations for sustainability?
Came into force June 2022
- Thicker insulation for walls, floors and roofs (Pitched and flat)
- Solar PV
- Glazing
- Electric Charging Points
Can you tell me if there are any recent changes to Approved Document L? If so, what are the changes?
Came into force 15th June 2022:
- Higher performance targets
- There are higher performance targets – CO2 emissions are reduced by 31% for dwellings and 27% for other buildings – and a new emphasis on low carbon heating systems.
What is operational carbon?
Carbon produced during the operational use of the building
Why is is important to be aware of emerging technologies?
Keeping up with industry changes
Not inhabiting the sustainability potential of a building due to a lack of technological advancements
How might good design and specification choices reduce carbon?
Specify local materials, reducing co2 from transportation
Windows to encourage natural light
Improved insulation
Air tightness
Green technologies to offset carbon footprint
Go over and above the minimum requirements for future proofing the building
Siting/location i.e. orientation of building (if new build)
