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James APC > Sustainability > Flashcards

Sustainability Flashcards

1
Q

What is sustainability?

A
  • To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
  • (Bruntland Commission – Our Common Future 1987)
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2
Q

What are the key principles of sustainability?

A
  • Social: - Building healthy communities with sufficient members and range of buildings.
  • Economical: - Build strong, responsive, competitive economy ensuring sufficient land and right types.
  • Environmental: - Contribute to protecting and enhancing our natural, built and historic environment.
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3
Q

What regulations and codes of practice govern the construction industry’s approach to sustainability?

A
  • Building regulations – part L
  • Code for sustainable homes/buildings
  • EPCs/MEES
  • Site waste management plans
  • BREEAM and other environmental assessment methods
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4
Q

What are some methods of measuring sustainability?

A
  • BREEAM (Life Cycle Assessment)
  • SKA rating
  • LEED
  • Whole Life Carbon Assessments
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5
Q

Name some legislation relating to sustainability?

A
  • Landfill tax
  • Tax on normal landfill fees / disposal of waste ( charged by weight).
  • Climate Change Levy (introduced by 2000 Finance Bill) - Tax on energy used to promote energy efficiency
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6
Q

What are SKA ratings?

A
  • RICS environmental assessment method, benchmark and standard for non-domestic fit outs,
  • Implements as an alternative to BREEAM (while building assessments), which are high cost and produce unsatisfactory results.
  • Assess fitout projects against a set of sustainability good practice criteria, known as Good Practice Measures (GPM).
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7
Q

What is LEED?

A
  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
  • Life Cycle Assessment
  • USA equivalent of BREEAM
  • Ratings are silver, gold and platinum
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8
Q

What are the most common environmental issues experienced on a construction site?

A
  • Risk of land degradation
  • Risks to flora and fauna
  • Risks of water pollution
  • Air pollution
  • Land contamination
  • Noise and vibrations
  • High energy usage and emissions of CO2
  • High wastage production into landfill
  • Release of dangerous gases and materials
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9
Q

What regulations and codes of practice are you aware of that affect sustainability and construction?

A
  • Agricultural Land Act
  • Building Act 1984
  • Clear Air Act
  • Climate Change Act 2008
  • Energy Act 2011
  • Environmental Protection Act
  • Flood and Water Management Act
  • Wildlife and Countryside Act
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10
Q

What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?

A
  • Recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics
  • Use of energy efficient lighting (motion sensors)
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • Reduce printing by using cloud based systems
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11
Q

What is the Paris Agreement?

A
  • The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty concerning climate change
  • It was adopted by nearly every nation and came into effect in 2016
  • The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius whilst targeting levels well below 1.5 degrees Celsius when compared to pre-industrial levels
  • The agreement commits all major emitting countries to cut their climate pollution
  • It creates a framework for the transparent monitoring and reporting of each individual countries progress
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12
Q

Name some sustainable building methods?

A
  • Use of recycled material such as reclaimed timber, recycled tiles and plastics
  • Ground source heat pumps
  • Air source heat pumps
  • Solar panels
  • Wind turbines
  • Solar shading
  • Rain water harvesting
  • Green roofs
  • Automates building systems (lighting sensors)
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13
Q

What is your understanding of the term ‘Green Roofs’?

A
  • A green roof is a roof covering that is partially or completely covered with vegetation that is place over a waterproof membrane.
  • Additional layers such as drainage layers, irrigation systems or root barriers may also be placed over the membrane.
  • Rooftop ponds are an alternative form of green roof which are used to treat grey water.
  • The vegetation, soil, drainage layer, root barriers and irrigation system are typically the key components of a green roof.
  • Advantages of Green Roofs are that they absorb rainwater, provide extra insulation, increase biodiversity by providing habitats for wildlife, are aesthetically pleasing and lower urban air temperatures.
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14
Q

What are photovoltaics and how do they work?

A
  • Photovoltaics allow the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
  • Sunlight contains energy known as photons.
  • When photons hit solar modules within the solar panel, they cause electrons to flow through the bottom layer.
  • The movement of electrons generates electricity that flows to an inverter.
  • The inverter converts DC electricity into AC that is then used to power the building.
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15
Q

What is soakaway and how do they work?

A
  • Soakaways offer a means of surface water drainage attenuation.
  • They consist of large holes or pits that receive surface water from a drainage pipe.
  • The soakaway allows the collected surface water to gradually infiltrate through the soil.
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16
Q

Can you explain your understanding of the term carbon neutral?

A
  • Carbon neutrality is to have a balance between the carbon emitted and the carbon absorbed from the atmosphere in carbon sinks.
  • This is an important measure of the impact that businesses and projects have on the environment and global warming.
  • To date no artificial carbon sinks are able to remove carbon from the atmosphere at the levels required to off set global warming.
17
Q

What is meant by the term solar gain?

A
  • Solar gain is the name given to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure due to solar radiation, i.e. the heat from the sun.
  • A building can retain this solar gain by having high thermal mass or can avoid it by using reflective materials and insulation.
18
Q

How can solar gain be managed in buildings?

A
  • Limiting the size and area of openings such as doors and windows.
  • Shading or orientating doors and windows from direct sunlight.
  • Using reflective materials on the glass and building fabric.
  • Insulating walls and roof spaces to prevent indirect solar gains into the building.
19
Q

How does a ground source heat pump work?

A
  • Heat from the ground is absorbed at low temperatures into a fluid inside a loop of pipe (a ground loop) buried underground.
  • The fluid then passes through a compressor that raises it to a higher temperature, which can then heat water for the heating and hot water circuits of the house.
  • The cooled ground-loop fluid passes back into the ground where it absorbs further energy from the ground in a continuous process as long as heating is required.
20
Q

Explain your understanding of SUDS?

A
  • The terms SUDS stands for sustainable drainage systems and allow surface water to be managed as close to its source as possible by allowing surface water to infiltrate into the ground where it is collected then managed properly.
  • SUDS will slow down surface water run off by allowing it to infiltrate and soak into natural contours and landscapes.
  • SUDS are considered to be environmentally friendly as they do not rely on the manufacture of plastic or clay drainage components and instead utilise natural vegetation and material to absorb surface water.
  • SUDS rely on a number of management policies, controls and strategies to efficiently and sustainably drain surface water whilst minimising pollution and managing the impact on local bodies of water.
21
Q

What is BREEAM?

A
  • Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
  • Sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through specification, design, construction and operation.
  • Undertaken by a licensed assessor.
  • Based on energy, land & ecology, water, health & wellbeing, pollution, materials, waste and management.
  • Applies to new and refurbished projects, domestic and non-domestic.
22
Q

How many categories are there?

A
  • 10 different requirements
23
Q

What are the benefits of a BREEAM certified building?

A
  • BREEAM buildings help clients to benefit from lowering running costs of their built assets and minimising the impact on the environment through consideration at planning, design, construction and operation phases.
  • Other benefits include greater marketability to building tenants through lower running costs and creating desirable places to live and work.
24
Q

Does BREEAM effect value?

A
  • A higher building value and positive PR message is also achieved through the increased sustainability of the building particularly when achieving BREEAM excellent and very good ratings.
25
Q

How long has BREEAM been in existence?

A
  • Launched in 1990
26
Q

What are the benefits of rainwater harvesting?

A
  • Decrease the demand for water.
  • Reduces the need for the imported water.
  • Promotes both water and energy conservation.
  • Improves the quality and quantity of groundwater.
  • Improved BREEAM compliance.
  • Lower operational costs.
  • Reduced environmental impact.
27
Q

What is an EPC?

A
  • Energy Performance Certificates were introduced in 2007 and are a legal requirement for a building to be sold, let or constructed. Once obtained, an EPC is valid for 10 years.
  • The most efficient built assets typically have the lowest fuel bills are in band A.
  • EPC’s are rated on a scale of A-G.
  • The energy efficiency of the built asset along with the potential scale after improvements are made are identified.
  • The EPC will also show the amount of CO2 emissions produced by the property in tonnes and will advise on the amount this could be reduced by.
  • Commercial buildings over 500 sqm. and frequented by the public need to display a display energy certificate (DEC). Based on actual energy used.
28
Q

What sustainable initiatives are you aware of that are implemented by the RICS?

A
  • SKA ratings which encourage green codes of practice for commercial properties.
  • RICS has launched the Value the Planet campaign and committed to forming a climate change expert panel to implement the UN’s sustainable development goals.
  • RICS has also launched a Responsible Business Report filled with solutions for companies tp operate in a greener capacity, regardless of the firm’s size. This includes introducing higher recycling rates and reducing energy, transport and water use where possible.
29
Q

What things do you implement to promote sustainability?

A
  • Print only when necessary.
  • Car sharing.
  • Use of energy efficient equipment.
  • Recycling
  • Cycle to work
  • Careful to minimise waste
  • Avoid use of plastic bottles where possible
  • Use of cloud based sharing systems
30
Q

What are the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES)?

A
  • Applies to private rented residential and non-domestic property.
  • Intended to encourage landlords and property owners to improve energy efficiency.
  • This minimum efficiency standard is and EPC of `E’ and above EPCs have been required since 2008 Enforced by The Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 (Amendment 2016).
  • From April 2018 it will be unlawful to grant a new tenancy to ‘F’ and `G’ properties.
  • Domestic: - From April 2020 this will apply to existing leases / tenancies.
  • Non-domestic - From April 2023 this will apply to existing leases / tenancies Domestic Exemptions.
  • Unable to obtain funding (Green Deal) or following improvement the property is still a `E’ rating.
  • Non-domestic Exemptions: - If payback is greater than 7 years.
31
Q

What is the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) July 2018?

A
  • Sets out government planning policy for England.
  • 3 overarching objectives (See Principles / Pillars of Sustainability).
  • Framework replaces a wide range of previous planning policy statements and guidance.
  • Promotes and helps achieve sustainable development.
  • Provides framework for locally prepared plans for housing and other development.
  • Planning law requires applications for planning permission to be determined in accordance with the development plan.
32
Q

What are the 12 Core Principles for Planning and decision making?

A
  • Genuinely plan-led
  • Creative process, not just scrutiny
  • Proactive in sustainable development
  • Seek and secure high quality
  • Account for character of area
  • Support climate-resilient, low-carbon economy
  • Conserve & enhance natural environment and reduce pollution
  • Encourage use of brownfield sites
  • Encourage missed use developments
  • Conserve heritage
  • Maximise use of public transport, cycling and walking
  • Support health, social and cultural well being
33
Q

What is a Local Plan?

A
  • Prepared by Local Authority
  • Clear policies on what will or will not be permitted
34
Q

What is meant by Neighbourhood Planning?

A
  • Parishes and neighbourhood forums given power to develop plan
  • Must conform to the strategies of the Local Plan Given right to grant permission through Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders
  • Orders require local referendum

James APC (6 decks)

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