Sustainability Flashcards
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long time. In 1987, the United Nations Brundtland Commission defined sustainability as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
What are current EPC rules?
A certificate is required for all commercial property over 50m2 when it is newly built, sold, or let for a term of more than 6 months (and less than 99 years); when it is newly refurbished and heating, air conditioning or ventilation services are altered; and/or the building is subject to Building Regulations for construction. The sale or lease of residential buildings and refurbishment schemes are included. An EPC is also required for subletting or assignment of lease. There are exemptions for listed buildings, buildings which have no heating, religious buildings, temporary buildings, buildings due to be demolished/redeveloped, and residential units not occupied more than 4 months a year.
What are 5 provisions of Energy Performance Certificates?
- Higher standards of energy conservation for new and refurbished buildings.
- Establishing a calculation methodology for the energy performance of all buildings.
- Minimum requirements for the energy performance of all buildings.
- Energy certification for all buildings when leased or sold.
- Mandatory inspection of boilers and air conditioning systems in buildings.
What is MEES?
The Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (Private Rented Property) (England and Wales) Regulations 2015 require a minimum EPC rating of Level E to let buildings from 1st April 2018. It was implemented in stages: New leases from 1 April 2018 (for both commercial and residential properties) to include lease renewals/extensions; All existing leases from 1 April 2023 for commercial properties (1 April 2020 for residential properties).
Are there any MEES exemptions?
- If a building does not need EPC.
- Places of worship.
- Industrial units or workshops with a low energy demand (e.g., no heating or cooling).
- Where the tenancy is less than 6 months with no security of tenure.
- Where tenancy is more than 99 years.
- When it is not feasible to improve EPC to E or above even when all possible improvements with a payback of 7 years or sooner have been made.
- Landlords of residential properties are required, from April 2019, to spend up to £3,500 to improve energy efficiency.
- When the devaluation case can be proven.
- When third-party consent for improvements is refused.
- Certain types of residential lease and landlords.
- Exemptions must be pre-registered on the Local Authority Private Rented Sector Exemptions Register and renewed five-yearly.
What are the penalties for non-compliance with MEES?
The potential penalties for failure to comply with the Regulations for commercial property are as follows: Where a breach has lasted less than 3 months – up to £5,000 (if greater) 10% of the Rateable Value with a maximum penalty of £50,000. Where a breach has lasted more than 3 months, up to £10,000 (or if greater) 20% of the Rateable Value with a maximum penalty of £150,000. Policed by Local Authority.
What do you know about Climate Change Levy?
Climate Change Levy (CCL) is a tax on energy delivered to non-domestic users in the United Kingdom. It was introduced as an incentive to increase energy efficiency within business and reduce carbon emissions. Consumers are charged by their energy providers who forward the c. £1.9 billion p.a. to the UK Treasury.
What is BREEAM? Why do we need it?
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environment Assessment Method) is a voluntary assessment tool for new and refurbished commercial and residential buildings. It rates a building’s impact against 9 environmental weights, including energy consumption, water use, transport links, waste management, health and wellbeing, innovation, land use, materials, and pollution. BREEAM provides independent third-party certification of sustainability performance, helps reduce running costs, maximizes returns, and is often required by local authorities for planning applications.
What is ‘achieving net zero’?
Achievement of the UK government’s ambitions for Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050 requires significant effort throughout the property industry. This includes establishing Net Zero carbon scope, reducing construction impacts, reducing operational energy use, increasing renewable energy supply, and offsetting any remaining carbon.
What are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
- Economic 2. Environmental 3. Social Development (or Triple P: People, Planet, Profit)
What legislation and guidelines are there for sustainability?
- Climate Change Act 2008 2. Energy Act 2011 3. Building Regulations Part L 4. Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme 5. Heat Network (Billing and Metering) Regulations 2014 6. CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme 7. Control of Asbestos Regulations 8. Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 9. Climate Change Levy.
What is sustainable construction?
Sustainable construction, or green construction, is resource-efficient throughout the building’s life span, including location, design, construction, occupancy, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. It aims to improve quality of life and conserve energy and resources.
What does sustainable building look like?
Sustainable buildings are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout their life-cycle. Sustainable construction techniques include modular construction, green building materials, and zero energy construction.
What are Building Regulations?
A set of regulations and standards that all new buildings must be built to, covering aspects such as structure, fire safety, site preparation, toxic substances, resistance to sound, ventilation, sanitation, drainage, heat-producing appliances, and more.
What renewable technologies do you know of?
- Wind – Wind Farms (Wind Turbines) 2. Hydro Electric – Water from dams 3. Solar – Photovoltaic Panels and solar panels 4. Ground – Ground source heat pumps.
What are recyclable materials?
Items that can be made into new products include aluminium and steel cans, cardboard, glass, newspapers, and plastic bottles.
Is there any RICS guidance?
RICS Professional Standard on Sustainability and ESG in commercial property valuation and strategic advice, 2022.
Professional Standard Whole life carbon assessment for the built environment 2024
RICS Sustainability Report 2024
What is the Whole life carbon assessment?
Whole life carbon refers to the carbon impacts over the entire life cycle of a built asset,
from its construction through to its end of life. A whole life carbon assessment (WLCA) is
the calculation and reporting of the quantity of carbon impacts expected throughout all life
cycle stages of a project, but also includes an assessment of the potential benefits and loads
occurring beyond the system boundary.
Proposed changes to MEES?
Domestic - The government’s preferred option is for new tenancies’ to reach EPC C rating from 1 April 2025 and ‘all tenancies’ to reach the same target by 1 April 2028.
Non-domestic - Within the Non-Domestic PRS: EPC B implementation consultation, the government proposed an interim target to ensure that the long term target of EPC rating B by 2030 is met.
Breeam rating range?
Unclassified
Acceptable (for conversions)
Pass
Good
Very good
Excellent
Outstanding
What rating is your office building?
Excellent
What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
What does sustainable development in the Built environment mean?
Also known as ‘green building’, refers to the construction and the occupancy process that are environmentally responsible, and resource efficient throughout a building’s life-span from location, design, construction, occupancy, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.
What is Part L compliance?
Part L compliance regulations aims to ensure that new and existing buildings in the UK are designed and constructed energy-efficient and sustainable. These regulations are set out in Part L of the Building Regulations and apply to residential and commercial properties.
The main objective of Part L compliance is to reduce the amount of carbon emission produced by buildings. This is achieved through several measures, such as ensuring that buildings are properly insulated, that windows and doors are sealed to prevent heat loss, and that heating systems are energy-efficient.
What are some of the considerations within Part L?
Considerations covered by Part L include:
The maximum permitted area of windows, doors and other openings.
The structure’s air permeability.
Insulation values of building elements.
Heating efficiency of boilers.
Insulation/controls for heating appliances & systems.
Hot water storage.
Lighting efficiency.
Solar heat gains.
Ventilation & air conditioning systems.
What is the governments 10 point plan?
Green industrial revolution
What is included in an EPC?
Property size
EPC rating
Type of property
Report of how the rating was calcualted
Suggestions on how to improve the EPC rating
What is WELL?
performance-based system for measuring, certifying, and monitoring features of the built environment that impact human health and well-being, through air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind.
