Sustainability Flashcards
Please explain your understanding of the term sustainability?
To meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.
The conservation of the environment and resources by gradually changing the ways in which we develop and use technologies
What are the key principles of sustainability?
- Social - Building healthy communities with sufficient numbers and range of buildings.
- Economical - Build strong, responsive, competitive economies ensuring sufficient land and right types.
- Environmental - Contributing towards the protection and enhancement of our natural, built and historic environment
What are the core principles of Planning and Decision making around sustainability?
- Creative processes should be used not just scrutiny.
- Proactive steps should be taken to achieve sustainable development.
- Secure the development of high quality built assets.
- Account for the character of the surrounding area.
- Support a climate-resilient and low-carbon economy.
- Conserve & enhance natural environment and reduce pollution.
- Encourage use of brownfield sites.
- Conserve heritage.
- Maximise use of public transport, cycling and walking.
- Support health, social and cultural well-being.
What are the most common environmental issues experienced on construction sites?
- Risks of Water Pollution.
- Air and Noise Pollution.
- High Energy Consumption and carbon emissions.
- Risk of land contamination.
- Damage to wild habitats.
- High Wastage production into landfill.
- Release of dangerous gases and chemicals.
What are the key pieces of legislation that affect sustainability in construction?
- Agricultural Land Act – Enables land to be acquired for a particular purpose for example to control pests and weeds, for use as woodlands or to support agricultural activities.
- Building Act – This is the primary piece of UK Legislation that enables the Building Regulations to be enforced. This is to assist in the conservation of fuel and power, to prevent waste, misuse or contamination of water and to ensure those in and around buildings are kept safe.
- Clean Air Act – This legislation provides local authorities within England to introduce measures in order to control air pollution.
- Climate Change Act – This is a legally binding framework to tackle climate change. It imposed targets to cut greenhouse emissions compared with 1990 levels 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
What is the minimum rating for an EPC on rental properties?
All rental properties must have an EPC rating of ‘E’ or above - upcoming changes are now that properties are ‘C’ or above by 2025 for new tenancies and by 2028 for existing ones.
What is BREEAM?
It is a building life cycle assessment that sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through specification, design, construction and operation.
The assessment is undertaken by a licensed assessor based on energy, land & ecology, water, health & wellbeing, pollution, materials and waste and management.
BREEAM applies to new and refurbishment projects, domestic and non-domestic.
Rating are:
▪ Outstanding.
▪ Excellent.
▪ Very Good.
▪ Good.
▪ Pass.
▪ Unclassified.
What does BREEAM stand for?
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment
Method.
What are the differences between BREEAM and SKA?
BREEAM = Global certification that assesses sustainability of the entire building from design to construction and operation. Aims to reduce negative effects of construction and promote sustainable practices.
SKA = Retail / Office / University fit-outs and focuses on its environmental performance. Aims to encourage continuous improvements and helps organisation reduce environmental impact and reach sustainability goals.
SKA can act as an alternative to BREEAM which have higher costs in comparison
What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?
Manchester City Council have a target to become a zero-carbon city by 2038 - 12 years ahead of the Governments target for the UK.
In office:
* Recycling of cardboard, paper and plastics.
* Use of Energy efficient lighting (motion sensors).
* Energy efficient equipment (LED lamps, energy efficient monitors).
* Cycle to work schemes.
* Reduce printing by using cloud-based systems
What is the Paris Agreement?
- The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty concerning climate change.
- It was adopted by nearly every nation and came into affect in 2016.
- The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius whilst targeting levels below 1.5 degrees Celsius when compared to pre-industrial levels.
- The agreement commits all major emitting countries to cut their climate pollution.
- It also creates a framework for the transparent monitoring and reporting of each individual countries progress.
Name some sustainable building methods?
- Use of recycled materials such as reclaimed timber, recycled tiles and plastics.
- Ground Source Heat Pumps.
- Solar Panels.
- Wind Turbines.
- Rain water harvesting.
- Green Roofs.
- Automated Building Systems (Lighting sensors).
What is your understanding of the term ‘Green Roofs’?
- A green roof is a roof covering that is partially or completely covered with vegetation that is placed over
a waterproof membrane. - Additional layers such as drainage layers, irrigation systems or root barriers may also be placed over the membrane.
What are the advantages 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.
What are Photovoltaics and how do they work?
- Photovoltaics allow the conversion of sunlight into electricity.
- Sunlight contains energy known as photons.
- When photos 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
Can you explain your understanding of the term carbon neutral?
- 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.
What is meant by the term solar gain?
- Solar gain is the name given to the increase in temperature in a space, object or structure due to solar radiation (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
How can solar gain be managed in buildings?
- 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.
How does a ground source heat pump work?
- 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.
Please explain your understanding of the term SUDS? (Sustainable Drainage Systems)
- 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.
What are the benefits of a BREEAM certified building?
- BREEAM buildings help clients to benefit from lowering the 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
What sustainable initiatives are you aware of that are being implemented by the RICS?
- The RICS SKA ratings encourages green codes of practice for commercial properties.
- RICS has launched a Responsible Business Report filled with solutions for companies to 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.
