Sustainability Flashcards
How does RICS help with sustainability?
Best practice requirements set out in
Rules of Conduct
Red Book
Guidance Note - Sustainability and ESG Guidance in Commercial Property Valuation and Strategic Advice
Guidance Note - Environment Risks and Global Real Estate
Best practice training
Certifications - RICS SKA Rating system
What is included in the RICS Advancing Responsible Business in Land, Construction, Real Estate Use and Investment?
Sets out how organisations can identify and address the impact of their activities in planning, designing, constructing and operating buildings
What is Net Zero?
UK to achieve Net Zero carbon by 2050. Means reducing emissions to an amount that can be absorbed.
What is the green industrial revolution?
UK Government plan to invest and support green jobs. Focused on power generation, transport infrastructure, building energy efficiency and encouraging green investment.
How can energy efficiency and carbon reduction be improved with buildings?
Reduce carbon emissions across lifespan of building. Construction, refurbishment and demolition.
Changing the materials used
Reduce operational energy use by retrofitting efficiency measures. e.g improving insulation
Increasing renewable energy supply e.g wind, solar
Offset carbon. This is last resort but can be done with planting trees
What are energy performance certificates?
Certificate of a building’s energy efficiency. Updated every 5 years, requiring higher minimum standards of efficiency.
What are the 5 key provisions of the scheme?
Higher standards of energy conservation
Establishing a energy performance calculation methodology
Minimum requirements for energy performance of all buildings
Energy certification for all buildings when leased or sold
Mandatory inspection of boilers and air con.
What are the current EPC Rules?
EPC Required for commercial buildings over 50sqm. Also required when a building is sold or let or newly refurbished including residential buildings.
Currently, the minimum rating for rented properties is E, but government proposes to increase this to C by 2030.
Are there any buildings exempt from EPC?
Listed buildings, buildings with no heating, religious buildings, temporary buildings, buildings due to be demolished/redeveloped and residential buildings not occupied for more than 4 months a year.
What are the EPC requirements for marketing?
Must be commissioned within 7 days of commencement of marketing
All online marketing must have a link to the EPC.
Valid for 10 years unless building altered
What is on an EPC Certificate?
Address
Floor Area
Technical energy provision info
Estimate of energy costs
Performance rating A+-G
Benchmarking information
What are EPC Penalties?
Residential £200 fixed for non display on marketing materials
Commercial 12.5% of rental value. Min £500, max £5000.
What are exceptions to Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards?
Building does not require EPC e.g religious building
Industrial units with low energy demand (no heating)
Tenancy less than 6 months with no security of tenure
Tenancy is more than 99 years
Where it is not financially feasible to improve and cost is not paid back within 7 years of energy savings
When improvements would devalue property by more than 5%
What are MEES non compliance penalties?
For commercial properties it depends on the rateable value and the duration of the breach.
Residential it is £2000 for up to 3 months, £4000 if more than 3 months.
What can help buildings meet energy efficient requirements?
Roof Insulation
Wall cavity insulation
Renewable energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines
Air source heats pumps
What are other energy regulations?
Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme applies for large organisations who need to measure total energy consumption and conduct energy audits to identify energy saving options
Climate Change Levy is a tax on energy or non domestic users to encourage energy efficiency
BREEAM which is a tool to rate new and refurbished buildings and assess its impact on 9 environmental weightings including energy consumption, water use, transport links, waste management, health and wellbeing
What is BREEAM?
It is a voluntary environmental assessment tool to rate new and refurbished buildings.
A buildings impact is assessed on 9 environmental weightings including energy consumption, water use, waste management, transport links and health and wellbeing.
They are rated pass, good, very good, excellent, outstanding
What is the RICS SKA Rating?
Aims to be the standard measure of a buildings fit out sustainability with Gold, Silver or Bronze awarded.
What are some more efficient construction solutions?
Use of renewable materials like wood structures and tech like solar, wind, biomass and heat pumps
Efficient energy management and monitoring around waste, water and procurement.
Are there any recent or proposed changes to government sustainability policy?
Tax benefits for construction projects that achieve certain sustainability benchmarks.
Grants for retrofitting older buildings to improve energy efficiency,
