Sustainability Flashcards
What types of air conditioning are are there?
HVAC - Heating ventilation and cooling
VAV - Variable air volume
VRF - Variable refrigerant flow
What does BREEAM stand for?
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
What is BREEAM?
a sustainability rating for buildings based on 9 points, ranked from poor to outstanding
What is DEC?
Display energy certificate – a requirement for public buildings over 250m2 that are frequently visited by the public. It is aimed at raising public awareness of energy use.
What is ESG?
Environmental, Social and Governance factors – looks at how companies should consider these 3 different aspects in their approaches to be valuable to the world and society as well as getting profit themselves
What is a green loan?
A loan provided by the government as an incentive to carry out some form of sustainable building or practice. Lower interest rates offered on the loan.
What is GRESB?
Global real estate sustainability benchmark – provides ESG performance data
What are heat network regulations?
regulations stating that qualifying properties need to provide information to the government on what heating equipment is being used. Some systems then need to be monitored using meters.
What is IBOS?
International building operation standards – RICS professional standard on building operation systems
What is the infrastructure act 2015?
gives communities rights to purchase shares / interest in large renewable energy projects
What is the Kyoto protocol?
agreement between countries to reduce carbon emissions by 80% from 1990 benchmark – has now been upgraded to 100%
What is LEED?
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - an organisation aiming to bring together people involved in upgrading energy efficiency in buildings
What does part L of the building regs state?
Conservation of heat and fuel regulations. Mandates certain standards for energy supply and insulation in buildings
What is MEES?
Minimum energy efficiency standards. Min. rating for all commercial and privately let buildings now E. aim to upgrade in 2027 again.
What is NPPF?
National planning policy framework. Min. standards for developments etc.
What is the Paris Agreement?
Legally binding agreement from 2015 Paris UN convention on climate change. Agreement to limit global warming to within 2 degrees of pre-industrial baseline.
What does part O of the building regs state?
Relates to mitigation of overheating in resi dwellings
What is SECR?
Streamlined energy and carbon reporting. Makes it mandatory for large businesses to report on carbon emissions, energy usage and efficiency measures
What is SKA?
RICS rating system for property fit-outs. Rates their sustainability on a number of measures
What is Net Zero?
Where a business / building / country / anything emits the same amount of carbon as it absorbs, making it’s net carbon output zero.
What legislation would you refer to when considering sustainability?
MEES
Part L of building regs
Energy Act 2011 and updates
Climate change act 2008
Environment act 2021
What is sustainability?
Meeting current needs whilst preserving the ability of future generations to meet their needs
What is sustainable development?
Developing in a way that allows future generations to meet their needs
What are the triple bottom line principles?
Social, Environmental and economic
Means that companies should focus on all 3, not just the economic aspect.
What does the NPPF say about sustainable development?
National planning policy framework states that one of it’s goals is to achieve sustainable development.
It does this by considering the triple bottom line.
Can you tell me about any Climate Change Conventions or Protocols you are aware of?
United nations framework convention on climate change
Kyoto protocol
Paris agreement 2015
What targets did one of these set?
Paris agreement:
To limit global warming to a max of 2 degrees in comparison to pre industrial levels.
What are the most recent EU / UK targets relating to sustainability?
UK - Net zero 2050
What is the Paris Agreement?
An agreement designed to cut back on global warming
It is a legally binding treaty
What was the Kyoto Protocol and what were it’s targets?
Commitment to reduce greenhouse gas output to below the 1990 baseline.
Explain your understanding of COP26.
It was the 26th United nations climate change conference.
120 world leaders attended
It was attended by the nations that signed the UN convention on climate change.
What did the UK Climate Change Act 2008 do?
Set the target to reduce UK greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
I.e. Achieving net zero by 2050
How will it achieve this target?
Using renewable energy
Improving building standards using MEES
Carbon sequestration projects
Carbon neutral transport
What are carbon budgets?
Annual carbon emission allowances, in line with what is deemed as a safe amount of carbon to pollute the atmosphere with.
What did the Infrastructure Act 2015 say about climate change?
Established the renewable heat incentive
Investment in cycling and walking to reduce carbon.
Allows communities to buy a stake in renewable energy projects in their areas
What is the renewable heat incentive?
Tax levies & government grants provided to companies & residents who can heat their homes/ buildings with renewably sourced energy
Can you explain your understanding of the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) to me?
Privately rented Buildings are to have minimum energy efficiency levels.
Assessed using EPC’s
EPCS currently need to be a minimum of E moving forward on all buildings.
Aim to move to a C for new lettings & sales by 2027 and min on everything by 2030
How does MEES impact upon your role?
I have to ensure that all buildings under my management are an E or higher on behalf of my clients.
It could affect alteration applications:
If it negatively impacts the EPC, i might reasonably decline the application
What are the key dates for MEES?
2018: All new lettings to be E+
2023: All buildings to be E+
2027: All new lettings to be C+
2030: All new lettings to be B+
What falls outside of MEES?
Religious buildings
Temporary buildings (<2yr)
Buildings with no heating
Listed buildings
Buildings occupied less than 4 months a year
Are there any exemptions from MEES?
Where a landlord has carried out recommended works and are still below
Consent to undertake works is refused by third party i.e local authority or current tenant
If works could devalue property by more than 5% or cause damage.
Exemptions last for 5 years
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
Fines - a proportion of the rateable value
£5,000 - £50,000 (10% of RV) for properties with less than 3 month rental
£10,000 - £150,000 (20% of RV) for properties with more than 3 month rental
What is an EPC?
Energy performance certificate
What buildings require an EPC?
All commercial property and privately let residential units
When is an EPC required?
EPC’s are needed for all privately rented buildings that are not exempt from the below list.
Which buildings are exempt from having an EPC?
Religious buildings
Temporary buildings (<2yr)
Buildings with no heating
Listed buildings
Buildings occupied less than 4 months a year
What is included in an EPC?
Name of assessor, date of assessment
Date of expiry
Floor area of building
EPC rating
Potential rating once improvements are made.
When do you need to display an EPC?
Where the building is over 500m2
Frequently visited by the public
EPC has already been produced for building sale, rental or construction.
How would you find an EPC?
Using the government EPC register
When are the penalties for not having an EPC?
If no EPC, but one is required, fine is 12.5% of rateable value up to £150k
What did Rishi Sunak announce in September 2023 regarding the UK’s Net Zero target?
Scrapped multiple climate targets including:
Cars with combustion engines on sale til 2035 (from 2030)
Delay of boiler phase out til 2035
Insulation - homeowners not required to meet MEES
What is a DEC?
Display energy certificate - information about public building energy usage.
When is a DEC required?
Public buildings over 250m2
Frequently visited by public
Public authority buildings
What must accompany a DEC?
EPC Cert
What are the penalties for not having a DEC?
Fine - £500 for not displayed, £1000 for not being possessed
What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?
Alongside profit, companies must also consider their contributions to society in an environmental, social and governance sense.
Companies are to be accountable for enhancing society and the environment.
What is BREEAM/SKArating/LEED/Passivhaus?
Building regulation environmental efficiency assessment method
An assessment of a buildings sustainability based on 9 measurements
SKA
A rating system by RICS to rate the sustainability of fit-outs
Leadership in energy efficiency design
An organisation that promotes energy efficiency
Passivhaus
A type of building that generates and stores energy passively, thereby achieving net zero
What happened to the Code for Sustainable Homes?
It was scrapped and replaced by new national technical standards
How can people / businesses be more sustainable?
By following the reduce, reuse, recycle principle
By encouraging employees to get to work using low-carbon transport
By holding meetings on teams where possible
By considering the triple bottom line principle, rather than just focusing on profit
By forming an ESG team.
What does Global Professional Guidance Note Sustainability and Commercial Property Valuation (2021) 3rd Ed. state?
Re-issued as a professional statement in
What are building regulations?
A series of regulations required for buildings in the UK that are designed to achieve a number of country-wide standards.
These can be for sustainability, accessibility & fire safety among other things.
What does The Energy Act set out?
Energy act sets out many things.
Energy act 2011 sets out the MEES
Energy act also sets out provisions for cleaner & more efficient energy to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint.
Is there any RICS guidance on sustainability?
RICS Global Professional Standard Sustainability and ESG in Commercial Property Valuation (2021) 3rd Ed.
Responsible business framework
Whole life carbon assessment
What procedures does your firm implement to promote sustainability?
Employment of ESG team, including water manager, building surveyors and utilities managers.
Recycling in office
Automatic lights
Cycle to work scheme
Name some sustainable building methods?
Repurposing of disused buildings
PV
Green Roofs
Heat pumps
Recycled materials
Local labour and resources
What is your understanding of Green Roofs?
Roofs with plant life on top of them. Provides a habitat in urban environments & assists with carbon sequestration.
What are Photovoltaics?
Cells which convert solar energy to power electrics
What is solar gain and how can it be managed in buildings?
Solar gain is the absorbtion of solar energy in a building which thereby increases heat.
Can be managed with insulation
Ventilation
Tinted windows
Explain your understanding of the Heat Network (Billing and Metering) Regulations 2014?
Commercial buildings are required to update the government on the heating networks they use every 4 years, they have to report energy source, consumption & metering
These can be metered to monitor consumption and the government will look to assist with increasing efficiency where possible
What is a green lease?
A lease in which there is obligations for the landlord / tenant to fulfil sustainable obligations
Is incorporating sustainable measures into developments expensive?
It depends on the measure.
They are financially expensive but have long term value that cannot be matched.
What is ESOS?
Energy savings opportunity scheme
All qualifying organisations must comply with this scheme
What is the SECR regime?
Streamlined energy & carbon reporting
What is the Climate Change Levy? (CCL)
Environmental tax that is paid on the energy that businesses use
Aims to encourage businesses to reduce consumption where possible
What does Part L of the Building Regulations say?
Energy efficiency requirements under the building regs.
Conservation of fuel and power
