Sustainability Flashcards
1
Q
Define sustainability.
A
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
2
Q
What percentage of the total UK carbon emissions are attributed to the built environment?
A
45%
3
Q
What percentage of the UK’s landfill waste comes from the built environment?
A
32%
4
Q
What percentage of products delivered to construction sites are sent directly to landfill?
A
13%
5
Q
List some sustainable construction methods
A
- Prefabricated construction
- Selecting sustainable building materials, e.g. renewable materials, components with low LCC
- Consider site logistics, i.e. use local suppliers to save on fuel costs
- Project energy plan
- Waste management plan
- Water plan
- Implement sustainability requirements in PQQ/ERs
6
Q
What features would you consider when designing a sustainable building
A
- Maximising daylight
- Use ventilation (e.g. louvres) to cool building naturally without using energy
- Design for simplicity of operation and long life (reduce LCC/WLC)
- Reuse materials
7
Q
What is a Waste Management Plan?
A
- Defines how materials will be managed efficiently and disposed of legally
- Defines how the re-use and recycling of materials will be maximised
8
Q
List some recyclable materials
A
- Glass
- Wood
- Plasterboard and other gypsum products can be used and recycled for cement/plaster of paris
9
Q
List some reusable materials
A
- Bricks
- Demolition waste for aggregate
- Building foundations can sometimes we reused, instead of being dug out and re -formed
10
Q
What is the definition of a sustainable material?
A
A sustainable material does not deplete non-renewable (natural) resources. They have no adverse impacts on the environment when used.
11
Q
List some sustainable materials
A
- FSC wood (Forest Stewardship Council)
- Anything that is being reused/recycled
12
Q
List some sustainable FF&E
A
- Aerators on taps
- LED lights
- Solar panels
13
Q
How might you design a building to reduce water consumption?
A
- Smaller sinks
- Reduce toilet cisterns from 6L to 3L
- Vacuum toilets
- Rainwater harvesting; grey water for toilets
14
Q
How might a building generate sustainable energy?
A
- PVC panels
- Wind turbines
- Active buildings generate energy*
15
Q
How might a building conserve energy?
A
- Maximise sunlight and ventilation through window design and building position (take advantage of prevailing winds)
- Thick walls
- Insulation
- Double/triple glazing
- Passive buildings conserve energy*
16
Q
What is the difference between a directive, act and regulations/rules/codes?
A
Directive - a legal act of the EU which requires a particular result without dictating the means of achieving that result
Act - legislation passed by parliament. Acts set out broad legal/policy principles.
Regulation - Guidelines that dictate how the provisions of the act are applied. Enforceable by law.
17
Q
Name some of the acts and regulations in the UK that relate to sustainability.
A
Acts
- Clean Air Act 1993
- Climate Change Act 2008
- Energy Act 2011
Regulations/rules/codes
- Building Regulations (Part L)
- MEES
18
Q
What is the Clean Air Act 1993?
A
- Restricts smoke/pollution
- Result of the “Great Smog” of ‘52
- First introduced in ‘56
- Provisions relate to furnace installations, chimney heights, maximum grit/dust emission rate
- Maximum fines of up to £1,000 for non-compliance
19
Q
What is the Climate Change Act 2008?
A
- Commitment to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 34% by 2020 and 80% by 2050 (1990 base date)
- Committee of Climate Change established to advise government and report annually to parliament
- Carbon Plan established: government required to publish 5-yearly caps on greenhouse gas emissions
- Policies relating to corporate reporting of emissions
- Followed Kyoto Protocol 2005
20
Q
What is the Energy Act 2011?
A
- Big 6 energy providers must deliver efficiency measures to domestic users
- Introduced Green Deal
21
Q
What was the green deal?
A
- Offered loans for energy saving measures eg. insulation
- Loans paid back to government on top of energy bills, but with insulation energy bills should be overall lower
- Widely criticised and ultimately failed due to high interest rates on the loan and little awareness of the scheme
22
Q
What is Part L of the Building Regulations?
A
- Conservation of fuel and power
- L1A = Conservation of fuel and power in new dwellings
- L1B = Conservation of fuel and power in existing dwellings
- “Where a building is erected, it shall not exceed target CO2 level”
2013 Changes:
- L1A = 6% increase in performance of standards for new dwellings. TFEE rates introduced (Target Fabric Efficiency Rates)
- L1B = 9% increase in performance of standards for existing dwellings
- L2A and L2B introduced for new and existing buildings other than dwellings
23
Q
What are the MEES?
A
- Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards
- To improve energy efficiency in buildings. Introduced in 2015.
- Buildings all given EPC ratings (energy performance certificate) A - G
April 2018 Changes:
- F and G rated properties unlettable
- Fine of 10% of properties value if let for < 3 months, 20% if let for > 3 months
Exemptions:
- If it will take more than 7 years for energy efficiencies to cover cost of improvements
- If it will devalue property by more than 5%
24
Q
Name some international regulations relating to sustainability
A
- Kyoto Protocol 2005
- Paris Climate Accord 2015
25
What is the Kyoto Protocol?
- Signed in 1997, effective as of 2005
- International treaty to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Extension of the UNFCCC 92.
- Actions reflect the countries wealth, capacity to reduce emissions and emissions output.
- Countries must prepare policies and regulations to reduce GFG, increase absorption of GSG, and review and report on emissions
- First period ended in 2012, not enough countries ratified the protocol.
26
What is the Paris Climate Accord?
- Followed Kyoto Protocol
- Mitigation, adaption and financing for greenhouse gases
- Aim to keep temperature from rising 2 degrees by 2100
- Countries free to set their own targets
27
What is BREEAM?
- Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method
- Best practice guidance and standards for the environmental performance of buildings through design, specification, construction and operation.
- Based on energy, water, health and well-being, pollution, waste.
- Rated unclassified < 30%, pass > 30%, good > 45%, very good > 55%, excellent > 70%, outstanding > 85%
28
What is LEED?
- Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
- Widely used in the US, whereas BREEAM is more popular in the UK
- Based on Water efficiency, materials and resources, innovative design etc
- Rated certified, silver, gold, platinum
29
What is the SKA Rating?
- RICS environmental assessment method
- Created for non-domestic fit-out projects, rates sustainability of the fit-out separate from the base build
- Free online tool to help improve sustainability
30
What is a BMS?
- Building Management System
- BMS are computer based systems used to control and monitor building services
- Can optimise buildings performance, give better control, gather data, report, improve safety, decrease OPEX
- Can alert you when parameters are exceeded
- Intelligent BMS collates a range of info on one interface
31
What is a BEMS?
- Building Energy Management System
- Used to monitor building services relating specifically to energy usage such as AC, heating, lighting. Not safety systems etc.
- Offers real time remote monitoring
- Records historic data useful for benchmarking
- Can be used to optimise energy use without compromising comfort or performance
- 10% - 25% savings on energy costs
- Requires maintenance eg batteries in sensors, checking connections
32
What are building services?
- Building services are things such as lifts, light switches, heating, fire alarms, ventilation, CCTV, IT systems
- Systems installed to make building more efficient, safe, comfortable and functional
- Controlled by sensors, clocks, switches
33
What is meant by ecological footprint?
- Humans demand on nature
- Requirements from nature to support people/an economy, such as plant food, fish, livestock, timber, forests to absorb CO2 etc to support a town
34
What is ecological footprint accounting?
- Measures populations demand on resources against the ecosystems capacity to supply them
35
What is biological capacity?
- The capacity for an ecosystem to support people/an economy/a town
36
What is an ecological deficit?
- When an ecological footprint is bigger than the biological capacity
- Countries in the "red" are in an ecological deficit
- The World is in an ecological deficit
- Opposite of ecological reserve
37
What's the difference between a smart building and intelligent building?
- Intelligent building = automated buildings with centralised control of building services
- Smart building = expansion of intelligent. Features additional controls and tools such as remote controlling.
38
What are the pillars of sustainability?
- Social
- Environmental
- Economic
39
What is the triple bottom line?
- Accounting framework taking into consideration a company's social, environmental and economic output
- Bottom line = economic only, final profit
- Economics of a company can be good, but the company will suffer if they have negative social/environmental impact such as high staff turnover, and may lose business from clients that endorse sustainability
- CSR in private sector drives triple bottom line
40
What are U Values?
- Calculate how effective a material is as an insulator
| - The lower the U value is, the better that material is as an insulator
41
What is WLC?
- WLC looks at all costs incurred by a building from it's inception, through construction and operation, to its disposal
- Better way of assessing VfM
- Inclusive of non-construction costs such as fees
- Spending more on architects fees could result in a better designed building, saving money long-term through lower energy costs
- Difficult to accurately assess future costs and life of building
- Difficult getting OPEX data from suppliers
42
What is LCC?
- Similar to WLC but not as broad. LCC is a part of WLC.
- Relates to capital cost and future cash flow of a building/component/system
- Does not account for non-construction costs such as fees, wages
43
What is a LCA?
- Life Cycle Assessment
- Method of assessing environmental impact of building component, whole building or building system throughout it's life
- Can be used as a comparative tool vs other design options
44
What is the Department for Energy and Climate Change?
- Spends most of its resources managing historic nuclear sites
- Began in 2008
45
What can be classed as contaminated land?
- Any substance which is or may become harmful to persons or buildings
- Includes land that is: corrosive, explosive, flammable, radioactive or toxic
46
What are the hazards to be aware of regarding contaminated land?
- Damage to fauna
- Contamination to ground water
- Hazard to human health
- Settlement
- Subsidence
- Damage to foundations
47
What can cause land to become contaminated?
- Asbestos works
- Cement manufacturing
- Oil storage
- Petrol stations/refineries
