Sustainability

Question 1

what is the definition of sustainability?

Answer 1

meeting the needs of today without comprising the needs of future generations across the three pillars of sustainability

Question 2

What are the 3 main pillars of sustainability?

Answer 2

Environmental Social Economic

Question 3

What are silver aspects level 1 to 8?

Answer 3

Section 7 Building Regs Aspect Silver level 1: Carbon dioxide emissions If your new dwelling is SAP compliant using the latest SAP 2012 software the dwelling will automatically meet the Silver level criteria in respect of CO2 emissions. This is due to the 21% improvement on the 2010 standards that occurred in October 2015. Aspect Silver level 2: Energy for space heating Maximum annual demand for useful energy for space heating should be: 40 kWh/m2 for houses, or 30 kWh/m2 for flats or maisonettes Aspect Silver level 3: Energy for water heating At least 5% of the dwelling or domestic building’s annual energy demand for water heating should be from: Heat recovery and/or renewable sources with little or no associated fuel costs (e.g. solar thermal water heating and associated storage or heat recovery from greywater) that are allocated for water heating Aspect Silver level 4: Water use efficiency “Enhanced or additional products should be provided as follows: “ WCs of average flush volume not more than 4.5 litres Wash hand basin taps with a flow rate not more than 6 l/m litres per minute Shower heads with a flow rate not more than 8 l/m, and 1 water butt (with a min. capacity of 200 litres) for outdoor use per dwelling. Dwellings without a private garden or landscaped area, or if there is no access to rainwater collection (for example if there is no external rainwater pipe within the curtilage) are excluded. Aspect Silver level 5: Optimising Performance Provide a guide to occupants on ways in which the dwelling is intended to function and how to optimise its performance. Install a resource monitor that displays electricity usage. Aspect Silver level 6: Flexibility and Adaptability Provide home office space – full details can be found in the Technical Handbook. Aspect Silver level 7: Well-being and security In brief, this includes: noise separation, noise reduction between rooms, enhanced natural lighting and security. Aspect Silver level 8: Material use and waste Recycling of solid waste: Provide a dedicated internal space with a volume of at least 0.12m3(120 litres) and no dimension less than 450mm, for storing recyclable material.

Question 4

What sustainability measurement tools are available for buildings?

Answer 4

BREEAM, Section 7 Building Regs, EPC, Eco homes

Question 5

Are you familiar with EPCs and when these are used?

Answer 5

Energy Performance Certificates are used to measure the energy performance of a building. They have ratings from A – G, A being the best. They are now a government requirement if leasing a flat and can be fined if not in place when required.

Question 6

How is construction waste controlled?

Answer 6

Transit certificates, segregated skips

Question 7

How does the proposed use of an asset affect the way in which contaminated land is remediated?

Answer 7

Remediation will depend on the use of the building

Question 8

How much is landfill tax?

Answer 8

Standard rate: £94.15/tonne Lower rate £3/tonne

Question 9

What is a biomass boiler?

Answer 9

Boiler that uses biomass fuel - Wood Chips or Wood Pellets. On the Barony Campus I instructed a Value Engineering option to change from a wood pellet to a wood chip system. The capital cost of the change was £5k, but the operating saving was £100k per year I managed the change control, the design was co-ordinated by the clients sustainability manager.

Question 10

Define BREEAM?

Answer 10

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

Question 11

What is sick building syndrome and how can it be avoided?

Answer 11

when a person becomes ill due to spending time in a building, can be avoided by adequate ventilation, waterproofing, natural light, living/ work space

Question 12

What methods are used to measure a projects sustainability?

Answer 12

BREEAM, LEED, Passivhaus and SCAR (RICS for offices)

Question 13

Been involved in environmental assessment methods?

Answer 13

Yes, I’ve attended BREEAM workshops for the Barony Campus

Question 14

What level was BREEAM?

Answer 14

Very Good

Question 15

What is the highest grade of BREEAM achievable?

Answer 15

Each BREEAM rating level broadly represents performance equivalent to: Outstanding Excellent Very Good Good Pass An unclassified BREEAM rating represents performance that is non-compliant with BREEAM, in terms of failing to meet either the BREEAM minimum standards of performance for key environmental issues or the overall threshold score required for formal BREEAM certification.

Question 16

What is currently popular in terms of materials/alternative power source/heating/cooling etc?

Answer 16

Here are 5 feasible renewable energy sources that could be developed to help meet world energy needs: Solar The sun offers an ideal energy source, unlimited in supply, expensive, which does not add to the earth’s total heat burden and does not produce air and water pollutants. Solar installations in recent years have also largely begun to expand into residential areas with government offering incentive programs to make “green” energy a more economically viable option. Wind Wind power is growing rapidly, and is becoming a well-recognized renewable energy resource. Using wind power to turn turbines that generate electricity can provide a cheap source of energy. Building and maintaining equipment could provide thousands of jobs and cost-efficient and clean electricity. Wind farms, however, are not particularly popular. They can impact local environment and wildlife, and even provide noise pollution. Additionally, many people feel that the equipment used obstructs scenic views. Water: We have been studying water-based renewable energy for quite some time. Hydroelectricity has been a source of energy for years. However, even though the energy production process does not put off pollution, there are other environmental concerns associated with the damming of rivers and ecological impacts stemming from this practice. Nuclear Energy Proponents of nuclear energy contend that nuclear power is a sustainable energy source that reduces carbon emissions and increases energy security by decreasing dependence on foreign oil. The biggest drawback that many see with nuclear energy is the waste. Radioactive waste is a concern, since it is a health hazard and if stored improperly can leach into soil and groundwater. Geothermal Geothermal energy is extracted from the natural processes of the earth. A great deal of heat is created below Earth’s surface, and efforts are being made to extract and use this power. Geothermal power does not put off greenhouse gases and it is reliable. However, it can only be used in areas where there is tectonic activity. Unfortunately, drilling is involved with geothermal extraction. Additionally, exploration is rather expensive. The costs of starting a geothermal plant are quite high at the outset, including the piping that would need to be laid and all the other costs, although a geothermal operation takes up less surface space than a power plant that uses coal or oil.

Question 17

How do you verify BREEAM ratings?

Answer 17

Assessment process is completed in three stages:

Pre-certification assessment

Design stage assessment

Post construction assessment

The BREEAM certificate, issued by the National Scheme Operator (NSO - BRE Global in the UK),

provides formal verification that the Assessor has completed an assessment of a building in accordance with the requirements of the scheme and its quality standards and procedures.

Question 18

How are points awarded in BREEAM verification process?

Answer 18

Management: Commissioning, site management and procedural issues

Health and well being: Factors affecting health and well being of the occupants

Energy: Operational energy and CO2 emissions

Transport: Transport related CO2 emissions and location related factors

Water: Consumption of mains water

Land use: Greenfield and brownfield sites

Ecology: Ecological value of the site and the impacts of siting

Materials: Environmental implications of building material choices

Pollution: Minimising air and water pollution.

Question 19

What is the current SG target for carbon emissions? How does this impact construction?

Answer 19

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, which amends the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009,

sets targets to reduce Scotland’s emissions of all greenhouse gases to net-zero by 2045 at the latest, with interim targets for reductions of at least 56% by 2020, 75% by 2030, 90% by 2040.

Question 20

What incentives are available for residential developments?

Answer 20

Greener homes incentive for new builds - £5k per unit

Doubling Glazing Grants

Insulation Grants

Home Energy Grants

Question 21

What would you class as a more energy efficient building and how would you achieve this?

Answer 21

Basically a building that uses less energy

Improve fabric of the building in terms of insulation and air tightness levels, windows and doors, boiler renewals, renewable energy - PV panels, LED bulbs, more energy efficient appliances

Question 22

Are you aware of any environmental assessment methods?

Answer 22

BREEAM, LEED, Passivhaus and SCAR (RICS for offices)

Question 23

BREEAM - what are the cost implications for the different ratings?

Answer 23

Increase in capital costs for different building types and certification levels:

School:

Very Good = 0.2%

Excellent = 0.7%

Outstanding = 5.8%

Office

Very Good = 0.2%

Excellent = 0.8%

Outstanding = 9.8%