Specifying low carbon buildings: recognising and reducing risks

Specifying Low Carbon Buildings

Recognising and reducing the risks

Will Ray

Specifying Low Carbon Buildings Conference

7/10/2010

Agenda

Building the Future, Today - the big picture

Low Carbon Building Accelerators – background

What we found

Doing it better

Building The Future, TodayTransforming the carbon and economic performance of the buildings we work in

Building the future, today

“What would a carbon reduction target of at least 80% mean for non-domestic buildings in the UK?”

The average building in 2050 needs to be 4 DEC ratings better than today

Source: DCLG, Carbon Trust analysis

Big opportunity, big challenge

A transformation of the buildings industry is required, along with government policies to overcome the large number of barriers to more low carbon buildings

We need better buildings, used better

Agenda

Building the Future, Today - the big picture

Low Carbon Building Accelerators – background

What we found

Doing it better

Accelerate take-up & impact of low-carbon technologies & approaches in new non-domestic buildings & refurbishments by:

– Raising awareness of & demonstrating thebusiness case for developing low carbon buildings

– Identifying barriers preventing low-carbon outcomes & presenting evidence-based options for overcoming them

– Reducing the quantitative data gap in non-domestic buildings energy research & policy

Objective

Insights from real projects

– Project team experiences, modelled & measured data

– Monitoring operational performance vs predicted

9 low carbon refurbishments running since 2005

– Encouraging take-up of low-carbon measures

19 low carbon new build running since 2006

– projects going beyond Part L (2006) from “large” stream of DECC LCBP funding

Background

Examples

Largest operational building study since PROBE

– 8 projects complete, 18 still in monitoring

Key piece of Carbon Trust research

– Influential for our design advice service

– Basis of our refurbishment guide

Engaging with industry & clients

Where are we now?

Agenda

Building the Future, Today - the big picture

Low Carbon Building Accelerators – background

What we found

Doing it better

Refurbishments deliver carbon savings, but….

10-20% for lighter „refresh‟ refurbishments

30-50% for „deep‟ refurbishments

Activity changes can increase energy use & offset savings

Building Refurb type CO2

savingData type

Small Retail Refresh 1% Monitored

Large Retail 1 Refresh 18% Monitored

Large Retail 2 Refresh 12% Monitored

Bank Branch Refresh -1% Monitored

Pub Refresh -12% Estimated

Accommodation Deep 41% Monitored

Office 1 Deep 51% Estimated*

Office 2 Deep 43% Estimated*

Leisure Centre Deep -41% Estimated*Source: Carbon Trust analysis (preliminary) * - Monitoring in progress

Key wins - Chillers

45% saving

New build can perform, but…

Performance data still being collected

Early evidence suggests many projects are not performing as intended

Performance appears to be unrelated to cost

Cost data is still to be compiled.

– Preliminary evidence suggests cost of low carbon often “lost in the noise” of building costs OR

– You can build a cheap low carbon building or an expensive one

Example: 2 adjacent office buildings, near identical design & size

– One building was cost-engineered by different contractor, dropping cost by >25%

– Operational energy data shows cheaper building performs significantly better

Carbon performance prediction doesn’t account for risks

> 50% of projects monitored significantly underperformed compared to design stage predictions

Initial data suggests the gap is around 40%

There is a lack of available benchmark & performance data to bridge the gap

Source: Carbon Trust analysis, RIBA

There are many sources of risk, including

Procurement methods, contracts & project management

Commissioning

Energy metering & monitoring processes

“Unregulated” loads

Missed opportunities

BMS & control systems

Renewable heat technologies

System complexity

A skilled & engaged party, with a long-term interest, is key to success

Example 1: Office building owner-occupier with in-house technical team

– Knowledge built from previous smaller projects

– Tight process control

Example 2: Client with deep green brand

– Combined with a planning obligation that included energy performance target for year 3

Example 3: Biomass ESCO for a community heating system

– Contractual interest in technology performance

– Long-term experience imported from Europe

Commissioning is critical for low carbon buildings

> 40% of projects did not properly commission all building systems

All new building projects required extended

bedding-in periods (typically > 1 year)

– to improve operation & realise benefits of low carbon technologies

Typical impact currently being quantified

Relationships between commissioning & energy efficiency measures

Source: LBNL Commissioning report

The tools of good operational energy management are often forgotten

> 50% of projects had energy metering problems making energy management and fault diagnosis difficult.

– Combination of equipment and ICT issues related to issues in design, installation & operation that go beyond the scope of the existing Part L requirements

> 80% of new buildings did not receive log books as required in Part L

Regular detailed checks of performance data particularly energy were not done by FM staff for most projects

Increases in “un-regulated” loads present a major risk

Most projects (% to be confirmed) had large “un-regulated loads” (e.g. office or catering equipment)

Increases in expected “un-regulated loads” offset carbon saving made in the building design or with low carbon technologies for many projects

90%

10%

50%

50%

Regula

ted

Un-R

egula

ted

New Unregulated loads

71%

29% 15%

kgCO

2/m

2/y

r

Post refurb opportunity

is in regulated

loads

1%

Bank Branch

Source: Carbon Trust analysis

Even with a focus on carbon, opportunities are being missed

>50% of refurbishments didn‟t improve building fabric

All refurbishments left some energy saving opportunities remaining after refurbishment

Example: large retail store

Source: Carbon Trust analysis

Agenda

Building the Future, Today - the big picture

Low Carbon Building Accelerators – background

What we found

Doing it better

Low Carbon Refurbishment Guide

The key intervention points for a low carbon approach to refurbishment

Film case studies

Refurbishment– MoD

– Whitbread

– Hampshire County Council

New build– Royal Horticultural Society

– Stoke Local Service Centre

– Pembrokeshire College

– Edge Hill University

– Fairglen Eco-community

– Woodbrook housing development

Further resources to come

GSHP

PV

Natural ventilation

Biomass & community heating

BMS & Controls

Metering & monitoring

Retrofitting renewables

Commissioning

Managing Risk

Design to performance gap (Carbon Buzz collaboration)

Procurement (WRAP collaboration)

Building performance & carbon (PROBE lite)

Data archive

Questions?

will.ray@carbontrust.co.uk

www.carbontrust.co.uk/buildings

The Carbon Trust is grant funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Assembly Government and Invest Northern Ireland. Whilst reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the information contained within this presentation is correct Will Ray, the Carbon Trust, its agents, contractors and sub-contractors and the Government give no warranty and make no representation as to its accuracy and accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The contents of this presentation are the copyright of the Carbon Trust and may not be copied or republished without the prior written consent of the Carbon Trust. The trademarks, service marks and logo used in this presentation are the property of the Carbon Trust and no licence or right is granted to use any such marks or logo.© The Carbon Trust 2010. All rights reserved.The Carbon Trust is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales under Company Number 4190230 with its Registered Office at: 8th Floor, 3 Clement‟s Inn, London, WC2A 2AZ.