BRE Tools for Achieving Sustainability Laura Birrell Business

BRE Tools for Achieving Sustainability Laura Birrell Business Development Manager, BRE Scotland

About BRE • BRE Ltd – research, consultancy, testing & certification – construction, fire & environment • BRE Ltd owned by BRE Trust • BRE Scotland – 40 years young • 20 skilled & experienced staff • Offices in East Kilbride & Inverness • 4 teams – Energy, Construction, Sustainability & Business Innovation • ISO 9001 & Investor in People (Ii. P) accredited

Today’s Agenda • Introduction • Sustainability Guidance; why do we need it and who benefits? • BREEAM for developments

What are the problems? Urban

Why do we need specific guidance on sustainability? • Definitions are not always that helpful in practice: – Sustainable buildings definition (SBTG): “…as small an eco-footprint as possible, economic to run over its whole life cycle and fits well with the needs of the local community” • Need to define what you want to achieve in your context • Education, training and awareness raising • Means of assessing design options and applications • Level playing field for developers • Showing the future direction of policy

BRE tools for sustainable construction • BREEAM, including Eco. Homes • Green Guide to Specification (separate version for housing) • Envest • Sustainability checklist for developments – BREEAM Developments

BREEAM • What is BREEAM? – What is it and how can it be used? – What are the drivers • BREEAM aims – Why was BREEAM developed? • The credits – The individual aspects that the building is assessed against • Examples – Case Studies

BREEAM key drivers • To demonstrate a commitment to partner organisations • Reduced maintenance costs • Reduced running costs • Provide affordable warmth • Healthy and comfortable internal environment

BREEAM key drivers • Increased level of occupant satisfaction • Reduced dependence on private car ownership • Outperforms market developments increased saleability • Improved developers image with public and investors

What is BREEAM? Which building types can be assessed? • Offices • Health Buildings • Homes • Heavy Industrial Buildings • Shopping Malls • Light Industrial Buildings • Schools • Sports Facilities • Crown Courts • Garden Sheds

BREEAM Aims • To improve the environmental performance of buildings – By demonstrating improvements over building regulation – Recognising and encouraging industry best practice • Working towards government and global long term targets – Carbon-60 by 2050 • 60% reduction on 1997 CO 2 emissions

What is BREEAM? • Certification scheme • Voluntary • Independent & credible • Holistic • Customer focused

The Credits • Management • Health and Wellbeing • Energy • Transport • Water • Materials • Land Use and Ecology • Pollution

CASE STUDY 2 Rowardennan Marine Research Station Client University of Glasgow Brief To exceed current environmental good practice Achieve BREEAM “EXCELLENT” Outcome • A building with significantly lower running costs and Carbon emissions • Narrow plan provides effective daylighting • Passive ventilation adopted • High thermal mass material selected to avoid cooling • Optimised building orientation Client Comment “BRE’s involvement resulted in us incorporating passive and sustainable design features together with more traditional energy efficiency measures. We estimate an energy reduction of about 20% overall and at least 140 t C per annum by adopting the GSHP recommendations alone. ” Albert Young, Energy Conservation Officer, University of Glasgow

CASE STUDY 2 Beatson Cancer Research Institute Client Cancer Research UK / University of Glasgow Brief To evaluate the features of a fully glazed high tech laboratory with the objective of delivering a low energy building Achieve BREEAM “EXCELLENT” Outcome • • • A building with potential for significantly lower running costs and Carbon emissions than the norm for the sector Triple glazed, argon filled, low emissivity glass facade Maximised natural ventilation to all non laboratory spaces Close attention to achieving high targets for U-values and airtightness Specification of energy efficient mechanical and electrical services/heating and ventilation controls/VSD/lighting control

BRE Sustainable checklists for developments • • • BREEAM for Developments Developed by BRE/SEEDA originally Rolled out to every English Regional Partnership Considers wider issues Used in conjunction with Council Policy and guidance on sustainability • A useful planning tool • Appraising tenders

Existing guidance ER AT NG NI IO N AN PL TR GN SI LD NS UC TIO BU I CO IN G DE OP BREEAM Family N

Who are Checklists for? • Development commissioners: - Prompts thought beyond the visible design and location. Should help to answer questions like: – – What do you want from your building? Will it operate easily, efficiently and economically? What sort of contribution will it make to the wider community? What happens when you have finished with the building? – What kind of statement are you making - what kind of organisation are you?

Who are Checklists for? • Developers / architects / design teams: - For the less sustainably aware in particular: – – – – What is the range of issues to consider? How are they linked together? What standards and advice are out there? What might decision makers expect? What does good practice look like – marketing opportunities? How can I do more – simple “wins”? What might I have to consider in the future?

Who are Checklists for? • Planners / Decision makers - Especially where there may not be a broad range of expertise: – – – What issues should I consider? What does good practice look like? What has the developer said they will do? How does the proposal perform overall? How does it compare to other proposals? Does it meet the requirements of my organisation / funders?

Existing Guidance Information • Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust Good Practice Guidance • Scottish Executive Guidance • Building Standards Agency, CIBSE Assessment Methods • BREEAM/Ecohomes • Sustainable Checklists

What can checklists cover? • Site choice – Greenfield, destruction of natural habitat • Development design and layout – Regional Sustainability Checklists / Climate Change Tool kits / DQIs • Individual building performance – BREEAM / Ecohomes • Elements of construction process – ICE Demolition Protocol • Procurement – The OGC Achieving Excellence Procurement Guide • Post-build operation and management – BRE/Carbon Trust / EST guides … and any combination!

Scored sustainability checklist - question:

Scored sustainability checklist - outputs:

Size matters! The larger the development, the more it has to take into account. Therefore the more guidance that needs to be provided, and the more questions that a developer needs to consider in their design answer in any checklist. Conversely, the cumulative impact of lots of small developments can be very large –eyesores, crime hotspots, floodwater, carbon emissions… They need guidance and checklists too!

Further Information • South East of England Development Agency Example Checklist on line - http: //www. sustainabilitychecklist. co. uk/index-17. htm • BREEAM and Ecohomes www. breeam. org/ • Regional Sustainablity Checklist for developments www. wwf. org. uk/filelibrary/pdf/regsust_checklist. pdf • Aberdeenshire Sustainability Research Trust http: //www. index 21. org. uk/

Further Information Amanda Gallagher, BRE Scotland Tel: 01355 576200 email: gallaghera@bre. co. uk