Buildings

The main purpose of this initial report is therefore to summarise the building energy data research undertaken on typical building typologies (offices, primary schools and housing) in order to indicate whether achieving at least a 50% reduction in the energy use of new buildings by 2030 appears to be feasible. Report available free online.

Develop a strategic delivery framework commensurate with the challenge of building new homes at the scale needed to meet the environmental targets set out by the government. Delivery Hub to implement masterplan.

​The Climate Emergency Design Guide covers 5 key areas: operational energy, embodied carbon, the future of heat, demand response and data disclosure. Our methodology includes setting the requirements of four key building archetypes (small scale residential, medium/large scale residential, commercial offices, and schools). It is specifically aimed towards developers/landowners, designers, policy makers, and the supply chain. It aims to help to define ‘good’ and to set clear and achievable targets. Free online PDF.

The Zero Carbon Hub was established in 2008, as a non-profit organisation, to take day-to-day operational responsibility for achieving the government’s target of delivering zero carbon homes in England from 2016. Since then the Hub has worked with both government and industry with the focus on raising build standards and reducing the risk associated with implementing the Zero Carbon Homes policy. Closed for business on 31st March 2016 but all avaliable information available on website.

The Active Building Centre RP is providing support to Welsh Government’s Optimised Retrofit Programme, delivering a monitoring network and data analysis platform for reporting and engaging with the 1,881 social homes taking practical pathways to take them to their lowest achievable carbon footprint. In addition, researchers at University of Sheffield, UCL & University of Nottingham are developing an automated process, to collect material and thermal information from existing housing stock, and a city scale digital platform, to identify and optimise active products and systems for urban scale retrofit programmes.

To set out a standard for building performance evaluation that will close the loop for new build and retrofit projects to verify the performance of the building and investigate any significant discrepancy, so driving out the performance gap. The standard will point to testing and monitoring techniques that can be used to execute BPE compliant with the standard

Developing a Tool Kit for knowledge integration to envisage Buildings-as-Energy-Services. The Tool Kit will be used in the organisation of stakeholders who often work collaboratively to establish work rules, requisite skills, work contents, standards and measures, culture and organisational patterns with regard to the installed systems

A methodology to evolve the compliance model created at design stage to a Digital Twin and dynamic simulation model (DSM) of the building that anticipates enhanced sensing and metering infrastructure during buildings operational life

A new approach to smart mass-market home production that can adapt to changing lifestyles and has connectivity, whole-life performance and value at its heart.

A practical means of assessing the as-built in-situ thermal performance of critical building fabric elements such as floors, walls and roofs. Readily accessible technology is used to enable U-values and other thermal characteristics to be viewed, quantified and reported

The Construction Leadership Council has published the second iteration of the National Retrofit Strategy, a twenty-year blueprint for how the construction industry can work with Government to retrofit the UK’s 28 million existing homes. Following open consultation with the construction industry, the strategy now has more than 50 supporter organisations.

The new voluntary Standard supports public bodies meet their net zero commitments for their new build and major refurbished infrastructure projects. It has been developed by the Scottish Futures Trust in collaboration with Scottish Government, Zero Waste Scotland and Health Facilities Scotland with input from across the construction and public sectors in Scotland.