Introduction to Sustainable Construction: A Strategic Overview of Where We Are Now

Steve Charter Training Development Manager Green Gauge Trust

26 million existing homes to deal with now27% of current UK carbon emissions

Why be interested in sustainable buildings?

2016 and 2019 ‘zero carbon’ standards

Legal targets:• 26% domestic CO2 reduction by by 2020• 80% CO2 reduction by 2050

80% of homes in 2050 have already been built

Buildings = 40+% CO2 emissions

It’s a big

market

UK - where are we heading? 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Known and

expected increases

in standards

+

Demand for

sustain-able

building skills

CSH level 4 / Building

Regs

Code for Sustain-

able Buildings

?

CSH level 5 / Building

Regs

CSH level 6 / Building

Regs

Zero carbon

non-domestic

new build

Initiatives etc

Ecotowns

Standards for New Build Housing?

Standards for New Non-Domestic

Buildings?

2010 Building Regs Part L standards

Standards for the

Existing Stock?

Green Deal

Starts Responses to CRC kicking in

Demand for retrofit skills ?

Demand for Sust new

build skills ?

EcoSchools

Low Energy Building Standards:

Passivhaus (Germany; Austria)Minergie (Switzerland)

Super-E (Canada)Part L (UK)

Mainstream Sustainable Building Standards:

GreenStar (Australia)LEED (USA)

Code for Sustainable Homes (UK)

Code for Sustainable Buildings – (UK, impending)

BREEAM (UK)

Less Known Standards:AECB Gold & Silver Standards (UK)

Question: Why are there less low

energy standards?

Sustainable Building Standards

Green Stripes CPD course: Understanding sustainable building standards, regulations and methodologies

Trend: ‘Zero Carbon’ definition

Recommended revised definition of ‘Zero Carbon’ and Fabric Efficiency Standards = kWh/m2/yr• 39 kWh/m2/yr - flats & mid-terrace;• 46 kWh/m2/yr - semis / end-of-terrace & detached;• Covering Space heating & cooling energy demand

NOTE: Passivhaus as a global benchmark: why?• 15kWh/m2/yr for cost and energy efficiency• Based on building physics; 20 years of experience;• Methodology based on accurate predictions of performance

– not on notional buildings (SAP);

Do you understand yet why we think sustainable building always costs more in the UK?

Buildings built or refurbished to absolute energy & carbon targets i.e. kwh/m2/year and kgCO2 /m2/year

Delivered by teams with skills accreditation

Because this gives assurance of: a) design and build

quality b) energy performance

and CO2 outcomes

The future for buildings and skills

Predictable Trends

• sustainable buildings are the normal objective

• sustainable products and technologies are the norm

• sustainable building skills are the norm

• careers in sustainable building are a good choice

Parity Projects Demo HouseCarshalton

From 2013 work in housing and buildings sector will mean:

Defining Sustainable Building

People define sustainable building in different ways

No definite ‘A + B + C = D’ definition exists

But, we know sustainable building is about:

a) Design + Construction + Use + Demolition /Re-Use

b) Significantly Reducing ‘Whole Life’ Negative Impacts

c) Consciously Increasing ‘Whole Life’ Benefits

i.e. Sustainable Building = Whole-life x

minimised negative impacts x maximised positive benefits

2. Save Money• Minimum energy & utility bills

4. Education /Research

• yourself• your company• others

1. Shelter & Home

6. Healthy• zero toxins• natural lighting & ventilation

3. Generate Income• renewable energy• training?

5. Inspiration / Creativity• yourself• your company• others

7. Enhance Ecology& Biodiversity

By 2025 this approach to sustainable buildings will be the norm, not the exception

cool in summer

= sustainable

very low running costs

warm in winter

excellent indoor air quality

… a shift in understanding, like going from a privy to a house with indoor plumbing!

It will be understood that well designed, well built or retrofitted low energy low carbon buildings =

The low carbon future

Centre for Disability Studies: Passivhaus certified and BREEAM Outstanding

Where are we now? A UK reality check

11

Stamford Brook Research (Leeds Met Uni) actual build quality very often does not even reach current

Building Regs energy performance;CarbonBuzz (RIBA & CIBSE) Actual energy use rarely achieves predicted use (i.e. is higher)BSF ‘Green Schools’ (Usable Buildings Trust) not designed to be low energy buildings;BREEAM & ‘Zero Carbon’ Definitions being improved to be more energy-intelligent forms – i.e.

BREEAM ‘Excellent’ does not = Low Energy Building BREEAM ‘Outstanding’ because ‘Excellent’ isn’t good enough

But ... for the Germans and Austrians it’s all normal, and easy!

Reality Check – where are we now?

12

Airtightness Skills

Other Important Skills

1. Ecology and biodiversity2. Healthy buildings3. People skills: e.g. team and client communication4. Modelling skills: particularly re energy use5. Energy monitoring & efficient ICT systems

• building monitoring and management systems• Green ICT – ICT is a large energy user & secondary heat producer

6. Business & commercial skills: specialist sales, finance & marketing, etc

Everyone Needs Education

Overview of the Green Deal

A major new policy initiative to cut carbon emissions from existing UK housing and buildings

• finance packages for low carbon retrofit + some financial incentives (funded by Energy Co’s)

• paid for by Green Deal charge on your energy bill• ‘Green Deal Measures’ must meet the ‘golden rule’• revisions to RDSAP, SAP & EPC + linked to actual

performance• Accredited Green Deal Advisors and Installers• Qualifications, training, apprenticeships• Housing + SME business premises

Housing retrofit market

To achieve an 80% CO2 reduction by 2050• 600,000+ housing retrofits per year =

• 2,500 retrofits /working day• 333 completions /working hour• 5.5 completions a minute!

SE region = 3.66mn dwellings= 45 retrofits / working hr = £1mn / wking hr

For Radian Housing = 400 homes / year = £8mn / yr• = 1.5 completions / working day• = £320,000,000 spend by 2050 at current costs

Paul Ciniglio, Sustainability Manager, Radian Housing

SE Housing retrofit market

To achieve an 80% CO2 reduction by 2050• 3.66 million dwellings in Southeast

• 75% owner occupied• 11% private rented• 8% Housing Assoc rented• 6% Local Authority rented

Assume 90%+ retrofitted by 2050= 86,700 retrofits /year = 350 completions /working day

At say £20,000 per retrofit:= £1.73 billion retrofit spend in SE per year= £1.3 billion+ p.a. owner occupied spend per year

+ Commercial retrofit spend – Green Deal and in response to CRC

Skills Needs in Housing Retrofit

To achieve an 80% reduction by 2050over 2,500 retrofits completions/working day;

UK Skills Needs = 680,000 x (1/12) x 6 = 340,000?

South East Skills Needs? 80,700 retrofits p.a. x (1/12) x 6 =

Over 40,000 Permanent NW retrofit trade workforce?Plus professional, technical and managementPlus a lot of trainers needed!

Why accredited skills are needed

Assume 90% knowledge and experience re energy issues =

90% chance of success in desired outcomes for:

client

designer / design consultant

project management

site management

site skills

The risk of failure is cumulative:

i.e. 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 x 0.9 = 0.59

Less than 6 in 10 chance of achieving desired outcome!

The risk of failure v’s success in low energy sustainable building outcomes relates directly to knowledge and skills

Expertise & competence minimise risk

Trades / installers90%

Client120%

1.2 x 0.9 x 0.9 x 1.2 x 0.9= 1.05

Team has 105% of necessaryknowledge

i.e. risk of failure is avoided

For example:% of low energy

building knowledge / skills needed to get their job right in the

whole building process

The positive message is ...

You can create low energy sustainable buildings in cost effective, efficient and reliable ways when you have the skills and knowledge to do so.

Jubilee Wharf, PenrynThis is so for existing buildings or new build

IMPORTANT - mainly this involves:

a) improving or refining existing skills

b) adding new knowledge.

Some major challenges

Currently a distinct lack of:

1. formally accredited courses on sustainable building issues;

2. low-energy content in core building-related qualifications e.g. BTECs, NVQs, etc.

3. trainers with real experience / competence in low energy sustainable building.

4. technical understanding within Awarding Organisations and SSC’s

Sustainable building skills strategy

1) Clarify key knowledge & skills issues

2) Understand business / economic implications of: a) having those skills; b) not having those skills.

3) Work out individual & company skills needs & skills gaps

Put in place:

4) Knowledge & skills plan

5) Implement quality training system: including quality trainers, progression routes, etc

Complex junction details

Photo source: The Passivhaus Diaries, Bill Butcher of Green Building Company with Building Magazine

Multiple Entry Points

CPD / Short Courses

Accredited Units /

Training Programme

Qualifications/ Accredited

Skills

Publications

Website & / or On-line Training

Seminars, Conferences, etc

Membership Events

Masterclasses

Info

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Many Routes for Learning

Informal Training & On-Line Resources

Low Carbon Housing Learning Zone:• www.leedsmet.ac.uk/teaching/vsite/low_carbon_housing/index.htm

AECB / Carbonlite website, including accredited details as downloads:• www.carbonlite.org.uk• Certified Passivhaus projects database

• Retrofit for the Future refurb database

Green Building magazine and The Green Building Bible

Passivhaus Diaries / Passivhaus Refurb Diaries / Passivhaus film www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk / www.building.co.uk http://www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk/page--future-passiv-film.html

Green Gauge Trust – www.greengaugetrust.org – CPD programme, events

UK GBC STEP Introductory Programme• Intro to Sustainability for the Built Environment – 8 hours on-line introductory training with CEM

(College of Estate Management).

What accredited training is there?

31

1. Renewables• Plenty of accredited training i.e. Summit Skills 16 Level 3 & 5

units on environmental technologies

2. Eco Refurbishment • Parity Projects / Edexcel BTEC Level 3 Advanced Award• Parity Projects / EAL Level 2 Award

3. Sustainable Construction • QCF Level 3 units, Certificate or Diploma (ASFI)

CPD coursesQCF Accredited units, qualifications and licensed training manualsSeminars and eventsCompetent persons scheme – earn your Green StripesLearning partnerships for skills & knowledge developmentSkills research & strategy reports

“How many miles per gallon does your building do?”

QCF Accredited Units (ASFI)Green Gauge / OCTG / Walsall College

16 x Level 3 units – including: impact of sustainable & low carbon construction energy & buildings airtight construction materials & products for sustainable construction sustainable & low carbon technologies waste management in sustainable construction water in sustainable construction renewable & energy technology units sustainable construction adviceTypically 2.1/2 to 5 days learning each

Level 3 Cert/Diploma in Sustainable Building trade / installer and site-management professional, technical and management

Fundable: C.Skills grant & SFA

Next steps training manuals & pilot

programmes

Green Stripes CPD Programme1 day / ½ day training – available from Autumn 2011

1. Understanding sustainable building skills

2. Understanding sustainable building standards, regulations & codes

3. Introduction to energy & buildings

4. Procuring low energy buildings

5. Designing low energy buildings

6. Delivering thermally efficient buildings

7. A whole house approach to low carbon refurbishment

8. Planning and management of low carbon refurbishment

9. Introduction to Passivhaus for newbuild housing

10. Energy & building services systems for low energy buildings

11. Introduction to building performance evaluation

12. Embodied energy & carbon

13. Building performance evaluation Masterclass

14. Helping surveyors get ready for the Green Deal

15. Understanding low carbon development for planners

Steve Charter

Training Development Manager

Green Gauge Trust Ltd

steve.charter@greengaugetrust.org

07990 778581