BRE Tools for Achieving Sustainability

Laura BirrellBusiness 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 (IiP) accredited

Today’s Agenda

• Introduction • Sustainability Guidance; why do we need it and who

benefits?• BREEAM• 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 EcoHomes• 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

• To demonstrate a commitment to partner organisations

• Reduced maintenance costs

• Reduced running costs

• Provide affordable warmth

• Healthy and comfortable internal environment

BREEAM key drivers

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

• Offices

• Homes

• Shopping Malls

• Light Industrial Buildings

• Schools

• Health Buildings

• Heavy Industrial Buildings

• Sports Facilities

• Crown Courts

• Garden Sheds

Which building types can be assessed?

What is BREEAM?

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 CO2 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

Client University of Glasgow

Brief

Outcome

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 140t C per annum by adopting the GSHP recommendations alone.”Albert Young, Energy Conservation Officer, University of Glasgow

To exceed current environmental good practiceAchieve BREEAM “EXCELLENT”

• 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

Rowardennan Marine Research Station

CASE STUDY 2

Client Cancer Research UK / University of Glasgow Brief

Outcome

To evaluate the features of a fully glazed high tech laboratory with the objective of delivering a low energy buildingAchieve BREEAM “EXCELLENT”

• 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

Beatson Cancer Research Institute

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

BREEAM Family

PLANNING

BU

ILD

ING

DES

IGN

CONSTRUCTION

OP

ER

ATI

ON

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:

Objective

Question 1.4 (2)

Mark for target reached:Targets Minimum 1

Good practice 2

Best practice 3

Minimum not met 0

0

(a) mark awarded for this question:

(b) Question weighting: 0.4

Total Question score: (a) x (b): 0

Justification

More than 50% of the roof area used for rainwater harvesting or green roofs; captured water used for irrigation and /or toilet flushing and/or washing machines

Links to the RSS/ IRF RSS) CC2 Climate Change, CC3 Resource use

Considered not applicable for this application:

To ensure that roof space is used productively to minimise water demand and manage water run-off on the site.

What percentage of the total roof area in the development is designed to allow the harvesting of rain water for re-use and/or is covered by green roofs?

See relevant local planning authority standard for minimum required.

50% of the roof area used for rainwater harvesting or green roofs

Scored sustainability checklist - outputs:

Scores for each section represented as amount scored from total available.

0% 100% 0% 100%Ecology:

! Minimum standards not met: 1.6(1) 1.4(1) ! Minimum standards not met: 5.1 5.3~ Questions answered "not applicable": 1.5(3) ~ Questions answered "not applicable":5.2(2) 5.4

0% 100% 0% 100%Community: Resources:

! Minimum standards not met: 1.2(3) 1.3(1) ! Minimum standards not met: 6.1(2) 6.1(3) 6.1(4) 6.2(2)~ Questions answered "not applicable": 1.3(2) 6.3(1) 6.4 6.5(1)

~ Questions answered "not applicable":6.2(1) 6.3(2)

0% 100% 0% 100%Placemaking: Business:

! Minimum standards not met: ! Minimum standards not met:~ Questions answered "not applicable": 3.1(1) 3.2(4) 3.3(2) 3.4(1) ~ Questions answered "not applicable":

3.5(2)

0% 100% 0% 100%Transport: Buildings:

! Minimum standards not met: ! Minimum standards not met:~ Questions answered "not applicable": 4.3(2) ~ Questions answered "not applicable":

Overview report:

Climate change and energy:

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.sustainability-checklist.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.index21.org.uk/

Further Information

Amanda Gallagher, BRE Scotland

Tel: 01355 576200

email: gallaghera@bre.co.uk