Sustainable Architecture

New technology helps create sustainable spaces

New technological developments within the architecture and construction industry are allowing Gloucester-based Roberts Limbrick to create more sustainable buildings than ever.

Roberts Limbrick is a practice that focuses on sustainability. It believes good environmental design can improve user experience and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and whole lifecycle cost. These elements are considered a holistic part of the design process and Roberts Limbrick collaborates with specialists to ensure its buildings are well designed and comfortable.

Joe Roberts

Joe Roberts, director, said: “Set in the context of a climate emergency, sustainability is a fundamental factor of design and business in the 21st century. As a practice, we believe it is time for architects to step up and take greater responsibility for the spaces we live, work and socialise in. We continue to embed sustainability at the heart of our business activities and seek to create buildings that are both sustainable and improve people’s lives.”

Working in this way means as many sustainable elements as possible are put into designs, employing technology and techniques aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and resource conservation. Technology such as rainwater collection, air source heat pumps and HVAC systems have been popular client requests, giving the practice a wealth of experience incorporating these systems into its designs.

Careful use of space is just as important, and Roberts Limbrick implements this through strategies such as green roofs in projects like Cirencester College’s Gloucestershire Applied Digital Skills Centre and the Hartcliffe apartment buildings in Bristol.

BREEAM is one of the leading sustainable standards within architecture, with ratings from Outstanding to Acceptable. To date, Roberts Limbrick has been involved with many buildings which have strong environmental credentials. These include buildings that have BREEAM Outstanding, Excellent and Very Good ratings. The firm’s own offices were designed to achieve BREEAM Excellent.

Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc

Roberts Limbrick was appointed to replace the current extension at Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc’s Group HQ with a contemporary, four-storey headquarters office that remained sympathetic to the adjoining Grade II listed building and was fully in line with the group’s One Planet: Engineering with Purpose sustainability objectives.

The firm strived to make the design as sustainable as possible, and the building has been accredited with BREEAM Outstanding at design stage. This rating recognises the top 0.5% of sustainable new builds and is the highest rating BREEAM offers. An energy-efficient building will be achieved with features such as solar glass, heat pump technology, photo voltaic array and materials reused from the demolished structure.

The redevelopment of the building offers an opportunity to enhance the outdoor space and create a haven for nature to thrive, in line with the group’s focus on biodiversity. New trees, planting beds and a wildflower garden will also help to improve the biodiversity of the site. Further ecological enhancements will include a wildlife pond, bat and bird boxes, hibernacula and an insect hotel.

Carnival Leisure Centre

Sustainability in the sport and leisure industry is of great importance. Creating a sustainable building provides users of the facilities with a more positive and uplifting environment.

The client for Carnival Leisure Centre was Wokingham Borough Council, which prepared a climate emergency action plan in 2019, prompting Roberts Limbrick’s involvement in the project.

Roberts Limbrick was appointed for its specialist sport and leisure experience and to make sure the project stayed on track. The firm redesigned and delivered an accessible and inclusive leisure centre, which met and exceeded Sport England design guidance, while retaining the sport, leisure, library and community facilities, working with Pellikaan Construction.

Sustainable features, such as photovoltaic panels and air source heat pumps, were incorporated and the thermal fabric was significantly improved. This saw an 87% reduction in CO2/ m2 in operation. The building is one of the country’s most energy-efficient leisure centres and received a BREEAM Very Good rating.

Carnival Leisure Centre

Forest of Dean Campus

Educational facilities are one of the most vital places to implement sustainable architecture. Making sure sustainability is at the forefront of students’ minds while they are learning, through the architecture around them, can help shape sustainable futures.

Roberts Limbrick was brought in by Gloucestershire College to design a new, highly sustainable campus for the Forest of Dean. The college required flexible, futureproof facilities, which could be shared by students and the community.

The building is situated on a site of national ecological importance populated by bats, newts and dormice. This meant that every stage of development needed to be extremely sensitive to the surroundings and, through targeted consultation and working with ecologists, Roberts Limbrick reduced the ecological impact of the campus on the site.

The sustainable building design is orientated to provide high levels of natural light and uses the existing site contours to minimise the impact of the facility on the landscape. It incorporates brown and green roofs to provide habitats for wildlife, along with greywater rainwater harvesting and roof-mounted solar panels.

Future

Roberts Limbrick has been placing a huge focus on sustainability within architecture for many years. The firm’s architects understand the importance of looking towards the future when designing.

 

Source: Punchline

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Austrailia: Housing Crisis Downunder

How Australia’s prefab industry can help the housing crisis

Prefabrication is a practical solution to meet Victoria’s urgent housing needs by providing speedy and cost-efficient dwellings

By Dr Tharaka Gunawardena, University of Melbourne; Joyce Ferng, AECOM; Professor Tuan Ngo, University of Melbourne; Professor Shan Kumar, Swinburne University of Technology and Professor Priyan Mendis, University of Melbourne

The Victorian government’s recent announcement that it’s aiming to build 800,000 new houses in a decade might seem very ambitious, but it aims to address a very serious problem.

Housing supply in Australia has not kept up with demand. There’s a national shortfall of housing, increasing interest rates which are creating significant levels of mortgage stress, spiralling rental prices and the large number of people now priced out of the housing market.

All of these factors are contributing to what’s now being described as a national housing crisis.

But could prefabricated modular construction – which basically involves producing standardised components or the whole of a structure in an off-site factory, then assembling them on-site – become a key part of the solution.

Our team sat down to look at some of the key issues and how prefab might help.

Dr Tharaka Gunawardena: How could prefab help tackle Australia’s housing crisis?

Due to the diminishing availability of skilled labour and the demand for quicker construction, prefab is fast becoming a necessity more than an option.

While providing the means to build houses with speed but with a reduced labour load, prefab can offer many more advantages.

It can allow construction with minimum on-site congestion, waste generation and pollution by moving away from a labour-oriented onsite operation to a more process-oriented offsite manufacturing and assembly process.

The fact that prefab units, especially volumetric modules (where the whole structure including finishes and fittings are manufactured offsite as modules), can be removed from the main structure for future reuse, relocation or repurposing is also a boon. This reusability contributes significantly to prefab buildings having a much lower life cycle energy.

Construction can also start earlier because prefab panels or modules can be manufactured in the factory while the onsite preparation and foundations works get underway.

Financially, investors in housing projects can start generating revenue much earlier and the construction process itself is significantly less vulnerable to adverse weather, which means projects are finished faster.

At the same time, advanced mass customisation methods in design and manufacturing allows architecturally unique housing designs to be built while allowing for mass manufacturing.

In all areas, prefab is a more than capable option in building high-quality dwellings in a short period of time.

Joyce Ferng: Does Australia’s prefab industry have the capacity to match the government’s housing ambitions?

Victoria’s housing goals align well with the PrefabAUS Prefabrication Industry Roadmap for 2023-2033, setting the stage for substantial economic benefits and cost savings associated with Smart Building, which aims to decrease construction time frames and waste while increasing quality, productivity and affordability.

The roadmap projects that Australia could earn an annual benefit of $AU9 billion by 2033, driven by the efficiency of Smart Building practices and prefabrication.

In the short term, prefabrication is a practical solution to meet Victoria’s pressing housing needs. Its ability to provide speedy and cost-efficient housing makes it a strong choice for the demands of both single dwellings and multi-residential buildings.

One piece of analysis points to Melbourne’s potential for 230,000 granny flats, a fast-track solution to housing shortages, thanks to prefabrication and the flexibility it offers in navigating town planning regulations.

This current surge in housing demand is a catalyst for elevating the prefab industry’s capacity and capabilities, from single dwellings to customised complex multi-residential buildings.But there also is the critical need for strategic initiatives and robust partnerships to provide a foundation for this burgeoning industry – providing answers to housing affordability, climate resilience and carbon reduction through energy-efficient design.

Professor Tuan Ngo: Is the current regulatory framework supportive enough to fast track this many houses this fast?

There is an urgent need for more comprehensive standards and guidelines for the design of prefabricated housing.

The importance of a reliable design approach for modular structures cannot be overstated, as an unsuitable design can significantly impact both project costs and timelines.

Currently, traditional ‘limit state design’ criteria, which includes stability, strength and serviceability, are the prevailing design practice for modular buildings. But the absence of comprehensive design guidelines for prefabricated modular buildings can mean these techniques, even when using innovative materials, fall short of expectations.

To ensure a safe and robust design, the design loads (like the dead weight of the structure, the weight of occupants and finishes, and other attachments or fittings) of any structure must take into account all potential circumstances. The design loads in modular construction are different from those in traditional construction because of their unique loading characteristics (owing to the transportation, lifting and handling stages of a prefab installation).

The construction process itself requires distinct infrastructure – demanding careful consideration of factors like geometric inaccuracies and installation procedures.

Offsite construction requires a highly detailed design at the early stages. This means the design requirements for modular buildings are significantly different from those of conventional structures.

But the current design of modular buildings mainly relies on a conventional design system and lacks the necessary design guidelines – so it’s imperative to establish and implement suitable design guidelines for modular prefabricated housing.

Professor Shan Kumar: Is prefab cost effective in the medium to high rise and multi-residential market?

If it’s well coordinated (by engineers, architects and prefab manufacturers), uses appropriate materials (timber, steel, concrete and other sustainable composites) and smartly executed by skilled prefab-modular contractors, then prefab construction will certainly deliver a cost effective, quality home on time.

More of these projects in the pipeline would encourage prefab contractors to invest in research and development, which in turn, would help achieve simple, smarter, innovative modern methods of construction.

To bring more building contractors into this prefab-modular construction space, there must be a mandatory skills requirement.

Government-initiated grants for research and development as well as low interest bank loans and tax credit initiatives for setting up prefab manufacturing factories would help create interest and reduce barriers to entry.

In terms of regulatory requirements, they must be made easy to make this smart construction a viable alternative to building affordable homes – not just in mid to high-rise apartments, but also in single dwellings and unit developments.

Upskilling the prefab-modular industry, which should start at the student undergraduate level, is the key to successfully getting the required number of affordable home projects completed on time.

Professor Priyan Mendis: In terms of research and development, has there been enough investment to allow these kind of rapid solutions for the housing crisis?

There is a genuine need for more investment into the research and development of modern methods of construction, with prefab as the base.

This need is real – both from the construction industry and academia.

The University’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing (CAMPH) which, for five years, worked in strong collaboration with industry pioneers continues to disseminate its knowledge and expertise long after its conclusion.

However, many more areas – like advanced and sustainable materials, factory automation, robotics, financing and value chain issues – still need further development.

Unfortunately, recent trends in government funding have seen less and less attention given to research and development in the construction sector.

The urgent need to solve the housing crisis demands a more significant commitment in government funding to ensure that higher quality housing solutions are provided for future Australian homeowners.

Source: The University of Melbourne

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SPACE BASED SOLAR POWER

Miranda Lepri details the Cavendish Laboratory’s role in the future of space-based solar power

As crazy as it may seem, the possibility of launching solar farms in space is becoming more science than fiction. As of this June, the University of Cambridge is one of eight institutions to receive grant funding from the UK government’s Space Based Solar Power Innovation Competition. The competition is part of the Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, which allocates funding to the development of low-carbon or renewable technologies and systems in order to realise the set goal of net zero emissions by the year 2050.

While solar energy has long been floated as a potential alternative to combustibles, several factors have stood in the way of its viability in eclipsing carbon-based fuel as a major energy source. For one thing, solar panels on Earth, particularly residential cells, often operate at somewhere between 17% and 20% efficiency, with the most advanced recent developments reaching closer to 50%. This is due to a variety of factors, not least including variations in weather conditions and limited daylight hours.

None of these would be factors in space, where a satellite in geostationary orbit about 36,000km above the Earth’s surface could continuously generate energy close to 24 hours a day. While most mid-sized solar plants, which includes all solar farms in the UK, cap out annual production in megawatts, space-based solar plants would easily deal in gigawatts – for context, one gigawatt (GW) is equivalent to 1,000 megawatts, and a potential 10GW annual generation capacity would account for ¼ of the UK’s net electricity consumption. Space solar farms would also greatly reduce the sheer amount of land required to generate solar power, with the UK’s largest solar farm inhabiting over 250 acres for a mere 72.2-megawatt maximum output.

When considered in these terms, space-based solar farms seem too good to be true. The technology is not without its downsides though, chief among them the longevity of the hardware in space, an environment which presents accessibility issues, as well as potentially prohibitive costs, when considering potential repairs. This is where the new research out of Cambridge comesin.

In partnership with programs at the University of Southampton and IQE PLC, a British company dealing in cutting-edge semiconductors, Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory is developing lightweight solar panels that will not deteriorate in the face of high levels of solar radiation. Louise Hirst, Professor of Material Physics at the University, and her team are currently working on the production of concentrator photovoltaic devices – solar technology that converts light into electrical energy – that are able to resist deterioration from radiation due to their ultra-thin nature and the implementation of integrated light management technology.

The ultra-thin solar cells resist degradation better than their thicker counterparts, as the charged particles carrying solar energy travel a shorter distance across the cell, offering fewer opportunities for the particles to strike, and thus degrade, the solar panel’s crystal structure. While thinner cells do have higher transmission losses, the addition of internal light management structures, such as textured, reflective surfaces within the solar cell, would help to optimise the solar panels’ energy production. The team will also apply a thin film coating to the prototypes, allowing the device to regulate its temperature by releasing excess heat into space.

Professor Hirst’s team is also working to minimise the costs of this new technology, enabling what Hirst described in a University press release as “a complete, technically feasible, robust, and relatively inexpensive solution for generating power from space”. The general decreasing trend in the cost of launching heavy cargoes into orbit will also ease the start-up cost of space-based solar farms in the coming years.

The potential for energy generation in space seems highly promising. This raises the question, though – how will this energy be transported back to Earth? The answer is, shockingly enough, microwaves. That’s right – the same science that heats up your pot ramen could transport gigawatts of solar energy from orbit to the Earth’s surface. Just this year, researchers at Caltech launched a prototype spacecraft and successfully transmitted solar power to Earth through the use of microwave technology.

To justify the costs of space-based solar farms, this technology must become highly efficient, rather than merely technologically viable, by retaining a significant portion of the energy generated in the transfer. This technology will need to develop alongside Hirst and her team’s lightweight panels in order to make space-based solar power a feasible source of renewable energy. The technology may not be ready to launch tomorrow, but for a 24-hour completely renewable energy source, with little to no carbon footprint here on Earth? We’re willing to wait.

 

Source: Varsity

 

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WATERPROOFING THE TACO MOUNTAIN BASIN

RENOLIT ALKORPLAN AND BALTEN JOIN FORCES TO REDUCE WASTE WHILE WATERPROOFING THE TACO MOUNTAIN BASIN

 

BALTEN chose RENOLIT and its ALKORPLAN Hydro geomembrane for the re-waterproofing of the Taco Mountain basin (Tenerife). The project allowed to ensure irrigation without generating negative impacts on the territory: waste materials were recycled, thus significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

Sant Celoni, Barcelona, 14 September 2023 – Efficient rainwater collection is a crucial issue in the context of a more sustainable use of resources that are becoming increasingly scarce and discontinuous due to climate change, such as freshwater.

RENOLIT ALKORPLAN has joint forces with Balsas de Tenerife (BALTEN) to minimize the impact of the waterproofing works of the Taco Mountain basin. The project shows how RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Hydro geomembranes can be used to reduce water dispersion and material waste in basins even in challenging environments.

The challenge of rainwater collection in Tenerife

 The Taco Mountain basin is built in the crater of a volcano and is the largest irrigation water reservoir on the island. The water is used almost exclusively to irrigate banana plantations, a key activity in the area. Located between the municipalities of Los Silos and Buenavista del Norte, it has a capacity of 821,739 cubic meters and a water height of 13.70 meters.

The bottom of the basin is characterized by an impermeable clay layer. However, the scarcity of rainwater on the island has led to the need to reduce the amount of water that disappears through the side walls of the basins. In addition, the site’s high exposure to solar radiation required the use of a highly UV-resistant material.

The conformity of the terrain makes the task even more challenging: the Canary Islands are characterized by a steep orography with abrasive aggregates and sharp edges. This leads to a greater need to optimize the capacity of reservoirs, requiring the design of basins with almost sub-vertical slopes in some cases.

 

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RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Hydro, a flexible and UV-resistant PVC-P geomembrane

To tackle these challenges BALTEN ̶ the public entity in charge of managing all water storage facilities on the island ̶  has chosen RENOLIT and its geomembrane ALKORPLAN Hydro 00414 R SST in 1,5 mm thickness for the project, for a total amount of 38,307 m2. The characteristics of the geomembrane allowed to carry out the job within the pre-established times, facilitating the implementation of the intervention.

RENOLIT produces geomembranes with very high performances. As installers, RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Hydro 00414 R SST offers relevant advantages to us, such as its high malleability and flexibility which make it suitable for applications in any scenario. As we implemented the project, the PVC geomembrane allowed us to weld over the old material, with the peace of mind that the welding was going to be perfect», explains Rubén Lopez, Managing Director of the installation company Imperteide.

RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Hydro 00414 R SST offers the right solution to meet all the requirements of the basin: made of flexible polyvinyl chloride (PVC-P), it is ideal for re-waterproofing applications as PVC can be welded even after many years. Flexible and resistant at the same time, RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Hydro 00414 R SST geomembrane is applicable on very steep slopes and with a protective layer against UV rays. In fact, the new geomembrane has Solar Shield technology, a special protective layer that reflects the sun’s rays and protects against microorganisms. This means that the membrane does not age as quickly. Emilio José Grande de Azpeitia, specifier of the project and head of Trazas Ingenieria, remarks that there is no other solution on the market that offers all these advantages at the same time, making it the perfect product for such extreme conditions like the Canary Islands’ ones.

Innovation meets sustainability

BALTEN trusted RENOLIT not only because of all the benefits RENOLIT ALKORPLAN Hydro 00414 R SST geomembranes offers and its extensive know-how in these applications, but also because of its commitment to sustainability.

Going into this project we had two main goals. First, the intervention was aimed at ensuring water supply to the island, limiting the inactivity of the basin to the shortest period. Secondly, we wanted to set an example as a public entity to also take on the consequences of the works. For this reason, we agreed with RENOLIT to collect the cutoffs in a waste-free manner and treat the PVC material with the same care as we treat water: without wasting a single ounce», says Fernando Bonnet, Head of Exploitation sector of BALTEN.

An additional challenge that RENOLIT has tackled without much difficulty. «We sent big bags to the site to collect the cutoffs and bring them to our factory. They will be recycled and converted in new raw materials to manufacture new membranes. In this way, we were able to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by about 40% compared to landfilling», says Jennifer Witty Che, Sustainable Manager, RENOLIT.

 

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Groundbreaking British Invention

Groundbreaking British invention could help industry slash bills by 45 percent and radically cut CO2

  • New type of heat battery allows users to swap expensive gas and electricity for cheap on-site solar instead.
  • Bills cut by over 45% with an annual saving of £915,000.
  • Payback in as little as 6 years.
  • 1,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided per year.
  • Inventors Caldera already have £4.3 million backing from UK Government.
  • Potential ‘major positive impact’ on UK net zero ambitions.

 

A groundbreaking British invention could help industry slash energy bills by 45 percent and radically reduce CO2.

Hampshire startup Caldera has developed a unique type of heat storage system, which takes cheap on-site solar power and stores it as heat in specially designed cells made of scrap aluminium and volcanic rock.

These cells then deliver heat when required as hot water or steam, the main energy source for many processes in pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing and brewing.

This allows businesses to switch off high-cost gas and electricity and use cheap on-site solar instead.

Now independent analysis by energy consultants Gemserv shows this system could slash fuel bills by 45 percent, saving a typical business hundreds of thousands of pounds a year.

The calculations are based on a real-life British food factory using its own on-site solar array, where Gemserv predicted an annual energy saving of £915,000 and a reduction of more than 1,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted per year.  Installation of the system could pay for itself in less than six years, the analysis states.

In June, Caldera was awarded £4.3 million from the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero to build a full-scale demonstrator at their Southampton site, where they will showcase the technology.

They are currently crowd raising on Crowdcube and have already surpassed 150 percent of their target raise.

“Energy bills are a major headache for industry, and in particular the high and volatile price of gas,” explains company co-founder and CEO James Macnaghten.

“In contrast, solar power is getting cheaper by the month. Our technology allows factory owners to use low-cost solar electricity which can be stored in super-insulated cells to be used when required,” James says.

 

 

Caldera has targeted their technology at factories which use industrial steam – which accounts for 31 percent of all UK industrial energy use.

“Many businesses have not yet realised the huge potential for installing a dedicated solar farm – even where little roof space is available,” James continues.

“It’s often possible to lease land for a solar farm in the vicinity and run a dedicated cable – known as a ‘private wire’ – for a kilometre or more to the industrial site. In our case study, the food factory plans a 7MW solar array on land nearby.

“Our system completely bypasses the need to connect to the grid, which can take years, and means the factory owner can generate and use all of their solar energy at cost.

“This transforms the economics of solar power and gives the site owner price certainty over decades, allowing manufacturers to focus on their core business, and not on the price of gas.

“This Gemserv report backs up our own internal findings.  We believe the widespread adoption of Caldera’s industrial heat storage system would bring significant benefits to many British manufacturers and could have a major positive impact our net zero ambitions,” James concludes.

Inside a heat cell

Each heat cell houses a solid core of aluminium-rock composite encased in vacuum insulation which can store heat at temperatures from 200 to 500C.

These modular cells can store this with very high efficiency for hours, ready to deliver heat on demand at temperatures between 80 to 200 C – the sweet spot for many industrial processes.

This allows industrial users to capitalise on super-cheap solar energy, which can be generated on-site (or on land nearby) and stored ready for use when required.

 

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Australia: Government Contract to Deliver Modular Homes

Picture: credit Volo/Linkedin

 

The Queensland government has announced that seven prefabricated homes have been built at VOLO Modular at Yatala on the Gold Coast for delivery to Eidsvold this week.

According to a statement on Wednesday, the houses will be delivered by truck and as used as social housing.

VOLO will build 27 of the two-bedroom homes in total, with the first deliveries beginning this week.

VOLO’s Rick Bell said enquiries had doubled in the last six months as Queenslanders saw the benefits of modular homes, which included speed. He said they were put together in a quarter of the time taken for regular homes.

“Now we do the landscaping and build carports and those sorts of things, and the plan is that they should be ready to be occupied by Christmas,” he said.

The Queensland government had previously announced the work with VOLO as part of its affordable housing initiatives, calling the partnership a “first-of-its kind”.

One-hundred modular homes are being delivered by the end of the year through the Modern Methods of Construction program.

“These prefabricated homes are architecturally designed but take a fraction of the time it would take to build a home from the ground up, especially in regional communities,” said state housing minister Meaghan Scanlon.

“Modular homes are particularly beneficial for regional areas in Queensland, where construction can be challenging.”

Source: AuManufacturing

 

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UK Businesses Disregard PM’s NetZero Cutback

The Prime Minister’s controversial move to cut back many of the nation’s net-zero ambitions has received criticism from business leaders, environmentalists, and Conservative party backbenchers. Meanwhile, a new survey from energy company Vattenfall reveals a very different perspective from UK businesses, demonstrating their eagerness to decarbonise – without delay.

Rishi Sunak recently announced a major recalibration of the nation’s net-zero targets. Key changes include pushing back the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars to 2023, and the 2025 ban on gas boilers to 2035.

While the government’s reasoning for this environmental U-turn is to save consumers money, Sunak’s justification has been met with serious scepticism. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged that “we cannot afford to falter now or in any way to lose our ambition for this country”, and that “businesses must have certainty about our net zero commitments”.

Jim Watson, Director of the UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources, argued that the weakening of our sustainable policies is likely to add further costs onto businesses in the future, rather than cutting them. He commented “Rishi Sunak’s Net Zero speech is full of contradictions and will make it harder to meet our medium – and long-term climate change targets. It also risks increasing the costs by delaying the shift away from fossil fuels and reducing the economic benefits to the UK.”

 

UK businesses are driving decarbonisation regardless

According to a recent study conducted by Vattenfall Network Solutions, UK businesses are committed to their net-zero regardless of the changes: 95.5% of companies surveyed, with a workforce exceeding 50, stated that they are steadfast in their commitment to reducing carbon footprints or achieving Net Zero. A majority, 77.4%, aim for significant cutbacks by 2030, with 58.1% envisioning substantial reductions within the next 5 years, highlighting business’ understanding of the urgency and commitment to the net zero imperative. Vattenfall’s survey, engaging a thousand mid-sized industrial firms, demonstrates that UK business is committed to cutting emissions as soon as possible, despite the Prime Minister’s wavering.

Electrification is one of the most vital strategies for the UK to reduce its CO2 emissions in time for the2050 net-zero deadline, which also makes economic sense since electrical processes are often more efficient. But surprisingly, according to Vattenfall’s investigative report, only 51% of companies surveyed anticipate a rise in their electricity usage in the forthcoming decades. This statistic raises a serious question – where will business’s energy be coming from, if not from electricity? Evidently, a deeper understanding of the net-zero roadmap and its key steps is imperative to navigate the transition.

Energy efficiency is the most obvious way to reduce consumption and was the most popular method of achieving carbon reductions with 23.4% of companies targeting savings this way, whilst almost 70% (68.6%) of companies with carbon reduction or net zero targets included electrification, solar PV or changes in energy use as part of their plans.

The biggest take-away from Vattenfall’s survey was that a resounding 80% of respondents acknowledged the necessity of guidance to meet their targets, underscoring an industry-wide thirst for expertise, rather than a weakening of targets.

This massive demand for financial, technical and implementation support highlights UK businesses commitment to net zero and the urgent need for clear guidance and programmes to help UK companies deliver on net zero.

But, where the Government is failing to deliver, industry is pushing forward to deliver on the urgent net zero imperative. Vattenfall’s Power-as-a-Service model is specifically designed to support UK businesses by providing funding, technical support and implementation for electrification projects. Whether a company is looking for solar panels, EV charging, or energy efficiency upgrades, Vattenfall will provide the investment capital, design, installation and ongoing maintenance to help companies transition to net zero whilst remaining focused on their core business goals.

As a nation, we have an urgent need to cut carbon emissions and there are extremely strong economic arguments to do so, which completely undermine Sunak’s views that strong net zero targets will increase bills. For example, Vattenfall’s fully financed offer for solar photovoltaics delivers electricity to UK businesses at under 7p per kWh on average over 25 years – a massive saving in comparison to contracts for grid-based electricity which are currently around 30p per kWh.

If a company has the roof or land space to install solar panels the decision to reduce bills is obvious, with many CFO’s describing it as a “no brainer” from a commercial perspective. The fact that the cheaper electricity is carbon free, and that solar and other carbon reduction projects, create UK jobs, grow the UK’s net zero expertise, and contribute to the essential reduction in global emissions might be something that Sunak should pause to consider.

 

 

 

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Paving the Way for Sustainable Residential Construction

Photo by Midland Heart Housing Ltd

 

Project 80 paves the way for a new era of sustainable residential construction

The brainchild of forward-thinking housing association, Midland Heart, Project 80’s design and construction has been significantly influenced by the Future Homes Standard, set to be introduced in 2025.

From the outset, Midland Heart was keen to meet all the requirements of the new regulations, which will see all new homes expected to produce a 75 to 80% reduction in carbon emissions compared to currently accepted levels.

The Future Homes Standard covers a wide range of criteria and the developer had to carefully plan every aspect of the build to ensure the lowest whole-life carbon performance. This ranged from the materials chosen and systems specified, through to the machinery used on-site and the fixtures, fittings and finishes in the property.

A low-carbon home also needs to be structurally safe, built to last and comfortable for the occupier. This meant balancing achieving the Future Homes Standards requirements without compromising the essential elements which comprise a quality home.

Fabric first housing 

The Future Homes Standard is set to usher in a new age of energy-efficient, low-emissions housing. Midland Heart was keen to ensure it met the stipulated low u-values on its upcoming developments, leading to the initial concept of Project 80 and the objective of delivering a  fully ‘Fabric First’ development.

As Tony Hopkin, Head of Construction & Quality at Midland Heart revealed: “Our residents are at the heart of everything we do, yet we’re also conscious of our environmental responsibility, so we wanted to build homes which not only protect people, but the planet too. So Project 80’s overarching aim became the elimination of any unintended consequences which would cause the properties to fall out of compliance with the Future Homes Standard, as this would have massive negative implications for potential occupiers, and Midland Heart.

Particularly, we wanted to show that, with the right materials and systems, achieving ultra-low u-values was entirely possible. By trialling different solutions, particularly the latest concrete and aircrete blocks, we were able to achieve u-values of 0.13, putting our properties comfortably within the Standard’s requirements.”

The West Midlands has a wealth of local block manufacturers and a rich heritage of block production. For this project, concrete blocks were manufactured by Shropshire-based Besblock and aircrete blocks were manufactured by H+H.

This blended approach not only achieved the required thermal efficiency, but the use of high-performance aircrete blocks, which are lightweight and easy to install, supported the air-tight structures and reduced the chance of thermal bridging. It also significantly sped up the construction process.

A material success 

To meet its aims of achieving Part L compliance, Midland Heart needed to specify materials that could deliver maximum efficiency, yet also deliver safe, secure, comfortable and affordable dwellings.

Furthermore, they were keen to work with local businesses, ensuring a small supply chain with the minimum amount of energy and fuel consumption possible.

As the project took shape, in the form of Eco Drive, comprising 12 new homes built using fabric first principles, Midland Heart, an advocate of traditional construction methods, embraced tried and tested cavity wall construction. A traditional method, they understood that this system would deliver the desired thermal efficiency without reinventing the wheel.

The 12 homes were delivered in 2022, and a report on resident evaluations of living and occupying the homes is due to publish in late 2023. The ongoing R&D programme will also include a detailed cost analysis, to identify areas for further gains in efficiency on later developments

Cementing concrete’s low carbon credentials 

Project 80 is providing definitive proof that concrete can play a crucial role in contemporary, sustainable housebuilding. It’s also proving there’s more to meeting sustainability requirements than upfront, embodied carbon.

That’s not all, the manufacturing process of the blocks used (Besblock’s Universal Star Performer in this case), helped Midland  Heart achieve homes that met the design brief’s 80% carbon reduction target providing significant embodied carbon savings.  Cured by energy from a nearby waste wood facility, using biomass boilers the products had significantly lower embodied carbon values than equivalent products.

Besblock’s use of SustainaCem cement, a pre-blended sustainable binder, and blocks cured using energy from a nearby waste wood facility, kept embodied emissions low, further reinforced by a local supply chain.

Tony Hopkin concluded, “Project 80’s vision has been to deliver high-performing but low-impact homes that are heavily tailored to resident needs. Technology and sustainability have been at the heart of this development to improve efficiency, but the fabric of the building was the starting point that needed to be addressed.

“Blockwork, whether concrete or aircrete, has very impressive whole-life carbon qualities which are often overlooked, but they are truly circular products that embody the core principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle. In partnering with them (Besblock and H+H), we found sustainable products that could adapt and flex according to the other low-carbon components selected to achieve homes fit for the Future Homes Standard.

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CANARY ISLANDS: MODULAR CRUISE TERMINALS

The construction of cruise terminals in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are about to begin, according to a press release.

Approximately 40 million euros will be invested in the construction of the terminals on behalf of Global Ports Canary Islands.

The new cruise facilities are expected to speed up the transformation of the sector and impact the local economy as well, the company said in a press release.

The project, entrusted to the Satocan construction company, for the four new cruise terminals will include recycled and sustainable materials to minimize waste and environmental impact.

The biggest project will be in Las Palmas de Gran Canarias with the new terminal located in Santa Catalina Pier. The terminal will also feature three boarding bridges to render services for up to four cruise ships simultaneously.

In Lanzarote, the construction will take place in the two specialized cruise piers located in Arrecife. The cruise terminal in Naos will consist of a one-story building to provide services for both transit and homeport operations. The cruise terminal in Mármoles will be a modular facility to facilitate services for up to three cruise ships at the same time.

Finally, the terminal at Puerto del Rosario, Fuerteventura, will feature a modular design and will include a restaurant with an open terrace.

All four terminals have been designed to ensure accessibility to passengers with different reduced mobility.

Source: Cruise Industry News

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Modular Homes, Part of the Answer

Next Generation home buyers happy to pay more upfront for greener homes and put environmental issues top of the buying agenda

New research from Make UK Modular reveals public backing for greener, more energy efficient homes.

Introducing stamp duty incentives for the most energy efficiency homes will ensure the UK is building greener homes for a more sustainable future.

  • Six in ten renters and buyers say that the environmental performance of a new home is important to them.
  • One in two people would pay more upfront for a greener
  • Nearly eight in ten people would pay more upfront for a home with lower energy bills.
  • Under 30s see greener homes being of the greatest importance and are more willing to pay more for them.
  • Modular homes are seen as being part of the answer, with more than 25% citing modular homes as environmentally friendly, nearly 30% as efficient, and over 35% as modern.

Make UK Modular is calling for a radical approach to stamp duty based on a homes’ energy performance as part of a green housing revolution.

A new report by Make UK Modular, in partnership with Octopus Energy, reveals overwhelming backing from the British public for more energy efficient homes. The new report Green Shoots: The future of UK housebuilding shows broad public support for homes that are better for the environment and better for the public’s pocket.

Research was carried out by Savanta, surveying 2,300 adults in the UK, using a nationally representative sample, asking their views on greener homes and whether they would be prepared to pay for them.

Six in ten home renters and buyers said that the environmental impacts of a new home was important to them, demonstrating the public’s desire for new homes to be more environmentally friendly. This was further underlined by 40% of the public saying it would be willing to pay more upfront if their home was environmentally friendly.

By aligning to the Prime Minister’s recently announced net zero approach, the proposed measures would not add additional burdens on households, but instead drive energy efficiency in a way that lowers household bills. This desire to have greener, more sustainable homes was even more in evidence among the next generation of home owners and buyers, with 66% of those surveyed aged between 18 and 30 saying it would be willing to pay more for an environmentally friendly home.

With energy bills still higher than in previous years, eight in ten members of the public would be willing to pay more for a home if their energy bills were lowered as a result. This received widespread support but again was particularly the case for those aged between 18 and 30.

Modular manufacturers can build greener homes at a competitive price, with many modular companies building homes in the top energy performance band, saving the average family up to £1,000 a year on its energy bills. Octopus Energy has even succeeded in providing a Zero BillsTM guarantee for five years on highly energy efficient homes which are fitted with low carbon technologies. The energy supplier is already working with a number of Make UK Modular’s members in a bid to deliver 50,000 of these greener, bill-free properties by 2025.

Make UK Modular, the trade body for modular housebuilders, is now calling for a green housing revolution to tackle the housing and climate change crisis together. By taking a modern approach to stamp duty based on energy performance, reforming the Affordable Homes Programme and ensuring the planning process fast-tracks greener house building, the Government would unlock the potential for modular homebuilders to build the greener homes for the future that the public are demanding.

 

Daniel Paterson, Director of Government Affairs at Make UK Modular said:

“We are on the cusp of a green housing revolution. This report clearly shows wide public demand for modular building methods that reduce the costs to the environment and to household budgets. We now need to see action on the part of government to allow for these greener homes that not only help reduce the carbon cost of construction but help the household pocket too. Government can help today at zero cost to the Treasury by introducing demand side reforms of stamp duty rates, reforming the Affordable Homes Programme allocation for modular builders, and using unspent pledged funding to help improve supply chains.”

Michael Cottrell, Zero Bills Homes Director at Octopus Energy said

“The evidence is clear to see: greener homes are fast becoming hot property, and modular manufacturers are particularly well placed to deliver the revolution. When powered by Octopus’ industry-leading smart tariffs, these homes have the potential to radically lower energy bills for consumers – in some cases all the way to zero. We’re now calling on developers of all shapes and sizes to help us make greener, bill-free homes the new standard.”

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE REPORT

 

Make Modular Green Shoots Reports 2023 | Make UK

 

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