Changes to SWMP

By Lachlan Fulton

From the 1 December 2013 there will be no legal requirment to prepare a site waste management plan (SWMP).

The repeal of the legislation was proposed in 2012 by Defra in response to the Government’s Red Tape Challenge (an initiative designed to remove the burden of ‘unnecessary’ legislation on business). 

A consultation followed and in August 2013 it was concluded that as the majority of respondents indicated they would continue to use a SWMP in some form, it made sense to remove the legislation for the few who found the process unwieldy.

Although not a legal requirement, a SWMP will however continue to be a tool that can be applied to any project to help identify both financial and environmental savings. The financial argument will grow with the increase in the Landfill Tax scheduled in April 2014. This increase will see the cost for disposing active waste* to landfill reach an unprecedented £80 per tonne and will not fall below this until at least 2020.

In addition to the escalating financial costs, it is worth noting that there are also no plans to remove the production of a SWMP as a measure in BREEAM or SKA.*Active waste (opposed to inert waste) includes wood, ductwork, piping and plastics.

Counting our carbon

By Lachlan Fulton

Despite the uncertainty over carbon policy in the UK, Rider Levett Bucknall has developed and launched its first Carbon Management Plan to steer the company to a low carbon future.

With questions over the future of ECO, the carbon floor price, the CRC, and the fourth carbon budget, it is clear that government is conflicted about the best strategy to rescue the economy whilst meeting our national carbon reduction targets. This debate rages against a backdrop of warnings from Nicholas Stern that his 2006 review 'The Economics of Climate Change' underestimated the cost of climate change and the IPCC's fifth report stating that they are now 95 per cent confident that people are the main cause of current global warming.

At Rider Levett Bucknall these warnings are enough to trigger action and we have set ourselves some ambitious targets to demonstrate our conviction. Reducing our absolute CO2 emissions by 20 per cent by 2014/15 (against 2010/11 base year) represents a significant challenge for us, especially considering the company's forecasted levels of growth. We are however confident that this target is achievable through the delivery of our carbon management projects.

For more information on what is included within our 20 per cent reduction target and how we will meet it, please access our Carbon Management Plan here.

Energy Act changes on way

By Paul Beeston

From April 2018, changes to the Energy Act 2011 mean that it will be unlawful to sell or let residential or business premises which do not reach a minimum energy efficiency standard.

The Energy Act 2011 deals with energy efficiency, security of energy supplies and measures for reducing carbon emissions.

The largest part of the Act introduced the coalition’s flagship ‘Green Deal’ policy to encourage and facilitate the retrofitting of existing properties. The new proposals aim to strengthen the Act’s focus and will be introduced following industry consultation to ensure effective timescales and practical workings.

In the meantime, investors and landlords need to assess how the new laws will impact on their own property portfolio. Effective energy efficient measures are already expected to part of a buildings’ specification and the revised Act is set to raise the bar even further. In the same way that BREEAM is now very much a given on all new office buildings, energy performance certificates (EPC) that identify the potential for energy efficiency in buildings, will gain similar credence for the existing stock.

Going forward, buildings graded with poor energy efficiency ratings are unlikely to be considered a viable proposition by savvy investors in the run up to 2018. As a result, it is anticipated that building owners will allocate budget towards specifically improving the EPC rating of older building stock as demand improves, and secondary space is refurbished to grade A space.

The investment case is pretty compelling, particularly for original commercial stock that is 20 to 30 years old whose energy efficiency measures will be well below current standards. Being diligent in energy efficiency has evident rewards alongside keeping within the law.

For landlords, not only does efficiency help to maintain the value of the asset and secure tenants, the introduction of green technology may be eligible for enhanced tax relief on the investment too. From the tenants’ perspective, an energy efficient building satisfies corporate responsibility requirements, but a more significant aspect is the saving to the bottom line; less energy consumption reduces the bills and saves money. It’s as simple as that.

Ignoring the pending legislation is not an option, especially if current building stock has poor energy efficiency ratings. Any owner of a building should start taking stock now. It need not cost a fortune to ensure your asset remains competitive but it does need the right cost expertise to ensure it is achieved well.

Ska - the beat goes on

By Lachlan Fulton

Last August we posted an RM blog about the environmental assessment method for fit-outs and refurbishments titled Ska Rating. Twelve months on, it's time to take a look at where it's up to, what’s changed, and whether we are seeing a response from the industry to meet the requirements of this environmental rating technique.

The story so far

Ska Rating started its journey in 2009. Since then, 540 projects have been registered (82 retail, 418 office), 70 projects have been certified (22 Gold, 31 Silver, and 17 Bronze) and 200 assessors have become accredited*. 

What’s changed?

In April 2013, the Ska Rating scheme for offices was updated to version 1.2. Changes include:

• The addition of thirteen Good Practice Measures (GPM)
• The removal of seven GPMs
• Alterations to the GPMs which are in scope for all projects
• A reshuffle of the ranking of GPMs
• Amendments to the criteria of various GPMs to ensure they remain relevant and promote best practice

From the 1 August the cost associated with certifying a project with RICS increased from the original £50 (+VAT) to £295 (+VAT).

This increase is intended to cover the cost associated with project audits, which forms one of the main quality assurance mechanisms introduced by the RICS to drive Ska Rating forward in the market.

Industry response

At Rider Levett Bucknall we are increasingly finding that suppliers are approaching our team of Ska Assessors for consultation on how their products and services can better meet the requirements outlined in Ska.

From our prospective this is encouraging for two reasons:

1. Suppliers are actively looking at ways to reduce the environmental impact of their products and services
2. Suppliers are recognising that achieving a Ska Rating is a growing demand in the market and that failing to act could see them lose revenue to those who do

*Data provided by RICS March 2013

A milestone passed

By Lachlan Fulton

Many will agree that increasing the concentration levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere by one part per million (ppm) is not likely to have an overwhelming effect on climate conditions.

However, people like round numbers and last week’s increase of CO2 from 399ppm to 400ppm represents a milestone in the amount of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.

This figure of 400ppm is one which has not been recorded in over 800,000 years and moves us further away from the 350ppm which will need to be achieved if we are going to avoid dangerous global average temperature gains of more than two degrees.

The regrettable news of this milestone unfortunately follows the news that three leading energy officials have resigned from post in recent weeks – Ravi Gurumurthy, Jonathan Brearley (both prominent advisers at DECC) and Ben Moxham (key adviser to the prime minister on energy and climate change policies).

Although the reasons for their departure are unclear, with the Energy Bill still going through parliament, the changes have the potential to jeopardise a key piece of policy required to guide the decarbonisation of the national grid.

All this may sound a little bleak, but it does serve to reinforce the message that to lower the global atmospheric CO2 concentrations the construction industry must maintain its efforts to reduce CO2 emissions through innovative design and effective carbon management.

With signs that the government could stumble, it will be up to industry professionals to lead the way.

Mitigating for Climate Change whilst preserving our Heritage (Part 3)

By Anesh Chauhan

After all the free and low to medium cost measures have been explored there are other options for larger projects (see Part 1 and Part 2 for more information).  

Larger energy efficiency projects

These are more likely to require planning permission or Listed Building Consent so they are dealt with in more depth below. Opportunities for larger projects to improve energy efficiency include installing more energy efficient windows, installing improved insulation and upgrading the efficiency of M&E equipment, such as boilers. 

Looking at windows in more detail as an example, there are a number of ways the energy efficiency can be improved; however, in Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings, these must take into account the impact of any improvements on the historic value of the building or area. The appearance of historic windows is important to their context. Replacement of original historic single glazed windows is unlikely to be permitted in Listed Buildings and will be restricted in Conservation Areas. 

Nevertheless there are a variety of measures which can improve the energy efficiency of windows, both where they can be replaced and where they are being retained. Where windows cannot be replaced, or budget constraints prohibit instalment of new windows, there are a range of simpler measures which can improve the energy efficiency of windows. 

These include:

• Secondary glazing - adding a second sheet of glass or plastic to a window frame can improve sound-proofing as well as energy efficiency. If carefully designed, it can be unobtrusive and appropriate in a Conservation Area property or Listed Building

• Draught proofing - much of the heat lost through windows is actually through leaks
• Secondary protection - e.g. shutters or heavy curtains, although these are predominantly a night-time option 

Other measures to consider for larger projects include:

• External/ internal wall insulation - insulating walls can improve the ‘u’ value and minimise heat loss through walls. However external wall insulation is unlikely to be permitted in Listed Buildings and in Conservation Areas, but consulting the local planning office will clarify this

• Upgrading heating system - Upgrading the boiler to an ‘A’ rated system which is 90% efficient will aid in the reduction of carbon emissions. Replacement of boilers and radiators do not require Listed Building Consent, but new flues will need consent as these they must be carefully positioned to reduce the visual impact 

Further information can be found at …
http://www.climatechangeandyourhome.org.uk/live/saving_energy.aspx

Mitigating for Climate Change whilst preserving our Heritage (Part 2)

By Anesh Chauhan
Part 2 of this blog describes some some simple measures which are free and low to medium cost which will improve the energy efficiency of listed buildings whilst being unlikely to require planning permission or Listed Building Consent.
No cost measures – simple behavioural changes
• Draw curtains/blinds in the evening to conserve heat
• Check your central heating temperature and your hot water temperature
• Avoid leaving electrical equipment such as TVs, computers or stereos on standby - switch them off at the mains

Low cost measures

• Use energy efficient light bulbs - they can last over 10 times longer than standard bulbs
• Check you have a well-fitting hot water tank jacket and consider insulating hot water pipes
• Install draught proofing around doors, windows and letterboxes
Medium cost measures
Installing insulation in existing roof voids is in many cases practicable and can help significantly in improving a building’s energy performance. Where a building has a historic timber roof structure insulation can be installed between rafters, without any visual impact or damage to the historic building.  

Insulating floors is another medium cost option. Timber floors can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation supported by netting between the joists. Gaps and draughts around skirting boards and floors are simple to fix by sealing with suitable sealants.   

In the final part of this series, I will look into larger projects which may be applied after the above options have been exhausted.

 

Read Part 1 here: http://rlbrm.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/mitigating-for-climate-change-whilst.html