Potential Actions - Carbon
This section on potention actions to be taken to reduce the level of carbon used by buildings is arranged by Energy Efficency and Energy Efficient Systems. Energy Efficency can be considered traditional good building practices whilst the Energy Efficent Systems are new technologies.
One of the most important ways of reducing energy consumption is to reduce the need for fossil fuels by being more efficient. This means designing and building buildings which use energy more efficiently.
Insulation/ Air Tightness
Insulation and Airtightness are legislated through Part L of the Building Regulations which are enforced by building control. Insulation is about using materials which keep heat inside the building, such as lagging in domestic houses. Airtightness is concerned with keeping energy within the building by preventing warm air from leaking out of the building through gaps in the structure.
New buildings are assessed through the Simplified Building Energy Model, while houses are assessed through the SAP Rating. Insulation can be viewed as a highly cost effective solution in terms of energy/ carbon savings in terms of cost and maintenance.
Passive Solar Design
Passive solar is concerned with using the heat from the sun through the design of the building to reduce the need for powered heating or cooling systems. One approach is through the orientation of the building to use solar gain to minimise the requirement for mechanical heating and cooling. This is used in concert with material selection and the design of glazing.
Thermal mass is another approach which may be used. Materials can be used which absorb heat slowly during the day keeping the building cool and then releasing it slowly at night reducing the need for mechanical heating and cooling.
Natural Ventilation
Natural ventilation can be used to replace or reduce the requirement for air conditioning systems. This can be done using a mixture of natural air currents or using wind to move the air through the building and keep it cool. This is an increasingly common approach to reduce or remove the need for mechanical ventilation which can be a high consumer of energy.
Natural Lighting
Natural lighting is concerned with using the design of the building to maximise the use of natural light. This reduces the requirement for artificial lighting.
Combined Heat and Power
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is an energy efficient form of plant which uses fuel for heating and uses the excess heat to generate additional electricity. This creates efficiencies of some 30% over traditional heating approaches. It is commonly used in larger buildings, although micro CHP can be used in homes
Other Energy Efficient Plant and Equipment
Artificial lighting, cooling or heating may be unavoidable in certain situations. Where they must be used there are often low energy alternatives which may be sourced and used.
Energy Efficient Management Systems
There are a number of ways of managing energy. Where the user has control or there is an automation of systems through the use of motion sensors or zoned heating and lighting, for example. The management of heating and lighting at this level can make significant contributions to energy efficiency as energy is only used when it is needed.
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is generated from non-fossil based sources which are easily replaceable or freely available. This includes energy generated from the wind, sun or heat sources in the ground. It can also include energy generated from waste products. The energy may be used within the building itself or sold back to the National Grid.
Photo Voltaic Cells
Photovoltaic cells (PVCs) or solar panels have been in use for some time. They rely in the energy from the sun to generate electricity for use within the building and for potential sale back to the National Grid.
Passive Solar Heating
In addition to passive solar design, heating energy can be replaced by using solar water heating. This does not create energy to be released as electricity, but rather used to heat water and thereby replace traditional fossil approaches.
Passive solar is growing in popularity for domestic water heating. The ease of installation, maintenance and the lack of a need for it to be connected to the grid mean that it is already a viable option in terms of using solar energy to reduce traditional energy consumption.
Wind Turbines
Wind Turbines are a common, explicit way to be seen to be generating renewable energy. They take the form of windmills which use the power of the wind to turn the blades and generate electrical energy. The energy may then be used within the building or for resale to the national grid.
Ground Source Heating
Ground source heating uses the heat held within the ground to heat a building, usually through under floor heating. There are a number of different approaches, but the common approach is for pipes, containing a heat carrying medium, to be placed in the ground and the medium to be pumped from the ground where it is heated into the house heating system. This approach is becoming increasingly common.
Biomass Boilers and CHP
Biomass is fuel that is created from biological waste materials, commonly wood which are processed into pellets. Biomass boilers work using fuel from renewable sources, such as wood pellets. These work in the same way as traditional gas boilers, although there is an increasing use of biomass approaches being combined with CHP.
Energy Generated from Waste
This approach works in a similar way to biomass. Energy is generated using treated waste to create material which can be used in boilers to generate electricity.