Green Roofs – Are They Worth Installing?

Green roofs are areas on top of a building covered in soil and grass, or more extensive planting.  They have become increasingly popular as a feature of new buildings or an add-on to existing structures, but are they worth having and if so what are the advantages? Green roofs’ soil and plant layers sit on top of the conventional waterproofed roof surfaces of a building. Whilst green roofs come in many different forms, usually a distinction is made between intensive, extensive, and biodiverse or wildlife roof types.

An intensive green roof has a deep soil, usually over 20 cm in thickness, and thus can support a wide variety of plants including trees and shrubs.  Naturally the structure of the building needs to be sufficient, or be reinforced to hold up the increased weight.  With the variety of plants in this type of roof, they often  require extensive maintenance, similar to a conventional garden.

In contrast, an extensive green roof is becoming a fashionable feature of many buildings nowadays.  They are composed of lightweight layers of free-draining material that support low-growing, hardy, drought-tolerant vegetation. Generally the depth of growing medium is from a few centimetres up to a maximum of around 10-15cm. These roof types have great potential for wide application because, being lightweight, they require little or no additional structural support from the building. Furthermore, because the vegetation is adapted to the extreme roof top environment (high winds, hot sun, drought, and winter cold), extensive green roofs require little in the way of maintenance and resource inputs. Extensive green roofs can be designed into new buildings, or ‘retro-fitted’ onto existing buildings.

The biodiverse, or wildlife roof is an attempt to compensate for loss of habitats by reproducing that habitat on a roof, so as to encourage species, like bees and other insects.

The economic benefits to a property-owner include insulation (because the soil layer adds thermal mass), cooling (as water evaporates), the ability to significantly reduce rainwater run-off from roofs, and their value in promoting biodiversity and habitat in built-up areas. Green roofs are important elements of sustainable construction, and also have ancillary benefits, such as being a pleasant area for people to relax in, whether the building is a residential or working property.  They also can add a significant design element to a building, making it more visible and a “talking point” feature for visitors.  There have been various studies of the energy performance of green roofs, for example, a good example of energy saving is Paradise Park in the London Borough of Islington. Owing to the thermal mass of the green roof, no air conditioning has been installed. This has led to a reduction in energy consumption of 3,800kW/hrs and a saving of 1.6 CO2 tonnes. This positive improvement in energy performance should be reflected in a better Energy Performance Certificate rating after the green roof is installed.

In conclusion, green roofs are another way to add sustainability to both new and existing buildings, which has both economic and environmental benefits, as well as being a method of making the building more pleasant for its users.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Green Technology

Tweet

Why SMEs need to keep up with the latest green regulations

If you are an avid follower of the Green Deal, or keep up to date with sustainable energy in the news, you have probably heard about ‘Building Regulations Part L’. Alterations to this section by the government back in April 2013 made it increasingly clear that  one of the primary goals here was lowering carbon emissions. With this in mind, many SMEs have seriously considered lowering their carbon emissions now. Of course, the main benefit for businesses is that once emissions are lowered, their energy performance certificate rating will be enhanced as well, but why else is it important for businesses to keep up with the latest green regulations?

It is clearly the way forward 

Regardless of what you may hear, governments all around the world are really making it one of their main aims to improve carbon emissions. One could argue that as an SME, making changes now is a smart idea because it may be the best time to invest in renewable energy.

There are many government-backed schemes that businesses can access

As the government is doing all that it can to ensure commercial buildings are making the effort to lower their emissions, there are currently some great schemes available. There is no guarantee that these schemes will remain in place, which is why it is important that businesses think about improving energy efficiency  now.

Long term investment

All businesses, not just SME’s, do well to be constantly looking for ways to save money – not just in the short term but in the long term as well. Investing in sustainable energy sources could save a SME thousands in the years to come, which is why it has to be considered as an option.

Effective compliant partnerships

All businesses thrive on creating effective partnerships and networks. If you are the owner of an SME and you regularly contract in a third party company remember that it is t is imperative that you hire a company that is up to date with regulations. If you hire a contractor to improve your energy efficiency, and they are not up-to-date with the changes, you could face non-compliance.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Green Technology

Tweet

Energy Saving through Smart Glass

Often buildings have large areas of glass:  homes have French windows, retail establishments have shop fronts to display their wares, and factories and warehouses often have large roof areas to let in natural light to illuminate the workspace.  This means that there are potentially large heat outflows through the glass areas.  The rise of double, and even triple glazing shows that designers are aware of the problem and are working on possible improvements.

There is also the problem of thermal and light regulation of the space:  if the sun is shining it might become too bright and hot, or it might be dark and cold so the outside should be shut off with curtains or blinds.  But manual solutions are not efficient and not responsive enough to changing conditions.

Now companies are investigating “smart solar” or “dynamic lighting” – glass which reacts to the conditions, capturing heat when needed and blocking it when the building needs to be cooled.  For example, a company called SAGE Electrochromics makes a product called SageGlass which can change the visible light transmission and heat gain at the touch of the button.  This is similar to photo-reactive sunglasses.

Many new buildings have “Low-e” (low emissivity) glass nowadays – glass which does not radiate heat like normal glass – this helps keep the internal temperature warm in winter and cool in summer.  However weather conditions change continuously, and this is where the SageGlass is able to change  its emissivity, both visual and heat, by the use of several patented coatings in its design.  Of course curtains and blinds are still necessary, but there is fine control available to the occupants of the building: fully automated, programmable based on the seasons, or manual operation.  Individual panels or groups of panels can be adjusted depending on the needs of the user – for example if a meeting room was having a presentation on-screen, the manual override could darken the room more than the norm for its working conditions.

Advanced glazing is just one of the methods sensible property owners should look at to increase the energy efficiency of their buildings.  Energy Performance Certificates provided by properly qualified energy assessors are advisable, and in many cases legally required.  While installing advanced glazing may be seen as a large step, the economics of energy savings made over the lifetime of the glass may well exceed the capital costs, and make this a worthwhile investment.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Environment

Tweet

Airlines agree to drop their greenhouse gas emissions by 2020

In one of the most positive moves surrounding carbon emissions in recent years, international airlines have agreed to curb their emissions by 2020. This is the first time in history a deal like this has been agreed. However, it is not all good news as what has initially been proposed fell well short of what green campaigners might have been expecting.

The move saw the International Air Transport Association (IATA) come to an agreement that would see a single global “market-based mechanism” to limit carbon emissions in aviation in every country. This was the positive news, but as always, it was the negative news made the majority of the headlines. For a start, the plan would not become effective until 2020, which is still quite a distance away. Furthermore, the details surrounding how much carbon would be reduced in aviation were sketchy to say the least. However, most importantly, while it was established that governments should implement a market-based mechanism to limit carbon use, there was no discussion about how this would be obtained.

Campaigners are worried that the major airlines (under the new proposal) would be able to buy cheap carbon credits (to use) to offset their emissions. This process would see airlines have to pay a fee to buy carbon that they could use. However, Green campaigners are worried that all this would do is increase airfare costs, as airlines would need to subsidise for their new fee. As this is the case, they are worried that essentially all that will be happening is those who fly would be paying for research, and no reductions would be made to the amount of carbon produced in aviation.

Even with the above in mind, Green parties are still happy that the ‘ball is rolling’, they are just not too thrilled about the potential solution. Of course, this could all change as plans develop.

Hopefully, this move will mean that research into sustainable energy increases, which will eventually reduce the cost of home setup. This could lower energy performance certificate prices and decrease energy bills in the long-term.

Categories: Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Environment

Tweet

Keeping your costs down – ICT

Computers and technical equipment are ubiquitous.  We don’t even notice they are around.  Everyone has smartphones, laptops, tablets and the now somewhat old-fashioned desktop computer, as well as smart TVs and gaming boxes.  From the happy home with a television in each child’s bedroom, as well as the kitchen and living room, to the well-equipped small business with a server set-up and teleconferencing facilities, most of us do not notice how much energy we are consuming each day.  Sometimes the bill-payer admonishes those who are careless about using energy, but even in businesses, it is often the case that the ICT department has no idea of its electricity consumption, and therefore has no business justification to look for economies.

Electricity consumption by equipment is not a small matter.  We habitually leave our devices plugged in, including chargers for mobile phones which we don’t use continuously. It is therefore wise to look at electricity consumption in the home and business – there are clearly plenty of easy economies to make.

There are many devices on the market which record electricity consumption, the simplest of them costing only around ten pounds and the more sophisticated ones a few tens of pounds, which track how much electricity is used.  Sometimes equipment on standby eats up nearly as much juice as when it is switched on; until this is analysed, it isn’t possible to know.

The EU-funded ENERsip project estimates homes could save 15-20% of energy by reducing consumption by electrical devices, and similar savings could be made by companies too.  Often it is just a matter of re-educating people to switch off or unplug unneeded devices rather than leave them on standby. When replacing or upgrading equipment, it is best to choose new models with significantly lower power consumption than the items replaced, and this is not difficult with manufacturers themselves setting goals for each succeeding generation of device to be “greener” than the previous iteration.

Property and business owners need to understand that the rise of energy prices needs to be balanced with investment in energy saving.  Major businesses like Microsoft and PwC expect energy costs to continue to rise and are making considerable efforts to minimise their ICT and associated outgoings including the costs of heating and cooling their buildings.  This is surely a pointer for smaller organisations to emulate them, and ensure that the Energy Performance of their properties, and equipment is part of the business plan.  “You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure” is a famous management adage, but it is still true today.  Without an Energy Performance certificate you cannot manage your building’s energy consumption and plan on how to reduce it.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Energy Efficiency

Tweet

Substantial figured invested in renewable energy since 2010

In just three years, the British Government has invested over £30 billion into the renewable energy market and as a consequence has created almost 30,000 jobs across the UK.

Energy minister Ed Davey spoke about these figures during an energy conference in Aberdeen. He also mentioned to delegates that most of the 29,947 jobs created were in Scotland, and that the majority of them were very well-paid. He went on to say that the UK Government would continue to back the renewable push as it would help bring a low-carbon future, and the investment would help keep the UK out of recession. Mr. Davey also mentioned that he believed Scotland should vote to remain part of the UK because of the governments’ investment in Scottish Renewables.

Currently more than half a billion pounds every year has been assigned to renewable energy in Scotland. That’s almost 40% of the whole of the UKs budget. This is because Scotland has the best conditions for green energy development. Tidal and wind energy development in Scotland is at an all-time high because the conditions justify substantial development. In fact, many professionals believe that Scotland could become a world-leader when it comes to renewable energy development because of these conditions.

Ed Davey pointed out that if the Scottish people were to vote for independence next year, they would lose this investment from the UK. He went on to mention that as only 9% of the electricity sales are in Scotland, a Scottish Government would struggle to invest anywhere near the sum a British Government could. Of course, there is always the chance that energy consumers may subsidise the Scottish market, but the chances of this happening are slim.

The Scottish Renewables market is developing at a pace that many could have not predicted. Many households in Scotland are now profiting from better energy performance certificate scores as green energy is becoming much more cost-effective and any vote for independence could affect the investment in sustainable energy.

Categories: Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Green Technology

Tweet

Power Generation: renewables will cost less than gas

The “Committee on Climate Change”, the scientific body that actually advises the government on climate change has produced a report: “Next steps on Electricity Market Reform – securing the benefits of low-carbon investment” suggesting that the best option for the UK to reach its ambitious climate change targets of 80% emissions reduction by 2050 is widespread adoption of renewables. This will not be surprising to many people, as the committee’s remit is to analyse climate change information.

Renewables are better in financial terms than natural gas

What is new is that the committee has done a careful analysis of the financial aspects of the energy marketplace and found that low-carbon technologies are financially better investments than gas-fired generation assuming that gas prices remain the same or rise.  Building more natural gas power stations is the only other main option to replace ageing power stations, and is the option preferred by the Treasury and some in government.  However this report shows that low-carbon technologies, “would result in cost savings of  £25-45 billion, in present value terms under central case assumptions about gas and carbon prices, rising to over £100 billion with high gas and carbon prices. The alternative strategy would be to focus on investment in gas-fired generation in the 2020s, followed by investment in low-carbon technologies in the 2030s. This would result in cost savings only in the event that gas prices were to fall significantly, or with low carbon prices, and even then such savings would be limited.”

In other words, renewable technology will work out cheaper in the long run.  The report points out the now is the time to invest in these power-generation technologies, and not to assume that there would be lower gas prices in future, “Extensive decarbonisation of the power sector by 2030 is feasible and economically desirable.”

The cost of renewable energy is insurance against future risks

The report comments on Residential Energy Bills; “Our reports on energy prices and bills show that the majority of energy bill increases in recent years have been due to the increasing price of gas in international markets.

“In future, we estimate that support for investment in low-carbon technologies will add around £100 to the annual energy bill for a typical household in 2020. This can be seen as insurance against risks of dangerous climate change, and also risks of rising energy bills, since it reduces exposure to potentially high gas and carbon prices in future.”

Although the high level energy strategy for the UK is outside the parameters of most residents, the cost of living is not – most of us are not just feeling the pinch with high energy prices, but also the hidden costs of, for example, the refrigeration of products in the food industry, whose prices also reflect high running costs.   The cost of energy seeps into everything manufactured, imported or exported.

This report shows how decarbonisation is necessary and that will include strategic decisions about what sort of energy generation the UK should build, but also local decisions by property owners to ensure that their properties are as energy efficient as possible to reduce energy bills.  The first step towards this is an Energy Performance Assessment and EPC certificate. As time goes on, UK legislation will undoubtedly be tightened to ensure that buildings are brought up to a higher standard of energy efficency, so it would be sensible to start this process immediately.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency

Tweet

Renewable heat payments to double

The government has announced that the Renewable Heat Premium Payment (RHPP) scheme will shortly increase to £600 (from £300) for the most common form of this technology – solar thermal. Other renewable heat energy technologies will also receive a substantial boost in investment as part of the scheme:

From £950 to £2,000 – biomass boilers (an increase of 110%)

From £850 to £1,300 – air source heat pumps (an increase of 52%)

From £1,250 to £2,300 – ground source heat pumps (an increase of 84%)

In order for households to be able to claim the money off vouchers for their renewable heat source, they will need to have a Green Deal assessment carried out. However, apart from that there are no other stipulations.

This is one of a number of moves implemented by Energy Secretary Ed Davey to try and kick-start the consumer renewable field in the UK. This is an area that the government are desperate to increase in the very near future so that they can meet their rather optimistic targets by 2020.

Take up has not been as high as expected

Initially, the RHPP scheme was opened up to a maximum of 25,000 households across the whole of the UK. This is a number that the government thought would be met in just a couple of months. However, only 10,000 have taken advantage of this plan so far, and we are currently a year into the scheme. Now, by almost doubling the initial investment the government is hoping that a further 15,000 homes will finally take advantage of this voucher scheme.

It goes without saying that there are huge long-term benefits that any household can take advantage of when it comes to renewable heat energy sources. For one, the installation would increase any homes energy performance certificate rating. Furthermore, this installation would also increase the property price, lower energy bills, and help the environment all of which are huge positive points to consider.

Categories: Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Green Technology, The Green Deal, Uncategorized

Tweet

Tips for making Commercial Buildings More Energy Efficient

Often commercial buildings consume more energy and are less energy-efficient than they could be.  There may be many reasons for this, but in current circumstances, it is wise to look for savings wherever possible.

Commercial premises often consume more electricity than necessary.  The carbon input of electricity is on average 2.5 times that of natural gas, as electricity is generated from various sources, including the most polluting fuel, coal.  So for reasons of climate change as well as hard-nosed business sense, it is good to economise.  Lights, computers, and other equipment should be switched off where necessary.  Some people do not shut down their computers in the mistaken belief that this will avoid power surges that will age the hardware when switched on and off;  this is a myth: it may have been so in the early days of computing, but it not true now, and a computer running at midnight when the office is empty is simply wasting energy.

Timer or motion switches to control lighting are a good idea.  So are energy-efficient bulbs and daylight controllers to avoid energy wastage.

On a more fundamental level, replacing the heating source for a building may be a sound economic decision.  Old boilers are notoriously inefficient, and replacing with modern, condensing units is a sound investment.  More advanced technologies are coming onto the market and these include fuel cells and micro-CHP (combined heat and power) units which can deliver even more economic benefits than boilers, although there is the higher capital cost to factor in.  Many green technologies are available as part of the Green Deal (covered extensively in this blog) and this may be a method of financing new capital plant.

More efficient glazing will cut down energy bills considerably, if there is a large glass area in the building, such as a showroom.

One of the best ways of making energy efficiency work, is to make it a staff goal – if they are made aware of the need to be green, they will usually embrace it enthusiastically.  Perhaps nominating a member of staff to be a “Green Champion” will release creative energies.  There can be newsletters and competitions showing how different parts of the organisation are performing in their objectives of energy reduction, recycling, and using lower-carbon products.  This often improves morale among the staff as an additional benefit.

In any case, there is a need for forward energy planning and expert guidance.  Legislative changes in 2018 mean that both residential and commercial buildings with an Energy Performance Rating of worse than E will not be able to be rented out.  This means that in the next few years many buildings will have to be upgraded or become unable to be tenanted.  It may even mean that properties will suffer a sharp reduction in sale value in 2018 or even before, as no-one would want to buy them because there would be significant costs in bringing them up to E or better standard.  The wise building owner should have an Energy Performance Assessment conducted and have an Energy Performance Certificate awarded, and then put in place a plan to ensure that the building will be compliant with the legislation in 2018, if the building has a rating of lower than E. Unfortunately many buildings in the UK will not reach this level of energy efficiency, so careful advance planning is paramount.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Energy Efficiency, Green Technology

Tweet

Renewable Energy Projects in Scotland Could Generate 10,000 Jobs by 2030

A new government-commissioned report has shown that if Scotland decides to go ahead with renewable energy backing, Scotland and the surrounding Islands could see 10,000 jobs created in this field by 2030. The report also detailed, Scotland could become the world leader in marine technologies, which would be some accomplishment given the size of the country.

However, while the potential is certainly there, the country has to weigh up the initial costs against the long-term benefits of developing renewable energy against other sources.

The Green Deal, which is already in place, has detailed that at least 30% of all UK electricity will come from renewable sources by 2020. However, many believe that even without any considerable development, Scotland could meet its own target without too much worry. Of course, if there was any substantial development, Scotland could play much more of a role when it comes to helping the UK meet its rather ambitious target.

Regardless of their decision, in order to bring 10,000 jobs to Scotland by 2030, the government needs to act quickly because these numbers will simply not be met if plans are delayed. The issue here is that the costs of connecting to the current transmission system are way too high. However, this report will go some way to working out if the long-term benefits outweigh the short- term losses.

It is estimated that the government will come to a decision about how it intends to proceed shortly. During this time, the country will look at all the alternatives and the positives and negatives of each.

One of the main reasons why Scotland could potentially become a leader in marine technology is because of the natural resources available. There are few other countries that can boast the wind, wave and tidal resources they have. If the country does decide to go ahead with their development, getting a better rating when it comes to an energy performance certificate would become more obtainable for Scottish households as renewable energy would be available much cheaper than it is currently.

Categories: Commercial EPCs, Domestic EPCs, Energy Efficiency

Tweet