Carbon counting & regulation - buildings related legislation Westminster Carbon Counting Conference Ted King Sustainable Buildings Division Communities and Local Government 24 January 2008

Aims of this presentation  Identify the relevant legislation  Identify key stages in the carbon counting process  Show how key stages are handled in the various regulations  Show how regulations impact on carbon reduction

Regulatory mechanisms  Building regulations  Related initiative - Code for sustainable homes  Stamp duty land tax exemption regulations  Energy Performance Certificates  On construction sale or rent  For display in public buildings  Consultation on obliging private institutions to display.

Key stages in carbon counting in buildings related regulations  Defining the system boundary  Which energy flows should be included?  Determining the magnitude of the energy flows  Converting energy to CO 2 emissions  Setting minimum standards.

The system boundary  Legislation relates to “buildings”  “Building” is in scope if it:  is a roofed construction having walls  uses energy to condition the indoor climate  is not in list of exempt classes  (varies for different regulatory applications)  “Building” may refer to the building as a whole or parts thereof that have been designed or altered to be used separately

Energy flows: Building Regulations  Fabric losses and gains  Does not use energy per se (embodied energy not considered)  but impacts on energy demands for HVAC  Fixed building services  Lighting (excluding emergency & process)  Heating and hot water  Air conditioning and Mechanical ventilation  Some services not (yet) included  e.g. Vertical transportation  “Plug loads” (currently) outside regulatory scope .. but impact on heating / cooling demands  Comparator of performance – target setter.  Notional building of same size, shape, usage & servicing

Energy Flows: EPCs  Available on construction, sale or rent  Inform potential purchaser/tenant about intrinsic energy efficiency  Separate out user effects, so base on standard occupancy / weather  Only variables are envelope and HVAC  Rating based on same concepts as Part L compliance  The Asset Rating  Comparator of performance  Building of same size, shape, usage but fixed level of servicing  Compares naturally ventilated and air conditioned bldgs of the same type (e.g. offices) on the same scale.

Example interpretations Retail Residential Office 1 EPC for each separate dwelling 1 EPC covering all the office areas, even if actually let floor by floor – unless floor by floor servicing 1 per unit if independent shells opening onto street OR 1 for whole retail area if shop units share services with mall

Energy flows: DECs  Rates operating performance  Reflects use of building  Measures all energy demands (including e.g. “plug loads” and lifts)  Adjustments for weather, hours/day  The Operational Rating  Comparator of performance  CO 2 emissions that are typical for all buildings of the generic type

Special case for DECs & campuses  Campuses such as hospitals, universities and schools often meter mainly at site level  Derive DECs for each building on site by disaggregating energy by area weighting.  Unless a building on site has metering of all fuels & an appropriate benchmark  In these cases a specific building DEC can be prepared’ and  The site data adjusted to produce DECs for remaining buildings.

Determining energy demands (1)  Building Regs & EPCs  Assess asset based on standard usage  Assessment must be based on calculation  Delivers the Asset Rating  Calculation tools – the NCM  Dwellings  SAP and RdSAP  Non dwellings  SBEM  Approved dynamic simulation models  Assessments made by:-  Anyone for BRs; but …  persons accredited by approved Accreditation Bodies for EPCs and DECs. Output screen from SBEM Bldg Regs check

Determining energy demands (2)  Display energy certificates  Required for “public buildings”  Voluntary for other sectors  Assessment based on actual usage  “Building” must be occupied  Could be part of larger physical building  Delivers the Operational Rating  Energy demands must be based on meter readings  Includes all end uses (inc. “plug loads”)  Landlord’s energy statement for tenant apportionment  Can be adjusted for: “Special” uses to facilitate comparison (if sub- metered) Intervals between readings Weather.

Choice of CO 2 emission factors  Based on upstream and downstream emissions for each fuel  CO 2 impact only – not (yet) GWP of other greenhouse gases.  Part L and EPCs  To reflect likely emissions over future life of building  Electricity based on 5 year forward projection  “Frozen” for life of AD (at minimum)  On site energy generation credited at marginal intensity (under review for 2010)  DECs  To reflect actual emissions in past year  Electricity taken as last year’s grid average figure  On site generation taken on same basis.

Current emission factors

Stimulating improvement through carbon counting  New buildings  Part L regulatory standard  Compulsory for all new buildings  Code for Sustainable Homes  Level 3 compulsory for all publicly funded developments  Optional for all others  Stamp duty land tax exemption  Incentive for highest standard

Part L standard (Contraction and convergence)

Stimulating improvement in existing buildings  Part L sets elemental standards for work in existing buildings  Carbon not counted at building level  Impact assessed at aggregated national level  RIAs show significant aggregate carbon reduction as progressively more work is captured  Replacement windows  Replacement boilers  Renovating thermal elements  Changes of use/energy status  Consequential improvements Source

Stimulating improvement through EPCs & DECs  Requirement to:  Assess performance, i.e. to count the carbon  Compare with benchmarks  Produce recommendations for improvement  Make information available – the national register  No requirement to make improvement  Approach relies on:  Market forces  Peer and public pressure  But what of EPBD 2 ?