Carbon compliance tool review

The UK’s aspiration for zero carbon new homes from 2016 moves a step closer with the publication of recommendations on the most appropriate ‘carbon compliance’ tool, assumptions and related regulations - the carbon compliance regime that together provides the mechanism for testing designs against the zero carbon definition.

The review, 'Carbon Compliance for Tomorrow’s New Homes', presents the findings from a six-month review of existing compliance modelling tools and their suitability for the future.  The work was carried out by a cross-industry Task Group of experts drawn together by the Zero Carbon Hub and identifies areas where development is needed to ensure the compliance tool will deliver new homes that meet low energy /zero carbon design expectations, and achieve comfortable living standards in a warming world.

Areas identified for further development included treatment of overheating, the calculation of hot water use and the role that an assessment regime plays in reducing any gap between design and as built performance.

The review is made up of seven reports. As well as the Overview report, five individual technical reports (listed below and shortly to be published by the Zero Carbon Hub) have been prepared by specialist Topic Work Groups. The seventh report gives details of the modelling undertaken to support the work of the Task Group and Topic Work Groups.

Topic 1 – Carbon compliance tools considerations – this looks at existing modelling tools, both here and abroad and examines their key characteristics, what they assess, assessment accuracy and ease of use.

Topic 2 – Carbon intensity of fuels – this considers the changing carbon intensity of electricity and other fuels, the implications of this and responses needed from a compliance tool.

Topic 3 – Future climate change – this examines how future changes in UK climate could affect energy demand by buildings primarily for space heating and cooling and how the compliance tool should embrace overheating risk.

Topic 4 – Closing the gap between design and built performance – this topic addresses how the tool could accommodate and reduce any performance gap between design and as-built performance.

Topic 5 – How the performance standard should be expressed – Finally, terminology for the expression of carbon compliance is expressed with the comparison of: an improvement relative to a notional dwelling (as now) vs. absolute terms (e.g. kgCO2 emissions per unit area).

The Overview report is available to download at the Zero Carbon Hub website here and the technical reports will be published shortly.

Funding and future activities

The Zero Carbon Hub is a public private partnership, jointly funded by industry and government. Early in June it became clear that as part of the government spending reviews, Hub funding would be reconsidered immediately for this and future years.

It has now been confirmed that funding for the Hub has been secured for the current financial year, albeit reduced by 20% from the figure agreed with the previous government. This will cover our core work commitments including new work on the 70% Carbon Compliance level.

Work on 70% Carbon Compliance level will start to assess in practice exactly what is achievable and how the standard could be implemented in practice. This will follow a similar format to our recent work on the Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard and will draw on the knowledge and expertise of a wide range of individuals and organisations.

Opportunities for other sources of funding will be explored to help with our Skills and Training and Consumer Engagement workstreams.

Building Performance Evaluation

Zero Carbon Hub and Technology Strategy Board (TSB) have jointly managed a Task Group of experts to develop protocols for the Building Performance Evaluation (BPE) of new buildings. TSB have launched the £8m BPE fund which will review applications for funding the monitoring of new buildings on a rolling basis over the next two years. Further information about this is available from the TSB website here

Initial interest has been high for the first round of funding applications, which covers the post construction and / or “in use” building performance evaluation processes. Assessment of the first applications is due to complete in July and learning from this will help evolve the process for subsequent rounds of applications.

The Task Group are developing a proposal for the formation of a network of Building Performance Evaluators who will support dissemination of information and meta-analysis. If appropriate, this network could eventually evolve into an independent body. TSB have now taken ownership of managing the group, with the Zero Carbon Hub playing a supporting role where necessary.