PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE NPPF

After a year of political turmoil and a bank bench rebellion stalling the progress of the Government’s ‘flagship’ Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, it had been hoped that the publication of a revised NPPF would introduce some much-needed stability to planning and development, writes Elizabeth Beighton, Director at Boyer (part of Leaders Romans Group).

Un fortunately, the long-awaited proposed revisions to the NPPF, published on 22nd December, have already evidently achieved the exact opposite.

Local authorities are already citing the NPPF consultation as a reason to delay progress on local plans. Furthermore, if implemented, many of the policy document revisions will almost certainly contribute to further delays.

O ne such example is, ironically, within the chapter ‘Providing certainty through local and neighbourhood plans’. It is proposed that protection for neighbourhood plans will be extended from those that are up to two years old to those that are five years old; also that tests which currently require local planning authorities (LPAs) to demonstrate a minimum housing land supply and to have delivered the minimum set out in the Housing Delivery Test will be removed.

T his increasingly ‘bottom-up’ approach – otherwise generally referred to as localism (the Government’s enduring flagship policy dating back to 2012) – is indicative of a rebalance in the relationship between the national elements of the planning system (primarily the Planning Inspectorate) and the local level (councillors and communities), which is evident throughout the proposed changes. With the endeavour evidently now being to ultimately make it considerably more difficult for developers to gain planning consent on appeal. The terminology used is key: the secretary of state has said that he will instruct the planning inspectorate that it should: “No long over-ride sensible local decision making.” However, how do we all define ‘sensible’?

Forcing inspectors’ decisions to comply with local sentiment will likely inhibit the ability of the planning inspectorate to determine the future of a scheme on the basis of policy compliance. Essentially prioritising local (political) whims over professional experience and overview, thus making the local community (however this might be defined) the ultimate arbiter of a planning application – are we essentially and seriously talking about planning by local referendum?

I f we look hard enough, some positives can be found: the belief that the greater the community support, the greater the scheme will shift from being ideology to necessity. Currently, developers must evidence some support through consultation on a planning application to ensure its success; in future, they

IS A DIRECTOR AT BOYER must ensure that a planning application meets the aspirations already set out by the local community. While, from a professional point of view, I do not necessarily believe that this delivers a better scheme, it may have the advantage of avoiding a clash with the local community at a later stage in the process (although how likely this is, in reality, maybe is another question). Ultimately, the secretary of state appears to have been forced into replacing objective structure and policy with a bottom-up approach that will vary considerably across LPAs and even within individual LPA administrative areas themselves. It is far from ideal, but it is one that clients may have to abide by.

T he consultation on the revised NPPF runs until 2nd March, and the Government has committed to a further round of consultation later in the year www.boyerplanning.co.uk

The UK’s ambitious net-zero targets mean there is a real need to decarbonise both commercial and residential buildings across the UK. So, as heat pump technology has advanced over the years, it has become clear that they will play a major role in providing a stepping stone to full decarbonisation.

Discover how LG’s innovative Therma V, air-to-water, all-in-one, Monobloc Heat Pump can help you and your Clients.

https://www.lg.com/uk/heating-awhp

An alarmingly large percentage of the world’s carbon emissions can be traced back to residential and domestic buildings. With this statistic in mind, transitioning to more sustainable building methods and retrofitting structures in accordance with green initiatives can really help to reduce CO 2 emissions, says Jonathan Spencer, Founder and Director of JPS Project Management Services.

Asi de from simply being good for the environment, green buildings exist to utilise the natural resources surrounding the structure, whilst also reducing occupants’ reliance on artificial devices. Here, I run through some vital considerations for all those looking to sustainably create or renovate an existing building.

C ombining the building and construction industry being the largest consumer of raw materials with the continuing growth of the population and increasing necessity for new homes, finding solutions that reduce resource depletion is becoming more and more essential. Utilising recycled, renewable, refurbished, salvaged and recourse and energyefficient materials are all viable options.

Thoughtful and effective management and usage of construction materials is a concern of significant importance in any building project. Employing productive techniques that ensure resource conservation and material efficiency is crucial.

A relatively obvious but extremely practical step towards constructing a green building is choosing sustainable materials. Your choices at this stage will be crucial in determining the impact your building will have on the environment. Concrete, steel, wood, glass, drywall and asphalt shingles are just a few examples of recycled building materials.

C hoosing recycled materials reduces the need for non-biodegradable products whilst also reducing the amount of waste going to landfill. Furthermore, aside from the actual material being used, it’s ideal to source sustainable material locally, as it helps the community whilst also minimising transportation costs.

Maximising the warmth of the sun, wind patterns, kerb appeal and drainage system are all aspects that come into play when considering the orientation of the building. With energy costs on the rise, now it’s more important than ever to capitalise on natural energy and thermal comfort. A strategically-designed floorplan, for example, will see frequently-used areas at the south of the property, providing occupants with warm and cool relief during the winter and summer, respectively.

P lanning for tree shade is a crucial component in passive solar design, too. Age, species and growth rate must all be considered. As should heat transfer during colder months – installing large windows wherever possible is certainly advisable, but they must be chosen efficiently, with the appropriate glazing, depending on the building type.

T he efficiency of a green building is directly impacted by solar shading and control. At its core, solar shading is the process of eliminating direct sunlight and heat in an effort to efficiently keep a space cool. They also reduce your reliance on HVAC systems and artificial lighting.

F ixed solar shading is a structural feature that blocks or reflects sunlight. To implement this method effectively, you’ll need to track the sun’s path and direction. Dynamic solar shading, on the other hand, refers to interior features that offer optimal thermal performance. Shade fabrics are the most popular option here and, once installed, can complement the overall design of the space, whilst saving on energy significantly.

A crucial design choice that will affect a building’s energy consumption; the WWR is the section of the exterior wall, consisting of windows, that is of significant value in determining the energy performance of a structure.

Windows can impact the HVAC system, as they can cause twice as much energy loss as a wall in their place. The number and size of windows, therefore, should depend on the area’s climatic conditions.

P ut simply, the building envelope divides the interior and exterior parts of your space; the physical separator between the conditioned and unconditioned environment. Shelter, security, moisture control, daylight access, indoor air quality and solar and thermal control are just a few of the building envelope’s primary functions. The envelope can also be built differently, depending on location. A loose envelope, for example, allows for better airflow. A tight envelope, on the other hand, helps to control the structure’s inout airflow.

L ighting will have an effect on any occupant’s health, productivity and comfort – and also accounts for up to 20% of a building’s total energy usage – so implementing efficient lighting solutions should be high up on the list of priorities.

Utilising as much natural light as possible is the best way of establishing sustainable lighting within your building. This naturally helps to reduce lighting costs whilst also being a much healthier form of light. When natural light is not enough, however, CFL or LED lights are ideal for minimising heat pollution and energy consumption.

W hen it comes to green building, water quality and regulations are considered fundamental objectives. Pipes must be regularly maintained, and waterconserving fixtures should be installed to reduce water loss. It’s also worth practising rainwater collection – as this can be used for toilets and landscaping –and installing an efficient drainage system with harvesting canisters.

Fossil fuels may have paved the way for the technological marvels we have now, but they’re also responsible for the trapped heat causing global warming. Thankfully, we now have alternative sources of power, such as daylighting, natural ventilation and solar panels. It’s essential to implement a more intelligent approach towards energy consumption in the current climate, whether working on a green building or not.

S trategically-placed refuse waste chutes and disposal boxes are key elements of responsible waste management. The simple yet strict implementation of reduce, reuse and recycle practices will drastically help to reduce landfill waste. Proper planning will be needed to achieve this, with certain areas within the facility dedicated to waste management.

I n order to drastically reduce the energy and emissions rate of the construction industry, green buildings are a necessity. Furthermore, by applying such efficient practices, you stand to gain shorter investment returns, a reduction in operational and power costs and increased asset value, with more and more people choosing to go green.

www.jpspms.co.uk

Specifiers and architects must harness the benefits of the most up-todate LED lighting solutions as part of their strategies to combat embodied and operational carbon, and help building owners to reduce their energy usage, writes Tamlite’s Debbie-Sue Farrell.

Th e last 12 months have brought a greatly increased awareness of the intersection – and interdependence – between building technology and energy efficiency. With the commercial property sector facing unprecedented challenges as many businesses move towards a more flexible hybrid operational model, and the ongoing unpredictability of energy prices, there is an onus on specifiers and architects to help building owners and tenants to operate in as energy efficient a way as possible.

Simultaneously, the level of knowledge that individual organisations have about the role of individual building systems in achieving a low-carbon future has risen markedly. The overwhelming shift away from traditional light sources to LED systems during the past 10 years is a case in point. But, increasingly, building managers and other stakeholders are also cognisant of the connection between their use of technology and obligations to concepts such as embodied carbon and operational carbon – as well as whole-life carbon, which is the ‘grand total’ of the two types.

The use of these terms is giving a welcome sense of definition – and urgency – to the discussion around energy efficiency in buildings. To briefly recap, operational carbon is specifically concerned with the energy required to actually use light fittings over their entire lifecycle. Embodied carbon pertains to everything that is not directly involved in day-to-day operations – for example, installation, maintenance, materials and so on.

TAMLITE

E mbodied carbon, in particular, has been in the spotlight recently thanks to the arrival of a new publication by CIBSE entitled ‘Embodied Carbon in Building Services: A Calculation Methodology’ (TM65) 1 . Acknowledging that the embodied carbon related to building services design can be considerable over a building’s lifetime – not least due to the choice of materials and the frequency with which replacements are required –TM65 provides guidance on how to use environmental product declarations (EPDs) to assess the embodied carbon of building services equipment. Where EPDs are not available, it offers a methodology by which the embodied carbon can be estimated.

Placed in a purely lighting context, this approach means designers can compare one lighting solution to another in a systematic fashion. It can also be used by other parties – including engineers and specifiers – to generate data that encompasses an entire building, resulting in a more rounded picture of its embodied carbon status.

T he momentum behind TM65 has been building steadily since publication, and it’s important that everyone involved in both construction and the lifecycle of a building has a good grounding in the CIBSE document. For building owners and operators, it’s likely that alignment with TM65 will be sought after in the future as it provides such a transparent methodology. For specifiers and architects, it offers a consistent benchmark as they review the carbon output of their buildings and the systems that serve them. www.tamlite.co.uk

T he modernisation of lighting stock has accelerated dramatically in recent years, and you won’t find too many commercial buildings now where there is zero trace of LED. But it’s worth explaining briefly just how advantageous LED lighting can be to achieving a lowcarbon infrastructure.

O n the operational carbon side, LED technology routinely makes it possible to reduce energy consumption by twothirds. It is certain that future generations of products will be even more efficient.

Of course, large-scale reductions in energy consumption also equate to significant cost savings – generally between 60 and 80% – when compared to traditional equivalents, as well as ROIs that can be as little as one or two years for even sizeable deployments. In the current climate – in which rising energy prices are expected to lead to a swathe of business insolvencies – the benefits of LED seem even more stark.

T he implications for embodied carbon can also be profound. Replacement and maintenance are much reduced because the lifecycle of LEDs is far longer than predecessor technologies. On the basis that LED lights now afford at least 50,000 hours of operation, and the lights are used in a workplace for 10 hours per day, it could be that their lifespan will be well over 13 years. Then there is the simple fact that LEDs fail much less frequently than, say, fluorescents – meaning that there is less call for replacements or the labour required to install them. With an increased tendency for in-house technicians to be based remotely, it equates to less travelrelated carbon as well.

I f all goes to plan, the next few years are going to be transformative for the use of energy in the built environment. Empowered by methodologies such as TM65, the accessibility and accuracy of building carbon calculation will continue to improve. Governments and authorities will stress the correlation between building efficiency and the net-zero goals to which individual countries are committed and make laws that reinforce it.

A t least, that’s what needs to happen. The latest edition of the PwC Net Zero Economy Index revealed that the decarbonisation rate had fallen to 0.5% – the lowest level for a decade – whilst the required annual rate of decarbonisation had subsequently risen to 15.2%, which is 11 times faster than the global average achieved since 2000 2 . In short, we are currently nowhere near the kind of progress needed to hit the 1.5°C maximum warming target.

I mproving a building’s lighting is comparatively one of the most straightforward things that can be done to reduce carbon output, and it should, therefore, be a key priority for all building designers and specifiers.

FOOTNOTE:

1https://www.cibse.org/knowledge-research/ knowledge-portal/embodied-carbon-in-buildingservices-a-calculation-methodology-tm65

2https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/pressreleases/2022/net-zero-economy-index-2022.html

With rising energy tariffs and increasing awareness of our environmental impact, maximising energy efficiency plays a key role in helping to lower operational costs and meet the required regulations. While it is, without doubt, a difficult time, some steps can be taken, which can also help to accelerate the transition to the UK Government’s net-zero goal for 2050. Jason Allen, Commercial Product Manager at Hamworthy Heating, explores.

En ergy efficiency is the attempt to reduce the amount of energy used by making improvements to technology and buildings, which can, in turn, help to lower operational costs and increase sustainability. It is also central to achieving the UK’s commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

T he ‘Heat and Buildings Strategy’, launched in October 2021, is the UK Government’s plan to decarbonise virtually all heat in buildings and is fundamental to the net-zero goal. At the heart of this strategy is phasing out the use of fossil fuels to heat buildings by 2035 whilst increasing the application of low-carbon products, fuels and energy sources.

T he uplift of Building Regulations’

Conservation of fuel and power: Approved Document L’, introduced in December 2021 and in force as of June 2022, is the legislative method adopted to ensure new buildings will be fitted with low-carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency achieved. Under the new framework, decarbonising heating is key to cutting emissions across commercial buildings.

If we look past the building fabric and focus solely on the heating system, one of the main points highlighted in the latest regulations states that a heating system must be designed to work at 55ºC flow. This new legislation will effectively mean an end to like-for-like boiler replacements and will eventually phase out the use of non-condensing units in new and existing buildings altogether, except under exceptional circumstances. This means that only high-efficiency condensing gas boilers will meet the minimum requirements. However, when it comes to sustainability, there’s no doubt that heat pumps play a key role towards achieving the net-zero goal.

Heat pumps gather heat energy from the surrounding air, which, via a heat exchanger, is transferred into the heat pump’s refrigerant and turned into vapour. The vapour is passed through a compressor and turned into a highpressure, high-temperature refrigerant, raising the temperature to a point that can deliver heat throughout a building’s heating system. Heat pumps don’t require high external temperatures to function; they can continue to operate with external air temperatures down to -20ºC.

T he energy efficiency of heat pumps is in no doubt; they are up to three times as efficient as a gas boiler. Heat pumps change low-grade heat into useable heat, with the most popular type being the air-source heat pump. This uses a small amount of electrical energy to transfer the ambient heat in the air outside of a building and move it inside, where, at a higher temperature, it can then be used for underfloor heating, radiators or maintaining a supply of hot water.

D elivering up to 4kWh of energy for every 1kWh of electricity used to power it, heat pumps can be 300 to 400% more efficient than electric heating alone. But the benefits don’t end there. In addition to providing a controlled climate with improved air quality, once correctly installed by a qualified installer with maintenance in line with manufacturers’ recommendations, a heat pump could last between 10 and 25 years or more.

Air-source heat pumps are divided into two types: split and monobloc units. A split heat pump has both an outside unit (incorporating the heat exchanger and compressor with pipework containing refrigerant connecting to the internal hydrobox). A monobloc heat pump contains all the refrigerant components in the outdoor unit, leaving more space inside the property. The benefit of this means monobloc units are easy to install and maintain.

Accurate control of any heating appliance is crucial to efficient operation, so ensuring appliances are sized to meet the correct load requirements of the building is the first step. Another point to mention here is hybrid heating systems. For larger installations, look for a model that can be combined with a suitable highefficiency boiler.

I n terms of efficiency, we also need to consider the CoP (Coefficient of Performance) of a heat pump. This is achieved by dividing the output Kw by the input Kw; for example, if the output is 5Kw and the input electricity is 2kW, then the CoP for the system is 2.5. Simply put, the higher the CoP, the more efficient the heat pump, which equals a lower cost operation.

C ontrols are another important feature, particularly when it comes to unpredictable UK weather. A temperature change will affect the heat load required to warm up a building. Here, a heat pump with an inverter controller compressor will adjust accordingly and accurately meet the heat demand of a building.

Refrigerant is also a vital component of a heat pump and is an important factor to consider when it comes to determining sustainability. There are a variety of refrigerants in use for heat transfer, but some are of questionable sustainability and raise environmental concerns. Heat pumps that use refrigerants with a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) should be a priority.

L astly, when it comes to specifying a heat pump, consider brand reputation and look for a manufacturer that provides backup and long-term reliable technical support and customer service.

D espite short-term support measures from the Government, fuel prices remain significantly higher than a year ago, and the future is uncertain. However, what is clear is that this rise in energy prices, combined with the latest regulations, will see many existing buildings and most new builds requiring upgrades, particularly in terms of meeting the required energy-efficiency standards set out by the Government’s 2050 deadline.

Three years ago, COVID was a new disease that was hitting the headlines and would lead to a global pandemic and national lockdowns. The benefits of using ventilation to fight the virus were clear from the start, and the vital importance of ventilation in combatting COVID only continued to grow. Specifiers and architects have taken on board the ventilation changes needed for effective infection control, but what do they need to consider going forward? David Cook, Technical Product Manager at Vent-Axia, explains more.

Th e essential role of ventilation in the fight against COVID was first mentioned in the Government’s COVID press briefing on 29th April 2020, which cited ventilation as being critical in combatting the virus. At the briefing, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, said: “There is a definite truism across all of the scientific literature that ventilation is a most critical part of reducing transmission from respiratory viruses.”

While many of us are now returning to normality, three years on, the threat of COVID has not gone away. COVID figures from the ONS published at the beginning of December showed an 8% rise in people with COVID being admitted to hospital, and it’s clear that infection control to tackle COVID should still be high on the agenda for specifiers and architects.

W ith ventilation playing a key role in providing resilience to infection in high-traffic areas, it’s vital to ensure that commercial settings have effective ventilation to protect the health and wellbeing of workforces to prevent the spread of COVID while tackling indoor air pollution too.

T he COVID pandemic put a spotlight on the essential role of ventilation and led to the Royal Academy of Engineering report, ‘Infection Resilient Environments: Buildings that keep us healthy and safe’. It looks at how we design, manage and operate buildings and how we can make infrastructure more resilient to infection both now and going forward. Published in July 2021, the initial report highlights the importance of achieving good IAQ as well as reducing transmission of COVID and other infectious diseases, meaning many of the suggested changes have relevance well beyond COVID, including air cleaning.

I n addition, the amended Part F (Means of Ventilation) of the Building Regulations further highlights the importance of health and wellbeing.

‘Approved Document F, Volume 2: Buildings other than dwellings’ covers both new build and refurbishment and now looks to both minimise the entry of external pollutants and ensure humidity and pollutants are extracted effectively and efficiently. There is also a sub-section entitled ‘Indoor Air Quality Monitoring’, which states that in new buildings, the occupiable rooms “should have a means of monitoring the indoor air quality. This may be achieved using CO 2 monitors or other means of measuring indoor air quality”. These actions will help ensure better indoor air quality in non-residential properties. There are CO 2 sensors that can be discreetly located on a wall and can intelligently boost ventilation based on the detected CO 2 levels. They can also provide a warning indication for occupants if CO 2 levels rise above acceptable levels so occupants can activate purge ventilation when required.

T here are three key actions to take to improve IAQ and tackle COVID: reduce the number of pollutants introduced into the air; dilute the pollutants – including COVID virus particles – in the air by ensuring there is adequate ventilation introducing fresh, clean air into the home and buildings and purify by adding an air purifier to remove the remaining pollutants from the air.

I ndoor air can contain over 900 chemicals, particulates, biological materials, viruses and bacteria. Each of us breathes 9000 litres a day, with poor IAQ affecting the health of everyone. It is, therefore, vital to reduce indoor air pollution by reducing the number of pollutants put into the air by specifying building products wisely.

T here are various solutions for diluting pollutants in the air in commercial settings. For ventilation solutions where ducting cannot be easily installed, extract and supply fans, such as Vent-Axia’s Lo-Carbon T-Series, can provide background or purge ventilation and are easily fitted to an existing window or through a wall.

A lternatively, heat recovery demand ventilation systems are ideal in an office situation since they automatically respond to the air quality needs of a space, supplying or extracting air only when, and to the extent to which, it is required. This is in contrast to traditional fixed-volume ventilation systems, which are either on or off, regardless of the conditions or the number of people in the room. Therefore, demand ventilation offers better indoor air quality in offices, as well as improved energy efficiency.

A range of sensors, such as CO 2 PIR occupancy detection, humidity or temperature, are employed to determine the room’s air quality, adjusting the ventilation requirements automatically and managing the system’s ventilation rates accordingly. This means that the ventilation system is always running at the optimal fan speed, delivering the right airflow in response to the room’s climatic needs.

H eat recovery demand ventilation systems offer energy recovery, too, recovering a high percentage of energy that would otherwise be wasted. The system works by extracting the heat from the room’s warm, stale air before it is exhausted outside. It then preheats the fresh incoming air via the high-efficiency plate heat exchanger before supplying the warmed, fresh air to the room. Even in winter, the incoming air is tempered to a level that should avoid draughts without the need for re-heaters. But for the coldest weather, the latest systems now include frost heaters to provide a heating boost to achieve thermal comfort for occupiers.

W hile effective ventilation is essential for good IAQ, adding extra air purification in workplaces, hotels and schools can help ensure that viruses and pollutants are extracted from the air creating a healthier environment and helping stop the spread of viruses. Air purifiers, such as Vent-Axia’s PureAir Room, have been designed with an advanced six-stage filtration system to filter out mould, dust, viruses, PM2.5, VOCs, pet allergens and odours with HighEfficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters removing 99.9% of particles.

W ith COVID still a risk and the importance of good IAQ established, creating healthy and safe indoor environments is essential. Not only will this allow businesses to operate as usual, but it will also protect the health of all those using these spaces. Effective ventilation and air purification are proven methods to achieve this.

www.vent-axia.com