CW1 Sustainable Building Design Matriculation Number 10019743 MSc Architectural Technology & Building Performance Edinburgh Napier

University 10019743@live.napier.ac.uk Abstract The purpose of this research is present clear and easy guidance to UK house builders about how to achieve zero carbon targets that will be implemented next 2016. Regulations that will suggest this aim have not been passed yet but manydocuments has been written about it and itself becomes a problem since zero carbon achievement needs years of preparation and confuse house builders. Government researches were considered as data, and recommend reliable suggestion. Keywords:Zero Carbon Homes, government, 2016s target, carbon reduction 1 Introduction This paper critically evaluates step to achieve the last Zero Carbon New Homes definition which is expected to be adopted by the government. Forthcoming regulations mean more change in the constructions sector, from design, passing through industry, planning, etc.Despite of this big and near change, teams of experts keep working on the zero carbon definition. Therefore it is important to give clear and summarized suggestion to house builders whichcould be lost because of the wide documents, backstop values, advices and reports written to date. Although this main policy will apply in all UK, most of the documents has been widely referred and compared to England Building Regulations 2006, so this document will do it as well. This paper is focused in homes expected regulations, leaving aside non-domestic buildings. Informationsuggestedby the government is expected to base next regulations, because of this, it has been considered as trustworthy source.The report propose the zero carbon homes evolution, from the initial and most restricted visions and plans, till the last and more realistic aspirations, and explaining the reason of this evolution. As a conclusion, the three stagesplan,whichisthe most likelyto found the process of completing a zero carbon home, as well as it backstop values are collected. 2 Zero carbon homes principles and background

2.1 Background In order to avoid the wall overheating in 2C and the threat of climate change, the UK government launched at 2007 White Paper Meeting the Energy Challenge (Department of Trade and Industry, 2007). This document proposes to realise the target of 60% cut in greenhouse by 2050; nevertheless, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) advised that the 60% cut will not be enough and recommended to increase the target up to 80%. As 1

a result, Climate Change Act 2008 was enacted and set the 80% cut emissions (Commitee on Climate Change). To make practical this reduction, new sustainable policies should apply in many different sectors across UK, especiallyat construction, since represent the 27% of the total national CO2 emissions (Boardman, 2007).After that, In July 2007 the government declared in the Building A Greener Future: Policy Statement that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016, with a progressive tightening of the energy efficiency building regulations by 25% in 2010 and 44% in 2013 up to zero carbon compliance in 2016.Together with this policy, the Code for Sustainable Homes was issued which offers a set of voluntary energy, carbon and sustainability standards for new homes. Consequently, Because of the economic and technical difficulties to achieve this aim, Government set a new consultation period at 2009. At Definition of Zero Carbon Homes and Non -Domestic Buildings, was proposed to reduce the carbon compliance from 100% to 70%. However, based on several reports, government laid out the difficulty of achieving this objective and commissioned to Zero Carbon Hub review the targets in order to get feasible and reliable frame work.This document, was published in July 2011, and means a great change in the zero carbon homes requirements (Zero Carbon Hub, 2011), however, this path is not finish yet and all the stakeholders keep on working through the right zero carbon definition.

Figure 1.Evolution of the Zero Carbon Policy, Source: Pargerter,J; Payne, A (2011)

2.2 Principles The purpose of this definition is the first governments intention of setting flexible zero carbon principles that were adaptable to future needs and make available the carbon reduction targets. These principles are reported below(Department for Communities and Local Government, 2008). Technical achievability. Zero carbon homes and zero carbon technologies should be technical feasible enough to achieve the high housing demand expected for the future. Cost-effective and financial viability Government is looking for the most cost-effective way to implement this policy, as recommended Building a Gre ener future at Final Regulatory Impact Assessment. Present the benefits of zero carbon homes will outweigh its costs. Adaptability and flexibility Since ZCH concept was set, its definition and parameters has been change in order to make viable its achievement; for instance SAP has been change in 2009 and governments policies has been focused on outcomes 2

Relevant carbon reductions Due to the difficulty to achieve the carbon compliance by onsite measures, it has been proposed to cutback these carbon emissions by offset projects or implementing new low and zero carbon energy infrastructures. A workable regulatory framework To achieve the carbon cuts, policies should be cover planning, energy infrastructure, Building Control policies (i.e. energy certificates) Broader environmental considerations These policies will have social and economic implications. For example, small brown site developers should be supported by the government since these will not be able to compete against greenfield ones because of the economy scale, another sample are zero carbon technologies, consider as an economy niche, will need government help. Zero carbon homes as desirable and healthy homes. ZCH as a future proofing building should be sustainable in a holistic way, so high habitability standards or easy installations should be guaranteed. 3 Different Government actions and incentives being offered in relation to an appreciation of the cost benefits On 3 October 2008 the government announced the creation of a new Department of Energy and Climate Change as part of its commitment to a wide range of strategies to reduce energy consumption, conserve water, reduce waste, manage flood risk, provide renewable energy sources, reduce risk of overheating, reduce fuel poverty and so on. The UK's independent climate change committee recommended last year that the proposed legally binding target of a 60% cut in CO2 emissions should be increased to an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions. This advice was accepted by the government and incorporated into the Climate Change Act 2008. If CO2 cannot be cut sufficiently from other sectors, such as shipping and aviation, then higher standards will be required elsewhere to make up the shortfall.The three mechanisms currently in place for requiring or encouraging zero carbon standards for new homes are Building Regulations, the Code for Sustainable Homes and stamp duty land tax relief. 3.1 Building Regulations The concept of zero carbon laid out a proposed timetable for changes to Building Regulations for all new homes to achieve zero carbon by 2016, and defined zero carbon as follows: For a new home to be genuinely Figure.2 Reduction of CO2 emissions from new zero carbon it will need to deliver housing proposed transition to zero carbon by zero carbon for all energy use in the 2016, Source: Zero Carbon Hub 2009. home cooking, washing and electronic entertainment appliances as well as space heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and hot water. 3

This consultation marked a turning point because it was the first time that it was suggested that the CO2 emissions from appliances and cooking, and cooling within the home, might be brought under control using the Building Regulations. (CLG 2007) 3.2 Code for Sustainable Homes Launched in December 2006, the Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes. The Code has nine categories of sustainable design. From 1 May 2008 it has been mandatory for a Code rating certificate to be provided for all new homes built in England. at present for publicly-funded new homes and those built on public land, achievement of Code Level 3 is the minimum requirement. The Housing Corporation announced its intention that new homes funded under the National Affordable Housing Programme should meet zero carbon standards and Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes by 2015 if the technology needed to achieve this cost-effectively is available (Housing Corporation 2007). 3.3 Stamp duty land tax relief A relief from stamp duty land tax (SDLT) for most new zero carbon homes built in the UK was announced in the 2006 pre-Budget report. To establish eligibility for this relief HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) needed to adopt a definition of zero carbon. Like the Code, the HMRC definition follows that in the 2006 CLG consultation document (CLG (2007). Building a greener future: policy statement.) But, again requires in addition, excellent standards of fabric energy efficiency and stipulating that a private wire shall be used to connect offsite renewable energy sources. 4 Zero carbon home Constitution and relationship between research and practice. Zero carbon homes definitions still in process since governments proposals leads to define a workable objective. As a result, this definition present by a continuous feedback to satisfy government,house builders, planners, users and financial and interests. As a result, zero carbon homes are being constituted by a continuous review of the initial theoretician objectives and the feasibility of these. Zero Carbon Homes Relief established the first approach to Zero Carbon Homes and mention that these homescould be connected to the gas and electricity grid, but should produce enough renewable energy to offset one year average by on-site low or zero carbon technologies. In addition, thispaper tackled how to set the proofs required for ZCH: energy efficiency, heat loss parameter (W/m2K), CO2 4

emission rate or DER (Kg/m2/year) and net CO2 emissions (Kg/m2/year)(Department for Communities and Local Government, 2007). These parameters were collected by the government to present the energy requirements for building regulations, but most of builders mention that it is difficult to meet this aims that coincided with CfSH level 6 targets. For instance, they argued the problem of placing the zero carbon technologies, especially in high dense morphologies. Also, they showed that unless the 80% of new homes will not accomplish the 100% target as well as its high cost effectiveness, and suggested to reduce it and allow the use of off-site LZCT when on-site and near-site installations were not economically practical (UK Green Building Council, 2008). Consequently, in 2008 the government opened a new consultation round, which finish at 2009 conclude that carbon compliance should be expressed in terms of kg of CO2e per m2 per year rather than to the 2006 Building Regulation in England and proposing a reduction of the CO2 cut Figure.3 Evolution of since the 46% of the consulted agreed to reduce the Allowable Solutions, source: carbon compliance from 100 to 70% and cover the zero carbon hib (2011) energy demand remainder by allowable solutions that are the renewable grid and near-site solutions (Anon, 2011). However, level 5 and 6 at the CfSH still keeping the 100% carbon compliance, so the new definition of ZCH is no longer the level 6 of zero carbon homes. This consultation became government proposal at 2010 and the CO2 saving emissionswere reduced till 70% of the regulated energy use what included space heating/cooling and hot-water. After that, the fabric standard was added to the ZCH definition, consisting in a high energy efficiency building envelope. Consequently, Carbon Compliance was defined as the 70% of the regulated energy needed after consider the fabric insulation, this amount of energy, should be provided by on-site low or zero carbon technologies. Allowable solutions will offset the 30% of regulated remained energy and the unregulated one that means all electrical appliances energy demand (Department for Communities and Local Government, 2008). This amount of energy produced by allowable solutions means nearly the 50% of the total amount of the typical home (Zero Carbon Hub, 2011).At this stage, it is set the hierarchy of this policy; Fabric Energy Efficiency, Carbon Compliance and Allowable Solutions and its considerations about zero carbon buildings are different to the one defined by Code for Sustainable Homes, were the carbon compliance for levels 5a and 6 are 100% and the energy on site generation is even 150% for level 6. 5

In 2010 the government commissioned to Zero Carbon Hub the appraisal of the carbon compliance to draft an appropriate minimum national level for 2016 within the principles of economic and financial viability but keeping the highest sustainable target to push innovation in sustainable policies and technologies. Therefore it were recommended the next energy saving ratiosfor regulated energy, what means heating, fixed lighting, hot water and building services,(lovell, Payne, & Pargeter, 2011): 10 kg CO2(eq) / m2/year for detached houses (equivalent to a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions) 11 kg CO2(eq) / m2/year for attached houses (equivalent to 56% reduction in CO2 emissions) 14 kg CO2(eq) / m2/year for low rise apartment blocks, four storeys and below (equivalent to 44% reduction in CO2 emissions ) As the graphic above shows,allowable solutions should mitigate more than 50% of the total energy consumed at a home(Zero Carbon Hub, 2011). At this stage, Zero Carbon hub recommends that standard assessment procedures should be updated due to the new concept of ZCH and considers the differences between project and real building performance and affects other fields like localism or regional weather, and because of this, should be review its feasibility. At 2011 Zero Carbon Hub launches Allowable Solutions for Tomorrows new homes what is the last consultation made by the government and closes the hierarchical zero carbon policy triangle by suggesting a definition for allowable solutions. This paper suggests that ZCH can be no emissions from Regulated energy use(Zero Carbon Hub, 2011) releasing the ZCH from the unregulated carbon emissions. Consequently allowable solutions should supply the regulated energy demand over the carbon compliance. Allowable solutions will mean to pay an Allowable Solutions provider, who will be the council, when failing this, the state or a private one. These providers will be responsible of using this money for carbon saving projects that could be small, medium or large scale. In this way, allowable solutions are able to be cheaper than carbon compliance and can be the responsible of getting a cheap zero carbon building (Zero Carbon Hub). The allowable solutions have been classified in (Zero Carbon Hub, 2011): On-site (but not duplicating Carbon Compliance measures) Near-site (within the Local Planning Authority area in which a specific development is built) Off-site (outside the Local Planning Authority area in which a specific development is built). 5 Required steps and principals involved to achieve the 2016s target Closely following the definition proposed in the previous CLG consultation, the December 2008 consultation defines zero carbon homes as those built in such a way that, after taking account of: 6

 Emissions from space heating, ventilation, hot water and fixed lighting expected energy use from appliances Exports and imports of energy from the development (and directly connected energy installations) to and from centralised energy networks, the building will have net zero carbon emissions over the course of a year. (CLG 2008). A three step approach Figure.4 Allowable solutions, source: to reaching the zero carbon homes was zero carbon hub (2009) therefore proposed based on: A high level of energy efficiencyin the fabric and design of the dwelling carbon compliance a minimum level of carbon reduction to be achieved from energy efficient fabric and on-site technologies (including directly connected heat networks) and allowable solutions a range of measures available for achieving zero carbon beyond the minimum carbon compliance requirements. 5.1 Energy efficiency The first issue that needs to be addressed is energy efficiency. All new homes will have to be built to very high standards of energy efficiency .Energy efficiency is achieved by having an appropriate building form, good fabric insulation (well insulated walls, floor, roof, windows, doors, no thermal bridging etc.), achieving good airtightness standards and installing efficient heating and ventilation systems. Benefit may also be gained from passive solar design orienting thehomes to optimise heat from the sun. The performance of this fabric will mean an increase of 3-9% when comparing with the Part L 2006 Specifications. 5.2 Carbon compliance (onsite and connected heat) Figure.5 Examples of construction Secondly the 70% of the regulated energy specifications that meet the Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard, Source: demand should be supplied by on site low or zero carbon technologies. For example, Onsite Zero Carbon Hub (2009) technologies include micro generation (solar water heating, solar electric, wind turbines, etc.) 5.3 Allowable solutions It is unlikely that a combination of energy efficiency and carbon compliance, alone, will be sufficient to achieve zero carbon. A range of allowable solutions is therefore proposed to deal with the remaining (residual) emissions, these are: Additional measures installed on site (micro generation, etc.) credit for energy efficient appliances or advanced forms of building control system (e.g. smart systems that sense occupancy) 7

export of low carbon/renewable heat (or cooling) to other properties nearby a Section 106 contribution towards a low or zero carbon infrastructure retrofitting energy efficiency measures to existing buildings investment in low or zero carbon infrastructure offsite renewable energy capacity connected by private wire
6 Critical appraisal of best practice Case Study- Kingspan Lighthouse The building is constructed using Kingspan OffSites TEK Building System, high performance SIPS (structurally insulated panel based system) which, for the Lighthouse, will provide a high level of thermal insulation and performance. The structure of the Lighthouse is a simple barnlike form, derived from a 40 roof accommodating a PV array. In this building two different surfaces are
Figure.6 Room temperature demonstrated: modifying influence BASF PCM (Phase Change Material) Change Material (YearofPhase 2000 plasterboard climate), source: kingspan (2010) Dense cement fibre board These surfaces help absorb daytime heat and then give it up to cooler night time purge ventilation. Phase Change Material absorb room heat by changing from solid to liquid within microscopic capsules embedded within board. This process is then reversed when the room is cooled with night air. phase change material, Building services are integrated with Smart Figure.7 source: kingspan (2010) Metering and monitoring that records energy consumption and enables occupants to identify if any wastage is occurring, helping to promote more environmentally aware lifestyles. Selective Thermal Mass : Phase changing material in the ceilings absorbs the room heat by changing from solid to liquid within microscopic capsules embedded in the board. This process is reversed when the room is cooled with the night air, working with the passive system of the wind catcher. 6.1 How lighthouse achieve level 6

Walls, roof, floor U-values = 0.11W/m2K -Tek Figure.8 Technical Design, source: kingspan (2010) System, 284mm thick Windows = 0.7W/m2K (inc. wooden frame), triple glazed, gas filled Air permeability = 1m3/h/m2 at 50 Pa and lighting 100% fluorescents Thermal bridging 4.5% of surface area and drying room with fitting 8

 Mechanical ventilation = 88% heat recovery Kingspan KAR MVHR Specific fan power 0.92W/l/s Energy labelled A++ white goods External lights on PIR (presence detection) Cycle storage and Home office facilities On-site renewable energy: 4.7kW, 46m2 photovoltaic Figure.9 Building services, 10kW automatic wood pellet boiler only 2kW source: kingspan (2010) Wood store, filled three times a year 4m2 solar hot water to reduce wood resource used in summer. 7 Potential carbon reductions linked to any proposed mitigation method together with a critical assessment of feasibility and cost. The Zero Carbon Hubs final report on Carbon Compliance recommends that regulated emissions be reduced to 10kg/m2/yr for a detached house, 11kg/m2/yr for an attached house, and 14kg/m2/yr for a flat, based on calculations using adjusted SAP 2009. It is expected that this will be achieved through Carbon Compliance measures such as energy efficiency and supply of on-site low and zero
Figure.10 Measured heating energy compared with PHPP predictions for 4 developments, source: The UK Passive House Organisation (2011)

carbon energy. The remainder of regulated carbon emissions must then be reduced to Zero through provision of Allowable Solutions. At least some of the Carbon Compliance reduction must be achieved through fabric energy efficiency measures that reduce space-heating and cooling demand. A Zero Carbon home must also meet the Temporal course of Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard (FEES). This has Figure.11 the cost burden of a normal been set as a limit for energy demand for space house heating and cooling of 39kWh/m2/yr for flats and (red) and a Passive House source: The UK terraced houses, and 46kWh/m2/yr for detached (green), Passive House Organisation and semi-detached houses. Further reductions can (2011) be achieved through energy efficiency measures beyond this standard, which would help towards Carbon Compliance. Passivhaus effectively amounts to one such energy efficiency measure, by offering a robust method for exceeding the FEES, whilst also contributing to unregulated carbon reductions through the Primary Energy limit. 7.1 SAP and PHPP Passivhaus buildings are designed using a tool called Passivhaus Planning Package (PHPP). The SAP is a compliance tool used to demonstrate that a dwelling meets the requirements of building regulations Part L. 7.2 Proof of performance the SAPs treatment of overheating be improved, and 9

performance be measured at the as-built stage rather than asdesigned. It reduces the risk of underperformance beyond that achieved in typical homes designed to other standards, and provides high quality buildings with healthy and comfortable internal conditions. The PHPP model is a design tool, rather than a compliance tool, and is more detailed than the SAP. This allows a more informed prediction to emerge, which is likely to be closer to reality. The basic Passivhaus requirements lead to an improved draught-free building, and the Passivhaus philosophy demands a total absence of thermal bridges, areas of heat loss through the fabric that can result in cold and condensation problems internally. Carbon savings resulting from a PHPP modelled building design are more likely to be delivered than those promised by renewable energy devices, which may depend on maintenance, climate, location etc. Finally, the requirement that for Passivhaus certification a series of site observations and tests must be carried out inevitably leads to better as built performance. 7.3 Cost Even after 30 years one can continue to profit from reduced energy costs, because the inactive components of the Passive House continue to function as long as the house stands. 8 Conclusion Carbon reduction policies started at 2007 in order to comply the Copenhagen Accord. This achievement meant an 80% of zero carbon reduction across UK. Because of the housing sector means an 24% of the total UK emissions, government tackled this objective by setting a dramatic reduction at houses emissions; these ones will be zero carbon emissions, what means that all the energy demanded by a year, should be offset in the same period of time by using on site zero or low carbon technologies. Some cases of zero carbon homes had been built to date, showing the high cost effective and the inaccuracy of the detailing and the standard assessment procedure. This fact highlighted the difficultness that all stakeholders will find to achieve this objective. From that date, a feedback between government and sectors involved started till get closer to the zero carbon new homes definition. This work has been based in realistic principles like technical feasibility or economic and financial viability. As a result has been drafted a more complex picture, where: The energy efficiency of the envelope depends on the building typology. The energy to offset will depend of the users habit and envelop Is not necessary to offset unregulated energy. the regulated energy demand will not be provided only by on site solutions but also near or of site solutions. The redirection of this solution can be consider as a success because makes the difference between viable and unviable solution while keeps the achievement of reducing the energy demand. This new way will push investment and development of low and zero carbon technologies, what will help to develop the technology necessary to achieve in a nearly future the unregulated energy offset. 10

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Anon. (n.d.). Low Carbon Buildings Accelerators. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Carbon Trust: http://www.carbontrust.co.uk/emergingtechnologies/current-focus-areas/buildings/pages/buildings.aspx Boardman, B. (2007, November). Home Truths: a Low-CArbon Strategy to Reduce UK Housing Emissions by 805 by 2050. Executive Summary. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from Friends of the Earth: http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/reports/home_truths_summary.pdf Buchanan, A. H., & Honey, B. G. (1994). Energy and carbon dioxide implications of building construction. Energy and Buildings, 20(3), 205-217. Business Link. (n.d.). Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy - a resource-smart economy. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Business Link: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1096712717&type= RESOURCES Commitee on Climate Change. (n.d.). Path to 2050. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from Commitee on Climate Change: http://www.theccc.org.uk/carbonbudgets/path-to-2050 Greenwood, D. (2011, July). The challenge of policy coordination for sustainable socio-technical transitions: the case of the zero carbon homes agenda in England. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from European Consortium for Political Research: http://www.ecprnet.eu/MyECPR/proposals/reykjavik/uploads/papers/452.pdf Kingspan. (2009). Kingspan Lighthouse. Retrieved October 17, 2011, from Kingspan Lighthouse: http://www.kingspanlighthouse.com/index.htm lovell, j., Payne, A., & Pargeter, J. (2011, April). The Evolution and Future of the Zero Carbon Homes Plicy: April 2011. Outlook for the Residential Sector. Retrieved October 7, 2011, from Drivers Jonas Deloitte: http://www.djdeloitte.co.uk/img.aspx?docid=41584&fldname=AttachmentFile& n=0&langid=1&log=1 Passive House Institute. (2007). 11th International Conference on Passive Houses 2007. Bregenz. UK Green Building Council. (2008, May). Zero Carbon Task Group Report. Retrieved Oct 4, 2011, from UK Green Building Council: http://www.ukgbc.org/site/resources/show-resource-details?id=383 United Nations. (2010, March 30). Report of the Conference of the Parties on its fifteenth session, held in Copenhagen from 7 to 19 December 2009. Addendum. Part Two: Action taken by the Conference of the Parties at its fifteenth session. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change: http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2009/cop15/eng/11a01.pdf Zero Carbon Hub. (2009, November). Defining a Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard for Zero Carbon Homes. Retrieved October 10, 2011, from Zero Carbon Hub: http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/resourcefiles/ZCH-Defining-AFabric-Energy-Efficiency-Standard-Task-Group-Recommendations.pdf 12

Zero Carbon Hub. (2010, December). Carbon Compilance: What is the Appropriate Level for 2016? Interim Report. Retrieved October 7, 2011, from Zero Carbon Hub: http://www.zerocarbonhub.org/resourcefiles/Carbon_Compliance_Interim_Re port_16_12_10.pdf Zero Carbon Hub. (2011, July). Allowable Solutions for Tomorrow's New Homes. Retrieved October 6, 2011, from Zero Carbon Hub: http://www.pas.gov.uk/pas/aio/1188572 Zero Carbon Hub. (2011, February). Carbon Compilance. Setting an Appropriate Limit for Zero Carbon New Homes. Findings and Recomendations. Retrieved Ocotober 6, 2011, from Zero Carbon Hub. Zero Carbon Hub. (n.d.). Allowable Solutions Workshop Pre-read. Retrieved Ocotober 7, 2011, from Planing Advisory Service: http://www.pas.gov.uk/pas/aio/1188572 Zero Carbon Hub. (n.d.). Allowable Solutions Workshop Pre-read. Retrieved Ocotober 7, 2011, from Planing Advisory Service: http://www.pas.gov.uk/pas/aio/1188572

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