IES Blog

Last month the UK-GBC set out to rally its members in support of their campaign to get the government to “fulfil its commitment made in March’s “Carbon Plan” and extend Display Energy Certificates (DECs) to Commercial buildings by 2012, using the Energy Bill as the vehicle to put down the necessary primary legislation”.

The first step of the campaign was to send an open letter to the Prime Minister, and other senior ministers, outlining the need for mandatory DECs for private sector buildings. You can read this letter here. The next step was for the UK-GBC to call on its members for their backing and a list of supporters was produced to reinforce the campaign. IES are very proud to be putting our name down in support of the UK-GBC’s efforts, and you can find a list of the other like minded organisations here.

Over the last few weeks there has been significant developments made as the Energy Bill reached the Committee stage. The UK-GBC and the British Property Federation have submitted evidence to the committee, provided the list of supporters and have been collaborating with MPs and other organisations to get this issue tabled as part of the Committee stage. A breakthrough came when Zac Goldsmith MP backed the campaign by tabling an amendment to the energy bill that would make DECs compulsory for commercial buildings, but there is still a long way to go to see if this campaign will be successful.

Our UK Division Head, Sarah Graham, had the following to say on the issue:
To meet our (the UK’s) C02 reduction targets existing building stock must be the priority.  Understanding and focusing on why buildings are not performing as they were designed to is key.  DECs when used in combination with EPC results can help highlight discrepancies and focus where further investigation is required.  DECs on their own can identify which buildings need a comprehensive energy review.  Going forward as well as rolling their use out more widely, linking DECs with legislation such as the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme should greatly enhance their effectiveness.

We will keep you posted with further news on this campaign as and when it happens.

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Tags:Building, DECs, IES

We’ve been discussing the incredible potential of green building, and how it can flourish even in this economy.

Well, potential has given way to actual proof.

According to a report by McGraw-Hill, “The value of green building construction projects begun in 2010 was 50% higher than in 2008…representing 25% of all new construction. The report projects that the green building market will continue to expand, reaching $135 billion by 2015.”

This is fantastic news, not just for the industry, but for all of us. A couple more points Buildaroo highlighted from the report:

• One third of new non-residential construction projects were green projects
• Green building reduced operating costs by 13.6% on average for new buildings, increased new building values by an average of 10.9%, and increased the return on investment by 9.9% on average for new buildings and 19.2% for retrofits

So it’s now a fact - green building can make you lots of money while saving the planet. In fact, it has become arguably the most lucrative sector of all green industries. It’s a credit to the engineers, architects, and builders who have worked tirelessly to advance the cause.

It just makes too much sense these days. Everyone wants to save money, and at a time when all construction has taken a severe hit, sustainable construction has been a catalyst for keeping the industry, and thousands of jobs, afloat.

But we must remember that we’re not done yet. While these statistics are very encouraging, we shouldn’t rest until every building is as sustainable as it can be. And you can bet that IES will remain steadfast advocates for making all buildings green buildings.

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Tags:Architects, Building, Engineers, IES, reduce, Sustainability

This month, we have had loads of questions from you about UK Compliance and the changes with Part L 2010. So we will be focussing on how to use the Virtual Environment to create UK EPCs, if you are outside of the UK, sorry, this one is VERY specific!

As many of you will know by now Part L 2010 came into force in October last year, even though the related EPC section has been delayed until the 27th of March this year. This means that building regulations DER/ TER (both at design and completion stage) will be to Part L 2010, but the EPC calculations will still have to be carried out using Part L 2006 methodologies. You can read more about this here. This has posed an interesting problem for our software team, and as such we have had to come up with an innovative solution.

To make it as easy for you as possible, we have introduced a brand new backward compatibility function that enables you to easily switch, on the same computer, between the 2010 and 2006 IES VE Compliance modules.  This is essential for designers that need to access Part L 2006 software for ‘as built’ or EPC calculations, as it will negate the need to duplicate data input in different software versions.

In order to generate an EPC you will have to have version’s VE 6.1.1 AND VE 6.2.0.3 installed;

If you are a VE-DSM 2010 user click here for download instructions…

If you are a VE-Ware (VE-SBEM) user click here for download instructions…

If you are a SketchUp user click here for download instructions…

Do you have any other burning questions for us for next months Questions and AEC? If so get in touch on Twitter, Facebook, or drop us an email hello at iesve.com.

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Tags:aec, Building, compliance, downloads, Environment, EPCs, sketchup, software, VE-Ware

The news about this is out in the industry but spreading slowly!!  Please pass it on…

It was confirmed by the Government the other week that although Part L 2010 will come into force on 1st October 2010 as planned; the related EPC section has been delayed until 27th March 2011.

Obviously this has implications for all Energy Assessors – both domestic and non-domestic. 

As mentioned, this deferment will not affect implementation of Part L 2010 for Building Regulation purposes on 1st October 2010, or the transitional provisions already laid before parliament.  The main complication comes when an application is submitted after 1st October 2010 and the project completed before 27th March 2011, therefore requiring an EPC. 

Calculations for building regulations DER/TER (both at design and completion stage), will be to Part L 2010, but the EPC will have to be done to Part L 2006 methodologies.  In many case this will mean extra work for the EA with no additional return.  For example, if using iSBEM separate models will need to be built in different versions of the software; one for Building Regulations compliance and the other to calculate the EPC!

Though it is not expected that this will affect many developments, as most will not be in a position to lodge an EPC within the delayed period, what has been overlooked is the need for design professional to understand the relative difference between EPC ratings – which will be one of the main questions asked by their clients!

Lack of clarity on exactly what the changes to EPCs calculations will be will hamper understanding, and ultimately reduce clients and designers opportunity future-proof buildings.

Designers who need to go back to a previous software version for final Part L ‘as built’ compliance will also face many of the same issues and its therefore essential that any software user who wants the flexibility to switch between 2006 and 2010 versions for whatever reason makes sure that their software will enable this without doubling their effort.

As a consequence, we’re in the process of adding a new feature to our software allowing designers to easily switch between our VE Compliance 2010 and 2006 modules.  This previously unavailable backwards compatibility (of the VE Compliance model) will enable IES users to avoid double input of data resulting from the delay in the new EPCs.  While this will provide a useful facility for projects during the transition between the 2006 and 2010 regulation frameworks, it will also aid in allowing users to easily go back to Part L (2006) if required for old projects.

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Tags:Energy Assessors, EPCs, IES, Part L, Part L 2010, ve-compliance

Freakonomics, first a book and now a syndicated column, brings up topics and makes you go, ‘Huh, I never thought of it that way before…’

One of the recent posts, titled, “Green Building: LEEDing Us Where?” did just that. In the green building industry, we all focus on LEED and sustainability and improving the overall output of a building. But is it enough?

“We have built our country as we have built it,” writes Owen, “and we’re obviously not going to tear it down and start over.”

This is true. So what does that mean? Using LEED as a guide, I think we can inspire great change in the way we do things, starting with our buildings. Just resting on our “green building” laurels isn’t going to cut it in the long run. So yea, your building is “smart” and can sense when you leave a room, thus turning off the lights. But if you are leaving to hop into your oversized SUV and drive 2 blocks to the nearest coffee house to big up an über-large drink in a disposable cup and then driving another block to drop off your dry cleaning, there is a disconnect.

How can we take what we are learning through LEED and other initiatives in green building and take it to the next level in our everyday lives?

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Tags:Building, LEED, Sustainability

Unsurprisingly one of the hot topic’s at last week’s CIBSE Conference was the upcoming Part L 2010 Building Regulations. We are lucky enough to have a unique insight into the practical implications of the forthcoming changes. This is due to our working closely with AECOM to inform our software development.

It’s important to really get to grips with the key changes proposed. Building magazine’s Dyfrig Hughes gives more detail here, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

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Tags:CIBSE, Part L, PartL 2010

The greatest myth surrounding the CRC is that there is no need to act now. This misconception is based upon the fact that the initial scheme year is the footprint year when you monitor and report on your ‘baseline’ energy use (which started on April 1st 2010 –see my previous blog). The thinking is that by having a higher carbon footprint at the start of the scheme it will be easier to reduce emissions and move quickly to the top of the league table. However, there are two main reasons why acting now is the best course of action:

1) The design of the league table involves three metrics to determine an organisation’s position, not just their absolute carbon reductions. An Early Action metric takes into account energy saving measures put into place before the starts of the CRC, while a Growth Metric gives credit to organisations expanding in an energy efficient way. In fact the Early Action metric has a 100% weighting in the 1st year!

2) By acting now organisations can reduce energy usage and make savings on energy costs directly. These saving could even provide budget for the purchase of the initial carbon allowances in 2011, and go towards energy saving initiatives. Why wait to make reductions now and pay what will undoubtedly be a higher energy rate for more energy further down the line.

And that’s before you even look at the other benefits of performing well…

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Tags:carbon assessor, Carbon Reduction Commitment, CRC

We’ve all heard about ENERGY STAR.

And you probably heard President Obama talk about the Home Star (aka “Cash for Caulkers”) program recently. Designed to provide financial incentives for homeowners who perform a variety of energy-efficiency upgrades, the Home Star program is urging Americans to green up their homes while getting a little green in return.

Well, add another “star” to the list. Melissa Hincha-Ownby reported earlier this week about USGBC’s support of the proposed Building Star legislation, which, if passed, will provide incentives for energy-efficient retrofits for existing buildings. Similar to Home Star, Building Star will provide financial incentives for energy-efficiency retrofits in multi-family residential units as well as commercial buildings.

According to the MNN article, “Every year, the American economy loses more than $130 billion from leaky, inefficient buildings,” Fedrizzi added. “We can change that through the advancement of programs like Building Star - which would create approximately 150,000 jobs. Senators Merkley and Pryor get the ‘gold star’ for introducing it; now all the Senate has to do is include it in the next jobs package.” {Source: USGBC} Therefore, if passed, according to an article on Earth2Tech, “the program is expected to save building owners more than $3 billion on their energy bills annually by reducing enough peak electricity demand to avoid the need for nearly three dozen 300 MW power plants.”

This looks like a good deal all the way around. Building will be upgraded, saving the building owners money for heating, cooling and other inefficiencies. Plus that’s less strain on the environment. And more retrofits means more jobs, which will continue to boost the economy and create more spending in other areas.

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Tags:Building, Energy Star, Environment, reduce, USGBC

The New CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme came into force on 1st April

The new Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme began in earnest on the 1st April! The scheme aims to achieve an annual energy reduction of 3.2m tonnes by 2020 and stimulate businesses to make their buildings more energy efficient.  It affects around 20,000 organisations – is yours one of them?

Any organisation with a half hourly settled electricity meter needs to do something.  It was the requirement for qualifying organisations to start monitoring energy usage from all qualifying sources that started on 1st April 2010.  And whilst it may be straight forward to gather retrospective data from half hourly sources, this may not always be the case for class 5-8 meters, for example, which are also considered as core sources under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Those qualifying for the CRC will also need to register while those under the threshold still need to make an information disclosure.  Both actions must be done before 30 September 2010.  However, as the process could take up to 4 weeks to complete don’t leave it until the 29th September!

A raft of recent surveys indicates just how confused and unprepared organisations are for its implementation…

A survey by energy consultancy McKinnon and Clarke found that 54 per cent of participants were uncertain whether they come under the scheme, which encompasses all bodies and businesses with half-hourly meters (HHMs) that consumed more than 6,000 MWh of electricity during 2008.  Around 5,000 of the UK’s heaviest energy users will need to participate fully, while another 15,000 odd organisations that consumed less will need to make an information disclosure. 

In addition, the survey also found that three in five companies had not factored in the financial implications of having to participate fully in the scheme.  At the lowest qualifying level, a typical organisation will pay £45,000 a year to advance purchase allowances at a rate of £12 per tonne of carbon dioxide.  In addition, they will be placed in a league table, showing their carbon emissions relative to their peers.  Companies at the bottom of the table will be penalised, with the money recycled into rewards for the most energy-efficient.

In another survey by the power supplier Npower, nearly half of companies surveyed said official advice about the new legislation had been “inadequate”.  About 49 per cent said they did not understand how to buy the necessary carbon allowances and 44 per cent said they do not know how to forecast their carbon emissions.

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Tags:Building, carbon assessor, Environment, recycle, recycling, Renewables

One of the key challenges facing today’s building designers is understanding and tackling how to incorporate sustainable design principles into existing workflows and processes.

A ‘good design is sustainable design’ ethos promoted by quantitative analysis can make a great impact.  Architects get quick environmental feedback on design iterations and environmental engineers can input more into the design.  Achieving this kind of effective collaboration and cross-discipline understanding, in my opinion is core to achieving truly sustainable, energy-efficient building design.

The advent of BIM (Building Information Modeling), and better integration between analysis and design tools, is helping push this more integrated, information sharing approach to design team working.  In particular, the Green Building XML schema, referred to as “gbXML”, was developed to facilitate information transfer from building information models to design/energy performance analysis tools.

We’ve working hard at IES to drive such integration by developing plug-ins that link our tiered suite of analysis tools to Revit Architecture, Revit MEP and Google SketchUp so users can build their designs in Revit or SketchUp and then easily translate and analyze  them in an iterative fashion.  gbXML was used to streamline the data flow from Revit to the IES <Virtual Environment> in the IES VE Revit Plug-in.

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Tags:Autodesk, daylighting, gbXML, LEED, plug-in, reduce, Revit, sketchup