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Zero carbon targets debated at AECB conference

Posted: 04/07/2008

A lively debate on the government's target for all new dwellings to be zero carbon by 2016, took place at the AECB annual conference recently. Nearly 200 members of the AECB, the Sustainable Building Association, vigorously debated the zero carbon by 2016, with other buildings to follow by 2019 target..

Architects, builders and other construction professionals engaged with each other and with Dr Berthold Kaufmann of the Passivhaus Institut in Germany - key facilitators of the 10,000 very low-energy buildings already built there. Whilst a wide range of views were expressed, some common threads emerged.

Clearly zero carbon is now clearly on the UK agenda, although the current economic situation is bound to delay implementation, with numbers of new housing starts continuing to fall. Delegates had perceived that Greenwash continues to be a major problem, with builders and suppliers jumping on the sustainability bandwagon and selling services and/or products that are neither sustainable nor economic – as illustrated by the B&Q wind turbines debacle.

Members also felt that the requirement for on-site generation, as currently defined, is not feasible and will cause the Government’s zero carbon strategy to fail, with far too much emphasis being placed on renewable energy supply. More effort is needed to reduce energy demand; e.g., by improving building design through insulation, draughtproofing, passive solar & daylighting.

Even more CO2 could be saved by improving the building envelope and using waste heat from the UK’s gas power stations (CHP) for existing and new urban buildings.

A major education program is clearly needed to successfully deliver either low or zero carbon buildings. Consistent government support is essential over the lifetime of many parliaments, and a serious challenge ducked by the UK government is the existing building stock. Substantial improvements in insulation levels, airtightness and the efficiency of heating, lighting and appliances are harder to achieve, yet the prospective savings are larger.

The conference was held at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, where the Zuckerman Institute for Connective Environmental Research is based and several low-energy buildings have been built, notably the very successful Elizabeth Fry Building.

Speakers included Will Anderson, builder of the Treehouse in South London, on preparing for the effects of climate change on buildings, and David Olivier & Liz Reason talking about the AECB’s CarbonLite standards and training programs.

A range of suppliers of green building products exhibited alongside the conference, including the Green Shop, Green Building Store, Lime Technology, CAT and Earth and Reed. Also exhibiting was Ecological Building Systems from Ireland with their range of hemp, wool and wood-waste environmental insulation materials, as well as sealing tapes and other products to facilitate the delivery of airtight buildings.

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