Recent debates about creating a low carbon economy in the UK
have been dominated by how we should generate energy in the future.
However, meeting the low-carbon challenge will require us to spend
just as much time thinking about how we can use less energy - which
means focusing on buildings, not just power plants and
turbines.
Buildings represent a significant opportunity for carbon abatement
in the UK - the energy we use in them is responsible for almost
half of the country's CO2 emissions. In as much as the policy
debate on energy is focused on buildings at all, it tends to
revolve around domestic buildings. However, non-domestic properties
have an important role to play too, given that they make up 18% of
the UK's CO2 emissions and use 300TWh of energy per year, which is
equivalent to the primary energy supply of Switzerland.
Realising savings from non-domestic buildings can be done
economically, using options that exist today. Carbon Trust research
has found that a 35% CO2 reduction by 2020 can be achieved using
cost-effective measures. These would yield a net benefit to the UK
of at least £4bn, while reductions of 70-75% by 2050 can be
achieved at no net cost.
Although the opportunities are attractive, achieving them will be
a challenge. Up to 2020, almost all possible cost-effective
energy-efficiency measures will need to be implemented - requiring
significant refurbishment of the building
stock, in addition to wider grid decarbonisation and the
presence of on-site, low-carbon electricity generation. More
expensive measures will be needed beyond 2020, as we will have to
do everything we can in order to meet our 80% reduction
targets.
Improvements are necessary in both the 'kit' in buildings and in
how they are used. Not only will the properties themselves need to
perform better, they also need to be used more efficiently - as the
average Display Energy Certificate (DEC) rating needs to improve by
about four grades, from an average of E in 2009 to A in 2050, if
the UK is to meet its carbon targets - which will require
significant behavioural changes.
Research commissioned by the Carbon Trust suggests that public
sector buildings - including central government and local authority
buildings - and various services contribute between 2.3% and 3.4%
of the UK's CO2 emissions. The public sector has a clear
leadership role to play, not just in driving these savings by
reducing emissions from its own estate, but also in accelerating
market activity across the sector.
At central government level, clear policy measures would stimulate
the confidence required by industry to take action in the
commercial sector, and overcome a number of market failures
preventing the required investment in low-carbon construction.
Local authorities also have a huge sphere of influence and a duty
to promote the social, economic and environmental wellbeing
of their communities. As permanent bodies that plan for the long
term, they are uniquely placed to play a significant part in
achieving the national goal of developing a low-carbon
economy.
With portfolios including many types of buildings that use
significant amounts of energy, local authorities are responsible
for town halls, civic offices, residential care homes, sheltered
housing, homeless people housing units, museums, libraries,
theatres, community centres, day centres, schools and sports
facilities. Local government spending amounts to 25% of all public
expenditure, and councils spend the largest proportion of this on
education (41%) and social services (19%). Local government
buildings offer a wide range of services, and therefore require
different kinds of premises - buildings that are vastly different
in size, structure and age, with some being older, refurbished
properties while others are purpose-built. All of these features
impact on energy use, and more importantly, on the opportunities
for energy, carbon and cost savings.
The most common areas of excessive energy consumption, where
savings can be made, include heating, cooling, lighting,
ventilation and office equipment. Cost-effective measures involve
reducing ambient room temperatures, improving building controls and
monitors, replacing boilers and air conditioners with more
efficient units, and installing additional insulation. More
complicated interventions require major refurbishment of a
building, and implementation of these measures is often limited to
existing refurbishment cycles, as complex interventions are more
cost effective when the building is being refurbished anyway.
When non-domestic buildings are refurbished, there are many
measures that could be considered, including:
- Passive features, such as daylighting, shading and natural
ventilation;
- Upgrades to the building fabric, for
example replacing windows or adding insulation;
- Upgrades to equipment, including lighting, heating and cooling
systems;
- The addition of on-site, low-carbon electricity generation, for
example combined heat and power or biomass
boilers.
A commitment to the low-carbon refurbishment of buildings
also presents opportunities to improve comfort, satisfaction and
productivity of occupants; demonstrates corporate responsibility;
and brings a reduction in risks due to future energy cost and
supply uncertainty. Moreover, it is possible for the public sector
to make a significant contribution to the UK's efforts to develop a
low-carbon economy in a cost-effective way.