CHP vs heat pumps: Which system will win out in the long term?
Large commercial owners prefer to install heat pumps instead of gas-fired combined heat and power (CHP). The reasons are: – only low temperatures are needed – the heat pump is situated at ground level near the house (usually in the garden) which makes it more efficient. However, heat pumps use grid electricity that releases more […]
Building’s Green For Growth – Display Energy Certificates
DECs standing for Display Energy Certificates were thought to assess the energy consumption of a building accompanied by a report which include advice on how to improve the efficiency of the dwelling . It must also be renewed each year by an accredited assessor who will use the software approved by the government. In 2011, the […]
Non-condensing space heaters set to be replaced by condensing ones due to money saving benefits
Warm air space heaters, the heating system choice for large factories, warehouses and leisure centres etc need to comply with the Building Regulations Part L which currently requires a minimum of 91% efficiency for these units. In most cases this efficiency is delivered with non-condensing units. However this is set to change under future editions […]
Construction training needed now for the Green Deal or UK will miss out an opportunity to provide jobs and boost wider economy
Training for the Green Deal is available but the take up has been slow, the Green Deal could be highly beneficial for the planet and saving householders money but the process for firms wishing to become Green Deal accredited is far from straight forward so they need to be sure it worth their while. The […]
European Comissions take legal action over UK green construction regulations failure
The European Commission has begun legal proceedings against the UK government for not delivering a number of green construction regulations mandated by Brussels. The dispute revolves around the government’s failure to clarify how it will comply with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). The requirements include providing Display Energy Certificates (DEC’s) to large privately-owned […]
£280,000 Ground-source heat-pump system helps luxury care home reduce energy bills by £14,350 a year
A 200kW ground-source heat-pump system will help a £30 million luxury carte home in Surrey achieve a BREEAM ‘very good’ rating. The system cost £280,000 and will deliver £175 MWh a year of heat to reduce heating bills by an estimated £14,350 a year. Its peak COP is four using energy from 30 boreholes with […]
Complexities in meeting government’s zero-carbon objectives prevail according to CIBSE
Emphasis has been put on reducing the uncertainty of how much money energy reducing installations actually cost in order to convince others to install them according to CIBSE. CIBSE has also advocated the use of Display Energy Certificates as a successful concept that is largely underpinned by the work of CIBSE experts. It has addressed […]
Hindhead Road Garage, Hindhead Road, Haslemere, GU27 1LH – Building Regulations L1A compliance
Syntegra Consulting Ltd have been appointed as energy consultants to produce an energy strategy for the proposed scheme, 5No. New build development at ‘Hindhead Road Garage, Hindhead Road, Haslemere, GU27 1LH” – to demonstrate compliance with national, regional & local planning policies and the Building Regulations L1A compliance. Demonstrate design compliance to meet current Building […]
LED lighting benefits out-weigh initial installation costs
Despite statistical evidence there is still a reluctance to install LED lighting for all lighting solutions, typically stemming from high installation costs, thermal management and consistency of colour across different lamps. Florescent lighting is more cost-effective but issues with low outputs during run-up times and limitations on using sophisticated lighting control over short operating periods […]
New building simulation software for a 30% reduction in carbon emissions from buildings
Building simulation has long been a highly effective method of assesing the energy performance of a building and the more simulations that are performed the better the outcome. However, changing the various parameters takes time, limiting the number that can be performed. The problem has been addressed by a programme led by IES that has developed […]
Landlords reluctant to invest in renewable technologies for housing stock due to concerns over funding
According to research by Npower, 84% of landlords are concerned about the energy efficiency of their housing stock while 69% of them are stating lack of funding as the key barrier to making improvements. Many landlords appear to be reluctant to take advantage of the funding available with only 31% indicating to make use of […]
Building Regulations Part L 2013
Consultation documents were released at the end of January for 2012 for the next version of Building Regulations. they are expected to come into force by October 2013 subject to any transitional arrangements. The consultation is presented into 4 sections: Section 1 outlines the consultation approach and then presents proposals to change various technical aspects […]
Green Deal finance and energy saving installations
The Green Deal provides a great deal opportunity for housing associations to retrofit their properties making them more energy efficient. Once Green Deal finance is in place which the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) is certain will be on 28th January, energy efficient improvements to properties can be made of up to £10,000 […]
Output levels not expected to rise until 2014 while levels continue to decline in the second quarter of 2012
Construction output continued to decline in the second quarter of 2012 after a contraction of almost 6% in the first quarter. Output was also down by 9% year-on-year at £24.5bn. Repair and maintenance output fell by 1.6% over the previous quarter, while new work fell by 3.8% in the 3 months to June 2012. Output […]
Heat networks must increase in order to meet UK’s carbon-reduction targets
To help meet the Uk’s carbon reduction targets, the number of homes connected to heat networks must increase 30-fold by 2050 according to a report on domestic heating for the Electricity Networks Association highlighted in MBS magazine. There are currently only 1% of homes on the network and connecting more will reduce carbon emissions while […]
Guide for maximising benefits from the RHI
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) provides annual subsidy payments over 20 years for the generation of heating by renewable technologies at a level designed to remove the barriers of installation. Those generating heat and hot water from heat pumps, solar-thermal solutions, biomass and bio-methane boilers can be paid up to 8.5p/kWh under the RHI with […]
Consultation to improve slow uptake of RHI
The renewable heat incentive (RHI) has had a slow take-up, with only 458 installations of renewable heat systems carried out. A consultation on plans to extend the scheme which has been available to commercial properties for the last year, to the domestic market and to more commercial buildings closes today. According to Building Magazine, Energy […]
New government energy plans set to boost retrofitting market
The government has set out reforms of the electricity market with incentives for businesses to reduce energy consumption, possibly stimulating the demand for retrofitting existing buildings to make them more energy efficient. Plans published by the government allowed firms to be paid for saving energy and provided opportunities for those working in retrofitting. The government […]
UK backed to be BIM global leader
The Government has launched a strategy to transform the UK into a global leader in building information modelling (BIM). BIM is a process for designing a building structure collaboratively by using one coherent system of computer models. Published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) the 12 point action plan includes proposals to […]
UK Green Building Council Co-ordinates alliance for government to act on Green for Growth campaign
A number of property and construction industry bodies have signed an open letter to Chancellor George Osborne calling for the government to act on Building’s Green for Growth campaign. The letter, drafted by the UK Green Building Council highlights 5 key demands; action on the Green Deal, retrofitting public buildings, display energy certificates, the zero […]
Adding Thermal Mass During Refurbishment
The fluctuation of temperatures within a building can be an issue as it involves the use of air-conditioning or the heating system. In the 1960s, scientists started to develop and experiment PCMs (phase-change materials) which have for advantage to store and release the heat when needed. Thanks to it, a reduction of up to eight […]
68 Waldergrave Road – BREEAM domestic refurbishment
Syntegra consulting has been appointed as energy consultants to produce an energy strategy for the schemeat 68 Waldergrave Road, Teddington, Middlesex, Greater London, TW11 8NY – to support the scheme design process, demonstrate Building regulations Part L1B compliance, to demonstrate consideration to achieve a 20% CO2 reduction against the CIBSE standard case model & existing […]
8 Earlsfield Road, London, SW18 3DW – M & E Consultancy
Syntegra Consulting has been appointed as energy consultants to produce an energy strategy for the scheme at 8 Earlsfield Road, London, SW18 3DW – to support the scheme design process, to demonstrate Building regulations Part L1B compliance and to demonstrate consideration towards building fabric enhancements and renewable technology. The existing property under review is a […]
8 – 9 Spring Place, London, NW5 3ER – Daylight & Sunlight Report
Syntegra Consulting has been appointed as sustainable building consultants to produce a comprehensive daylight, sunlight and overshadowing analysis on the development of 8-9 Spring Place, London, NW5 3ER. The analysis assesses the daylight, sunlight and overshadowing to the surrounding dwellings. Our study has been undertaken by using an IES model of the site and surrounding buildings and […]
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