Health & Wellbeing benefits of natural lighting design
With the UK’s annual sunshine in short supply, it is common for us to judge the merit of a home or office by the amount of natural light the building receives – and a room with a view is much sought after. But in design and efficiency terms, there are actual scientific facts and standards […]
Launch of Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan
On 11 January, the Prime Minister launched the Government’s long-awaited 25 year plan to improve the environment, setting out ambitious targets for improving air quality, reducing waste, enhancing nature and mitigating and adapting to climate change. The Plan proposes an ‘environmental net gain’ principle for new development, which includes high environmental standards for all new builds, […]
London air pollution – annual legal limits already breached
An area of south London breached the annual legal limit for toxic nitrogen dioxide after just a month of 2018. High NO2 levels are estimated to cause about 23,500 early deaths a year across the country. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2018/jan/01/london-air-pollution-live-data-where-will-be-first-to-break-legal-limits-in-2018
Energy efficiency timeline
There’s a lot going on in the world of energy efficiency, targets and key dates, so Syntegra has developed an easy to follow timeline to help our clients keep any eye on what’s happening when. https://syntegragroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Syntegragroup-14nov.pdf
Renewable energy auctions
The UK government has made up to £557 million available for “less established” renewables projects in a new set of Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions planned for spring 2019. The latest CFD auction in September saw the cost of new offshore wind fall by 50% compared to 2015 and resulted in over 3GW of new […]
Most of Britain’s electricity in 2017 is low carbon for first time
The UK generated more electricity from renewable and nuclear energy in 2017 than from gas and coal for the first time ever, new statistics reveal. https://www.carbonbrief.org/daily-brief/britains-electricity-2017-low-carbon-first-time
Electric delivery vans trial to tackle capital’s air pollution
Electric vans with zero exhaust emissions helped deliver an average of 80,000 parcels a week across London during the Christmas period, as part of Mayor Sadiq Khan’s drive to combat rising air pollution in the capital. More than half of London’s air pollution, which breaches legal limits across certain areas, is caused by diesel and old petrol […]
Preliminary Ecological Appraisals
Recent revised Guidelines produced by IEEM: Guidelines for Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (December 2017). The purpose of these guidelines is to set out the appropriate approach to undertaking Preliminary Ecological Appraisals (PEAs) and the appropriate application of PEAs within the planning process. Additionally, the updated guidelines were to ensure consistency in terminology and assessments carried out by ecologists. What is a PEA? PEA is a process rather than a report, it is best […]
RHI consultancy – generating money out of renewable source heat generation
It’s often the case, isn’t it, that we’re encouraged to sign up to new systems and processes with the promise of saving money – yet we soon find ourselves too busy or not sure enough of the detail to actually proceed and the opportunity is missed. Here’s one of those schemes that really is an […]
Syntegra seeks to strengthen its top team
Two new senior management profile roles have been created at the multi-discipline sustainability consultants Syntegra Group as they seek to expand ahead of the new post-Brexit energy environment. Umer Uzair has been promoted from his post of Associate Director to the newly created post of Director of Energy & Sustainability and vowed to put customers […]
Keep the environment at the top of the news agenda
They say a week’s a long time in politics so three weeks must be a lifetime. That’s how long has passed since the announcement of the Government’s flagship 25-year environment strategy document Cleaner, Green Britain. Grabbing a few headlines that day and under the spotlight by some campaigners the next, the extension of the […]
Landlords face significant bills to implement energy efficiencies
Landlords face the prospect of paying for measures to improve their properties’ energy efficiency under a new government proposal. Minimum standards meaning properties can only be let if they reach a band E or above in the EPC ratings will come into effect in April. Previously landlords had been expected to rely on finance from […]
Be good, for goodness sake!
It’s the time of year when lists are frantically being drawn up with wish lists for Santa and checklists for festive feast ingredients. And it seems US President Donald Trump has been joining in the Christmas spirit with a list of his own – his new national security strategy has just been unveiled with details […]
Building Project: Public buildings could be more energy efficient if user behaviour changed
Project Info Client: Newham Council Completion Year: Ongoing Display Energy Certificate (DEC) Location: Newham London Public buildings could be more energy efficient if user behaviour changed Changes to employee and user behaviour coupled with minor structural and technical amendments to buildings could save councils significant sums of money in energy bills – and help them […]
Blockchain-Building confidence in digital connectivity
Why is it that in an era of online everything, the construction industry has been described as the least digitised industry? Sure, the biggest hurdle to any kind of transition has probably been the fact we associate it, naturally, with manual labour, bricks and mortar. Coupled with the equally undeniable fact it’s heavily regulated, we […]
Budget 2017: Chancellor takes action on air quality, electric vehicles and plastic waste
22 November 2017, source edie newsroom Chancellor Philip Hammond has today pledged to build an economy “fit for the future” by announcing new air quality funding, tax incentives for electric cars, and measures to combat plastic waste in his 2017 Autumn Budget. Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the 2017 Autumn Budget to a jubilant House of […]
Are you ready for the HFC phase out?
Businesses appear to be dragging their feet over implementing changes to refrigerants ahead of next year’s cuts and regulatory amendments. A 37% cut in availability of ozone-depleting HFCs under F-gas regulations is being implemented in Europe in just two months time. But a recent survey showed that 40% of decision-makers in the retail sector were […]
Do engineers have a responsibility to improve indoor air quality?
Delegates at a recent conference heard how engineers can become ‘heroes’ if they recommend the right filters to customers seeking improved air quality in their buildings. The appropriate systems and maintenance of air conditioning provision can reduce the levels of harmful particles people breathe in. The World Health Organisation estimates air pollution costs the UK […]
Reducing the overheating risk in buildings
Now that we’ve turned the clocks back, watercooler chat inevitably turns to the dark nights drawing in and the onset of a prolonged cold spell. Those long, hot summer days seem far behind us and stories of Arctic blasts and flash floods have taken over from those of record-breaking highs as the mercury […]
Boost for house building in London as figures show increase in demand for eco-friendly designs
A number of recent reports have struck us here as we move from layering up our clothes to turning up the dial on the heating now that the clocks have gone back and the long winter stretches ahead of us with thoughts of energy bills dominating the headlines, and both domestic and business budget holders. […]
Clean Growth Strategy
Much has been trailed about the Government’s Clean Growth Strategy since its launch last week. But is it all hot air or are there some nuggets in there which will energise the debate about our country’s future direction and place on the world stage when it comes to putting the environment at the heart of […]
Spluttering progress on energy deals
With climate change undoubtedly affecting our weather patterns, the old mantra of no central heating before October appears somewhat redundant. I’m sure we all have relatives or work in organisations where this rule has often been quoted – and might even be applied to this day – but the huge variations in temperatures means it […]
Building Project: Perkins Engines
Project Info Client: Perkins Engines Completion Year: 2017 Air conditioning energy efficiency Location: Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Our consultants were delighted to be chosen to work with an internationally renowned company which prides itself on its sustainability commitments. Perkins Engines Co Ltd engaged Syntegra to assess its air conditioning units for energy efficiency across its sites in […]
World Green Building Week
This week is World Green Building Week, celebrating sustainable buildings and encouraging developers around the world to create more net zero buildings. Buildings currently contribute more than a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions buthe World Green Building Council hopes to make all buildings net zero by 2050. There are currently only around 500 […]
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