Issue #01

JOURNAL

The Green IssueSustainability, low-energy, green, low carbon, energy efficiency, global warming, carbon footprint, zero-carbon, passive buildings – what do these words mean for local authorities, agencies, property owners, developers and for you?

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The Big Picture* » The cost of oil and gas has nearly doubled in the past two years

» Global energy demand is projected to increase by 53% by 2030

» Ireland is over 90% dependent for its energy on imported, non renewable fossil fuels

» The average Irish household is responsible for emitting approximately 8.1 tonnes of CO2

» EU is committed to a 20% reduction in green house gas emissions by 2020.

» Energy in Buildings (residential and non-residential building energy) accounted for 35% of final energy demand in 2006.

» Over the period 1990 to 2005, final energy use in the tertiary (non domestic) building sector increased by 86%.

» Over the period 1990 to 2006, final energy use in the Irish residential sector increased by 32%

» Comparing energy usage per dwelling in 2006, Ireland was 27% above average for the UK and in 2005 was 36% above the EU average.

» In 2006, the average annual spend on energy by households was €1,767, an increase of 4% on 2005 and 70% on 1990, while total spend on energy by the sector was €2.5 billion.

Sustainability is the watchword in these days of rapidly rising energy prices, energy security and climate change. The oft-cited Brundtland Commission definition of sustainable development describes it as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

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The Benefits:Quality Design, Cost Effective, Low Impact on the EnvironmentA sustainable building should first and

foremost provide a safe, comfortable

environment for its occupiers. It is possible

to create this environment in a cost-effective

way with quality architectural design and

significant energy savings if design and

systems are integrated at the outset.

Reduced Costs A sustainable building is energy efficient,

using less energy to heat, cool and

illuminate than a conventional building,

therefore reducing the running costs

for the owner or occupier. Sustainable

waste water management and rainwater

recycling can also reduce water costs and

the need for attenuation tanks. Previously,

property owners worried about additional

capital costs involved in more sustainable,

energy efficient buildings. However, it is

now possible to develop a sustainable

building in a cost effective way through

integrated building design and energy

systems. This approach can be applied

to new and existing buildings, and the

pay-back period for the capital invested

in sustainable design is becoming shorter

and shorter as fuel costs increase.

Improved Carbon Footprint = Improved Quality of LifeEnergy efficiency reduces the CO2

emissions, or ‘carbon footprint’ of a

building which impacts on climate change.

Sustainable buildings reduce the need

for heating and cooling, while placing an

emphasis on natural ventilation and lighting,

maximising the use of renewable energy

sources. Renewable building materials are

used in construction, with less ‘embodied

energy’ than in standard materials.

Corporate & Social ResponsibilityThis is a key part of modern business

practice. It is essentially about how

business takes account of its economic,

social and environmental impacts in

the way it operates – maximising the

benefits and minimising the downsides.

Increasingly, companies need well

designed, sustainable buildings with

good energy ratings in order to create

a quality working environment for staff

and enhance their corporate identity.

The Legislative Imperative -Meet New Building RegulationsThe changing regulatory environment requires improved energy efficiencies and reduced carbon emissions with the implementation of the EU Commission’s EPBD (Energy Performance in Buildings Directive). Building Energy Ratings are mandatory for all new dwellings and all other buildings effective January 2009. National policy is set on a path towards low or zero carbon and energy buildings and Building Regulations are being progressively strengthened towards this goal. In addition, many local authorities are implementing their own mandatory planning requirements in order to promote energy efficiency.

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The Challenge The challenge to deliver a more sustainable

built environment is significant, but it

can and is being met by governments,

local authorities, agencies, property

owners, developers and designers.

The SolutionThe key is to take a holistic and integrated

approach to planning and creating

buildings and places for people. This

approach should enhance quality of life

of occupants by creating comfortable,

accessible and healthy buildings, whilst

minimising their impact on the environment.

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#1 Research Energy Costs

Know what your energy costs are relative

to property norms and best practice in

sustainable design. Find out what your

current energy costs are and what the

impact of your existing building is on the

environment. Be fully informed about the

opportunities and economics of creating

sustainable new buildings or adapting

existing buildings. By being fully informed

of the big picture, you can address what

you want to achieve in terms of design,

economics, operations and maintenance.

» Do an Energy Audit and monitor existing

energy costs of your property to see how

you measure up to EU standards and future

building regulations and energy targets.

» Establish achievable targets for savings. Agree a

sustainability brief that identifies the quality design

you want to achieve, with specific energy cost targets,

and a preferred management and maintenance regime.

» Engage a Design Team with experience

in sustainable design

#2 Optimise Site Potential

Site selection, location, orientation,

and landscaping of a building affect

the local ecosystems, transportation

methods and energy use of a building.

This principle is most appropriate for

new buildings in ‘greenfield’ sites.

New Buildings

» Locate your building on a site where ample

sunlight is available. If you know exactly where the

sun rises and sets you can capitalize on natural

lighting and passive heating and cooling

» Use vegetation and topography for wind

and rain protection. Landscaping can

be functional as well as attractive.

» Locate new buildings in an area where there

is the shortest commute for the majority of

occupants, or close to public transport.

Existing Buildings

» Commission a ‘sustainability’ survey of your

building to identify potential improvements

to the building environment, building fabric,

space utlisation and energy systems.

» Examine the internal spatial planning of the

building. Reorganise internal layouts to optimise

the glazing orientation. Place frequently

occupied spaces by windows to maximise

natural daylight, ventilation and views.

#3 Minimise Energy Consumption

A sustainable building should rely

on passive design measures and

efficient services, minimising the use of

non-renewable fuels for its operation.

It should meet or exceed relevant

energy performance standards set

out in the building regulations.

New Buildings

» Optimise the thermal insulation and air-

tightness of the building envelope

» Maximise natural or controlled ventilation

» Maximise natural day-lighting

» Specify energy efficient and renewable space

heating and hot water systems such as wood chip,

solar and CHP, as appropriate to the building.

» Examine if a district heating system is

appropriate for your property.

Existing Buildings

» Examine options for improving the insulation

performance of the building – for example,

internal, cavity injection, or external cladding.

» Look at refurbishing your windows to improve

their operation and air-tightness.

» Have your heating and hot water systems surveyed

to identify weaknesses and inefficiencies. Switch

from oil or gas to alternative systems such as

wood fuel boilers and solar hot water heating.

» If the facility is large and has multiple boilers,

examine the potential for District Heating

» Retain the existing building fabric and features where

appropriate, applying good conservation principles.

#4 Enhance Indoor Air Quality & Environment

The indoor air and environment quality

of a building has a significant impact on

occupant health, comfort, and productivity.

New & Existing Buildings

» Ensure controlled fresh-air supply without

compromising the building air-tightness. It improves

health and productivity and reduces heat loss.

» Design glazing systems that maximise the use

of daylight, while counterbalancing heat losses.

Use internal shades or blinds for glare control

to maintain a healthy visual environment.

» Avoid the use of materials that are high in VOC

(Volatile Organic Compound) emissions such

as certain paints, sealants and adhesives. It

reduces potential for allergies, eczema and

asthma, and improves general well-being.

Ways To Create Sustainable Buildings & Places for People7

Sustainability and improved energy efficiency can be achieved in either a new or existing building in a way that will provide real and dramatic cost savings for the client. A number of key principles need to be considered in any building project, whether it is a new or existing building.

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#5 Optimise Operational & Maintenance Practices Designers are encouraged to specify

materials and systems that simplify and

reduce maintenance requirements; require

less water, energy, and toxic chemicals to

maintain; and reduce life-cycle costs.

New Buildings

» Install energy efficient space heating systems

using renewable fuel sources. If the building is

of a certain size and type, install District Heating

and/or CHP (Combined Heat and Power) by

using certified and experienced suppliers.

» Install renewable energy system such

as solar hot water heating.

» If the building project is of a suitable scale,

consider wind turbines for electricity generation

» Install sub-metering to monitor the energy use of

different systems and areas within the building. This can

identify problem areas to be addressed to reduce costs.

Existing Buildings

» Have your heating and hot water systems surveyed

to identify weaknesses and inefficiencies.

» Have zone heat meters fitted, an inexpensive

way to measure energy consumption in various

areas and set budgets for improvements.

» Consider switching to a wood fuel boiler, to cut

running costs by 50%+. If your building is too

small to fit a wood-fuelled heating system, consider

partnering with a neighbouring building owner/s.

» If a large facility with multiple boilers on site,

install District Heating and switch to a cheaper

fuel to reduce your heating costs by up to 60%.

» Based on your energy costs, consider fitting Solar Hot

Water Panels to produce domestic hot water supply,

reducing the load on the boiler. The payback period

is reducing as the price for fossil fuels increases.

» Consider wind energy as a possible renewable

means for electricity generation.

#6 Protect & Conserve Water

A sustainable building seeks to reduce

run-off to public drainage by encouraging

natural water drainage on a site, reducing

the impact on the water table. A sustainable

building will reduce the amount of

water used within the building through

recycling and more efficient systems.

New & Existing Buildings

» Use a ‘green’ sedum roof to capture and filter water

for re-use in toilets and landscape irrigation. A

green roof will also act as a large storm-water

attenuation tank, negating the need to install a

huge tank in the basement or underground.

» Extract fresh water from wells on site where possible

» Install low-flow taps and dual-flush WC’s

» Recycle grey water

» Meter internal potable water consumption

» Incorporate a Sustainable Urban

Drainage System (SUDS)

#7 Use Sustainable Construction Methods & Materials

A sustainable building should be constructed

of materials that minimise life-cycle

environmental impacts such as global

warming, resource depletion, and human

toxicity. Consideration should be taken of

life cycle raw materials acquisition, product

manufacturing, packaging, transportation,

installation, use, and reuse/recycling/disposal.

» Use reclaimed or recycled materials

» Use low impact, local, low embodied energy

construction materials – refer to documents such

as the BRE Green Guide or Construct Ireland’s

Green Guide, which provide details of sustainable

construction materials and suppliers.

MCO Projects Building Design & Energy Index Building Total Energy Consumption — s per m2 per yearBUILDING TYPE BUILDING DESIGN BUILDING ENERGY SYSTEMS Oil Gas Wood CHP & Chip Wood Chip Office Air Conditioned Best Practice 29.05 25.25 22.24 12.49 Good Practice 43.23 39.77 37.02 20.98 Typical 69.05 62.66 57.60 30.75 Poor 86.38 76.35 68.39 37.64 Office Naturally Ventilated Best Practice 11.24 9.22 8.47 5.21 Good Practice 14.28 11.88 9.97 6.92 Typical 24.64 20.10 16.42 10.04 Poor 30.11 25.17 20.83 12.58 5* Hotel / Leisure Best Practice 25.88 20.56 16.34 10.34 Good Practice 37.53 28.41 21.18 14.43 Typical 50.04 37.88 28.24 19.24 Poor 59.29 45.30 34.22 22.97 4* Hotel Best Practice 19.53 16.04 13.27 8.02 Good Practice 32.82 24.91 18.65 12.65 Typical 42.06 32.33 24.62 16.37 Poor 52.94 40.78 31.14 20.64 Sports & Leisure Centre Best Practice 29.46 23.08 18.02 11.64 Good Practice 35.46 27.44 21.07 13.87 Typical 75.06 56.82 42.36 28.86 Poor 142.33 102.81 71.48 52.73 High Tech Industrial Best Practice 22.19 18.78 16.09 9.34 Good Practice 29.01 24.14 20.29 12.04 Typical 35.20 28.78 23.70 14.40 Poor 46.46 37.79 30.92 18.92 Food & Drink Industrial Best Practice 20.28 17.23 14.58 8.58 Good Practice 30.59 26.49 23.23 13.11 Typical 47.59 41.20 36.14 20.39 Poor 67.98 58.85 51.63 29.13 Shopping Centre (common areas) Best Practice 7.02 6.57 6.21 3.21 Good Practice 10.54 9.96 9.50 4.85 Typical 13.21 12.45 11.84 6.07 Poor 15.85 14.97 14.27 6.51 Arts & Culture Best Practice 17.86 13.91 10.77 7.02 Good Practice 23.39 17.28 13.58 9.10 Typical 31.28 23.68 17.65 12.05 Poor 39.61 30.80 23.81 15.56 Hospitals Best Practice 35.26 26.45 19.46 13.46 Good Practice 50.22 37.45 27.33 19.08 Typical 63.37 47.86 35.57 24.32 Poor 81.41 61.34 45.44 31.19 Higher Education Best Practice 11.29 8.70 6.65 4.40 Good Practice 21.81 17.25 13.64 8.69 Typical 25.71 20.24 15.90 10.20 Poor 32.45 25.76 20.46 12.96 Residential Healthcare Best Practice 38.22 27.53 18.26 15.67 Good Practice 48.05 32.85 20.80 17.05 Typical 57.30 40.27 26.78 20.78 Poor 75.06 54.39 38.00 27.88 Sheltered Housing Best Practice 18.02 12.55 8.21 6.49 Good Practice 32.29 22.75 15.18 11.73 Typical 45.11 31.98 21.57 16.47 Poor 51.68 36.48 24.43 18.80 Residential Best Practice 5.98 5.37 4.89 Good Practice 11.51 9.38 7.70 Typical 19.40 15.41 11.77 Poor 27.29 20.90 15.84 Schools Best Practice 6.16 3.96 2.90 Good Practice 13.18 9.35 6.32 Typical 17.67 12.17 7.81 Poor 20.85 14.16 8.86

Sources: Dept. of Education & Science; Dept. of Environment (UK); Carbon Trust (UK); BRE (UK); Davis Assoc.; MCO Projects, Sustainable Energy Ireland. *Fuel costs based on SEI published data April 2008.

© MCO PROJECTS 2008

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The principles of sustainable and low

energy design are the starting point

for all our design projects. Drawing on

the broad experience of key personnel

and recent and current projects, MCO

Projects can work as part of a design

team or as an independent private

consultant to the client, focusing on

sustainable aspects of the project.

MCO Projects can create project specific

design guidelines and performance

targets, and provide advice and solutions

on how to achieve these across all

aspects of the design process:

» urban design / masterplanning

» movement and access

» reduce / reuse / recover / recycle / share

» waste water treatment / water cycles

» energy systems and services

» landscaping / land-use

» residential design

» non-residential design

» construction / detailing / materials

» use and maintenance

Mater Convent, DublinA new convent building providing a

first class example of how to integrate

sustainable building strategies into

a substantial building whilst keeping

extra costs to a minimum.

Baile Glas, Co. Cork A demonstration housing project that

reflects the contemporary debate on the

building of low energy, cost effective

sustainable housing. It provides a new

solution to social and affordable housing

that is sustainable, engenders a sense of

community and is sensitive to context.

Scalaheen, Co Tipperary A winning entry solution for expanding the

choice of medium density housing in a rural

edge of town location. It proposes rural

courtyard houses clustered around shared

homezones within a landscaped parkland

and provides a sustainable development

appropriate to its context and time.

Independent Housing, Dundalk “Intelligent,” sustainable housing units

and warden’s apartment. The key

aim is to enable people as they get

older or infirm to live independently in

their homes through lifelong housing

principles and innovative technologies.

Mews Art Gallery An integration of contemporary design

and sustainable energy systems in a

historic city centre infill development for

an art gallery and mews residence.

Father Collins Park, Dublin Designed to be an exemplar project

which leads the way in sustainable

planning of public amenities. The design

concept emphasises park unity and

integration as well as energy sustainability,

the use of native planting, durable

construction materials and wind turbines

to provide energy to operate the park.

About MCO ProjectsWinners 2007 Sustainable Energy Ireland Award for Excellencein Building Design & Specification

MCO Projects is an award-winning company providing Architecture, Project Management, and Environmental Engineering services, specialising in Sustainable Design and 4D Planning. Our multi-disciplinary team has experience in strategically designing and implementing a diverse range of projects including urban regeneration, healthcare, residential and assisted living, sports and leisure, culture and civic and mixed-use development.

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT | ARCHITECTURE | ENVIRONMENTAL

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