Sustainability Focus – Page 8
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FeaturesPassivhaus for dummies
An off-site Passivhaus solution has been developed that can, its maker claims, be put up by anyone able to hold a hammer. Thomas Lane reports
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Sustainability: PV Costs
Adam Mactavish of Sweett Group looks at why the cost of residential photovoltaic systems has fallen, assesses their cost effectiveness and considers the potential for future cost reductions
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Case study: Siemens Crystal
Royal Victoria Dock plays home to a new exhibition venue with sustainability at its heart, the Siemens Crystal
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Whole-life carbon: New-build schools
Through the careful specification of timber it is possible to reduce the whole-life carbon footprint of a school by over 15%
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Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
How Wilkinson Eyre found a sustainable way of cooling two vast glass conservatories in one of the hottest climates on Earth
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Sustainability: The energy bill
Phil Birch and Adam Mactavish of Sweett Group summarise some of the key elements in the draft bill to reform the electricity supply market, and consider the implications for commercial property
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Whole-life carbon: Prestige offices
Using the example of a building in the City of London, Gareth Roberts of Sturgis Carbon Profiling explains how new European standards for whole-life carbon assessment can make big savings
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Offshore wind farms: Winds of change
Tidal turbine technology is changing fast and offshore wind turbines are getting bigger, so the government-backed firm Narec is investing £80m into its testing facilities to simulate the harsh conditions at sea. Thomas Lane explains
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Careers in sustainability: Pioneers of the eco economy
Behind initiatives such as the London 2012 legacy and the Regeneration Project lies a fundamental rethinking of the way that society and economic systems need to work. And that’s going to need an entirely re-skilled construction industry
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Special report: M&E in retail
With seven of last year’s top 10 BREEAM-rated retail stores to its name and its first energy centre about to open, the John Lewis Partnership is setting the pace when it comes to carbon-free shopping
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Energy ratings: Rented property
From April 2018, landlords will no longer be able to let buildings with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of below E without demonstrating that all cost-effective measures to improve energy efficiency have been implemented. Adam Mactavish and Richard Quartermaine of Sweett Group and Charles Woollam of SIAM examine the ...
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Energy-efficient buildings – too clever by half?
A survey for Building’s Sustainability White Paper suggests that occupants find new buildings only marginally more efficient than older ones. Are their elaborate energy-slashing systems just too complicated to operate?
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Top 50 rising stars of sustainability
We meet the construction industry’s green trailblazers
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The University of Bradford: The stuff of BREEAM
For a university to have one building with an unprecedented 95% BREEAM score is impressive, but to have two suggests it really knows what it is doing. Building examined Bradford’s Sustainability and Enterprise Centre to find out its secret
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30 things you might not know about Part L
The latest consultation on the energy regulation has already been attacked from all sides, but with the first changes set to come into force in October, housebuilders can’t afford to ignore it. Vern Pitt lays it all out on the lawn
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Sustainable supermarket: M&S's new Cheshire Oaks store
At this enormous store in Chester, M S is putting its Plan A sustainability programme to the test. And from the zero-waste policy to the innovative use of natural materials, all the evidence suggests that this is one plan A that is actually working … Building reports
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Is the Green Deal heading for failure?
The Green Deal is supposed to be the biggest domestic refurbishment programme since the Second World War. But the government’s own figures predict it will be anything but. Joey Gardiner asks if the coalition’s flagship policy could be heading for failure
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A lot to live up to: Building houses that meet predicted energy use
The gap between a house’s predicted energy use and actual performance has been comprehensively panned. Building meets three developers who reckon their projects will show that low carbon on paper can mean low carbon in practice
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Carillion's purchase of Eaga: Blinded by the sun
In April, Carillion bought Eaga - a company with big plans to install PV panels on 30,000 homes - and rebranded it as Carillion Energy Services. Seven months later, government feed-in tariffs have been cut in half, and all 4,500 jobs are on the line. So was the £298m purchase ...
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Hydropower: Water works
With all the controversy over solar, you’d be forgiven for forgetting that hydropower produces a thousand times more electricity. Building investigates a power source that could light up the industry
