AECB News

I was sent this earlier today. Should AECB demand that the government stops labelling heat pumps as renewable energy and thereby misleading consumers?

David.




25 June, 2008

By Michael Willoughby

'Dirty' power needed in cold snaps

Councils are over-estimating the carbon savings gained by installing ground,
air and water source heat pump technology, experts have warned.

Local authorities which require a Merton-style minimum percentage of
renewable energy generation on new builds are being misled by the industry
because heat pumps consume lot of National Grid electricity in cold weather.

³[Suppliers] coming into the UK market Sdon¹t have much track record of
supplying the market,² said Sean Rendall, principal policy officer at Woking
Borough Council.

³They claim their systems meet and exceed requirements in renewable energy.
But while you can achieve good figures in terms of renewable energy input in
Kw hours the carbon saving is considerably less.²

Many planning officers muddle up energy use and CO2 emissions, added
Rendall, who is strategy director for ECSC¹s C Plan software, an energy tool
for planners.

Heat pumps tend to be specified for heating instead of gas boilers, which
are increasingly energy efficient. The pumps, a form of compressor, are
frequently advertised as offering 3 or 4:1 energy efficiency ratios (COP).

But in cold weather, this can drop to 1.5:1 COP, Rendall claimed. While
energy efficiency gains are still made, the increased power comes from the
National Grid, only 1.5% of which comes from renewable sources. Therefore,
heat pumps are relatively inefficient in terms of CO2 emissions. In other
parts of Europe with a better renewables mix (carbon index) the sums are
different.

But Robert Meeks of installers, ICE Energy Pumps, disputed the figures,
adding that he only expected 1% of an overall yearly heating bill to come
from additional heating. His system is designed to work to -3 Centigrade
without additional top-up, he said.

³This is to ignore the overall picture that, during the year, in total the
COP has averaged over 4 COP and saved 50% of the CO2 emissions of any gas
boiler.²

Meeks added that imminent additional of renewable power into the grid, such
as 28GM of wind turbines, would mean additional CO2 emissions from heat
pumps would be Odwarfed¹ by those of gas boilers, even if those hit 100%
efficiency.

Energy minister, Malcolm Wicks, recently announced that planning rules would
be relaxed to allow heat pumps to be installed without requirement for
consent, effectively adding them to the list of renewable technologies.

The govt seems to have admitted in its Eco Towns policy that the so called ZC by 2016 target is a fiction.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/2008/06/29/eaeco129.xml

David.

DESIGN & BUILD OF THE SUSCON ECO-IMPRESSION CENTRE, Ebbsfleet, Thames Gateway

Dear AECB members - Kent County Council is asking for Expresssion of Interests for the Design & Build Tender (subject to final DCLG CLG funding confirmation and planning process) for the SusCon Eco-Impression Centre, a state-of-the-art 'temporary' building to operate as a sustainable construction skills training and demonstration/visitor centre near to Ebbsfleet Intl Stn in North kent. For more details see:

http://kent.gov.uk/business/support-services-and-advice/property-group/expressions-of-interest.htm

Amusing Guardian piece:

A new Msc in 'Sustainable Futures' is currently beinf proposed at the Scott Sutherland School, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. It is hoped to have it up and running by October 2008.
Aim: to create the thinking, awareness and analysis tools to continuously develop and challenge the methodologies and received wisdom for creating sustainable housing. The development of communities will be examined in a broader context to the more technical solutions of the physical built environment.  The course is designed to address the shortage of skills in this area, which has been identified by professional bodies. there will probably be a residential element at Findhorn Foundation.
Visit the website to find out more http://www.rgu.ac.uk/sss/courses/page.cfm?pge=44675

Join The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) And Help The AECB At The Same Time

Why the ETA?

They are the only motoring organisation to campaign for a sustainable transport system, 98% of members would recommend it to their friends. The average waiting time is 40 minutes and 80% of breakdowns are fixed at the roadside.

The AECB ETA affinity Number is '1387 affinity', your members need to quote this number when calling to ensure they receive their discount (3 months free breakdown cover and ETA membership).

For more information please ring 0845 389 1010, email eta@eta.co.uk or visit www.eta.co.uk.

The AECB understands the importance of making accurate projections of energy use and the resultant CO2 emissions at the design stage of any building. It concluded, reluctantly, that it would have to recommend the use of PHPP rather than SAP for those planning to work to the AECB energy standards. AECB, with NES, has now commissioned consultants to undertake a line-by-line comparison of the two software programmes, the results of which will be shared at an invite only workshop to be hosted by the Home Builders Federation at the end of January.

AECB was delighted that the Commission for the Built Environment and EST both expressed an interest in joining the CLP advisory board. Representatives of both organisations attended the third meeting of the board on 12 September. Both made valuable contributions in explaining what their own organisations are doing that is consistent with and complementary to the CLP.

Liz Reason, Director of the CLP, is to speak at a CABE Lunch 'n Learn session in early January.

AECB Signs A Memorandum Of Cooperation With Leeds Metropolitan University On Education For Low Carbon, Energy Efficient Building Design And Construction

On 30 November, AECB Chairman, Chris Herring, and Director of the CarbonLite Programme, Liz Reason, attended a ceremony at Leeds Met University School of the Built Environment at which Chris signed a Memorandum of Cooperation between the two organisations to expand and deliver web-based education and training linked to the AECB energy standards.

Drawing on the work of LMU at Stamford Brook in Cheshire, the joint programme will concentrate on helping to close the gap between theory and practice. Using LMU's existing VirtualSite, the impact of failing to meet aritightness standards and thermal bridge-free construction will be made visible through the extensive use of thermal imaging, and films of lectures on key topics.

"I can't wait for this exciting project to get started" enthused Chris. "It will expand our CarbonLite resources in exciting and innovative ways".

The National Energy Foundation (www.nef.org.uk <http://www.nef.org.uk/> ) and Sustainable Energy Academy (www.sustainable-energyacademy.org.uk <http://www.sustainable-energyacademy.org.uk/> ) are searching for renovated (energy efficient) solid walled houses to join an alliance of exemplar houses as part of their Old Home SuperHome project. 

For more details, please contact David Hancock at david.hancock@nef.org.uk or Tel. 01908 665555

This is an interesting project which says "We can no longer wait for government to act so we will join forces to demonstrate what can be done and start making it happen".  If you can help please do.

Liz Reason