1950`s Frank Lloyd Wright chastised architects that he had trained for not following the path of Organic Architecture in order to make a living. Do we live in a Client driven society or an Architect driven society? We live in a society this is neither at one extreme or another but as individuals we shift, bit by bit, the medians of society. Whilst professing to be green I have never claimed to be a tree hugger. FLW also ridiculed apprentices and clients for wasting money on insulation! Clearly Organic Architecture was not intended to be Green.

1970`s Previously I wrote to the UK government regarding their 1970`s SAVE-IT campaign and got a reply to my suggestion that it should be expanded out to “STOP Abusing Valuable Energy In Time” This was more about making best use of a natural resources as well as being an economic driver.

1980`s I visited Biosphere-2 in Arizona and realised that we needed to take more account of Biosphere-1. In 2021 the focus is away from economic drivers and making the best of Biosphere-1 as our Home. I have made two visits to the Tasman Glacier in New Zealand with a 42 year gap – that glacier has receded 3.5km in that time; the First flight to NZ was 16 times more expensive in real monetary terms when compared to the more recent journey. We are perhaps now burning the natural resource and imputing Co2 16 times faster because of cheap travel at 1/16 of the monetary cost as a result…

1990`s I installed the first Mechanical Ventilation and Heat recovering system in Leeds that Leeds Building Control were aware of. This was in my own home, originally built in 1918, where I fixed all the cold-bridging at window/door reveals. I sold that house some 17 years later to purchasers who were not in the least bit interested in energy efficiency.

2000`s I Purchased a new home that had a EPC of (79) C but performed twice as badly, this was because of poor workmanship and specification swapping during construction. After 400hrs of chasing the house builder, to put it right, we got back to an EPC of (79) C.

2010`s I Purchased a 1980`s home complete with cold-bridging and very poor or missing insulation. We improved this significantly, but not to a specified standard. More can always be done… The original EPC stood at (65) D1 with 142m2 floor area. The house was extending by linking to the double garage increasing the floor area to 188m2; insulation was upgraded to achieve an EPC (75) of C.

2020`s The 1980`s house now needs more retrofitting just today a sold timber external door was found to have a 19mm bow in it;  so temporary draught proofing has been installed in a rush. Cold-bridging has still not been dealt with Meanwhile I continue to burn on (90% efficient wood burner) timber off-cuts and air dried tree felling’s obtained as by-products of my architectural work.

2021 I was writing the above when an opportunity popped up at Leeds City Council for a position described as “Principal Planner – Climate Change and Energy” in the service area of “Strategic Planning Service, Planning and Sustainable Development” within the directorate entitled “City Development”. The position is responsible to the “Team Leader Design and Projects, Environment and Design Group”. The job purpose is described in the box below.

“To be responsible for a range of activities within Strategic Planning associated with the challenges and solutions related to climate change mitigation and adaptation, including modelling and assessing the energy, emissions and/or climate risks of buildings and development proposals through the statutory plan-making and decision taking functions of the Planning Service and undertaking monitoring of key climate change indicators.  To manage specific projects and technical work, to support the delivery of services to consistently high standards which meet Directorate objectives and demanding performance targets.”

In the H&S Job Risk Analysis this was rewritten as

“Description of main activities the applicant would be required to undertake

To be a member of a team contributing to the Development Plan and providing advice and interpretation of the policies contained in the Development Plan.  The work will also include a range of planning work, including: comments on planning applications, the preparation and adoption of the plans.  Responsibilities will also entail, supporting project management, policy monitoring, technical assessments, support for the preparation of planning briefs and planning frameworks for key sites and broader regeneration areas, as appropriate.”

 

Continuing my personal journey could logically include the above role…

…meanwhile “back at the ranch” The Building Regs take tiny steps forwards…

The use of the wood-burner limits my use of gas for heating and hot water such that my total gas and electric fuel consumption is 102kWh/pa/m2 whilst the EPC suggests that this would be a total at 160kWh/pa/m2 with 107kWh being for Heating & Hot Water only. Reportedly emitting 4.9 tonnes of Co2 for 188m2 to be produced pa compared to 6 tonnes of Co2 for the average home 96m2. These figures are the result of a personal economic driver rather than a global Co2 driver. I suspect that the alignment of these will bring into question the use of a Wood Burner v Passive House Standard being applied moving forward. Thus my EPC thinks I generate 4.9 tonnes of Co2 pa from 160kWh/pa/m2; whereas real consumption by interpolation reduces this to 3.1 tonnes of Co2 pa about half the average UK home. If I do the same calculation long hand for using (SAP10.1 figures) Gas 0.309 x 16,000 + Elec 0.136 x 3,090 gives 5.36 tonnes of Co2 pa from my home or 2.85 tonnes per 100m2. But if I had a Passive House…

Looking at https://www.backtoearth.co.uk/passivhaus-carbon-emissions/ we get a bit of an inside view looking out from a Passive House. Question: Is the fabric first a little over the top on Passive House Standards?

Looking at https://passivehouse-international.org/index.php?page_id=150  we are advised that Primary Energy Demand of a Passive House is not to exceed 120kWh/pa/m2 for all domestic applications (heating, cooling, hot water and domestic electricity) of usable living space.

But is Primary Energy Demand different to Actual Energy Demand?

Looking at https://passipedia.org/certification/passive_house_categories/classic-plus-premium

Performance Gap in Practice – Example 1.

My experience of purchasing a new house from a developer showed that there was a big performance gap. Post purchase investigations proved that a designed SAP point of 79 value was actually 66. This gave the EPC rating difference of a D1 and a C1; here a D1 uses 150% of the heating energy of a C1 dwelling. It took over 400 hrs of complaining to get this and other defects put right! Home Owners should not be burdened with such poor standards.

Performance Gap in practice Example 2.

By chance my own dwelling with a SAP/EPC 79/C rating has a calculated delivered energy demand of 160 kWh/m2/year, but an actual delivered energy demand of ≤120 kWh/m2/year is what I pay for on gas and electric bills. It could be seen as being as efficient as a passive house despite having very little floor insulation, poor pipe insulation and leaky construction as well as cold bridges at all the wall openings. This negative (SAP) performance gap is the result of occupier behaviour, a wood burning stove, condensing tumble dryer and no mechanical extract (We open windows for ventilation when needed.)

NB As energy is lost in conversion and transmission to the property; there is a difference between Primary Energy Demand and Delivered Energy Demand – the former is always higher than the latter.

(My reference sources includes:- Association for Environment Conscious Building (AECB)……

https://buildpass.co.uk/blog/how-can-sustainable-construction-tackle-the-overheating-crisis/

https://buildpass.co.uk/blog/what-is-the-performance-gap-a-guide/

https://buildpass.co.uk/blog/10-top-tips-for-passing-your-sap-assessment/

https://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/sap-10-analysis-of-changes

https://climatechangeconnection.org/emissions/co2-equivalents/

https://buildpass.co.uk/blog/a-guide-to-the-most-eco-friendly-build-materials-2021/

Fuel Prices and CO₂ Factors – based upon Elmhurst Energy & BRE information

Many of the fuel types recognised in SAP have had their fuel prices, CO₂ and primary energy factors tweaked. The most common fuel types and changes from SAP v9.7 to v10.5 are shown below;

Fuel	SAP 2001 v9.70 Cost p/kWh	SAP 2005 v9.81 Cost p/kWh	SAP 2012 v9.92 Cost p/kWh	SAP (2019) v10.1 Cost p/kWh	SAP (2021) v10.5 Cost p/kWh	SAP 2001 v9.70 CO2 kgCO2/kWh	SAP 2005 v9.81CO2 kgCO2/kWh	SAP 2012 v9.92 CO2 kgCO2/kWh	SAP (2019) v10.1 CO2 kgCO2/kWh	SAP 2021-3 v10.2 CO2 kgCO2/kWh
Mains Gas	1.34	1.63	3.48	3.93	3.94	0.194	0.194	0.216	0.210	0.210
Bulk LPG	2.95	3.71	7.6	6.59	6.47	0.248	0.234	0.241	0.241	0.241
Oil	1.63	2.17	5.44	3.76	4.35	0.270	0.265	0.298	0.298	0.298
Wood Logs	1.62	2.20	4.23	4.65	4.65	0.025	0.025	0.019	0.028	0.028
Electric	7.08	7.12	13.19	17.56	16.55	0.414	0.422	0.519	0.233	0.136

Of particular interest is electricity which has seen its CO₂ emission factor reduced from a peak of 0.519 kgCO₂/kWh to 0.136 kgCO₂/kWh in SAP 10.1. This is to reflect the increased influence of renewable energy technologies producing electricity for the national grid. It will be interesting to see whether the next version of regulations give further benefit to electrically heated dwellings to encourage the move away from fossil fuels. Gas is expected to rise in price when a Co2 tax is eventually levied. [Stop Press – 4^th Dec 2021-  I have just been informed that my home fuel tariff are now electric 20p/kwh and mains gas 4p/kwh each with a standing charge of 26p per day.]
[Update 17^th Dec 2024 -my current fixed tariff is now electric 21.53p/kwh and mains gas 5.35p/kwh each with a standing charges of 62.26p and 28.09 per day]

See a full copy of SAP 10.0, published in July 2018, which shows a grid carbon factor of 233 grams of CO₂/kWh

 

See a full copy of SAP 10.1, published in Oct 2019, which shows a grid carbon factor of 136 grams of CO₂/kWh.

 

See a full copy of SAP 10.2, published in Oct 2019, which shows a grid carbon factor of 136 grams of CO₂/kWh.

 

P10 of “Architects Declare” refers to Mind-Set

Most of all there needs to be a total shift in mindset and culture – a shift from an extractive, regenerative, linear mindset to a regenerative, circular, low carbon mind set. To effect system and mindset change we knew we needed a strategy for change. The next few years will be decisive in shaping our collective future—now is the moment to act.

 

The UK Building Regs. do not set the trends or mind-set but follows on sometime after…

 

1980`s I came to the realisation that the USA had a Mind-Set of “BUT” Buy IT, Use-IT, Toss-IT and this attitude has spread like fast food outlets to nearly everywhere. In China I have seen anti-litter signs that read “DON’T BE A TOSSER”. Recycle and Reuse is the way we used to be and the way we must be in the future.

The BIGGER PICTURE is essentially to find a way to use GREEN accounting in a Circular Economy, (even non expanding economy), instead of the ever expanding economy of increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Year on Year. That is instead of always adding to the amount of money in circulation and multiplying by its speed of circulation we should switch to a Biosphere-1 accounting system that needs to balance the books on Bio–Diversity and Sustainability. Even Corporate Business (Pension Investors) now realises that profits will not be delivered in the future if they do not modify their behaviours and start to account for Biosphere-1 with the accounting for shareholders being a by-product of a more holistic sustainable future. As Corporations are the real divers of the economics and not Governments we should be looking to influence the Corporations first and the Governments second. The big question is; Will we get our Biosphere-1 in order or will we become extinct? Stephen Hawking’s seemed to think the latter – on this planet…We can but try to get things in order to avoid creeping extinction…

The slowness out of the blocks of The Building Regs. is doing very little to help, but we do at least have a direction of travel into the future

[Appendix I] – Architects Declare Practice Guide 2021 v1.3

[Appendix II] – Where is Planning Going – ACA

[Appendix III] – CV for Grahame White

[Appendix IV] – Alternatives to Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

[Appendix V] Architects Declare Summary