We don’t need to choose between air quality and energy efficiency

The pandemic has focused attention on the need for better building ventilation, but this need not come at the expense of saving energy and cutting carbon, according to a leading building services engineer.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA), AECOM’s Ella Clark said this was “not an either/or issue”

“We now know that doubling the rate of ventilation reduces the spread of Covid-19 by around half and that the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends ventilation as a first-line strategy for getting people back to the office,” she said.

“We can make our HVAC systems pandemic resilient and design buildings with excellent indoor air quality (IAQ) that are also low carbon.”

Clark, who is a mechanical engineer and committee member of the British Council for Offices (BCO), said the use of technologies like radiant heating and cooling panels, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR), and direct evaporative cooling can all improve the indoor conditions without driving up energy consumption.

“Displacement ventilation is a good option because it is more effective at drawing away pathogens compared with top-down air mixing,” she explained. “It can reduce energy cost by 20% because it allows air to be introduced into the occupied space at higher temperatures so reducing the need for cooling power. However, it does require larger volumes of air so needs bigger air handling units etc.”

Polluted

Natural ventilation is the most energy efficient option with energy savings as high as 79% depending on what it is replacing – equivalent to as much as £30,000 per annum in running costs for a commercial building, according to Clark. However, it increases the risk of introducing polluted air into the indoor space.

“Many studies show that the IAQ can be considerably worse than the outdoor air in these circumstances…and 75% of urban areas in the UK are above the WHO recommendations for air quality.”

Health experts have been quick to highlight the crucial role played by ventilation in maintaining health and comfort through temperature and humidity control and by reducing moisture, odours, and gases. A NASA study also showed that human productivity fell by 3.6% for every 1degC the indoor temperature rises above 22degC.

The BCO recommends temperature in offices should be maintained at between 20 and 24degC and there should be 12 litres per second per person (l/s pp) of clean air introduced with an additional 10% in high density occupied spaces. It also says that controlling humidity is crucial.

Clark told the BESA webinar that BCO studies showed the average relative humidity (RH) in offices was 38% whereas for good health it should be between 40 and 60%. At 35% people will experience eye irritation, nasal dryness, and sore throats. This also has important implications for future health emergencies.

“At 23% RH more than 70% of flu particles remain infectious after an hour in the air, but at 43% that falls to just 14% according to a range of studies,” she explained “However, providing those conditions can lead to an energy penalty if you use humidifiers. Adding an extra 0.28 l/s pp can increase energy demand by 0.6kWh/m2 per annum which is 5,000 kw annually for a large office.”

Mechanical ventilation offers a more controllable approach that can also make use of filtration to reduce the ingress of pollutants into occupied spaces. “We want to ensure that we are filtering down to PM2.5. There are HEPA filters and ULPA filters which are typically used in clean rooms in hospitals,” said Clark.

“You will get a higher pressure drop across these filters and they do also have to be maintained, but we can still find the balance between healthy indoor conditions and sustainability if we use the right design approach.”

Clark’s presentation followed the launch of BESA’s third piece of IAQ guidance in just over a year.

‘Buildings as Safe Havens – a practical guide’ outlines strategies facilities managers and building owners can follow and provides targeted questions they can put to ventilation experts to establish the right air quality approach for their building.

It can be downloaded for free along with the Association’s other IAQ guides here.

BESA webinars can be watched on demand here: www.thebesa.com/besa-webinars/

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OUTLINE PLANNING GRANTED FOR 4.25m sq ft DEVELOPMENT

Associated British Ports (ABP) has been granted outline planning consent to build more than 4.25 million sq ft of industrial, manufacturing and logistics buildings at the Port of Hull despite receiving 800 objections.

The 453 acres of land includes 212 acres located within the East Hull Humber Freeport tax assisted zone, which offers tax incentives for inward investors.

There will also be space retail, business, hotel, assembly, and leisure and other ancillary uses.

Part of the site could also be used for a park-and-ride, as well as a potential rail link to the port.

 

Simon Bird, regional director for the Humber, inset, said: “This is one of the premier development sites in the North of England. It’s an exciting opportunity and great to have planning permission so that HIEP (Humber International Enterprise Park) can now get up and running.“The site offers huge potential to support business growth. Port-centric manufacturers and distributors would have easy access to import and export commodities while benefiting from the Humber Freeport status.”

 

The site is part of a tranche of more than 1,000 acres of development land across 14 locations, which ABP has launched to support the UK’s supply chain, manufacturing, and renewable energy sectors.

The council’s planning committee voted in favour of the scheme at a meeting last year and the decision to approve has now been issueD.

CBRE and Savills are advising ABP on the development opportunities at HIEP.

The planning application was also supported by The Harris Partnership, Montagu Evans, Systra, Aecom and Considine.

Permission has also been granted for a new spine road running between Hedon Road and Paull Road.

Councillors voted five-to-one in favour of approval despite receiving 800 letters objecting to the scheme.

The planning officer’s official report acknowledged that the scheme could cause potential “adverse effects on the living conditions” of nearby residents, but added that the “reasoning for allowing this application has been clearly and convincingly justified, and the substantial public benefits established”.

Source: The Yorkshire Post

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Stewart Milne Homes up for sale as founder set to retire

Stewart Milne Group is embarking on a sale process of its housebuilding business, following the decision of its founder and principal shareholder to retire.

Nearly 50 years after founding the group, chairman Stewart Milne (71) is making plans for his retirement and the Board has decided to capitalise on the current strong performance of homes’ sales and favourable market conditions by putting the business up for sale.

Stewart Milne Group, which recently sold its timber frame business to focus on housebuilding in its core markets in Scotland and North-West England, has taken major steps to improve efficiency and profitability to reposition the business for future growth.

The award-winning, independent housebuilding group has delivered one of its best ever financial performances for the year ending 31st October 2021. These accounts will show a dramatic increase in turnover and profits driven by high demand for its family homes.

 

Stewart Milne said: “The unprecedented events of the last two years have forced many to re-evaluate and, after considerable soul-searching, I have decided that the time is right to step back from the business I founded to prioritise my time for family, friends and other ventures I want to pursue.

“In the last 18 months, we’ve significantly strengthened the business with major efficiencies and our new homes range. This ambitious overhaul of our designs offers a new range of spacious, high quality family homes that meet the changing needs of buyers. We are superbly placed to capitalise on the favourable market conditions and demand which are set to continue in the near-term.”

 

Stewart Milne Group says that, in order to realise its growth ambitions, significant investment is required, particularly in its strategic land bank to create future, high-margin development opportunities.

The group board carefully considered all options with its advisers and came to the unanimous conclusion to investigate a potential sale. Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) has been appointed as financial adviser to the group in this process.

 

Stewart Milne Group chief executive, Stuart MacGregor, added: “We anticipate attracting a high level of interest from potential buyers who will invest in order to capitalise on the strength of our business and the buoyancy of the current homes market.

“We have one of the strongest sales pipelines in our history and anticipate generating significant sales over the next two years. With a strategic bank of land, award-winning developments, our new homes range and recently completed investments in new IT systems and in digital transformation, Stewart Milne Group presents a compelling proposition.

“Our design and build standards of excellence in creating distinctive and highly desirable communities are a key differentiator, positioning us as a leader in place-making.

“However, with land prices rising, more investment is needed to take advantage of our unrivalled land-buying experience and the development opportunities available.”

 

Stewart Milne Group has offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester with a workforce of 1,000, including sub-contractors. Around 20 developments are currently at various stages across Scotland and North-West England including Dargavel Village, Shawfair, Haddington, East Linton, Hooton and Congleton.

Stewart Milne Group

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Leadership Dinners Commence in Newquay

Constructing Excellence South West launches renowned leadership dinner series

The renowned Constructing Excellence South West (CESW) leadership dinner series has kick started for 2022 in Newquay.

The organisation, designed to drive positive change in construction, has relaunched its exclusive dinners in the South West region to bring together key clients, architects, engineers, contractors politicians and supply chain in the built environment.

Global business insurance, risk management and consulting services company Gallagher is the sole sponsor of the leadership dinners, which will be continuing to run throughout 2022, across an additional nine areas within the region.

The first event took place in Newquay, and the climate crisis, building safety and procurement on value were the main focus for the evening.

Members of the CE Cornwall family openly talked about their experiences of working in the industry, and shared their recommendations on how to combat these issues head-on.

Andrew Carpenter, CEO of CESW, said: “We’re well known at Constructing Excellence South West for the leadership dinners we host. It’s something we’ve done for several years, and focuses on getting the key movers and shakers from any given area to discuss the biggest issues affecting the construction industry.

“Typically, we discuss key issues in the construction sector, and then consider how they’re affecting the South West in particular. This year we will be looking at climate crisis, building safety and procurement on value – topics which have a big impact on the future of the industry.

“We have nine leadership dinners organised throughout the region and we’re looking forward to seeing what comes from each separate event. We want to thank Gallagher for sponsoring the dinners and facilitating the discussions around building safety. Their contribution has proven vital to bringing together key players from right around the South West.”

Andy Ferguson, Managing Director for Gallagher in Bristol added: “Construction is a significant sector here in the South West and it’s one that we’re well experienced in supporting with insurance and risk management solutions.

“Partnering with Andrew and the wider Constructing Excellence South West teams enables us to further help the businesses in this sector, listen to the challenges they face and support in facilitating positive change.”

The remaining Constructing Excellence South West leadership dinners will be held in

Exeter, Bath, Bridgwater, Gloucester, Bournemouth, Swindon, Bristol and Plymouth.

For more information about Constructing Excellence South West

and their key areas of focus

PLEASE CLICK HERE

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The Future of Tidal Power

,

Tidal Power is Set for a Commercial Breakthrough in the UK

by Simon Waldman

Tidal energy has long lurked at the back of the UK’s renewable energy arsenal, outshone by its wind and solar counterparts due in part to early issues with technology readiness and high costs.

Yet with recent research showing it could provide 11 percent of the UK’s electricity needs – and with significant government investment in the pipeline for UK projects – its future is looking ever brighter.

Tides are large movements of water around the Earth, powered by the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon. In areas with particularly strong tides, we can harvest some of this power using turbines – similar to wind turbines, but underwater – that turn as water flows past them. This approach is more popular at present than previous ideas of using tidal barrages which are similar to dams, mostly because its environmental impacts are less severe.

In the last decade, the global tidal energy industry has demonstrated that siphoning energy from the sea works predictably and reliably. Around a dozen experimental turbine designs have been generating electricity in Scotland, Wales, Canada, China, France and Japan, many of them supplying power to homes and businesses.

The UK’s first “commercial” tidal energy projects, led by developers SIMEC Atlantis and Nova Innovation, both have multi-turbine arrays in the water in Scotland. The largest of these can currently produce six megawatts of power: that’s about the same as two or three onshore wind turbines, providing enough energy to run a few thousand homes. Expansion of the project is already underway. Over in the Faroe Islands, tidal developer Minesto has just announced plans for a 120 megawatt array which would supply 40 percent of the islands’ energy needs.

Tidal turbine designs tend to be divided by one big question: whether it’s best for them to float, or to be mounted on the seabed. Floating turbines are easier to access for maintenance, and they benefit from faster-flowing water near the surface. But those on the seabed are less affected by storms and – in deep enough water – could allow ships to sail freely above them. It’s not yet clear whether one approach will win out, or whether the choice will depend on the location.

Either way, now that it has working technology in its hands, the tidal power industry needs to demonstrate that it can bring costs down. Luckily, there’s precedent here in the story of offshore wind. With the help of government support in the UK and elsewhere, offshore wind developers around the world have cut costs by close to a third over the last decade, and further reductions are expected thanks to ongoing research and development.

Money matters

The cost of tidal energy may never be as low as that of wind. That’s partly because tidal turbines can’t be scaled up in size in the same way as wind turbines (in a limited depth of water, you can only build so big), and partly because doing things under the sea is usually more expensive than doing them on the surface (it’s a harsher, less accessible environment). But matching costs may not even be necessary.

As critics are keen to point out, the wind does not always blow, the sun does not always shine, and the tide is not always flowing: so to build a resilient low-carbon electricity system, we’ll need to use a range of different energy sources rather than relying only on that which is cheapest.

Tidal power offers the unique advantage that while its output will vary over time, that variation is predictable years in advance by understanding the orbits of the Earth and Moon. This means that grid operators will be able to plan for the varying output of tidal turbines, and schedule other sources to fill in the gaps.

Fortunately, the UK government seems to be stepping up to help the tidal industry. The latest round of the UK’s “Contracts for Difference” renewable energy funding contains a “pot” for tidal energy, so that it doesn’t have to compete with cheaper technologies like offshore wind – for now. And the recently published British Energy Security Strategy promises rather fiercely to “aggressively explore” tidal and geothermal energy technology.

Tidal energy is never going to be a big player at the global scale in the same way as wind or solar, because only a few parts of the world have strong tides. And unfortunately, it won’t be ready in time to help with the energy price crisis that we face right now.

But for those places with strong tides, including the UK, it has significant prospects, with a global market estimated by some analysts at $170 billion. And there may be potential in developing turbine tech further to take advantage of slower, but more consistent, ocean currents like the Kuroshio current off the coast of Japan.

Tidal energy technology works, and it’s here to stay. Now, the most efficient way to get it powering our homes and businesses is to build more of it.

Simon Waldman is a Lecturer in Renewable Energy at University of Hull.

 

Source: The Maritime Executive

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Green Investing

As investors in the housebuilding and construction sectors, we are seeing a sea change in the urgency of tackling the carbon footprint in housing. Recent site visits to housebuilders Vistry and MJ Gleeson confirmed this is now translating to real changes on the ground, with newly specified innovations in technologies such as heat pump boilers and electric vehicle (EV) chargers set to become mainstream.

These changes are being driven by the government’s Future Homes standards, which will ensure all new homes built from 2025 will produce 75-80% less carbon emissions than those delivered under current regulations, with no new home built under the standards to be reliant on fossil fuels. There will be an emphasis on improved ventilation and reduced energy usage.

Prior to this, from June 2022, we will see new building regulations that target an initial 30% carbon reduction.

Under construction

According to Statista, residential housing accounts for around 15% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. Engineering firm Arup, in conjunction with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, has calculated that more than 50% of the whole-life carbon emitted by a house occurs during the construction phase. This means the construction of new homes is of critical importance in limiting the environmental damage done by housing in the longer term.

By far the greatest challenge facing housebuilders trying to reduce their carbon footprint is the slow pace of change in the supply base. The infographic below analyses the carbon footprint of a typical new family home. It is worth noting how little is directly under the house builder’s control, with just 7% of the total emissions coming at a scope 1 or 2 level.

The dominant source of emissions comes from materials such as cement, bricks and tiling used in the construction of walls, roofs and foundations. The solutions to decarbonising such products are both complex and costly and remain several years away. Significant changes in the sourcing of energy supplies, in particular, present major challenges.

While there are government incentives to increase usage of materials such as timber, this remains a niche segment in the UK housing mix, despite strong take-up in regions such as North America.

As with the demand for EVs, it is important to put the demand for new housing into context. Office for National Statistics data tells us there are around 28 million households in the UK, and this number has been growing at just under 1% per annum in recent years. The current level of new housing completions runs at around 250,000 per year, less than 1ͮ of the entire housing stock. This highlights the magnitude of the task in turning our homes green, both in terms of the technical and logistical challenges of retrofit and the significant costs for homeowners to do so.

 

The carbon footprint of a typical new family home

Investing in construction

Social message

Current estimates for installing heat pump systems and EV chargers are in the region of £5,000-7,000 per home, which is a big pill for the average householder to swallow. While these costs will inevitably fall as production volumes increase, it does suggest we will need to see significant government intervention and subsidy for the 99% of the housing stock that is not new.

We know there is strong ongoing political support and funding for social housing, as the UK continues to face both housing shortages and affordability issues. At Amati, we are already investing in the theme of social housing, which will have the dual benefit of addressing net-zero targets while hopefully reducing the inequalities in housing. Our holdings in Vistry and MJ Gleeson play directly to such trends. For the homeowner looking to reduce their carbon footprint the message is clear. Be prepared to invest significantly in retrofitting your existing home or buy new and have it done for you.

 

Source: What Investment

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£5 billion to address the building safety scandal

Yesterday (April 13th) the government revealed a wide-ranging agreement that will see industry contribute £5 billion to address the building safety scandal.

In a victory for leaseholders, Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has agreed a solution with the housing industry that will see developers commit a minimum of £2 billion to fix their own buildings. Industry will also pay up to a further £3 billion through an expansion to the Building Safety Levy.

Under the new agreement, which will become legally enforceable, over 35 of the UK’s biggest homebuilders have pledged to fix all buildings 11 metres+ that they have played a role in developing in the last 30 years.

For the companies yet to make the pledge, the Secretary of State has also confirmed there is little time left for them to sign up, and that those who continue to refuse will face consequences if they fail to do so.

As set out in January, a new government scheme will also see industry pay to fix buildings where those responsible cannot be identified or forced to in law. This follows previous confirmation that plans for a 30-year loan scheme paid for by leaseholders would be scrapped.

The new scheme will be funded through an extension to the Building Safety Levy that will be chargeable on all new residential buildings in England. This is expected to raise up to an additional estimated £3 billion over ten years from developers and ensure no leaseholder in medium-rise buildings faces crippling bills, even when their developer cannot be traced.

New proposed laws, announced in February under the Building Safety Bill, will ensure qualifying leaseholders are protected from the costs of historical building safety defects, including total protection against cladding costs. Today’s deal establishes that the industry responsible – not innocent leaseholders – will pay.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

Today marks a significant step towards protecting innocent leaseholders and ensuring those responsible pay to solve the crisis they helped to cause.

I welcome the move by many of the largest developers to do the right thing.

But this is just the beginning. We will do whatever it takes to hold industry to account, and under our new measures there will be nowhere to hide.

The pledge published by government today commits developers who have signed up to legally binding contracts, and to implement their promises as soon as possible.

The detailed agreement confirms developers will:

  • Act as quickly as possible to fix buildings
  • Implement new proportionate guidance on building safety
  • Regularly report to leaseholders and government on their progress
  • Respect an independent dispute resolution process established by government; and
  • Refund money already received from the taxpayer to fix their buildings.

More information on how government plans to enforce the agreement in law will be released in due course.

The government is introducing new powers that could be enforced on a developer should they breach the agreement, as well as on any remaining companies who fail to sign up. These new powers would allow the Secretary of State to block those who refuse to sign from building and selling new homes.

The government is clear that building safety is an industry wide issue. Cladding and insulation manufacturers are yet to accept their share of responsibility and come forward with a proposal. The Secretary of State has also today written to the Construction Products Association and warned he will do whatever it takes to hold cladding and insulation manufacturers to account.

Today’s announcement follows a statement from Mr Gove in January, when he set out a 4-point plan to reset the approach to building safety and give leaseholders more protection against unfair costs.

Further Information

The Building Safety Levy will be chargeable on new residential buildings of all heights – see clause 57 in the Building Safety Bill.

Leaseholders will be contacted by their developer in due course to confirm whether their building is covered.

The Building Safety Bill includes far reaching provisions to protect qualifying leaseholders, in law, from the costs associated with historical building safety defects. Qualifying leaseholders are those living in their own homes or with up to three UK properties in total in medium and high-rise buildings.

The Building Safety Bill will also give government, regulators, and leaseholders and others new ways to hold to account companies that fail to do the right thing. More information is available here and further details on these measures will be announced in due course.

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ABUS UK FAMILY RALLIES TOGETHER TO SEND HELP TO UKRAINE

In light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, the ABUS UK family has joined forces with colleagues in Eastern Europe to collect and deliver urgent essential items including food, blankets, clothes, and toiletries to centres for refugees in Poland and the Ukrainian borders as people fleeing the war are escaping into the EU.

 

ABUS UK employees, their families and friends, and business partners, customers and members of the wider local community have collected an amazing amount of critical supplies which have been sorted, packed, and driven all the way across Europe by ABUS UK’s Vince and Roy. They were met in Poland by ABUS Polska’s MD Józef Grabowski and our colleagues from ABUS Polska are now distributing the donations to the people who most need them in various locations in Poland where Ukrainian families are being supported, and to entry points on the Poland/Ukraine border. The ABUS team has even been providing hot drinks to Ukrainians at the Polish border to welcome them to safety.

“It has been so heart-warming to see how the ABUS UK family and their friends and partners have rallied round to support our Help for Ukraine and to know that those supplies are now reaching the people who need it. Thank you!” says ABUS UK MD peter Romanov. “A special thank you must go out to our colleagues Vince and Roy who drove through the night on a long journey through Germany and into Poland to meet with our friends in ABUS Polska and deliver the essentials we had collected.”

 

ABUS is a global manufacturer of high quality, innovative security, access and safety solutions with a nearly 100 years’ history of innovation. ABUS UK is part of a worldwide group of companies that supplies and distributes a huge range of both electronic and mechanical security products and systems for home, mobile security, and commercial security.

 

Abus Uk Website

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ONS: Storms impact on February Construction

Monthly construction output decreased by 0.1% to £14,610 million in volume terms in February 2022 compared with January 2022. This is the first monthly decrease since October 2021 (a fall of 0.9%) following three consecutive months of growth.

Storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin bought heavy rain across much of Great Britain between 16 to 21 February 2022, as detailed in the Met Office’s February 2022 release. For the construction industry this caused delays and some projects to be suspended. This was because more working days were lost on sites and premises than normal for this time of the year. However, some businesses reported a positive impact as they picked up repair and maintenance work caused from storm damage.

The monthly all work construction output index decreased

for the first time since October 2021

Anecdotal evidence from returns received for both our Monthly Business Survey for Construction and Allied Trades and our Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) suggested some of the issues in sourcing construction products remained. High costs and shortages of materials, particularly for the smaller sized firms, are still mentioned.

Despite these challenges, demand continued to be strong.  New orders in the construction industry grew by 9.2% in Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2021 compared with Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2021. All sectors recovered to above their pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) level. For more information see our Construction output in Great Britain: December 2021, new orders and Construction Output Price Indices, October to December 2021 bulletin.

Public housing repair and maintenance was the only repair and maintenance sector to remain below its pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) level

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200 CALEDONIAN JOBS SAVED

200 jobs have been saved after administrators agreed the sale of the UK’s largest modular construction company Caledonian Modular.

The Newark-based offsite building solution provider has been sold to the JRL Group after falling into administration in March.

JRL is a £280m-turnover group with 14 divisions including J Reddington, Midgard, and London Tower Cranes.

Joint administrator Mike Denny, managing director at Alvarez & Marsal, said: “The twin challenges of the pandemic and rising inflation have placed strain on balance sheets for businesses across the UK, including those in the construction sector.”

20 employees were already made redundant prior to the sale, resulting in ex-staff contacting employment law firm, Morrish Solicitors, to investigate allegations that the business failed to properly consult staff when making redundancies.

 

Source: The Business Desk

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