CaRB (Carbon Reduction in Buildings)
The CaRB project is developing computer models that will make it possible to pinpoint effective ways of cutting carbon emissions arising from energy use in buildings. Central government, local authorities and housing associations will be able to use these models to devise national or local energy-saving strategies that deliver significant reductions in emissions.
The easy-to-use models will predict how much carbon can be saved by incorporating different energy efficiency or renewable energy measures (e.g. cavity wall insulation or solar power) into different types of domestic and non-domestic buildings. They will also be able to calculate how much carbon could be saved as a result of advertising campaigns and financial incentives designed to encourage people to use less energy.
This £3.1M, 4-year initiative consists of a range of linked tasks including a survey of how much gas, electricity and water is used in hundreds of buildings, and a realistic assessment both of how people’s behaviour affects energy consumption and of how they react to energy-saving initiatives. The project has already shown that the carbon emissions produced by housing in Milton Keynes (that was designed to be more energy efficient) have actually risen by around 25% per person since 1990, even though house temperatures have stayed roughly the same.
Partners: De Montfort University, University College London, University of Reading, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, University of Sheffield, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and Energy for Sustainable Development Ltd.
Contact: Professor Kevin Lomas, De Montfort University
Website: CaRB
tarbase (Technology Assessment for Radically Improving the Built Asset Base)
The tarbase project is identifying 'bundles' of carbon-saving technologies that, if incorporated into existing buildings, could deliver a 50 per cent cut in their carbon emissions by 2030. At least 75 per cent of the UK’s current buildings will still exist in 2030, so finding ways of radically reducing their emissions is an excellent way of boosting the UK’s overall carbon performance.
This £1.3M, 4-year initiative is focusing on the scope for reducing carbon emissions through, for instance, greater use of combined heat and power (CHP) in buildings, the use of building fabric materials with improved insulating properties and the use of building-integrated renewable energy technologies.
For different types of building, it will assess the effectiveness of a range of technologies in terms of cost, ease of installation, social acceptability and carbon performance. It will then outline those that can deliver most carbon savings for each building type. Individual tasks include definition of eight categories of building and 30-40 variants, a study of how ways of using buildings will change by 2030 and the development of examples of buildings incorporating effective carbon-saving measures.
Partners: Heriot-Watt University, University of Ulster, University of Surrey, University of Nottingham, BSRIA, Integer, CIRIA and JB&B.
Contact: Professor Phil Banfill, Heriot-Watt University
Website: tarbase
BMT (Building Market Transformation)
The BMT project aims to explore what is needed to ensure that measures with the potential to deliver a 50 per cent cut in buildings’ carbon emissions are taken up as widely and as quickly as possible.
Targeting key decision-makers, this £0.9M, 4-year initiative will organise a series of seminars involving industry and government to discuss the changes necessary to achieve such a cut. It will also develop a publicly available computer model of the UK’s building stock which will enable policy measures to be assessed in terms of their direct and indirect impact on emissions.
Although there is significant potential for existing technology to reduce carbon emissions in both domestic and non-domestic buildings, improvements are not being made. This applies both to new buildings and the refurbishment of existing ones.
The BMT project will explore social and economic as well as environmental considerations. For example, people’s behaviour is changing in relation to buildings as they demand more space, heat, hot water and appliances as living standards improve. In looking to develop policy solutions, the initiative will also explore institutional, legal and technical issues. Inputs from CaRB and TARBASE will make an important contribution to BMT.
Partners: University of Oxford, University of Bath, University of Surrey, University of Strathclyde and the Welsh School of Architecture at the University of Cardiff.
Contact: Dr Brenda Boardman, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
Website: Environmental Change Institute
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