THE CARBONLITE ENERGY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

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THE CARBONLITE ENERGY PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

• Presented by
• David Olivier

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What I shall talk about

• The CLP energy performance standards
• What the standards could achieve
• Case studies
• CLP design guidance
• The case for drastic cuts in greenhouse gas
  emissions
• is taken as given. The background arguments for
  this
• have been given at other workshops.

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The CLP Energy Performance Standards
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• Background - Voluntary Energy Standards in Other
  Countries
• Germany - Passivhaus Standard www.passiv.de
• Began in 1988 with discussions between Swedish
  and German experts followed in 1990 by four
  pilot houses in Darmstadt
• Pioneered very high insulation and airtightness
  standards, first used in Sweden and Canada in the
  1970s e.g., Saskatchewan Conservation House
• Used highly energy-efficient lighting,
  ventilation, electrical appliances and equipment
  
• 80 overall reduction in energy use and CO2
  emissions vs. the German dwelling stock.
• Switzerland - MINERGIE standard www.minergie.ch.
  Met by 50 of all new dwellings in Switzerland, a
  record achievement. Being applied to
  refurbishment
• USA - Energy Star nationally plus many programs
  at state, city or county level
• Canada - R-2000 Program, C-2000 Program, Factor
  Nine Standard, etc
• Norway - Low Energy Standards for houses and
  other buildings
• The CLP standards draw heavily upon this overseas
  experience it worked.

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A Summary of the AECB Standards
SILVER Step 1
70 reduction in CO2 emissions
PASSIVHAUS Step 2
80 reduction in CO2 emissions
GOLD Step 3
95 reduction in CO2 emissions from the average
PLATINUM (not being actively promoted yet)
99-100 reduction in CO2 emissions vs. an average
UK building
The predicted energy use and CO2 emissions are
based on accurate reflections of reality in
calculations, learning from successful overseas
programs
The standards are spelt out further on the
websites www.aecb.net and www.carbonlite.net
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Summary - AECB Silver Standard 30 of Current
CO2 Emissions Opaque U-values lt0.15 W/m2K
roof, lt0.25 walls, lt0.20 ground floor, Glazing
U-values lt1.5 W/m2K, doors lt1.0 W/m2K Thermal
bridge-free construction Air permeability
lt1.5 or 3.0 m3/m2hr _at_ 50 Pa MEV or MVHR
Heat loss parameter (HLP) limited to c.1.00 W/K
per m2 floor area for typical thermal capacity
Peak space heating load usually lt30 W per m2
floor area Space heating useful energy lt40
kWh/m2yr Vent. system specific fanpower lt1.5
W per l./s (MVHR) or 0.8 (MEV) Vent. system
heat recovery gt70 as seasonal average, excl. fan
heat gains Energy-efficient lighting
systems, electrical appliances office
equipment Stresses built-in energy efficiency,
not bolted-on technology.
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Summary - Passivhaus Standard (with
supplementary AECB Guidance) 20 of Current CO2
Emissions Opaque U-values lt0.15 W/m2K,
usually lt0.10 W/m2K Glazing U-values lt0.8
W/m2K Thermal bridge-free construction
Air permeability lt0.6 ac/h lt0.75 m3/m2hr _at_ 50
Pa HLP limited to c.0.58 W/K per m2 floor
area, for typical thermal capacity Peak
space heating load usually lt10 W per m2 floor
area Space heating useful energy lt15
kWh/m2yr Vent. system specific fanpower
lt1.44 W per l./s Vent. system heat recovery
gt75 as seasonal average, excl. fan heat gains
but incl. benefit of earth tube if used Very
energy-efficient lighting systems, electrical
appliances office equipment Pushes energy
efficiency beyond existing UK awareness, custom
or practice.
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Summary - AECB Gold Standard 5 of Current CO2
Emissions Opaque real U-values lt0.15 W/m2K,
usually lt0.10 W/m2K Glazing U-values lt0.8
W/m2K Thermal bridge-free construction
Air permeability lt0.75 m3/m2hr _at_ 50 Pa HLP
limited to c.0.55 W/K per m2 floor area, for
typical thermal capacity Peak space heating
load usually lt10 W per m2 floor area Space
heating useful energy lt15 kWh/m2yr Thermally
almost as Passivhaus Standard but pushes
efficient use of electricity further, reflecting
current knowledge technology Vent. system
specific fanpower lt0.8 W per l./s Vent.
system heat recovery gt85 as seasonal average,
excl. fan heat gains but incl. benefit of earth
tube if used The most energy-efficient
lighting systems, electrical appliances office
equipment on the EU market Enough
electricity generation from dedicated/on-site
renewables e.g PV, micro-hydro, to offset the
CO2 emissions from elec. use for lights
appliances, and/or CHP Pushes energy
efficiency technology far beyond existing UK
awareness, custom or practice.
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Energy Standards Prescriptive versus
Performance PERFORMANCE-BASEDStates the
objective to be achieved, usually limits to
energy and CO2. PRESCRIPTIVE States the
means to the desired end. May provide multiple
deemed-to-satisfy standards.
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Energy Standards Prescriptive versus Performance
PERFORMANCE-BASEDAdvantages States the
objective e.g., limits to energy use and CO2
emissions Places few or no restrictions on the
means to achieve this In theory, gives
designers total freedom to devise the best
solution for their particular circumstances. In
principle, could reduce costs. Disadvantages
Complex for designers to deal with and for
public authorities to administer, especially on
small buildings Pre-supposes a highly-educated,
well-informed industry which understands the link
between the underlying energy calculations and
practical building specifications Through
genuine errors or otherwise, may result in
approval of designs which do not give the stated
energy performance Complete freedom may allow
proposals for complex building services at the
expense of thermal envelope improvements, but
thermal envelopes which are poor today may still
be poor in 2100, given the cost of retrofitting.
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Energy Standards Prescriptive versus Performance
PRESCRIPTIVE Advantages Easy to administer,
especially on small projects Enforcement is
easy as architects or BCOs know what to look
for In principle, a few experts do most of the
calculations instead of several 1000 designers
doing their own and possibly making errors Due
to the above, popular with those involved in
small building projects Demanding fabric
standards are not compromised as the result of
trade-offs against more sophisticated building
services. Disadvantages May fail to give
credit to unusual or unforeseen ways to meet the
goals May be seen by more innovative designers
as inflexible.
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Energy Standards Prescriptive versus
Performance We Offer Designers a Choice It
is expected that most designers of small building
projects will prefer the prescriptive version of
the standards. Multiple deemed-to-satisfy
pre-approved solutions will be provided to
avoid/reduce the need for calculations. If the
building falls outside the scope of the
parameters set out in the prescriptive version of
the standard, or if a designer believes that his
or her proposal is superior, he or she must
follow the performance version.
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Summary Performance Version of Energy Standards
Domestic and Non-Domestic Buildings
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Summary Prescriptive Version
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Summary Prescriptive Version
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Summary Prescriptive Version
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Summary Prescriptive Version
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Summary Prescriptive Version
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Summary Prescriptive Version
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The Standards in ContextSilver - Takes us to
c.30 of current primary energy use and CO2
emissions. Straightforward, off-the-shelf energy
efficiency technologies which are available in
the UK. No renewables needed. A stepping stone to
... Passivhaus - Down from 30 to c.20 of
current energy and emissions. International good
to best practice energy efficiency technologies
obtainable in the UK if designers know where to
go. Sometimes no renewables needed. With
modifications leads to Gold - Down from 20
to c.5 of current energy use and emissions.
International best practice energy efficiency
technology, albeit sometimes hard to obtain in
the UK, plus modest investment in renewables.
Sidesteps requirements which at present lead to
controversy and concern e.g. solid biomass, heat
pumps running on green electricity - see later
slide. Overall - More critical today to reduce
UK emissions to 5-10 of current levels than to
secure a further reduction from 5 to zero or 1.
The standards aim to be realistic, rather than
aspirational.
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The standards do not regulate embodied energy.
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Even after meeting best international practice on
energy efficiency, embodied energy is a small
proportion of a house or offices total energy
use.
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The standards do not regulate materials use.
PVC pipes, wiring and windows
Paint/varnish
Plastic foam insulation
Adhesives
Chipboard
Sustainable forestry
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Renewables Issues to Consider Not a
straightforward kWh for kWh replacement for
fossil fuels. Low-cost firm supplies are very
limited. Not necessarily top priority while a
large, cheap energy efficiency potential remains
unexploited. Some building-integrated
renewables e.g., passive solar building design,
daylighting design of offices or schools are a
very high priority and should always be
incorporated at design stage. There are no
government incentives for such renewables, but
the energy standards emphasise best buys first.
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Renewables Priorities? In a new dwelling, as
much heat, c.1,500 kWh/yr, is lost through the
tank insulation and from the distribution pipes
as a small solar hot water system provides. About
2,200 kWh/yr of gas.The mean temperature
difference between hot water tank and dwelling
interior is 4x greater than the mean temperature
difference between dwelling interior and outside
air. Should Building or Planning Regulations,
or voluntary higher energy standards, encourage
us initially to spend resources on improved tank
insulation, improved pipe insulation and/or on
solar collectors?! There are no government or
planning incentives for ultra-high tank and pipe
insulation, only for solar.
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What The Standards Could Achieve
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Case Studies
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Headquarters of the Rocky Mountain Institute in
Old Snowmass, Colorado, USA (close to Gold).
(built 1983, photovoltaics added 1992).
Photograph courtesy RMI.
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A Detached House in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,
Canada (built 1992).
North façade South façade
Photographs courtesy Dr R Dumont.
Dumont House Measured Energy Use from
1993-2005 Electricity 40 kWh/m2yr. Heat Loss 5
kW at -40oC outside for a 400 m2 house each
floor including the basement is 130 m2. Air
Leakage 0.5 ac/h _at_ 50 Pa. Insulation 8 tonnes of
cellulose fibre.
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An Infill Mid-Terrace House, almost AECB Silver
Standard, London SW13 (designed 1985).
Reyburn House Measured Energy Use from
1990-2005 Gas 90 kWh/m2yr. Electricity 22
kWh/m2yr. Total 112 kWh/m2yr.
Photographs courtesy Stephen Reyburn
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• Viewed from South in Summer
• In the 2003 2006 heatwaves, it was the only
  inhabitable house in
• London SW13 - apart from one which had air
  conditioning.
• Features
• High thermal capacity,
• similar to a mainland
• European house
• All glazing faces due
• N or S
• Some shading by a
• fortuitously-sited decid-
• uous tree to the SW
• In heatwaves, windows

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A Detached House to the AECB Silver Standard in
Charlbury, Oxon (built 1992-93).
Lower Watts House Measured Energy Use from
1993-2005 Gas 50 kWh/m2yr. Electricity 12
kWh/m2yr. Total 62 kWh/m2yr.
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The Elizabeth Fry Building (Silver?)
UEA, Norwich (1994).
3,500 m
2
of
floorspace
on four floors. Heated by two 24 kW(t) domestic
wall
-
hung condensing boilers. No cooling provided or
needed, only
automated summer night ventilation using hollow
-
core concrete floors.
High score in PROBE user survey. Large lecture
theatres in basem
ent,
seminar rooms and offices on other floors. Gas
usage 25-
-
30 kWh/m
2
yr
since 1997.
Photographs courtesy John Miller and Partners,
Architects
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A Detached House to the Passivhaus Standard in
Hohen Neudorf, Brandenburg, Germany (2004).
Photograph courtesy Ralf Lenk, Architect
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The first School to the Passivhaus Standard in
Waldshut, Germany (designed 2000 onwards,
finished 2003).
Photograph courtesy Passiv Haus Institut
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A Detached Cottage to the AECB Gold Standard
Rural site in north-west Herefordshire (photos
taken 2006).
The project will produce all its energy from
solar, mainly passive gains, an experimental
solar water heating system and roof-integrated
photovoltaics. Cooking will use biofuels.
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Design Guidance
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CAVITY MASONRY EXTERNAL WALL MEETS IN SITU
CONCRETE GROUND FLOOR From Silver Standard
Design Guidance
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TIMBER-FRAME EXTERNAL WALL MEETS SUSPENDED TIMBER
GROUND FLOOR ABOVE CRAWL SPACE OR
CELLAR From Silver Standard Design Guidance
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REPRESENTATIVE WINDOWS FOR STEPS 1, 2 3.
Step 1/ Silver Standard Steps 2 or 3/
Passivhaus or Gold Standards
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• David Olivier, BSc MEI MASHRAE
• Principal
• ENERGY ADVISORY ASSOCIATES
• 1 Moores Cottages, Bircher, Leominster,
• Herefordshire, England, HR6 0AX
• Tel. [phone]. Fax [phone].
• E-mail dolivier_at_energyadvisoryassociates.co.uk
• Web www.energyadvisoryassociates.co.uk

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