Energy Statements For Uk Planning Authorities Unravelled

Energy statements for planning are becoming much more of a requirement when submitting

a planning application for a proposed new development to a Local Authority for approval. Each individual Local Authority will have their own twist on what is required before the application will granted and the development can commence.

So what is an Energy Statement?

An Energy Statement is a document which demonstrates to the planning authorities that a proposed development is conscious of the environmental impact, in terms of carbon dioxide emissions, that the new building or buildings will kick out and the proposed actions which are to be taken to reduce carbon emissions from new development.

Many authorities will put their own stamp on what their requirements are. This will almost certainly include the use of on-site renewable energy sources and from which between 10-20% of carbon dioxide emissions will have to be diminished by their use; the percentage requirement will come down to individual authorities. The Energy Statement should talk about the types of Renewable Energy sources available and their suitability for inclusion within the new development and thereafter an assessment of the co2 savings anticipated via the chosen technology or technologies to be installed.

Reducing CO2 emissions is not all about the use of renewable technologies though and many local authorities recognise this and require a more rounded approach to be taken. This is often demonstrated by the use of a so called Energy Hierarchy approach.

Stage 1 of the Energy Hierarchy is Improvements to building fabric; this seeks to go beyond UK Building Regulations for thermal efficiency of fabric or U-values as they are technical known. The minimum U-value of an External Wall in the UK under 2010 Regulations for commercial property is 0.35 W/m.K, for Ground Floors and Roofs the minimum standard is 0.25 W/m.K and for Windows and Doors the minimum standard is 2.2 W/m.K. With more advanced building products coming to the market place every month these minimum standards can be significantly improved upon and it is not uncommon for an External Wall U-value to be as low as 0.18 or better, Floor and Roof down to 0.14 and Windows and Doors down to 0.9 W/m.K, the lower the U-value the more thermally efficient the element is. Improvements to Air Permeability can also play a part in the equation, Building Regulations require a minimum Air Permeability of 10 m/hr.m for a new commercial building greater than 500m, with buildings being capable of achieving air tightness of below 3 m/hr.m when built to high standards, this can reap substantial rewards. In summary by improving the thermal efficiency and air tightness of a building, huge reductions in carbon emissions can made.

Stage 2 of the Energy Hierarchy considers the efficiency of the Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Installations that are to go into the property, by optimising the plant efficiency such as boilers, air conditioning, hot water storage, mechanical ventilation and lighting, naturally this will have a huge impact on carbon emissions of any proposed building, whilst minimum standards have to be met to achieve Building Regulation compliance stage 2 of the Energy Hierarchy seeks to go well beyond minimum standards to further reduce carbon emissions.

And finally Stage 3 of the Energy Hierarchy Renewable Energy, following improvements to the fabric thermal efficiency and then to the efficiency of the M&E installations the planning authority will seek further reductions in co2 emissions through the use of renewable energy sources. Renewable Energy Options investigated for their feasibility into a scheme usually include Photovoltaics (solar panels), Solar Thermal (solar hot water installations), ground source heat pumps, wind turbines and Combined Heat & Power (CHP) installations. Each of these may have their place in a scheme but may also be ruled out due to site constraints such as overshadowing from adjacent buildings or trees, limited clear wind path again due to adjacent buildings or trees, or feasibility may be discarded due to good old fashion cost restraints.

Whatever the requirements are of the individual UK Planning Authorities; L2 Energy Consulting will have come across them before and will have the necessary expertise to provide the calculations and advise required to satisfy their needs to a successful outcome. For further information regarding our service in this area please visit www.l2energy.co.uk/energy-statements.html We will be happy to share our expertise with you.

by: Ned Metler

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