Session 2: Optimising Net Zero Carbon in Operation

Synopsis

Optimising Net Zero Carbon in Operation

Speakers: 

Jane O’Leary, Strategic Advisor, Education, ISG

Rhodri Davies, Senior Sustainability Manager, ISG

Chair: Neil Thomas, Senior Associate, the-learning-crowd

For the sake of our climate and our future generations, the Welsh government are committed that all new schools in Wales are to be zero carbon.

Although there is still no legal definition of zero carbon, the most commonly used definition if that from the London Energy Transformation Initiative (LETI), Zero Carbon design guide (Climate Emergency Design Guide | LETI) . This states that an educational building must use not more than 65 KWH/m2/year of total energy and that this remaining energy use must be from a certifiable, renewable tariff.

Accurate measurement of a building’s operational energy performance, is therefore, for the first time now important to many building professionals and occupiers. Unfortunately, unlike traditional environmental certifications to date this does not rely solely on the design and construction quality, but also the operational practises within the building and the maintenance procedures which are adhered to.

By remotely monitoring our buildings which have been designed and constructed to operate to these ‘net zero in operation’ standards, ISG are able to use real time data to understand how a building is performing. Using real time data, we can compare the performance with the predications from the thermal model of in use energy, using real time weather data and occupancy patterns. This not only allows us to understand the accuracy of our current modelling tools, and determine the building is being continuously commissioned correctly during the first few years of operation, but also identifies how willing occupiers are to operate buildings in ‘net zero carbon’ manner.

Introduction to Active Buildings

Speaker: Joanna Clarke, Design Manager, SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre, Swansea University

This presentation will provide an introduction to SPECIFIC Innovation and Knowledge Centre, Swansea University and the Active Building concept they have developed as a solution to support the transition to a low carbon built environment. Active Buildings support local and national electricity grid networks by integrating renewable energy technologies, energy storage and smart controls for heat, power and transport. Several Active Building case studies will be presented, demonstrating the role Active Buildings can play in helping Wales and the UK meet their 2050 decarbonisation targets.