Following over a year of lockdown restrictions, with activity levels at a seven-year high, the construction industry is very much at the forefront of the economic recovery.
With it, is mounting pressure on the sector to align itself with a more sustainable ethos in its approach to new build projects. New buildings and infrastructure account for a staggering 50m tonnes of CO2e released into the atmosphere every year.
To support the mounting challenge the sector faces, we have launched a suite of new BRUKL, SBEM, Energy and Sustainability Statements services that help ensure the energy efficiency and sustainability of build projects. The services support organisations within the construction industry to achieve compliance with the Building Regulations UK Part L (BRUKL), and help them to complete and submit supporting Energy and Sustainability Statements for their Local Authority.
BRUKL compliance is required for new build and refurbishment projects over 50m2 to prove they have been designed and comply with UK building regulations. BRUKL assessments take into consideration the construction materials used, HVAC services and Building Emission rate which is calculated as part of the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) calculations. To ensure compliance for BRUKL, projects must pass at both the design and build stages. Our new service can provide advice to ensure a project will successfully comply with BRUKL, through delivering the As Designed BRUKL report and upon completion an on-construction EPC.
Alongside BRUKL, we have introduced supporting Energy and Sustainability Statements services. Energy Statements assess and report on the energy efficiency of a proposed development to ensure it meets Local Authority requirements over and above those of BRUKL. This can include plans for reducing carbon emissions, generating renewable energy and the overall energy demand of the building.
Sustainability Statements, which can be delivered alongside BRUKL or separately, determine the environmental impact of the development, looking at factors such as pollution, ecology, water efficiency and conservation.
Both these statements can be mandated by Local Authorities to be submitted with the BRUKL report, or where not required, can be submitted to demonstrate commitment to the efficiency and sustainability of the project in support of the planning permission application.
Our Energy Consultant, Theresa Bui explains;
Those seeking planning for new build projects can really benefit from opting to include an Energy or Sustainability Statement in with their application to improve the chance of its approval.
Unless stipulated by the Local Authority, Energy Statements are often overlooked or seen as just another cost – however aside from supporting the planning permission process, there are further gains to be had from the ongoing energy efficiency of the build once complete, as identified in the report.
Theresa goes on to add:
The same applies for Sustainability Statements, but with the additional view of protecting the ecology and environment affected by the build. While they’re not yet mandated by many Councils and Local Authorities, as the momentum builds behind the Net Zero 2050 target, we can expect them to become a lot more common place as builders need to prove they too are working towards that goal.
Our services are delivered by our Energy Services arm, which is supported by a team of experienced and skilled Consultants. Developed with the challenges of the building and construction industries in mind, this latest product launch supports our ethos to deliver solutions and services that help all organisations to achieve their own energy efficiency goals. In addition to our BRUKL services, we can support the construction sector with the design stage of their projects through our advanced Tenant Billing Services.