General news All the latest news from around the building industry energy networks need 40bn investment deCC Spending required to integrate renewables into power infrastructure A report from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has highlighted the vital role energy networks will play in the UKs future energy strategy. It estimates that more than 40bn will need to be invested in the infrastructure by 2020. Delivering UK Energy Investment: Networks estimates that more than 34bn will be needed for electricity networks, and a further 7.6bn for gas. DECC says the spending is necessary to enable networks to accommodate more renewable sources, improve efficiency and security, and keep energy costs as low as possible. The department also funded heat network feasibility studies, carried out by 91 local authorities, and its report says these projects could attract between 400m to 800m in new capital investment. By delivering energy through efficient heat networks, this potential infrastructure investment will directly benefit local communities and curb rising energy costs for thousands of people, said Tim Rotheray, director of the Association for Decentralised Energy, formerly the CHP Association. However, achieving this will depend on the right policies being in place. The report added that investing in energy networks would support up to 9,000 jobs and contribute an estimated 5bn in exports over the next two decades. University green league hit by boycott Plymouth University, University of Worcester and Manchester Metropolitan University have filled the first three places in an annual league table ranking environmental performance in Britains universities. But the number that took part in the People and Planet University League was nearly half that of 2013, with 82 out of 151 universities not participating. The Guardian reported that Oxford and Cambridge had boycotted the survey because they felt it did not recognise the difference between older and newer institutions, while Cambridge and Goldsmiths both said it was too burdensome. The survey looks at green policies and measures Colleges must focus on energy efficiency Amid the furore around the green league, we shouldnt forget that promoting and publicising the performance of universities in the area of carbon reduction is still hugely important, said Sara Kassam. The Higher Education Funding Council for England has taken its eye off the ball. After requiring all universities to have a detailed carbon management scheme, signed off by the governing body in 2010, it hasnt followed up with any monitoring of progress against the reduction targets set. As a result, the initial momentum has slowed, with some universities making significant reductions, while others no longer make carbon management a priority. This is a missed opportunity to encourage the sector to play its part in meeting national carbon reduction targets as well as making the most of the benefits that carbon management of estates bring. performance to determine whether institutions should be deemed First Class, 2:1, 2:2, or third. The lowest performers are deemed to have failed. The building performance section includes the measurement of carbon reduction, water reduction and waste and recycling. It has driven sustainability in universities, claimed head of sustainability at CIBSE, Sara Kassam, who was previously sustainability and energy manager at UEL. Actual measured performance in areas such as carbon reduction is vital, she said. But the overall league table is not an exact science, said Kassam. Its difficult to compare institutions as they are so different, and self-reporting can vary. Carbon reduction data used in the survey already exists, as managers have to return figures to the Higher Education Statistics Authority. energy consumption falls by 2% per year Energy consumption has fallen by an average of 2% in eight of the last nine years, according to a DECC report. Consumption in the domestic sector has also fallen by 17% since 2004, the Energy Efficiency Statistical Strategy 2015 has said. The average standard assessment procedure (SAP) rating has risen from 45 (band E EPC) to 59 (band D EPC) between 1996 and 2012, while 74% of new homes in 2014 were rated A or B. For non-domestic buildings, 16% of EPCs were rated as the lowest category in 2014, which is down from 18% in 2009. DECC has commissioned the Building Energy Efficiency Survey and the National Energy Efficiency Data-framework, to obtain further data on actual energy use in non-domestic buildings in the UK. 2m fund to boost collaboration Innovate UK is to spend up to 2m on feasibility studies exploring how to extend the use of collaboration in the construction supply chain and improve the flow of information between project participants. Formerly known as the Technology Strategy Board, Innovate says the current supply chain is fragmented, with many layers of subcontractors and suppliers, which leads to construction clients being removed from those who deliver projects on site. This lack of integration within the supply chain is leading to lost opportunities for innovation and increases in efficiency, it said. Innovate is seeking proposals from the industry that encourage the creation of more integrated, collaborative supply chains. Suggested projects are open to companies of any size working in collaboration. They are expected to run for six to 12 months, with total costs ranging from 50,000 to 150,000, although Innovate said larger projects could be considered. Businesses could receive up to 70% of their eligible project costs, and are invited to apply, from 9 March here. Efficiency sidelines power stations Energy efficiency measures and the use of decentralised power generation has allowed the UK to avoid building 14 new power stations, according to a report from the Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE). Invisible Energy Hidden Benefits of the Demand Side was unveiled by energy secretary Ed Davey. It claims that investment in demand-side reduction has cut end users annual energy costs by 37.2bn, and reduced the need to build the equivalent of half the UKs current powergenerating capacity. Cutting energy waste using demand-side services delivers economy-wide benefits: Supporting 136,000 jobs, cutting carbon emissions by 462m tonnes a year, and reducing our dependence on imported energy by two thirds, said Tim Rotheray, director of ADE. However, the association accused successive governments of repeating the same mistakes with energy policy by overlooking the substantial contribution that users and individual actions can make. Rotheray claimed that, by 2020, a decentralised strategy could save consumers a further 5.6bn a year. uP on The rooF A Sky Garden at 20 Fenchurch Street, which spans three floors and offers 360panoramic views over London, has opened to the public. The 45,000ft2 attraction has been designed as a naturally ventilated space, using thermal and computational fluid dynamic modelling to minimise energy use. Photovoltaic cells in the roof also contribute to its low carbon footprint. Two lifts carry visitors to a landscaped garden with a caf, bar and restaurant. Building services were designed by Hilson Moran. London overtakes Switzerland to become most expensive place to build Central London is now the most expensive place in the world for building projects partly because of poor productivity, according to design consultant Arcadis. London has now overtaken Switzerland at the top of the table in the companys annual International Construction Costs Report, which compares building costs in 43 countries. The UK as a whole was ranked eighth, with costs predicted to rise by a further 3% this year. The cost of construction in London has been heavily impacted by high specification levels in many of the citys developments, topped off by the fact that its prime residential property is reaching a capacity ceiling, leading to significant cost inflation over the past year, said Arcadis head of strategic research, Simon Rawlinson. This is bolstered by the UK construction industry being much less productive than its US and European peers, and the fluctuation in global currencies. BT awards 26m solar contract to power research facility A mult--million pound contract for the Martlesham solar farm project in Suffolk hasbeen awarded to UK Sustainable Energy. The 26m deal is intended to provide power for the BT Adastral Park site, located nearby, which is the companys key research facility in the UK. According to the contract, all of the Adastral Park sites power must be provided by the installation for the next 20 years. In addition to Martlesham, the company will also use output from its recently completed 8MW, 16-hectare Brightwell solar farm. Falling oil price puts pressure on renewables The recent falls in oil prices are making prospects for renewable technologies more uncertain, according to David Pepper, the managing director of boiler and water heater manufacturer Lochinvar. With the oil price at its lowest level for four years and the governments renewed commitment to shale gas and nuclear energy, renewables are becoming a tougher sell, said Pepper, who has recently joined the CIBSE Board. Speaking at the opening of Lochinvars new multiple product training facility at its Banbury headquarters, he said the market for energy saving technologies was, on the other hand, strengthening. Most commercial building owners still want to insulate themselves from the price volatility in the market. What goes down will almost certainly go back up again, he said.