Policy News

Policy News

News Policy All the latest news from around the building industry ESOS set to give boost to in-house energy reporting Mandatory energy assessment scheme encourages metering Most UK businesses are now aware of the forthcoming Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), and more than half are planning to increase in-house measurement and reporting. These were two of the findings of the latest report by edie.net, Energy Management: Procurement, Planning and Purchasing Priorities 2015/16, which surveyed 381 energy managers. It found that 82% of respondents had heard of the governments mandatory energy assessment scheme and, of these, 53% said they would be increasing in-house measurement and reporting, and 18% were planning to apply for approval under the ISO 50001 standard this year. However, the survey also revealed a lukewarm response to questions about how the scheme was likely to influence future energy efficiency activity. Just 30% of ESOS-affected businesses believe it will help them identify savings or Experts scrutinise dEcs under microscope Building energy experts Robert Cohen and Bill Bordass have produced a study into the role of Display Energy Certificates (DECs), which face abolition after a controversial consultation process this year. Mandating Transparency about Building Energy Performance in Use describes the difficulties of implementing policies based on being transparent about actual energy performance with the intention of improving investment in practical energy management. The paper seeks to provide a number of lessons for improvements to future policy outcomes. The authors reviewed the history and precedents of Building Regulations in the UK and European building energy efficiency policies, to identify what helped and hindered progress towards buildings that use less energy in operation. Theirpaper also looks at operational rating schemes in the US and Australia. It identifies: a tendency by regulators to focus on regulated loads; an unhelpful split of the topic between various government ministries and agencies; neglect of follow-through, enforcement and feedback; and political rhetoric that favours an abdication of central government responsibilities to market forces. Download the paper for free here. format plans; 12% said it would complement existing plans; 9% said it would not inform plans at all; and, despite the energy assessment needing director approval, just 6% of respondents believe ESOS will engage senior management in energy efficiency. ESOS requires all large enterprises with more than 250 employees or a turnover of more than 50m to produce detailed reports on their energy use and efficiency every four years. There is no obligation to implement any of the efficiency measures identified. Qualifying organisations must carry out their ESOS assessment and notify the Environment Agency by 5 December 2015. final nail in coffin for housing code The Code for Sustainable Homes was officially abolished at the end of March with the rubber stamping of the outgoing coalition governments Housing Standards Review, which aims to slash housing red tape by 90%. Energy requirements for new homes will now be contained within the Building Regulations and set at values equivalent to Code Level 4. Some projects already in the pipeline are allowed to continue using the code and the Building Research Establishment (BRE) said it would certify the schemes. The code has been a catalyst for significant positive change in housebuilding. It created a step change in standards, knowledge, products and skills within the sector, said Gwyn Roberts, BRE head of housing standards. However, the code as a government standard has not resonated with consumers and that is key to really driving the market further forward. Industry facing specification time bomb Specification writing is falling far short of the standard required to support digital methods of construction and industry efforts to modernise, experts claim. At the launch of a new Model Format for building services specifications (BG56/2015), senior representatives of CIBSE, BSRIA, B&ES and building engineering firms agreed that the status of the specification writer had been relegated in importance, leading to falling standards, which undermine the contractual process. CIBSE technical director Hywel Davies said a specification was not just about the techy details, but should provide good asset information that makes a building workable. He explained that the updated RIBA Plan of Work included an in use period, which should be reflected in design specifications. Davies also warned that screwing up the specification was like writing a blank cheque for lawyers. He was backed by B&ES president Andy Sneyd who said the use of non-standard design specifications led to confusion, pricing errors and contractual disputes, as well as undermining the governments stated aim of reducing the cost of construction by 30%. And Jo Harris, head of BSRIAs sustainable construction group, added that the new model format more closely reflected the construction process, creating a link between what the industry currently does and where it is going in the future. New code promises to be a hot topic A new code of practice on surface water source heat pumps was unveiled at the 2015 CIBSE Technical Symposium. Surface water source heat pumps: A Code of Practice for the UK is a joint project between the CIBSE, the Heat Pump Association and Ground Source Heat Pump Association, supported by DECC. It follows the governments release of a map of 40 urban rivers, which show the greatest potential for the deployment of such pumps. The code of practice the draft of which is due to be issued for industry-wide consultation in June will aim to raise standards in the design, implementation and operation of surface water source heat pumps, covering a projects lifecycle. It is structured by the typical sequence of a project by stage. For each stage, objectives are set, and for each objective, minimum requirements are defined to achieve it. All must be met if the project is to comply with the code. Read more in this months Products Special.