The whole building approach to sustainable design

摘要

Energy use in buildings accounts for over 40% of carbon emissions in Europe -more than all forms of transport put together. Recent flooding in the UK and abroad has shown us the dangers of complacency when it comes to climate change, as extreme global weather over the past 2 years has fuelled speculation that global warming, due at least in part to carbon emissions, is beginning to destabilise the Earth's climate. In response, the EU has committed itself to reducing CO_2 emissions by 20% by 2020. Tougher targets have been put in place in the UK too; the 2006 amendment to Part F: Conservation of fuel and power of the Building Regulations requires higher thermal standards in buildings, which will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases in line with the Government's long-term target of a 60% decrease by 2050. The amended regulations require using a whole building approach to calculate energy efficiency, and will reduce carbon emissions from buildings by up to 40%. Also, for the first time, buildings over 1000m~2 undergoing major refurbishment will have to be upgraded to comply with energy performance requirements.