Environmental Build

Summer 2010

www.enuk.net

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In this issue...

The voice of authority for the renewable power sector environmentalbuild summer 2010

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environmentalbuild summer 2010

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environmentalbuild summer 2010

environmentalbuild CONTENTS

Environment matters One of the topics under the spotlight in this issue is the thorny question of contaminated land - an environmental issue of some importance when you consider that the UK’s contaminated land sector is worth £1 billion a year, employs almost 8,000 people and is expected to grow by almost 3.5 per cent per year between now and 2015, with the number of jobs in the sector expected to increase to 10,000.

Many people are now investing in the clean-up process of contaminated land to reclaim it, as development land is scarce.

In addition, the Government is encouraging the clean-up of contaminated land by introducing an enhanced tax relief for the costs incurred by companies in cleaning up land they acquire in a contaminated state.

With the ever-growing demand for water (and subsequent increases in cost), the known adverse impacts this can have on local environments, and new government regulation geared to reducing water consumption, the UK market demand for rainwater harvesting systems is on the increase - mirroring what has already taken place in other industrialised countries.

Which is why this issue includes coverage of the increasingly important role of rainwater harvesting, including how Part-G of the Building Regulations, which came into force on 6th April 2010, introduced the concept of two water supplies in the home, namely ‘wholesome’ (ie mains) water for potable use, and ‘non-wholesome’ (from some other source) for non-potable applications such as toiletflushing, clothes-washing and the outside tap. Using non-wholesome water instead of mains water helps to meet the water efficiency requirements set out in the Building Regulations. The simplest and most cost-effective way of doing this is to use rainwater harvesting.

Sustainable design is now an important element of many building projects nationwide, representing a rapidly growing market. Not only is sustainable design one of the Government’s key targets, it is also becoming an important requirement of construction clients.

This issue takes a look at those who lead the way in the sustainable design stakes, with a round up of this year’s winners of the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) Awards.

Lesley Coward – editor indigoroma@googlemail.com

NEWS 6

29

How to make money from waste – RWM 10, September; LABC NHW launches online calculation tool Europe’s largest Bioenergy event comes to Warwickshire; AECB marks 21st anniversary

CONTAMINATED LAND 7 9

EIC Working Group – A powerful force SiLC – specialist expertise

WATER 10 11 13

Flood show comes on stream Property-based flood-protection solutions come of age Shortages – rainwater harvesting to the rescue

GREEN ROOFS 17 18

Major player in the built environment A leading authority on research

BREEAM 19

Showcasing excellence – winners take a bow

RENEWABLE POWER 21

23

The voice of authority for the renewable power sector Changing landscapes

COVER STORY

BIOMASS 25

Sector powers ahead

NFDC 27

Demolition fights back

DUST CONTROL 28

Wayne Taylor Advertising Manager Tel: 0161 850 1678 Mob: 07739 113871 Email: wayne@dmmonline.co.uk

Construction sites and the law

All other enquiries: Tel: 0161 850 1680 Fax: 0161 834 0077 3rd Floor, Blenheim Court, Carrs Road, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 2LA Copyright EnvironmentalBuild.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior permission of EnvironmentalBuild.

Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

EVJ

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How to make money from

e

Whether you are looking for a waste-to-energy solution or researching available grants and funding to help you to grow your recycling business, the Recycling and Waste Management Exhibition (RWM 10) taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 14 to 16 September can help you turn your waste problems into resource opportunities.

Bigger than ever before, the three-day show features an indoor and outdoor exhibition of more than 500 companies and organisations exhibiting and demonstrating the latest technologies and recycling solutions. Entry is free and also gives visitors access to over 40 seminar sessions offering invaluable legislative and financial advice and first-hand case studies of successful public and private sector projects.

Fresh additions for RWM10 include a Waste Minimisation Zone with a ‘drop in surgery’ where visitors can get help from experts in resource efficiency and the exhibition’s first ever Catwalk showcasing exciting designs from textile recycling. There will also be new visitor facilities on the show floor which include an RWM Restaurant offering pre-bookable table service lunches and the Viridor Visitor Lounge designed for informal networking and internet research.

The indoor exhibition area has been expanded to accommodate companies exhibiting for the first time and returning exhibitors who have booked larger stands.

waste

Free Seminars During the three-day show there will be a free to attend seminar programme running across three seminar theatres and the new Waste Minimisation Zone, which will offer a great source of practical help and advice for any visitor responsible for waste and environmental issues within their own company or organisation.

Gerry Sherwood, event director, RWM, said: “Green industries are thriving while economic and legislative pressures have made waste, energy and resource management more relevant than ever before.

With an expanded exhibition floor, a number of new features and a great choice of free seminar programmes, we have made sure that a visit to RWM will offer you contacts, solutions, ideas and advice, whatever industry you work in.”

Entry to RWM10 is free of charge. Register now for your free badge and to receive regular news updates. Visit: www.rwmexhibition.com/ ebuild. n

LABC NHW launches online Code for Sustainable Homes calculation tool e LABC New Home Warranty has released an on-line tool to allow anyone to gain a better understanding of the Code for Sustainable Homes and how it can affect their proposed project.

Paul Byrne, Business Development Director from LABC NHW commented: “As part of our continued commitment to improving our services and to supporting sustainability in design and construction,

we have developed an on-line tool which is free to use. Our hope is that users will be able to gain a better understanding of what the Code for Sustainable Homes is about and how they can best arrive at a solution which meets their needs as well as those of the environment.”

The Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH) Calculator is a unique on-line application which allows users to gain

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an understanding of what CfSH involves.

It provides a source of information and guidance and allows you to try out different solutions to suit your needs.

The results can be saved and modified to see how different decisions can influence the final CfSH Rating. The application is launched from LABC New Home Warranties web site (go to www.labcnhw. co.uk). n

environmentalbuild

A powerful force within the

contaminated land sector Picture courtesy of Ecologia

by CLIVE BOYLE, CRB Environmental Ltd - Vice Chair, EIC Contaminated Land Working Group

e

The UK’s contaminated land sector is worth £1 billion a year and employs almost 8,000 people. The industry is expected to grow by almost 3.5 per cent per year between now and 2015, with the number of jobs expected to increase to 10,000 over the same period.

Despite these business and employment opportunities, current market conditions could drive development away from more complex and challenging brownfield sites, to what is perceived to be easier/cheaper greenfield plots. The industry faces real challenges, so effective representation, lobbying and other engagement with Government and regulators is more important than ever.

Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) was launched in 1995 to provide the environmental technology and services sector with a strong and effective voice with Government in the debate about how to ensure that British companies succeed in a growing worldwide market.

This is clearly demonstrated in the land remediation industry, where The Contaminated Land Working Group of EIC most effectively represents the interests of the sector, as well as providing a forum for information exchange and networking between professionals engaged in it.

The work of the group and its members contributes to bringing derelict, blighted and contaminated sites back into beneficial use, reducing the risk to human health and the environment that exists from the contaminating legacy of former industrial and other activities and to sustainable development. The current interests and campaigns of the group and its members are best illustrated by looking at extracts from the Contaminated Land Remediation

Manifesto presented by EIC to all parties prior to the election and now being progressed with the Coalition Government.

A strategic approach to sustainable construction EIC welcomes the UK’s far-reaching commitment for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 and its ‘ambition’ for all new non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon by 2019, but believes that these policy objectives must been matched with an equally ambitious commitment to improve all aspects of sustainability in development. cont p9

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Severn Trent Services receives MCERTS accreditation for waters analysis environmentalbuild

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Severn Trent Services can now provide MCERTS accredited analysis for sampling and chemical testing of water. On 1st June 2010, Severn Trent Services, analytical services division was granted accreditation to 17025:2005 for the Environment Agency MCERTS Performance Standard for undertaking sampling and chemical testing of water (Version 1.1).

This means they can provide a comprehensive accredited service for organisations required to carry out Operator Self Monitoring and provide analysis of sewage effluent, untreated sewage effluent and trade effluent for over 300 additional determinands at their Coventry, and recently opened, Wakefield laboratories.

The Severn Trent Services sampling team were also granted accreditation to the same MCERTS performance standard for sampling untreated and treated sewage effluent at waste water treatment works and for on-site testing of these samples for PH and conductivity.

The Environment Agency programme for gaining MCERT for Waters accreditation meant that, although Severn Trent Services were audited before end 2009, accreditation to MCERTS could not be granted to any organisation until June 1st 2010. Further information and detail on accredited determinands and schedules of accreditation can be accessed online on the UKAS website. n • Severn Trent Services, with global headquarters in Fort Washington, Pa., USA, is a leading supplier of water and wastewater treatment solutions. The company’s broad range of products and services is concentrated around disinfection, instrumentation and filtration technologies, and contract operating services. Their analytical services group is the United Kingdom’s leading environmental testing organisation, offering leading solutions in Water, Land and Waste analysis by providing scientific services in Chemistry, and Microbiology. Analytical Services offers a range of support services including Sampling, Scheduling, On-site Analysis, Field Services, Equipment for Hire and Project Management to help customers find a solutions package that meets their requirements.

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Risk assessment of contaminated land There is an urgent requirement for legal limits to be set for land contamination which local authorities can use to define ‘unacceptable risk’ to human health or the environment from contaminated land and, therefore, the trigger point at which land must be remediated.

These legal limits must be adopted in the Statutory Guidance for the Contaminated Land Regime under Part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and through the planning process.

SiLC stands for specialist

expertise e

Picture courtesy of Hydrock

Financing brownfield development The general economic problems faced by the land remediation sector are compounded by a £40 million extra tax burden the Government recently imposed through the replacement of Landfill Tax Exemption for contaminated soils with an extension of the Land Remediation Relief to include a broader range of costs on long term derelict sites. EIC fully supports the principle of incentivising a move away from landfill to treatment. However, it remains concerned that what the Government has introduced is not a tax neutral measure, as intended, but will result in a significant net flow of revenue to the Treasury out of the brownfield development sector.

The impact of the Relief is also hindered by the inability of developers to claim the relief until the development has been sold.

EIC believes that the Government should support the redevelopment of brownfield sites through the Land Remediation Relief by allowing developers to claim in year of spend; changing the definition of long term derelict; allowing Landfill Tax Exemption for asbestos, and allowing the transfer of the Landfill Tax Exemption.

With a vision statement ‘To develop, and maintain a high quality unifying qualification for the assessment of the condition and remediation of brownfield sites which fulfils the needs of public and private sectors and society as a whole,’ SiLC stands for Specialist in Land Condition.

A registered Specialist in Land Condition (SiLC) is a senior practitioner/professional able to demonstrate a broad awareness, knowledge and understanding of land condition issues, who can give impartial and professional advice in their field of expertise.

A SiLC is competent to verify the accuracy of a completed Land Condition Record (LCR).

Initially designed to support the use of the LCR, launched by the Urban Task Force in 1999, SiLC is increasingly recognised by government and regeneration agencies as a much broader qualification. It is the only Professional Qualification of its type for experienced individuals working in Land Condition and the assessment of brownfield land.

To be eligible to apply for SiLC registration, a candidate must be able to demonstrate a minimum of eight years of suitable work experience after graduation and hold membership of a professional body at an appropriate level. n

National framework for brownfield development EIC urges the Government to adopt a National Framework for Brownfield Development with criteria that should apply to development projects on brownfield land, covering: insurance, liability provisions in contractual terms, enforceable accredited testing, and appropriate competence demonstration for practitioners..

Full details of EIC and the group’s activities can be found at: www.eicuk.co.uk. n

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Flood show comes

e

A showcase exhibition for flood, water and land drainage management in the UK and Europe, Flood Risk Management 2010 (FRM2010) will be held on 22nd and 23rd September at the East of England Showground, Peterborough.

The event is being hosted by The Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA) and so far, over 75 stands have been booked by specialist exhibitors.

FRM2010 aims to be of particular interest to those involved in making land management, planning and construction decisions and for local authorities looking to improve their understanding of the water

10 environmentalbuild summer 2010

on stream environment in light of the Flood and Water Management Act. The exhibition brings a wide range of knowledge from across the industry under one roof.

Exhibitors include the Environment Agency, pumping and aquatic control specialists, civil engineering consultants, designers and contractors, hydrographic engineers, suppliers of plant machinery, specialists in water control structures, environmental consultants, surveyors and insurers.

FRM2010 will be an excellent opportunity to discuss what is happening locally and nationally across Britain to improve water and flood risk management and to view innovative technology now being developed to plan, enhance and maintain Britain’s watercourses.

The exhibition is free to visit. Visitors will be able to meet market-leading members of the industry, and source new products and services for their projects.

Further information about FRM2010, who’s exhibiting, activities taking place over the two days, how to get there and how to exhibit are all on the exhibition’s webpage at: www.adafrm2010.co.uk n

e

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Property-based flood

protection

solutions come of age e

Since its formation in April 2001, the Flood Protection Association (FPA) has played its part as the ‘voice of the flood protection industry’ as a key stakeholder and steering group member in helping shape the way forward for flood risk management.

The final report by Sir Michael Pitt, which was published on 25th June 2008, recommended the templates and timetable for a pragmatic approach to tackle the growing problems that large-scale and localised flooding presented. Following the recommendations’ early adoption by all parties, the Flood and Water Management Bill was drafted, encapsulating much of the recommendations and timetable, and the Bill received Royal Assent on 8th April 2010.

Following the election, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agency (EA), are formulating the implementation of the Act to take account of the coalition’s objectives to achieve better value and encourage innovation. To meet these objectives, it seems logical to expect that the new strategy will at last lean heavily towards property-based solutions. They not only meet best value and innovation criteria, but can also protect against many of the different sources of flooding, whilst minimising displacement in not passing the flood consequences downstream. The responsibility for deployment and ongoing maintenance also passes to the property owners rather than remaining with the EA, therefore removing the continuing cost burden which results from other forms of communal flood defences.

A move towards property-based solutions is also supported by the early success of the Defra Grants Scheme - for example the properties that were protected in Appleby have not suffered inundation in last year’s flood events. This builds upon the growing body of evidence of private properties having been successfully protected by kitemarked and engineered solutions in many flood events over past years, which has encouraged property owners to act on their own account. Temporary and demountable solutions provide protection to many thousands of properties across the length and breadth of the UK. Many have already proved effective following the floods (in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009) in Hereford, Bewdley, Ironbridge, Shrewsbury, Worcester and a number of other locations.

This seed change has also resulted in some Insurers re-evaluating their approach to providing flood insurance at commercial rates, and excess for properties that have minimised flood risk by installing accepted property-based flood solutions.

With the proven benefits that property-based systems can provide at much better value for money, there is, in the opinion of the FPA, no reason why they should not have much wider use in flood risk management.

Property-based flood solutions have clearly come of age with Defra and the EA recognising their benefits and widening their use as an accepted part of their ‘toolkit’ in reducing flood risk and the consequences of flooding.

For further information, contact either Ron Whitehead (Tel: 07785 501723, E-mail: ronw@whatsmyfloodrisk.com) or Neil McDermid, Marketing Director, Flood Protection Association (Tel: +44(0)844 335 8457, E-mail: info@floodprotectionassoc.org) or visit: www. floodprotectionassoc.org. n

by RON WHITEHEAD FRICS FBEng Chairman, Flood Protection Association

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Water shortages –

rainwater

harvesting to the rescue …

by LISA FARNSWORTH, Director, Stormsaver Ltd

e

With recent floods still fresh in the memory, it is hard to think of water as a scarce commodity - but the fact remains that water supplies throughout southern England remain under stress, seriously so in the highly populated south-east.

Surprisingly, rainfall per head of population in the south of England is lower than in the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, again particularly highlighted in the south-east where population densities are highest and average rainfall is least. With population predicted to continue rising by a further 20-million over the next four decades, the water supply situation is predicted to deteriorate critically unless effective action is taken now.

Policies and regulations …

This imperative has been reflected for some time by Government policy documents such as the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) and its counterpart for commercial buildings, BREEAM assessments. The Code includes important mandatory targets for reducing mains water consumption, initially by bringing current average usage of 150-litres per person per day down to 120-litres (CSH levels 1 and 2), then in progressive stages (105-litres for CSH levels 3 and 4) down to 80-litres (CSH levels 5 and 6).

As a matter of policy, the Government is already committed to new houses funded by public money being built to CSH levels 3 and 4, becoming levels 5 and 6 within another two or three years. With the support of the house-building industry, it is also committed to progressively upgrading Building Regulations so that the private sector follows suit with all new houses being built to Code level 5 or 6 by 2016.

This is reflected in the draft updated Part-G of Building Regulations which came into force on 6th April 2010. For the first time these introduced the concept of two water supplies in the home, namely ‘wholesome’ (ie mains) water for potable use, and ‘non-wholesome’ (from some other source) for non-potable applications such as toiletflushing, clothes-washing and the outside tap. The regulations go on to state the need for water efficiency and identify the maximum per capita consumption of mains water permissible.

Water substitution …

Using non-wholesome water instead of mains water helps to meet the water efficiency requirements set out in Building Regulations. The simplest and most cost-effective way of doing this is to revert to the historic practice of harvesting rainwater, with modern systems being entirely automatic and for the user indistinguishable from using the mains supply.

The installation of a modern rainwater harvesting system whilst a house is being built is very straightforward, with a storage tank being coupled to the normal guttering and down-pipes as part of the general drainage works. Separate pipework is also installed to serve the non-potable services so that at no time can the wholesome and non-wholesome supplies come into contact with each other.

Given the right balance between roof size, local rainfall and house occupancy, a correctly sized system will provide most of the nonpotable water required by a household, thereby reducing mains consumption by up to 50%. In commercial premises and other

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14 environmentalbuild summer 2010

environmentalbuild buildings used by the public, this saving rises to well in excess of 80% given a large roof and a high demand for non-potable water.

Impact on consumption ‌ Applied to meeting the water consumption requirements of the Code for Sustainable Homes (progressively being mirrored in Building Regulations), levels 1 and 2 of the Code (120-litres per person per day) can probably be met by simply using straightforward economising measures such as smaller toilet cisterns, dual-flush cisterns, aerated shower and tap heads, and use of water efficient clothes and dish washers. However, this needs to be demonstrated, using the official water consumption calculator, to the local planning authority before the house can be sold, so for even this basic requirement substituting harvested rainwater for mains water might be the clearer option.

Levels 3 & 4 of the Code (105litres) become more problematical as the benefit of all the above measures has already been reaped, leaving bath size (or omission of the bath altogether) as the only remaining economising measure. Alternatively, use of harvested rainwater to reduce mains water consumption is likely to be a more popular option for most buyers of new homes. Getting down to the 80-litres per person per day required by CSH levels 5 and 6, realistically can only be achieved by substituting non-wholesome water for mains water using technology such as rainwater harvesting.

The big picture ‌ Around 8 million new homes need to be built over the next four decades which, if fitted with rainwater harvesting systems, could reduce reliance on mains supplies by around 40 cubic metres per year per property, or 320-million cubic metres collectively. To this needs to be added the potential for fitting/retro-fitting systems to suitable public buildings which could easily double this figure, thus meeting around 10% of the country’s total water needs.

For further information visit www.ukrha.org n

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environmentalbuild Make the world a little greener – Optigreen

e

As one of the leading companies in the field of roof greening, every year Optigreen installs more

than two million square metres of green roofs all over

Green roofs have many positive effects on climate and environmental factors:

the world.

A long and successful track record in Europe For 35 years Optigreen has been in the roof greening business in Europe, helping to make the world a bit greener and worth living in. Today, Optigreen supports a network of about 100 contractors in Europe and overseas, assuring high quality, correct installation and excellent service.

Coordination with roofing contractors High quality, perfect installation and high functionality are the most important factors for every waterproofing layer and green roof. Flag Soprema

•

improve water quality. They filter

runoff and reduce both the rate and

quantity of stormwater entering the

sewers and streams.

•

have excellent experience working hand-in-hand with their approved contractors and providing the highest standard of professionalism for the installation of vegetated surfaces.

It is our business to understand the science of horticulture, soils, irrigation and ecology. This method of delivering quality projects has proved to be highly successful over many years.

economy together. Optigreen designs

emphasise the creation of lively and

diverse roof habitats that also require

minimal maintenance.

•

Green roofs have a positive impact on the local climate. They clean the air

and reduce sound reflection and

transmission.

•

Green roofs extend the life-span of

the underlying waterproofing

system, as they protect it from thermal

and mechanical negative impacts.

•

Green roofs save energy, being up to

including overflow of sewer systems and flooding, damage to streams and lakes and negative changes to the local microclimate.

This can be optimised by the installation of an extensive green roof (e.g. with our patented Optigreen Meander System) as part of an integrated sustainable water management.

The Optigreen multi-layered system and media formulation The quality of a green roof depends not only on the installation through a specialist, but also on the perfect multi-layer system.

Optigreen installs multilayered systems that are exactly tailored to roof slope, possible roof load and the vegetation needs.

As a base layer for plants, substrates are the core of a sustainable green roof system. Optigreen has media formulations which offer special substrates for all kinds

twice as efficient as white or

reflective roof surfaces in reducing

of greening. They are precisely

thermal gain.

mixed according to Optigreen

Green roofs increase the property

specifications and tested to

value. Being an attractive and dramatic

insure uniform quality and

architectural amenity, green roofs can

perfomance. n

•

Water circulation on the green roof A non-greened roof surface enhances drainage

Green roofs bring ecology and

UK Ltd, Optigreen’s distribution partner in the UK, offer a wide range of waterproofing solutions. They

Green roofs reduce runoff and

This leads inevitably to a wide range of impacts,

peaks, which means an increase in stormwater release.

16 environmentalbuild summer 2010

even be used as recreational space. This increases rent and resale value.

For more information please visit: www.optigreen.co.uk www.flag-soprema.co.uk

Multi-layered Green roof build-up with patented Optigreen Meander System

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Green roofs - now a major player in the built environment

by DUSTY GEDGE, President of the European Federation of Green Roof Associations, Director of Livingroofs.org Ltd and lead consultant with www.greenroofconsultancy.com

e

There is a growing recognition, both nationally and internationally, that our approach to the built environment requires a re-assessment. Increasingly green infrastructure within the urban realm will, and to some extent is, being seen as a major player in this realignment.

The second World Green Roof Congress [WGRC] in London provides a unique opportunity for professionals within the built environment to witness the latest developments in this field, whether it is the development of city-wide policies, the latest implementation techniques or detailed research on how green roofs and walls perform within the sustainability agenda.

Green roofs are often dismissed, primarily because they do not score as high on the energy and carbon dioxide emissions as some would like. The congress will highlight how green roof technology is one of the few technologies that provide a range of benefits. This has started to be recognized at policy level throughout the world, from Portland, Oregon in the USA to Tokyo in Japan. In the UK, London has been at the forefront of advancing the green roof agenda.

The Greater London Authorities’ (GLA) green roof and wall policy has been in place since March 2008. During the period of 2004 – 2008 we know that over 450,000m2 of green roofs were installed in the capital. It is likely that at the WGRC this September, the latest figures will be available to demonstrate how the policy is having an effect.

Planning has an important role to play in mainstreaming green roofs in the UK. Whilst there is a need for clear codes of practice for green roofs, which will be addressed at the congress, planning authorities have an important role in ensuring that the quality of green roof implementation is embedded in conditions.

With hotter summers and the likelihood of increased intensive summer storms predicted as a consequence of climate change, green roofs have a distinct role to help ameliorate these effects and the congress is fortunate to have a number of recognised authorities on these issues.

Green roofs and ecosystem services are now part of the built environment agenda. However a full understanding of the range of benefits and how these benefits relate to one another needs to be understood by all involved in designing, project managing and delivering buildings within the built environment.

The congress offers the only chance to engage with a range of independent authorities from around the globe and many UK suppliers.

The WGRC takes place on 15-16 September 2010 in London.

To find out more visit www.worldgreenroofcongress.com. n

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A leading authority on e

Geared to promoting green roof development and implementation through research, education, demonstration, information and technology transfer, is the University of Sheffield’s National Centre of Excellence for Green Roofs.

Part of the Department of Landscape, the centre is the leading research establishment for green roofs in the UK, with research being undertaken in several different departments.

The current green roof activities in Sheffield originated through small research programmes carried out at the University of Sheffield in 1999 by Dr Nigel Dunnett, now Director of the Green Roof Centre and Reader at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Landscape, Since then, research activity has increased dramatically, Sheffield City Council has become very active in policy development

green

and promotion of green roofs. Groundwork Sheffield has become a powerful green roof advocate, and the city now contains a number of landmark green roof projects including Sharrow School, Jessop West and Sheffield Cathedral, to name a few.

Green Roof Code of Best Practice 2009-2012 In 2007 Groundwork Sheffield and Green Roof Centre staff began preparing a bid for the European Commission LIFE+ fund, to develop a UK code of best practice for green roof installation. Currently there are no UKspecific standards, which means there is an over-reliance on European standards which are not in tune with the UK climate. The bid was successful and work started on the Green Roof Code in early 2009. The Green Roof Code will be disseminated throughout 2011. n

Landscape experts secure two major projects

e

Frosts Landscape Construction Ltd is a company who are specialists in a number of markets. Traditional hard & soft landscape schemes on the ground have been their main market since the early 1970’s, however they have installed many green roofs over this period, the first being some 25 years ago.

Since carrying out the award winning detail design and installation of the green roof for the GCHQ building in Cheltenham 2004, the company has played a major part in installing some of the largest and most technical projects in the UK. So they are pleased to announce the award of two major roof garden projects, Neo Bankside and the new Parkway shopping Centre in Newbury, with a combined value of £4.5m. Securing such work is based on the client’s confidence in the Landscaping Contractor to carry out all the detail design and deliver on time at the right quality, and a proven track record puts Frosts in a strong position.

At the recent BALI Awards no fewer than four awards were collected, three of which were for roof gardens (see BALI article in this issue). Vizion in Milton Keynes was a 7500m2 roof terrace above a large supermarket; and two awards for the Ropemaker project in Moorgate London, on which the judges commented: “The degree of difficulty presented by this project has to be seen to be believed. The contractor was given a concept to turn into reality. It was a privilege to see the reality created by experts in their field.” n Frosts look forward to growing the Green Roof and Living Wall business to new heights…

www.frostslandscapes.co.uk Tel: 0845 021 9001 Email: alane@frostslandscapes.com The photograph shows the newly installed Living Wall at the new City Inn hotel London, which is possibly the tallest Living Wall on a live building in Europe

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roofing

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Showcasing excellence - BREEAM

award

winners take a bow e

Showcasing excellence in sustainable design, the BREEAM Awards recognise and reward those involved in the design and construction of the highest scoring buildings certified under BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method).

A BREEAM Excellent rating is a pre-qualification, so the winners truly represent the best in the industry. The awards are not subjective, as each development has been independently assessed and certified.

In order to win an award, each building must have excelled in every environmental category within BREEAM (eg from Energy to Ecology) and therefore winners represent a holistic approach to delivering environmental sustainability.

Amongst the 2010 award winners are Bletchley Leisure centre in the BREEAM Bespoke Category and Salisbury Law Courts in the Courts Category.

Bletchley Leisure Centre The new Bletchley Leisure Centre for Milton Keynes Council includes a 25 m competition pool, four squash courts, sports hall, health and fitness suite, dance studio, cafĂŠ, indoor bowling facilities and multipurpose function rooms.

Under the BREEAM assessment, the building scored well through:

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environmentalbuild excellent construction management; good access to public transport; good consideration of health and wellbeing; good consideration of energy use and energy management and consideration of materials, including responsible sourcing.

BREEAM Assessors for this project were Rickaby Thompson Associates; contractors were SDC and architects were Holder Mathias Architects.

Commissioned by Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS), Salisbury Law Court is a three-storey building containing courtrooms, judges’ offices, witness suites, hearing rooms, advocates’ suites, jury rooms, conference rooms, judges’ library and lounge, office space, public waiting areas and other facilities.

In the BREEAM Assessment the building achieved good scores in areas including: excellent construction practices; provision of

Salisbury Law Court

20 environmentalbuild summer 2010

cyclist facilities and good access to local public transport; a strategic approach to meeting and exceeding the requirements of Part L of the Building Regulations and a commitment to using renewable energy technology. The building also scored highly for consideration of both health and wellbeing issues.

BREEAM Assessors were Rickaby Thompson Associates. Acousticians were Alan Saunders Associates, main contractors were Mansell Construction Ltd and architects were Stride Treglown/Fielden and Mawson.

Other BREEAM winners include a development at Sanderstead Road, Croydon winning the Ecohomes Category with a scheme comprising 38 flats, partly constructed over three new ground floor commercial units, with two blocks of three-storey semi-detached houses in the courtyard area to the rear.

A project for Loreto Sixth Form College took the honours in the Further Education Category, with the construction of the Ellis and Kennedy building, completed in the final phase of current development for the college, whilst a new two-storey stores building for VLA stores near Weybridge in Surrey won the Industrial Category.

The International Category was won by the Centrum Galerie project involving the construction of the biggest shopping mall in Dresden, and the Multi-Residential category winner was the Carnegie Village student residential development providing 479 study bedrooms within the existing Headingley Campus of Leeds Metropolitan University.

The award for the Office category went to Horizon House, Bristol, in a project involving the construction of the Environment Agency’s new corporate office; the Prisons Category was won by a project at HMP Littlehey II Young Offenders Institute where two of four 120cell accommodation blocks were constructed; White River Place - a seven floor development creating a stimulating town centre for St Austell took pride of place in the Retail category and the new Rogiet Primary School building in Monmouthshire won the Schools category. n

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The voice of authority for the...

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RenewableUK is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries.

The association was formed in 1978 and has 619 corporate members.

Wind has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, and this trend is expected to continue with falling costs of wind energy and the urgent international need to tackle CO2 emissions to prevent climate change.

In 2004, RenewableUK expanded its mission to champion wave and tidal energy and use the association's experience to guide these technologies along the same path to commercialisation.

The association’s primary purpose is to act as a source of information for its members and to promote the use of wind, wave and tidal power in and around the UK, acting as a lobbying group to highlight the benefits of wind energy and marine renewables to government, industry, the media and the public.

RenewableUK research and find solutions to current issues and generally act as the forum for the UK wind, wave and tidal industry, and have an annual turnover of over four million pounds. n

renewable power sector New name reflects association’s vision

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Renewable UK is the newly adopted name of what was the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).

Speaking of this change, which took place in March 2010, Adam Bruce, the organisation’s Chairman and Global Head of Corporate Affairs at Mainstream Renewable Power said: “This development

is essential to aid us in implementing our vision to be the voice of authority for the renewable power sector and a credible source of information and knowledge for our members, the industry, Government, media and the public.

“By 2040, when we celebrate the 30th anniversary of RenewableUK, it is very

Report confirms North Sea as ‘Saudi Arabia of wind’

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A groundbreaking report comparing North Sea offshore energy potential with the region's oil and gas production was welcomed by RenewableUK. Published by The Offshore Valuation Group, a coalition of government and industry organisations, the report, entitled The Offshore Valuation suggests that using less than a third of the total available offshore resource could: generate the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil annually, matching North Sea oil and gas production; create 145,000 new jobs in this country and provide the Treasury with £28 billion in tax receipts; enable Britain to become a net exporter of electricity by 2050 and reduce carbon emissions relative to 1990 levels by 30%. n

likely that we will be living in a different world, the seeds of which will have been sown by the work of BWEA: a world of decarbonised energy generation, electric vehicles and offshore installations and grids spanning the continent of Europe.

We aim to be at the forefront of this revolution.” n

Extensions to offshore zones prove sector strength

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A recent announcement by The Crown Estate on extending Round 1 and Round 2 offshore wind farm sites has been endorsed by RenewableUK as further evidence of the viability and strength of the UK’s pioneering offshore wind programme. The Crown Estate awarded an additional 2GW of sites, sufficient to power 1.4 million homes on an annual basis, to seven existing offshore wind farms.

Peter Madigan, RenewableUK’s Head of Offshore Renewables, said: “The extensions of Round 1 and 2 sites follow on the heels of successful commissioning and operation of seven wind farms over the last four to five years. The announcement is entirely driven by developer interest and provides emphatic evidence of offshore wind viability and growth.

The projects are proven to deliver, so it makes sense to scale them up.”

Out of the seven sites involved, five will be granted an extension of project area, while two will have more capacity added within the existing project boundaries. n

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Changing

Landscapes e

Recent times are seeing a shift in perspective; the economic and political landscapes have added a slant to the already uncertain future the country faces. In parallel to this, the change from traditional to renewable and sustainable heat and power has customers across the country caught in limbo with their heads spinning, trying to unravel and predict the best options. Often, driven by achieving targets in energy efficiency, reducing fuel poverty and carbon emissions, there can be a conflict of interest between the various objectives.

With the removal of the Low Carbon Building Program (LCBP) grant structure and the delay in publishing the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, the market is seeing a switch from heat to power for energy savings – Wind Turbines and Photo Voltaic (PV) being at the forefront, with demand often outstripping supply.

The main challenge facing the industry is that of credibility in the face of these demands. Too often we are seeing knee-jerk reactions to requests, where inefficient and inappropriate systems are being fitted.

Domestic and General Insulation Limited, as other reputable companies, believe this is not in the best long term interests of clients or the industry.

Around the country we are seeing panels appearing on roofs where the aspect offers little efficiency, heat pumps configured that produce either too little heat or where the efficiency and outputs are compromised in order to provide the required heat. In addition, solar thermal systems of single panel east/west that produce little or no useable hot water.

Many parameters are ignored in favour of giving exaggerated and fanciful figures to bamboozle clients. In particular, PV arrays

where yields are exaggerated and the Feed in Tariff (FIT) inaccurately forecasted.

It is quite surprising the amount of customers who either ignore or do not understand the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) rating and the implications of not insulating the property before installing heating or energy systems. What is even more surprising is the number of companies prepared to follow such instruction?

With the majority of homes getting insulated by conventional means, external insulation is a viable proposition for the ‘hard to treat’ buildings and should be foremost in improving the SAP rating of a building.

To overcome and prevail we must resist the short term gain of installing such unsuitable systems and offer robust advice and real solutions based around the individual needs of properties, client and customer (the latter often being ignored). There is a basket of exciting and brilliant solutions that we can bring to clients, where assessing their needs and giving them detailed and concise information, unbiased by a preferred manufacturer, will ensure development and growth It is widely known that gas and oil will run out in our life time, and as that dates nears, the increased cost will make today’s fuel prices fade into insignificance.

New initiatives such as green loans and grant funding must be looked at, and Government lobbied for the medium to long term. The UK is at the forefront on climate change, we now need to take the necessary steps required to provide sustainable efficient technology. n

by Steve Belfield, Heat and Energy manager Domestic and General Insulation Limited

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Biomass energy sector powers ahead

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The biomass energy sector has experienced considerable growth over the last few years, reflecting increasing fossil fuel prices and ambitious, legally binding targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The Biomass Energy Centre (BEC) was set up in April 2006, as a technical advisory service for the biomass industry and has answered several thousand enquires, the majority of which related to wood fired heating systems.

Boilers

Fuels

Wood chip boilers Wood chip boilers are available in a wide range of sizes, from those suitable for a single house, up to industrial devices capable of running large district heating schemes. Equipment is available designed to burn most kinds of wood chip, but it is important to identify the type of fuel you expect to use at the outset, as this will affect the system you need.

Wood pellets Pellets are a processed, clean, consistent form of woodfuel that flows easily, burns efficiently and is pleasant to handle.

Wood pellets are made by compressing dry sawdust under very high pressure, giving a high energy density, which minimises the space required for storage. Pellets are also the most expensive form of woodfuel, close to, or even slightly more than the cost of mains gas, though usually significantly cheaper than oil, electricity or LPG. Logs and briquettes Logs are at the opposite end of the woodfuel spectrum from pellets.

They are not so consistent or dense, usually require manual loading into the boiler, and tend to be dusty. They are, however, significantly cheaper than pellets and represent a fuel that is easy to find from local suppliers (or produce from your own garden).

Briquettes are effectively large pellets made from compressed sawdust. They can be burned in log stoves and offer greater heat output per cubic metre than logs, but at significantly higher cost.

Wood chips Wood chips are the lowest energy density form of woodfuel. While the cost and space required for this tends to be beyond the scope of most domestic installations, chip can represent a very cost effective, low carbon option for larger buildings, and businesses with sufficient storage space.

Pellet boilers Pellet boilers are well established technology in many European countries, offering reliable operation for many years. Systems are now available in the UK in a range of sizes from very small domestic devices for energy efficient houses, up to systems suitable for large buildings or district heating schemes. Installed coal boilers can also be converted to run on wood pellets.

Log Boilers Modern, batch type log boilers also offer very high efficiency, which they achieve by burning logs in batches in a high temperature environment, storing the energy as high temperature hot water in a highly insulated accumulator tank. This heat is then supplied to the central heating and hot water circuits.

Stoves Traditional stoves are available that run on either logs or pellets to provide radiant heat to the room. They need to be manually fed with fuel as required to maintain the heat output, and achieve significantly lower efficiency than boilers.

Smoke control areas Biomass fuels are not approved for use in smoke control areas, except in officially approved ‘exempt appliances.’ The website www. uksmokecontrolareas.co.uk gives lists of Smoke Control Areas and approved appliances. n

For more information contact the Biomass Energy Centre, on 01420 526197, or email biomass.centre@forestry.gsi.gov.uk www.biomassenergycentre.org.uk

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Demolition

fights back

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The UK demolition industry has suffered more than its fair share of economic blows during the past 12-18 months - but under the stewardship of President David Darsey, the National Federation of Demolition Contractors has continued to invest in readiness for a longawaited upturn.

Having inherited the NFDC presidency just as the demolition industry dipped into recession, David Darsey is now well into the second 12 months of his two-year tenure in the federation hot seat.

Darsey’s personal passion is improving welfare and health monitoring for demolition workers. But his single-minded NFDC President David Darsey pursuit of this objective has been balanced by one defining obstacle that has shaped the first half of his presidency; one that has informed every plan, strategy and decision: the challenges of a failing economy.

Darsey and the federation has also put its financial muscle behind an initiative to help those rendered unemployed by the industry-wide downturn. The federation was instrumental in the creation of www. demolition-jobs.co.uk, an industry recruitment website that effectively works in reverse. “By using the website, unemployed demolition professionals can advertise their availability to work free of charge. The site can be browsed free of charge by potential employers seeking qualified workers,” Darsey explains.

Exacting standards

Through no fault of his own or of the industry he serves, Darsey has been presiding over an industry suffering its worst recession in memory.

At the time of Darsey’s election, the true extent of the impending recession was still not known, particularly to the banks and financial institutions that caused it. Demolition work had certainly slowed in many parts of the UK, and many NFDC members had already started to take evasive action: trimming equipment fleets; stretching out non timereliant contracts to keep men and their remaining machines in action; and ultimately reducing workforces. But the joint promise of a pre-London 2012 Olympic spending spree coupled with the hope of additional work demolishing buildings rendered economically unviable by the Government’s reduction in rates relief on empty buildings, seemed likely to see Darsey’s chosen industry through.

In addition to inheriting the presidency at a time of economic downturn, Darsey has also become the first to be required to enforce the Federation’s Accredited Site Audit Scheme (ASAS). The scheme, in which NFDC corporate members must submit sites for inspection by an independent third-party to ensure that they are upholding the exacting standards demanded by the NFDC, became a pre-requisite of membership when Darsey took up the hot-seat.

Darsey has more reason for optimism than just increased website traffic.

Together with former NFDC presidents David Keane and John Wring and NFDC CEO Howard Button, Darsey has just cemented the federation’s membership with the UK Contractors Group “We are delighted to have been accepted as members of the UKCG as it allows us to meet with some of the largest and most influential main contractors in the country,” Darsey says. “Our ultimate aim, of course, is to reach a point where all main contractors use only NFDC members.”

One year on, Darsey was faced with the unenviable task of expelling members that had failed to adhere to the strict conditions of the ASAS scheme. “Unpalatable as this is, there is little point in having an accreditation scheme that is not enforced”, says Darsey.

Close-knit community

Looking ahead

During the past 12 months, the federation has lost several corporate members to the recession, almost all to a new-found, risk-averse attitude within the banking sector; the very same banking sector bailed out with public money just a few months earlier. But under Darsey’s stewardship, the National Federation of Demolition Contractors has acted swiftly and incisively, investing heavily to make itself stronger, more able to weather the economic storm raging all about it.

With more than a year of NFDC presidency under his belt and just under a year of his tenure remaining, Darsey is already looking ahead to what, he believes, is a brighter future for his chosen industry. “There are huge swathes of the UK’s city centre buildings that will need to be demolished to help the country meet its carbon reduction targets. And it is likely that business rates will increase still further as local authorities seek to make up shortfalls in funding from central Government,” David Darsey concludes. “This should signal an increase in demolition activity right across the UK, providing NFDC members with some welcome relief from the two years of doom and gloom they’ve been forced to endure.” n

Impact of recession

Ongoing investment Despite the recession, the NFDC invested around £1 million to relocate from its longstanding but increasingly cramped headquarters in Staines, Middlesex to a new facility in Hemel Hempstead that would provide it with greater administrative space and allow the federation to readopt the National Demolition Training Group (NDTG) and pursue its aims to create a competent, carded workforce.

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Construction site dust control and the law

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Nuisance dust emissions from construction and demolition works are common, with fine particles from these sources capable of being carried long distances from sites, polluting the local environment and affecting the health of local residents, as well as those working on the site.

In addition to legal health and safety requirements, further regulations now require local authorities to work towards achieving national air quality objectives and construction site operators will therefore need to demonstrate that both nuisance dust and fine particle emissions from their sites are adequately controlled and are within acceptable limits.

With this in mind, DustScan Ltd was recently commissioned by VolkerFitzpatrick Ltd to prepare a dust management and monitoring strategy (DMS) for site redevelopment works at East Parkside, Greenwich. The works are being undertaken for Meridian Delta Ltd (the overall site developer) and comprise reconstruction and provision of infrastructure prior to development of individual plots on a brown field site on Greenwich Peninsula.

The DMS was prepared after consultation with Greenwich Council’s Environmental Protection team and follows construction industry best practice guidance and Greenwich Council’s own Noise and Dust Protocols.

Fugitive ‘nuisance’ dust emissions are monitored at five locations on the site boundary using DustScan DS-100 directional dust gauges.

The DS-100 is a passive (i.e. unpowered) dust sampler, featuring a ‘sticky cylinder’ to sample dust in flux for subsequent quantification.

The directional dust monitoring head collects fugitive dust from 360° around the gauge to indicate potential dust sources and pathways.

As recommended by DustScan Ltd, directional dust samples are taken over seven day intervals. At the end of the monitoring intervals, each sampling cylinder is removed and placed in a protective carrying flask and a replacement head fitted. Used sampling heads are sent to DustScan Ltd for computer analysis.

Directional dust is reported at 15° resolution as Absolute Area Coverage (AAC%, the presence of dust irrespective of colour) and Effective Area Coverage (EAC%, the darkness or potential soiling of dust). The dust monitoring results are tabulated and shown as ‘directional dust roses’ to show the magnitude of AAC% at each monitoring location for each sampling interval.

The directional dust monitoring data can be reviewed in accordance with the London BPG for ‘sticky pad’ dust monitoring and are summarised in relation to the DustScan AAC% and EAC% ‘dust nuisance risk matrix’.

To assess the risk of fugitive dust from the site affecting nearby residents, directional ‘arcs of significance’ were determined for the site as ‘any direction where dust propagation might cross the site boundary’. For this, the dust data is summarised as a ‘risk factor’ of potential dust nuisance across the site boundary in five levels ranging from ‘very low’ to ‘very high’.

Ongoing dust suppression measures are revised and updated according to site conditions and operations. n

Recirculating wheel wash at the entrance to the site. This was used during the groundworks phase of the operation to minimise track-out from the site

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Europe’s largest dedicated

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bioenergy event

Now in its 5th year, the European Bioenergy Exhibition and Conference (EBEC) on 6 - 7 October 2010 at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, has established itself as the UK's largest dedicated Bioenergy Exhibition.

Drawing visitors from the UK, Europe and beyond through its media partners and strategic marketing campaigns, EBEC has a large reach aimed at a targeted audience of farmers and land owners, local authorities, architects and designers, large plcs, food companies, entrepreneurs, motoring enthusiasts and the eco public. 2010 will be EBEC’s 2nd year at Stoneleigh Park and will include over 200 exhibiting companies.

The primary focus of the show is biodiesel, biogas, biomass / wood energy and fuel from waste. Biofuels Media, organisers of the event, have again joined forces with the REA , which will run its successful Bioenergy Conference alongside EBEC. The show moved location from Newark, Nottinghamshire to Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire in 2009.

Richard Price, MD of Biofuels Media, said “Visitors, conference attendees and exhibitors across the whole bioenergy sector can learn about the latest market innovations, trends, future projections and legislation environments all in one place. EBEC has established itself as the place the Bioenergy market meets to do business.”

A definitive source of information for key decision makers, the exhibition will include free practical workshops with expert advice, and workshop areas - Biogas, Biomass and Biofuels.

There will also be four study tours to local bioenergy facilities showcasing: biodiesel production; a recently commissioned 1MW AD biogas plant; a local 500MW biomass boiler installation and a tour around a Miscanthus Pelleting plant. In addition, The show will feature live demonstrations on stands showcasing products and techniques in action.

For further details and conference registration, see: www.ebec. co.uk n

Anniversary conference marks AECB’s 21st birthday

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Celebrating 21 years at the forefront of the sustainable building industry, AECB, the sustainable building association, is holding its 2010 Anniversary Conference on 1 - 2 October at the newly opened WISE Building at the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Machynlleth, Powys.

The AECB develops and publishes standards for sustainable building, and delivers training, including on the use of the Passivhaus standard and design tool.

The circular lecture theatre in which the conference is being held features 7.2m rammed earth walls - the highest in the UK! The conference will feature an opening presentation by Paul Allen, External Relations Director, Centre for Alternative Technology, on CAT’s latest report on Zero Carbon Britain 2030, launched in June. Other topics include

a keynote talk by George Monbiot, journalist and author, and a presentation on 20 years of low energy building by John Willoughby, energy and environmental design consultant.

Delegates will explore how to reduce energy use through renovation - looking at examples of jobs from fairly basic insulation projects right through to renovation to Passivhaus standard. A number of case study presentations on domestic and nondomestic builds to the Passivhaus standard and beyond will look at the problems encountered and how they were resolved.

In addition, guided tours of both the WISE Building and CAT will be available.

For further information, contact: Karen Purvis, AECB 2010 Conference Secretariat Tel: 01993 831859 Email: conference@ aecb.net. n

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