4rd Edition
AIR QUALITY PROCUREMENT GUIDE Brought to you by
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Editorial Comment and Contacts
Welcome to the Procurement Guide Contacts
Welcome to the fourth issue of the Air Quality News Procurement Guide, where we aim to provide local authorities with effective tools to address the multiple issues inherent in tackling air pollution. Whether it is developing an EV charging infrastructure, installing air monitoring systems or involving the public in productive dialogue, there are multiple mechanisms to fit different approaches and we try to present a broad array of them, both on our website and in this guide. On this page in the previous Procurement Guide, I mentioned that the air quality debate was focused on the ULEZ expansion, but noone could have predicted how events would unfold following that. We have had Uxbridge, we have the people destroying ULEZ cameras being championed in parts of the national press
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and now we have the ‘Plan for Drivers’. I feel I must reference the Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill, which is currently going through the Commons. This will have a direct impact on local authorities, prohibiting as it does, public bodies from unilaterally making decisions about their procurement or investment policies based on ethical and human rights grounds. Richard Hermer KC (who represented Ella Kissi-Debrah’s family at the inquest into her death) provided opinion on the Bill, finding it confusing, contradictory and would likely place the United Kingdom in breach of international law obligations. Amnesty International UK have also spoken out: ‘This bill is an unwarranted encroachment on the ability of public bodies to pursue ethical procurement and investment.’ We will obviously keep an eye on these developments but for now I would like to thank the eminent group of contributors who have brought their expert views to the pages of this Procurement Guide. We have a joint contribution from workspace provider Argyll and engineering giants Ramboll, discussing how we should shift focus from new builds being the only sustainable solution, towards retrofitting our existing stock. Zung Nguyen Vu from TMXimpact calls for a shift in the way local councils and communities are involved in environmental action and for greater support from the government. We have no less than two teams of academics, from the Universities of Birmingham and Manchester, talking us through the procurement and optimal implementation of air quality monitoring systems. And for my part, I take a look at Oxford City Council’s unique procurement platform for EV Infrastructure.
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Contents
Features Contents Pages 6-7: Oxford City Council created an EV procurement system, and everyone can use it. Pages 8-9: Vortex Examining Waltham Forest’s integrated solution to monitor traffic contraventions and air quality outside schools. Pages 10-11: Is a low cost air quality monitoring system the best option for you?
Pages 6-7: Oxford City Council created an EV procurement system and let everyone else use it
Pages 18-19: Empowering local action for the UK's Net Zero future
Pages 12-13: Yunex Traffic A new approach to the intelligent and adaptive control of traffic signals, Pages 14-15: Shifting the focus from new-builds to retrofitting existing stock Pages 16-17: EarthSense Accelerating the Transition to Clean Air Pages 18-19: Empowering Local Action for the UK's Net Zero Future Pages 20-21: Airly announce their MCERTS certification
Pages 10-11: Is a low cost air quality monitoring system the best option for you?
Pages 22-23: Three tips to monitor air quality effectively
Pages 22-23: Three tips to monitor air quality effectively Pages 26-27: Evotech’s Calderdale Clean Air Schools Campaign Pages 28-29: Cambustion The reasons behind air pollution ‘hotspots’
Pages 14-15: Shifting the focus from new-builds to retrofitting existing stock airqualitynews.com
Thanks to our contributors: Emily Smith, Sarah Halpin, Zung Nguyen Vu, Dr Nicole Cowell, Dr Catherine Muller and Prof Lee Chapman, Prof James Evans, Dr Thomas Bannan, Prof David Topping and Dr Jamie Anderson 5
Feature
Oxford charging forward with their EV infrastructure procurement platform By AQN editor Paul Day
A
s arguably the leading local authority in the drive towards ridding their streets of the internal combustion engine, it is not surprising that Oxford City Council have been the trailblazers of EV infrastructure procurement. This trailblazing journey began when The Go Ultra Low Cities scheme was launched in 2017. The idea was to create a cohort of eight exemplar cities or regions that lead the way in promoting electric vehicles, tackling air quality, and reducing carbon emissions. The Go Ultra Low Cities were Oxford, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, York, Dundee, London, the West of England, and the North East. As a result of the research undertaken here, at the vanguard of EV infrastructure, the Oxford team decided to enshrine their achievements in the ‘Oxford City Council Electric Vehicle Dynamic Purchasing System’ (DPS), a free resource designed to enable the public sector to side-step some of the problems they might otherwise encounter in building an effective EV infrastructure. Local authorities face a confusing environment, with a multitude of technical solutions, installation methods, and regulatory and statutory standards to wade through, as well as a similarly
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daunting number of companies offering their services. The situation for confused LAs is made worse by an increasing sense of urgency to get the appropriate infrastructure in place, given the national target of at least 300,000 charge points by 2030. It was into this landscape that Oxford City Council would launch their DPS. Mish Tullar, Director of Corporate Services at the Council explains, ‘It became apparent we needed a new approach that had longevity. We set up a team of internal procurement specialists, internal EV technical and implementation experts, and external EV legal experts: the architects of the DPS.’ Work on the DPS started in May 2020 and it was first put to use in November 2021, procuring consultants to help the team write Oxford’s EV infrastructure strategy: ‘Procurement started and took less than two months from writing the tender to the consultants starting work,’ says Mish. ‘It was at this point other local authorities started meeting with us to see if they could make use of it.’ Mish says,: ‘From our conversations with other local authorities, many were concerned they had neither the expertise nor the resource to procure quality EV infrastructure.
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‘They tend to get lots of mixed-quality responses to tenders – sometimes just a brochure – which makes evaluation difficult and resource intensive. Others experienced failed procurements or suppliers that did not deliver the quality and value for money they had hoped.’ To examine the other side of the coin, the Oxford team also listened to the perspective of the suppliers: ‘Their feedback was that public sector tenders are often resource intensive,’ says Mish, ‘Many suppliers find confusing criteria and requirements frustrating. This means it is mostly large companies with resource that respond to tenders. And in some cases, it leads to application costs being passed onto the purchaser.’ The project was overseen by the council’s director of corporate services and finance director and was made up of three working groups: the council’s procurement team, EV specialists in the council’s sustainable innovation team and external experts in contract and EV law. The DPS is a user guide and process flow, complete with contract and templates, to ensure any public sector organisation could use it with confidence. It has been designed to be particularly beneficial for local authorities without staff designated to EV infrastructure
Feature delivery or where EV knowledge is limited. A comprehensive user guide, contract templates, and evaluation process help speed up the process. Any public sector body using the DPS can: Find a supplier for any stage of implementing publicly accessible EV charge points, from consultants to energy storage providers Apply their own local requirements and standards Award a contract in just 10 days for quality, long-term EV infrastructure Compile documents easily with the help of optional DPS templates and guidance Spend less on the costly legal input often required for major procurements Be confident bidding suppliers meet stringent quality criteria to comply with statutory and regulatory needs One of the main difficulties, Oxford found, was being able to evaluate the quality of the procurement systems, given that they usually includes several different services in one package. Some of those elements might be very effective, some might not, but there is a risk that taking an entire package would hold local authorities hostage to fortune. To ameliorate this risk, the DPS dissected the packages into nine individual elements which can be procured individually, giving local authorities the ability to quickly replace any service from a previous procurement that failed, without having to restart the whole process. The elements are: Turnkey (out of the box) services Installation and commissioning Manufacturing Operation and maintenance Inspection services Roaming services (one payment method for use with multiple providers) Consultancies EV energy storage solutions and capacity management Car club solutions Oxford City Council made an initial investment of about £75,000 into the development of the DPS, covering officer time and legal fees. To fund the ongoing operation and maintenance of the DPS, suppliers who are awarded contracts pay a small rebate (currently 0.7%). To ensure the DPS is accessible for all companies,
[ Anne-Marie Warren, Vikki Robins and Krista Middleton at the 2022 Go Awards, where the EV DPS was a finalist in two categories: 'Continuous Improvement' and 'Best Procurement Delivery' ] including SMEs, the rebate is collected at pre-agreed milestones and only once invoices are paid by the local authorities. Owing to the repeatable nature of procurement, it is anticipated that Oxford will recoup the initial £75,000 investment through the supplier rebate fee. The DPS has proved popular since it was launched. To date, 13 contracts have been awarded for 11 public sector bodies, amounting to a total contract value of over £25 million. 38 suppliers are enrolled and 58 access agreements have been signed by public sector bodies Barnet Council used the system to procure for their EV charging project EV500, funded by the UK government’s on-street residential charge point scheme. The project included a turnkey solution to supply, install, manage, operate, and maintain 510 charge points installed across 34 residential streets. Paul Bragg, Head of Network and Infrastructure – Street Scene, London Borough of Barnet, said: ‘We found the DPS easy to use, with lots of the key standards and compliance work already completed for us. This was advantageous as our tender writing could focus on our needs and so it was much quicker to compile. This really sped up the procurement process, which is particularly important when delivering a large project within a tight grant funding timeline.’ Barnet have gone on to use the DPS for two additional projects. The DPS has won the Tomorrow’s
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Procurement award for Innovative Procurement Project 2023 and was a finalist for both LGC Awards and UK National GO Awards. The DPS team are proactive in ensuring the DPS remains a viable solution for procuring in this everchanging market by collaborating with Cenex as members of the Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Funding Procurement Forum. Of the project’s success, Mish Tullar says, ‘It is rare for a local authority to create a UK-wide solution. We used external EV and contract lawyers to ensure what we were creating was both fit for purpose and commercially attractive for suppliers. ‘Supplier feedback is that it cuts down their application time without compromising quality. As a result, we have received only a handful of supplier queries, which demonstrates the DPS is appropriate and commercially attractive. ‘We have also gained our own insights and expanded our knowledge through this project. In the future, we hope to build on this. ‘Our team is proud of what we have built. The links between departments and the business relationships we have built have led to valuable opportunities. These include invitations to talk at conferences, be part of procurement forums, attend panels, and join discussion groups. These have allowed us to share updates, learn, and develop our skills, which motivate us in our work.’ 7
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Case Study
London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Borough of Waltham Forest aims to keep residents safe with digital School Street scheme. Moving from traditional traffic control methods, the London Borough of Waltham Forest has installed an integrated solution to digitally monitor traffic contraventions and air quality outside schools to improve road safety, enhance air quality and encourage active travel.
Client. London Borough of Waltham Forest Waltham Forest was one of the first London boroughs to take charge of their environment with digital technologies that support decarbonisation, traffic reduction and, most importantly, resident safety and health. As part of a phased development plan, the Council is working towards making Waltham Forest a safer place to live with current interventions to encourage active travel and improve road safety. The existing schemes will integrate with their pollution reduction and traffic management scheme outside specific schools to improve the air and remove idling vehicles from areas where people are most vulnerable.
Solution. CCTV traffic monitoring and hyperlocal air quality monitoring Waltham Forest upgraded its traffic monitoring, where needed, by replacing existing CCTV cameras with advanced Videalert devices, a leading UK provider. Integrated with the latest PCN (penalty charge notice) processing systems, these certified cameras are used to capture vehicles with unauthorised access during school pick-up and drop-off times. By reducing traffic outside schools, the Council gauges carbon reduction impact, validates school street effectiveness, and plan engagement programmes for a sustainable community. The combined data informs policymaking for clean air and road enhancements,
Challenge. How to know where to act?
contributing to residents' quality of life. This will also help the
Over the years, several pollution reduction and traffic
studies to improve children’s mental and physical well-being
management approaches have been trialled and are currently in
school encourage active travel transport that has proven through walking, cycling or scoot to school.
operation. However, previous interventions have been difficult to validate accurately due to a lack of localised data monitoring from new technologies. Pollution in the borough stems from various sources, including external origins. Within the borough, major contributors to pollution are motorised vehicles, emitting particularly NO2 and particulate matter. The Council sought an
Vortex's and Videalert's packaged solution provided: 21 unattended CCTV cameras
approach to gauge and oversee the impact of a school street intervention for pollution attribution. This involved temporal
12 Maintenance-free and SIM-card-free
analysis of air quality fluctuations, especially during school
VTX Air monitors
pick-up and drop-off times, when exclusive vehicle access applies around specific schools.
Integrated data platform – Insights on traffic contraventions, weather, and air pollution
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Our goal is to make Waltham Forest a safer place to live. Thanks to installing VTX Air sensors and Videalert CCTV cameras, we now have real-time insight into our air quality and controlled traffic measures that aim to improve road safety, improve traffic flow and reduce traffic-related emissions." Anthony Hall Assistant Director for Highways and Parking Services at the London Borough of Waltham Forest
Real-time, hyperlocal air quality data - on NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10 Bespoke-built Mesh Network – calibrations and updates are done remotely Service desk support
Feature
Procuring and deploying low-cost sensor networks:
Dr Nicole Cowell, Dr Catherine Muller and Prof Lee Chapman, WM-AIR, University of Birmingham
L
ow-cost sensors are becoming an increasingly popular option for monitoring air quality due to their reduced capital costs and small stature, making them suited to sampling in previously unattainable locations. Many users are turning to lowcost sensors to supplement regulatory sampling or for targeted air pollution monitoring. Low-cost sensors are increasingly being referred to as ‘small form sensors’, as whilst their initial costs may be low, they can often be associated with significant ongoing costs past initial investment.
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The initial device costs of a low-cost sensor in the current market usually have a range of between £150 and £5,000 per device, which is at least an order of magnitude cheaper than the regulatory equivalent. However, in addition to these prices, units may require subscription fees; maintenance fees, staffing fees (for installation & maintenance, as well as data quality assurance and control) and the effective lifetime of a device may not be as long as a regulatory device. Therefore, whilst the term low-cost is used in this guidance, it’s important to consider that the phrase generally refers to the initial hardware costs and not the total sampling costs
Feature which may be associated with such devices. It is important to carefully consider your project aims and resources and whether low-cost sensors are a practical solution which will support your goals. Low-cost sensors are not likely to be able to monitor pollution to the same resolution as regulatory instruments. If you are wanting to confidently detect a small level difference of concentrations (aka 21µgm-3 to 20 µgm-3) then low-cost sensors are unlikely to be suitable. They are more likely to be suited to providing coarse insights into concentrations, and give an idea if an area has ‘higher’ or ‘lower’ concentrations. If after these considerations, low-cost sensors seem suitable there are a wide range of options available for purchase. The simplest devices offer raw air quality data from a low-cost sensor stored on an SD card or downloaded via internet connection. Some other providers offer sensing as a service, offering QA/QC, online data storage and visualizations and in some instances, sensor install and maintenance. When procuring such sensors, there are five key considerations that should be made:
❶ Are low-cost sensors the best approach for me?
Are indicative values enough for my application? Consider the length of sampling, whether you are targeting a specific source or intervention, if the reduced accuracy of low-cost samplers to regulatory instruments is enough for your monitoring goal and the practicality of installing low-cost sensors including what infrastructure, power and permissions would be needed for a successful install and who owns the data/device/ infrastructure
❷ Cost: is the sensor really low-cost beyond the short
term? Consider how many pollutants you want to measure and what is included in the price of your sensor. Whilst many low-cost sensors have reduced capital costs compared to regulatory sampling, they also may have ongoing costs such as maintenance, subscription fees, data storage and comms. Enquire about the lifetime and expected ongoing costs of a device and consider if hiring a unit is an option.
❸ How is the device hardware different from the
others on the market? Whilst there are many different commercially available sensing units, many of the devices actually operate the same sensing hardware to detect air quality concentrations. It is worth asking what the sensing hardware components within a device are, and if the sensor operates on a cartridge system which could allow them to be easily replaced if needed. Often the main difference in cost from such devices comes from the service and software provided, not the hardware!
❹ Data quality: How are the devices calibrated and how
long does that last? A frequent concern of low-cost sensors is data quality and a common way to address this is to use a calibration against a reference instrument, with the best calibrations also taking into account pollutant source/composition and meteorology. It is important to understand how a sensor is calibrated, how long a calibration lasts and how sensors compare between themselves to support any data analysis.
❺ How transparent is all this? Whilst manufacturers
can offer sensing as a service, they may not disclose full details of how they calibrate and offer QA/QC of a sensor. From a scientific and regulatory monitoring perspective, the metadata around sensor accuracy, precision and selectivity is key in supporting any data analysis and decision making. Without transparency, data is devalued and we recommend using a range of sources, not just manufacturers statements, to assess the potential of lowcost sensors. For further guidance regarding procuring and deploying low-cost sensors, you can access our full briefing note which builds on lessons learned from the WM-Air and Birmingham Urban Observatory projects at the University of Birmingham online at http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/4238/
Before procuring low-cost AQ sensors it is best practice to consider the purpose and goals of the network. Consider: Is this a long-term or a short-term network? Is the project aiming to capture a specific AQ intervention or source? Could the network act as an alternative method of screening for exceedances of AQ objectives? Whilst a lowcost network may not confidently report a level difference of 20 to 21, it could report at coarser resolutions and for example give an idea if an area has a concentration of 20μgm3 or 100μgm3. What locations are available to install the sensors? For example, what street furniture is accessible? And are special permissions necessary to install with the local council? Do these locations have power (if required by the sensor)? Will specialist equipment such as cherry pickers be required or can the installations be done safely by ladder? Is the installer fully insured for public liability? Will the installer be able to provide full risk assessments and seek necessary permissions from local authority highways if footpath closures are required? How vulnerable are locations to tampering from the public? Higher install heights can reduce this risk but can then make installations more challenging and reduce relevance to public exposure. Does this project provide opportunity for education and community engagement resources? Would a % or ± error or limit of detection of a sensor impede on the sensors ability to deliver the project aim? (i.e. If a sensor has a limit of detection of 10µgm-3 and you are trying to detect concentrations below or close to the limit then the sensor is unlikely to be effective at getting the results required)
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solutions designed to achieve targeted benefits. With the Climate Change Committee reporting that UK emissions are currently not decreasing at the pace required to meet future targets, we play a key role in supporting local, regional, and national transport authorities to further reduce emissions and improve air quality. To achieve this, we are increasingly working with authorities to deploy a range of measures, including for example our intelligent Clean Air and Low Emission Zone enforcement systems, which are proven to drive behavioural change, discouraging the use of older, higher-polluting vehicles in towns and cities. To help authorities to better measure, model, manage and control air quality in their cities in real time, we are also unleashing the power of predictive modelling, having worked closely with our sister company Aimsum to combine our traffic management and control solutions with Aimsun’s modelling software systems. We are also developing a new approach to the intelligent and adaptive control of traffic signals, the first real innovation in this field for several decades. This exciting and eagerly anticipated solution ensures traffic management decisions and target outcomes are policy-driven, so for example traffic signal timing can be optimized to ensure active travel modes and cleaner air outcomes are prioritised. And in cities nationwide, we are supporting the increasing use of
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electric vehicles (EVs) by providing and maintaining rapid EV chargers to ensure the levels of availability and reliability that authorities, operators and drivers demand. With this broad portfolio of solutions, and underpinned by our unrivalled vision, experience and expertise, we are helping transport authorities across the UK and indeed worldwide to meet their traffic, carbon and air quality targets, including the need to balance transport efficiency with emissions and road safety. We know how important constructive partnerships are if national, regional and local mobility and air quality targets are to be achieved, and we look forward to working with our customers and partners to create a safer and more efficient transport network, reducing accidents, congestion and harmful emissions in our towns and cities, and building a cleaner, healthier and more attractive environment.
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Feature
How to foster effective retrofit strategies in our built environment By Emily Smith, COO, Argyll, and Sarah Halpin, Head of Sustainable Solutions, Ramboll
W
ith 25% of UK emissions directly attributable to the built environment, it is essential that delivering on sustainability targets remains at the forefront of the built environment agenda. The role of UK office stock in contributing to these emissions cannot be ignored, particularly with 87% of this stock rated at an EPC rating of 'C' or lower according to Savills research. Clearly, office providers and landlords need to double down on their efforts to meet rapidly approaching sustainability targets. Amid the rush to achieve net zero emissions, newer construction projects are often seen as a sure-fire way to bring EPC ratings down, but existing and heritage buildings demand similar attention and can offer untapped potential for contributing to a sustainable office stock through effective retrofit strategies. Solely concentrating on new developments adhering to sustainable standards will not be sufficient for the transition to net zero and should not be regarded as a panacea to sustainability issues. In fact, approximately 35% of the lifetime carbon emissions from a typical office development has already been released prior to official opening, according to the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). The tendency to laud new builds for their sustainable offering comes further into question when considering that around 80% of the buildings we anticipate will exist in 2050 are already standing. So, why are we continuing to neglect retrofitting efforts?
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Retrofitting should take centre stage as a crucial solution, not only for revitalising existing office buildings and adapting to the evolving needs of the modern workforce, but also for spearheading sustainability efforts. Argyll, for example, has undertaken an ambitious refurbishment project across its office building portfolio, to upgrade a number of its heritage buildings in line with the needs of the modern workforce, whilst effectively driving down EPC ratings and capping emissions at every opportunity. Only by adopting a data-led approach, addressing existing policy gaps hindering retrofit efforts, and recognising the core value of existing and heritage buildings can we shift focus from new builds being deemed the only sustainable solution and towards retrofitting our existing stock. Whilst heritage buildings face a unique set of challenges in their retrofit ambitions,
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due to the legislation and protections in place to preserve historic aspects, this does not undermine their role in decarbonising efforts – which must be considered in tandem with existing stock to move the dial on UK retrofit. The data revolution Businesses are rapidly embracing a data-driven approach, with continuously evolving technologies and tools at the centre of this. For retrofitting efforts, the importance of data for gathering invaluable insights across a broad spectrum of activities is palpable, from the construction materials and their transportation through to the overarching evaluation of design considerations. Such data-driven insights fuel the optimisation of retrofitting strategies. One such technology designed to
Feature with the digital twin, establishing a continuous two-way flow of collected and stored data between the environment and system processor. This offers invaluable insights, which ultimately enable rapid and customised building optimisation to enhance project outcomes. Policy issues While the advantages of retrofitting existing and heritage buildings are plenty, there is a lack of alignment with planning regulations that ultimately hinder its efficacy. Retrofitting faces substantial hurdles at a governmental and policy level, including an absence of clear policies to inform planning frameworks. This has left businesses grappling with ambiguous industry standards and a lack of best practice guidelines.
maximise the data and information we can collect at every stage of the design and construction process is digital carbon modelling, which captures high-precision data on the environmental impact of several construction material aspects, from the raw materials themselves to manufacturing, routes and methods of transportation. Ramboll, for example, has created a tool that parametrically analyses decarbonisation pathways at an asset or portfolio scale. This empowers property managers to identify the most efficient strategies to decarbonise entire estates in light of the resources available to them and their specific goals. The seamless integration of such technologies can increase the success of retrofitting outcomes by informing project decision-making, as architects can feel empowered that their decisions are based on comprehensive and accurate data-led insights. Stakeholders can, therefore, leverage such technology to drive strategies aligning with their sustainability objectives and offer meaningful and quantifiable metrics of success. A further innovative technique involves utilising digital twin technology to create virtual replicas of existing buildings within a digital simulation. A broad range of performance metrics are captured by sensors, including energy outputs, enabling project leaders to pinpoint potential energy leaks and weak points. By revealing areas of inefficiency, project leaders can use these metrics to create tangible solutions in the real world, improving the energy efficiency of buildings. In the case of digital twin technology, stakeholders see a convergence of the real world and digital environments, as real-world data seamlessly interfaces
The Building Consent Regime has presented a potential route to regulate planning permissions, but unfortunately this has been limited in its ability to bolster projects on a local level. While the framework is theoretically fit for purpose, local authorities frequently lack the specialised expertise needed for its efficient execution, resulting in disparities in implementation throughout the UK. Additionally, the government continues to favour new construction, posing a significant threat to retrofitting initiatives. The perception that new construction projects are better than retrofitting for sustainability efforts, coupled with the economic incentives linked to constructing new buildings, such as VAT exemptions, mean that more often than not, retrofitting existing stock is left ignored. Prioritising the development of successful retrofitting strategies should be the top priority for both government and businesses and offering financial incentives is an obvious first step. However, creating a well-defined planning framework, supported by comprehensive guidance documents outlining best practices, also has
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significant potential to drive change. Working with heritage Whilst data-led initiatives and policywide change are critical, smaller scale retrofitting interventions complimenting the existing structure of a building can also significantly improve a building’s emissions. Smaller scale interventions to improve a building’s energy consumption and usage are particularly valuable when retrofitting heritage buildings, which are often more limited by legislation and protections to preserve a building’s historic value. For example, implementing LED lighting systems that imitate traditional fixtures and incorporating natural ventilation methods to reduce dependence on mechanical heating and cooling systems, along with upgrading to energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, can notably enhance EPC ratings. This is illustrated by 84 Brook Street, one of Argyll’s heritage properties, which saw its EPC rating improve from ‘D’ to ‘B’ under the guidance of heritage and sustainability experts and undertaking the above interventions. Retrofitting can provide a solution to structural and amenity challenges, in some cases enabling heritage buildings that were constructed with techniques and materials that fall short of modern safety and structural standards to be structurally fortified while simultaneously accommodating modern technological needs. Enhanced discreet insulation, HVAC systems, and accessibility features, for example, allow these heritage buildings to become functional for workforces. Naturally, retrofit strategies have to be deployed carefully to preserve and protect heritage and listed aspects of older buildings, and delicately work with the heritage fabric of a building to ensure that historical and cultural value is maintained in the face of ambitious ESG objectives. Looking ahead Retrofit holds the potential to transform the future of office spaces for the modern workforce and advance progress on net zero objectives. Landlords, consultants, architects and engineers can harness the power of data and cutting-edge technologies to enhance the energy efficiency of existing, and heritage, structures, ranging from scrutinising individual material transportation routes and processes to largescale comprehensive building modelling. Now we need transparency of industry standards coupled with clearcut policy to create the optimal conditions for retrofit to thrive and fulfil its potential to transform our built environment.
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Advertorial
Accelerating the Transition to Clean Air Intelligent traffic management is allowing for a complete understanding of traffic movement at important traffic corridors, and the insights needed to hit Net Zero targets.
Monitoring air quality, noise and vibration at residential development sites
Monitoring the impact of environmental noise, air quality and vibration across densely populated urban locations is becoming of heightened importance. To better protect surrounding residents Billions of people around the world Reducing congestion and from ongoing construction at a shopping centre in London, EarthSense’s are still breathing unhealthy air, and vehicle emissions partner, KP Acoustics Group were it’s the responsibility of local authorities With deadlines for Net Zero slowly inch- tasked with carrying out noise, vibration, to take charge of how cities live and ing closer, Liverpool City Region Com- and dust monitoring (PM10 and NO2) at breathe. As high emitters come from a bined Authority have set its own targets a mixed brownfield and greenfield dewide range of sources, from transport for zero emissions by 2040. To meet velopment site in the area. to community living, to construction, this goal, Zephyr® monitors have been it’s pivotal that air quality services have installed on to traffic lights across major To meet this goal, KP Acoustics Group flexibility to provide insights for various routes in Liverpool and real-time meas- split the site into two key monitoring applications. EarthSense’s comprehenurements have been integrated with sections, using high-tech noise and sive service ensures all angles can be Yunex Traffic’s urban traffic controls via vibration monitoring equipment and covered - here’s a few examples. API, providing live data for vehicle emis- EarthSense’s Zephyr® monitors to desions across the city. termine disruption. All devices used Trialling School Streets solar panels to power the monitoring London is known for being one of the Using intelligent transport systems with equipment to overcome the issue of most polluted cities in the UK, affect- integrated air quality data, traffic can be limited power on the site. To ensure ing the health and wellbeing of young- dynamically managed to reduce con- construction work adhered to noise limer generations. Taking steps towards a gestion as it occurs across the city. Liv- its and air quality levels set by conversafer and greener city, Westminster City erpool City Region Combined Authority sations from the local council, monitorCouncil used twenty of EarthSense’s are using combined solutions to identify ing was set up from September 2021. low cost, indicative Zephyr® moni- live hotspots and reroute traffic, conse- Since, ongoing monitoring at the develtors to trial School Streets across a quently minimising congestion and the opment site has successfully worked 12-month period, so it could determine associated health and environmental to minimise the associated health and whether the schemes should be rolled implications of exposure to unsafe air environmental implications of exposure out permanently to minimise the levels quality. to unsafe air quality and noise pollution of toxic pollution reaching the air that for surrounding residents. children breathe. Following the trial period, Westminster City Council could access historic NO2 and PM2.5 Zephyr® measurements through the MyAir® web app, which was compared with baseline and traffic data to assess the relationship between traffic count, pedestrian movements, and air quality. These insights provided quantitative evidence about changes in air quality that could be attributed to Clean air is a right for everyone, everywhere and managing exposure shouldn’t be limited to the caSchool Streets and found an impressive pability of the offering. EarthSense’s full service comes with a host of capabilities such as air quality source apportionment and bespoke modelling for visualising woodburning smoke emissions, 20% reduction in the number of children reports, tailpipe emissions and much more. So, whether it’s for diverting traffic, receiving air pollution alerts, or travelling to school by car. for managing children’s exposure, find out more by visiting the website: www.earthsense.co.uk 16
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Revolutionary Air Quality Data Services Generate city wide insights for air quality challenges, helping to develop air quality action plans to reduce air pollution and minimise exposure Improve visibility of particulate distribution with iMCERTS compliant PM2.5 and PM10 Zephyr® measurements Identify high emitters such as transport and domestic burning emissions using bespoke, high resolution models with source apportionment Educate the public about air quality and encourage active travel decisions by providing public facing portals Rapid evaluation and hotspot identification utilising precalculated basemaps Evidence the effectiveness of intervention studies to help with policy evaluations Platform based analytics, offering detailed insights into air quality and enabling data-driven decisions and actions to be taken
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Empowering local action for the UK's Net Zero future
F [ Zung Nguyen Vu Partner at TPXimpact ]
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rom the future of North Sea oil exploration, to the ongoing debate around ultra low emission zones and the UK’s sluggish transition to electric vehicles (EVs), the question of how Britain can realise its net zero ambitions is dominating political discourse and media headlines. With the next general election edging closer, the country's leading political parties are increasingly discussing their take on the UK’s green agenda. We are seeing them put forward a range of policies to protect the environment, while also guaranteeing energy security and driving economic growth. While scrutinising climate policies and goals on a national level is undoubtedly important, the question of how these policies and technologies are implemented can sometimes be neglected. This may be partially down to the fact that talking about the delivery of climate projects and complicated technologies on a local level is less glamorous than making big promises and announcements that pertain to the whole of the country. Yet, focussing on local implementation is absolutely essential to advancing the UK’s journey towards net zero. In the UK, environmental projects are typically designed by central government agencies and then handed down to councils to put in place. But local authorities are having to implement these while facing their own challenges, such as strained and tightening budgets. A number of councils have even been forced to issue a section 114 notice over the last months, effectively declaring themselves bankrupt, including Birmingham, Croydon and Thurrock councils. Having exhausted their financial reserves, a growing number of local authorities are struggling to stay afloat and deliver basic services to residents. Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that environmental goals and implementation
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can fall off the agenda of many councils. Locked in fierce competition for funding with other local authorities and lacking experience with technological implementation, local authorities will only be able to drive meaningful change on the ground if they receive targeted government support. Targeting Government Support for Local Environmental Initiatives There is a lot the government can do to help councils turn their environmental goals into actionable, scalable projects. First and foremost, the government must overhaul the way it designs environmental grants. Financial support for councils often takes the form of grants, many of which can be piecemeal and difficult for local authorities to access. Redesigning grants is both achievable and necessary and will require addressing every stage of the funding process. This includes clearly defining the objectives for each fund, simplifying language, requesting only information that is needed for the application, and standardising the application process so that councils don’t have to relearn how to respond each time a new fund appears. In addition, more needs to be done to enhance collaboration between councils. Working independently from each other is not only highly inefficient, as it results in duplication of work, but also prevents councils from learning from each other’s successful projects. Rather than isolating councils, the government needs to bring them together to deliver environmental protection on a local level and standardise technologies such as EV charging points or solar grids. Increasing engagement between councils, while also ensuring successful projects are scalable so they can be implemented in different areas, will allow for more seamless integration and collaboration both between local authorities and between councils and the government.
Feature Council to organise a Citizens' Assembly. Having declared a climate emergency in 2022 and committed to becoming a net zero council by 2030, Barnet Council is dedicated to promoting environmental education on a local level and mobilising citizens from diverse backgrounds. Between February and June 2023, the council brought together 60 randomly selected residents, including 20 people under the age of 18, to discuss local issues and develop practical solutions for environmental protection. The assembly resulted in a comprehensive report with visions and recommendations for a more sustainable Barnet that were presented to elected representatives and then brought before the wider community to discuss how these recommendations can be translated into action. Instead of dictating to residents how to go about reducing carbon emissions and waste, the council gave locals the opportunity to co-develop environmental strategies, resulting in a greater sense of ownership and motivation among residents. Many participants have expressed a keen interest in continuing to contribute to the campaign’s upcoming activities. The impact of Barnet Council’s approach to people-driven climate action shows just how much is possible when communities are empowered to organise, shape policy, and supported to take direct action.
Mobilising Communities: Grassroots Mobilisation for Net Zero The climate crisis cannot be solved by an individual actor alone. It will take a concerted effort from international governments, businesses and citizens to create a greener future for all. According to recent polling, 70% of Brits support the UK’s net zero target, showing how much momentum could be generated by empowering local communities to get actively involved in supporting the UK’s journey to net zero. In the first instance, this will require educating people about the transformative potential of green technologies and policies. Grassroots campaigns often focus on reducing plastic waste or turning off lights in empty rooms, which are important causes, but do not create the scale of impact the environment needs. In contrast, a shift to technologies such as heat pumps and community solar projects has the potential to really move the needle on carbon emissions. With consumers continuing to struggle with high energy costs and politicians keen to reduce dependencies on energy imports, investing in efficient technologies and energy sources will not only be beneficial for the environment, but also for the country's independence and people’s personal finances. Beyond this, central and local authorities need to get better at supporting communities to take the lead on action. Tackling the climate crisis is a monumental task, and the scale of it can leave people thinking community or local action alone will have a minimal impact. To promote grassroots action, local authorities need to show communities that their voices matter and that their input will not only help the climate, but also improve their own local environments and quality of life. TPXimpact has done exactly that by supporting Barnet
Pioneering a Path to Global Climate Leadership It is time for a shift in the way local councils and communities are involved in environmental action. While convening experts and developing green technologies on a national level has been vital to developing the UK’s environmental agenda, it is now time to focus on implementation on a local level. This will require a redesign of the UK’s grant structure, a focus on scaling green technologies such as EV and energy, as well as people-driven climate action. Taken together, these actions will help the UK to become an international climate leader that can act as a role model in the global fight against climate change.
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How do we know if the air we are bad? Three tips to monitor air qu Prof James Evans, Dr Thomas Bannan, Prof David Topping and Dr Jamie Anderson from Urban360
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very week seems to bring new research revealing the terrible health impacts of breathing polluted air. Poor air quality impacts children from before they are born, right up to adolescence, damaging lungs and brain function and making them more prone to chronic respiratory problems and allergies. Old people and those with health conditions are also more vulnerable. Indoor air quality, whether at home, when we travel in vehicles or in shared spaces like offices or schools can be poor too. This is especially bad, as we tend to spend more time indoors than outdoors but know very little about indoor air quality. We are all affected. Recently the World Health Organisation reduced the recommended limits for different pollutants because evidence now indicates that there is no safe level of air pollution – any pollution in the air is harming us. But how can we find out how bad the air is that we are breathing? We need to understand the problem in order to be able to do something about it. Without monitoring air quality effectively, efforts to improve it can be misdirected, costly and ultimately
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ineffective. This article shares three tips to help you monitor air quality effectively. With this knowledge you can monitor air quality in a reliable way in order to understand whether it is bad, and how to make effective changes to improve it. First, know your pollutants. Air quality is a catchall for anything that is in the air and includes thousands of different things. Some of these things are gases. Nitrogen dioxide for example is produced by cars and is harmful to human lungs. PM stands for particulate matter and is detected based on its size. This is why people detect PM 1, PM 2.5 and PM 10. PM can be made up of bits of black carbon from burning in combustion engines or stoves, or biological matter like pollen or fungal spores. Each kind of pollutant is different so should be monitored differently. PM 2.5 tends to distribute evenly across entire regions, whereas nitrogen dioxide differs depending whether you are next to a busy road or a few metres from it. If you are monitoring a scheme to reduce traffic, then you need sensors that can detect nitrogen dioxide next to affected roads. Our work looking at the impact of low traffic neighbourhoods used as many sensors
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e breathing is uality effectively as possible to detect changes in levels of nitrogen dioxide from traffic on roads that were of concern to residents. Being able to detect fungal spores is more important when monitoring indoor air quality, as they indicate a damp problem that can damage health. Air purifiers with uncleaned filters can even harbour fungal growth and inadvertently spread spores into the air. Second, know your sensors. This is critical in order to be able to design monitoring schemes that will answer the question you want answered for the budget you have. A number of projects asked us to measure the effectiveness of air purifiers in schools and care settings. We used sensors to monitor differences between the indoor and outdoor air quality, and between classrooms both with and without purifiers. For this question, it was more important to have a number of reliable sensors in different locations measuring particulate matter that air purifiers filter. Indoor sensors are often cheaper as they do not need to be weather proofed, but require buy in from building users to make sure they aren’t turned off or moved. Spoiler alert, our results show that purifiers do reduce particulate matter by about 20% during school hours, and are more effective out of school hours when people are not coming and going.
Other monitoring schemes are designed to understand the impacts of specific interventions, like pedestrianisation or traffic calming schemes. In these cases, it is important to install sensors before the change takes place to compare before and after. In these schemes, we also use traffic sensors located at the same places as the air quality sensors to add some certainty that any observed changes in air quality are due to changes in traffic. Finally, know your data. Is it reliable? Air quality sensors are fragile and even expensive equipment needs testing regularly to check it is producing accurate readings. This is calibration, and involves placing sensors for long periods at scientific air quality monitoring stations to check they are giving the same readings. Without calibration sensors can ‘drift’, whereby the data they provide is wrong but not so wrong as to not be believable. The UK government recently launched MCERTS, which is a national certification for air quality sensors that offers a guarantee of their reliability. Even with this, if air quality data is to be used in science or as legally acceptable evidence for making decisions the people responsible for collecting it must be able to show they have robust Quality Assurance and Quality Control processes in place. Once you are confident that the data you are collecting is accurate the next step is to understand how to analyse it. Raw air quality data means very little by itself. For example, during periods of high pressure when there is little wind, air pollution tends to build up. When the weather is windier it tends to disperse. Air quality data can be adjusted to reflect this through a process called weather normalisation, or can be collected over long enough periods to provide reasonable comparisons. For example, for highways projects that are changing traffic flows we like to collect 12 months of baseline data and at least 12 months of data after the change has been implemented. Comparing between 12 month periods removes some of the impact of the different seasons on the results. Sometimes data is already available, and this can reduce the costs of monitoring air quality. DEFRA operate 174 air quality sites that give reliable data across the UK at relatively large scales. Some transport authorities make traffic data openly available, although only at sites they have existing cameras. Comparing sites you are monitoring with other similar sites for which data already exists can be a great way to understand the relative air quality. Weather data is available, often at a cost. We have helped local authorities identify existing sensors and data that can massively reduce the cost of monitoring. Monitoring air quality is becoming increasingly important to evaluate the effectiveness of different kinds of schemes and technologies to tackle air pollution. Indoor air quality is becoming a critically important challenge for homeowners, building operators and service providers. From highways schemes to green screens around playgrounds, and from air purifiers to building ventilation systems, we need more monitoring of air quality in order to diagnose problems accurately and fix them quickly. This is work we can help with. Urban 360 provides seamless integrated monitoring and analytics solutions for indoor and outdoor air quality, mobility, noise and health to create healthier and more sustainable living environments and as a spin-out company from the University of Manchester, we provide scientific levels of rigour, credibility and analysis. https://urbanthreesixty.com
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