THEME 2:
Carbon reduction and energy efficiency
Research priority 5 - Low/Zero Carbon Built Environment
The built environment includes new buildings, existing buildings and the infrastructure that supports them. The built environment and the infrastructure including transport, water and sewage, waste, green and blue spaces and energy supply all of which use energy which can be reduced at all scales of the built environment from component to building to neighbourhood to city to region..
Government policy emphasises reducing carbon demand as a priority especially in the short term, whilst new low carbon energy generation systems are being developed. About 50% of UK energy is used in buildings, with 27% in the domestic sector. Targets have been set to reduce energy demand and provide low carbon energy systems in the built environment, such as all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 in the UK (2011 in Wales). By helping Welsh companies to meet the target for zero carbon levels for new homes, future energy supplies will be protected and emissions will be reduced reduced.
Energy demands from existing buildings also need to be minimised. This is evident from the fact that houses built before 1919 account for 5% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions from older properties is therefore a priority.
Associated with this theme and building on the current body of work, LCRI will develop programmes to take low carbon policies into practice. Particular issues include expanding the low carbon programme into the existing building stock, especially focussing on priority groups such a fuel poor. It will aim to set targets for demand reduction in Wales across different sectors and over time, in line with longer term targets of 60% savings (or more) by 2050 and carbon neutrality by 2100.
LCRI partners bring different strengths to this area. There is strong expertise in designing buildings to have low energy requirements both in operation and in construction, while allowing enough flexibility to retain use in the future. There is also major expertise in low carbon energy supplies which can be integrated to buildings helping the transition to zero carbon buildings and communities. Analysis and modelling to advise on the most appropriate measures to reduce and meet the energy requirements of the built environment is crucial.
Case study 1 – The LEDLED project has explored the design potential of LEDs as a form of electrical lighting that can reduce the total energy consumption of buildings. LEDLED tested the performance LED technology to reduce the total energy consumption of buildings and determined the LED specifications required to supply a desired quality and quantity of light for specific tasks based on literature reviews, laboratory testing, studies of peoples’ response to light and computer simulation. Cardiff University, Swansea University and Bangor University were project partners.The LEDLED project has enabled the manufacture of demonstration products such as ceiling lights and LED light bulbs. Target Areas for development include office lighting, lighting for the elderly and street lighting. The study identified potential energy savings in buildings, both in terms of demand for electrical energy and cooling due to reduced heat gains.
Case study 2 – By embedding Smart Metering technology inside the household fuse box and adding communication abilities, readings are instantly available to the supplier and consumer via web pages, wireless in-home displays or potentially even a television channel. The smart metering system has been linked to a number of panels on the roof of the university's engineering building through a power converter allowing the financial performance of the renewable technology to be demonstrated.
Case study 3 – The Virtual Village for Research, Design and Development for Sustainable Settlement (VIRVIL). VIRVIL has developed a prototype virtual settlement model for the simulation of low and zero carbon technologies that can be applied to the built environment. A software framework to enable modelling at such a large scale has been developed together with development of data input, handling and display methods, and the definition of an initial synthetic settlement. The prototype system has been demonstrated and feedback sought from members of the industry and government. Now that the virtual village has been developed, clients will be able to present descriptions of new equipment, legislation, or measures, to be incorporated into the system. Partners on VIRVIL included Bangor University and Swansea University.
Key contact: Professor Phil Jones, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University.
