Press release. New report challenges Ed Davey: Are you really serious about energy efficiency?

On Wednesday, Ed Davey, the new Energy and Climate Change Secretary, announced the creation of a new Energy Efficiency Deployment Office and insisted that energy efficiency “has to be right at the heart of what we do”.

Today, a new report published by AECB – the sustainable building association – challenges the Secretary of State to take a long, hard look at what this ambition could mean in practice. Successive governments have claimed to champion energy efficiency yet none have got to grips with what is required to radically reduce the nation’s energy consumption. Continue reading

Posted in AECB Latest News | Tagged , , | Comments Off

LESS IS MORE: Energy Security after Oil (LIM) from the AECB.

Read the report here

This report is being published at the end of an unprecedented 15 years in UK energy policy history.It began with the formal acceptance of the need for a climate change policy by the last Conservative Government in 1997 and culminated with the Climate Change Act and the 4th Carbon Budget. LIM is a significant new contribution to the debate. Continue reading

Posted in AECB Latest News | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Milton Keynes Group ‘The Draft Part L 2013′ talk by Dr Neil Cutland 27th February

Alan Budden of Milton Keynes Group has arranged a meeting on Monday 27th February

Dr. Neil Cutland  will give a talk on
“The draft Part L 2013 – what does it mean for low energy housing?”
This is timely as theconsultation document was launched very recently, and has some interesting legal links to the Green Deal.   See http://www.cutlandconsulting.co.uk/Article.aspx?aID=34

Venue:  Eco Design Consultants office in the Mansion, Bletchley Park, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB
Date and Time:  27th February 7:30 for 8pm.

RSVP debbie@aecb.net  or alan@ecodesignconsultants.co.uk
NB Access to Bletchley Park is controlled after normal opening hours please let us know as soon as you can if you wish to attend – the latest 26th February – so we can inform Security can be informed of your name.  They will only admit you if you are on the list!

On arrival at the gate please tell the security guard that you are attending a meeting at the Eco Design Consultants office in the Mansion, and you will be directed to the relevant parking area. Please ring 01908 363490 if you experience any problem at the security gate.

Some information on the speaker  . . . .
(from the website of Cutland Consulting Limited)

Dr Neil Cutland set up Cutland Consulting Limited in October 2010, and the company quickly established a reputation with its rapidly-growing client base for getting things done.  The focus is on strategic support for energy efficiency and sustainability.

From 2007 to 2010 Neil was a founding Director of sustainable built environment consultancy Inbuilt, where he led Inbuilt’s technical and strategic consultancy offerings associated with low- and zero- energy buildings.  As such, he has spent much of the last three years engaged with the issues surrounding the UK government’s 2016 zero-carbon housing agenda. By the time Neil left, Inbuilt was working on Passivhaus schemes for three different social housing clients, comprising 90 units in total, which represents significant scale in this emerging market.

Neil played a pivotal part in growing Inbuilt from two employees with a turnover of zero when he joined, to 35 employees with a significant six-figure turnover by the end of 2008.  He was subsequently instrumental in doubling Inbuilt’s turnover during 2009, despite the company’s key markets being in the grip of worldwide recession.

Neil was previously Director of BRE’s Low Carbon Housing Futures Centre.  During this time he managed EST’s Housing Best Practice programme, and had overall responsibility for the design and delivery of the energy component of BRE’s Home Inspector/DEA training.  He developed business surrounding technical consultancy for a variety of private and public sector clients, and led the teams delivering the resulting work.

Prior to that Neil was Business Development Manager for TEAM Energy, and a Director of National Energy Services where he had technical and P&L responsibility for all of the company’s software (NHER) and consultancy offerings.

Neil’s first job in energy efficiency was with Milton Keynes Development Corporation, where he was responsible for the technical objectives and performance monitoring of the Milton Keynes Energy Park, a pioneering large-scale low-energy housing/commercial development.  The role involved extensive liaison with developers to help them implement the demanding energy standards.

Neil is one of the authors of the BREDEM-8 and BREDEM-12 models, and has contributed extensively to the development of the SAP.   He has very good relationships with a number of journalists who frequently contact him for comment on current issues, and due to his industry reputation he is regularly invited to give presentations to large audiences.  He sits on various task groups and advisory boards, notably the zero carbon task groups established by the Zero Carbon Hub and the UK Green Building Council, and the Government’s 2013 Building Regulations working group.

Neil is also on the Board of the Passivhaus Trust, is a Branch Committee Member of the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered IT Practitioner.

 

Posted in Events | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Local Group in West Cornwall to meet up on 6th March at The Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust

After speaking to a few AECB members in West Cornwall, Dom Goetz has seen that there is an appetite for a local group meeting with a catchment area of Land’s End to Newquay/Bodmin/St Austell.  Those living further afield are still welcome.

The first meeting is to be at 5 pm on 6th March 2012 at the CSBT offices just outside St Austell:
Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust, Tehidy Cottages, Burngullow Lane, High Street, St Austell PL26 7TQ   http://www.csbt.org.uk/

If you would like to be included, please email domgoetz71@hotmail.com or debbie@aecb.net

CSBT - Cornwall Sustainable Building TrustThe Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust . . . .

“We agree to work with CSBT to make all Cornwall’s building as sustainable as it can be. We will seek the best environmental option in all our decisions and we will share best practice and learning so that our environment is always the winner.”

The Cornwall Sustainable Building Trust (CSBT) gives advice, guidance and training in the understanding and skills needed to build sustainably in Cornwall.

 

Posted in Events | Tagged , | Comments Off

Kent Local Group Members to visit Wildwood Trust, Herne Bay on 16th April 2012

On 16th April – and not the end of March as previously planned -  the Kent Local Group Members are having a get together at wildlife park – some would say that this is appropriate!  Please feel free to come and join them.

Venue: The Wildwood Trust, Herne Common, Herne Bay, Kent, CT6 7LQ http://www.wildwoodtrust.org

Time, Date:   13.30 to 17.30 on 16th April.

Cost:  To be confirmed

RSVP debbie@aecb.net

 

This not only gives you a chance to get together with other AECB members but also the opportunity to hear a talk from the beaver keeper into how beavers used to control our wetland habitats; how our wetlands are being destroyed and what can be done to conserve them; water use; Code water issues; SUDS and flooding;water treatment systems such constructed wetland and reed beds.

  • Free access to the park (with over 300 native animals set in 40 acres of beautiful ancient woodland including Wolves, Bison, Deer, Owls, Foxes, Red Squirrels, Wild Boar, Lynx, Wild Horses, Badgers, Beavers and more)
  • and a go on the drop slide (3 storeys high)!
    ‘Water, waste and wetlands’

A little about the ‘green’ credentials of the Wildwood Trust . . . .

Wildwood is dedicated to supporting renewable alternatives to energy needs.

Many habitats and animal and plant species in the UK will be threatened if climate change proceeds unchecked. Renewable energy is the only way to protect our climate.

The park has taken its final step towards becoming completely powered by energy from sustainable sources, with the installation of a huge wind turbine, erected on Wednesday 5th November 2008.

In addition to the wind turbine, Wildwood has wood or pellet stoves, solar thermal systems for hot water, and solar electric panels. We compost waste animal food, recycle wood from B&Q, and source animal feed from donations from Sainsbury’s, Tesco’s and The Goods Shed farmers’ market in Canterbury.

These measures make the park more efficient, and mean our efforts to save rare and endangered wildlife do not contribute to global warming and climate change.

The cost of the Wind turbine, the wood and pellet burners, solar water heating and our green energy educational programme were met by the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, EDF Energy’s Green Fund and Canterbury City Council, through the Kentish Flats windfarm.

Posted in Events | Tagged , | Comments Off

Institute for Sustainability Low Carbon Domestic Retrofit Guides

Last year, Peter Rickaby of Rickaby Thompson Associates Ltd was the Managing Editor of the Institute for Sustainability’s Business Opportunity Guides to Low Carbon Domestic Retrofit.  These are twelve guides covering all aspects of low carbon retrofit, prepared by an experienced team of experts and overseen by a distinguished Editorial Advisory Board.  The guides were prepared with ERDF and Technology Strategy Board funding for the London FLASH programme, but have recently been made freely available in high resolution Adobe (.pdf) versions via the Institute for Sustainability’s website:  http://instituteforsustainability.co.uk/retrofitguides.

The guides should be of interest to anyone engaged in low carbon domestic retrofit and Peter would be pleased to receive feedback in the form of corrections, comments or suggestions for any additional material that might be included in future additions.

Please leave any comments on the AECB forum here.

Posted in AECB Latest News | Tagged | Comments Off

Good Homes Alliance, Event update – Last chance to book!

Healthy homes: Ventilation for good indoor air quality

22nd February 2012, 14.00 –17.30, London

The GHA Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality research will be launched at this event

This seminar is in partnership with the UK Indoor Environments Group (IEG) & sponsored by the Zero Carbon Hub. Continue reading

Posted in General News | Comments Off

AECB & Transition Town Shrewsbury hold Eco Open House Event on 24th & 25th March 2012

AECB local members and Transition Town Shrewsbury are organising the first Shrewsbury Green Doors event to be held on 24th and 25th March 2012

More details to follow on www.shrewsburygreendoors.co.uk   or contact debbie@aecb.net

 

 

Posted in Events | Tagged , | Comments Off

AECB NETWORK NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2012

Network the free newsletter from AECB, is sent to AECB members, former members, and those who independently subscribe to it. If you are not already an AECB member we hope you will consider joining us — find out about the benefits of membership, and join or rejoin the AECB here. If information is passed on or reused, acknowledgment for items of AECB news should be credited to AECB (www.aecb.net). For other items please credit the original source. Information contained in this mailing does not necessarily represent the views or policy of the AECB or the Network editor, nor does any reference contained herein imply any form of endorsement. If you have any news, events or courses you would like to publicise in Network then please email details to network@aecb.net.

We would also be interested to hear from you if you have any comments or suggestions regarding this newsletter.  Please email gill@aecb.net  Continue reading

Posted in AECB Network Newsletter | Comments Off

Hemp goes Native

York architecture practice Native is striving to ensure that their projects include genuinely sustainable, low embodied energy building solutions providing an alternative to the current energy intensive, traditional masonry wall construction methods.

At Hornington Manor, a rural diversification project near Tadcaster, a cast hempcrete wall system is being adopted. Hemp is intrinsic to both the construction and future use of the buildings. To insulate the large wall surfaces of this former agricultural building, a mixture of hemp bound with a lime binder is cast in panels around timber studwork walls. The clients,

Harrison Spinks, are high specification bed manufacturers who grow hemp to incorporate into their products. When finished, this project will include a new bed showroom and luxury holiday accommodation on the site.

Architect Director Chris Walker explains how using hemp fits into his practices’ philosophy. “Building with hemp and lime is a way of constructing buildings that lock up carbon.  It has very low embodied energy, can be easily re-cycled and has good insulation and humidity regulating qualities. We are promoting these types of ecologically kinder processes into the fabric of our buildings as we recognise that the industry needs to shift its focus onto CO2 emissions associated with the manufacture and transport of the materials we build with. There is already plenty of statutory policy relating to energy production in buildings but little regarding embodied energy in materials. We need to rapidly adopt a more responsible approach to building material manufacturing; reducing our dependency on toxic, energy intensive, fossil fuel derived products.”

For further details on this project please visit:

http://www.nativearchitecture.co.uk/

http://www.harrisonspinksfarm.co.uk/

http://www.limecrete.co.uk/

Posted in AECB member news | Comments Off