UK public buildings to cost £25-30Bn in decarbonisation attempts

UK public buildings to cost £25-30Bn in decarbonisation attempts : Last week, it was announced that UK public sector buildings will cost up to £30bn in decarbonisation attempts¹.

This estimated cost of retrofitting older properties with the latest equipment to help the UK meet carbon neutrality targets, is based on today’s prices and should not be seen as the actual budget needed to move to low carbon heating.

With the government’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from public buildings by 75 per cent by 2037², it is likely that older properties will need to have the latest equipment retrofitted.

Nikki Mehta, director of energy and sustainability at Honeywell welcomes the UK government’s decarbonisation attempts and comments on how investing in software can help businesses achieve sustainability targets.

“Many businesses have pledged to meet sustainability targets over the past few years, but it is likely that some of them do not have the tools or knowledge to accurately measure progress and optimise their carbon and energy footprints. There is now software available that can help track energy performance against carbon reduction goals thus offering better insight into what carbon reduction targets should be set company wide.

“By investing in carbon energy monitoring systems, businesses can determine how electricity, gas, and other utilities are used. Not only does this enable building owners and energy managers to monitor carbon emissions on an intrinsic basis but also the software provides visibility into how to forecast more accurate carbon reduction targets and optimize and manage energy use.

“Once carbon reduction goals have been identified, software can make use of analytics and data capabilities to decrease carbon emissions and, ultimately, support sustainability efforts throughout the organisation. By using smart meters, sensors and utility data, businesses can piece together consumption and energy emissions by utility type. Coupled with data analysis, alongside real-time inputs like occupancy and weather, energy managers can better curb energy use.

“The UK Government’s nation-wide sustainability targets will encourage a holistic approach to building energy management as well as better insights into their carbon impacts. Implementing efficient software will play a vital role in the building energy management process in setting where and how targets can be measured and achieved.”

1 – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63514562