sustainable

The future of heating our homes

Time is running out for the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets and the way we live has to change. A big part of that will be saying goodbye to our gas and oil boilers, which the UK is looking to phase out almost completely by 2050. Indeed, in

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Save Over £200 Per Year By Going Green

Price comparison website MoneySuperMarket has looked at what people could do to get their homes green and sustainable. The company looked at the costs and savings associated with the most readily available renewable energy sources and efficiency-improvers around the home. The data collected showed that renewable energy offers the greatest

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Latest Issue
Issue 325 : Feb 2025

sustainable

Aggregate Industries inspires customers to make an ECOPact with special event

Aggregate Industries inspires customers to make an ECOPact with special event

Aggregate Industries inspires customers to make an ECOPact with special event : 40+ senior construction stakeholders come together to learn how the latest in green concrete innovation can contribute to net zero goals As part of its ongoing commitment to leading the construction industry’s pathway to a more sustainable future, this month saw Aggregate Industries’ London Concrete team hold an exclusive customer day to showcase its revolutionary green concrete range, ECOPact. Taking place on 12th October at London Concrete’s Battersea plant, the one-off event saw over 40 customers, including construction directors, project managers, quality managers and sustainability stakeholders, come together to learn more about ECOPact and its potential in contributing to sustainability strategy. During the course of the day, attendees received exclusive presentations from senior leaders within the Aggregate Industries business covering its ambitious sustainability strategy and commitment to driving green building innovation, along with dedicated focus on the carbon benefits of switching to a greener concrete. Alongside this, visitors also got a chance to tour London Concrete’s vast manufacturing plant and see first-hand how ECOPact performs in a series of live demonstrations. Colleagues from parent group, Holcim’s Research and Development lab in Lyon also attended and shared the latest key digital tools and innovation in sustainable construction. Following the event’s marked success, Aggregates Industries is planning to roll out similar events in other parts of the country in the coming months, starting with Manchester. “We are delighted that our first ECOPact customer event was such a success, with over 40 major stakeholders from throughout the London region coming along to find out more about ECOPact and the huge impact it can make in delivering on sustainable construction,” said Veronika Elfmarkova, ECOPact Product Manager. “Feedback across the board was fantastic, with many attendees stating it had inspired them as to how the specification choices they make today can support construction’s response to the climate crisis.” Sarah James, Marketing Manager for Readymix Concrete at Aggregate Industries adds: “Amid growing urgency around the climate crisis, construction continues to come under new pressure to advance environmental priorities and build greener. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean key decisionmakers will have a full grasp of the latest green building solutions available and, more importantly, how they benefit their business. “With this in mind, our ECOPact event was purposely designed to provide a tangible demonstration of our sustainable ECOPact concrete range in practice and provide an open forum for any questions or enquiries our customers may have. It was a great day had by all and we are now looking to roll it out further afield in the coming months.” Aggregate Industries’ innovative ECOPact offers a range of green concrete solutions that meets the evolving needs of its customers and clients without compromising on quality. It gives customers a range of options to reduce the CO2 emissions of their concrete supply by between 30% and 70% compared to standard (CEM I) concrete. For further information please visit ECOPact please visit https://www.aggregate.com/ecopact or email ecopact-aiuk@aggregate.com. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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5 Ways to Ensure Sustainable Living Standards for Residents in a Building

When you think about sustainable living, you probably imagine the benefits of going green, like sticking to a zero-waste lifestyle or ditching the car for public transportation. However, did you know that your home plays an equally important role in preserving the environment? There are many ways to ensure that your building is environmentally safe and livable for years to come. As a landlord, it is your responsibility to maintain certain standards in every apartment, townhouse, or single-family home. So whether you are renting out one building or an entire complex, here are a few ways to keep your residents – and the planet – safe and green. #1 Reduce Indoor Air Pollution Indoor air pollution is a serious health problem. The EPA – Environmental Protection Agency – estimates that indoor air pollutants are at least one-fourth as prevalent as outdoor pollutants and are present in every home, school, and workplace. Indoor air pollution can come from many sources. These include radon gas seeping out of the foundation, mold and dust mites found in carpets and upholstered furniture, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by paints or cleaning products. Fortunately, as a building owner or manager, you can prevent indoor air pollution or at least reduce it to some extent.  Use non-toxic materials whenever possible when making repairs or redecorating areas of the building. This includes all the paints used for painting walls or ceilings, flooring materials, adhesives like contact cement, etc. Avoiding the use of toxic chemicals is a sure-to-succeed way to reducing indoor air pollution. #2 Ensure Proper Ventilation Proper ventilation is an integral part of the HVAC system. It helps clean the air in a building and avoid adverse health effects from exposure to contaminants such as mold, pollen, and dust mites. A properly designed ventilation system should provide enough outdoor air so that it can be delivered uniformly throughout all occupied spaces in your building.  In addition to reducing contaminants, adequate ventilation also lowers humidity levels in your building which reduces energy consumption by increasing the efficiency of cooling equipment. #3 Look for Pesticides and Toxins in Drinking Water Toxins can enter our drinking water, which comes from two sources – surface water and groundwater.  Surface water includes lakes, rivers, and streams. Groundwater, on the other hand, is found beneath the surface of soil or rock. Contamination can occur at any point along these routes. These include industrial runoff entering a river and pesticides seeping into the soil from farms miles away from your home. How do you know if there are contaminants in your home’s drinking water?  The easiest way to find out is by requesting an annual test kit from your municipality (or state). Otherwise, pay attention to any signs that suggest something is wrong with your tap. These signs include stains on fixtures, discoloration in faucets/taps, and foul odors coming out of taps when turned on. You can also take legal action if you feel a nearby industry or business is affecting a public water supply. The success of the Camp Lejeune Water Contamination Lawsuit shows how willing the US government is at the moment to ensure safe and sustainable living conditions for its citizens. Thus, wherever necessary, taking legal action is always an option. #4 Ensure Sufficient Natural Lighting Natural lighting is vital for both your health and the environment. Natural lighting has been proven to increase productivity, reduce stress, and improve mood. That is why it is crucial to make sure that your building has plenty of natural light.  You can achieve this by opening up windows or adding skylights to the ceiling. If you do not have enough natural light in your home, install solar panels on the roof that will generate enough electricity for most appliances (including lighting needs). Much of this planning should be done before the construction of your building. Otherwise, it becomes nearly impossible to incorporate all these changes down the line. #5 Be Careful with Lead paint Lead paint is a common health hazard, especially for children. It is a concern in older buildings and may be present in apartments, homes, schools, and workplaces. For people with young children or those who are pregnant, it is best to avoid living in an apartment that was built before 1978. That was when lead was banned from being used as an ingredient in paints. Make sure to test your home for lead before letting tenants in. You can also test the house yourself by taking samples of dust from floors with a vacuum cleaner bag. If there is lead on these surfaces, it will show up when you shake out the bag outside or on a newspaper inside the house. Sustainable living in an urban setting is difficult to ensure. However, keeping these points in mind will surely help you in this regard.

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The future of heating our homes

Time is running out for the UK to meet its carbon reduction targets and the way we live has to change. A big part of that will be saying goodbye to our gas and oil boilers, which the UK is looking to phase out almost completely by 2050. Indeed, in March 2019 it was confirmed that from 2025 it will be illegal to install gas boilers in new build homes. It’s a tall order, especially when you consider that the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has vowed to try and keep energy bills as low as possible. The Guardian reported in 2018 that households need electric or hydrogen boilers sooner rather than later if the UK is to hit its carbon targets at the lowest cost. And while electricity supplies are rapidly switching to low-carbon sources, almost all homes today rely on fossil fuels. According to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), the public is largely unaware of the alternatives, and consumer understanding is “far from where it needs to be.” So, we need to make big, long term changes to the way we power and heat our homes, but with minimal up-front costs and lower ongoing energy bills. Building Products caught up with IOBAC’s CEO Paul Woolvine about how the built environment could do it. IOBAC delivers innovative heating and flooring technologies based around speed of install, flexibility, operational effectiveness, and sustainability. Heated flooring to the rescue (but not as you know it!) Generally, underfloor heating operates at a lower temperature when compared with standard radiators; it retains heat for a good length of time after it has been switched off; and the even distribution of heat can allow a room to heat up more quickly and stay warm. For some people, however, barriers still exist that put them off underfloor heating. It’s considered by many as an expensive luxury product with a disruptive, complex installation processes. It can also be difficult to remediate if there’s a problem. And the big one: typically, there are limited options for renewable energy inputs.  So, can we harness all of the intrinsic benefits of underfloor heating within a simpler, more cost-effective and accessible solution? The good news, according to IOBAC’s CEO, Paul Woolvine, is “yes”. Paul explains: “IOBAC heated flooring was developed to overcome issues commonly associated with conventional electric mats and water-based underfloor heating systems. Our heated flooring solution doesn’t require you to dig up your floor or cause any disruption to any existing pipework or electric system.” Sounds easy, right? “It really is as easy as it sounds,” continues Paul. “The process is as follows: lay conductive copper strips, apply conductive paint, apply magnetically dielectric paint, install surface tiles, connect copper strips, and away you go. It’s far easier to install and much easier to remediate or change and is a simple painted solution – simply remove the floor tile and coating and repaint. And importantly, this underfloor heating solution can be powered by a highly efficient electric input from an AC or DC supply – like solar panels. With this technology it’s absolutely feasible to heat your home with solar power – or any other electrical input for that matter. That way people don’t need to be reliant on big energy companies.” On this solution’s sustainability credentials, Paul explained: “Well, firstly, this solution uses infrared heat. Research suggests that infrared heat has numerous health benefits, including increased blood circulation, an enhanced immune system, and reduction of joint pain and inflammation. Infrared heat is typically more budget friendly; designed with sustainable inputs the running costs are significantly less than conventional solutions and the temperature tends to be more consistent.” So, you’ve heard of heated flooring, but heated walls? Traditional radiators can range anywhere from 120mm to 480mm and typically, the thicker the better due to a lower fin density. But a thicker radiator can look bulky and unsightly, or even cause design issues. Paul explains why he believes IOBAC’s alternative offers the best of both worlds: “Our heated walling technology is a modern-day alternative to traditional radiators. It’s a micro-thin radiator which can essentially be ‘painted’ onto the wall using a special patent-pending Graphene based technology. This enables more design freedom – no more unattractive wall-hung radiators – and can be connected via an AC or DC supply. Imagine your home without bulky radiators! This technology essentially works in the same way as our heated flooring: conductive copper strips, apply conductive resin, dielectric paint, and connect copper strips. It shares further similarities with heated flooring: it’s non-disruptive, cost-effective, and enjoys all the benefits of infrared heat. “Of course, some people – especially those that are environmentally conscious – may want to switch out their traditional radiators straight away. But we don’t necessarily anticipate 20 million-plus households to rip out their existing radiators overnight. It’s why, initially, we envisage that this technology will be best suited to the new-build market. It’s also why we’ve developed a smart radiator cover for retrofit applications that will be available later this year.” Retrofit radiators do of course currently exist, but some can be inefficient and fairly expensive. Paul explains IOBAC’s imminent answer: “Retrofitting radiators can be costly and time-consuming – often you have to deconstruct the radiator. IOBAC’s technology enables you to effectively cover the existing radiator with a highly efficient Graphene based heating system, which is really simple to do yourself. This is again utilising our super conductive graphene technology and, as with our heated flooring and heated wall technology, it can be designed to be more efficient than traditional solutions. This will be available to buy over the counter later this year. Watch this space!” Straightforward switching Paul concludes: “We think these technologies could enable the government’s 2050 target to potentially become a reality by the mid-2020s. But, crucially, it needs to be straightforward for people to switch to more sustainable solutions and energy sources. As The Guardian says, most people, unfortunately, are unaware of the alternatives. More

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Save Over £200 Per Year By Going Green

Price comparison website MoneySuperMarket has looked at what people could do to get their homes green and sustainable. The company looked at the costs and savings associated with the most readily available renewable energy sources and efficiency-improvers around the home. The data collected showed that renewable energy offers the greatest monthly savings at £28.33 on average a month. However, the machinery needed, such as solar panels and wind turbines, have an average setup cost of £7,237. This means that despite the reduction in bills per month, it would take over 21 years and three months to pay off the installation before seeing substantial savings. On the other hand, efficiency measures, such as energy saving lightbulbs and reduced-water shower heads, offer an average of £6.92 in savings each month. With initial costs averaging at £762.59, it would take nine years and two months to pay for themselves. Here are some options that can make anyone’s homes greener and save them money too: Energy saving light-bulbs – Fitting a home with energy saving bulbs would cost around £51.80 and could result in financial savings of up to £27.13 a month, which means they’ll have paid for themselves after two months. Lagging jackets – An investment of £15 to insulate the hot water tank could save around £1.67 each month on heating – meaning costs will be covered after nine months. Solar ovens – Solar ovens use just the light of the sun to cook food, meaning no energy is required and could save £9.30 a month. They are a little more expensive at £188.64 on average, and will take a year and eight months to cover their own costs. Water saving shower head – Costing around £15.99, these shower heads help save 52 pence each month and they will be paid after two and a half years. Cavity Insulation – Over £10 per month could be saved on energy bills if a home is insulated correctly. With an installation fee of £466, a return on investment will be seen after three years and seven months.

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NW Bicester scheme confirmed UK’s first large-scale true zero-carbon development

Elmsbrook residents save £400 a year in energy bills as the NW Bicester scheme is confirmed as the UK’s first large-scale true zero-carbon development   Elmsbrook, the initial exemplar phase of NW Bicester developed by A2Dominion, has had its status as the UK’s first large-scale true zero carbon1 development confirmed by international sustainability charity, Bioregional. With savings of almost £400 per year2 compared to the average Bicester household, Elmsbrook residents are benefitting from super insulated fabric, more efficient appliances and renewable-energy generation. The combined impact of the eco-features incorporated into the homes, primary school and eco-business centre have ensured that the site as a whole is achieving true zero carbon. Elmsbrook is saving 300 tonnes of CO2 per year when compared with a new build development of a similar size. According to Bioregional’s monitoring results Elmsbrook residents used 57% less heating and hot water than their Bicester neighbours and 28% less electricity than the Bicester average, saving 1,189 KWh of electricity during the year. Bioregional co-founder and CEO Sue Riddlestone OBE said: “We are really proud to have worked with A2Dominion on this monitoring work, and to have worked in partnership with them for many years to help ensure that Elmsbrook achieves its zero-carbon ambitions while also being a great place to live. “Clearly there’s scope for further work to ensure that residents make the most of all the other opportunities to minimise their impact on the planet. But to succeed in preventing catastrophic climate change we need to see many more Elmsbrooks emerging across the country – and fast.” A2Dominion’s Head of Special Projects, Steve Hornblow said: “The successful findings of this report, coupled with the anecdotal feedback we are hearing from residents, is a huge milestone for the scheme. As a test bed, exemplar scheme, we are very proud of the achievements at Elmsbrook.” Monitoring proves eco-design a success To inform the annual monitoring of Elmsbrook’s sustainability performance, Bioregional has been capturing anonymised data through the meters within the homes at Elmsbrook, the public areas and resident surveys. This includes 86 homes from Phase One with 12 months of full data, and 32 homes from Phase Two with up to six months of data. The results of Bioregional’s sustainability monitoring report highlights the success A2Dominion has had in meeting the standards it set out during the design phase. Not only is the carbon footprint neutral, but residents are reaping the benefits of the innovative features across Elmsbrook. While 40% of residents purchased as a result of the eco town concept, almost half (47%) have said the most liked design features are eco related, including PV, better insulation, triple glazing and rainwater harvesting. Some 57% said the eco features were what they most liked about the development. Lifestyle and community emphasis delivers real value In addition to the specific eco credentials of the scheme, the lifestyle and community emphasis is delivering real value. Elmsbrook aims to make it easy for people to live happy, healthy and sustainable lives. The ample green spaces at Elmsbrook have also proved hugely popular, with half of residents making daily or weekly use of the green spaces and on average exercise 4.5 days per week. Some 81% of residents surveyed said they feel healthy or very healthy compared to the national average of 57.8%. Sustainable travel innovations include an electric car club, free Brompton bicycle rental, and free installation of electric vehicle charging points to residents who go electric within the first two years. While 48 residents have signed up to the electric car club so far, only 20% of residents are using the low-emission bus service each month. The research showed that more efforts are needed to develop further sustainable travel options and encourage people to adopt these low-carbon forms of transport. Elmsbrook residents surveyed said they say hello to more than 15 neighbours and a quarter are engaged in community governance activities like clubs and groups onsite. In the UK as a whole, a quarter of people don’t say hello to their neighbours. Notes 1 True zero carbon covers all household energy use, regulated and unregulated 2 This saving arises when maintenance, gas safety checks and eventual boiler replacement are factored in – included in standing chargers.

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The Key Challenges Facing Renewable Energy and Sustainable Power Plants

In high value industries like construction, there’s a growing emphasis being placed on energy-efficiency and the use of sustainable materials. Despite this and the fact that renewable energy sources are growing at an incredible rate, it’s estimated that fossil fuels will still account for a 77% market share by the year 2050. Much of this has to do with the numerous challenges surrounding renewables, particularly in terms of widespread adoption and considerable fluctuations in terms of energy sources. We’ll address these challenges in the article below, while asking how these may be resolved in the years to come.   The Implementation of Effective Energy Storage  In the case of traditional fossil fuel plants, these outlets operate at a pre-mitigated level and produce a consistently reliable source of energy. The same cannot be said for renewables, however, which represent a much more unreliable source that can be impacted by a diverse array of different factors. The energy output from a solar farm can be suddenly reduced by heavy clouds, for example, while wind farms are also impacted by speed and variable forecasts. To counter this, researchers and developers are investing heavily in energy storage systems for renewables, while also innovating as a way of optimising capacity for renewable sources like hydropower. In terms of the latter, firms like Weir have developed advanced flow controls that optimise capacity while also minimising waste, without compromising on the reliability of the power source. 2. The Combination of Distributed Systems On a similar note, control software is also an obvious solution to better monitor and manage the output of renewable power sources. However, we must recognise that the vast majority of renewable energy generation sites are distributed across a diverse geographical area, making it extremely difficult to regulate and oversee outputs with the existing range of software options. In order to manage large, global offshore wind farms (and indeed similar power sources), companies must leverage intricate data sets from each location and combine these into a single report. Further innovation is planned in this space, in a bid to develop software that can manage this complex process across various items of distributed equipment. We’ll have to watch this space for now, but we’re sure to see some advancement sooner rather than later.   3. Tracking and Reporting on Renewable Energy Sources  The next stage in the process is accurately tracking renewable energy output and reporting on this. However, this crucial task is proving extremely difficult at present. After all, while effectively controlling and monitoring renewable energy is crucial to future efficiency, it’s also imperative that companies are able to harness the data generated by their equipment if they’re to optimise the value that they offer. The software used to manage renewable energy sources should be able to visualise and capture huge swathes of real-time data, while being able to present this in a way that analysts can easily comprehend. This requires a focus on smart and intuitive software, with initial options like Zenon Analyser enabling firms to generate several different reports across an array of data sets. Ultimately, the goal must be to build on this innovation and improve the level of data capture over time, without compromising on visibility or ease of use.  

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