Content

1. Legislation

Buildings have to satisfy a growing range of requirements: the Code for Sustainable Homes, BREEAM, increasingly strict and changing building regulations, and specific guidance, such as the Mayor of London’s requirements. How can the construction industry satisfy all these requirements, both in terms of the design of buildings, and the components used?

 

Code for sustainable homes

 

Breeam, A+ ratings, specification guidance

 

Changes & upgrades to the building regulations.

 

Specific guidance – eg Mayor of London.

2. The Manufacturing Process (Sustainable Manufacturers)

There is increasing interest from specifiers and some regulatory and client bodies about not only the performance of products but also their provenance. The concept of a ‘cradle to grave’ performance is being replaced by ‘cradle to cradle’, taking a product from the first extraction of materials through use to its eventual re-uses. Questions to be answered include: What is the embodied energy/ carbon footprint? How easily and effectively can it be recycled? How green/ non-polluting are the components? Is the manufacturer doing any carbon offsetting?

 

Carbon footprint

 

Recycling process

 

Embodied energy

 

Cradle to cradle design of products

 

Environmental impact of products

3. Products in Application

It is essential that products be not only fit for their ever more demanding requirements, but that they can be assembled easily and effectively. These sections will cover both the performance of everyday’ products such as windows, flooring and roofing, and also specifically green products such as heat pumps, green roofing products and heat storage systems, and products involved in the supply of renewables and sustainable energy.

 

Energy savings / Thermal performance heating and energy efficiency

 

Renewables and sustainable energy

 

Life cycle of products

 

Materials, testing and certification.

 

Good detailing