Better buildings for Industry

Citation

(2001), "Better buildings for Industry", Facilities, Vol. 19 No. 7/8. https://doi.org/10.1108/f.2001.06919gab.012

Better buildings for Industry

Better buildings for Industry

Keywords: Building trade, Energy management

There is the potential to reduce energy consumption in industrial buildings by up to 50 per cent. The most efficient and cost-effective way of achieving that reduction is to build-in energy efficiency at the design stage.

The Government's Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme is running a series of free workshops during 2001, which will equip building purchasers, occupiers, designers and contractors to work more effectively together to design energy-efficient buildings for industry.

The "Better buildings for industry" events are aimed at purchasers, designers and occupiers of industrial buildings – the first wave of these are, not surprisingly, already fully booked! As a result of the unprecedented demand additional events are now being planned.

The "Selling better buildings to industry" workshops are specifically for contractors supplying energy-efficient buildings and buildings services to industry – places are limited, so early booking is strongly recommended.

Both series of events are based around two newly-published Good Practice Guides; GPG 304: The Purchaser's Guide to Energy-efficient Buildings for Industry and GPG 303: The Designer's Guide to Energy-efficient Buildings for Industry.

GPG 304 is designed to assist in the specification and purchase of energy-efficient buildings for industry through encouraging an integrated approach to the building fabric and building services and by providing a checklist of energy efficiency options. The appraisal procedure for these options will show where it is cost-effective to improve energy efficiency above the minimum required by the Building Regulations.

The Guide provides purchasers with a systematic approach to be used with designers and contractors to quickly evolve cost-effective, energy-efficient designs. The Guide will help purchasers in the development of a brief for designers and provides a list of questions to ensure that all the energy efficiency options have been considered and properly appraised. This appraisal process includes reference to the Climate Change Levy and Enhanced Capital Allowances.

GPG 303 will assist designers in working effectively with their clients to produce energy-efficient buildings through encouraging an integrated approach to the building fabric and building services and by providing a checklist of energy efficiency options. The guidance provided is intended to ensure that energy efficiency is included at the earliest stage of the project brief and that it is fully considered at every stage of the design. It provides the design team and client with energy efficiency options and the consequences of their selection.

The benefits associated with using the Guides include:

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  quicker decision-making processes during the design stage arising from better understanding between clients and designers;

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  better understanding of the benefits of energy efficiency, resulting in improved briefing of designers;

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  communication of the benefits of energy efficiency to the client;

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  greater client satisfaction through matching building design to business needs, while improving comfort for occupants;

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  reduced environmental impact over the lifetime of the building;

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  lower operating costs for the building owner;

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  enhanced rent or resale value;

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  minimising the impact of the Climate Change Levy;

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  maximising the benefits of Enhanced Capital Allowances.

For further information about the workshops and how to obtain copies of the Good Practice Guides mentioned, call the Environment and Energy Helpline on Freephone 0800 585794.