Building Passports- The door to a greener world?

1. In a world where buildings account for over 37 per cent of CO2 Emissions, and 40 per cent of global emissions; how crucial and easy is to minimise the environmental damage caused by this sector?

This is a great question. Building construction techniques are improving, and we’re talking with firms looking at modular, locally sourced materials for housing. However, there will always be an element that needs to be offset, and I believe it is this component that is funding some of the environmental schemes being offered to farmers. Ultimately, we need to improve transparency in the sector to support carbon auditing and local offset programmes, which, in turn, must be subjected to stringent audits.

The running costs of buildings are a completely different problem; in our experience, we see that about 40 per cent of properties have poor energy management in place. Everyone is talking about the cost of electricity, but the focus should be on how it is used.

2. As IEA outlines – the world is aiming for buildings to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. What should be done to get to this goal of having all new buildings and 20 per cent of existing building stock zero-carbon ready by 2030?

We are looking at battery technology and other initiatives, but a starting point could be to produce a ‘building passport’ that goes into depth on the operations and sustainability of the property. I am a big fan of the NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) statement, “what gets measured, gets managed”. I believe the way forward is to capture the operating rhythm of a business and then start to look at ways of reducing its impact.

3. What are the topmost challenges in achieving a positive environment impact for this sector? How does BEMS address any of those?

First is- Cost of retrofit on existing built estate – stranded assets are a highly sensitive area. Then there is the aspect of understanding, adoption and development of technologies that can reduce energy. There is also a need for collaborative working – Landlord, property agent and tenant need to be equally engaged and vested in the proposition. To add to that, we need to look at Cost-benefit analysis. While the cost of energy is high, this is a relatively easier exercise, but we still need more of a carrot from the Government in the form of tax breaks.

4. What are the top three or four progress examples that reassure us that we are at least moving forward?

I see a lot of people looking at photovoltaic (PV) schemes. There is consideration of local heat networks. Also, Landlords looking to fund initiatives. There is adoption of tenant engagement and support strategies around energy.

5. How advanced and carbon-problem-focused is the spectrum of hardware and software that is emerging now?

It is better; certainly, as I look at our offering, we provide the raw data that supports energy audits and planning, all of which are directed towards cutting carbon. And it is my belief that while, for the most part, the initial onus on commissioning our work came through the ESG lead, we are being involved in more conversations with operations teams. So the software is meeting two stakeholder requirements: ESG and operational improvement, so not a bad ROI.

6. Grid Efficient buildings can cut 80 mn tons of carbon every year by 2030 as per some estimates – what kind of tech advancements are we looking at here? And are we ready for the flipside of cybersecurity when we think of ‘living-sensing-thinking buildings’?

I will answer the second part of this question first, as it is an area we operate in. I would start by saying that one should define the risk in detail. For example, in the corporate environment, you would (should) never run your operations systems (BMS) on the same network as your enterprise systems; they should be split. The same logic could apply to the home. Equally, we use radio spectrum to monitor systems, so it is outside of the mobile space and has a different risk profile.To address the first question, I believe that we are making strides in new builds. The challenge is the existing estates and how to decarbonise older properties that still “work”, but more can be done. Heat pumps are a great example, but even in the suburbs, can they be delivered? What about the infrastructure? – the piping be put in by the council as opposed to each homeowner looking to create their own installation.

7. How important are factors like open source software, interoperability and a ‘live’ building with real-time-data action – to accomplish good environmental impact?

Open source software and interoperability are good ideas irrespective of the sector, but realising them is a challenge. One only has to think of the near virtual data monopolies created by SMETs 1 metering. I think we do need to allow the paying customer (the polluter) free access to their information in real time so they can then choose partners to share it with.

8. Are we building habitats and workplaces as per a post-pandemic world – with new design philosophies about human interaction, health and distancing?

I think we are; the people I talk to want legacy properties and believe in long-term investments. Equally, the consumer understands more about what they should expect from workplaces, so we are seeing bigger kitchens and more fresh air—but they come at a cost, and, ultimately, that has to be met by greater productivity and output.  

9. Any observations of what/how much new-age building materials (like Hemcrete, Ashcrete, Massive Timber, Bamboo, recycled plastic and foam) are being used for decarbonising this sector?

Not really, other than I welcome it and hope that more architects and builders take the risk. However, that risk but be made transparent to the purchaser, and we certainly cannot have a situation like Grenfell, where new approaches were introduced with disastrous consequences, yet no one has been held accountable. And consumers in similar properties are being forced into debt to rectify faults on properties they bought in good faith. People have to stand by their products and services, or progress will only happen if innovation carries an indemnity.

I believe we need to educate people on what good looks like, encourage review, support experimentation and provide the audited operating costs of commercial properties ahead of sale to prospective purchasers – the EPC is not enough.