These are the claims from two leading specialists in sustainable-building and engineering design.
Frank Mills and Rebecca Warren from Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) identified the potential for MediaCityUK to be a pilot for the BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) Communities scheme and led the project team through the process and onto achieving the highest scoring –‘Excellent’ rating.
MediaCityUK is a leading example of sustainable regeneration on a grand scale.
SKM acted as sustainability advisor to Peel Holdings, the developers, providing an independent review of the development’s energy and sustainability strategy. SKM also provided the lead designer role for the tri-generation system on the site.
Peel Holdings are now using the project as a model for other waterfront developments in the Wirral and Liverpool.
However, the UK as a whole is not working to the same standards and SKM believe that developers need to work to BREEAM guidelines and include district energy in the master plan to create environmentally sound communities.
Rebecca Warren said: “For decades the development of many cities has been reactive – responding to cheap energy and rapid growth with sprawling suburbs. But a more proactive approach which combines high density living with open spaces accessible to all, rapid and affordable public-transit systems, local food production and waste treatment is being recognised as the route to successful urban development.
“As we descend into a post peak world, remaining reserves will become more precious. Developed countries, with their dwindling indigenous reserves, will be increasingly dependent on energy imports plunging people into fuel poverty.
“The only logical conclusion has to be that we must prepare for the inevitable move away from fossil fuels. A low carbon future is not only the best way forward, but, the only way.”
Frank Mills added: “It is also important to look at the asset value of a site and to work with it. We don’t value our waterfronts in the UK like the rest of Europe. And by making careful considerations at design stage – of the orientation and choice of façade – buildings can be created which require significantly less energy to heat, cool and light.”
The pair claim, that by considering entire developments as a holistic entity at design stage even greater savings are possible.
They identify a need to create attractive, affordable housing close to centres of employment and leisure, well served by excellent public transport links in order to reduce the energy used (and time wasted) by societies commuting. Where we create an even spread of energy demand, balancing daytime use by companies and evening use by households for example then we enhance our ability to satisfy that demand by local generation.
In the UK over half of the energy generated in large remote power stations is lost to the atmosphere. Unlike electricity, heat does not lend itself to transmission over large distances. Two thirds of our domestic energy demand is for heat and many industries are heat intensive. By locating our power generation plants nearer to our centres of population not only do we reduce transmission losses but we can also utilise this waste heat, massively increasing energy efficiency.
At development-wide scale, district energy also provides cost savings. Instead of the cost and space requirements of plant rooms in individual buildings energy plants can be centralized improving maintenance and freeing up space to let.
There are certain aspects which require careful consideration before district energy becomes widespread. These include integration with the existing infrastructure.
Rebecca Warren said: “Existing buildings with poor fabric performance have a much greater heat requirement. However providing a heat network to them and linking into their, potentially aging systems creates potential problems. Clear demarcation of responsibility is needed as well as government incentives for connection.
“The financial implications are seen as the biggest barrier of all, but there is no reason why district energy schemes should not provide a competitive cost model if a long-term view is adopted. As more energy supply companies and multiple utility supply companies emerge there is the possibility of externalizing some of the financial risk – which in turn should assist with client confidence.”
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