The UK's green building sector received a dual boost with the
recent announcement of plans for a new £4 million [about US$ 6.6 million] fund to support building improvements in
London and the opening of one of the country's first community energy
developments in Hackney.
The developments came as the UK Green Building Council downplayed reports
that the industry will struggle to meet government targets to ensure all
new-build homes meet "zero carbon" standards by 2016.
According to a
report in the Sunday Times, a survey
from Loughborough University's civil and building engineering department showed
that construction firms would rather pay fines for missing the 2016 target than
increase costs by investing in the development of low-carbon homes.
The paper quoted Mohamed Osmani, a lecturer at the university as saying that
without more financial and technical incentives, construction firms would "
prefer to absorb financial penalties rather than implement the new standards."
However, a spokesman for the UK Green Building Council said the response
to the government's recent consultation exercise on the
zero carbon home
strategy had revealed that the vast majority of the industry remained fully
committed to meeting the 2016 target.
"We know the target is demanding, but that is the point," he said. "The
recent announcement of the definition of a zero carbon home means that we now
have a pragmatic approach from the government that will result in homes with a
high level of energy efficiency and onsite technologies where appropriate, as
well as 'allowable solutions' where the developer can invest in surrounding
low-carbon infrastructure."
He added that widely reported estimates that compliance with the zero carbon
standards would add up to £40,000 [almost US$ 66,275] to the price of a new home were now outdated.
He argued that the cost projections did not take account of the new more
flexible definition of "low carbon," nor the likely economies of scale that are
likely to be delivered as the green building sector expands.
In related news, London mayor Boris Johnson
unveiled plans for a
new eco-innovation fund designed to stimulate investment in green building
retrofits.
A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office said the new plan, which is expected to
be approved by the London Development Agency in the autumn with a view to
launching the fund by next April, will initially provide up to £4 million to "pump
prime" energy efficiency and micro renewables projects.
Under the proposals, public sector bodies or businesses would then repay
loans using the savings they realise through the energy efficiency projects. The
Mayor's Office said it would also look to bolster the fund with extra investment
from the EU, philanthropic groups and the private sector.
The announcement came in the same week as building giant Barratt and energy
firm E.ON cut the ribbon on a new "Eco-Homes" development in Hackney, East
London.
The Dalston Square development is one of the first in the UK to draw on a "
decentralized energy center", which provides a new library and retail units with
electricity, heat and hot water from a single biomass and gas combined heat and
power (CHP) unit. New residential units will also receive hot water and heat
from the energy center, as part of an arrangement that the developers said will
cut heating and water bills by 23 percent and carbon emissions by 25 percent.
Image courtesy of Canary Wharf.
