Net Zero Carbon Supplementary Planning Document

Term

Term Acronym Used

Definition

Air Permeability or Airtightness

--

A measure of how much (or how little) air leakage a building experiences, due to its fabric. Measured in air changes per hour at a pressure of 50 pascals, sometimes abbreviated to 'ACH@50PA'.

Air permeability is one of notional building specification elements defined by Building Regulations Part L.

Air Source Heat Pump

ASHP

A form of low-carbon heat delivery in which an electrical pump utilises a reverse-refrigeration cycle to absorb free energy from outdoor air and emit it at a higher temperature indoors. Considered partially or fully renewable as the ASHP uses electricity to run, but delivers more heat energy than it consumes in electrical energy. Can be fully renewable and zero carbon if run entirely on renewable electricity.

British Standard 40101

BS 40101

An independent and non-statutory building performance evaluation standard for occupied and operational buildings.

Building Emissions Rate

BER

A metric used in Building Regulations Part L to express the predicted carbon emissions rate of a non- residential building associated with its regulated energy uses. See also TER.

Building Regulations

--

National legal requirements for minimum quality standards in buildings. Different 'parts' of Building Regulations cover various topics including energy conservation, and access and use of buildings by people, including disabled people. The section relating to energy and carbon is 'Part L'.

Building Regulations Approved Document Part L

--

Conservation of fuel and power; this the part of Building Regulations that sets minimum standards for energy-related carbon emissions and efficiency of buildings.

Building Research Establishment (Group)

BRE

A building science research entity which, among many other roles, hosts and updates the calculation methods 'SAP' and 'SBEM' that are used to measure compliance with Building Regulations Part L. Formerly a civil service body; now owned by a charitable trust.

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology

BREEAM

A voluntary sustainability certification for buildings, covering topics including energy, materials, waste, water, health, ecology, pollution, transport, and management. Offers several levels of achievement from 'pass' to 'outstanding'. Mainly used in non-residential but is also available for multi-residential.

Carbon Offsetting

--

Payments made, or actions taken, to remove or reduce a certain amount of carbon to match a certain amount of emissions. Where a development must offset any residual carbon emissions, either through contribution to the District Council's fund, or to a verified local off-site offsetting scheme.

Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers

CIBSE

Professional association body for Building Services Engineers

Coefficient of Performance

COP

A ratio used to indicate the performance a heating, ventilation or air conditioning system offers.

Combined Heat and Power

CHP

A highly efficient process that captures and utilises the heat that is a by-product of the electricity generation process.

Direct Electric Heating

--

Systems in which heat is generated directly within a material by passing an electric current through;

e.g. convector heaters or electrical underfloor heating. The source of electric can be renewable or non- renewable.

Dwelling Emissions Rate

DER

A metric used in Building Regulations Part L to express the predicted carbon emissions rate of a dwelling, associated with its regulated energy uses. See also TER.

Embodied Carbon

--

Carbon that was emitted in the production, transport and assembly of materials that make up a building or product.

Environmental product Declarations

EPD's

A declaration attached to a product expressing the calculated environmental impacts associated with its production (and sometimes also its use and end of life) using life-cycle analysis. Usually includes embodied carbon and may include other information such as impact on ozone or ocean acidification.

Form Factor

--

The ratio of a building's total thermal envelope surface area (the walls, roof and ground floor) to its treated (heated) floor area. The smaller the form factor, the more efficient the shape of the building and the less surface area from which heat can escape.

Fossil Fuels

--

Non-renewable, carbon-based, carbon-emitting fuel sources.

Fuel Poverty

--

Households that cannot meet their energy needs at a reasonable cost.

Future Homes Standard

FHS

Central government proposed changes to Parts L and F of the national Building Regulations, anticipated to come into force in 2025.

Glazing Ratio

--

The proportional relationship between a building's opaque and glazed surfaces; i.e. a wall-to-window or roof-to-window comparison. Sometimes expressed as a ratio of glazed area to total floor area (for example in SAP, the notional dwelling has a maximum limit to the 'opening area' as a percentage of 'total floor area', while in SBEM the reference building has a minimum'opening area' as a percentage of 'exposed wall area' and 'exposed roof area' which varies by building usage).

Gross Internal Area

GIA

Gross Internal Area. A measure of total floor space in a building.

Ground Source Heat Pump

GSHP

A form of low-carbon heat delivery in which in which a pump captures the latent heat from the ground and uses it to heat a building or the hot water used in that building. Considered partially renewable as the heat captured is 'ambient' environmental heat from the ground, and the heat pump delivers more heat energy than it uses in electrical energy. Can be fully renewable and zero carbon if run entirely on renewably generated electricity.

G-value

--

Amount of sunlight energy transmitted through (a window's or door's) glass.

Home Quality Mark

HQM

A voluntary quality certification system for dwellings, which includes some environmental criteria as well as criteria relating to the resident's experience of using the home. This system is devised and run by the BRE (see BRE in this glossary).

Infrared Thermographic Survey

--

A building heat study undertaken using thermal imaging cameras, which detect infrared light that is not visible to the human eye. Everything that has a temperature above absolute zero emits infrared light, and as a result it is possible to detect variations in the temperatures of different surfaces.

Low Energy Transformation Initiative

LETI

A voluntary network of over 1,000 energy-related built environment professionals working to improve practices in relation to design for energy efficiency and carbon reduction to make the built environment compatible with the UK's net zero carbon future. It has devised and released publications relating to net zero carbon buildings including definitions, targets and design guidance including for new and existing buildings, operational and embodied carbon.

Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery

MVHR

A ventilation system which recovers heat from outgoing air, to warm up the fresh incoming air.

National Calculation Methodology

NCM

The methodology approved by the Secretary of State for calculating the energy performance of buildings.

Net zero carbon

NZC

Net zero refers to achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. For the purpose of the Warwick DPD and SPD, 'net zero carbon' refers to operational, regulated carbon.

Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund

NEIRF

Supports the government's goals in the 25 year environment plan, green finance strategy and 10 point plan for a green industrial revolution. It aims to stimulate private investment and market-based mechanisms that improve and safeguard the domestic natural environment by helping projects get ready for investment.

Operational Carbon

--

Energy use and carbon emissions caused by the operation of a building. Operational carbon is almost entirely due to energy use, but can have other smaller causes, such as leaked refrigerant gases from air conditioning.

Part L

--

See 'Building Regulations Approved Document Part L'.

Passivhaus

--

A standard and certification for buildings that achieve an exemplary level of energy efficiency. Certified by the Passivhaus Trust. Several levels of certifications are available; the lowest level relates to only energy efficiency, while the higher levels also require renewable energy generation.

Passive House Planning Package

PHPP

A modelling methodology used to very accurately calculate/predict the total energy use of a building. This method is used as part of the process for undergoing Passivhaus certification (see above), but can also be used as a design tool in its own right without any involvement in the certification scheme.

Photovoltaics

PV

A form of renewable, non-carbon-based electricity production which utilises sunlight as an energy source.

Publicly Available Specification 2035

PAS 2035

A best practice standardised process for retrofitting dwellings for energy efficiency in the UK. It allows retrofits to be Trustmark certified, providing security and reducing risks for building owners.

Regulated Carbon

--

The share of those operational carbon emissions that are from an energy use that is regulated by Building Regulations, for example heating and hot systems, or fixed lighting circuits

Renewables

--

Renewable resources; usually energy.

Royal Institute of British Architects

RIBA

Professional association body for the architectural profession. Among its many and wide-ranging activities it has published a set of aspirational targets for buildings to aim for in energy efficiency, embodied carbon and water efficiency to ensure they are fit for the UK's net zero carbon future and also reduce the demands they place on the UK's water resources.

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors

RICS

Professional association body for the chartered surveyor profession. Among its many and wide-ranging activities it has published a methodology to account for the embodied carbon of buildings across their lifespan (the Whole Life Carbon Assessment) in a way that complies with the relevant British Standard, BS15978.

Simplified Building Energy Model

SBEM

The calculation method used to set and comply with energy- and carbon-related targets within Building Regulations Part L for non-domestic buildings.

Standard Assessment Procedure

SAP

The calculation method used to set and comply with energy- and carbon-related targets within Building Regulations Part L for domestic buildings.

Super Major Development

--

Proposals for development of 50 new dwellings and/or 5,000sqm non-domestic floor space

Supplementary Planning Document

SPD

A document (like this one) that provides additional guidance on how to comply with policies set by a DPD or other part of the local plan.

Target Emissions Rate

TER

A metric used in Building Regulations Part L (for both dwellings and non-domestic buildings) to express a limit which must not be exceeded by the predicted carbon emissions associated with the building's regulated energy uses. The TER is set by applying a certain minimum standard of fabric and services

to an imaginary building of the same size, shape and use as the proposed building. This minimum standard of fabric and services is laid out in Approved Document Part L, and is updated every few years. Expressed in kg of carbon dioxide per square metre of floor space (kgCO2/m²).

Target Fabric Energy Efficiency

TFEE

A metric used in Building Regulations Part L to express a limit on a dwelling's demand for heating and cooling, determined only by the fabric of the dwelling, irrespective of the type or efficiency of the various building services such as heating system. Expressed in kWh/m2 floor space / year.

Technical Memorandum 23

TM23

Best practice published by the Chartered Building Services Engineers in testing buildings for air leakage.

Unregulated carbon

The share of those operational carbon emissions that are from an energy use that is not regulated by Building Regulations, for example plug-in electrical appliances.

Woodland Carbon Code

WCC

The UK's voluntary carbon standard for woodland creation projects, which provides reassurance about the carbon savings that woodland projects may realistically achieve. This entails a high quality, robust voluntary carbon standard, a transparent UK Woodland Carbon Registry, a robust science to predict and monitor carbon sequestration, and an independent validation and verification of projects.

Warwick District Council

WDC

Water Source Heat Pump

WSHP

A form of low-carbon- heat delivery system in which in which a pump captures the thermal energy from a water source and uses it to heat a building or for hot water use within the building. Considered partially renewable as the heat captured is 'ambient' environmental heat, and the heat pump uses less electrical energy than it delivers in heat energy. Can be fully renewable and zero carbon if the heat pump is run on entirely renewably generated electricity.

Waste Water Heat Recovery

WWHR

A form of secondary heat delivery in which heat from wastewater (e.g. used shower or bath water) is captured for reuse in the building, for example to pre-heat water entering a boiler/water tank in order to reduce demand on primary methods of heating water to a set temperature.

Warwickshire Environmental Services Trading Protocol

WESTP

A Warwickshire County Council protocol which details what nature-based solutions are available to compensate for development, and outlines the principles and rules for the creation, enhancement and maintenance of habitats by landowners in order to be traded as compensation units in carbon offsetting.

U-values

The rate of thermal transmittance measured in Building Regulations.