With the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard pilot released at the end of September, governance board -member David Partridge reveals the thinking and aims behind it
In May 2022, a cross-industry group of BBP, BRE, the Carbon Trust, CIBSE, IStructE, LETI, RIBA, RICS and UKGBC joined to develop a standard to define the requirements for net zero carbon (NZC) buildings in the UK. This was to enable the industry to robustly determine whether our built assets are net zero carbon, and in line with UK climate targets. The pilot was published at the end of September.
We aimed to provide clear, consistent, science-based metrics that buildings must achieve to call themselves NZC. The standard includes limits on upfront carbon, operational energy use and refrigerant leakage, as well as rules about fossil-fuel use (none, bar emergency power), and district heating and cooling networks. It sets targets for on-site renewable generation, and reporting requirements for lifecycle embodied carbon, operational water use, electricity demand and delivered heating/cooling. Off-setting is not permitted to stay below the limits specified, but it is voluntary for those who wish to set off their residual emissions.
We aimed to provide clear, consistent, science-based metrics that buildings must achieve in order to call themselves NZC
These criteria were reached by balancing a ‘top-down’ analysis, which seeks to distribute the UK’s share of the carbon and energy budget between 13 different sectors and typologies covered by the standard, with a ‘bottom-up’ review of actual performance being achieved in each of those sectors, based on evidence provided by the whole industry.
The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard (NZCBS) team would like to thank the work of the many individuals and organisations from across the sector who have supported and contributed, and look forward to working closely with them to pilot the standard on real projects, so as to deliver Version 1 within the next 12 months.
David Partridge is chairman of the Related Argent Partnership and the governance board of the UK NZCBS, and a trustee of the UKGBC and the LandAid Charity. He also sits on the advisory boards of ConstructZero and Standard Gas.
Find out more at nzcbuildings.co.uk