Article 023 - The UK Zero Carbon House Myth.

What is the definition of a zero-carbon home?

'A home that produces zero or even negative CO2 emissions by maximising the use of energy efficiency and renewable energy.'

Source: Guardian 2009

'A zero carbon home is one that generates as much power as it uses over the course of a year and therefore has net zero carbon dioxide emissions.'

Source: Tree hugger 2009

A building can be considered fully ‘zero carbon’ when there is no net emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) arising from the energy use within the building. This includes space heating, water heating, lighting, appliances and so on.

Source: www.idea.gov.uk

The government has set the following targets for zero-carbon buildings:

All new-build homes in England and Wales to be ‘zero carbon’ by 2016 . All new schools to be zero carbon by 2010. All new public sector buildings to be zero carbon by 2018. All new non-domestic buildings to be zero carbon from 2019.

Source: (Local Government Improvement and Development 2011)

What is wrong with the current definition of a zero carbon home ?

The definitions all neglect to allow for :-

The energy used in extracting, transporting the materials. The manufacturing plant used. The energy used to run the manufacturing plant. The energy used to transport the materials from the manufacturers to the wholesalers to the retailers to the consumers to the site for the home.

The energy used by the people involved in the manufacturing, transport, wholesale, retail, consumer and construction of the home.

The running costs of the refurbished property neglect to allow for a national grid energy distribution system that requires that the whole of the UK energy generation grid be switched on 24 hours a day 365 days a year to allow one home to use a single power socket, turn on a light bulb, treat its water, treat its sewage or receive communications.

Questions to lead to a new definition of a zero carbon home.

The following questions need to be asked before a zero carbon home is proposed.

Is a zero carbon home or building needed at all ?

Is there another building that can be improved and used instead ?

Is another site available for the home ?

Can the sites existing resources be replenished by the home.?

Is the building removable ?

What is the total energy required for materials, people, transport, construction

and running costs ?

What is the total energy potential of the resources of the existing site when compared to the total resources proposed to be expended by the new home.

Having answered these questions you then arrive at a new definition of a zero carbon building.

'A building that is needed, that enhances; through passive energy use; peoples quality of life and that increases natural resource duration.'

Ian K Whittaker

Websites:

https://sites.google.com/site/architecturearticles

Email: iankwhittaker@gmail.com

09/08/2013

14/10/2020

474 words over 1 page