NEF opens up discussion on the performance gap
The UK’s persistent failure to produce non-domestic buildings that combine comfort and excellent energy performance has prompted the National Energy Foundation to add a section to its web site for building and energy professionals to record their experience, solutions and thoughts on building better buildings. Anyone with responsibility for any aspect of energy use in non-domestic buildings in any stage of the building cycle is encouraged to get involved and share their ‘stories’ for the benefit of everyone.
Dr Kerry Mashford, chief executive of NEF, says, ‘The energy performance of both new and refurbished buildings rarely lives up to expectations, with energy use typically between 2.5 and 3.5 times higher than designed — with some examples in excess of seven times higher.
‘Deviation from expected performance often builds up throughout the building cycle — from design, through construction and into operation. Whether it accumulates in the building specification, design and modelling or in its procurement, delivery commissioning, handover and use, we all too often end up with an unexpected and disappointing cumulative gap — of the wrong kind.’
The ‘Building performance exchange’ on the NEF web site (URL below) is designed to help combat the performance gap. Non-domestic building and energy professionals can record and share their experiences and thoughts on better buildings.
