BSRIA’s chief executive welcomes efforts to improve building energy efficiency
Initiatives to improve the energy efficiency of buildings at design and operational stages are welcomed by BSRIA’s chief executive Andrew Eastwell in the association’s annual report. He says, ‘There has never been a time when new buildings have come under such prolonged and intense scrutiny of their environmental performance than over the past 12 months.’
He comments particularly on planning requirements that require design to exceed the minimum standards in Part L of the Building Regulations and increasing client demands for voluntary certification schemes to demonstrate excellence.
He also highlights how Display Energy Certificates are revealing actual energy performance falling well short of the expectations of designer and operator.
Explaining that ‘understanding the difference between design expectation and the reality of occupation has always been a very difficult business, since traditional methods of procurement positively discourage long-term engagement of the construction team from the post-occupancy operation’, he praises efforts to close the gap.
‘What is surprising and rewarding,’ says Andrew Eastwell, ‘has been the enthusiasm from all areas of the construction team to find new ways of closing the gap between construction and operation.
‘It does not matter which method is used. What matters is that there is a real understanding that what we build now will need to be demonstrably better in its performance if we are to retain the goodwill of our clients and avoid the worst excesses of legislation.’
