Sustainable Energy
in the Built Environment
Best practice for
Scottish Planners
Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
Best practice for Scottish Planners
01
Foreword
Planning for a sustainable future
Planning policies and development management
procedures that positively encourage both sustainable
improvements and low carbon building are key to
tackling climate change. The Energy Saving Trust has
long recognised this and originally developed this pack
for public sector planners in Scotland in 2006.
Endorsed by the Royal Town Planning Institute, this
pack is intended to help address planning within the
domestic sector, though much of the information will
be of use for planners dealing with the non-domestic
sector. It has been substantially revised and updated
following a survey of planners across Scotland in
February 2010 that highlighted areas where greater
support was needed. A summary of the key survey
feedback is in included in Appendix 1.
The pack is divided into sections that cover the main
aspects of low-carbon development. Each section
includes an overview of the topic and key issues, links
to relevant planning policies and resources, and case
studies demonstrating how activity in this area is being
taken. The sections are as follows:
1 Introduction
2 Low carbon essentials
3 Low-carbon design
4 Energy efficiency
5 Renewable energy
6 District heating and Combined Heat & Power
7 Master planning and heat mapping
8 Adaptation for climate change
9 Transport
Each section includes practical case studies
demonstrating how the issues discussed have been
put into practice. These include using local materials,
passive solar design, off-site carbon balancing, onsite
generation, combined heat and power (CHP), various
scales of energy master planning, heat mapping in the
highlands and transport master planning.
The document is broad in scope and is intended
as a reference point for considering these issues
providing links to more detailed and technical advice.
As sections and topics are often closely interlinked,
maximum understanding and knowledge of each of
the individual areas will be gained by reading the
document in full.
Planners in the public sector
can call the Energy Saving Trust
on 0844 84 888 30 or email
[email protected] if they
require additional information
or support.
Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
Best practice for Scottish Planners
02
Contents
1Introduction
1.1 Taking action: the role of planners
1.2 Planning: the climate change context
1.3 Planning for a changing environment
1.4 Further resources
2Low-carbon essentials
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2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
The energy hierarchy
Energy hierarchy checklist
Carbon or energy?
‘Zero-carbon’ developments
CO2 reduction, cost savings and payback periods
3Low-carbon design
3.1 Overview
3.2 Current planning policy 3.3 How planners can help
3.3.1 Passive design
3.3.2 Sustainable materials
3.3.3 Retrofitting buildings
3.4 Further resources
Case study 3A: Passive solar design retrofit
Case Study 3B: Use of sustainable & local materials
4Energy efficiency
4.1 Overview
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4.2 Policy context
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4.3 How planners can help
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4.3.1 Listed buildings and conservation areas
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4.4 Further resources
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Case study 4A: Use of planning conditions to improve page
existing housing Case study 4B: Carbon balancing to link new development page
to improving existing stock 25
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5Renewable energy
5.1
5.2
5.3
5.4
5.5
Overview
Policy context
5.2.1 Permitted development
Enabling policy development
5.3.1 Undue burden and economic viability
5.3.2 Setting thresholds for development size and type
5.3.3 On-site generation targets: accentuating the positive
Supporting development management
Further resources
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Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
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Contents
Case study 5A:
Case study 5B:
Case Study 5C:
Policy requirement for on-site renewable page 39
energy generation Renewable energy installation in a sensitive location page 41 Retrofitting renewable energy technology into page 43
historic buildings
6District heating and Combined Heat & Power
6.1 Overview
6.1.1 Combined Heat and Power
6.2 Policy context
6.3 How planners can help
6.4 Further resources
Case study 6A: CHP installation, Aberbeen
Case study 6B: CHP installation, Boyndie
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7Master planning and heat mapping
7.1 Overview
7.2 Policy context
7.3 How planners can help
7.4 Further resources
Case study 7A: City-wide master planning
Case study 7B: Heat mapping
Case study 7C: Site-specific master planning
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8Adaptation for climate change
8.1 Overview
8.2 Policy context
8.3 How planners can help
8.4 Further resources
Case study 8A: Building designed to cope with changing climate
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9Sustainable Transport
9.1 Overview
9.2 Policy context
9.3 How planners can help
9.4 Further resources
Case study 9A: Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Case study 9B: Poundbury
Appendices
1.0 Background survey of planners
2.0 Technology Overview
3.0 Additional resources
page 89
page 90
page 99
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1 Introduction
1.1 Taking action: the role of planners
The land use planning system is one of the most
powerful tools that local authorities can use to meet
the 42% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target
in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Climate
change is also an issue that is at the heart of the new
Scottish Planning Policy (SPP), which states that:
Promoting low carbon design
Development Planning
Set requirements for sustainable design principles
in terms of siting, orientation, sheltering and
sustainable materials, where practical, in policies
and supplementary guidance.
“The planning system has a significant role in
promoting a pattern of development which helps to
reduce Scotland’s carbon footprint and facilitates
adaptation to climate change.”
(SPP, 2010)
Development Management
Critical to this role is development planning and
creating the right policies at a strategic level, and
ensuring development management decisions see these
aspirations realised. This pack sets out how planners
working at a policy level can set the right context
and how those involved in development management
can address detailed issues at the application
stage. Throughout the document key aspects of
sustainable energy are addressed through a series of
recommendations and supporting advice and links to
other resources. These are introduced and summarised
below, and are covered in each of the subsequent
sections alongside illustrative case studies.
Development Planning
Check to ensure every development utilises low
carbon design principles to reduce energy use.
Promoting energy efficiency
Set standards for CO2 emissions when buildings are
being refurbished, extended, or their use is changed.
Work with building control to set higher than the
minimum requirements under national building
standards for energy efficiency in new developments.
Put in place policies that specifically consider
how energy efficiency improvements can be
sympathetically incorporated into listed buildings
and conservation areas.
Develop policies that secure ‘carbon neutral’
developments, to be met through a combination of
on site CO2 compliance and payments to a local
carbon offset fund (or a local carbon balancing
scheme).
Development Management
Develop an understanding of the products and
techniques that can be used to reduce the energy
use of historic buildings.
Work with building control to develop systems for
assessing the carbon savings from new buildings so
policies that go beyond minimum standards can be
realised.
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Promoting Renewable Energy
Development Planning
Maintain policies that promote on site generation
from renewable sources setting appropriate
thresholds that reflect rising building standards.
Adopt clear policies about where renewable
technologies could be acceptably deployed in
conservation areas and listed buildings.
Development Management
Provide clear guidance for householders on whether
or not they require planning permission for smallscale renewable energy installations.
Understand where and when different renewable
energy systems can be used to improve the energy
efficiency of listed buildings.
Working with building control, develop an integrated
approach to assessing carbon savings from onsite
generation alongside other efficiency measures.
Promoting district heating and combined
heat and power
Development Planning
Adopt policies that encourage medium and large
scale developments to consider and, where
appropriate, to adopt district heating, utilise waste
heat or combined heat and power to meet on site
energy requirements.
Use supplementary planning guidance to indicate
where and when developments should utilise district
heating and/or combined heat and power.
When developing master plans for large sites,
consider whether there may be scope to integrate
community heating schemes (Combined Heat and
Power (CHP) or District Heating).
Development Management
When granting planning permissions, use conditions
to ensure that homes and businesses utilise
connections to existing or planned district heating
networks.
When negotiating with developers encourage them
to assess the potential for meeting onsite energy
requirements from district heating and CHP.
Require new developments to connect to the heat
grid, where one is planned, as part of the master
plan for the site.
Strategic Energy Master Planning
Development Planning
Develop an evidence base that identifies the
opportunity for higher CO2 and sustainability
standards in your area, identifying producers of
waste heat and potential users.
At a strategic level use heat mapping and energy
master planning to direct developments to locations
where waste energy from commercial and industrial
uses can help to meet domestic needs.
Adapting to climate change
Development Planning
Put in place policies to ensure developments are
designed to mitigate and adapt to the likely impacts
of climate change in terms of new weather patterns.
Introduce more stringent policies for areas at high
risk of suffering effects of climate change including
flooding, coastal erosion and storms.
Development Management
Take into account long term weather trends and
localised Met Office projections when assessing
new developments, to ensure they are designed for
changes in temperature patterns, rainfall patterns
and sea level rise.
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Transport planning
Development Planning
Identify sites for new developments well served
by existing or planned public transport routes and
facilities and which can be reached by walking and
public transport
Integrate active and public transport opportunities
into developments at the master planning stage to
maximise accessibility and safety
Require major developments to adopt travel
management plans.
Consider setting parking standards for all new
developments
Development Management
Negotiate with developers, and impose conditions
relating to provision for public transport and active
transport (e.g. footpaths, cycle paths and secure
cycle parking)
Ensure that developers demonstrate how travel
management planning has reduced the potential
impact of the new development, in terms of
additional car use
The Energy Saving Trust Recommendations for
Planners (EST, 2007) set out key recommendations
for developing planning policies. Whilst these relate
to planning policy in England, it may be helpful for
Scottish planners to consider the principles contained
in the recommendations. For instance although not
directly applicable in Scotland the Code for Sustainable
Homes might help to inform the setting of minimum
standards.
Accompanying case studies show how these
recommendations have been put into practice.
1.2 Planning:
the climate change context
The EU Climate and Energy Package (European
Commission, 2009) sets out three legally binding
targets for energy efficiency and renewable energy
generation that are to be met by 2020 (these are
known as the ‘20-20-20’ targets):
A reduction in EU greenhouse
gas emissions of at least 20%
on 1990 levels
20% of EU energy
consumption to come from
renewable resources
A 20% reduction in primary
energy use compared with
projected levels, to be
achieved by improving energy
efficiency
A useful summary of this policy can be found in the
Citizens’ Summary: EU Climate and Energy Package
(European Commission, 2009).
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In Scotland, the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009
established a statutory target for an 80% reduction in
greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with an interim
target of 42% by 2020. The Act places specific duties
and obligations on public bodies and local authorities.
It requires that “a public body must, in exercising its
functions, act in the way best calculated to contribute
to the delivery of the targets set in the Act.” It also
amends the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act
1997 to include an obligation for planning authorities
to include policies in local development plans
requiring all developments to minimise greenhouse
gas emissions through the installation of low and zero
carbon generating technologies. The Climate Change
Delivery Plan (Scottish Government, 2009) sets out
the higher-level measures needed to meet these
targets, and the recent (February 2010) Committee on
Climate Change document, Scotland’s path to a lowcarbon economy, confirmed that Scotland’s targets are
“challenging but achievable”, setting out advice on how
to meet these.
In 2007, all Scottish local authorities signed up to
Scotland’s Climate Change Declaration, committing
to mitigate their impact on climate change through
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and take steps to
adapt to the effects of climate change.
Planners are key to achieving these targets, as they can
put in place the tools necessary to drive low-carbon
strategies in their areas, and have a direct effect on
the infrastructure, which may assist or hinder whether
energy efficiency and climate change targets are
met. This will require a combination of development
planning at the strategic and policy level to identify
and support particular infrastructure-based low carbon
opportunities. These policy drivers set out baseline
requirements for all development activity, including
works to existing buildings enabling development
management to ensure planning applications meet the
policy criteria, and to support developers in advising
how this can be done. These should complement and
form synergies with other strategic council functions
such as housing and local transport provision.
Awareness raising and forward planning will be key to
delivering the 2020 and 2050 carbon reduction targets.
By anticipating future trends in energy demand and
wider factors, planners can make decisions that best
suit the local area’s long-term needs.
As well as mitigating further climate change by
reducing emissions, there is a certain amount of
inevitable climate change due to emissions that have
already occurred or cannot be avoided as reflected
in the UK Climate Projections and Scotland’s Climate
Change Adaptation Framework.
1.3 Planning for a
changing environment
The planning system will increasingly have to face
new challenges in its role of protecting the natural
environment and shaping the built heritage of the
future. The Planning Response to Climate Change report
(UK Government, 2004) makes it clear that “there
is a real urgency to put in place regional and local
planning policies on adaptation to climate change, and
to strengthen policies that will mitigate and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions”. In mitigating and reducing
these emissions, moving towards a sustainable
pattern of energy use is key. The Scottish Government
highlights in Conserve and Save (2009) that planning
plays “a key role in achieving the energy efficiency
targets to be set” (aspects of this change are already
underway, as demonstrated by the fact that Europe’s
largest on-shore wind farm was named the overall
winner of the Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning in
March 2010, and a local authority sustainable design
guide also received an award).
Some low-carbon elements (such as revised
infrastructure standards, building materials, design
features and renewable energy technologies) will
inevitably have a greater impact on appearance than
others. However, from double glazing to solar panels,
more innovative design is increasingly addressing
aesthetic considerations, and some measures (e.g.
internal insulation, ground source heat pumps) are
Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
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largely invisible, making them far less of an issue for
development management.
It is important for the planning system to be able to
strike a balance when considering the visual aspects
of low-carbon developments. Aesthetics and a sense of
place are key aspects of development management and
the increasing need for buildings to be built or adapted
to use less energy, incorporate more sustainable
materials and generate more of their own energy will
inevitably lead to changes in appearance and patterns
of development.
This context is now at the heart of the documents
that govern how land use planning is delivered in
Scotland. For instance, achieving a sustainable
approach to development is a core component of the
National Planning Framework for Scotland 2 (June
2009), which sets out an over-arching strategy for
Scotland’s development to 2030. It includes sections
on sustainable development, climate change, energy,
transport, waste, biodiversity and new technologies,
and confirms that, “planning authorities have a duty
to contribute to sustainable development through
their development planning function”. Meanwhile
The Scottish Planning Policy (SPP 2010) aims to
simplify planning policy in Scotland for planners,
developers and communities. This policy replaces all
previous Scottish Planning Policies, including SPP6,
which covered renewable energy, and SPP3, which
covered housing. It contains sections on sustainable
development, climate change and renewable energy,
as well as related issues such as housing, historic
environment, landscape and natural heritage, flooding
and green belts. More detailed aspects of the SPP, and
other more specific planning guidelines, are referenced
in the relevant sections of this pack. However one
of its guiding principles is that “the planning system
should promote development that supports the
move towards a more economically, socially and
environmentally sustainable society”.
Scottish Planning Policy recommends “development
plan policies for development involving low and zero
carbon generating technologies should accord with
the standards, guidance and methodologies provided
in building regulations”. In this context the Scottish
Building Standards are being revised in 2010 and will
include more stringent energy efficiency standards for
both new buildings and conversion work to existing
buildings. Planners who completed the survey that
informed this pack highlighted concern that the revised
building standards could impact on the extent to
which planning departments can influence sustainable
development. As some of the case studies in this pack
show, a close working relationship between planning
and building control is fundamental to the achievement
of low-carbon developments.
The following guidance and advice also has a bearing
on promoting a sustainable energy policy:
Planning Advice Note 67: Housing Quality (2003)
highlights the importance of insulation, optimizing
natural daylight, designing to capture solar energy
and heating systems that make good use of
resources such as CHP and district heating
Planning Advice Note 68: Design Statements
(2003) describes how to make best use of design
statements, which must explain how a development
will meet the six qualities of what makes a
successful place. One of these qualities is resource
efficiency: buildings should minimise the use of
energy by facing the sun and be as sheltered as
possible from prevailing winds
More detailed aspects of the SPP and other specific
planning guidelines are referenced in the relevant
sections of this pack.
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1.4 Further resources
Practice signposts: Climate change (Royal Town
Planning Institute, 2009) provides links to websites,
documents and case studies giving practical advice
and supporting information on climate change
The Energy Saving Trust’s Scottish Policy webpage
provides a summary of sustainable energy and
climate change related legislation and duties
placed on local authorities in Scotland, and
includes suggestions and examples of actions that
authorities can take
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2 Low-carbon essentials
In facilitating low-carbon sustainable
development, planners should consider
a number of aspects, including efficient
design, energy reduction measures,
energy generation measures, communal
heating systems, master planning and
local policy development. These are all
covered in more detail in subsequent
sections of this pack, however there
are a number of over-arching principles
that should be followed.
2.1 The energy hierarchy
Planners should use the overarching principal of
minimising greenhouse gas emissions and always
use the ‘energy hierarchy’ to guide planning policy
and development management decisions for both
refurbishment and new build:
1 Reduce the need for energy.
2 Maximise energy efficiency (to reduce the baseline of energy required and maximise the value of energy used).
3 Supply energy from renewable resources (to meet some or all of the baseline energy required).
4 Where fossil fuels still need to be used, use these as efficiently as possible.
The importance of following this hierarchical
approach cannot be over-emphasised. However,
planners and developers in some cases may
require a flexible approach to ensure that the most
cost effective savings are achieved. Physical or
legal limitations on a particular development will
influence the choice of a technology, but the focus
should always be on achieving savings from higher
up the hierarchy starting first with energy efficient
design then the most low carbon forms of heating.
For example the London Plan specifies, in its
heating order of preference, the following:
1
2
3
4
5
Connection to existing combined cooling heat and power (CCHP) or combined heat and Power (CHP) distribution networks.
Site-wide CCHP/CHP powered by renewables.
Gas-fired CCHP/CHP or hydrogen fuel cells both accompanied by renewables.
Communal heating and cooling fuelled by renewable
sources of energy.
Gas fired communal heating and cooling.1
This order of preference within the overall energy
hierarchy ensures that the significant area-wide
savings of communal heating systems with renewable
or low carbon heat are not lost. This can be
achieved through the installation of micro renewable
technologies, which deliver limited savings only to
one site in an area. The case studies in this document
show that there are numerous ways to achieve lowcarbon developments and the approach in any area
will be dependant on the opportunities available there.
1
This order of preference does not take into account the potential to use wasted heat from industrial processes. More information on heat mapping, which would help to identify such opportunities, can be found in section 7.
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2.2 Energy hierarchy checklist
The table shows a checklist of low-carbon measures that should be considered in any carbon reduction approach.
1. Passive energy efficiency
(design & location)
2. Operational energy
efficiency
3. Renewable energy
4. Using fossil fuels
efficiently
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Orientation
Sheltering/shading/exposure
Daylighting
Solar gain
Local sustainable materials
Drying space
Ventilation (natural)
Airtightness
Proximity to local services
Access to green travel
routes
Access to public transport
•
•
•
•
•
Heating system &
controls
Insulation
Lighting
Glazing
Heat extractors
Energy efficient
vehicles
•
•
•
•
Solar (hot water,
electricity & warm air)
Biomass
Heat pumps (ground,
air & water source)
Wind
Hydro
*Electric vehicles, anaerobic digestion/hydrogen fuel can replace fossil fuels fully or in part
In addition to the above, energy master planning, building
adaptation and transport should also be considered, as
should appropriate building energy management systems
and metering, though savings from such systems will be
reliant on monitoring and maintenance. More details on all
these measures, and links to further guidance, are provided
in the relevant sections of this pack.
•
•
•
•
•
Connection to existing
(low carbon) heat
network
District Heating/
Combined Heat & Power
Travel demand
management e.g.
Company travel plans
Electric vehicles*
Anaerobic digestion*
Hydrogen fuel cells*
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2.3 Carbon or energy?
Policies and development management decisions should
be based on carbon rather than energy savings. This
avoids any confusion caused by fuels having different
levels of associated emissions (e.g. electricity has far
higher associated emissions than mains gas).
Carbon or Carbon Dioxide CO2?
Policies, targets and climate change drivers often
refer both to ‘carbon’ and to ‘carbon dioxide’ (CO2).
‘Carbon’ is generally used as a generic term, but
reduction targets usually refer to CO2
This is an important distinction, since the
calculations for carbon and CO2 emissions are
different. In line with government targets, policies
should use CO2. To convert from carbon to CO2
multiply by 44/12. For example one metric tonne of
carbon = 3.667t CO22
Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is also be used in
relation to other greenhouse gases such as methane
to reflect their relative global warming potential3
The key factor determining overall carbon dioxide
emissions is firstly the demand for energy to service
the building’s needs for light, heating, water heating
and appliances. The second factor is the fuel source
– the carbon intensity of which varies considerably
and is illustrated in the table below. These figures
need to be reviewed regularly especially in relation to
electricity which is affected by the generation mix.
The price of electricity is also higher than for other
sources but the price is reduced for off-peak heating if
the household is on the correct tariff, as illustrated in
the table below.
Fuel
Gas
Electricity (standard)
Electricity (averaged heating)
Oil
Coal
LPG
Fuel prices
CO2 factor
(p/kWh)
(kgCO2/kWh)
3.80
12.96
7.69
3.87
3.63
6.79
0.204
0.543
0.543
0.246
0.296
0.214
2.4 ‘Zero-carbon’ developments
In line with targets to cut CO2 emissions, exemplar
low-energy developments by proactive local authorities
and housing associations demonstrate that progress
towards a low-carbon future is achievable now. These
are often called ‘zero-carbon’ developments.
One definition of ‘zero-carbon home’ is one that
“does not consume fossil fuels for
heat or power. It is highly insulated
and uses renewable energy to
power its needs over a year through
microgeneration”
(Stamp duty land tax relief for new zero-carbon
homes, UK Government, 2007).
Increasingly, connection to local heat networks is
being considered as part of the way of achieving
this, although this might be low-carbon rather than
renewable if biomass is not being utilised.
3
2
Emission Facts: Metrics for Expressing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Carbon Equivalents and Carbon Dioxide Equivalents, United States Environmental Protection Agency
They refer to ‘CO2 equivalent’ (CO2e), a measurement used to enable the impact of all the main greenhouse gases to be standardized, However this is beyond the remit of this pack. More information can be found in Defra’s Guidelines to conversion factors (2009)
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The UK Government has set a target for all new homes
in England to be zero carbon by 2016, and similar
plans for new non-domestic buildings by 2019. Zero
Carbon Hub includes a useful list of resources, as
does a report by the Energy Efficiency Task Force
(November 2009). A similar strategy for Scotland was
set out in the The Sullivan Report, which proposed to
progressively, raise building regulations until 2016.
In line with the ‘energy hierarchy’ above, a large
part of this zero-carbon status can be achieved
through design (e.g. orientation, solar gain, thermal
mass) – involving both planning and building control,
and efficiency measures (e.g. insulation, lighting) –
predominantly involving building control, to minimise
the amount of energy a property needs to run.
Renewable energy should then be considered, and is
fundamental to achieving ‘zero-carbon’ status. No one
element of low-carbon development is viable as a
stand-alone measure. An integrated approach must be
taken where the different elements complement and
enhance one another. In setting local planning policies
and managing local developments, planners should
always consider this holistic approach.
2.5 CO2 reduction, cost savings and
payback periods
Applications for developments that
incorporate sustainable energy features
are driven both by environmental and
financial considerations, since as well
as lower associated emissions, lowenergy developments have considerably
lower running costs.
Planners will find it helpful to have an awareness of
the typical savings (CO2, energy or kWh and £) that
different low-carbon features can generate in different
situations, as well as how their ‘payback periods’
compare (how long it takes to recoup the capital costs
through the savings on energy costs). Based on the
costs of energy and energy efficiency technologies
today paybacks for zero carbon homes may long,
but we have to accept that to achieve a low carbon
economy. Investment now is also warranted because
energy costs are likely to rise in future. The savings
and costs will vary depending on whether this is
installed as a new build or retrofit technology. An
appreciation of the installation costs and likely returns
are valuable in persuading developers of the value of
low-carbon buildings, and the scope of higher capital
costs.
Regularly updated financial and carbon savings4 for the
main low-carbon measures can be found on the pages of
the Energy Saving Trust website:
Savings from insulation measures
Savings from space and water heating
Savings from micro renewable systems
Assumptions must be made in calculating these figures. The Energy Saving Trust also provides details of assumptions for energy efficiency
measures and assumptions for renewable energy systems
4
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Whilst projected savings are a useful guide, it is also
important for planners and developers to recognise
that there are many variables that can affect these
figures. These include user behaviour, the type of fuel
being used, the appropriateness of the measure for
the development in question and the optimal siting of
renewable energy technologies.
Payback periods, in particular, are subject to constant
change. Not only are they affected by the variables
above but also by the changing cost of fossil fuels
and the range of financial incentives for low-carbon
measures. It is reasonable to assume that payback
periods will become increasingly shorter because fossil
fuel prices are predicted to continue rising, whilst a
greater roll-out of low-carbon technologies will lower
their capital cost. Further useful information can be
found in Towards Zero Carbon Development, produced
by the London Energy Partnership, which includes
practical advice about how local authorities can use
their powers to encourage zero carbon development.
It includes a definition of zero carbon development
and offers information about site characteristics, an
overview of key arguments to use in discussion with
developers, and lessons learnt and pitfalls to avoid
when taking forward proposed developments.
A number of case studies are available in each section
of this document.
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3 Low-carbon design
Development Planning
Set requirements for sustainable design principles
in terms of siting, orientation, sheltering and
sustainable materials where practical in policies
and supplementary guidance
Development Management
Check to ensure every development utilises low
carbon design principles to reduce energy use
3.1 Overview
Low-carbon buildings are often associated with
enhancements, i.e. physical measures to save and
generate energy. However, considerable reductions
in the energy needs of a building can be achieved
through passive measures. Location, siting, orientation,
materials, insulation, natural ventilation, use of daylight
and solar heat gain are all important passive elements
of sustainable design. These need to be considered
together with broader issues such as layout, the
relationship to other building and landscaping
elements, infrastructure, roads and pedestrian routes,
and the proximity of amenities and transport. These
broader factors are explored in other sections of this
pack.
Consideration of the embodied energy of construction
materials and building techniques can also result in
significant CO2 savings, as illustrated by the following:
10% of UK energy use is associated with
construction materials and methods
5% of the UK’s overall energy burden is used to
transport construction materials5
11% of the world’s man-made CO2 emissions result
from making concrete
5
The Green Guide to Specification (Anderson, J. & Shiers, D., 2001)
This shows embodied energy (and carbon emissions)
in new buildings is something to be considered. When
looking at existing housing there may be greater
savings to be made by retaining and improving existing
fabric rather than demolition and replacement. There
may also be other reasons why existing buildings
should be retained, such as heritage value. Sustainable
design principles can also be applied to refurbishment
projects, as demonstrated in case study 3A at the end
of this section.
3.2 Current planning policy
“Energy efficient design of buildings
will make a significant contribution
to reducing emissions. Location,
siting, orientation, design, materials
and insulation are important factors
in the energy efficiency of buildings.”
(SPP, 2010)
The SPP provides a strong case for low-carbon design,
recognising that renewable energy technologies
will not always provide a stand-alone solution to
achieving CO2 reduction targets. It advises planning
authorities to account for this in their policies and to
pay close attention to other elements such as design
and insulation. The Scottish Government sets out
further principles on the value of sustainable design
in Designing Places. A number of local authorities
have put in place guidance and policies relating to
sustainable design; these are outlined in subsequent
sections.
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3.3 How planners can help
Planners can help drive low-carbon
design both through policy development
and development management.
In this section and subsequent sections this guide
discusses issues including:
Passive solar design
Sustainable Materials
Retrofitting historic buildings
Ventilation (see section 8)
Sustainable transport
3.3.1 Passive design
Much can be done to reduce the energy use of
buildings by designing buildings in a way that
maximises use of daylight and solar heat gain and
encourages natural ventilation by careful consideration
of factors such as the orientation and location of the
building, and the size and location of windows.
Development management can help achieve a balance
between achieving density targets, while avoiding
overshadowing of neighbouring buildings for example,
and by checking that other sustainable design
principles have been followed wherever possible. The
increased use of large glazing areas, in particular,
may need careful consideration due to the aesthetic
differences when compared with more traditional and
vernacular building design. Development management
planners will be critical to managing this change,
and enabling low-carbon design features. Critical to
reducing heating requirements is passive solar design,
which is applicable to all new building and can even
be retrofitted in existing buildings, as illustrated by
case study 3A.
In the first instance minimising the amount of
energy needed by a development not only follows
the ‘energy hierarchy’, but also means that when
considering renewable energy, smaller systems will
be required, costing the developer less and lowering
running costs for the householder. This can be used
as a way of promoting low-carbon design in future
developments. Policy development can set requirements
for sustainable design principles to be followed, not
only in terms of siting, orientation and sheltering, but
also in terms of local and sustainable materials where
practical as illustrated by case study 3B. A number of
local authorities in Scotland have taken steps in this
direction, as the following examples demonstrate.
The Clackmannanshire Local Plan places particular
emphasis on orientation and sheltering through its
Policy RES11, and also promotes high standards of
insulation, although it specifies that “this is usually a
matter for Building Standards”. This latter point again
illustrates the importance of working with Building
Control, as mentioned previously.
Other local authorities have produced specific guidance
on sustainable design. The Argyll and Bute Sustainable
Design Guidance is divided into different sections to
cover small and large-scale developments, existing
stock, built heritage issues, and local case studies. The
image on the following page, taken from the guidance,
provides a clear illustration of how siting can
maximise or negate solar gain and shelter. Its Isle
of Tiree Sustainable Design Guidance provides useful
examples of area-specific sustainable design guidance,
and may be useful for other rural and island settings.
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Solar gain and shelter - POOR SITING
Solar gain and shelter - BETTER SITING
houses are exposed to prevailing winds
small south facing windows do not allow for much solar gain
exposure to
prevailing winds
is minimised by locating
houses so that they are not
exposed - sitting in a hollow
rather than on the ridge of a hill
In England, Swindon Borough Council produced the
Swindon Sustainable Building Design and Construction
Supplementary Planning Document (2007); Appendix 4
of the document provides a good overview of passive
solar design on both smaller and larger scales, as the
following example illustrates.
Illustration of good solar orientation from Argyle and
Bute Council’s Sustainable Design Guidance
larger openings to south:
smaller openings to north
sunspaces and glazing on
the southerly aspect of houses
maximises solar gain
The particular issue of overshadowing also has
potential impacts on the ability of developments to
incorporate onsite generation technologies, as solar
and wind systems could become redundant if they
would be overshadowed or have their wind flow
blocked or disrupted. This is covered in more detail in
the renewable energy section of this pack.6
Passive design features increase resilience to the
extremes of weather that are likely to come about as
a result of climate change; more on this subject is
covered in Section 8 on Adaptation to Climate Change.
Guidance on Daylighting in urban areas is available from
the Energy Saving Trust website, together with a wide
range of best practice guides for both new build and
refurbishment of existing buildings.
Tall buildings (red)
on the south side
create unnecessary
overshadowing of the
outdoor space and of the
south elevation of the
surrounding buildings.
Placing short buildings
(yellow) on the south and
taller buildings to the
north prevents unnecessary
overshadowing and allows
more passive solar gain to
be achieved.
6
This support pack has highlighted passive design in housing. Non-domestic buildings may need to take a different approach depending on
whether or not the main energy demand for keeping the temperature comfortable is for heating or cooling.
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3.3.2 Sustainable materials
It takes energy to create and transport building
materials - this ‘embodied energy’ of materials
should be considered by planners, as should any
other environmental impacts. The use of local,
sustainable materials with low embodied energy can
be encouraged through both development planning and
development management. Planners can get a better
understanding of this subject by using the following
tools:
Envest for housing (Energy Saving Trust, 2010) is
an interactive, technical online tool that allows the
user to input and compare various designs for their
embodied CO2 impacts
The Green Guide to Specification (BRE) provides
a guide to the environmental impact of building
materials
Case study 3B is an example of a development where
the use of local, sustainable materials has been
encouraged by a planning authority.
Towards Sustainable Design: Guidance on sustainable
design and construction (Shetland Islands Council,
2008) provides comprehensive guidance on sustainable
construction and encourages “maximum use of
materials from local and/or sustainable sources”. It
also includes local, national and international case
studies for comparison.
3.3.3 Retrofitting buildings
It is also important to prioritise refurbishment over
demolitions and new constructions where possible. A
2008 report by the Empty Homes Alliance concluded
that reusing empty homes rather than building new
ones can save 35 tonnes of carbon dioxide per
property by removing the need for the energy locked
into new build materials and construction. This
approach is taken by Dundee City Council; the Dundee
Urban Design Guide (2005) states that “existing
buildings should always be considered for regeneration
rather than demolition and replacement to sustain a
built form representing embodied energy, an existing
infrastructure and on occasion an urban microclimate”.
The City of Edinburgh Council published the
Edinburgh Standards for Sustainable Building in 2007,
Supplementary Planning Guidance that includes a
series of best practice design principles:
Ensure quality in layout, building and landscaping
design
Design inclusive, healthy & safe environments
Reduce climate change impacts and increase
renewable energy generation
Encourage use of sustainable resources and
materials
Reduce Pollution and encourage recycling
Encourage sustainable construction and operation
Edinburgh’s Sustainable Design Guide (The City of
Edinburgh Council, 2003) is also useful guidance more
relevant to urban settings.
External cladding treatment before and after
of Edinburgh Council flats, Granton
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Regeneration of existing homes and other brownfield
sites may also minimise the need for new transport
infrastructure; this is covered in Section 9 (Transport).
Where it is necessary to rebuild, deconstruction should
be encouraged. This is a way of dismantling buildings
such that its component parts can be reused. Guidance
from the Scottish Ecological Design Association on
Designing & detailing for deconstruction (2005) gives
more detail on this subject.
3.4 Further resources
Sustainable Energy By Design (Town & Country
Planning Association, 2006) provides detailed
guidance for local authorities on low-carbon design
on small and large-scale developments
Sustainable Housing Design Guide For Scotland
(Communities Scotland, 2007) provides similar
guidance for housing in Scotland
SUST.org is a dedicated resource for sustainable
design, providing access to a wide variety of
information, resources and guidance
Architecture + Design Scotland also has advice and
support for planners in Scotland.
Benchmarking tools such as BREEAM (for nondomestic buildings) and EcoHomes (for domestic
buildings) can be a useful way of standardising
sustainable new construction. EcoHomes XB
provides advice for the refurbishment of existing
homes
Beddington Zero Energy Development is currently
the UK’s largest mixed use sustainable community.
It was designed to create a thriving community in
which ordinary people could enjoy a high quality
of life, while living within their fair share of the
Earth’s resources
Sustainable Homes has developed a number of
useful publications on sustainable housing design
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Case Study 3A:
Passive solar design retrofit
Project Name:
Gilmours Close, Edinburgh
Developer:
Hillcrest Housing Association
Local Authority:
The City of Edinburgh Council
Date completed:
May 2008
Integrated Strategy of Renewable Energy
Sunspace heat recovery
through mechanical
ventilation
Summary of project:
The project involved the
refurbishment of a listed former
hostel to provide 16 flats and
a maisonette. Passive solar
design and a communal ground
source heat pump are key
aspects of the refurbishment
Positive input
Air and heat recovery
ventilation unit
Super insulation to
external wall
Sunspace
Ground source
heat pump unit
100m deep bore holes for
ground source heat for
space and water heating
Consents required:
Planning permission
Listed building consent
(Grade B)
Building warrant
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
A Victorian hostel tenement was retained and refurbished, maintaining its character
whilst ensuring that it meets the needs of building users in the 21st century
The conversion delivered lower running costs, utilising a sustainable energy source
and also helped to minimise risk of fuel poverty
Energy consumption was minimised by high levels of insulation, airtight
construction, and passive solar design through sunspaces on South-facing
elevations (incorporating heat recovery and a whole-house ventilation system)
These features allow the ground source heat pump to provide 100% of the space
and water heating requirements. The original design anticipated meeting only
part of this energy requirement, but higher levels of insulation reduced the space
heating demand
Site-specific design was crucial to this project, as renewable energy options were
restricted by planning criteria, due to the listed status of the building
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Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
The building is listed and lies in the UNESCO World Heritage Site,
and there were severe restrictions on installing renewable energy
technologies, particularly where they would affect the principal (Northfacing) elevation
However, the orientation of the building (i.e. its optimal elevation for
solar gain being to the rear), plus the ground space to the rear, made
the property ideally suited for passive solar design and ground source
heat pumps
Planning permission including sunspaces at the rear was approved,
but a subsequent modified application was initially rejected (then
subsequently approved). These decisions were primarily focused on the
sunspaces
Relevant planning policies:
The project pre-dated Scottish legislation on renewables and permitted
development
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site Management Plan
(2005)
Impact of planning policies on project:
There were no major visible changes (e.g. boiler flues) allowed to the
principal elevation of the building
Since windows with more than one glazing layer were not permitted on
the principal elevation, secondary glazing was installed instead, as this
is permitted in listed buildings. This was in accordance with the World
Heritage Trust’s conservation guidance, and allowed natural ventilation
to be maintained
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
Significant discussions with the planning department took place before
and throughout the application process, and were key to the success of
the project
Any complications encountered:
There were design variations to that included in the original planning
consent and its subsequent interpretation
The machinery required to drill ten 100-metre-deep boreholes couldn’t
get into the site, so fourteen 70-metre boreholes were drilled using a
smaller machine
Key Outcomes:
The retention and sustainable
refurbishment of a Victorian
building was achieved
Modern passive solar design
was incorporated into a
historic building
Significant integration of
renewables into a listed, hardto-treat building
Communal space & water
heating for 17 flats
High insulation levels, and
heat recovery and whole-house
ventilation systems reduced
the heating requirement, and
lowered running costs and
achieved CO2 savings
Key Learning Points:
Developers should aim for a
single planning application
process, with no subsequent
revisions
The responsibility for all
mechanical and electrical
aspects should be clear at
tender stage
Historic buildings can be
adapted and take advantage of
modern design principles
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Further information:
Innovation Review article
(December 2009, pp. 48-78)
Contact:
Moray Glennie,
Hillcrest Housing Association
0131 558 8555,
[email protected]
Front and rear elevations of the development
after completion of the retrofit
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Case Study 3B:
Use of sustainable & local materials
Project Name:
Yarrowford Grazings
Developer:
Eildon Housing Association
Local Authority:
Scottish Borders Council
Date completed:
Pending (July 2010)
Consents required:
Planning permission
Building warrant
Scottish Water approval
and SEPA approval in
relation to drainage of
waste water impacts on
local watercourses
Summary of project:
Yarrowford Grazings is a small development of
five 3 bed and three 4 bed dwellings in a rural
location. The scheme utilises locally sourced
Scottish timbers for the timber frame, as well
as facings and skirtings. The dwellings are fitted
with Ecodan air source heat pumps and are
insulated to a high standard.
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
Individual air source heat pumps are being used to provide efficient space and
water heating to each property
Yarrowford is not on the gas network; air source heat pumps will reduce the CO2
emissions and cost of heating the buildings and cut down the requirement for
electricity
The heat pumps will be sited to the rear of the properties, adjacent to the boundary
and 1.5m from the dwellings
Monitoring will be carried out to confirm heating costs and emission levels
The building is constructed from locally sourced timber, to avoid the environmental
impact of importing timbers, and recycled materials are being used as the building
insulation
Drying greens for washing and recycling areas have also been designed into the site
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
The Scottish Borders Local Plan promotes a sustainable approach to development. The core elements are to
i) address use and generation of energy, ii) raise awareness of the potential to reduce energy use, and iii) to meet
energy needs through the use of low-carbon technologies
The Scottish Borders Supplementary Planning Guidance 18: Renewable Energy requires all new-build dwellings
to achieve a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions beyond the 2007 Building Standards through energy efficiency and
design measures and through the use of low and zero carbon technologies such as on site renewable systems
High levels of insulation and air-source heat pumps will ensure that the development substantially exceeds this
requirement.
Planning Officials supported the amount of locally sourced external timber cladding reducing the embedded energy
in the building construction
The housing mix was agreed with SBC Housing Strategy Team to tie in with their Strategic Housing Investment Plan
and reflects the local housing needs in small rural settlements
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Key Outcomes:
Relevant planning policies:
Scottish Borders Local Plan (Dec 2005)
Scottish Borders Supplementary Planning Guidance 18 (Renewable
Energy): this states that “to meet the required 15% reduction in CO2
emissions, the Council promotes the energy hierarchy approach ... and
favours the use of energy efficiency measures as the first step in
meeting the required emissions reduction”
Impact of planning policies on project:
Details of on site CO2 saving measures needed to be submitted for
approval by the Planning Authority
Installing air-source heating is more expensive than other options, but
additional funding was secured to allow this to progress
Community consultation was a valued input into the layout and design
of the development
Locally sourced timbers often come at a premium too and can
sometimes not be suitable for the project. Carefully selected timbers are
being used and only high strength (C24 grade) timbers are imported for
structural reasons
It is essential that the new development is seen as an integral part of
the existing settlement
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
The site was already designated for housing in the settlement plan.
However access to, and siting of, the housing units was negotiated in
detail
Further information:
Planning consent ref 08/00472/FUL
Scottish Borders Supplementary Planning Guidance 18: Renewable Energy
Contact:
Kevin Scott,
Development Officer,
Eildon Housing Association
01750 725900
Joe Holmes
John R. Harris & Partners
(Architect)
The erection of sustainable
homes, with air source heat
pumps providing an on site
low carbon source of heating
with costs comparable to gas
and with lower emissions than
using standard electric heating
or solid fuels was completed
Embodied energy savings from
using locally sourced timber
in all areas of the build were
achieved
Key Learning Points:
Early engagement with
statutory authorities is
essential
Correct specification of the
heating system is essential,
to ensure that the system
operates satisfactorily. This
means ensuring that the
heat pump is correctly sized
in relation to the building’s
energy demand and likely
patterns of use e.g. need for
hot water
Using locally sourced timbers
can be viable for many parts
of the buildings
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4 Energy Efficiency
Taking action:
Development Planning
Set standards for CO2 emissions when buildings
are being refurbished, extended, or their use is
changed
Work with building control to set higher than
the national minimum requirements under
national building standards for energy efficiency
in new developments
Put in place policies that specifically consider
how energy efficiency improvements can
be sympathetically incorporated into listed
buildings and conservation areas
Develop policies that secure ‘carbon neutral’
developments, to be met through a combination
of on-site CO2 compliance and payments to
a local carbon offset fund (or a local carbon
balancing scheme)
Development Management
Develop an understanding of the products and
techniques that can be used to reduce the
energy use of historic buildings
Work with building control to develop systems
for assessing the carbon savings from new
buildings so policies that go beyond minimum
standards can be realised
4.1 Overview
Energy efficiency entails using less
energy to provide the same level of
energy service (e.g. internal temperature
or light levels).
Energy efficiency is a wide-ranging term relevant to
many areas of this pack, however for the purposes
of this section it can be taken to relate to building
insulation and natural lighting, as these fall under the
remit of the planning service. Insulating a building
helps minimise the amount of energy needed for
heating and cooling. Decisions as to whether the
insulation is external or internal will determine
whether this is a planning matter. Patterns of
fenestration and doors will also impact on the amount
of natural light that can introduced into a development,
as will roof configurations, which might include roof
lights or sun tubes
Policies and development management decision
should aim to reflect the ‘energy hierarchy’ (referred
to earlier in this pack), where there is scope to do so.
Whilst energy efficiency should be among the earliest
considerations for both new build and refurbishment
projects, traditionally planners have had limited scope
to influence these aspects of design. This situation
is now changing with the advent of policies that seek
specific carbon savings, such as compliance with
onsite generation requirements. It is almost always
more cost effective to make the fabric of a building as
energy efficient as possible before installing renewable
energy systems. By reducing overall energy demand
through insulation, more efficient space and water
heating and lighting it is easier for developers to meet
any specific renewable energy policy requirements that
may be in place. In short, energy and carbon savings
from insulation reduce the need for more expensive
renewables.
A significant challenge arises in driving improvements
in existing buildings through retrofits. Even here
planners can have a role through policies linking new
buildings to wider improvements in the community
and policies and conditions related to building
extensions. The case studies at the end of this section
provide some examples of ways to achieve emissions
reductions from existing buildings and in the wider
community through planning policies.
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4.2 Policy context
The Scottish Building Standards are
setting increasingly stringent regulatory
standards for energy efficiency in
new buildings, refurbishments and
extensions.
These baseline requirements can lead to a presumption
that energy efficiency is the remit of building control
rather than planning departments. However, both are
integral to promoting and achieving high standards of
energy efficiency. The 2010 Building Regulations will
reduce carbon emissions for both homes and nondomestic buildings by 30% beyond current standards
and are due to be implemented in October 2010.
Warm Homes, Greener Homes: A strategy for
household energy management (DECC, March 2010)
sets out how UK Government will meet its targets
for CO2 reductions in UK homes, through householder
support mechanisms to facilitate energy efficiency
improvements. This covers a number of areas of policy
that are devolved to Scottish Government; a similar
approach in Scotland will be set out in the Energy
Efficiency Action Plan for Scotland, due to be published
by the Scottish Government in late Spring 2010, which
will set targets for energy efficiency and action in
a number of areas including housing, non-domestic
buildings, transport, planning and cross-cutting built
environment issues such as CHP and district heating.
The consultation for the Plan considered what the
enabling powers were for introducing a requirement
to assess the energy performance of houses and/or
require action to be taken based on those assessments
as set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act. The
consultation discussed a number of options for how
these powers could be used and enforced, for example
minimum energy efficiency standards for domestic
properties on sale or rental (as measured by Energy
Performance Certificates or something akin to these)
could be required, or households may be required to
install cost-effective measures as identified by any
assessment. If this is enforced the number of planning
applications for improvements to existing stock may
increase.
Other legislative drivers include the Scottish Fuel
Poverty Statement (Scottish Government, 2002), and
amendments to the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004
and the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, in particular
the Tolerable Standard. The Scottish Housing Quality
Standard includes minimum energy efficiency standards
that all social housing must meet by 2015, and is
likely to increase the number of planning applications
for low-energy refurbishment measures such as
external insulation (which can impact on external
elevations and roof lines). A number of grant and
funding schemes for energy efficiency measures may
also generate applications for improvement measures
such as external insulation.
Individual energy efficiency measures may not be
reflected in a planning application unless they impact
on the layout or external appearance of a development,
but they will be part of the building warrant process.
Information about the energy efficiency standard of a
development or refurbishment project is required as
part of the warrant application process demonstrating
compliance with Building Standards (energy efficiency
standards are included in Part 6 of the Technical
Handbooks for domestic and non-domestic buildings).
Again, this demonstrates the importance of working
with Building Control if the building’s overall carbon
footprint becomes a planning policy matter, especially
where the building is being extended or the use is
being changed.
4.3 How planners can help
Energy efficiency can be designed into new
developments, and used as part of a retrofit strategy
for existing buildings. Certain local authorities are
imposing higher energy efficiency standards through
land sales and the planning process, as in the
case of The City of Edinburgh Council’s land sale
and management procedures for the Waterfront
development. Planning policy can clearly be used
to influence developments: the Aberdeen Local Plan
(Aberdeen City Council, 2008), for example, specifically
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states that it will give preference to new developments
that are energy efficient, while the Edinburgh
Standards for Sustainable Development (The City of
Edinburgh Council, 2007) require not only minimum
on-site energy generation standards but also energy
efficiency standards beyond current Building Standards.
The Argyll and Bute Local Plan (Argyll and Bute
Council, 2009) proposes high insulation levels, double
or triple glazing and natural ventilation to minimise
energy use, “at the very least”.
Many aspects of improving the energy efficiency of
existing buildings has traditionally fallen outside the
regulatory regime because many energy efficiency
measures do not need planning permission or building
warrants. The construction of many existing buildings
in Scotland can also make low cost improvements
inappropriate or hard to install. Older buildings and
non traditional buildings with solid walls (particularly
those in multiple ownership, where neighbour consent
will be required) are particularly challenging. Some
measures to improve energy efficiency, such as
external cladding, are likely to affect the building’s
appearance and may require planning consent. Visual
and aesthetic considerations should be considered
against other priorities such as climate change
targets and tackling fuel poverty. Even in the case of
listed buildings acceptable solutions are possible, as
illustrated in case study 4A (building extensions) and
case study 4B (surrounding buildings) A rough guide to
where measures fall within the regulatory environment
is provided below.
Rough Guide To Consents for Energy Efficiency Measures*
Energy efficiency measure
Building Control
Planning
Conservation
Area / Listed
Notes
Internal wall Insulation
No
No
*Only if interior
listed
May affect traditional wall features
such as cornices
External wall insulation
Yes
*Yes if the profile
of the building is
changed
Yes
For example window profiles, sills,
roof lines and rain water goods
Double Glazing
No
No
Yes
Dependent on the listing and local
authority policy
Secondary glazing
No*
No
No
*Access to clean the windows
must be maintained at properties
inaccessible from street level
Loft insulation
No
No
No*
*May need new loft hatch to be cut
Draught proofing
No
No
No*
*Would need to ensure historic
features are not affected
Cavity wall insulation
No
No
No*
*Not applicable to most traditional
and listed buildings
*This is a rough guide only and not definitive and will be affected by the type of product used and the type of
building the measures are being applied to.
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Planners can, through developing the appropriate
policies, create new opportunities to tackle existing
buildings and promote or require related energy
efficiency works. For instance, where planning
permission is being sought for an extension there is
scope to require existing areas of the building to be
treated. One example of where this has been achieved
through local planning guidance is in Uttlesford
District Council in England (see case study 4A at the
end of this section).
There is also the capacity to use new development
to drive improvements in other housing in the area.
For example, Aberdeen City Council Supplementary
Planning Guidance sets out a policy for developments
of 500m2 or more to achieve a 15% reduction in
carbon dioxide emissions beyond 2007 building
regulations through the installation of low or zero
carbon equipment. Where technical or planning policy
constraints limit the application of this equipment, the
requirements of the plan can be satisfied by achieving
‘equivalent carbon savings’ elsewhere in the area:
“Equivalent carbon savings elsewhere in the area will
be taken to mean equivalent CO2 emissions reductions
reached through: the installation of LZC equipment
elsewhere in Aberdeen
or
by a financial contribution to Aberdeen City Council’s
carbon offset fund.”
There may however be opportunities to go further
than this and ensure that certain new developments
do not result in any additional CO2, by using planning
agreements to lever in savings from existing buildings
in the surrounding community which offset these
emissions. This provides the potential to achieve a
form of carbon neutrality. Local authorities in England
who are working with the insulation company eaga
are developing such a form of carbon balancing. This
approach is summarised in case study 4B. This differs
from the approach adopted by Aberdeenshire Council
in its Supplementary Planning Guidance on Carbon
Neutrality in New Developments which is working
towards full on site neutrality by going beyond building
regulations through the deployment of both energy
efficiency measures and onsite renewables.
4.3.1 Listed buildings and conservation areas
Listed buildings, and those in conservation areas, are
subject to different planning policies, and are treated
differently within planning guidance that is designed to
support the integration of renewable energy systems.
Permitted Development rights for many technologies
may, for example, also be removed requiring an
application. The range of options for improving the
energy efficiency of listed buildings may be limited,
particularly in relation to external insulation. Pressure
to meet CO2 reduction targets may require a change
in policy with respect to external changes, particularly
the application of solar and glazing technologies.
However, the SPP states that “in most cases, the
historic environment can accommodate change, which
is informed and sensitively managed, and can be
adapted to accommodate new uses whilst retaining its
special character”. This represents an opportunity for
planners to promote and support energy efficiency in
these hard-to-treat buildings.
Further advice and guidance can be found in the following:
Planning Advice Note 71: Conservation area
management (2004) provides planning advice on
how to manage change in conservation areas
Energy Heritage: A guide to improving energy
efficiency in traditional and hard-to-treat homes
(Changeworks, 2008) provides comprehensive bestpractice technical guidance, including a detailed
case study of improvements to Georgian ‘B’ listed
tenements in Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage
Site
INFORM Guide: energy efficiency (Historic Scotland,
2009) provides a brief summary of some key
related issues
The green guide to historic buildings (The Prince’s
Regeneration Trust, 2010) provides wide-ranging
advice on making historic buildings more
sustainable
Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
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Various case studies and reports developed by
the Hard to Treat Housing sub group of the Energy
Efficiency Partnership for Homes
The City of Edinburgh Council has commissioned a
trial of bespoke double-glazing units for installation in
listed buildings, with a view to updating their current
policy to allow their use in listed buildings more
widely. This trial is managed by Changeworks, and a
detailed report on the pilot will be available in Spring
2010.
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4.4 Further resources
The Energy Saving Trust has a number of interactive
tools that provide accessible information on the
main energy efficiency measures for domestic
properties, as well as a large library of guidance
documents and case studies on domestic energy
efficiency
The Old Home SuperHome project is a UK network
of older, exemplar domestic properties that
have successfully made major energy efficiency
improvements. The website resource includes case
studies and videos, and some of the properties
arrange ‘doors open’ days
The T-zero project includes a large number of case
studies on successful retrofit projects of existing
homes and tools for assessing improvements to
particular buildings
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Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
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Case Study 4A:
Use of planning conditions to improve existing housing
Policy Name:
Supplementary Planning Document, Home Extensions
Local Authority:
Uttlesford District Council
Date implemented:
November 2005
Summary of policy aims:
The policy sought to offset
the likely increase in
energy use as a result of
extending a property, by
requiring improvements in
energy efficiency in the main
property as a condition of
granting planning permission
Energy and sustainability aspects of policy:
The Energy Efficiency
Condition is just one element
of the SPD
As a condition on Planning Permission granted for a home extension,
the Council requires simple, cost-effective energy efficiency measures
to be carried out on the extended dwelling as a whole (if possible and
practical), rather than just meeting high energy efficiency standards in the
extension
Other relevant policies:
Where an application is approved, the applicant is expected to complete
and submit a home energy assessment form (provided with the decision
notice)
Uttlesford Local Plan Policy
GEN2: Design
The Council then notifies the applicant of the cost-effective measures that
may reasonably be required to fulfil the SPD Energy Efficiency Condition
The Council will consider exemptions in special circumstances (e.g.
practical barriers to installation or prohibitive up-front costs)
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of policy:
There has been close liaison between the Development Management and
Building Control teams to make this policy work
Applicants seem relatively happy to comply, and no-one has yet appealed
the condition
Where appeals have been allowed for other reasons, however, Inspectors
have not been consistent in applying the condition: in some cases, this
appears to be because the Inspector felt they had insufficient information
to make a proper judgement
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Impact of previous building projects on development of policy:
This was the first SPD condition of its kind in the UK: as such it was a
new approach and therefore not based on previous practice. However,
other English and Welsh authorities have followed Uttlesford District
Council’s lead by instigating similar policies
Uttlesford District Council’s Energy Efficiency Surveyor was instrumental
in turning the policy aspiration into a workable process
Research undertaken into other local / regional / national policies:
The SPD as a whole was subject to consultation with various
organisations
Key Outcomes:
There are clear benefits to
environment in securing
additional carbon savings,
which will also reduce the
building’s running costs
The policy contributes to
objectives in the Council’s
Climate Change Strategy
The policy has received support
from national environmental
organisations
It has been commended as
good practice to be shared
Any complications encountered:
See comments above on appeals
Further information:
Uttlesford District Council website on planning for climate change
Energy Saving Trust case study
Contact:
Melanie Jones,
Principal Planning Officer,
Planning and Housing Strategy,
Uttlesford District Council
01799 510461
[email protected]
Key Learning Points:
Close working between
building control and planning
is essential in delivering such
a policy
There is a need to be clear
from the start about how the
scheme will operate before
engaging developers
Planners must think carefully
about any additional guidance
notes being published to avoid
having to constantly refine
policy as the scheme rolls out
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Case Study 4B:
Carbon balancing: linking new developments with
improvements in existing stock
Policy Name:
Carbon Balance Trading
Local Authority:
eaga in association with various local authorities
Date implemented:
November 2006
Summary of policy aims:
Balance Trading uses the
‘permitted offset’ route to
allow CO2 emissions from
a new development to be
balanced through funding
energy saving and renewable
installations in the
surrounding neighbourhood.
This delivers at least the
equivalent CO2 emissions
reduction, through a Local
Carbon Reduction Fund.
Energy and sustainability aspects of policy:
This policy will allow local authorities to reduce CO2 emissions in the
neighbourhood in a cost-effective manner
Linking new-build to existing homes helps to address any complaints
about new developments putting pressure on local services
At the same time it can increase the amount of money available for other
essential community needs through a Section 106 Agreement (equivalent
to a Section 75 Agreement in Scotland)
Creation of a local Low Carbon Reduction Fund allows for a systematic
approach to upgrading the whole area, rather than having individual,
isolated, high-quality buildings
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of policy:
Other relevant policies:
Zero Carbon building
standards
Code for Sustainable Homes
(England only)
The ‘permitted offset’ route is now allowed for achievement of sustainable
building code levels
To adopt this policy, the local authority would need to examine its
planning policies and determine whether they allow for such an approach,
or whether they require amendments
The local authority should ensure that its planners have access to
adequate information on potential carbon savings from existing buildings.
eaga, the Energy Saving Trust and several Regional Development
Authorities provide free advice to local authorities on how to set up selffunding Low Carbon Reduction Funds
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Research undertaken into other local / regional / national policies:
Negotiations with several bodies, including:
Sustainable Development Commission
Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG)
A network of local planning authorities in South-east England, including
Milton Keynes and Reigate & Banstead
Variants of the Balance Trading-funded Low Carbon Reduction Funds have
been proposed for authorities in North-West England and the London 2012
Olympics site.
Any complications encountered:
Discussions with local planning authorities suggest that the key
complication is the stage reached with their planning documents. In
some cases, planning authorities felt they did not have the time to
revise their documents, and decided to return to the issue in the next
round of plan development
Further information:
eaga’s Balance Trading website
Reigate and Banstead Borough
Council: Local Carbon Reduction
Fund (May 2008)
Reigate & Banstead Borough
Council’s planning policies
for sustainable construction
website
Contact:
Siobonne Brewster,
eaga
0191 247 3800
[email protected]
Key Outcomes:
The scheme offers the
potential to achieve lowcarbon emissions targets in an
affordable manner
This provides a better linkage
of new with existing homes,
potentially making the
development more acceptable
to neighbours who will benefit
from the scheme
Greater availability of funds
arising from implementing
s106 Agreements, for
community based carbon
reduction
Key Learning Points:
When determining carbon savings, professional advice or training for
planners is recommended, as there are several important issues to
consider such as the alignment of the building, whether it is shaded by
nearby structures and any potential effects on wind flow. One option
may be to engage support services from a renewables company to
advise as required
A simple ‘10%-of-energy-must-come-from-renewables’ approach may
often mean CO2 reductions of less than 10% are achieved, depending on
the mix of energy sources used. Polices should therefore focus on overall
CO2 emissions rather than the energy source when setting standards
on development. In addition behavioural issues need to be considered
in relation to real carbon savings. For example a dual fuel biomass/
gas boiler may not necessarily operate on biomass for the majority of
the time. Similarly low flow showers below 6 l/min appear efficient
but they may be removed by the resident. Therefore it is important
to consider the robustness of any proposed solution to reduce carbon
emissions
In many cases the most cost effective uses of available funding may
be to upgrade the existing nearby properties. This is an allowed
mechanism, though it is important that developer programmes tie into
wider local authority energy and sustainability programmes. By doing so
it will be possible to make the best use of budgets
Balance Trading provides a flexible tool that will allow achievement
of CO2 reductions and still meet the other local needs from any
development
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5 Renewable energy
Promoting Renewable Energy
Development Planning
Maintain policies that promote onsite
generation from renewable sources, setting
appropriate thresholds that reflect rising
building standards
Adopt clear policies about where renewable
technologies could be acceptably deployed in
conservation areas and listed buildings
Development Management
Provide clear guidance for householders on
whether or not they require planning permission
for small-scale renewable energy installations
Understand where and when different
renewable energy systems can be used to
improve the energy efficiency of listed buildings
Working with building control, develop an
integrated approach to assessing carbon
savings from onsite generation alongside other
efficiency measures
5.1 Overview
Feedback from the survey that supported the
development of this pack (see appendix 1) indicated
a certain view of renewable energy technologies as
‘gadgets’ rather than meaningful CO2 reduction tools.
However, by following the ‘energy hierarchy’ set out
earlier in this pack, renewable energy becomes a
fundamental part of the energy mix for both lowcarbon developments and improvements to existing
buildings. As a means to reduce CO2 emissions,
control running costs and limit reliance on fossil
fuels and external supply, the inclusion of renewables
technologies in both new and refurbishment
developments is becoming increasingly widespread.
Financial factors, notably the Feed In Tariff and
Renewable Heat Incentive that will pay owners of
renewable energy systems for their energy generation,
are also expected to increase the number of planning
applications for these installations. It is essential that
planners are familiar both with the technologies and
with the ways in which they can promote and manage
renewable energy.
5.2 Policy context
The Scottish Government has set a target for 20%
of all Scottish energy use to come from renewable
resources by 2020. This target includes more specific
targets: a 50% target for all electricity generation, an
11% target for renewable heat, and a 10% renewable
target for transport. The Renewables Action Plan (June
2009) and the Renewable Heat Action Plan (November
2009) set out the ways in which these targets can be
met.
Scottish Planning Policy (2010) states that
“Development plans should support all scales of
development associated with the generation of
energy and heat from renewable sources.” The SPP
also recommends “development plan policies for
development involving low and zero carbon generating
technologies should accord with standards, guidance
and methodologies provided in building regulations”. As
noted in the introduction to this pack, this will make
working with Building Control increasingly important;
this is re-iterated in the case study 5A at the end of
this section.
Detailed planning guidance on renewable energy and
low-carbon technologies is available in Planning
Advice Note 45: Renewable energy technologies (2002)
and its annexes, which will be merged and updated by
the Scottish Government.
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5.2.1 Permitted development
In 2009 the Scottish Statutory Instrument 2009 No. 34
extended permitted development rights to domestic
microgeneration systems, allowing some systems to
be installed without the need for planning permission.
These rights were further extended in March 2010 to
encompass small-scale wind turbines and air source
heat pumps by Scottish Statutory Instrument 2010 No.
27. Conditions apply to permitted development, and
planners can still expect to see frequent applications
for microgeneration installations that are not covered
by permitted development. A consultation to extend
permitted development rights for small-scale wind
turbines and air source heat pumps opened in February
2010.
The Energy Saving Trust has published guidance
on the suitability of different technologies in urban
and rural buildings: Renewable energy sources
for homes in rural areas (Energy Saving Trust,
2004) and Renewable energy sources for homes in
urban areas (Energy Saving Trust, 2004) are both
available from their website
Renewable and low-carbon energy capacity
methodology (DECC, 2010) provides new guidance
to help planners in England assess the potential for
renewable and low-carbon energy in their regions.
While this targets English regions only, it provides
a good overview of how to calculate the potential of
different renewable energy technologies (e.g. wind
speed in different areas, roof space)
5.3 Enabling policy development
5.3.1 Undue burden and economic viability
The impact of renewable energy technologies is highly
dependent on their siting, which can pose challenges
for planners in terms of technical constraints
(e.g. unsuitable ground conditions, orientation,
overshadowing, poor wind flow, air quality restrictions,
lack of a water source), neighbour disturbance (e.g
sound or visual intrusion) and planning regulation
constraints (e.g. sites that are protected by their
natural or built heritage status). Some issues that
should be considered by planners are included in
Appendix 2
In developing a policy to promote the use of onsite renewable energy, ‘undue burden’ and economic
viability are among the major test criteria to consider.
These issues should not prevent a strong drive towards
CO2 reduction in developments, and in such cases
these savings can often be made elsewhere in the
onsite design or if needs be by looking at off site
solutions (See case study 4B and case study 5A).
The renewable energy potential of the local area
should be considered when preparing new policies.
Urban and rural areas will have different potential, and
some technologies are better suited to certain areas
than others.
There are added capital costs for incorporating
renewable energy technologies into developments, and
these are sometimes used as an argument against
their inclusion. More details on ‘undue burden’ can
be found in Integrating renewable energy into new
developments: Toolkit for planners, developers and
consultants (London Renewables, 2004). The Toolkit
highlights that a 10% CO2 reduction target through
on-site energy generation can usually be exceeded for
less than 4% of building costs, and in some cases for
as little as 1%.
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In considering the burden that these additional costs
may place on developers, planners should consider the
following:
To what extent can energy demand
be reduced, thereby reducing the
amount of on-site energy generation
technology needed?
To what extent can any additional
costs be passed onto the purchaser?
What scope is there for any extra
cost to be factored into the price paid
for the land?
Developer compliance suggests that a 10%
requirement does not create an ‘undue burden’. Higher
targets have not been extensively tested, although
some Scottish local authorities have this requirement
in place (See case study 5A). One of the most
ambitious examples of this is the Aberdeenshire
Council Supplementary Planning Guidance: Carbon
Neutrality in New Developments which requires all new
developments to achieve a 30% (or more) reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions beyond the 2007 Building
Standards, and will be increased as follows:
Year
2012 2014 2016 Saving
60% or more
90% or more
100%
The policy assumes that as building standards tighten,
the net amount of power that needs to be generated
onsite need not expand substantially as overall
power demand is reduced. This is a good example of
how planning policies can be married with building
regulations to promote the uptake in renewables and
progressively lower emissions from new developments.
5.3.2 Setting thresholds for development size and type
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act sets a requirement
for planning authorities to introduce policies requiring
“all developments in the local development plan area
to be designed so as to ensure that all new buildings
avoid a specified and rising proportion of the projected
greenhouse gas emissions from their use, calculated
on the basis of the approved design and plans for
the specific development, through the installation
and operation of low and zero-carbon generating
technologies.”
However, local authorities may wish to set different
targets depending on the size of development,
to reflect local developer circumstances. The
arguments for having more stringent requirements for
developments above a certain threshold (rather than
applying the same target to all developments) relate
to:
Cost and ‘undue burden’ (see 5.3.1) – economies of
scale can be achieved in larger developments, and
the design costs will be proportionally smaller for
larger developments
Enforcement – does the local authority have the
resources to enforce such a policy if it relates to
all developments? It may be more realistic, and
cost-effective, to focus enforcement on a smaller
number of larger developments
Planners should consider thresholds that suit their
local circumstances. For example, in a rural district
where there are not as many large developments, it
may be appropriate to set lower thresholds for more
stringent targets. The scope for introducing renewable
energy technologies is often greater in rural areas, and
where these are off the mains gas network their use
can help reduce payback periods because they replace
more expensive and carbon intensive fuels.
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5.3.3 On-site generation targets:
accentuating the positive
Targets for on-site renewable energy generation
should be presented in a positive light, demonstrating
to developers how the targets can add value to
developments. Integration of renewable energy
technologies demonstrates modernity, and shows that
the property has been designed responsibly with an
eye on both the environment and future energy prices.
Research by the Energy Saving Trust found that nearly
70% of people in the UK believe energy efficiency is
an important consideration when buying a home, and
almost half would be willing to pay up to £10,000
more for an environmentally-friendly home.
5.4 Supporting development
management
The sensitivities of many renewable energy
technologies mean that, when assessing planning
applications, relocating technologies (to reduce
their visual impact, for example) may not be a
viable option. If their proposed position creates any
potential conflict of interest with other aspects of
development management, these should be carefully
assessed in light of the impact they would make to
the sustainability of the development, or adjacent sites.
As noted in the introduction to this pack, low-carbon
developments and retrofitted buildings are likely to
bring with them some changes in appearance and style
compared to established building types.
In certain cases it may be possible to propose
alternative ways for the development to meet its lowcarbon objectives. This could be achieved by improving
the building efficiency so that less energy is needed
in the first instance, by investigating the potential
for different renewable energy technologies, or, if no
other options are available, by making the savings
through energy efficiency improvements in neighbouring
buildings (See case study 4B and case study 5A).
Attempts should be made wherever possible to avoid
having to refuse applications on the basis of the visual
impact of the renewable energy systems. Case study
5B and case study 5C demonstrate how it is possible
to grant planning consent in sensitive locations through
careful siting and design.
Experience in England has shown that on-site
renewable energy generation targets can be legally
robust, when policies are tested both during
independent examination and during the development
management process. Policies should also build in the
option to increase targets in the future to reflect falling
technology costs and the increasing capacity of the
renewables industry to deliver on-site generation.
Planners involved with development management may
need support in making these assessments. Some
basic information is available in Appendix 2, while
other resources signposted to in this pack provide a
greater level of technical detail about the different
renewable energy systems available. Building Control
should also be used for technical support, by providing
advice on the impact that different measures have
on meeting the energy requirements set out in the
Building Standards.
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An introduction to CO2 savings is provided in chapter
2. For a more detailed overview of how CO2 reductions
from renewable energy technologies is included in
appendix 2 technology overview.
It is also important to consider whether protection can
be put in place to prevent any future developments
from blocking wind flow or sunlight to nearby
buildings that rely on these for energy generation.
This could include not only new structures, but also
landscaping that could overshadow adjacent buildings
or block wind flow as they grow. It might be possible
to put in place guidance (that can be enforced)
providing protection to wind and solar systems within a
certain radius, or to recommend that such installations
are placed at minimum distances from the property
boundary, for example. Due consideration also needs
to be taken in relation to the impact on adjacent sites
where layout and the requirements for passive energy
and on-site renewables restrict potential development.
Biomass in urban areas
While many biomass stoves and boilers now meet
the air quality criteria necessary to be permitted in
Smoke Control Areas, if an area is designated as an
Air Quality Management Area this limits the scope for
biomass. However, research published by the Scottish
Government in 2008 showed that there is little cause
for concern over particulate emissions from biomass
systems, and biomass should be considered as a
viable option in built-up areas.
Given that technologies are improving and that
there is a strong drive to achieve carbon emissions,
planners should work proactively with colleagues in
Environmental Health to ensure a balanced approach
to reducing carbon emissions whilst minimising air
pollution concerns. For example one recent case in
Dundee saw a refusal overturned on appeal due to
the use of effective abatement technology.
5.5 Further resources
Renewable Heritage: A guide to microgeneration in
traditional and historic homes (Changeworks, 2009)
Appendix 2: Technology Overview provides an
overview of different renewable technologies
Appendix 3: Further Resources includes contact
details for a number of renewable energy trade
organisations
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Case Study 5A:
Policy requirement for on-site renewable
energy generation
Policy Name:
NRG3 Energy For Buildings
Local Authority:
Midlothian Council
Date implemented:
December 2008
Summary of policy aims:
Midlothian Local Plan Policy NRG3: Energy
in Buildings (adopted in Local Plan) requires
predicted CO2 emissions associated with lifecycle
of all new buildings and conversions to be
minimised (as far as is practicable). The policy
aims to promote sustainable development and
reduce emissions through the installation of onsite low-carbon technologies.
Energy and sustainability aspects of policy:
Proposals with a total cumulative floor-space of
500m2 (and windfall development of any size)
should incorporate on-site low-carbon technologies,
contributing at least an extra 15% reduction in CO2 on
the 2007 Building Standards
The policy also requires proposals for larger
developments to demonstrate at least a ‘Good’
BREEAM or bespoke BREEAM rating (or its equivalent)
Planning (and Building Control)
considerations of policy:
The Policy supersedes Interim Planning Guidance
approved by Midlothian Planning Committee in 2007
Other relevant policies:
Midlothian Local Plan (2008)
Midlothian Local Plan Policy NRG2: Individual Wind
Turbines and Microgeneration (page 115)
Impact of previous building projects on
development of policy:
Planning applications for a number of developments
required Development Management to consider
flexibility in the overall CO2 savings and savings
from low-carbon technologies
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Research undertaken into other local / regional / national policies:
Consultants for Midlothian Council Commercial Services Department
undertook a study of the application of low-carbon technologies in the
Council’s new-build programme. This made recommendations regarding
the potential CO2 savings by applying a range of technologies
Any complications encountered:
Planning officers were originally supported by Building Control colleagues
in assessing SAP calculations submitted to demonstrate the 15% CO2
saving requirement. However, due to other work pressures the Planning
Department is now having to consider outsourcing this work
Further information:
Midlothian Local Plan (2008)
Midlothian Local Plan Policy NRG3: Energy in Buildings (page 115)
Midlothian Local Plan Policy NRG2: Individual Wind Turbines and
Microgeneration (page 115)
Contact:
Joyce Learmonth,
Development Management,
Midlothian Council
Key Outcomes:
Following discussions with
Development Management,
Building Control and the
Head of Planning, it has been
agreed that the level of on-site
generation achieved may be
permitted to fall below 15%, as
long as the shortfall is taken
up in the equivalent overall
15% CO2 savings through other
measures
The Council has sought to
encourage developers to
compensate for failures to
optimise from solar gain using
this policy
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Case Study 5B:
Renewable energy installation in a sensitive location
Project Name:
Treshnish Farm: wind turbine installation
Developer:
Treshnish Farm
Local Authority:
Argyll and Bute Council
Date completed:
October 2009
Summary of project:
Installation of a 6kW wind
turbine on a 15-metre mast
to provide electricity to the
farm. The installation lies
within an area of landscape
importance, designated a
Regional Scenic Area (in the
Argyll and Bute Local Plan)
and there are neighbouring
holiday cottages (at a 170250m distance). Treshnish
Farm is on the border of the
Loch Na Keal National Scenic
Area.
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
The 6kW wind turbine should generate 10-12,000 kWh of electricity per
year, feeding into the grid connection of the Farm
This level of generation will save 5-6 tonnes CO2 and over £2,700 per
year (when combined with the forthcoming Feed In Tariff in April 2010)
Additional savings will be made by not importing electricity from the grid,
and revenue will be generated by exporting electricity
The turbine is performing well, and a second installation is being
considered
Consents required:
Planning permission
Farm and adjacent holiday cottages are heated by a recently-installed
biomass boiler
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
The Argyll and Bute Local Plan supports commercial and domestic wind turbines in forms, scales and sites where
the technology can operate efficiently
Amongst other statutory consultees, Argyll and Bute Development Services consulted Environmental Services in
Oban and the Highlands & Islands Airport in Inverness
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Relevant planning policies:
Key Outcomes:
Argyll and Bute Structure Plan 2002
Significant energy bill savings
Argyll and Bute Local Plan (Post-Inquiry
Modifications, November 2008)
Significant CO2 savings
Argyll and Bute Local Plan (LP REN 2 - On Site
Commercial and Domestic Wind Turbines)
Local, sustainable energy generation
The Treshnish and Haunn Holiday Cottages have
been awarded a Green Tourism Business Scheme
Gold Award
Impact of planning policies on project:
Planning policies supported the installation, subject
to visual and noise considerations
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
Informal discussions were carried out prior to
submission of the application
The Development Management team was keen to
promote pre-application consultation
Key Learning Points:
Small-scale wind turbines can be sensitively
installed in scenic areas, with significant
environmental and commercial benefits
A photomontage of proposed installations can give
a good indication of the likely visual impact from
sensitive locations
Potential noise concerns may be easily addressed
through the provision of basic noise level
assessment data from the product manufacturer
Any complications encountered:
The Local Planning team requested a photomontage
of proposed installation, viewed from a local iconic
viewpoint (as Treshnish Point becomes visible from
the B8073)
Planning permission was granted subject to a
condition that a noise report was submitted.
Details provided by the turbine manufacturer were
sufficient to negate concerns
Further information:
Argyll and Bute planning reference 08/01904/DET
Argyll and Bute Local Plan
Contact:
Treshnish Farm website
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Case Study 5C:
Retrofitting renewable energy technology into
historic buildings
Project Name:
Renewable Heritage, Edinburgh
Developer:
Changeworks Resources For Life / Lister Housing Co-operative
Local Authority:
The City of Edinburgh Council
Date completed:
May 2009
Summary of project:
Installation of 49 solar
water heating systems into
flats at all levels of seven
listed Georgian tenements
in Edinburgh’s Old Town, a
conservation area and part of
the UNESCO World Heritage
Site. This award-winning,
innovative project met and
overcame both conservation
and technical barriers.
Consents required:
Planning permission
Listed building consent
Building warrant
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
The project adapted and enhanced hard-to-treat housing stock
Energy efficiency issues were tackled first, through the previous Energy
Heritage project, which produced additional best-practice guidance
(see Further Information)
The solar water heating systems were installed into multi-occupancy
stone tenements
The systems were installed to serve flats at all levels, so even
householders at basement level have solar heated water from a panel on
the roof via four intervening flats
The project used Scotland’s only solar panel manufacturer, and a local
installer
Education and awareness-raising for householders was integral to the
project, to maximise the systems’ efficiency
‘Fuel poverty’ risk was reduced (Most of the householders were on low
income and Old Town householders are at high risk of ‘fuel poverty)’7
7
Fuel poverty map of Edinburgh (Changeworks & The City of Edinburgh Council, 2005)
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Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
These are Grade ‘B’ listed buildings, situated in Conservation Area and UNESCO World Heritage Site
Multiple panels were installed in central valleys of Georgian M-shaped roofs, and mounted on angled frames on
Victorian flat (mansard) roofs
Locating panels in the roof valleys removed any considerations of visual impact; panels mounted on flat roofs are
sufficiently distant from Edinburgh Castle (the major vantage point) and face away from it
The feasibility of installing solar panels on historic buildings without compromising their conservation status was
demonstrated
Relevant planning policies:
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Protection of key
views (2008)
Extensive negotiations were undertaken from the
outset to include planners throughout
The City of Edinburgh Council Alterations to listed
buildings (2009)
The project was strongly supported by planners,
although permissions stated that the project would
not establish a precedent for similar applications
Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site
Management Plan (2005)
The Heritage guides have been adopted by The City of
Edinburgh Council as best practice
The project has informed Historic Scotland energy
efficiency guidance, and forthcoming microgeneration
guidance
Impact of planning policies on project:
Early negotiations confirmed that the panels would
not be permitted on the outer roof pitch/ rear
elevation to some tenements, being visible from
adjacent Meadows open space. This reduced the
number of tenants able to benefit from renewable
water heating
Strong support also received from Historic Scotland,
and Edinburgh World Heritage who partnered the
project
Any complications encountered:
Similar applications had been refused in the past, on
the grounds that the panels would be visible from
the air
The scope for installations was limited by the fact
that permission would not have been granted for
solar panels on the outer roof pitch to the rear of
some tenements (see above)
Significant complications were avoided by thorough
negotiation and partnership work
Sole ownership of tenements (by Lister Housing
Co-operative) avoided complications of buildings in
multiple ownership and need for neighbour consents
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Key Outcomes:
Microgeneration systems were successfully installed
on high-profile historic buildings
Solar systems were installed to flats at all levels of
multi-occupancy stone tenements
Reduced CO2 emissions and running costs in some
of the hardest-to-treat housing stock were achieved
The project provides a model for replication in
tenements across Scotland
Key Learning Points:
Further information:
Renewable Heritage: A guide to microgeneration in
traditional and historic homes (Changeworks, 2009)
Energy Heritage: A guide to improving energy
efficiency in traditional and historic homes
(Changeworks, 2008)
Early negotiations with planning and building
conservation bodies are essential
INFORM Guide: Energy efficiency in traditional
homes (Historic Scotland, 2009)
Partnership working with the above bodies is
essential
Historic Scotland research papers
Most historic buildings can be made considerably
more energy efficient, and most can incorporate
microgeneration systems, but a good understanding
of the buildings, the technologies and the occupants
is needed
It can be hard to avoid the presumption that solar
panels automatically detract from visual aesthetics
of historic buildings, even if not visible
Contact:
Nicholas Heath,
Development Officer,
Changeworks
0131 555 4010
[email protected]
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6 District heating and Combined Heat & Power
Development Planning
Adopt policies that encourage medium and
large scale developments to consider and,
where appropriate, to adopt district heating,
utilise waste heat or combined heat and power
to meet on site energy requirements
Use supplementary planning guidance to
indicate where and when developments should
utilise district heating and/or combined heat
and power
When developing master plans for large
sites, consider whether there may be scope
to integrate with community heating schemes
(Combined Heat and Power (CHP) or District
Heating)
Development Management
When granting planning permissions,
use conditions to ensure that homes and
businesses utilise connections to existing or
planned district heating networks
6.1 Overview
Individual buildings can be designed, adapted or
retrofitted to use less energy and generate their own
energy, but there is an increasing focus on communal
energy schemes, where a local generation point
provides heat and/or power to multiple buildings.
Communal or district heating systems allow heat to be
used from waste industrial sources, combined heat and
power plants and/or renewable energy sources. This
can lead to significant emissions savings compared
with conventional power stations, with less electricity
being lost in transmission (in the case of CHP), capture
of the heat produced by electricity generation, less
reliance on individual household systems and related
maintenance, and lower emissions. Many European
countries have already widely adopted district heating:
in Denmark, for example, district heating currently
provides 60% of the country’s heat.8 Whilst consents
for larger power generating stations over 50MW are
dealt with by ministers, planning authorities are
responsible for smaller developments (Section 36 of
the Electricity Act 1989)
When negotiating with developers encourage
them to assess the potential for meeting onsite
energy requirements from district heating and
CHP
Require new developments to connect to the
heat grid, where one is planned, as part of the
master plan for the site
Boilerhouse
& Fuel Store
A typical district heating layout (Community Renewable
Energy Toolkit, Scottish Government, 2009)
8
Biomass Energy Centre
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District heating uses a large centralised system to
provide heat for a number of buildings, avoiding the
need for individual systems, increasing efficiencies and
economies of scale. In modern district heating systems
the buildings are connected with highly insulated pipes
which normally carry hot water. The pipes have sensors
so that they can identify failures and facilitate repairs
since the buildings receiving the heat normally have a
heat exchange system.
The heat source may be modular using heat from one or
more of the following:
Combined Heat and Power engines, which generate
electricity and heat at the same time (see below)
Large boilers (renewables or gas), or
Industrial sources which are not using all the heat
from their processes
These engines, boilers or industrial processes may use
biomass or biogas, waste or fossil fuel as their fuel.
Biomass is particularly popular as a source of fuel
for district heating systems, and avoids the need for
carbon-intensive fossil fuels.
Biomass
The Scottish Government strongly supports the use
of biomass-fuelled heat and CHP plants. Many of
Scotland’s biomass resources are in areas which
are off the gas network, this also allows maximum
CO2 savings to be made (Other fossil fuels have
much higher associated emissions than gas). As
referred to previously in the Renewable Energy
section, biomass (wood) can be contentious in some
urban areas, due to environmental health concerns
about particulate emissions. However, it is more
economically viable to install abatement technology
such as filters to larger biomass systems, which
removes the issue of particulate emissions. This,
combined with constantly improving technology,
means that biomass district heating schemes can be
seriously considered by planners.
To take advantage of biomass CHP engines, heat
networks are also likely to have a minimum viable
size. Currently the minimum size of a biomass
fuelled CHP engine is much larger that the minimum
sized gas-fueled CHP engine. If the heat from a CHP
engine cannot be sold (ie if the network isn’t large
enough) a CHP engine will not be viable.
6.1.1 Combined Heat and Power
In thermal power stations, only around 35% of the
energy content of the fuel is actually converted to
electricity; 65% is wasted as heat, and is lost into the
atmosphere or rivers.9 Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
captures the heat produced by electricity generation,
and uses it to heat buildings locally. CHP systems can
be large or small scale, and are increasingly being
considered as district heating schemes become more
popular (in 2006, CHP contributed to 6% of Scotland’s
power generation and 8% of its heat use).10
Guidance on thermal power stations in Scotland (Scottish Government, 2010)
Combined Heat and Power in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the regions of England in 2006 (BERR)
9
10
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ework
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CHP leads to lower CO2 emissions for every unit of
energy, as each unit delivers both electricity and
heat. Sufficient growth of CHP schemes could reduce
demand for other energy sources, particularly gas,
which would also contribute to meeting CO2 reduction
targets. The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan (DECC,
2009) includes an undertaking for the UK Government
to produce ‘route maps’ towards a decarbonised energy
system.
As with any technology, CHP may not be the most
appropriate technology in all circumstances. To achieve
maximum emissions savings it is important for the CHP
engine to be sized according to the heat demand of
the buildings it supplies. Power In Numbers, Summary
for Scotland identifies when CHP as part of a district
heating network is most appropriate in either off-gas
communities or areas of high building density such
as urban town centres and dense urban communities.
In off-gas communities the closer the builds are, the
more efficient the system, as less heat is lost from the
pipes.
Heat networks tend to go hand in hand with CHP as
the network can ensure a constant heat demand by
connecting a number of different types of building,
which require heat at different times of day and/or by
including a heat store in the network. An example of a
heat store is the large water store used by the Pimlico
district heating network. A consistent heat demand is
important to ensure that a CHP engine is viable as well
as achieving maximum emissions savings. Buildings
such as hospitals, civic centres, prisons, hotels, care
homes, leisure centres (particularly swimming pools)
and sometimes schools can provide a relatively
consistent demand for heat or complement the heat
requirements of homes to ensure that a system is
viable. These buildings can often be the ‘anchor’ which
will allow a heat network to grow and as such are
often called the ‘anchor heat load’.
6.2 Policy context
The National Planning Framework for Scotland 2
(Scottish Government, 2009) sets out a clear role for
planning authorities to support district heating and
CHP: “planning authorities have an important role in
facilitating more decentralised patterns of energy
generation and supply. They should take account of the
potential for developing heat networks when preparing
development plans and considering major development
proposals.”
Scottish Planning Policy (Scottish Government, 2010)
also encourages planners to implement communal
energy systems: “When designating land for new
residential, commercial and industrial development,
planning authorities should consider the energy and
heat requirements of these new developments. New
development should be planned to make use of
opportunities for decentralised and local renewable
or low carbon sources of heat and power wherever
possible.”
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Univ
e
Build rsity of D
ing E
u
xteri ndee, Co
or
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nity
Heat
and
Powe
r
Guidance on thermal power stations in Scotland
(Scottish Government, 2010) has recently been
published, following consultation in 2009. This
guidance includes the following requirements for
developers:
New or substantially expanded thermal installations
must undertake a CHP feasibility study, which
must be carried out in a manner reflecting SEPA’s
Thermal Treatment of Waste Guidelines (2009)
The Scottish Government will assess thermal
applications in light of the extent to which the
developer has considered CHP, particularly in
relation to the proposed location, and availability of
a point of use (e.g. homes) for the heat
Developers are expected to give serious
consideration as to how any waste heat could be
used by local homes or industry
Developers have to show they have held
negotiations with planning departments on this
subject
6.3 How planners can help
CHP is most efficient and cost-effective when the
heat is used at or near the source of generation. This
means that systems can be integrated into existing
buildings or designed into the infrastructure of new
developments. In order for planners to effectively
take account of the potential for developing heat
networks when preparing development plans, it will be
important for them to consider locating developments
(that either generate or need heat) where there may
be a suitable generation or demand site already in
existence. For example if considering the site of an
energy from waste plant, take into account existing
or new buildings that may be able to use the heat
generated from this plant, and where the pipework
may run. Similarly new housing demand could be
sited near existing heat sources or other existing
large heat demands (to maximize use and efficiency
of the plant and network), particularly if this is owned
by an organization which is or will be investigating
the opportunities for CHP. When redeveloping sites,
replacing boilers or constructing new buildings,
commercial and public organizations are increasingly
interested in securing the cost and carbon savings
from combined heat and power. A recent example
is that of Edinburgh University, which has installed
a number of CHP engines. More detail on strategic
action to promote CHP is covered in Section 7 Master
Planning and Heat Mapping.
.
Policy development and development management can
both support district heating schemes, and a number
of local plans and sustainable design guides already
promote such schemes. The Ayrshire Joint Structure
Plan (Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan Committee, 2007)
encourages community owned renewable energy
generation, including district heating and CHP plants.
A key development management role, which has been
key in developing heat networks in other areas, is the
implementation of policy that requires developments
to connect to existing or planned heat networks. In the
case of planned heat networks, the desired outcome
may be that a communal heating system is used
and that pipework is installed to the curtilage of the
development site, and that the system and pipework
are technically compatible with the planned heat
network.
Similarly, developments may act as anchor heat loads
requiring heat for a large part of the day. In the case
of applications relating to anchor load buildings, it
may be necessary to ensure that plant rooms are large
enough to install additional CHP engines or boilers for
when the network is extended to other buildings.
In the case of larger applications for thermal power
plants, planners can follow guidelines set out in the
Scottish Government’s Guidance on thermal power
stations in Scotland (2010, see above):
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“In considering the opportunities for utilising waste
heat, developers should include information such
as site selection. The location of the site will affect
whether it is possible to utilise waste heat and this
should be taken into consideration with the application.
As part of the application the following points should
be shown to have been considered:
If an application considers that heat will not be
utilised, then a full assessment as to why utilisation
is not feasible should be stated as part of the
application
An outline of the provisions that will be employed
by the developer to ensure that any potential future
heat demand could be met by the proposed plant
An assessment of any future heat potential in the
area which could be met by the proposed plant; and
Case study 6A summarises the development of
combined heat and power which has been led
by Aberdeen City Council, whilst case study 6B
summarises how a combined heat and power plant
was developed on an industrial site.
The Greater London Authority has also done a lot of
work to ensure that opportunities for heat networks
and CHP are maximized. Policies include:
The London Plan Spatial Development Strategy
for Greater London. See in particular Policies 5.1
(Climate change mitigation) 5.2 (Minimising carbon
dioxide emissions) 5.3 (Sustainable design and
construction) 5.4 (Retrofitting) 5.5 (Decentralised
energy networks), 5.6 (Decentralised energy in
development proposals) and 5.7 (Renewable energy)
A full assessment of why heat utilisation is not
feasible.”
Guidance for planners can also be found in the
following:
Community Energy: Urban planning for a low carbon
future (Town & Country Planning Association and
Combined Heat & Power Association, 2008) provides
detailed guidance illustrating how planning can
accommodate community energy schemes
The applicability of district heating for new
dwellings (Energy Saving Trust, 2009) gives
technical guidance that may be useful for
planners to consider when assessing potential new
developments
eith
Dalk
,
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6.4 Further resources
A report by the Energy Saving Trust Power In Numbers shows the
benefits and potential of distributed energy generation at the community
scale
The Scottish Government Building Standards Division has published
a District Heating Tool to help developers and master planners to
understand the opportunities and requirements for a cost-effective
district-heating (DH) scheme. The tool compares options for DH
(including CHP) against individual installations of low-carbon equipment
The Community Renewable Energy Toolkit (Scottish Government, 2009)
includes a detailed section (Section 4) on district heating
The Combined Heat & Power Association is a source of information on
CHP systems
Building a roadmap for heat: 2050 scenarios and heat delivery in the
UK (CHPA, 2010) assesses current and future heat and power needs for
the UK, and is available on the above website
The Biomass Energy Centre website includes a number of biomass
district heating case studies from England and Wales
Wood Energy Scotland provides the basic information you need to use
woodfuel, from heating your home to developing a large-scale energy
plant
Powering Ahead: Delivering Low Carbon Energy For London, Chapter
6 provides a brief summary of 19 pipeline projects. These include
connecting the Whitehall and Pimlico District Heating Schemes, Euston
Road District Heating Scheme, South Bank Employers’ Group, Cranston
Estate Retrofit, Islington District Heating Schemes, London Thames
Gateway Heat Network
Making ESCOs Work provides a number of examples of heat networks
as well as a description of the organizations set up to deliver them.
This includes Millbrook in Southampton, Barkentine Heat and Power,
Titanic Mill, West Yorkshire and Denmark
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Case Study 6A:
CHP installation, Aberdeen
Project Name:
Seaton Combined Heat & Power, Aberdeen
Developer:
Aberdeen Heat & Power Ltd.
Local Authority:
Aberdeen City Council
Date completed:
2007
Summary of project:
Seaton CHP comprises two
1MW CHP turbines, and is the
third CHP scheme developed
by Aberdeen City Council via
their ‘purpose-built’ company
Aberdeen Heat & Power
Ltd. In 2008, a planning
application was submitted to
make provision for a biomass
plant, to allow the gas
engines to be switched to
burn biogas from woodchip.
Consents required:
Planning permission
for boiler house and
underground pipework
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
Six multi-storey blocks, comprising 503 flats, have been refurbished with
new central heating system and connected to the district heating scheme
via a heat exchanging unit. The scheme distributes heat via pre-insulated
underground pipes, and also serves a beach complex, ice rink and the
new Aberdeen Sports Village
The total cost was £3.38 million
The expansion of the CHP system from 3MWe and 4.2MWe will
accommodate a further 8 multi-storey blocks and a new 50-metre
swimming pool
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
Considerations for the initial application included:
The visual impact of the boiler house building
The impact on trees from the routing of the
underground pipes (a tree survey was requested as
additional information)
Noise and air emissions were important considerations
Consideration of the biomass extension application
included:
Air and noise emissions of the plant
Underground heating pipe
Design and location of road access and space for
biomass deliveries
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Relevant planning policies:
Aberdeen Local Plan (Aberdeen City Council, 2008)
has two CHP-relevant policies:
Policy 23: Eco developments (Areas of trees or
woodland, recreational and amenity green space,
playing fields and pathways within these areas
will be retained for these uses)
Policy 40: General residential zoning (For new
developments the City Council will give favourable
weight according to the degree to which they
further the interests of sustainable development)
Impact of planning policies on project:
Planning policies supported the installation, subject
to visual impact of the plant room, air and noise
emissions and tree protection
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
Pre-application negotiations were very important for
this project: the Planning Department was involved
at an early stage, to carefully select a site for
the CHP plant room with the consideration that
the biomass extension would be progressing the
following year
Key Outcomes:
Successful installation of third CHP scheme in area
Significant energy bill savings for the tenants
Significant CO2 savings
Local sustainable energy generation
Key Learning Points:
The need for a strategic approach to the process
Due to the development workload, it is advisable to
delegate an individual to champion the project and
keep it moving
An arms-length company arrangement enables
acceleration of refurbishment plans
Further information:
Aberdeen City Council: A case study of community
heating (Energy Saving Trust, 2009, available on
their website)
Combined Heat and Power in Aberdeen PR leaflet
Aberdeen Local Plan (Aberdeen City Council, 2008
Contact
Any complications encountered:
None
Janice Lyon: Energy Manager
Aberdeen City Council
01224 538 063
[email protected]
Robert Forbes: Senior Planner
Aberdeen City Council
01224 522 390
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Case Study 6B:
CHP installation, Boyndie
Project Name:
Biomass CHP power plant, Boyndie
Developer:
Aberdeenshire Council
Local Authority: Aberdeenshire Council
Date completed: Pending (2012)
Consents required:
Planning permission
Relevant planning policies:
Aberdeen City and Shire
Structure Plan 2006 policy
Inf\8: Other renewable energy
sources
Aberdeenshire Council
Supplementary Planning
Guidance: Use of Biomass
Energy in Aberdeenshire (2006)
Impact of planning policies
on project:
Planning policies supported
the installation, subject to
noise, visual impact and air
quality impact considerations
Summary of project:
Installation of a 2.5 MW biomass-fuelled
CHP power plant in Boyndie, Aberdeenshire.
The site is in an industrial estate, next to
an existing business that produces biomass
pellets for use in domestic boilers.
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
Waste wood (that would otherwise go to landfill) will be utilised as part
of the feedstock
The steam produced will generate approximately 20,000 MWh of electrical
energy, via a steam turbine
This will replace the existing diesel generators and high-temperature
burners (these are currently used to process wood to make pellets)
Most of the electricity will be used on site, with the excess exported to
the grid. Depending on the level of generation up to 2,500 homes could
be powered
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
Consultation with SEPA regarding noise and air emissions (the plant
will be regulated by SEPA under the Pollution Prevention and Control
(Scotland) Regulations 2000)
Consultation with Aberdeenshire Council’s Transport & Infrastructure
Department regarding access
Consultation with Whitehills & District Community Council for views from
the local community. Their main concern was noise abatement
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
The planning team and developer both agreed that the informal planning
negotiations were very helpful for the project to ensure potential impacts
such as air quality were addressed
The negotiations included SEPA, an archaeologist and Environmental
Health
The key issues covered included visual impact, noise and air quality
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Any complications encountered:
Planning permission was granted, subject to the
following conditions:
Conclusion of negotiations regarding developer
contributions
Submission and approval of detailed, site-specific
construction method statement
Submission and approval of full site waste
management plan
Submission of drainage impact assessment
55
Key Outcomes:
Significant energy bill savings
Significant export of clean electricity to the grid
Significant CO2 savings
Local job creation, sustaining local economy &
society
Key Learning Points:
Early discussions with the developer and key
consultees are very important
Further information:
Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan 2006 Policy
Inf\8: Other renewable energy sources
Aberdeenshire Council Supplementary Planning
Guidance: Use of Biomass Energy in Aberdeenshire
(2006)
Contact
Andrew Grey - Planning Officer,
Aberdeenshire Council
01261 813 214
[email protected]
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7 Master planning and heat mapping
Taking action:
Development Planning
Develop an evidence base that identifies the
opportunity for higher CO2 and sustainability
standards in your area, identifying producers of
waste heat and potential users
At a local level, the Scottish Government encourages
local authorities to use this system to map the heat
demand in their individual areas at higher resolution,
as well as future heat demand, identifying heat
sources which are currently wasted and potential for
low-carbon heat, renewable heat and location of heat
networks.
At a strategic level use heat mapping and
energy master planning to direct developments
to locations where waste energy from
commercial and industrial uses can help to
meet domestic needs
7.1 Overview
Master planning can extend to encompass greenfield
sites in rural areas or extensions to urban areas,
or focus on existing urban areas, i.e. predominantly
brownfield sites with existing infrastructure in
place. Master planning allows low-carbon energy
infrastructure to be planned into an area and lowcarbon criteria to be allocated to particular sites or
areas, placing an onus on the developer to meet the
criteria and ensure applications are in line with the
planned infrastructure.
Heat mapping can be viewed as an element of broader
master planning, which focuses on the energy and
sustainability issues that limit or reduce carbon
emissions. It is complementary to master planning, and
provides the basis for assessing existing and future
heat demand and capacity.
A high resolution heat map (looking at existing heat
demand) has already been produced to provides a
better understanding of the heat market in Scotland,
assessing the market potential for renewable heat and
allowing closer examination of areas where support
might be targeted more effectively.
CO2 and heat maps of Scotland
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7.2 Policy context
7.3 How planners can help
The National Planning Framework for Scotland states
that “There is considerable potential to derive more
heat for domestic, business and industrial purposes
from sources such as waste and biomass and by using
ground, water and air source heat pumps. Better use
can also be made of the heat produced by electricity
generation, industrial processes and anaerobic
digestion.”
Master planning and heat mapping allow planners to
take a more holistic approach when considering lowcarbon planning of whole areas. All aspects of this
pack can be taken into consideration when involved
in master planning, allowing conditions to be set
for developments, to ensure they meet the desired
sustainable building and transport criteria.
This potential is reflected in guidance for planning
authorities set out in the Scottish Planning Policy
which states: “When designating land for new
residential, commercial and industrial development,
planning authorities should consider the energy and
heat requirements of these new developments. New
development should be planned to make use of
opportunities for decentralised and local renewable
or low carbon sources of heat and power wherever
possible.”
The SPP also includes related sections, on green belts
for example, which should be considered when setting
planning policy and managing individual development
applications.
Scottish Government guidance on master plan
development is included in Planning Advice Note
83: Master Planning (2008), which gives a good
overview of what the scope of a masterplan might be:
‘a masterplan comprises three dimensional images
and text describing how an area will be developed.
Its scope can range from strategic planning at a
regional scale to small groups of buildings. Most
commonly, it is a plan that describes and maps an
overall development concept, including present and
future land use, urban design and landscaping, built
form, infrastructure, circulation and service provision.
It is based upon an understanding of place and it is
intended to provide a structured approach to creating a
clear and consistent framework for development’.
PAN 83 (see opposite) provides a simplified
methodology for creating a masterplan with a focus on
sustainability. This is based on an integrated approach,
which incorporates building, infrastructure and location
factors. The key characteristics of such a masterplan
include:
Well located and planned development
Provide high quality and affordable homes
Provide energy-efficient, low-carbon buildings
Provide attractive spaces with greenspace and
nature
Provide for biodiversity
Have good connections and are easily accessible
Support sustainable travel through walking, cycling
and the use of public transport
The following provides an example of some of the
steps with which planning may be involved, in some
cases in conjunction with other relevant local authority
departments (e.g Housing Economic Development when
using master planning to promote heat networks).
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Identify areas of high potential for heat networks through
heat mapping and carry out more detailed studies in
areas of high potential. Depending on level of detail
this may involve identifying and exploring:
Any previous studies which may have been carried
out investigating potential for heat networks,
including the national heat maps signposted to later
in this chapter
Existing heat demand (normally using gas usage
data) across the plan area
Existing district heating for example in blocks of
housing or universities (a number of examples have
been identified in this guide but there are many
more)
Large public sector buildings or clusters of public
sector buildings (see explanation of anchor loads in
chapter 6)
Existing sources of heat currently being wasted
(this involves speaking to potential sources of heat
and finding out what they do with any waste heat)
and existing sources of renewable heat
Future sources of heat such as energy from waste
plants, power stations
Future heat demand (with information from
existing development plans). For example areas of
development allocated in development plans such
as large industrial or housing where a heat grid
will be viable
Sources of renewable resources such as forestry
and sawmills for biomass or biogas from anaerobic
digestion or landfill site (considering transport of
this fuel)
Off-gas communities where existing energy costs
may be high
More detailed studies will then have to be undertaken
by appropriately experienced engineers, which take
account of:
Major barriers to installing pipes, such as rivers or
main transport routes that it would be expensive or
technically difficult for a pipe to cross
How well maintained and efficient any existing heat
networks are and when existing boilers or engines
are due to be upgraded or replaced
Major opportunities for installing pipes, such as
existing or new tunnels or planned excavation
works (such as a programme of utilities being
moved)
Potential pipe boiler replacement timelines, engine
sizing
Partners and organisational structure (as
necessary), funding and financing mechanisms
Clearly this is a complicated process and must be
factored in early and taken account of when drafting
development plans and master plans for individual
sites. It is critical to ensure that land allocations for
different uses anticipate and promote the creation of
heat networks, allowing for the future connection of
both heat producers (usually industrial) and heat users
(usually domestic and commercial). Master plans
then have to factor more detailed aspects of how pipe
networks might be set out and possibly even to create
or set aside an area for the creation of an energy
centre.
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Heat and Decentralised Energy Map Produced By Sustainable Glasgow
An example of how heat mapping has been adopted
on a regional scale can be found in the West Midlands
where the Regional Development Agency used the
process to identify decentralised energy projects. This
report presents the findings of work on heat mapping
and decentralised energy. The study methodology
involved quantifying and analysing buildings in the
domestic, public, and commercial sectors involving the
following stages:
1
2
3
4
Identification of key energy use sectors for Combined Heat and Power applications.
Local super output level analysis of energy demands for these sectors, focusing on
heat demand and heat density providing scope
for CHP.
Energy demands derived from using good practice guides for energy consumption in each sector, and validating the results against actual energy use in the West Midlands. Heat demand was expressed in terms of heating fuel use.
Technical modelling of representative CHP schemes, and estimates of the energy which could technically
be supplied and carbon savings from CHP if implemented in accordance with good practice.
To secure the use of communal power production it
is important that local authorities use the master
planning process to develop standards across the site.
This is easier to achieve where the council owns all or
part of the land. An example of this approach can be
found in Edinburgh where the council’s development
company commissioned consultants to study onsite
generation options which maximised carbon savings.
This concluded that district heating or combined heat
and power provide the optimum options. Planning
conditions or legal agreements relating to connecting
to the local heat grid would be used when dealing
with planning applications or selling sites. The
Edinburgh study then considered how the grid could
be rolled beyond boundaries of the master planned
area so that surrounding buildings could also be
connected. Case studies 7A (Glasgow) and case study
7B (Highlands) explore how heat mapping is being
applied in Scotland as a means of influencing the
spatial development of rural and urban areas. Master
planning can also be influential at a more local scale,
especially in off gas grid locations where renewable
energy systems become more viable, due to the
high costs of solid fuels and electric heating. An
example is provided in case study 7C where heating
requirements were met by utilising air source heat
pumps.
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7.4 Further resources
A UK Heat Map was published by the Department
of Energy & Climate Change in 2010. This is an
interactive, on-line resource covering all countries
in the UK
The Heat Map of Scotland and the accompanying
report (Scottish Government, 2007) provides an
indication of heat production at a national level.
It considers available fuel supplies, and different
renewable energy options and supply routes at
both national (see image, previous page) and
local levels. As a GIS-based system, detailed heat
maps can be generated for specific local areas,
to inform and shape future strategy for renewable
heat (including, for example, rural/urban and on/
off gas network considerations) and to help inform
decision-making and targeted interventions to boost
the present renewable heat capacity in Scotland
Powering Edinburgh into the 21st Century (The City
of Edinburgh Council, WWF Scotland & Greenpeace
UK, 2006) provides analysis of heat density maps
for Edinburgh
The London Thames Gateway Vision Map is based on
a number of heat mapping exercises across London
Southwark Council Elephant and Castle Framework
Document (Section 7) on Energy and Water sets
out how the council will develop a neighbourhood
energy plan and set up an Energy services
Company. It also provides an example of a
framework
Tower Hamlets Council has developed maps and an
evidence base for its Core Strategy, identifying:
Development sites and areas suitable for PV,
Solar Thermal, and Medium Scale Wind Turbine
Technologies
Development sites suitable for heat pump
technologies (Ground and Water Source)
Development sites suitable for biomass/gas CHP
Potential areas for decentralised energy
generation and networks (including a guide heat
main route)
In 2008, a new Scottish Government Directorate
for the Built Environment was created, to develop
and strengthen the links between architecture
policy, building standards and planning. They also
announced the launch of the Scottish Sustainable
Communities Initiative, which has a clear focus
on low-carbon development. This includes the
redevelopment of Craigmillar in Edinburgh, which
has studied options for adopting of combined heat
and power and a local heat network as a part of
regeneration plans for the area.
Scottish Energy Study Volume 1: Energy in Scotland:
supply and demand (Scottish Government, 2006)
provides a coherent picture of energy flows in and
out of Scotland and includes energy maps for the
country based on 2002 data. (Subsequent volumes
are also available online, see Volume 2: A changing
picture (2006), Volume 4: Issues, opportunities and
barriers (2009) and Volume 5: Energy and carbon
dioxide projections for Scotland (2008))
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Case Study 7A:
City-wide master planning
Policy Name:
Sustainable Glasgow Initiative
Local Authority:
Glasgow City Council
Date implemented:
January 2009
Summary of policy aims:
Sustainable Glasgow proposes reducing the city’s carbon emissions
through improved energy management and the development of new
integrated low carbon energy systems for the city.
By looking at the city in a new way Sustainable Glasgow takes a
holistic view of the city and its opportunities – and proposed energy
systems are designed so that they support each other, as part of
a wider framework. These systems have been designed to meet
Glasgow’s requirements – supporting the city’s growth, and meeting
the needs of communities. The systems have also been designed in
an integrated fashion so that projects support each other – both
technically and financially. This integrated approach increases the
opportunities available; reduces risk; and increases the positive
impacts of each project.
The overall aims of the scheme are:
To make Glasgow one of Europe’s most sustainable cities within
10
years
Energy and sustainability
aspects of policy:
Across the whole project the
target is to achieve a 30%
reduction in the city’s CO2
emissions within 10 years.
Geographically mapping the city’s
energy and carbon emissions has
proved a powerful tool in meeting
these targets focusing on nontransport emissions. A holistic
picture of opportunities within the
city has been developed through
a multi-stranded approach,
investigating:
Energy management
Urban low carbon energy
District heating and cooling
Sustainable transport
To improve lifestyles and opportunities for Glasgow’s people
and businesses
Waste and waste water
To make Glasgow a leader in sustainable urban living
Behavioural change
To deliver in a way that is consistent with development of a
vibrant and growing city – to be economically and socially
beneficial
To be technically and financially deliverable
Public policy
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Planning (and Building Control) considerations of policy:
To bring in a range of supportive planning policies to support the
development of Glasgow as a low-carbon city.
These include:
Key Outcomes:
Planned outcomes:
Deliver a 30% reduction in CO2
emissions within 10 years
A requirement for new developments in a designated district heating zone
to join the district heating system when it is available
Draw in £1.5 billion in investment.
Restricting use of coal, oil and electrical heating systems, because they
are more carbon intensive than other options
Build a clean energy supply chain
Deliver jobs
Setting technical standards for district heating systems
Attract new businesses
Strengthening transport planning requirements for new developments
Help alleviate fuel poverty
All new buildings are to achieve a reduction in CO2 emissions of 20%
over the minimum standard required by current planning and building
standards, through energy efficiency, low-carbon energy generation
technologies, and energy management
Create new revenue streams
Make Glasgow a cleaner city
Help develop communities
Make Glasgow a leader in
sustainable urban living
Other relevant policies:
Help transform Glasgow’s image
Climate Change (Scotland) Act targets and related powers and obligations
Government targets for renewable electricity and heat, and related
measures such as the Feed In Tariff (April 2010) and Renewable Heat
Incentive (April 2011)
The Carbon Reduction Commitment
The Glasgow City Development Plan: City Plan 3
Impact of previous building projects on development of policy:
Hundertwasser thermal power plant, Vienna provided a strong example
of how to integrate energy infrastructure into a city in an attractive and
highly visible way, thus helping change people’s understanding of their
city. This prompted the initiative to consider methods of achieving similar
outcomes in Glasgow by designing attractive energy infrastructure and
linked developments (such as tree plantings and cycle lanes) specifically
to raise awareness of the changing nature of the city
Research undertaken into other local / regional / national policies:
The research for the programme led by the University of Strathclyde
included a review of the sustainable approaches and strategies that
are working well (or not working) in other cities in the UK and across
the world. The lessons from this were integrated into the design of the
initiative and its recommendations – including particular technical, public
policy, and business model approaches (for example, governance of heat
networks in Copenhagen)
Further information:
Sustainable Glasgow
website
Key Learning Points:
The importance of gaining political
support
The power of developing
partnerships between academia,
local government and industry
The attractiveness to commercial
partners of a 10-year timescale
(this is provides an adequate
timeframe to allow the planning
and delivery of major projects,
gives some reassurance that a
longer term view is being taken,
and avoids important decisions
being left to some indefinite date
in the future) and a focus on
delivering real projects that are
technically and financially feasible
The importance of taking into
account partners’ objectives in
defining the vision
Contact:
Richard Bellingham, Programme Director
[email protected]
[email protected]
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Case Study 7B:
Heat mapping
Policy Name:
Highland Heat Mapping
Local Authority:
Highland Council
Date implemented:
Pending (April 2010)
Summary of policy aims:
Highland Council is producing a heat map for
the area, in response to the Scottish Government
target of 11% renewable heat by 2020, and the
need for local authorities to meet the Carbon
Reduction Commitment Energy Efficiency
Scheme from April 2010.
(Example output showing potential heat source. Heat Map of Scotland, 2007)
Energy and sustainability aspects of policy:
Renewable heat can be produced as heat only, or as Combined Heat and Power (CHP). The heat map can identify
opportunities to use waste heat, and provides a resource for policy makers and renewable energy developers
The project aims to inform the Council on policy decisions and help meet national CO2 reduction targets
Production of a GIS-based heat map of the Highlands to help inform development of further policy to support
renewable heat growth in Scotland
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Planning (and Building Control) considerations of policy:
The heat map can:
Facilitate planning policies which promote district heating and/or cooling
in Highlands
Assist in considering options for retro-fitting community heating to existing
Council stock
Inform development of new heat networks
Assist planning of ‘energy from waste’ locations
Other relevant policies:
The map can be used to inform
Highland Council’s programmes
on existing housing and other
property, as well as future
development programmes
Research undertaken into
other local/regional/national
policies:
The heat map relates to the
Heat Map of Scotland
Use of the map will help
Highland Council meet national
CO2 reduction targets
Use of the map could promote
Highland Council as a leader in
renewable and of waste heat
technology
Further information:
Highland heat mapping project report (Highland Council, 2009)
Highland Council website
Contact:
David Cowie,
Principal Planner,
Highland Council
01463 702827
Key Outcomes:
As opposite, plus:
Mapping will aid the development
of CHP and biomass schemes
by linking heat demands with
efficient sources of heat
It helps to identify communities
with high potential (e.g. high heat
density, off gas grid, key heat
loads such as hospitals, schools
and industry)
The study will identify areas of
high resource: (e.g. existing and
new forests and sawmills for
biomass, landfill sites, industrial
sources with significant waste
heat)
Key Learning Points:
As opposite, plus:
Heat mapping can be used as an
effective large- and small-scale
planning tool for local authorities,
to help them meet national and
local CO2 reduction targets
This project provides an example
for all local authorities to
develop similar systems
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Case Study 7C:
Site-specific master planning
Project Name:
Lochgilphead High School redevelopment
Developer:
Fyne Homes
Local Authority:
Argyll and Bute Council
Date completed:
Pending (April 2012)
Summary of project:
Master planning and
planning application for 88
social rented houses and
8 private dwellings (and
outline planning application
for an additional 4 serviced
plots), incorporating
renewable energy systems.
The location is the former
Lochgilphead High School
and Hospital site, designated
as a Potential Development
Area within the Local
Development Plan.
Consents required (to date):
Planning permission
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
The project is designed in accordance with the Argyll and Bute
Sustainable Design Guidance, and developed into a Planning Design
Statement for the site
A holistic consideration of the scheme, from the outset, has helped to
minimise the total energy demand over the development’s lifetime
Air source heat pumps will be installed to each unit to provide space
and water heating. The choice of low and zero carbon technologies was
based on performance, ease of control, cost and future maintenance
requirements
The proximity of footpaths and open spaces was designed to encourage
people to walk, cycle and use public transport
Shelter from the elements is provided by trees and other buildings, to
reduce exposure, wind speed and consequent heat loss from buildings
Buildings were orientated within 30 degrees of South to maximise solar
gains and reduce energy demand
High-performance, high-quality materials that can be re-used were
specified
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
Potential Development Areas (as designated in Local Plan) require a
master planning approach, to ensure that holistic rather than piecemeal
redevelopment is achieved
A full planning application is needed to address the Local Development
Plan and satisfy Argyll and Bute Sustainable Design Guidance
requirements.
Air source heat pumps were included as a condition to the planning
consent
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Relevant planning policies:
Argyll and Bute Local Development Plan supports (non-wind) renewable
energy related development in forms, scales and locations where it will
promote the aim of sustainable development
Argyll and Bute Sustainable Design Guidance
Impact of planning policies on project:
The requirement to provide a master plan led to access and layout
considerations
The requirement to reduce emissions by 15% through the inclusion of low
and zero carbon technologies created difficult financial challenges, adding
c.£5,000 to the cost of each unit
Key Outcomes:
Development is being undertaken
using a partnering contract with
the client: design team and
contractor are working together
to develop a design with full
understanding of constraints and
cost implications
Low-carbon development has
been enabled as a result of
master planning
Key Learning Points:
Early engagement with statutory
authorities is essential
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
Early engagement with the planning authority was undertaken, however
initial design layouts (to achieve Housing Association Grant targets) were
rejected at the initial planning consultation stage
Master planning involved full statutory and community consultation
A partnering approach with
the contractor has enabled the
development to proceed with
confidence
Master planning allowed forthe
setting of low-carbon criteria for
the site at the outset
Any complications encountered:
Early recognition that the development was likely to present significant
funding challenges prompted early engagement with statutory authorities,
and an extensive number of consultees and community consultations to
evaluate additional costs as early as possible
Contact:
Peter McDonald
New Business Director,
Fyne Homes
[email protected]
Iain Campbell
CP Architects
[email protected]
Richard Kerr
Planning Officer,
Argyll and Bute Council
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8 Adaptation to climate change
Taking action:
8.1 Overview
Development Planning
Put in place policies to ensure developments
are designed to adapt to the likely impacts
of climate change in terms of new weather
patterns
Introduce more stringent policies for areas at
high risk of suffering effects of climate change
including flooding, coastal erosion and storms
Development Management
Take into account long term weather trends and
localised Met Office projects when assessing
new developments, to ensure they are designed
for changes in temperature patterns, rainfall
patterns and sea level rise
Tackling climate change involves
both mitigation and adaptation. While
mitigation aims to minimise the extent
of climate change, adaptation accepts
that change is inevitable and seeks to
cope with the future impacts.
In development terms, both new and existing buildings
are likely to have to cater for increased precipitation
and flooding, water shortages at certain times of year,
and extremes of temperature (both hot and cold).
Details of the likely regional effects of climate change
can be found in the UK Climate Projections (Defra,
2009). Scotland’s Climate Change Adaption Framework
predicts the following changes under a medium
emissions scenario for 2050 with even greater changes
anticipated for the 2080s.
Scottish climate projections by 2050 to 60 under medium emissions
2050 MEDIUM EMISSIONS
Summer average Temperature
Winter average temperature
Summer average precipitation
Winter average precipitation
EASTERN SCOTLAND
NORTHERN SCOTLAND
WESTERN SCOTLAND
+2.3ºC
+2.0ºC
+2.4ºC
(+1.1ºC to +3.9ºC)
(+0.9ºC to +3.4ºC)
(+1.1ºC to +3.8ºC)
+1.7ºC
+1.7ºC
+1.9ºC
(+0.7ºC to +2.9ºC)
(+0.6ºC to +2.8ºC)
(+1.0ºC to +3.0ºC)
-12%
-10%
-12%
(-27% to +1%)
(-24% to +2%)
(-27% to +1%)
10%
3%
15%
(+1% to +20%)
(+3% to +24%)
(+5% to +29%)
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Overall most projections indicate that winters will
be warmer and wetter, and summers will be warmer
and drier, with distinct differences between the east
coast, west coast and northern Scotland. Overall the
occurrence of more extreme weather events, such as
heat waves and flooding, will increasingly require more
resilient buildings that are able to function in a range
of conditions.
Urban heat islands
“City planners are being warned about the
problem of ‘urban heat islands’ and are being
urged to consider the problem when allowing
developments in the city…Buildings and roads
act like giant storage heaters.”
(BBC Weather).
The urban heat island effect means that built up
areas are 2-4oC hotter than surrounding areas.
This is caused by concrete, asphalt and bricks
soaking up daytime heat and releasing it at night;
a lack of vegetation and green space reducing the
capacity for evaporation cooling; and vehicles and
factories adding to the heat build-up.
As well as the widely accepted need to insulate
buildings to prevent heat loss in colder periods,
buildings will increasingly have to be designed
to prevent excessive heat gain in hotter periods,
particularly in urban areas. A heatwave in 2003 caused
35,000 premature deaths in Europe; most of these
occurred at night-time in urban areas, due to the
build-up of heat through the urban heat island effect .
The effect increases pollution levels and results in an
inability to cool the buildings sufficiently at night-time.
The average temperature during that heatwave was 2oC
above average: summers as warm as this are likely
to be ‘normal’ by 2040, illustrating the importance
of forward planning. This places greater emphasis
on passive cooling measures rather than relying on
air conditioning. Research by the Building Research
Establishment suggests that it takes six times more
energy to cool a building by 1oC than to heat it by 1oC,
if using mechanical cooling.
Research by NASA suggests that some (larger) cities
are so hot they can generate their own weather
patterns.
Potential changes in building design may include the
use of paler colours, different materials and more
vegetation, so that buildings absorb less heat, adjacent
surfaces (such as patios and car parking areas) do
not reflect excess heat into properties, and vegetation
can absorb some of the sun’s radiated heat. This may
change the current trend for hard landscaping in
domestic garden areas, for example.
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8.2 Policy context
Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Framework seeks
to improve the understanding of the consequences of
a changing climate and the integration of adaptation
into public policy and regulation. It is being used to
incorporate climate change adaptation implications into
renewable energy strategies and plans, and adaptation
and energy efficiency strategies.
“The design of new development should address the
causes of climate change by minimising carbon and
other greenhouse gas emissions, and should include
features that provide effective adaptation to the
predicted effects of climate change. The changing
climate will increase the risk of damage to buildings
and infrastructure by flood, storm, landslip and
subsidence. Development should therefore normally
be avoided in areas with increased vulnerability to
the effects of climate change, particularly areas at
significant risk from flooding, landslip and coastal
erosion, and highly exposed sites at significant risk
from the impacts of storms.” (SPP, 2010)
The SPP emphasises the need for consideration of
risks associated with climate change when assessing
planning applications. These can be acted on both
through policy development and development
management. Planners should also consider the
changes that may be required to existing buildings
and the design elements that may be needed for
new buildings, as these could both impact on the
appearance of the built environment.
A number of PANs cover some considerations of
climate change adaptation, and in particular all
documents stress the need for planners to work in
partnership with other departments and bodies to
manage these issues effectively:
Planning Advice Note 79: Water and drainage
(2006) provides advice on water and drainage in
both large- and small-scale developments
Planning Advice Note 61: Planning and Sustainable
Urban Drainage Systems (2001) helps planners
co-ordinate SUDS control in developments,
both through policy making and development
management
Planning Advice Note 69: Planning and building
standards advice on flooding (2004) provides good
practice on planning and Building Standards in
areas where there is a risk of flooding
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8.3 How planners can help
4 Water and Drainage
Carry out a site survey to determine which
Sustainable Urban Drainage (SUDS) techniques will
be appropriate for use on the site.
Ensure that responsibility for maintaining SUDS is
clear at the planning application stage
Ensure the design of surfaces takes account of
more intense use, permeability
Potential for causing dust and for soil erosion
Ensure there are arrangements for storing waste
which allow for separation and prevent excessive
smell in hotter conditions.
Provide a rainwater collection system/grey-water
recycling for watering gardens and landscaped
areas
The key is for planners to plan for change based on
the latest predictions, considering a development’s
environmental situation in the future when the effects
of climate change will have occurred. Planners will
not only have to consider the design measures covered
earlier in the guide which promote energy efficiency
(e.g. passive solar design) but also other factors such
as summer cooling and new forms of ventilation. One
way of doing this is to develop a checklist such as
that developed by London Climate Change Impact
Partnership which considers a range of factors
including:
1 Location
Flooding
Heat islands
Sea level rise and coastal erosion
2 Site layout
Allowance for run off and surface drainage
Maximum air flow and natural ventilation
Accessible outdoor space / green space
Consider solar gain in relation to higher
summer temperatures
3 Buildings
(Structure, Physical envelope and layout)
Wind speeds
Increased risk of subsidence
Appropriate thermal mass for retention of
heat (winter) and cooling (summer)
Appropriate ventilation and cooling - either
passive or mechanical
Drainage systems and entrance thresholds that
can cope with more intense rainfall
Opportunities for incorporating green roofs
or walls
The exterior of buildings reduces heat gain
in summer
The overall envelope avoids infiltration from
increased wind and temperatures
Cladding materials are able to cope with higher
wind speeds
5 Connectivity
(local infrastructure reliance and connections
to neighbours)
Ensure there are safe access routes above the
likely flood levels and the routes are clearly
marked (e.g. by a series of poles) during the
design life of the development.
Ensure that the developer has consulted with the
utilities and others over the resilience of services
and infrastructure to the development
Ensure the developer has identified immediate
neighbour impacts, as well as the cumulative
impacts, and the increased demands on services
When considering these matters planners can utilise
detailed projections for their area via the
UK Climate Projections website. It is important to
note that there is a large amount of pre prepared
information (graphs, charts, data tables and key
findings reports) available to show and explain
the projected changes in climate. Having a look at
this information is a really good first step towards
developing an understanding of what the climate
projections show.
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The projections website also includes a User Interface,
which allows users to generate projections based
on their own requirements and provides the capacity
to generate projections for defined local areas. It
is very important that anyone wanting to use the
User Interface has a good understanding about the
projections, and understands that these are intended
for use as a decision making tool (they incorporate
probabilistic data to allow this). SCCIP provides
advice and support through a user community for
organisations and individuals involved with using the
User Interface to generate projections. Planners can
get advice about using the projections, find out about
relevant training, and join the user community by
emailing [email protected]
Policy development should facilitate innovative design,
and take into account the need to adapt buildings to
ensure they are safe and pleasant to live and work
in, in the future. Development management should
take into account the ability of refurbishment or new
development to cater for climate change impacts
when assessing individual applications. The following
planning resources provide advice and support in
policy-making and development management:
Planning to live with climate change: Our seven
commitments (Royal Town Planning Institute)
Planning to live with climate change: A professional
challenge for the future (Royal Town Planning
Institute)
Climate Change Adaptation By Design (Town &
Country Planning Association)
Adaptation of places (Royal Town Planning Institute)
provides links to relevant policies and case studies
Aberdeen City Council’s Sustainable Building Standards
for Council Buildings includes wide-ranging targets for
domestic and commercial council buildings, which will
help cater for the effects of climate change. As well as
requiring a high standard of CO2 emission reductions
(25% over current Building Standards), the risk of
over-cooling and over-heating will be minimised
through the inclusion of design elements such as high
thermal mass, insulation and passive solar gain, and
water efficiency measures.
A further example of where climate change adaptation
can fit into sustainable design considerations can be
seen in the North Norfolk Design Guide. This covers
passive heating and cooling, water resource efficiency
and reslilience to flooding.
In relation to existing buildings The National
Trust (England and Wales) has begun investing in
infrastructure for the long-term (buildings, woodlands,
services, facilities) to make them ‘climate resilient’
and as flexible as possible for the conditions they will
encounter, as well as meeting current needs.
Swindon Sustainable Building Design and Construction
Supplementary Planning Document (2007); Appendix
4 provides illustrated examples of some key design
principles for building adaptation, as demonstrated on
the following page.
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Thermal mass: The use of
heavyweight construction within a
building, designed to absorb sun
during the winter thereby warming
the building, and absorb excess
heat during the summer thereby
cooling the building
Stale air out
Stale air out
Fresh air in
Fresh air in
Passive ‘stack’ ventilation: Natural
ventilation is critical to ensuring
that excess heat is expelled from
a building, particularly during the
hotter months, when night-time
ventilation is required to remove
the heat that accumulates in the
thermal mass of the building
during the day
STACK VENTILATION
Planning for adaptation includes many of the areas
that should be considered alongside other elements of
design covered in previous sections, for instance how
passive solar energy is harnessed. Highly insulated
buildings require careful consideration of their
ventilation to avoid overheating. Sheltered sites will
also reduce the impacts of extreme weather events.
In some cases today’s development sites may be less
suitable due to the impacts of climate change over
the next 50 years. In this regard detailed models and
projects at local level can be accessed from the UK
Climate Impacts Programme.
8.4 Further resources
The Heat Island Group is an American research
group whose website contains useful information
on the ‘urban heat island effect’, and a number of
publications on ways to mitigate this effect
The United Kingdom Climate Impacts Programme
(UKCIP) helps organisations assess how they might
be affected by climate change
The Scottish Climate Change Impacts Partnership
(SCCIP) was established to increase the resilience
of organisations and infrastructure in Scotland to
meet the challenges and opportunities presented by
the impacts of climate change
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Case Study 8A:
Building designed to cope with changing climate
Project Name:
Oxford EcoHouse
Developer:
Professor Susan Roaf
Local Authority:
Oxford City Council
Date completed:
1995
Summary of project:
A new-build domestic
property, specifically
designed to be able to
cope with the predicted
impacts of climate
change. The design allows
the house to withstand
extremes of climate,
both hot and cold, and to
operate comfortably in the
event of any power failure.
The S
outh
-faci
ng re
ar of
the p
rope
rty; t
he fr
ont r
esem
bles
Consents required (to date):
neigh
bour
ing h
ouse
Planning Permission
s
Building Regulations Consent
(English equivalent of Building
Warrant)
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
Designed for heat:
The building has hot and cold (shaded all year) sides
The site slope allows cooler air from the north to
flow around the building into a sunken patio to the
south
The south of the building can be closed and northfacing windows opened to drive cool air up stairwell
by stack ventilation
High levels of insulated internal mass mean that
window-opening flushes heat out of the structure in
an effective night-time cooling system
A sunspace balcony shades the south-facing groundfloor french doors and living room wall
There are no west-facing windows to reduce heat
loss; south-facing windows are limited in size to
avoid excessive solar gain
Large bedroom skylights and a rooflight over the
stairs provide brisk stack ventilation of heat from
the house below
Deep insulation prevents excessive heat gain through
the roof
The tree-lined west garden fence shades the patio
and garden in mid-summer, minimising reflective
heat gain from surfaces to the south of the house
The wide range of low- and high-level openings in
sunspace allow rapid heat loss when needed
The first-floor doors are chamfered (cut at an angle)
and aligned with the windows, allowing very effective
cross-ventilation of bedrooms
All ‘thermal bridging’ is eliminated, preventing heat
paths from the floors and internal walls to external
walls
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Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
74
Designed for cold:
The cube form minimises volume-to-surface ratios,
thus conserving heat
Super-insulation and triple glazing keep the heat in
All potential cold bridging was eliminated in
construction
In Winter, all air is taken in through pre-warmed
air-lock spaces of the front porch and south-facing
sunspace
The sunspace is used for drying clothes
Water-based paints set on wet plaster on high
mass concrete blocks absorb excess humidity, so
the ventilation of rooms, to purge moisture, is not
necessary
If windows are opened, the high thermal mass means
that internal temperature reverts quickly back to
normal once they are closed
The solar geometry of house means that reflective
snow and full sun allow good passive heating even in
winter
The many small windows in the porch and sunspace
allow selective, natural ventilation strategies to be
easily used by any occupant, without introducing
shafts of cold air
5m2 of solar water heating panels generate around
60% of hot water needs, even in winter
4kW mono-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) panels
generate around 3,000 kWh of electricity per year
The high-mass wood burning stove means that if
imported fuel supplies fail, the house is kept warm
by optimal use of radiant, convective and conductive
heat from the stove and flue
The high mass of internal walls and the first floor
store large proportion of solar and wood stove heat
Only 3 of the 15 rooms need additional heat
(radiators from gas condensing boiler in North-facing
rooms)
There are small breaks between the concrete of the
porch, main house and sunspace to prevent cold
travelling through the floor slab
The stability of internal temperature allows occupant
comfort at 17oC
Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
The site was chosen on a:
Hill, to avoid flooding in lower Wolvercote Village
South-facing site
Relevant planning policies:
As a result of building the house,
Closing the Loop was written, which
covers related planning policies and
a range of sustainability issues
Public transport route into Oxford
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
The main planning concerns related to the appearance of
the PV panels (sited at the rear of the property); these
concerns were appeased by showing Planning Officers
samples of the panels
As a result of these informal early negotiations, the
Planning Officers were very supportive of the project
Any complications encountered:
This house had the first PV roof in
Britain. Integrating it with the solar hot
water panels and the roof construction
was resolved ‘on the job’ (i.e. as the
build process progressed)
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Key Outcomes:
A 15-year-old house that:
Generates more electricity than it uses
Is warm in winter and cool in summer
Has little reliance on external energy
Uses less than 20% of the gas used in similarsized properties
Further information:
Roaf, S., D. Crichton & F. Nicol –
Adapting buildings and cites for climate change
(2nd edition, Architectural Press, 2009)
Roaf, S., M. Fuentes & S. Thomas –
Ecohouse: A design guide
(3rd edition, Architectural Press, 2007)
Roaf, S., A. Horsley & R. Gupta –
Closing the loop: Benchmarks for sustainable building
(RIBA Publications, 2004)
Key Learning Points:
Solar energy can be used to run a property, if
well designed with enough thermal storage in the
building
Micro-climatic design of the area around the house
significantly impacted on the overall house design.
Having windows of different sizes according to their
function and the rooms they serve, for example
larger windows in main living areas contributes to
energy use reduction
The design of intermediate spaces (sunspace and
porch) had to be made carefully: they are thermally
de-coupled from the house to avoid excess heat
gain or loss
Contact:
Sue Roaf,
Professor of Architectural Engineering,
Heriot Watt University
0131 451 8263
[email protected]
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9 Sustainable Transport
Taking action:
9.1 Overview
Development Planning
Identify sites for new developments well served
by existing or planned public transport routes
and facilities and which can be reached by
walking and public transport
Integrate active and public transport
opportunities into developments at the master
planning stage to maximise accessibility and
safety
Require major
developments
to adopt travel
management
plans
Consider
setting parking
standards
for all new
developments
Transport is included in the Scottish Energy Study
(Scottish Government, 2006), which highlights the
growth of the UK transport sector over the past 20
years and outlines its contribution to carbon emissions.
Planning can influence transport infrastructure in a
number of ways to minimise emissions. Factors that
planners can influence to reduce carbon emissions
from transport include the location and density of
developments, mix of uses, parking standards and
neighbourhood design including access by active
transport to local services and street layout.
While sustainable transport policy generally has
greater potential in new developments, these can
often be affected by the existing built environment
and infrastructure; it is thus very important for both
planning policy and development management to
balance carefully the transport demands of new
developments with the capacity of existing and future
infrastructure. The SPP states that “new housing
developments should be integrated with public
transport and active travel networks... New streets
should connect well with existing streets and with
walking and cycling networks, and allow for links into
future areas of development”.
9.2 Policy context
Development Management
Negotiate with developers and impose
conditions relating to provision for public
transport and active transport (eg. footpaths,
cycle paths and secure cycle parking)
Ensure that developers demonstrate how
travel management planning has reduced the
potential impact of the new development in
terms of additional car use
The National Planning Framework for Scotland 2
sets out large-scale objectives for reducing the
environmental impact of transport: “Development plan
land allocations must take account of the availability
of existing public transport infrastructure and the
capacity of transport networks. Promoting higher
densities and mixed use development close to public
transport nodes will be important in urban areas. In
rural areas public transport is not a practical answer
to all travel needs, though well developed local service
networks can help to reduce the need for long distance
travel”.
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The Scottish Planning Policy encourages development
that supports “a pattern of development which
reduces the need to travel, facilitates travel by
public transport…and provides safe and convenient
opportunities for walking and cycling. Reductions in
emissions will also be achieved through changes
in vehicle technology. The planning system should
support the installation of infrastructure to support
new technologies, such as charging points for electric
vehicles.”
It states that the planning system can do this by:
Helping to reduce the need to travel
Prioritising and enabling access to active and
sustainable travel and transport
Minimising parking (through application of
maximum parking standards) and using demand
management measures to reduce social,
environmental and economic impacts of car-based
mobility
Taking account of the location and capacity of
existing infrastructure, including transport, and
proximity and accessibility of other services and
facilities
Encouraging development, implementation and
monitoring of Travel Plans for all significant tripgenerating developments
It also states that “Planning permission should not
be granted for significant travel generating uses in
locations which would encourage reliance on the
private car and where:
Direct links to walking and cycling networks are not
or cannot be made available
Access to public transport networks would involve
walking more than 400 metres
It would have a detrimental effect on the capacity
of the strategic road and/or rail network
The transport assessment does not identify
satisfactory mechanisms for meeting sustainable
transport requirements”.
Planning Advice Note 75: Planning for transport (2005)
focuses on locational policy and methods for devising
travel standards, including the following:
Accessibilty analysis of different sites, particularly
by non-car modes
Levels and targets for walking and cycling
The need for traffic constraint
The availability of alternative parking
(on- and off-street)
The potential for shared use of parking spaces
Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland)
Act 1997 allows for the establishment of voluntary
agreements between landowners and local authorities,
which permanently restricts or regulates the use of
land, and its future use in perpetuity.
Designing Streets is the first policy statement in
Scotland for street design and marks a change in
the emphasis of guidance on street design towards
place-making and away from a system focused upon
the dominance of motor vehicles. It has been created
to support the Scottish Government’s place-making
agenda and is intended to sit alongside the 2001
planning policy document Designing Places, which sets
out government aspirations for design and the role of
the planning system in delivering these.
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9.3 How planners can help
Planners can support and enable lowimpact transport in new development,
and link this to existing buildings and
infrastructure, through both policy
making and development management.
Travel plans for new developments should be
encouraged, as these provide an opportunity for early
engagement between planners and developers. The
Midlothian Local Transport Strategy (2007) requires all
major developments to submit a detailed Travel Plan.
In order to reduce emissions from transport, the
hierarchy set out in Scottish Planning Policy should be
observed: “Opportunities for personal travel should be
prioritised by mode in the following order – walking,
cycling, public transport, car and other motorised
vehicles” – it should not be assumed that cars and
other motorised modes should have universal freedom
of access.
Active transport (walking and cycling) can be
encouraged by the installation of specific infrastructure
for pedestrians and cyclists such as footways, cycle
paths and secure cycling storage facilities. Street
layout and design can also have an impact on the
desirability of active travel – features such as reduced
road widths or adjusted sight lines can help to control
vehicle speeds, avoiding the need for remedial and
reactive measures such as speed bumps. Detailed
guidance on these issues can be found in the Scottish
Government’s Designing Streets guidance. Other issues
that should be considered are lighting and security
features to reassure and encourage walkers and
cyclists, and the incline of the road (and the impact of
this on cycling).
It is important to consider which local services are
most likely to be accessed by walkers and cyclists
and to prioritise these accordingly; for example, the
Transport section of the Falkirk Local Plan (2007)
places an emphasis on the development of cycle and
pedestrian paths linking residential development to
schools.
An integrated approach to transport options should
be taken to ensure good links with existing public
transport infrastructure; for example, ensuring that
there is appropriate cycle storage at stations. Current
public transport routes should be assessed and linked
to where possible. Case studies 9A & 9B at the end of
this section demonstrate how large travel generating
developments can maximise the use of public
transport.
Numerous other planning authorities have specific
policies in place to ensure integration between
new development and existing public transport
infrastructure; the Clackmannanshire and Stirling
Structure Plan (2002) recommends that sites likely
to require significant transport should be sited
within Strategic Public Transport Corridors, or where
the travel need will be reduced; Policy RES11 in
the Clackmannanshire Local Plan (2004) includes
provision for bus-accessible roads and bus stops in
developments over a certain size, while the Inverclyde
Local Plan (2005) emphasises the preference for reusing brownfield sites to enable sustainable transport.
Other policies may be set to reduce reliance on
motorised modes of transport. The Aberdeen Local
Transport Strategy (2008) emphasises the potential for
home-working and telecommunications technology to
minimise the need for travel. Some local authorities
have gone as far as supporting the use of car-free
developments, with access and parking restricted to
meet essential access standards. The Slateford Green
development in Edinburgh provides a good example
of this, and is enforced using a Section 75 agreement
(Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (see
above)).
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Planners should also consider more sustainable
forms of surface treatment (e.g. permeable materials
to reduce demands on surface water treatment and
water flows). This not improves the overall quality
of the environment, but also takes into account
climate change adaptation considerations (these were
highlighted in section 8 of this document).
The campaign for better transport has produced a
useful Sustainable Transport Master Planning Checklist,
which sets out several steps planners could take to
reduce car use, shorten journeys and promote travel
by green modes. The checklist is focused on larger
developments and recommends:
Location of new developments
Not close to motorways, or high-speed dual carriageway
roads
Within walking distance of major public transport links
The local centre with shops and facilities should be
within walking distance of all residences - 800m
Local centres should be pedestrian and cycle access
only, so far as possible
Employment planned in association with the development
should be able to source the required staff from within
a 30 minute travel time catchment on public transport,
plus walking and cycling distance around the site
Employment planned in association with the development
should include many jobs that can easily be filled from a
local pool of unskilled or semi-skilled labour
Car access to planned employment sites and local
shopping centres should be more expensive, less
convenient, and less rapid in comparison to access by
public transport, cycling or walking
Street layout and design
Adjacent to or within urban centres rather than smaller
freestanding towns
Filtered permeability should be fundamental to the plan,
e.g. make access by walking and cycling easiest
Density of development
Low speed limits (20mph maximum) throughout the
estate area
•
•
New developments should be built to high density levels with a minimum net density of 100
dwellings per hectare
Developments in locations close to excellent public transport should be built to net densities
above 200 dwellings per hectare
Home zone street design for all residential streets
A network of safe cycling and pedestrian routes
Pedestrianised local centres with cycle access
People-centred attractive street design
Cycle storage at local destinations
Local facilities and jobs
Residential developments should include or be closely
associated with facilities that are
used on an everyday basis – i.e. a shop selling food and
groceries, newsagent
They should also be near space with children’s play area,
post office and cash point, creche/nursery and primary
school, eating and drinking places, supermarket, and
secondary school
Larger residential developments should also include
or be close to facilities which can capture a large
proportion of trips locally – i.e. medical centre, chemist,
community centre
Residential developments should include or be close to
as wide a range of shops and facilities as possible
Public-transport centred development, based on high
quality public transport providing rapid connections to
the nearest major centre of employment and major urban
facilities
Sites which currently have poor public transport
should not be developed until public transport has
been improved
Dedicated public transport routeways for large
developments
800m maximum distance from residences to the
main public transport hub
Direct high quality pedestrian and cycle links to
public transport
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Cycle storage at transport hubs
Minimal car parking at transport hubs
Parking
Set parking standards as maxima (definitely not
minima) at less than 0.5 spaces per unit i.e. at
least 50% of residential units should in effect be
‘car-free’
Segregate parking from homes in new residential
developments
A high proportion of housing should be car-free and
have no dedicated parking space
Residents should be charged the full cost of
parking provision
Limited parking at local facilities and shops, all
with a parking fee
Restraint to car movement
Design developments so that other modes are faster
and more convenient than the car
Smart travel behaviour change programmes
Residential travel plan, operative during first
marketing of a development, then ongoing
Ongoing finance to employ a travel plan coordinator
Travel plans for local schools and local employers
Car club, up and running before residents move in
Case studies 9A & 9B illustrate how some of these
issues have been adopted in practice.
9.4 Further resources
Living Streets Healthy Environment Toolkit provides
a wide range of advice to improve the public realm
to encourage green modes of travel
Active travel pages of the Scottish Government
website set out what action is being taken in
relation to improve cycling and walking throughout
the country
Guidance on local transport strategies
The Scottish Government developed this guidance
to help local authorities in Scotland to develop
effective local transport strategies. It provides
guidance about how different types of transport,
travel behaviour and demand management can
contribute to the delivery of national and local
objectives
Building sustainable travel into new development:
Options for growth points and eco towns
Produced by the DfT, this provides guidance on
planning, designing and implementing an effective
sustainable transport system in new developments
Good Practice Guidelines: Delivering Travel Plans
through the Planning Process
These guidelines provide best practice, drawn from
case study research, to help local authorities,
developers and planners produce high quality,
robust travel plans. The suggested steps are
recommendations only, and are not additions to
Government policy or law
The evidence base that supports efforts to
change our travel behaviour is considerable. For
information on travel choices, car ownership and
traffic volume Key Transport Statistics December
2009 provides useful references
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Case Study 9A:
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Project Name:
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Developer:
Queen Margaret University
Local Authority:
East Lothian Council
Date completed:
2007
Summary of project:
In 2001, Queen Margaret University (QMU) decided to consolidate
its three campuses into a purpose-built development. The new
site would be a significant generator of travel, and QMU was
keen to ensure that sustainable development principles informed
the master-planning of the development. East Lothian Council’s
planning requirements ensured that low-impact travel systems
were factored in from the outset, and sustained over time.
Consents required:
Planning Permission
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
The site is located close to rail and bus services and
leisure and shopping facilities
On-site accommodation is provided for 800 students,
with potential for more
National Cycle Route 1 passes through the campus
Students living on-campus are not permitted to park
on-site
An on-campus bus stop was designed in, to facilitate/
encourage bus use. A nearby café enhances bus
travel, and real-time travel information is available
across the campus
A Travel Plan minimised transport impacts of the
project
Travel Plan initiatives and measures are delivered
by a dedicated Sustainable Travel Coordinator who
champions the sustainable transport aspects of the
campus
Parking management system issues: parking permits
are issued on basis of need (criteria include distance
from public transport and childcare); parking charges
are based on vehicle emissions
A neighbouring residents’ parking scheme reduces
incidence of staff and students parking in surrounding
streets
Car-sharing is actively encouraged and car-sharers
are guaranteed a fixed-price permit allowing access
to onsite parking.
Cycle parking is conveniently located, covered and
secure, with shower and locker facilities
A Cycle to Work scheme gives staff access to
reduced-cost cycling equipment
A Travel Co-ordinator, employed by the University, has
negotiated public transport improvements
QMU is a corporate member of the City Car Club; a
vehicle is located on campus for use on work-related
trips. Student members can access the vehicle at a
discount
Provision of remote access facilities and video and
teleconferencing capacity helps reduce travel to and
from the campus
CCTV helps ensure safety on site, and reassures users
of their safety when using sustainable transport
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Planning (and Building Control) considerations of project:
The Lothians Structure Plan 2015 (prepared by The City of Edinburgh,
East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian Councils) supports sustainable
transport and identifies employment locations which are, or can be, made
accessible for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, or have
new infrastructure put in place
East Lothian Council Local Plan includes key principles to promote and
enable sustainable travel: location that helps minimise the need to travel
(especially by private car); locations that are/can be highly accessible
by sustainable transport; mixed use sites and high densities; introduction
and use of traffic and parking control/restraint measures; requirement for
developers to prepare Transportation Assessments and Travel Plans to
accompany significant proposals; and imposition of developer contributions
to improve transport services/infrastructure to bring about more
sustainable travel
East Lothian Council Local Transport Strategy facilitates a reduction in
travel by private car and supports and encourages greater uptake of travel
by sustainable modes of transport. It acknowledges the importance of
linking land use planning and transport in achieving these
Impact of planning policies on project:
Outline planning permission was granted to QMU subject to conditions
(Section 75 Agreements), as follows:
•
A transport assessment was required to help ensure sustainable
travel patterns and review outcomes
•
The bus terminal had to be provided on site in a convenient location.
•
High-quality on-site footpaths and cycleways were required and
linked into surrounding path network (the N1 cycle path was rerouted as a part of development process)
•
Real-time travel information was made available on campus
•
Limits to parking provision
•
A Sustainable Travel Co-ordinator was employed to deliver the travel
plan
•
Ongoing consultation and liaison required with key stakeholders about
travel and transport matters
Relevant planning policies:
A Policy Statement for Scotland:
Designing Places
Planning Advice Note 75:
Planning for Transport
Edinburgh & Lothian Structure
Plan 2015
East Lothian Local Plan
East Lothian Council’s Local
Transport Strategy
East Lothian Council’s Outline
Planning Permission
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Key Outcomes:
Informal planning negotiations undertaken:
QMU involved the community in the development
process from the outset (including East Lothian
Council, Community Councils and individuals). Site
plans were drafted after a consultative process
was undertaken, and green issues were a particular
focus of the other consultation
Multiple measures created opportunities for active
and sustainable modes of transport
QMU and ELC worked together to develop parking
policy to dissuade students and staff from parking
their cars in neighbouring residential streets
Contra-flow rail services have boosted rail use
Strict on-site parking policy and Residents’ Parking
Zones in surrounding streets have led to parking
pressure in other areas
Although the site is by a railway station, train
frequency is a barrier to increased use
An additional train service is a 15-minute walk
from the campus. Security issues were addressed
through increased street lighting (solar-powered)
An area of land between the University and the
railway line was safeguarded in the last two local
plans for a Parkway Station; if constructed, this
would be closer than the existing station
The current (2009-10) economic downturn has
put pressure on local authority subsidies for less
commercially viable bus routes
Low bridges prevent use of double-decker buses on
services to QMU, and a lack of westbound access is
a barrier to establishing viable services from that
direction
The shower and locker facilities are small
Scottish Government’s Scottish
Planning Policy
Scottish Government’s Planning
Advice Note (PAN) 75:
Planning for Transport
Bus use has vastly exceeded predictions
There has been a significant increase in cycling
levels
There is substantial anecdotal evidence which
shows that some drivers have changed to vehicles
that emit fewer greenhouse gases
Any complications encountered:
Further information:
The Green Travel Plan has been actively supported
and effectively implemented
The campus was awarded BREEAM Excellent rating,
the highest rating of any campus in the country
The QMU Travel Plan has been recognised as
an example of good practice by various bodies,
including the Scottish Government, the City of
Edinburgh Council and the Transport Research
Institute at Edinburgh Napier University
Key Learning Points:
A working group was set up in 2001/02, consisting
of ELC officials and QMU staff and their planning
and transport consultants to liaise on progress. ELC
recommends this approach for future large-scale
developments
The development process was highly consultative,
creating a learning culture, and process of
continuous improvement for both the developers and
the local authority
Planning processes that foster a well-rounded
understanding of the benefits associated with
implementing sustainable transport measures
are more likely to succeed in achieving related
objectives
Contact:
Steve Scott: Director,
Campus Services,
Queen Margaret University
0131 474 0000
[email protected]
Paul Ince: Senior Transportation
Policy Officer,
East Lothian Council
01620 827661
[email protected]
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Case Study 9B:
Poundbury, Dorset
Project name:
Poundbury
Developers:
Duchy of Cornwall and West Dorset District Council
Local authority:
West Dorset District Council
Date completed:
2025 (estimated)
Summary of project:
Poundbury is an ongoing
development that adjoins
and extends the county town
of Dorchester in Dorset. The
relevant Local Authority is West
Dorset District Council.
Commenced in late 1993 after
several years of planning and
detailed consultation, Poundbury
has over 1,500 residents, and
provides employment for around
1,000. It is anticipated that the
population will be 5,000 by 2025.
The developers – the Duchy
of Cornwall and West Dorset
District Council – recognise that
increasing car dependency and
the prevalence of car-dominated
urban areas have resulted in
an array of social, economic
and environmental impacts.
Poundbury has been explicitly
and actively planned to give
priority to people rather than
cars, tackling these key 21st
Century planning challenges
head on.
Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
The Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West of England identifies
Dorchester as one of the strategically significant cities and towns in the
region, with development to be focussed there. The West Dorset Local Plan
includes an allocation of land for development at Poundbury, adjoining
Dorchester, and a number of local policies set out planning parameters
– including those related to transport – associated with this, and other
local developments. The Council has prepared a Supplementary Planning
Document – the Poundbury Development Brief - providing guidance about
planning applications.
The Brief includes a core objective to “Provide a sustainable development
where the need to travel is reduced through the close proximity of houses,
jobs and services, and where the residential environment is not dominated
by the car.” (p.6)
Key measures associated with this objective include:
Development which offers a variety of employment opportunities,
services and facilities that are accessible by a range of transport
modes
Provision of a hierarchy of centres, mix of use and distinct
neighbourhoods, to generate short local trips (rather than longer
journeys) by walking, cycling or public transport
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Energy and sustainability aspects of project:
Planning (and Building Control)
considerations of project:
Key measures associated with this objective include:
Phasing of the development to ensure that residents can see where
infrastructure and employment centres are located, and use essential
community facilities in the local area from the outset, rather than
getting into the habit of travelling further afield while local facilities are
being built
Provision of high-quality and safe pedestrian, cycle and public transport
facilities
The inclusion of distinctive landmarks as visual cues
Well designed (e.g. covered) and located cycle parking facilities
Ensuring natural/passive surveillance of public spaces
A hierarchy of routes and streets, where street widths relate to their
function, streets are permeable and joined up (rather than cul-de-sacs)
and on-street parking provision is carefully designed and controlled
Carefully designed parking courts that are located away from key public
areas to reduce impact on the streetscape and facilitate pedestrian
access
The Highways Agency has asked
for a Transport Assessment
for the remaining development
phases to examine the impact
of development on the strategic
road network and where
infrastructure and/or service
improvements are required. When
identified and agreed, these will
be in a legally binding agreement
As site owner and developer,
the Duchy of Cornwall has
established/retained a high level
of control of the development,
especially in relation to the
quality and nature of the design
Street design supporting ‘natural’ traffic calming, reducing sight-lines for
drivers, and creating visual pinch-points.
Minimising ‘rat run’ drivers by avoiding additional vehicular links into
Dorchester from the development
Relevant planning policies:
English planning law and associated policies and
guidance have strong similarities to Scottish law,
policies and guidance.
The following English documents are relevant to this
case-study:
PPG13 – Transport (has similarities to the Scottish
Government’s Planning Advice Note (PAN) 75: Planning
for Transport)
PPS1 Sustainable Development & PPS3 Housing (both
similar to the Scottish Government’s Scottish Planning
Policy) incorporate the underlying principle that
sustainable development involves making the best and
most efficient use of land, e.g. locating developments
where they are in easy reach of services, facilities and
employment and reduce the need to travel. “Developing
housing in an efficient density with a mix of other uses
is therefore encouraged” (p.11)
PPS4: Planning for Sustainable Economic Growth
(replaces PPS 6 Planning for Town Centres, and has
similarities to the Scottish Government’s Scottish
Planning Policy)
Manual for Streets (2007).
Disability Discrimination Act 2005.
Town and Country Planning (General Development
Procedure) Order 1995 (similar in scope / intention
to Scotland’s main planning legislation: The Town and
Country Planning Act (Scotland) 1997 Chapter 8, and
The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006, which amends
the 1997 Act)
Local plan policies: EA25; EA26; EA27; EA29.
Dorset County Council’s Highway Guidance for Estate
Roads
Dorset County Council Parking Standards.
The Poundbury Development Brief is a Supplementary
Planning Document, “prepared for adoption as planning
policy for this site” (p.7)
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Impact of planning policies on project:
With an objective to “achieve a safe and integrated transport network, reduce the need to travel by car and facilitate
walking, cycling and the use of public transport”, the West Dorset District Local Plan includes transport policies that
support and promote sustainable transport that Poundbury is striving to achieve.
Relevant policies include:
POLICY TRAN2 PERMEABLE, LEGIBLE LAYOUTS
POLICY TRAN8 CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS
Where a development may generate significant levels
of travel demand, layout should:
All new development should take account of cyclist
and pedestrian needs by direct provision, or by
contributing to new routes to existing, within or
adjoining a settlement, providing a safe, convenient,
direct and attractive environment, and a choice of
routes, to increase the trip potential.
i. ii. iii. iv. v. Include a choice of convenient links to the existing roads, to reduce the length and number of trips
Incorporate pedestrian and cycle links, with cycle links to the existing cycleway network
Not be overly complex in plan
Conform to a hierarchy of road widths (including pavements and verges)
Enable new routes, or links to existing routes which focus upon key landmark features
POLICY TRAN11 CYCLE PARKING FACILITIES
Development for non-residential uses will be granted
if there are adequate, secure cycle parking facilities,
having regard to the Council’s parking guidelines.
POLICY TRAN5 PARKING PROVISION
POLICY TRAN12 TRAVEL PLANS
All new development extensions shall provide parking
space within or adjacent to the site in accordance
with the guidelines. In major developments,
contributions may be sought towards on-street
parking controls in the vicinity of the site, improved
public transport, including park and ride, cycling or
pedestrian facilities. Parking should not detract from,
nor dominate, the street scene.
Development likely to have significant transport
implications should provide a travel plan
demonstrating practical measures for achieving
sustainable transport objectives.
POLICY TRAN6 PUBLIC TRANSPORT PROVISION
Development will not be permitted unless adequate
transport infrastructure to serve that development
is available or can be provided, including public
transport, facilities and integrated travel
Development proposals generating significant levels
of travel will only be permitted where:
i. Appropriate levels of public transport services exist or there is the potential for the
development to be well served by public transport
ii. The development is designed to ensure that the existing or potential public transport routes lie within easy walking distance
iii. New residential, commercial and industrial estate layouts are designed to allow movement of, or access to, the public transport
POLICY TRAN13 CONTRIBUTIONS TO COSTS
OF PROVIDING OR IMPROVING TRANSPORT
INFRASTRUCTURE
Where development would significantly adversely
impact on traffic flows and safety, development
will not be permitted unless acceptable remedial
measures are included. Any contributions will be
related in scale and kind to the development.
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These policies are underpinned and supported
by Dorset County Council’s Integrated Transport
Strategy, which aims to:
Promote choice by increasing the relative
advantage of walking, cycling and public
transport
Reduce dependency on the private car
Increase the attractiveness of urban centres.
This will be achieved by a combination of
approaches, as outlined below:
Car parking charges as a means of encouraging
the use of alternative modes and to target
particular journey purposes for restraint, such
as commuting journeys
Travel Plans for developments likely to generate
significant travel demand
A review of ‘commuted payments’ for off-site
parking as it may be more appropriate to meet
requirements for access to sites by seeking
contributions to measures to assist public
transport, walking and cycling
Safe and attractive pedestrian routes, linked
to policies which promote local activity to
encourage a change in travel choices. Measures
could include traffic calming and environmental
improvements
Safe cycle routes and cycle priority measures,
particularly in new development, together with
secure cycle parking/facilities where appropriate
‘Accessibility profiles’ for housing, employment
and other destinations served by public
transport to reflect the catchment areas served
and quality of services, identifying routes to
target improvement
Park and ride schemes to encourage the use of
public transport by rail and bus
Residents’ parking schemes, and a pricing
deterrent to long stay parking
Key Outcomes:
The compatibility between the objectives of the
planning system and those of the Poundbury
development continue to be instrumental in
achieving positive sustainable transport outcomes in
Poundbury
A cornerstone of the development process appears
to have been effective consultation and strong
commitment from key stakeholders to a partnership
approach
Poundbury demonstrates how to use Design Codes
to create a high density development as an urban
extension. It contains well-distributed local services
and well-linked open spaces, both facilitating
sustainable movement within the development
The hierarchy of road widths helps to control traffic
and parking, reducing the dominance of the car
within the development, enhancing the environment
for pedestrians and cyclists
Key Learning Points:
Research published in 200411 suggests that one of
Poundbury’s core objectives - to encourage people
to walk rather than take their car - had not been
met at that time. However, the authors contend
that “this does not mean those efforts have been
wasted. Poundbury’s attempts to create a mixeduse development at least make it more possible
for residents to reduce their amounts of car travel,
even if little of this potential is currently realised in
practice”
Some critics have suggested that visitors may find
the development’s street layout to be difficult to
navigate
The design of on-street parking appears to work
well. However, parking in rear courtyards has been
criticised for not providing sufficient security for
vehicles, and for the potential conflict between cars
and children’s play activities in the area
These and other criticisms of Poundbury can be tackled
during the construction of subsequent phases of the
development.
See: WATSON, G., BENTLEY, I., ROAF, S. and SMITH, P., 2004. Learning from Poundbury, Research for the West Dorset District Council and
the Duchy of Cornwall. Oxford Brookes University.
11
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Further information:
Poundbury Development Brief – West Dorset District Council
Poundbury Media Pack – Prince’s Foundation for the Build Environment.
Poundbury Series & Tours - Prince’s Foundation for the Build Environment.
Design and Development - Duchy of Cornwall
Poundbury Case-Study – CABE
Poundbury: Building Communities – Video
Duchy of Cornwall Case Study: Poundbury - Sustainability at Work
Poundbury phase II, Dorchester - SOUTH EAST EXCELLENCE Urban Design
Best Practice Case Study
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Appendix 1
Planner Support Pack Survey Summary
Over 200 Scottish local authority planners were contacted in February 2010
and invited to complete an online electronic survey to determine their views
on sustainable energy; 44 of those invited completed the survey. Where
appropriate those who responded were contacted for a subsequent telephone
interview to garner further information. The survey discovered that:
1
Areas where the majority of planners had experience were policies on
small-scale renewables and promoting energy efficiency and sustainable design in new developments (64%) and promotion of sustainable transport (59%).
2
Few planners were very confident about addressing energy efficiency in buildings, but between 30-45% felt their knowledge was adequate in relation to areas such as understanding emissions, energy efficient design and insulation techniques, costs and payback periods.
3 In terms of information on sustainable energy, 94.3% of those
responding used Scottish Government policies and guidance; 77.1% used local authority policies and guidance and 37% used professional body guidance and toolkits.
4 83% of planners felt that they had sufficient information on national planning policy requirements. However, only 25% felt they had enough information on the interaction between planning and building control. 42% felt sufficient best practice was available but only around one third felt there was enough information on the impacts and benefits of energy efficiency measures and micro renewables. Fewer than a quarter of the respondents felt that they had practical advice on how to manage and implement policies.
5 Apart from sustainable transport (53%) and micro renewables, those responding were either unsure of, or felt information was lacking on, topics related to sustainable energy. In particular fewer than 20% of planners felt they had sufficient information on energy in historic buildings, adapting to climate change, district heating and CHP, and strategic energy master planning.
6 Nearly two thirds of those responding worked for a local authority that had adopted sustainable energy policies in their local plan. Three quarters of these said their authority’s policies generally followed national policies and guidance with the remainder going beyond these requirements.
7 Nearly 90% of the sample wanted information on meeting statutory requirements related to the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Over 80% wanted more information on payback times and carbon savings from technologies. Information was also sought on the wider benefits of carbon saving measures.
8 One third of the respondents wanted more information on changes to permitted development rights, over half wanted more information on adaptation to climate change, whilst 40% wanted more information on sustainable travel.
Survey of stakeholders
Alongside the survey of planners
a small survey of stakeholders
was conducted to determine
wider attitudes and opinions,
and the knowledge of planners
in relation to sustainable
energy. Those responding to the
electronic survey were mainly
non-governmental bodies. Their
feedback was in line with the
survey of planners in terms of
identifying areas where more
information was required.
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Appendix 2
Technology Overview
TABLE 1: Technology Costs and Benefits
Technology
Capital cost per
dwelling (£)
Financial
Saving (£)
CO2 Saving per Year
(kgCO2 /yr)
kWh Saving per Year
(kWh)
Small Wind Turbine
2.5kW*
£1500*
£19000
£380*
2,200 kgCO2 /yr
4000 kWh
Photovoltaic Panel (PV)
2 kW*
£8000
£14000
£200*
900 kgCO2 /yr*
1700 kWh
Solar Thermal Panels**
(water heating)
£3000 –
£5000
Gas: £50
200 kgCO2 /yr
1440 kWh
Elec: £85
600 kgCO2 /yr
1100 kWh
Oil: £50
340 kgCO2 /yr
1350 kWh
Solid: £70
550 kgCO2 /yr
1850 kWh
LPG: £100
300 kgCO2 /yr
1450 kWh
Gas: £130
-150 kgCO2 /yr
10,000 kWh
Elec: £600
4200 kgCO2 /yr
7900 kWh
Oil: £110
330 kgCO2 /yr
9300 kWh
Solid: £440
4100 kgCO2 /yr
19,400 kWh
LPG: £630
22 kgCO2 /yr
10,100 kWh
Gas: £30
-885 kgCO2 /yr
8800 kWh
Elec: £500
3500 kgCO2 /yr
6550 kWh
Oil: £7
-400 kgCO2 /yr
8000 kWh
Solid: £330
3400 kgCO2 /yr
18,000 kWh
LPG: £530
-700 kgCO2 /yr
8850 kWh
Gas: -£185
3000 kgCO2 /yr
420 kWh
Elec: £290
7450 kgCO2 /yr
-1900 kWh
Oil: -£210
3500 kgCO2 /yr
-450 kWh
Solid: £120
7300 kgCO2 /yr
9600 kWh
LPG: £315
3200 kgCO2 /yr
420 kWh
Ground source Heat pump
GSHP**
Air source heat pump
ASHP**
Biomass**
£8000
£12000
£5000 £9000
£3000
£9000
* Based on the system size specified
**Savings based on a semi detached three bedroom house and based on existing housing.
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TABLE 2: Quick reference feasibility and design implication checklist
Roof mounted wind turbine
Is the average wind speed greater than 4.5 m/s?
Is the area free from obstructions that could cause turbulence?
Will the building structure support the installation of a turbine?
Design
implications
checklist
Requires a structural survey to ensure the building will be able to support the force
generated by the turbine (especially for a timber frame building)
Requires additional study on visual impact and health and safety (e.g. noise, flicker and
structural borne sound)
Additional safety measures may be required where a turbine is located on a roof garden
Stand alone wind turbine
Is the average wind speed greater than 6 m/s?
Is the area free from obstructions that could cause turbulence?
Is there sufficient open land for the turbine to be installed?
Are surrounding properties far enough away to be unaffected by
turbine noise/flicker?
Design
implications
checklist
Needs to be positioned at least 30m from dwelling houses
Requires additional study on visual impact and health and safety (e.g. noise, flicker)
Photovoltaic (or ‘PV’ providing solar electricity)
Is the roof orientated southeast/southwest (through south)?
Is there sufficient un-shaded roof area?
Will the structure carry the weight of the modules?
Design
implications
checklist
Better positioned on a pitched roof facing south. 30 degrees is an optimal tilt in Southern
England, increasing to almost 40 degrees in Northern Scotland. Alternatively, can be
placed on A-frame on a flat roof
More efficient if positioned on a pitched green roof (keeps the temperature of the
environment low)
Range of panels available: standard ‘bolt-on’ modules, sun slates, glass-glass laminates,
C21. Can integrate in various building designs
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TABLE 2: Quick reference feasibility and design implication checklist
Solar thermal (for hot water)
Is the roof orientated southeast/southwest (through south)?
Is there sufficient un-shaded roof area?
Is there year round hot water demand?
Can the boiler accept a pre-heated feed?
Is there room for hot water storage vessels?
Will the structure carry the weight of the modules?
Design
implications
checklist
Better positioned on a pitched roof facing south. 30 degrees is an optimal tilt in Southern
England, increasing to almost 40 degrees in Northern Scotland. Alternatively, can be
placed on A-frame on a flat roof
Requires hot water cylinders to be located less than 75 m from the panels
Additional bypass valve might be required
Biomass
Is there year round heat demand?
Is there a local fuel supply chain or can one be established?
Is there sufficient space for delivery vehicles and fuel storage?
Is there space for the biomass boiler and auxiliary equipment?
Will the flue meet planning authority requirements?
Design
implications
checklist
Requires a plant room, storage with sufficient space and access for fuel deliveries and
access for deliveries
Must comply with local air quality standards in urban areas
Requires a flue for exhaust gas
Ground source heat pumps
Can a low grade distribution system (e.g. under-floor heating) be used?
Is the geology suitable for the laying of the appropriate pipes?
Is there a large area of open land for horizontal piping or can vertical
piping be used (avoiding any obstacles)?
Design
implications
checklist
Requires sufficient open land for horizontal trenches or adequate geology for vertical
boreholes
Can be linked to cooling requirements
Ground survey required
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TABLE 2: Quick reference feasibility and design implication checklist
Air source heat pumps
Can a low grade distribution system (e.g. under-floor heating) be used?
Does the building layout allow for air circulation around the pump?
Is the building structure and layout such that low level pump noise
and vibration will not be an issue?
Design
implications
checklist
Visual impact of external pumps may be an issue
Pumps should be situated away from windows and adjacent buildings to minimise
disturbance from noise
Pumps need to be protected from wind, by landscaping or other measures, while
maintaining air flow
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TABLE 4: Insulation
Insulating technology
General description
CAVITY WALL INSULATION
A property built from 1920 onwards is likely to have cavity walls. Filling the cavity
reduces heat loss and can reduce condensation inside a property. For retrofit work
cavity insulation is injected through holes drilled from the outside. For new build
properties this insulation will be in the form of rigid panels .
SOLID WALL INSULATION
A property built before 1920 is likely to have solid walls with no cavity. These can
be insulated in two ways: with internal or external insulation. Internal insulation
and facing plasterboard are mounted on a supporting framework. This will impact
on skirtings, internal plasterwork and facings. External insulation ranges from
insulated renders to composite techniques including a carrier support structure,
insulation panels and a weatherproof finish. Some systems require the relocation of
rainwater goods, sills and rooflines (eaves). Planning permission will be necessary
if the property is listed or located within a conservation area.
LOFT INSULATION
Loft insulation is usually laid on the ‘floor’ of a loft space. The recommended
thickness is 270mm. It is available in rigid sheets, rolled blankets or loose fill.
Loft insulation should also be applied to any plumbing pipework and water tanks
in the loft (though not under the tanks) and to the loftside of any access hatches.
Loft insulation must not be fitted where it would otherwise block natural air
movement, and it cannot be installed in a loft area with no natural ventilation.
DOUBLE GLAZING
Double glazed windows use two sheets of glass with a gap between them which
creates an insulating barrier, whilst triple glazed windows have three sheets. They
vary in their energy efficiency, depending on how well they stop heat from passing
through the window, how much sunlight travels through the glass and how little
air can leak in or out around the window. Timber-framed options are available. The
British Fenestration Rating Council energy efficiency label can be used to compare
the energy performance of windows.
FLAT ROOF INSULATION
Flat roofs can be broadly divided into ‘ventilated cold decks’, ‘warm decks’ and
‘ventilated warm decks’. All of these require related building works, so insulation
is best applied when other roofing works are scheduled. Some insulation treatment
involves raising the roof profile, which will have implications for planners.
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TABLE 5: Renewable Energy
Technology
General description
Wind power:
stand alone turbine
Turbines convert wind energy to electrical energy and have outputs
ranging from watts to megawatts. The most common design is of
three blades turning on a horizontal axis. The turning blades drive
a generator either directly or via a gearbox to produce electricity.
The electricity can either be exported to the grid or used to
charge batteries. In most small wind power systems an inverter
is required to convert the electricity from direct current (DC) to
alternating current (AC) for feeding into the grid.
Photovoltaic (PV)
Photovoltaic systems convert energy from the sun into electricity
through cells made of semi-conducting material, such as silicon.
The semi-conductor cells are connected together and mounted in
modules. Modules are connected to an inverter to turn their direct
current (DC) output into alternating current (AC) electricity for use
in buildings. The electricity can be used by the building they are
attached to or exported to the grid.
PV systems require only daylight, not necessarily direct sunlight,
to generate electricity (although more electricity is produced with
more sunlight), so energy can still be produced in overcast or
cloudy conditions.
Ideally, PV modules should face between south-east and south-west,
at an elevation of about 30 to 40°. However, in the UK even systems
installed on flat roofs generate 90 per cent of the energy of an
optimum system. PV systems are particularly suited to buildings that
use electricity during the day - offices, retail and schools.
Solar thermal
Solar water heating systems use the energy from the sun to heat
water, most commonly in the UK for hot water needs. Systems use
a heat collector, generally mounted on the roof, in which a fluid
is heated by the sun. This fluid is used to heat up water that is
stored in either a separate hot water cylinder or a twin coil hot
water cylinder inside the building.
There are two types of collectors:
• Flat plate collectors
• Evacuated tube collectors
The flat plate collector is more common as they tend to be
cheaper but evacuated tube collectors tend to have better winter
performance. Collectors should be mounted on a south-facing roof,
although south-east or south-west will also function successfully,
at an elevation of between 30-45°. The panels can be bolted onto
the roof or integrated into the roof with lead flashings.
Appearance
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TABLE 5: Renewable Energy
Technology
General description
Biomass
Biomass can be burnt directly to provide heat in buildings. Wood
from forests, urban tree pruning, farmed coppices or farm and
factory waste, is the most common fuel and used commercially
in the form of wood chips or pellets, although traditional logs are
also used.
There are two methods of using biomass heating in housing, single
room heaters or stoves, and boilers, with biomass replacing gas
or oil.
Issues to consider:
• Fuel availability
• Delivery and storage
• Commissioning and maintenance of boilers
• Air quality issues
These issues can be addressed by considering biomass as a fuel
option early in the design process so that storage and delivery
facilities can be factored in.
Ground source
heat pump (GSHP)
Ground source heat pumps are used to extract heat from the
ground to provide space and water heating to both individual
houses and any type of non-domestic building. Heat pumps work
like a refrigerator in reverse; as the ground stays at a fairly
constant temperature throughout the year heat pumps can use the
ground as the source of heat.
A refrigerant is circulated through pipes buried in the ground and
passes through a heat exchanger in the heat pump that extracts
heat from the fluid. The heat pump then raises the temperature
of the fluid via the compression cycle to supply hot water to the
building as from a normal boiler.
The ground pipe system can be horizontal or vertical. For
horizontal systems, a coiled pipe network is buried at around
two metres depth below ground level, thus requiring a large area
of open space depending on the size of the system. For vertical
systems, the pipes are placed in holes bored straight into the
ground to a depth of 15 to 150 metres depending on ground
conditions and size of system. Vertical systems thus require very
little ground space but do require access for the drilling rig at the
construction stage, though this is unlikely to be greater than for
normal construction vehicles.
Appearance
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TABLE 5: Renewable Energy
Technology
General description
Air source
heat pump (ASHP)
Air source heat pumps work in a similar fashion to ground source
heat pumps, except that they extract heat from the surrounding
air, rather than the ground. ASHP units are generally mounted on
the exterior of the building and resemble large air conditioning
units. Although the efficiency of ASHPs is generally lower than
GSHPs, they do offer significant advantages in terms of less
disruptive installation and lower installation costs.
Potential downsides that should be considered include:
• The low level of noise emanating from the heat pump fan
• The relative bulk of the systems
• Their operating life can be lower than GSHPs due to the
components being exposed to the elements
Ground source
heat pump (GSHP)
Conventional electricity generation results in around 60 to 65
per cent of the primary energy being lost as waste heat to the
atmosphere. CHP units generate electricity locally so that heat
can be used for beneficial purposes. Where all the heat generated
can be used, CHP units will have overall efficiencies of up to 85
per cent compared to 35 to 40 per cent for conventional power
stations.
CHP systems produce roughly twice as much heat as they
generate electricity. To be viable economically they require a large
and constant demand for heat.
Micro hydro
Hydro power systems convert potential energy stored in water
held at height to kinetic energy (or the energy used in movement)
to turn a turbine to produce electricity. Useful power may be
produced from even a small stream. The likely range is from a
few hundred watts (possibly for use with batteries) for domestic
schemes, to a minimum 25kW for commercial schemes. A micro
hydro plant is one below 50kW.
Hydro power requires the source to be relatively close to where
the power will be used, or to a suitable grid connection. In a gridconnected system, any electricity generated but not used can be
sold to an electricity supply company.
In an off-grid hydro system, electricity can be supplied directly to
the devices powered or through a battery bank and inverter set
up. A back-up power system may be needed to compensate for
seasonal variations in water flow.
Issues to consider:
• Noise impacts
• Any effects for other landowners and neighbours
• SEPA and SNH should be consulted regarding water systems,
flora and fauna.
Appearance
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TABLE 6: Emerging technologies
Technology
Description
MICRO CHP
Micro CHP units could replace conventional boilers in individual homes, a number
of units are already commercially available but the technology is still relatively
new. Recent field trials by the Carbon Trust have shown that that the carbon saving
potential from micro CHP systems is much better for buildings where they can
operate for long and consistent heating periods.
FUEL CELLS USING HYDROGEN
FROM RENEWABLE SOURCES
There are currently several different fuel cell systems under development using
different chemical processes. They currently use natural gas as the fuel, which
is ‘reformed’ to produce hydrogen, the required fuel for the fuel cell. When and if
hydrogen becomes available from renewable sources, fuel cell CHP from renewable
sources may be possible in buildings.
GAS FROM ANAEROBIC
DIGESTION
Biogas can be obtained from the breakdown of various organic materials, by
natural digestion (eg land fill gas from waste sites) or enhanced digestion methods.
The gas generated can be used for burning and with some cleaning, may be used in
internal combustion engines as part of CHP systems.
SOLAR AIR COLLECTORS
Biogas can be obtained from the breakdown of various organic materials, by
natural digestion (eg land fill gas from waste sites) or enhanced digestion methods.
The gas generated can be used for burning and with some cleaning, may be used in
internal combustion engines as part of CHP systems.
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Appendix 3
Additional Resources
Government policy and advice
Climate Change (Scotland)
Act
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act sets out the
Government’s target to achieve an 80% reduction in
CO2 emissions by 2050.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/
Environment/climatechange/
scotlands-action/climatechangeact
Scotland’s Planning Policy
The SPP sets out the Scottish Government’s planning
policy on different types of development and on
environmental issues.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Publications/2010/02/03132605/0
Designing Places
Designing Places sets out the policy context for
important areas of planning policy, design guidance,
professional practice, and education and training.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/
planning/dpps-00.asp
Designing Streets
Designing Streets is the first policy statement in
Scotland for street design and marks a change in the
emphasis of guidance on street design towards placemaking and away from a system focused upon the
dominance of motor vehicles.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Publications/2010/03/22120652/0
Planning advice note 45
and annexes
Scottish Policy advice note covering renewable energy
technologies. This will be renewed by the Scottish
Government.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Publications/2002/02/pan45/pan-45
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Resource/Doc/112453/0027329.pdf
Planning Advice Note 67:
Housing Quality
Highlights the importance of insulation, optimizing
natural daylight, designing to capture solar energy
and heating systems that make good use of resources
such as CHP and district heating.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publicati
ons/2003/02/16489/18778
Planning Advice Note 68:
Design Statements
Describes how to make best use of design statements,
which must explain how a development will meet the
six qualities of what makes a successful place.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Resource/Doc/47133/0026407.pdf
SUST
Scotland’s dedicated web site to sustainable design in
architecture and the built environment.
http://www.sust.org
Support and advice on strategy and policy development
Scottish Government
Planning
Aim is to create a more efficient process to enable
sustainable economic growth for Scotland.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/
Built-Environment/planning
Scottish Renewables
Scottish Renewables is Scotland’s forum for the
renewable energy industry, supporting the development
and provision of a sustainable energy future for
Scotland.
http://www.scottishrenewables.com
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Energy Saving Trust’s
Practical help service
A free enquiry and support service for local authorities
and housing associations promoting and implementing
sustainable energy policies and measures to reduce
carbon dioxide.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
localauthorities
0844 84 888 30
[email protected]
Department of Energy and
Climate Change Planning
and renewable energy
news
A news website for the local authority planning
community, including latest news on planning
applications, decisions, policies and appeals in the
area of renewable energy, including wind, biomass,
waste to energy and solar.
http://www.planningrenewables.org.
uk
Support and advice on technical sustainable energy matters
Energy Saving Trust’s
Housing Programme
The Energy Saving Trust Housing Programme set the
standards for improving energy efficiency in housing.
Free technical guidance helps designers, specifiers,
planners and building professionals to ensure that
newbuild and refurbishment developments perform to
the highest energy efficiency standards.
0845 120 7799
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
housingprofessionals
Carbon Trust Building
Design Advice Service
Sustainable energy advice for developments. Subject
to an approved application, clients are offered a free
initial design consultancy on a building project. Further
consultancy, with partial funding, may be available.
0800 085 2005
http://www.carbontrust.co.uk
Information on potential sources of funding
Energy Saving Trust
funding pages
Up-to-date information on national and local sources
of funding for sustainable energy is available on the
Energy Saving Trust website.
http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
business/Business/LocalAuthorities/Funding/Funding-inScotland
Community Energy
Scotland
Funding for community renewable projects.
http://www.
communityenergyscotland.org.uk/
Publications on planning for sustainable energy
Renewables Action Plan
An Action Plan that sets out what needs to happen
and by when to meet the Scottish Government’s
Renewable Energy targets.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Publications/2009/07/06095830/0
Renewable heat
action plan
A plan for the promotion of the use of heat from
renewable sources.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/
Publications/2009/11/04154534/0
Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment
Best practice for Scottish Planners
101
Sustainable housing
design guide for Scotland
Provides comprehensive and user friendly guidance
on how to incorporate sustainability principles into
maintaining, rehabilitating and developing housing.
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/
Built-Environment/Housing/
investment/shdg/
Sustainable Energy by
design (TCPA)
An older guide showing how sustainable energy
can be integrated into the planning, design and
development of new and existing communities, which
features some good case studies.
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/
sustainable-energy-by-design.html
Climate Change
Adaptation by design
(TCPA)
A guide on Climate Change Adaptation by Design
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/
climate-change-adaptation-bydesign.html
Community energy: urban
planning for a low carbon
future
This guide provides a practical vision of how towns
and cities can be planned to incorporate communityscale energy
http://www.tcpa.org.uk/pages/
community-energy-urban-planningfor-a-low-carbon-future-.html
National Insulation
Association
The NIA represents the insulation industry in the UK.
08451 636363
http://www.
nationalinsulationassociation.org.uk
Ground Source Heat Pump
Association
The association aims to encourage the growth and
development of the ground source heat pump industry
in the United Kingdom.
http://www.gshp.org.uk
Scottish Renewables
forum
(Scotland specific)
Scottish Renewables is Scotland’s forum for the
renewable energy industry, supporting the development
and provision of a sustainable energy future for
Scotland.
0141 222 7920
http://www.scottishrenewables.com
Renewable Energy
Association (REA)
The REA was established in 2001 to represent British
renewable energy producers and promote the use of
sustainable energy in the UK.
0207 747 1830
http://www.r-e-a.net
Solar Trade Association
A focal point for organisations with business interests
in the solar energy industry.
01908 442290
http://www.solar-trade.org.uk
British Wind Energy
Association
Represents wind and marine renewables industries.
0207 689 1960
http://www.bwea.com/
British Hydropower
Association
Represents the interests of all those involved in the
hydropower industry.
01202 886622
http://www.british-hydro.org/
Combined Heat and Power
Association
The association promotes the wider use of combined
heat and power and community heating.
0207 828 4077
http://www.chpa.co.uk/
Trade Associations
Researched by Changeworks Resources for Life
on behalf of the Energy Saving Trust
Design work by AK Design (Scotland) Ltd.
Energy Saving Trust,
2nd Floor,
Ocean Point 1,
94 Ocean Drive,
Edinburgh
EH6 6JH
Tel 0131 555 7900
energysavingtrust.org.uk
CP413 © Energy Saving Trust April 2010. E&OE.