The UK Green Building Council's radical new report "Carbon Reductions in New Non-Domestic Buildings" shows that the cost of building green houses will be at least five per cent and up to 30 per cent more expensive than current costs.
The reporting process itself is pioneering. Commissioned by CLG, the report is the result of several months of work by a number of UK-GBC members - some of them competitors - who have shared data and collaborated over the project Click here <http://www.ukgbc.org/> for the full report.
Key findings in the report are:
1) It is possible to reduce carbon emissions from energy use down to zero in the majority of new non-domestic buildings, as long as onsite, near- ite and offsite renewable solutions are employed
2) There is a cost associated with building to zero carbon. Cost varies widely with both the form and the use of the building. However, preliminary modelling suggest that the premium could range from over 30% down to as low as 5 or 10% of current baseline costs.
3) A challenging yet achievable timeframe for achieving zero carbon new non-domestic buildings along the lines set for housing is needed. With a trajectory in place similar to that adopted for the Code for Sustainable Homes, then a deadline of 2020 could be adopted. |
