Destination Smart: Why setting a zero carbon non-domestic building target is key to getting there

‘Smart’, it’s one of those often spoken, but rarely understood catch-phrases which is generally used to refer to a new technology based application being better than the current option in use.

In recent years, it’s a phrase which has been increasingly used to paint a portrait of the sort of energy system UK PLC will require in order to remain economically competitive, energy secure, and environmentally sustainable within a world of finite resources. However, what does this really mean for the built environment? What can we do now to ready it for smart energy system participation? And what does a zero carbon definition for non-domestic buildings which has been proposed by a recent UK Green Building Council (UK GBC) Task Group have to do with it?

In recent years, courtesy of a mix of incentives, such as the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) and other support schemes, the UK has experienced a huge surge in the installation of distributed energy technologies, like roof mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. In addition to this the Zero Carbon Homes policy has further pump primed the market for distributed energy technologies in the new build home sector. The result has been increasing numbers of buildings self-generating their own energy.

The importance of this growth in mini power plants should not be underestimated, especially in light of expectations around the possible intermittency of the UK’s future energy system. This intermittency will essentially be brought about by increased amounts of wind and solar power assets which do not always generate electricity if the sun is not shining or wind is not blowing. In order for the UK to maintain a stable balance between supply and demand there will be a need for the demand side to play its part. This is why we need to act now to future proof our new non-domestic building stock, alongside new homes, to be ready to contribute when any, temporary electricity system imbalances arise in the future.

The UK’s non-domestic building stock is diverse and encompasses warehouses, hospitals and offices, bringing with it huge opportunities to unlock participation in the energy system. In practice, by creating the right drivers to deploy community scale distributed energy solutions such as Combined Heat and Power (CHP) with district heating means that we have chance to embed a future proofed energy infrastructure today. This infrastructure may initially serve the needs of a new development but over time can be grown to deliver low carbon energy to surrounding buildings. Furthermore, by installing solutions such as building energy management systems (BEMS) and energy storage solutions in new non-domestic buildings from day one, there is an opportunity to ‘smarten’ their relationship with the energy systems which supports them. Put simply, thinking strategically about building integrated energy systems at design stage, and with an eye on the future, is key to unlocking future ‘active’ demand side participation from the built environment.

However, what is unique about the non-domestic buildings in contrast to homes is, in more instances than not, our non-domestic stock tends to be clustered in urban centres. As a result the density of buildings at play within these areas can often better lend itself to an infrastructure-led approach (e.g. district energy) being more cost effective in the long-run. By setting an ambitious Zero Carbon non-domestic standard for non-domestic buildings from 2019 in a similar format as has been set for homes in 2016, as recommended by the UK GBC’s latest Task Group report on this topic, means we will be increasing the size of the opportunity to establish and grow tomorrow’s smart energy infrastructure today. We will be sending the right signals to planners, developers and energy infrastructure investors alike to consider energy solutions from a community wide perspective at the start of the development design process.

Acting on the Task Group’s recommendations and thereby setting a Zero Carbon target for non-domestic buildings, the Government can take advantage of a once in a generation opportunity to future proof our new non-domestic building stock. In basic terms this will build-in energy efficiency, energy management systems and on-site energy generation technologies thereby securing them as potential smart energy assets of tomorrow. Put simply, they will be prepared for destination smart.