CAA Continuing Professional Development Lecture Series for
Professionals
Season 3, Series 1, Energy & Carbon
Date created: 02 July 2023
Commonwealth Association of Architects CPD Season 3, Session 1, Energy & Carbon
1. NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS
• Number of registered participants: 300 (maximum capacity)
• Number of countries: 46, of which 32 (70%) were Commonwealth and 14 (30%) of which were nonCommonwealth.
• Number of registered participants by country:
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Commonwealth Association of Architects CPD Season 3, Session 1, Energy & Carbon
2. NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS
• Number of actual participants: 108 (36% of those registered)
• Number of countries: 34, 25 (74%) of which were Commonwealth and 9 (26%) of which were nonCommonwealth.
• Number of actual participants by country:
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3. LEARNING OUTCOMES
The event was designed to support the following learning outcomes:
1. Describe the fundamental concepts of passive design strategies that can be applied to buildings.
2. Explain how buildings can reduce energy use and achieve indoor comfort with passive design measures.
3. Understand how to optimise building systems’ integration with passive design strategies to prevent systems’ overdesign.
4. Inform decision making about on the various renewable energy supply technologies/systems that can be incorporated into buildings.
5. Identify the difference between the centralised and decentralised energy supply sources in district-wide energy systems.
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4. POST-EVENT QUESTIONNAIRE
Upon completion of the event, each participant received an invitation to complete the following questionnaire in order to demonstrate having achieved the intended learning outcomes. Participants scoring 75% and above were eligible to receive a Certificate of Participation (ie greater than or equal to 15 out of 21 potential correct answers).
1 Please confirm your name.
2 Please confirm your email address (note, it is important you use the same email address which you used to register for the event).
3 Which country are you in currently?
4 What is your profession?
• Architect
• Engineer
• Town Planner
• University teaching Faculty
• University student
• Other
5 How would you describe your level of knowledge on Energy & Carbon before joining this event?
• Basic: I had a basic level of knowledge and awareness on these topics.
• Intermediate: I had an intermediate level of knowledge on these topics and have been applying them in my day-to-day work.
• Advanced/Expert: I had an expert level of knowledge on these topics.
6 Which of the following strategies presents the best opportunity to reduce energy consumption in buildings, while also mitigating climate change in the short/medium term?
• Renewable energy integration
• Smart building systems
• Efficient building design Correct
• Sustainable neighbourhood design
7 What are the biggest challenges in implementing passive design strategies in buildings in Uganda? (Please select all that apply.)
• Awareness and knowledge gaps.
• Lack of policies
• Lack of Market trend/update
• Lack of architects
• Client negligence
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• Lack of knowledge and research on sustainable materials
• Upfront costs
8 Which of these following is not a good passive design strategy for a hot and arid climate?
• High thermal mass walls
• Solar shading
• North-South orientation
• Triple-glazed windows Correct
9 If you had a chance to design a building in Kabale, with a high upland climate that has warm, humid and wet Summers, and cold and snowy winters, what would your key passive design strategy be to achieve indoor thermal comfort?
• Solar shading
• Passive solar heating Correct
• High thermal wall mass
• Low embodied carbon materials
10 Which of the following metrics are used to evaluate a building’s operational energy performance?
• Energy Use Intensity (EUI) Correct
• Net zero energy
• Power factor
• Carbon footprint Correct
11 When designing ventilation systems, air change rates required are larger for:
• Background ventilation for air quality
• Summer ventilation for thermal comfort Correct
12 To achieve highly airtight buildings with efficient mechanical ventilation, the windows should not be openable.
• True
• False Correct
13 Thermal comfort criteria (eg from CIBSE or ASHRAE) use operative temperature, which takes account of: (Please select all that apply.)
• Air temperature Correct
• Surface temperatures Correct
• Air movement Correct
14 Storing energy is one of the main challenges of the near future. What makes it a key factor in the context of renewable energy production? (Please select all that apply.)
• It maximises the utilisation of intermittent, renewable energy sources. Correct
• It reduces dependence on fossil fuels. Correct
• It ensures a stable and reliable energy supply. Correct
• It mitigates the variability of renewable energy generation. Correct
• It enables energy sharing and grid resilience. Correct
15 Describe the difference between a classic district network and a cold district network.
• In a classic district network, hot water is distributed for heating purposes, and chilled water is distributed for cooling purposes. In a cold district network cold water is distributed and utilised by decentralised heat pumps.
• In a classic district network, natural gas is distributed for heating purposes, while in a cold district network, electricity is distributed for cooling purposes.
• In a classic district network, hot air is distributed for heating purposes, while in a cold district network, cold air is distributed for cooling purposes.
16 What are the key arguments for basing the heating and cooling supply on a cold district network?
• Flexibility and Simplicity: The same distribution network can be used for both heating and cooling, reducing infrastructure complexity and allowing for seamless transition between seasons.
Correct
Correct
• Reduced Heat Losses: By distributing cold water instead of hot and chilled water, the heat losses in the distribution network are significantly reduced. Correct
• Increased Renewable Energy Integration: Cold district networks can easily integrate renewable energy sources, such as geothermal or waste heat, to provide sustainable heating and cooling solutions.
• Cost Savings: The combination of energy-efficient heat pumps and optimised distribution networks can result in cost savings for building owners and end-users.
17 Thank you for your responses. Before you finish and submit the questionnaire, are there any other topics you would like to see presented in future CAA events?
Not scored
Notes on scoring: 1 point was awarded for each element of each answer that was answered correctly. No marks were deducted for incorrect answers. The maximum number of marks available was therefore 21 and the threshold for a pass was 15 (ie 21 * 75% rounded down).
5. NUMBER OF QUESTIONNAIRES RETURNED AND SCORING
• Number of questionnaires returned: 46, ie 43% of those attending
• Number of questionnaires returned by country:
• Number of respondents scoring over 75%: 21, ie 19% of those attending and 46% of those responding.
• Number of respondents scoring over 50%: 42, ie 39% of those attending and 91% of those responding.
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6. FEEDBACK
Following completion of the event a Feedback questionnaire was issued which attracted 12 responses:
Q1: Overall, how satisfied are you with the event? 92 % of respondents were satisfied with the event.
Q2: Was the event well organised? 46% of respondents thought the event had been very well organised and 54% of respondents considered the event had been somewhat well organised.
Q3: Was the material of interest? 92% of respondents found the material of interest. 8% of respondents found the material somewhat of interest.
Q4: How did you find the length of the event? 62% of respondents considered that the event was too short while 38% of respondents considered it was the perfect length.
Q5: How likely are you to recommend these events to a colleague? 77% of respondents are likely to recommend these events o a colleague.
Q6: What did you like most about the event?
a. Relationship between architectural design and climate change mitigation
b. learning more about sustainability in building considering; Daylight, air quality, energy & Carbon, forms, space allocation, window to wall ratios, space allocation
c. Learning more about sustainability in building, forms, space allocation, window to wall ratio, daylight design, natural ventilation
d. The topics discussed.
e. Interesting subject matter
f. The case studies presented by Goodman.
g. The breadth of information from experts in the field and the examples from different co untries.
h. The solar discussions were very productive.
i. The synergy across board in terms of spatial innovations.
j. The length though not perfect was OK. It highlighted a few important aspects of the theme topic Climate & Energy (in their response to the previous question, this person stated that the length had been perfect)
k. Refreshing on renewable energy
l. I liked the content because of its relevance.
Q7: What did you like least about the event?
a. Brief coverage of the topics raised due to time limitations.
b. I quite honestly like all the events presented. The only problem was the short time of presentation.
c. Quite honestly, I liked all that was presented it was all inspiring.
d. It was too rushed.
e. Please see comments below
f. The presentations alternate energy systems
g. Things became quite disorganised during the group segment. My group never even had a chance to discuss the topic because the entire time was spent with the mediator trying to fix his connection.
h. It Felt rushed. Needs more time.
i. The organization/scheduling
j. Though I cannot say that I disliked the event, or the content was somewhat irrelevant, I expected the content to be different. But the aspects addressed were relevant. I could not find the questionnaire as a
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separate link, and I usually do not follow links from within my e-mail account. As I perfectly understood the speakers, I personally felt that the questionnaire is unnecessary to indicate participation specially as the recording link is available for any participant to listen even to clarify the co ntent for which I must thank the organizers. Therefore, I felt the feedback statement I sent as an e-mail reply statement would be sufficient in lieu of the questionnaire to receive a certificate of participation.
k. Maximising use of energy
l. Keeping us aware about passive design
m. There was practically no time for the breakout room sessions.
Q8: Do you have any suggestions for us to improve future events?
a. Yes! Improve the frequency of online lectures.
b. As for time being I think the event was okay. Maybe to increase time to 2hrs
c. Next more time for presenters
d. Better time management
e. There was too much information to cover adequately in one hour. Suggest less presenters so that they are not cut off mid-sentence. As a result, some of the quiz items were not covered. The breakout room period is too short, and format wasn't explained beforehand.
f. More case studies and a mix of design projects. Large and small, commercial, business, residential examples
g. Try to get feedback from each group and ask if a discussion was possible and not just assume that it happened because technical difficulties do occur.
h. Maybe make it 1 ½ hours
i. Many thanks to CAA for organizing the event and invitations and opportunity to participate., and for informing in advance for participants to keep the day & time free. As the participants may range from non-professionals, students............ and professionals etc, the questionnaire would be more appropriate to testing of student participants. A feedback form or an individual feedback statement may be sufficient for professionals to receive the CPD participation certification. Although I could not access the questionnaire separately, I have already sent a summary statement on some salient aspects of the event, as a reply e-mail which would certainly indicate that I participated and hope that would suffice to indicate my participation even if I didn't fill this feedback form. I have enjoyed participating in your events and my participation is also because of my interest in the topics and for updates on facts and join a group of professionals with similar interests etc.
j. Affordable housing
k. Not really
l. Review the way the time is allotted.
Q9: Will you join us again when we have another event? 92% of respondents (ie all but one) said they would join us again for another event.
Q10: Will you recommend future events to colleagues? 92% of respondents (ie all but one) said they would join us again for another event.
Q11: Would you like to offer any additional comments or suggestions?
a. The whole topic is very relevant in today's contemporary architectural design and the climatic challenges that the world is facing. Therefore, more time needs to be allocated to it to give it the necessary attention the topic deserves.
b. Not at the moment
c. While I understand that there were some last-minute issues with this event, it seemed very ad-hoc. The format (presentations, breakout rooms), and how we are expected to interact in the breakout rooms (talk or chat, raise hand?) should be explained. I'm looking forward to the next event which I'm sure will be much improved.
d. Thanks
e. I liked the breakout sessions. Give them a bit more time. The overall decarbonizing issue is an important one so let’s continue on these topics.
f. Joint CPD events with CAP and other relevant organisations on current pertinent topics of concern and info on same would be appreciated by many. Thank you.
g. Very good material presented.
h. Keep on doing more of these seminars
The following question formed part of the questionnaire associated with learning outcomes:
Q12: Are there any other topics you would like to see covered at CAA Events?
a. Carbon footprint? Safe disposal of Solar and IT related equipment
b. Insight into design for earthquake resistance would be an interesting topic, especially in light of the recent disasters in Turkey.
c. As for topics closer to commonwealth regions, we face challenges in quality control and building code enforcement specifically in Kenya, resulting in the collapse of many buildings sometimes resulting in tragic loss of life. How can we as professionals in the industry ensure better and active enforcement of regulations within the built industry?
d. This lecture programme has over recent years presented a broad and interesting scope of topics from various countries, which is what has made it so interesting. Obviously, there are topics which are only relevant to specific regions, but the current topic of 'green building design and building occupant 'Well' programmes are topical globally, and I would encourage CAA to to continue with these very informative initiatives.
e. Sustainable Building Materials and their life-cycle costs and how these can be incorporated in building regulations worldwide.
f. Rainwater harvesting and distribution.
g. I am worried about space pollution, that is with space junk such as dead satellites, as we see more and more launched into space, question: how this affects the habitat on our planet.
h. Affordable housing in rural areas
i. Rainwater harvesting in buildings.
j. aftereffects of climate change on buildings in warm areas as well as in cold regions
k. Yes, detailed site analysis that takes on board detailed sun path diagram analysis, geographical location of the site, with the various sun angles that have a direct bearing on thermal comfort as well as the building form.
l. Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Architecture and Urban Planning
m. Passive design
n. Passive design strategies for tropical climates.
o. Relationship between climate responsive design and built heritage.
p. Making historic buildings sustainable
q. Proper use of building materials with low Carbon footprint.
r. I like the focus on sustainable design. Keep sharing successful low-cost everyday ways architects can introduce green energy efficient design to the masses.
s. Precedents and Case Studies on how to advocate with our planning agencies and service providers to push the sustainable movement forward; often time one cannot implement their sustainable interventions due to poor cooperation on the planning and service providers’ end.
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t. Sustainable architecture for marginalized gender commune
u. A more in-depth cost benefit analysis of passive design which may sway developers from/to actively incorporating passive design in their projects especially in developing countries in Africa.
Additional feedback received from the Chair of the event, Camille Douglas-Stephenson:
a. Time seems to be an issue as the 1 hour will go by very quickly, especially if we are running a bit behind to begin with.
b. Perhaps in the future we could limit to only two presenters max. to help save on time.
c. Our issue with the start time occurred when one of the presenters was not there prior to schedule at 1pm. Due to the restrictions which Asim must put in place we waited so that the speaker would be present to hear the beginning and also have a chance to have the co-host entitlements applied. Perhaps in the future we could insist that presenters and the admin (our persons) open the room and sign in at least 30 mins. before start time. Technology never works when we need it to.
d. I believe a critical component to the success of these sessions is the breakout rooms. The number of rooms was great today so there could be good conversation and discussion but as professionals speaking to such relevant topics, we may need to schedule things so we can have at least 15-20 mins. clear for the breakout rooms.
e. Initially, for control and management we did not allow any of the attendees to have the ability to speak. They are automatically muted however, as the requirement is that the attendees participate in lively discussions in the breakout rooms and come back to share, we could remove that restriction upon reentering the main room so the team leader would be able to easily speak to the room on their findings.
f. We may also need to request that the presenters submit their presentations to us a few days in advance so we can have it on hand if there is a sudden issue and also so we could determine what the best course of action should be if we have an issue with someone going way over time again.
g. Overall, I have been getting good feedback from people. I think the general consensus, if they have any negatives, is they wished they had been able to hear the rest of the presentations for the presenters we were forced to cut-short.
h. Also, I believe we do need to send the questionnaire along with the slide presentations and recording to the attendees. This way they would be covered in being able to answer the questions.
Additional feedback received from Maira Khan:
a. I think we need to reserve some key spots for attendees who for some reason cannot register in time. Like J Peterson requested at the last minute.
b. Together with this if we can ask the presenters to follow Pecha Kucha style of presentation that would be great.
c. Thirdly if we can use the chat box for the conversation and feedback of attendees, we can reduce the risk of disturbance by the Mike.
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7. SUPPORTING STATEMENT
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has provided the following supporting statement in connection with the CAA’s CPD current programme:
“
‘
The RIBA welcomes this CAA CPD programme that supports architects’ engagement with the UNSDGs and their role in delivering sustainable outcomes. The structure of this programme corresponds with our mandatory competence in climate literacy which we believe is necessary for all architects working across the globe.’
The CAA is also currently in discussion with a number of other Member Organisations and Regulators to seek their endorsement of its CPD activities so that these can be regarded as fulfilling the requirements of their national CPD programme.
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Commonwealth Association of Architects
CPD Season 3, Session 1, Energy & Carbon
Post Event Feedback and Results Page 15 of 20
Peter Oborn CAA President
