October 2021
All things green Working together for a better future
Welcome to All things green. Each month, Environment and Sustainability Manager, Corrina Jones shares a round-up of stories and guidance on energy efficiency and sustainable practices.
In this month's issue: Climate change RICS focus on sustainability EPCs Retrofitting Property market Government strategy New Build New Technology and skills Renewable energy
Climate change Despite a dip in greenhouse gas emissions from the COVID-19 economic slowdown, the world is still heading for a catastrophic temperature rise above 3°C this century – far beyond the goals of the Paris Agreement. The UN Emissions Gap Report has been published, the report shows that new national climate pledges and various mitigation measures have set the world for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century. The UNEP Emissions Gap Report has provided a yearly review of the difference between where greenhouse emissions are predicted to be in 2030 and where they should be to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The Environment Agency estimates that 5.2 million properties in the UK are at risk of flooding, with the potential for that number to double in the next 50 years. Analysis from The Met Office on weather patterns for the past 60 years also shows that periods of heavy rainfall are on the up: the number of “extremely wet days” was up 17% in the period 2008-2017, compared to 1961 to 1990. Further reading: Millions of properties ‘practically unsellable’ because of flood risk | News | Property Week The Environment Agency warns that adaptation – becoming resilient to the effects of climate change – is just as vital as mitigation. In a report to Government, the agency has warned of more extreme weather leading to increased flooding and drought and sea level rises of up to 78cm by the 2080s. It has urged governments, businesses and society to embrace and invest in adaptation, rather than living with the costs of inaction. Further reading: Adapt or die, says Environment Agency GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
RICS focus on sustainability The RICS Rules of Conduct are changing to help the global profession respond to new risks and opportunities. The existing Rules of Conduct have been updated following extensive research and consultation and will come into effect in February 2022. The new simpler structure includes five key changes, one of which relates to sustainability. Sustainability will now be embedded within the Rules of Conduct giving clients assurance that members will help them make decisions that recognise the challenges of climate change moving forward. Further reading: RICS sets new standards of conduct
EPCs Better EPCs mean better sale prices, according to Rightmove.
Those who had upgraded their rating from an F to a C are adding an average of 16 per cent to the price achieved for their home.
Sellers who have upgraded their Energy Performance Certificate rating to a C - from a D, E or F - get up to 16 per cent more on their sale price.
Further reading: Better EPCs mean bigger sale prices, according to Rig... (estateagenttoday.co.uk)
The study analysed over 200,000 homes listed on Rightmove that had sold twice, with an improved EPC rating the second time; the aim of the survey is to understand the impact of energy efficiency improvements on the final sold price of a home.
Nat West has launched a Green Homes Attitude Tracker which reviews buyer attitudes to ascertain how much importance buyers are attributing to energy performance. Further reading: Greener Homes Attitude Tracker | Energy Efficient Homes | NatWest At present 30% of consumers who are looking to purchase a home in the next 10 years considered overall energy efficiency of a property, ‘a very important factor’ with 15% of buyers saying that an EPC rating of A to C is an essential consideration.
Property market A new study reveals that almost three quarters (74%) of UK consumers look at their homes differently now than they did 18 months ago, with technology and sustainability two of the areas that matter most to them.
Retrofitting This would certainly turbo boost the retrofit sector - Labour Party leader, Keir Starmer has revealed plans to improve energy efficiency of 19 million UK properties by pledging £6bn a year to upgrade homes. Since you're dealing with properties, remember to leave plenty of room in your layout for pictures. You want clients to see a property and wish they'd learn more about it. You can emphasize an image by leaving enough space between the picture and the text or try using a border to frame and draw attention to it. Starmer said that if Labour were to win the next election, it would work to retrofit the UK’s inefficient housing stock in order to prepare the country for net zero. Further reading: Starmer promises £6bn annually to upgrade homes - Mortgage Introducer Could PACE financing be the answer to the energy efficiency improvement 'payback' conundrum? Energy efficiency measures and green home retrofit technologies are crucial to the transition to net-zero ready homes, as are the financial products and services which will facilitate their roll-out. PACE programs allow a property owner to finance the upfront cost of energy or other eligible improvements on a property and then pay the costs back over time. The unique characteristic of PACE assessments is that the assessment is attached to the property rather than an individual. Watch this space…..
The research, commissioned by Samsung Electronics UK, explores the changing attitudes of Brits – from homeowners, renters and students – towards their homes and what they most want from their living spaces. Further reading: Homeowners and renters covet smarter, sustainable homes – Show House Is a stamp duty incentive the way to encourage homeowners to take energy efficiency seriously? David Adams, EEIG spokesperson, says that government intervention is necessary to encourage more homeowners to take steps to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. In the absence of any other viable approach to stimulate and support owner occupiers to act at scale, the EEIG is advocating for the government to deliver a green stamp duty incentive. Further reading: https://www.estateagenttoday.co.uk/breakingnews/2021/10/very-few-buyers-bothered-about-energyefficiency-new-studyl-shows Green energy ratings boost property prices. It may not be so much location, location, location anymore but more of a focus on green, green, green. At present few people choose a house purely or largely on its ecomerits; design, space, neighbourhood and similar aspects are what still motivates the average buyer. But as the cost of space and water heating becomes increasingly expensive, energy efficiency is likely to move significantly up the “selling points” ladder. Further reading: Green energy ratings boost property prices - David Alexander | The Scotsman
Clean energy target brought forward by 15 years Plans to ensure that Britain’s homes and businesses are powered by affordable, clean and secure electricity by 2035 have been unveiled by the government. The Government has committed to decarbonise the UK’s electricity system by 2035, 15 years earlier than originally stated in the Energy White Paper.
Government Regulation and Strategies No new gas boilers post 2035 - The Government has published its policy paper - Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener. This strategy sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet our net zero target by 2050. In terms of decarbonising our housing stock, the policy focuses on phasing out fossil fuel heating systems in favour of low carbon options and delivering cheaper and cleaner electricity to power our homes. Further reading: Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) The Heat and Building Strategy was also published alongside the Net Zero Strategy which goes into further detail around how the Government intends to help homeowners decarbonise their homes Further reading: Heat and buildings strategy (publishing.service.gov.uk)
Momentum is definitely growing in terms of the Green Agenda - All companies bidding for government contracts worth more than £5million a year must commit to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. The UK is the first country in the world to put such a measure in place. Further reading: Companies bidding for major government contracts face green rules - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
To ensure this goal is achieved, the government will double up on efforts to deploy a new generation of home-grown technologies – from offshore wind, hydrogen and solar, to nuclear, onshore wind and Carbon Capture and Storage. The aim is to secure a future clean electricity supply, that’s generated in the UK, for the UK Further reading: Plans unveiled to decarbonise UK power system by 2035 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Scottish Government has published its Heat in Buildings Strategy It states that it is essential that homes and buildings achieve a good standard of energy efficiency and by 2033 if they are to meet their ambition of achieving net zero by 2045. They want to see all homes meeting at least an EPC band C standard where feasible and cost effective. A new Green Heat Finance Task Force will be established to try and find new ways to help individuals and organisations spread the upfront cost of investing in making their properties warmer, greener and more energy efficient. Download the document here Further reading: Heat in Buildings Strategy achieving net zero emissions in Scotland's buildings gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
Renewable energy Boris Johnson has said all the UK's electricity is going to come from clean energy sources by 2035.
New Build The Z House is a unique, zero carbon concept home that showcases the future of the sustainable living in the UK. The Z House, built on University of Salford’s main campus, is the first home in the country to be built by a major housebuilder that goes substantially beyond the Future Homes Standard. Further reading: Z House, Manchester – Barratt Developments Plc And house of the week goes to Britain’s first off the shelf eco-house that is built in a factory, can be assembled in days, is energy positive and can earn you £250 a year back from the grid. Further reading: House of the week: Britain’s first off-the-shelf eco-house that can actually earn you money | Bricks & Mortar | The Times
New Technology and skills development The Government has announced the launch of a new heat pump grant worth £5,000. The scheme should partially cover the cost and installation of 90,000 heat pumps. The move will hopefully kickstart the mass transition away the traditional combi-boiler and start to drive down the price of the technology via economies of scale. Further reading: Plan to drive down the cost of clean heat - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The shift towards renewable energy is part of government efforts to cut carbon emissions by 78% by 2035. In declaring an end to fossil fuel electricity the prime minister is following advice of his Climate Change Committee, which says it's an essential staging post to reducing emissions to almost nil across the economy by 2050. Further reading: All UK's electricity will come from clean sources by 2035, says PM - BBC News Are biomass fuels actually good for the environment? Biomass is promoted as a carbon neutral fuel. But is burning wood a step in the wrong direction. Further reading: Biomass is promoted as a carbon neutral fuel. But is burning wood a step in the wrong direction? (msn.com)
Is Fusion Power the answer to the issue of the intermittency of renewable energy sources? Fusion power is a proposed form of power generation that would generate electricity by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions. If successful, the world could benefit from virtually limitless carbon-free electricity fuelled by the same energy source as the Sun: nuclear fusion. Further reading: UK set to be first country to legislate for safe and efficient rollout of fusion energy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) STEP will pave the way to the commercialisation of fusion and the potential development of a fleet of future plants around the world. The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) is targeting first operations in the early 2040s. Further reading: Five sites shortlisted for UK fusion energy plant - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
What is Hydrogen and how can it be used for clean energy? Hydrogen is created by passing an electrical current through water to separate hydrogen and oxygen, leaving clean water as the only by-product. A fuel cell allows the process to be reversed so hydrogen can then produce electricity. Only green hydrogen made with renewables is considered completely sustainable. A vehicle powered by a hydrogen fuel cell could have a range of up to 500 miles, recharge in 15 minutes and instead of carbon monoxide produce only steam as a by-product. Further reading: Anglesey Hydrogen Can Bridge UK’s Energy Gap Says Economics Expert - Business News Wales
Wales move forward with Tidal Power venture Further reading: £1.7 Billion Blue Eden Project Announced for Swansea - Business News Wales The ground-breaking project proposed for Swansea's waterfront will include a newly designed tidal lagoon, featuring state-of-the-art underwater turbines generating 320 megawatts of renewable energy from the 9.5km structure. Renewable energy produced on site will power the entire Blue Eden development including businesses and a mixed development of affordable housing, assisted living areas and luxury apartments. Due to the innovation on-site, each home will have up to 20 years’ renewable energy and heat provision included with the sale of the properties.
Questions and suggestions If you have any comments or ideas, please email Corrina Jones at corrina.jones@esurv.co.uk