activities. The consideration of energy efficiency should not be confined to professional practitioners in the construction, land and property sectors, rather it should be more inclusive, engaging technical and non-technical personnel. The starting point in fostering understanding is the existing knowledge base of users and the development of the tool should explore opportunities to provide appropriate guidance to experts and novices alike. It should function as a platform to share important learning.
5.2.3 Requirement No. 3: Project Stages The INDICATE tool will cover the planning, design and operation stages of the development process. Justification: The achievement of improved energy efficiency necessitates its suitable consideration at the initial planning stage, the subsequent design (and ultimately construction) phase and the resulting occupation of any building or neighbourhood by communities. Rather than consider these aspects in isolation, the tool must ensure consistency of approach across these stages to ensure what is positively planned for is subsequently delivered.
5.2.4 Requirement No. 4: Project Development Types The INDICATE tool should cover all development types including new build, extension and renovation in an urban environment. Justification: The composition of cities is mixed in nature and constantly evolving. It is vital that any tool considers interactions between different development types. In addition to new build activity, adaption is fundamental to improving the energy efficiency of urban areas, through means of appropriate extension and renovation.
5.2.5 Requirement No. 5: Development Use The INDICATE tool should cover all development uses in an urban environment. Justification: Dynamic interactions in any urban environment are shaped by relationships between different development uses, be it residential, retail, commercial, community, industrial etc. It is therefore important that the INDICATE tool is developed to achieve blanket coverage of all these uses to allow for the examination of independent, as well as in-combination use effects.
5.2.6 Requirement No. 6: Development Scale The INDICATE tool should cover all development scales in an urban environment, from building level to wider community/neighbour/district scales, depending on the context of the individual project. Justification: Energy efficiency performance can vary across different spatial scales and it is important that the devised tool both considers and responds to the differing scale issues that exist from building level to wider community/neighbourhood level developments. Having regard for researched methodologies, this will enable a comprehensive approach to the realisation of optimal energy performance across urban environments.
5.2.7 Requirement No. 7: Assessment Criteria The INDIATE tool should consider all necessary variables that influence energy use and performance in the urban area.
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