Soft wood, energy-efficient window frames
This aspiration will be clearly stated in relevant planning guidance and, where appropriate, in development agreements. It is central to the successful delivery of high quality and sustainable development in Taunton.
Achieving this ambitious target may require the use of energy sources located on-site which are also capable of exporting zero carbon electricity to the National Grid. A National Grid sourced supply of electricity may be considered to augment any on-site production only:
- If it comes from an acceptable ‘green tariff’ supplier who can guarantee both REGO certification and a minimum period of supply—probably 12 years; and
- If the off-site supply can be shown to meet the needs of a particular project or projects in Taunton only and does not form part of the renewable energy target of any third party.
The infrastructure required to provide services within any development should, wherever possible, be ‘future proofed’ from the outset with careful consideration also given to the potential to expand the network to other parts of the town or to link into other communal infrastructure.
Project Taunton also requires measures to be taken to both reduce the demand for energy through appropriate design and to supply energy as efficiently as possible.
Measures will be tested against an amended version on the London Plan as issued by the GLA for the determination of planning applications in their area from 2008 onwards. This requires each development to demonstrate:
- The preparation of an initial total energy assessment based on compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations 2006 for the energy use areas covered by the Building Regulations, together with all operational energy used by the development.
- A saving in operational energy needs of 20% as compared with the above Regulations.
- The provision of efficient systems of community production of electricity, together with communal heating and cooling.
- The CO2 emissions resulting from all operational energy needed after the application of all appropriate on-site and other measures has been taken into account—including the application of on-site renewable energy sources.
Developers will be expected to provide details of how the above methodology will apply to their individual proposals as part of any submission/application.
It is anticipated that efficient systems of community energy supply could include combined heat and power, the production of communal cooling through the use of a centralised absorption chiller and/or the use of systems of equivalent carbon performance utilising inter-seasonal thermal storage of heat and cooling within the ground or groundwater.
Such systems, together with communal piped heating and/or cooling networks, and private wire electricity distribution networks should be provided wherever viable.
This may require the establishment of an ESCO or multi-utility supplier approach.
N.B. For the purposes of this note, net zero carbon is defined as the net carbon emission from energy use in a residential or commercial development in a year; including energy use from water and space heating, lighting and appliances or equipment.
