What Is A Low Energy Building?

By Charlie Murgatroyd – Director – Nuplanet Sustainable Solutions

Charlie formed Nuplanet, a Sustainability & Low Energy Building Consultancy in 2010. The practice has worked with a wide range of clients on a variety of projects from bespoke houses to large regeneration schemes across the UK.

What is a low energy building, and why should we build more in this way?

A low energy building is designed to go beyond minimum Building Regulation standards with the aim to reduce running costs and CO² emissions. High efficiency standards such as PassivHaus and the AECB Building Standard push the way we construct new buildings with low energy demand targets, with EnerPhit designed to deliver energy efficiency through retrofitting existing buildings.

It makes sense to change the way we build with the average house creating between 3 and 5 tonnes of CO² each year through heating alone, and heating fuel costs increasing sharply over the last 10 years putting a number of home owners into fuel poverty.

Will build costs increase when building a Low Energy Building?

The AECB Building Standard is a low risk option which will deliver 70% reduction in emissions. It is aimed at those who want to build a high-performance building using widely available building systems and technologies at little or no extra cost.

The key to holding onto the project budget is to keep things as simple as possible, and early appointment of an experienced professional team.

What are the benefits of a low energy building?

A well design low energy building offers much more than just low running costs and CO² reduction, as a high-performance building it will also offer improved comfort levels, and a healthier environment through improved air quality and enhanced natural daylight.

What is considered when designing a Low Energy building?

Getting the building layout right is one of the most important factors to ensure that the building takes advantage of natural resources such as heat and light from the sun.

Other considerations are enhanced building fabric design with low heat loss through the floors, walls, roof, glazing and external doors. The building should be designed as air tight as possible so there is minimal loss of the conditioned air. Good ventilation design is also a very important factor.