Contrary to popular belief, if it is integrated in the design process, and committed to by all involved with the right expertise, achieving Net Zero need not be prohibitively expensive, and we don’t have to wait until 2050 or even 2030 to achieve it!

With various Net Zero targets being scheduled between now and 2050, the industry and the wider public still have difficulty in defining what it is. In the context of the construction industry, it’s firstly important to understand whether we are talking about Net-Zero Carbon or Net-Zero Energy.

The former encompasses the embodied carbon associated with construction and the emissions associated with the building’s operational energy, and the latter focuses on the operational energy emissions only.

Both however, can be described using the same Net Zero principles. Our attempt to offer a simple explanation of how to achieve Net Zero would be:

1. Reduce demand.
2. Generate energy using renewables.
3. Offset the remaining emissions.

For example, if our team at ep architects are seeking to create a Net Zero carbon building, we would ensure it is super-insulated, airtight, employs locally sourced low-carbon materials, incorporates low-energy fittings, etc. This seems obvious but should be considered over the whole life of the building: some materials may have a higher initial carbon content but if it only needs to be replaced once in the lifespan of the building, it’s whole life carbon will be lower.

We would then review its predicted energy profile and include a hybrid renewable energy system, such as PV, battery and/or heat pump. With the decreasing cost of renewables, this is now a no-brainer for both new and retrofitted buildings of both domestic and commercial scale. The main challenge to consider is that your energy generation and your energy consumption won’t necessarily align and even with short-term battery storage, it’s likely that you will have a surplus in the summer and a deficit in the winter. Net Zero Energy would effectively still be achieved if your annual generation exceeds your annual demand.

Net Zero energy compliance is being achieved on an increasing number of projects and our directors at ep architects have demonstrated this to enable continued learning and data gathering to then influence our ongoing client projects.

If, after considering and committing to the above, there is still a remaining predicted carbon emission, it could be offset by tree planting or another measure that is carbon negative. Ideally, we would aim to achieve Net Zero without offsetting and encourage other strategies to achieve the target. One must be very careful with the integrity of offsetting schemes and the underlying financial gains for those who provide them. Planting a few trees that won’t sequester carbon for 20 years is not effectively going to offset a flight that is releasing emissions directly into the stratosphere.

So, our team here at ep architects can help you achieve Net Zero NOW and if you are committed to a high spec building we strongly believe this can be done with no, or limited additional cost, simply by adopting a more informed design process which may well result in reduced or no use of concrete and steel and as a result deliver a building with wellbeing as well as low carbon at its heart.

Please do not be afraid to ask questions and discuss, whether you agree or disagree!

ep architects   

info@eparchitects.design