5 years on and the futures bright for BRE National Solar Centre

In 2013, Greg Barker, the then Minister State for Energy and Climate Change officially opened the BRE National Solar Centre, the UK solar industry was flourishing with approximately 8,800 new PV systems being installed every month adding over 1.1GW of capacity within the year. A lot has changed for solar over the last 5 years.  … Continue reading “5 years on and the futures bright for BRE National Solar Centre”

Hotel Operators set energy saving challenge for Hertfordshire SMEs

Hertfordshire’s top hotels are challenging local SMEs to come up with innovative solutions to help them reduce their energy consumption. The Hotel Low Carbon Challenge, launched this week by the Hertfordshire Low Carbon Innovation Network, is being run by building science centre BRE in partnership with the Green Triangle and Synoptic Technologies and is part-funded … Continue reading “Hotel Operators set energy saving challenge for Hertfordshire SMEs”

BRE supporting strategic heating plans for local & national authorities

BRE co-funds Stratego project which introduces integrated approach across Europe while providing local and national authorities with actionable heating strategies and plans BRE’s strategic energy team, together with the Scottish Government, the Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Euroheat & Power and twelve other European partners, have been scrutinising a new integrated approach to the … Continue reading “BRE supporting strategic heating plans for local & national authorities”

Route map for low carbon concrete

Approximately 5% of the global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions caused by humans currently arise from cement production. As a consequence, there is commercial interest in developing low-carbon cements and related binders suitable for use ‘at scale’ in concrete production. One variety of these is known as ‘alkali-activated binders’ or ‘AA binders’. Alkali-activated binders and concretes … Continue reading “Route map for low carbon concrete”

BRE introduces new test programme and guidance for low carbon cements

BRE is now offering testing services related to new performance standard PAS 8820, which has been developed for manufacturers, specifiers and designers of concrete containing alkali-activated cementitious material (ACCM*). Designed to encourage the use of AACMs in the construction industry because of their low carbon and improved fire resistance properties and resistance to chemicals and … Continue reading “BRE introduces new test programme and guidance for low carbon cements”

Government Construction Strategy

A welcome sustainability focus, but short on value-delivering measures?   I’m not sure, how many people have taken time over coffee to look at the Government’s Construction Strategy for 2016-20, published this week ? For me it was unsurprising in pledging £1.7bn of efficiency savings on its projects by 2020 balanced by a plan to … Continue reading “Government Construction Strategy”