Book Description

Description

This BRE Trust report considers the relative impact on UK CO₂ savings targets of constructing new zero-carbon buildings compared to improving the energy efficiency of the existing stock. Carbon dioxide emissions from buildings accounted for around 40% of total UK CO₂ emissions in 2006. To achieve the government’s challenging target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, improving the energy efficiency of buildings - both new and existing - will clearly be vital. This report uses existing data to explore the extent to which improving the energy efficiency of the existing building stock would be a more cost-effective route for achieving CO₂ savings than constructing new buildings to the higher levels of energy performance required to meet low- and zero-carbon targets.

Contents

Executive summary

1 Background
Zero-carbon non-domestic buildings

2 Introduction

3 Assessing cost effectiveness
Net annual cost
Net present value

4 Domestic buildings
Age profile of the domestic building stock
Existing domestic buildings
New domestic buildings
Conclusions and recommendations: domestic buildings

5 Non-domestic buildings
Non-domestic building energy and emissions model
Age profile of the non-domestic building stock
Existing non-domestic buildings
New non-domestic buildings
Conclusions and recommendations: non-domestic buildings

6 References

A4, 32 pages.