KET9 Energy Efficiency

Policy Intent

One of the most important measures that can be taken to tackle climate change is in how buildings are designed to ensure they are ‘zero carbon ready’ now, so they don’t have to be expensively retrofit in only a few years’ time (at an estimated cost per dwelling of between £15K/£25K).

 There is growing evidence that suggests new buildings do not perform as well as anticipated at design stage. Actual energy consumption in buildings will usually be twice as much as predicted. This passes on expensive running and retrofitting costs to future occupants.

This policy idea seeks to put in place design and evaluation policies to ensure that any new homes built in central Kettering perform correctly to prevent the need for future retrofitting. This also ensures that owners and occupiers of new homes have lower energy bills in the years to come.

As a result, it is suggested that a policy on this may be developed with the following principles:

1. All planning permissions granted for new and refurbished buildings should demonstrate that they have been tested to ensure the buildings will perform as predicted and will include a planning condition to require the provision of a Post Occupancy Evaluation Report to the Local Planning Authority within a specified period, unless exempted (see B)
2. All Buildings proposed to be certified to a Passivhaus or equivalent standard with a space heating demand of less than 15KWh/m2/year will not be subject to the provisions of Clause A.
3. All development should be ‘zero carbon ready’ by design to minimise the amount of energy needed to heat and cool buildings. This includes use of rooftop solar, high-quality insulation and other appropriate measures on both residential and commercial buildings. ( these shall be monitored for effectiveness (as per Clause A above)
4. Consideration should be given to resource efficiency at the outset and whether existing buildings can be re-used as part of the scheme to capture their embodied carbon.
5. A Sustainability Statement will be submitted to demonstrate compliance with the policy
6. All planning applications for major development would be required to be accompanied by a Whole Life-Cycle Carbon Emission Assessment to demonstrate actions taken to reduce embodied carbon resulting from the construction and use of the building over its entire life
7. Car parks – new and retrofit – to have solar panels (i.e. over parking bays, not on the ground).. Supermarkets are a prime candidate for this.

The Advisory Panel noted that consideration should be given to retrofitting all eco-measures to existing buildings. Insulation is likely to be a key concern here. Listed buildings would need especial support in terms of practicality and aesthetics.