Comment

Later Living: Meeting the climate change challenge

The UK has a rapidly ageing population and the proportion of those aged 85 and over is projected to double over the next 25 years[1]. Against a backdrop of increasing national and local policy focus on mitigating and adapting to climate change impacts, there are a number of opportunities and constraints for later living developments in creating homes for older people that are fit for the future. Sustainability Senior Consultant, Debbie Harvey provides the detail on recent changes to national and local policy and guidance that will influence the energy and carbon strategies of later living schemes.

Older populations can be more vulnerable to temperature variations due to underlying health complications. As older people spend much of their time indoors, their exposure to too high or too low temperatures are largely governed by the indoor environment and a suitable building services strategy. For later living schemes it is therefore important that building design ensures effective heat management and responds to the diverging needs of staff and residents to maintain the health of the most vulnerable residents.

The distinct design requirements of later living schemes mean that developers and operators are required to achieve high standards of energy efficiency leading to net zero whilst maintaining a comfortable environment for residents.

The challenges are most pertinent for schemes in London. The London Plan was adopted in March 2021 and requires the completion of an Energy Assessment for new major developments, which sets out the ways in which the development will achieve policy requirements. Following the release of Building Regulation Part L 2021 in June 2022 the GLA updated the Energy Assessment Guidance^[2] which requires a 35% reduction in carbon emissions beyond the new building regulations . This is a substantial improvement and signals a clear transition away from fossil fuel use.   

National policy

Zero carbon ready

The Government’s aim is to deliver zero carbon ready homes and buildings by 2025. The first step towards this is updated Building Regulations that came into force in June 2022, where all new non-domestic buildings, including later living facilities, are required to produce 27% less CO2 emissions than the previous Building Regulations (Part L, 2013). This is an interim step on the road map to zero carbon by 2025. Furthermore, schemes such as the UKGBC Net Zero Framework provide a pathway for delivering fully net zero developments.

The new Part L 2021 supports the use of all-electric heating systems such as heat pumps. Systems using gas (or combined heating and power systems) are not future-proofed to benefit from ongoing grid decarbonisation and a zero carbon future. Furthermore, gas is expected to be fully phased out by the full Future Buildings Standard in 2025. There may be some perceived operational constraints with the use of all-electric systems for space heating and hot water in care homes, this is primarily due to the high level of heating demand required for later living schemes and the need for responsive heating. However, if properly designed and managed it can provide a more efficient, lower carbon method for providing heat. Highly energy efficient new schemes powered by all-electric sources can result in lower energy costs for operators and residents, and therefore support a future-proof investment approach. 

Should an operator wish to declare net zero in operation using frameworks such as UKGBC^[3], they would not be able to do so with the use of fossil fuel space heating and hot water.

We are working on a number of schemes utilising an all-electric strategy, with ASHPs serving space heating and hot water, supplemented by on-site renewable energy generation such as solar PV.

London Carbon Policy

Following the updated Part L 2021 Building Regulations the Mayor’s Energy Assessment Guidance has been updated to explain how the London Plan policy should be applied now that these regulations have taken effect.

The updated guidance^[4] confirms that all major developments^[5] in London must continue to meet the London Plan net zero carbon target by following the energy hierarchy (Policy SI 2), the heating hierarchy (Policy SI 3) and by maximising on-site carbon reductions. An on-site carbon reduction of at least 35% beyond Part L 2021 of Building Regulations should be achieved. Once it has been demonstrated that carbon reductions have been maximised, any remaining emissions to zero should be offset by a contribution to the relevant borough’s carbon offset fund (of which prices per tonne of carbon vary^[6] but is recommended by the GLA to be £2,850 per tonne (£95 per tonne CO2 over 30 years). 

A carbon reduction of at least 35% beyond Part L 2021 is a substantial improvement which equates to a 62% total carbon reduction for a later living development compared to the prior Part L 2013 regulations. Achieving this requirement will likely require a combination of measures including enhanced fabric provision, heat recovery systems, heat pumps and solar PV.

We have substantial experience in the London market and net zero carbon, including the production of Whole Life cycle Carbon Assessments to meet Policy SI 2, and Circular Economy Statements to meet Policy SI 7. 

Overheating

In the coming decades the UK is expected to experience hotter and drier summers, and more frequent and intense heatwaves. Overheating is a key concern for the London boroughs and a development’s risk of overheating is increasingly scrutinised in the planning assessment process. As noted earlier, the fact that older populations are more vulnerable to heat stress places even greater importance on later living developments minimising the risk. 

Part O requires developments to reduce overheating risk through the incorporation of passive solar design measures. Part O sets out new requirements for mitigating overheating, specifying that residential developments (which includes later living developments) must limit unwanted solar gains in the summer and provide means to remove heat. Compliance with Part O can be demonstrated using two methods to demonstrate the risk of overheating from rising summer temperatures has been mitigated, following a simplified prescribed glazing and free area ratio; or use of a Dynamic Simulation Modelling which is a requirement of the London Plan.

Due to the importance of mitigating overheating risk in later living schemes we recommend the use of dynamic simulation modelling. In addition to the Part O requirements, it is good practice to complete Future Climate Modelling to ensure the scheme does not overheat over its service life. 

In summary, the updated Building Regulations and increasing requirements from Local Plan policies will lead to substantial changes to the design of later living schemes. There are a number of opportunities for later living clients, whether developers or care homes operators, to support the creation of healthy, low carbon developments which can result in lower running costs. 

We welcome opportunities to discuss this with later living developers and operators so do get in touch with Debbie Harvey if you would like to discuss any of the points raised.        

4 November 2022

[1] National Population Projections 2016 based statistical bulletin – October 2017

[2] GLA Energy Assessment Update June 2022 

[3] Net Zero Carbon Buildings: A Framework Definition – April 2019 

[4] Energy Assessment Guidance updates - Part L 2021 of building regulations – June 2022

[5] Major Development: Development of dwellings where 10 or more dwellings are to be provided, or the site area is 0.5 hectares or more; Development of other uses, where the floor space is 1,000 square metres or more, or the site area is 1 hectare or more.

[6] London Local Plan – March 2021 – Page 345