It could be that the recession will be the catalyst for alternative thinking when it comes to energy use. Certainly, in the US corporate leaders are increasingly taking note of this issue with regard to natural light.
Between 20 and 50 percent of total energy consumed within homes and offices is due to lighting. In addition to this there are significant health benefits to having a well lit and ventilated building.
Mary Carroll, a senior project manager at Francis Cauffman Architect, claims that the next generation of buildings will have to address the size of the office floor plate. “If you’re trying to get more daylight to penetrate through the space, you’re going to have longer, narrower floor plates than maybe you would have had 10 years ago. Nobody does perimeter offices anymore because they want the light to come through.”
With the economy in its current state of flux, this initiative will certainly find its way factoring into analysts’ assessments of the overall soundness of companies and their operations.
More here.
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It adds little to the confidence of environmental professionals but when most MPs are unaware of zero carbon deadlines, what hope is there that the message is getting out to the wider public?
The government set the zero carbon target for all new homes by 2016 in July 2007 as part of its building a greener future policy statement. However the Comres report issued this week has shown that most (72%) of MP’s are unaware of the Government’s target for all new housing to be zero carbon by 2016, with a third incorrectly believing that the target doesn’t come into effect until 2020.
Indeed 15% were unaware that all new homes must receive a code level rating based on their sustainability – i.e. the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Nick Raynsford MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Sustainable Housing, which commissioned the research, said:
“The Government has set ambitious targets for sustainable housing in the UK, but it is clear that many concerned parties are still unaware of the all important details.”
Quite.
Photo Credit: **maurice**
