EDITOR ' S CHOICE
HOW ALUPROF SYSTEMS HELP SPECIFIERS MEET THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY DESIGN GUIDE
By Wojciech Brożyna - MD Aluprof UK
Formed in 2017 , the London Energy Transformation Initiative ( LETI ) was established to review what our capital ’ s future construction should look like to meet our low-carbon future . Released back in 2020 , the Climate Emergency Design Guide has gained extensive support from architects , developers , and professionals in the built environment throughout the UK . It has been downloaded more than 60,000 times in over 100 countries , and its requirements are acknowledged and adhered to by building professionals across the UK . With LETI ’ s growing influence across the UK , the team behind LETI renamed their network as the ‘ Low Energy Transformation Initiative ’.
In the UK 49 % of annual carbon emissions are attributable to buildings and , with increased cost of energy , there continues to be a great deal of concern as to how people and businesses can continue to heat and power their homes and offices in the future . Whilst the cost of energy has recently stabilised , it will inevitably remain a large part of a future household budget . As the government softens its move away from fossil fuels and legislation in the form of a weakened Document L proposal for 2025 , it seems that specifiers in the UK are taking the lead in our transition to a zero carbon future .
In the past our building professionals have been trying to educate property owners why investing in thermally efficient construction is cost effective , but , with relatively low energy costs , the increase in construction costs has often lead to schemes being cut back in preference to profit . With the understanding of commercial building rating schemes such as BREEAM and LEED it has been proven to businesses that the investment does indeed save costs and demonstrates a business ’ s commitment to helping save the environment . The same can be said for residential development where homeowners are beginning to realise that a lowcarbon , or Passivhaus constructed home offers some form of future proofing and is a good investment .
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