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Keynsham Civic Centre (KCC) is distinctive among sustainable office buildings for its laser-sharp focus on achieving exemplary levels of low energy use and carbon emissions during actual operation, not just on paper.
To accomplish this, three critical demands were set instead of simply relying on a BREEAM assessment:
• Follow the Soft Landings Framework with a two-year aftercare period.
• Attain ‘A’ rated EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).
• Achieve ‘A’ rated DEC (Display Energy Certificate) by the end of the second full year of operation.
Max Fordham believes the project is the first in the country to target a DEC ‘A’ rating from the outset using the Soft Landings Framework and an innovative energy performance contract to support the delivery.
It has already achieved an EPC asset rating of 5 (equivalent to 2.85 kgCO2/sq m) and the Operational Rating of 36 gives a DEC in the midB-range with further improvement in
progress.
The town centre site has high external noise levels which ruled out using traditional opening windows to achieve natural ventilation. Instead, a 150mm deep acoustic louvre was incorporated into the window system with solid insulated inward opening panels installed behind this with fixed glazing placed in the middle between the panels.
Health and wellbeing are at the core of the project and are addressed by excellent levels of daylight and air quality, appropriate acoustics, the clever use of natural materials, views out onto greenery and a choice of working spaces for the occupants.
Having identifi ed that 60% of the building’s carbon emissions were likely to be from information and communications technology (ICT), Max Fordham also provided consultancy on a low energy ICT strategy.
The results have been spectacular. Between November 2014 and October 2015, the building’s electricity use was 82 kWh/sq m, its gas use was 37 kWh/sq m and photovoltaic (PV) generation was 217 MWh. Carbon emissions were 42 kg CO2/sq m (electricity), 7.3 kg CO2/sq m (gas) and 18 kg CO2/sq m2 (PV) giving a net total of 32 kg CO2/sq m.