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Workstream 7: In-use performance
Improving in-use performance is critical to decarbonise our built environment. The current systems for monitoring and reporting will need to be widened to include all projects over a certain size, with that threshold reducing at regular, predetermined intervals.
Effective feedback loops will be developed and professional responsibility will extend further into the lifetime of projects. Social impact & behaviour are likely to become essential project considerations.
The workstream is coordinated by Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) and includes measurable deliverables divided into three priority groupings: short-term, medium term and long term.
What have participants achieved so far?
The main focus of this group is on the cross-industry Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard initiative, including a workstream on in-use verification, disclosure and reporting.
- Publication of the first British Standard on in-use building performance evaluation, supported by the Building Performance Network.
- On-going development of CIBSE benchmarking platform with future options including identifying and showcasing best practice, and liaising with Built Environment Carbon Database.
- A revised TM54 Energy Performance Modelling published by CIBSE in early 2022. CIBSE has also recently produced TM61-64, which covers in-use evaluation and validation of modelling
- NABERS UK – a system for rating the energy efficiency of office buildings - through the industry steering group and the provision of training on building simulation.
- Collaboration by CIBSE with the revised RIBA Challenge, which proposes targets relating to in-use performance.
- In June 2022 CIBSE published a briefing for local authorities on how to introduce in-use energy targets in planning; this received input from LETI and has been shared with the Building Performance Network.
Next steps
- BS 40101 on in-use Building Performance Evaluation to be supported by training in the future; Building Performance Network (BPN) is already planning such training, focused on housing.
- RIBA and others to introduce and increase requirements for in-use data in their awards. The aim is that all PIs whose members are responsible for in-use performance would require in-use data for their awards, to a compatible format. In 2021 CIBSE introduced a new data collection form, trialled in their awards; analysis of the subsequent awards data has led to a 2022 update.
- Address key barriers to Building Performance Evaluation for architects such as insurance and standardisation of evaluation and reporting.
- Increasing number of organisations to sign up to the BPN joint position statement advocating for regulation and measurement of operational performance.
Resource Library
- TM54 Evaluating operational energy use at the design stage (2022)
Building services engineers and energy consultants are being asked to provide estimates of the likely operational energy performance of buildings at the design stage, and accordingly to inform the design proposals.
This document aims to help building services engineers and energy modellers to respond to this request in a robust way.
The TM54 methodology covers all types of modelling. ‘Modelling’ is used in this document to encompass calculations of energy performance in a wide sense, including spreadsheet and steadystate tools as well as dynamic simulation modelling.
https://www.cibse.org/knowledg...
- British Standard BS 40101
The standard covers building performance evaluation of occupied and operational buildings. See below for recordings of the launch event, including presentations from co-authors Dr Kerry Mashford OBE and Dr Zack Gill, and the Q&A session.
https://building-performance.network/advocacy/british-standard-bs40101-launch
- CIBSE energy benchmark platform
An online platform which uses energy data as it becomes available to provide relevant and reliable benchmarks that represent the current trends of energy use in buildings.
https://www.cibse.org/knowledg...
- CIBSE briefing for local authorities on how to introduce in-use energy targets in planning
This briefing provides a summary of a review carried out by CIBSE on the approach to setting energy targets in planning policy.
https://www.cibse.org/policy-i...
- BPN joint statement on measured operational performance
Building upon the experience gained through voluntary drivers and theoretical asset ratings, it is clear that policy must address operational performance: buildings should be judged on how they actually perform.