Abstract
UK Schools are part of the existing buildings whose operational carbon must be reduced to meet the government target of reducing carbon emissions to 80% by 2050. State funding for refurbishment is the most feasible option using two routes: Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) which is restricted to improving the physical aspects of school facilities; and Salix Energy Efficiency Fund (SEEF) aimed at energy/equipment retrofit measures. Although the use of BIM technology (underpinned by the government soft-landing (GSL) framework) together with the use of energy modelling/simulation tools have become integral to making buildings more energy efficient, they are constrained by lack of adoption. This study used primary and secondary data to investigate the effectiveness of contemporary BIM and energy simulation technologies in refurbishment of existing school buildings. Secondary data collected from 10 case studies of schools that benefitted from SEEF was supported by primary data from survey questionnaire of 126 professionals involved in refurbishment. Results showed that: (a) CIF and SEEF ought to operate in synergy due to the interaction of a building’s physical envelope with heat transfer and energy used by equipment and systems; (b) refurbishment professionals are not fully adopting BIM which in turn affects managing the buildings in their operational phase; and (c) some schools are not getting technical advice on how to optimise the funds they receive from SEEF leading to non-optimal investment. Recommendations provided include: extensive training on BIM and GSL to heads of schools; upskilling of professionals on using building pathology techniques that are compatible with BIM together with COBie and NBS Toolkit; advise government agencies to reconcile the purpose of CIF and SEEF for carbon reduction solution in schools.
Highlights
The construction industry is responsible for approximately 7% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries but its success and reputation is hampered by overdependence on natural resources [1]
Results showed that: (a) Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) and Salix Energy Efficiency Fund (SEEF) ought to operate in synergy due to the interaction of a building’s physical envelope with heat transfer and energy used by equipment and systems; (b) refurbishment professionals are not fully adopting Building Information Modelling (BIM) which in turn affects managing the buildings in their operational phase; and (c) some schools are not getting technical advice on how to optimise the funds they receive from SEEF leading to non-optimal investment
3.2.2 Respondents’ involvement in school buildings When respondents were asked to select all kinds of buildings they were involved in 54.8% were involved in private developments that included schools; 47.6% were involved in primary school buildings ; 45.2% were involved in secondary school buildings; 28.6% work on high school or college buildings; and 19% were involved in special needs schools
Summary
The construction industry is responsible for approximately 7% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of many countries but its success and reputation is hampered by overdependence on natural resources [1]. Raw materials are needed for constructing buildings as well as the energy needed to make them habitable and comfortable requires artificially adjusting the indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The UK government initiated a Government Soft Landings (GSL) policy in order to link end-use requirements with financial and environmental sustainability [2]. This policy requires a follow up and aftercare services to be done by the same designers and contractors who developed a facility and it requires a mandatory three-year post occupancy evaluation (POE). Technology is expected to play an important role in this regard, including sensors and smart devices [4] leading to cyber-physical systems [5] known as digital twining for real-time mapping of data between virtual and physical models
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