Press Release << Back

emda’s Green futures for existing buildings initiative launched

05/02/2010

On Tuesday 26^th January East Midlands Development Agency (emda) launched their new 'Green Futures for Existing Buildings' initiative delivered by EC Harris and BRE (Building Research Establishment).

The opening event 'Future sustainability targets and how to respond' was designed for all stakeholders interested in the sustainable development of existing buildings. Held at Loughborough University, the event attracted over 50 of the regions key stakeholders.

One of the key messages of the launch was to show that there is considerable financial value to an organisation who occupies a sustainable building. Matt Fulford, Head of Sustainability, EC Harris qualified this" Occupying a sustainable building or refurbishing an existing building can provide a saving of £30/m2/year on energy and water. However, it's not just the financial aspect which makes an impact, but rather the positive effect the sustainable buildings themselves have on businesses as a whole."

He continued, "It has been proven that people who work in sustainable buildings take less sick days and are more productive overall. The value of this to businesses is huge and can add another £570/m2 to their annual saving, giving a total saving of £600/m2."

These figures were based on detailed work undertaken in a modern high rise office building in Melbourne, Australia, which was refurbished in 2006. A number of features were introduced which cut annual energy bills by AU$15,000 and carbon emissions by 1,700 tonnes pa. The building was awarded a 5 star "excellent" rating under the Australian Green Building Council's Green Star scheme. An independent study on the building's use also found that productivity and staff health and well being had improved in the period after refurbishment. The benefits were anecdotally supported by Managing Director, Stan Crawford, from his experiences at the Sherwood Energy Village.

The event showed the audience that refurbishment of existing buildings to high sustainable standards does pay long term. The operational and financial benefits to a company over a period of time are much wider than simply making savings on energy and water costs.

Diana Gilhespy, emda's Executive Director of Regeneration, said: "Through this project we aim to educate and raise awareness across the region that businesses can make their existing buildings greener, whilst also making energy savings. The project will also provide a welcome boost to opportunities for the construction sector and forms part of emda's strategy to attain sustainable growth coming out of the recession."

The remaining events will take place on the following days, each with a specific theme:

Focused engagements

Setting sustainable refurbishment targets in planning requirements (aimed at Local Authority Planning Officers, Regional Planning Consultants, Estate Managers) 2 February, The Roundhouse, Derby
The business case for policy makers (aimed at Council members, Executive Teams, Policy Makers) 11 February, University of Leicester
Sustainable property for Estate Managers (aimed at Estate Managers and Local Authority Officers) 17 February, Melton Borough Council

Technical briefings

Aimed at Designers, Estate, Environmental & Facilities Managers, Contractors

Voltage optimisation: Reducing energy use by reducing voltage, 24 February, South Wolds Community School, Keyworth, Nottingham
Renewables: Integrating renewable technology into existing buildings - does it make good business sense? 10 March, Nottingham Science Park
Changing behaviour: How people need to change to obtain sustainable improvements, 17 March, Antenna (Nottingham Digital Media Centre) Nottingham
Assessing the sustainability of existing buildings 25 March, Leicester Town Hall

Wrap-up event

The future of sustainable refurbishment (aimed at all previous attendees) 30 March, Nottingham Conference Centre

ENDS

Editors' notes

For media enquiries, please contact:

Amanda Brackey, Head of Events, BRE on 01923 664510
Clare Baker, emda's Communications Manager - Regeneration, on 0115 988 8583 / clarebaker@emd.org.uk

For more information about the events, visit www.bre.co.uk/greenfutures or contact Caroline McGill at BRE on 01923 664800

About emda

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:

Had a significant impact on the region's economy
Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times.

Over the long term, emda's aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations. The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for 'a flourishing region' can be achieved.

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

About EC Harris

EC Harris is a company specialising in generating value from built assets for clients, people and the community. Visit www.echarris.com for more information.

About the Building Research Establishment (BRE)

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) is an independent and impartial, research-based consultancy, testing and training organisation, offering expertise in every aspect of the built environment and associated industries. Visit www.bre.co.uk for more information.