GENERAL INFORMATION REPORT 89

BedZED – Beddington Zero Energy

Development, Sutton
GENERAL INFORMATION REPORT 89

BEST PRACTICE
PROGRAMME
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 3

2 WHY SUSTAINABILITY? 4

3 DEVELOPMENT HISTORY 6

4 BedZED – CONCEPT, DENSITY, FORM 8

5 TACKLING ENERGY ISSUES 11

6 GREEN TRAVEL PLAN 15

7 GREEN SPACE 18

8 WATER STRATEGY 20

9 MATERIALS, LABOUR AND WASTE 22

10 SUSTAINABLE LOCAL ECONOMY 24

11 CREATING A SUSTAINABLE LOCAL COMMUNITY 26

12 CONCLUSION – WAYS FORWARD 27

APPENDIX 1 – KEY INFORMATION/SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS 30

APPENDIX 2 – PARTNERS 33

APPENDIX 3 - SHORT ROTATION COPPICE REQUIREMENTS 35

REFERENCES 36

The Report is published under the Government’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme, the
building-related aspects of which are managed by BRECSU. The views expressed in this Report are those
of the authors and BioRegional. They do not necessarily represent the views of other project partners
or the Government.

Main cover photograph courtesy Linda Hancock

 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

1 INTRODUCTION

Located in the London Borough of Sutton, the

Beddington Zero-Energy Development (BedZED) This Report was written
is a joint initiative of the Peabody Trust and while construction was
BioRegional Development Group. Their objective in progress, and is intended
was to enable people to live sustainably without to provide information
sacrificing a modern, urban and mobile lifestyle. to construction and
For example, BedZED incorporates a Green Travel development professionals.
Plan, which minimises the need to travel but Certain elements of the
promotes alternative methods of transport where project may change before
travelling is necessary. In the words of the completion.
developers, the aim was to make sustainability View along the mews
‘easy, attractive and affordable’. Nothing in this Report
This General Information Report describes the represents a description
Apart from producing no net carbon dioxide (CO2) various elements featured in the scheme. The for sales purposes, nor does
emissions from energy use, BedZED meets targets authors, BedZED architect Bill Dunster and Glyn it form part of any contract,
across a range of environmental, social and Carter of co-developers BioRegional Development commitment or other form
economic concerns: Group, aim to encourage the kind of holistic of undertaking.
■ environmental – low-energy and renewable strategies essential if architects, developers and
fuel, including biomass combined heat and planners are to:
power (CHP) and photovoltaics (PVs), zero ■ reconcile higher-density living with an
net carbon emissions, water saving, reclaimed improved quality of life
materials, Green Travel Plan, biodiversity ■ protect agricultural and green belt land from
measures, and private gardens for most units urban development
■ social – mixed tenure, two-thirds affordable ■ reduce the global environmental impact of
or social housing, lower fuel costs, healthy urban regeneration in the UK
living centre, community facilities, sports pitch ■ support local economies and communities
and ‘village square’, crèche, café ■ source good materials and energy within the
■ economic – locally sourced materials, workspace local bioregion.
for local employment and enterprise, locally
available renewable energy sources. The early sections discuss the issues surrounding
sustainability and the background to the project.
At the time of its design and construction, BedZED Section 4 onwards focuses on specific aspects of
represented state-of-the-art for sustainable housing the BedZED development. Key information on the
in the UK. The project won an award for overall development is shown in Appendix 1 and
excellence in RIBA’s Housing Design Awards in details of the project partners are included in
July 2000, two months after construction started. Appendix 2. References are shown on page 36.

Pedestrian eye-view of BedZED

from the main road

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

2 WHY SUSTAINABILITY?

LEARNING TO WORK WITH NATURAL FORCES a regional level. Waste should be processed close to
LOCAL SUSTAINABILITY If human activity is to be sustainable over the long where it is generated (the proximity principle), and
IN BedZED term, the natural systems can provide us with recycled locally into new resources. Importing large
Local economic a model. Contrary to Tennyson’s view of nature amounts of food, fuel and other goods wastes
sustainability is promoted as ‘red in tooth and claw’, natural systems are resources, contributes needlessly to global
by building networks of actually based on: warming, and increases transport pollution and
local suppliers, with the ■ balance between different species congestion. It may even be deemed unethical, with
scheme forming a focus ■ harmony with the environment strife, scarcity and famine an ever-present reality in
for local economic and ■ recirculation of nutrients and energy. exporting countries.
community activity.
BedZED follows this eco-system approach by
TARGET DENSITIES FOR NEW BUILD
Sustainable lifestyles are integrated planning that exploits the positive links
IN THE UK
made easy by organising between different elements. To take just one
a ZED car pool (including example of this, the way in which land is fully Taking a snapshot of UK land use, we have the
electric vehicles), bulk home utilised is a key innovation that has spinoff benefits following finite resources to support both the
deliveries of groceries and that support affordable car-use for residents: human population and sufficient biodiversity to
direct, cost-effective supply 1 by placing workspaces in the shade zone of the maintain a sustainable national ecology.
of seasonal organic food dwellings, workspaces benefit from northern
from local farms. It is daylight, while the housing gains from a Land use figures for 1971 (Source: Best, 1981)
affordable, so there is no call southern aspect... Hectares
for residents, workers and 2 ... this optimises the energy performance Arable cropland 5 666 000
neighbours to sacrifice their of high-density, mixed-use development... Total agricultural land use 11 515 000
standard of living and 3 ... while creating jobs in residents’ back yards Woodland and forest 1 115 000
quality of life to protect the (actually, under their back gardens)...
Urban areas 1 646 000
environment. 4 ... therefore there is less need to travel to work
Total non-agricultural 3 511 000
and less need to own a car...
Brownfield sites 28 800
5 ... but people will still wish to use a vehicle now
Total UK land area 23 481 800
and again, so BedZED’s car pool is planned...
6 ... allowing people who may not be able
to afford a car in the first place to have access The UK currently imports about 70% of its
to one. nutritional requirements, and given that our
island has been cultivated by humans for
Other such links flow through the scheme. millennia, it is safe to assume that most
It is this integrated approach that makes the surfaces capable of producing crops are being
low-energy design cost effective, thus maximising cultivated. If we also assume that existing
the value of the development as a whole. woodland and forest are already required for
biomass energy, wood for construction and
LOCAL PRODUCTION FOR LOCAL NEEDS biodiversity, building new homes on
It’s not just a question of working with nature on agricultural land cannot be sensible for a
a global scale. We also need to do so on a local bioregional, locally sustainable future. New
level. Especially in Britain, a fertile island with development should be restricted as far as
a temperate climate that should be able to meet possible to existing brownfield sites,
the needs of its population, it is possible to localise minimising use of the green belt around
almost all of our activity and impacts down to existing cities and loss of agricultural land.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

WHY SUSTAINABILITY?

SUSTAINABLE USE OF RESOURCES

There are two kinds of resources – finite and renewable.

Finite resources, such as coal, oil and minerals, will eventually run out. These we must
use carefully and wisely. We must give ourselves time to find substitutes, to avoid
sudden disruption that shortages bring to already volatile markets.

Renewable resources include the atmosphere, water, soils, plants, livestock, and
indeed we humans and our own labour. We can tap these resources, but not so
much that they cannot regenerate themselves. Soils must be kept fertile, forests
managed, water kept clean and the atmosphere in balance. Waste and pollution
must be kept below levels at which they can harmlessly be absorbed. Other
resources are based on cosmic energies – the sun’s heat and light (which drive the
climate, winds and rain, and enable plants to grow), gravity, tides, and geothermal
energy. There is more than enough of these to meet our needs, and we have the
technology to exploit them.

Furthermore, working at the local and regional

levels adds immediate and tangible benefits to
the long-term imperative of global sustainability. UNSUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
It maximises local productivity, brings local As the world’s population rises, with aspirations by people for a higher standard
employment, and reduces the leakage of wealth, of living, the strains on the environment continue to increase.
and helps bring communities together with a real
stake in their collective future. The opportunities Burning finite fossil fuels increases the level of greenhouse gases in the
for melding environmental and economic systems atmosphere, contributing to global warming. Sea levels are rising, and weather
can best be identified and acted on at this level, patterns changing, which, in combination with changing farming practices and
and often the local knowledge is already available. deforestation, lead to increased risk of floods.

BedZED shows how housing developments can Mining, logging, unsustainable farming practices, and urban development are
contribute to global and local sustainability by threatening species and habitats. Environmental catastrophes such as pollution
minimising the use of finite resources (see the box spills affect not just the natural environment, but also human health and the
top right), ensuring that renewable resources economy. Disputes over land, oil and water undermine international peace and
actually are renewed, and maximising usage of the consume vast quantities of valuable natural resources.
constant energies available from the sun.
In the developed world our own transport systems cause pollution, with the
The goal of sustainable development is generally associated health risks. Although standards of living for many are improved,
recognised. The social and economic needs, we must ensure that it is not at the expense of quality of life.
especially of those who live in relative or absolute
poverty, must of course be met. But this must be
achieved in ways that protect the environmental
capital that future generations will depend on. GOVERNMENT TARGETS
The Government has committed itself to a 20% reduction target for all greenhouse
All over the world there are large and small-scale gases by 2010, in parallel to its agreement to a 12.5% cut by 2012 under the
initiatives linking objectives of greater equality and 1999 Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change. Meanwhile, the Royal Commission
security, social progress in health, education and on Environmental Pollution proposes a 60% reduction in annual CO2 emissions
housing, with environmental protection. BedZED by 2050[1].
is part of this growing movement.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

3 DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

PARTNERSHIP maintaining green space with roof gardens. Chris

BedZED arose through four separate strands Twinn of Ove Arup refined the building physics
of activity coming together: and showed how zero-fossil-energy use could be
■ architect Bill Dunster’s work on zero-fossil- achieved. An indicative cost model by quantity
energy housing and workspace surveyors Gardiner & Theobald demonstrated its
■ BioRegional’s vision of local sustainability financial viability.
■ Sutton Council’s commitment to sustainability
in the borough, including promoting a model Meanwhile BioRegional promoted to Sutton
approach to energy-conscious development Council the idea of sustainable housing that
■ the Peabody Trust’s long-term commitment used local materials and encouraged sustainable
to innovation in construction, providing lifestyles. BioRegional secured funding from the
high-quality affordable housing and World Wide Fund for Nature International to
minimising fuel poverty. promote the model, identify a potential site for
the first ZED, and secure a development partner.
In the mid-1990s, architect Bill Dunster constructed
a prototype passive solar home (Hope House) for In 1998, the council-owned site at Beddington
Hope House, architect Bill his family in East Molesey, Surrey. The house was identified, and the Peabody Trust committed
Dunster’s own home and proved to perform well. In parallel, he produced the itself to a lead role as developer. The design team
studio, and a prototype Hopetown, a design concept for high-density, was set up to develop a carbon-neutral urban
ZED house mixed-use terraces maximising solar gain and model suitable for a wide range of sites.

BioRegional consulted local stakeholders to assess

grassroots support for a ZED scheme on the site.
Two exhibitions were held for local people. The
vast majority of comments were favourable, and
a number of constructive suggestions were made
and, where possible, taken up, including the need
for sports facilities and space for childcare and
community health promotion.

LAND SALE AND PLANNING AGREEMENT

The site, 1.7 hectares (3.5 acres) on the
Hackbridge/Beddington border, was offered for
sale by sealed bid by London Borough of Sutton
in May 1998. The planning brief called for up to
305 habitable rooms, and this density limit created
the market value of the site. The brief did not
require mixed use. A Section 106 agreement would
require the purchaser to provide a football pitch
and clubhouse, and contribution towards social
housing provision.

The Peabody/BioRegional bid included letters of

support, a scheme description that quantified the
long-term environmental, economic and social
Dennis Gilbert

benefits, and a summary of how ZED would be a

mechanism for the Council to deliver objectives
under its environmental and planning policies.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

DEVELOPMENT HISTORY

Hope House, interior view

of conservatory

The bid was not the highest in cash terms, and conventional competitor was between £100 000
after consultation with the Government and legal and £200 000. Not all benefits could be so
representatives, Sutton’s borough valuer agreed rigorously costed, but were clearly present:
that the Council did have the right to dispose of ■ employment opportunities
land at less than market value provided that ‘the ■ educational value
benefits flowing to the borough outweigh the loss ■ reduced waste and pollution
of any capital receipt achievable’. ■ attracting environmental businesses to the area.

Sutton Council engaged environmental economists In September 1998, Sutton Council agreed to
Aspinwall & Co to place an independent financial accept the Peabody/BioRegional bid, and the
value on BedZED’s benefits over the conventional Secretary of State’s consent for the land sale was
competitor. The highest environmental factor that given in January 1999. To ensure that the
could be valued turned out to be reduced CO2 developers would deliver the promised
emissions during an imputed 20-25 year environmental benefits, the Council required an
operational life. Based on 50 ECU/tonne (the integrated transport plan, and a scheme
marginal cost of meeting the EU’s target for CO2 specification summarising the main
reduction), the value of the ZED scheme over the environmental targets.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

4 BedZED – CONCEPT, DENSITY, FORM

UK NEW-BUILD TARGETS new dwellings were built at current average

The Government predicts a requirement for densities for new development, they would cover
approximately 3.8 million new homes in England an area of land larger than Greater London.
by the year 2021, mainly generated by increasing
numbers of single-person households as more The Government’s target is to build 60% of new
young people live alone, by more unmarried or dwellings on the 58 000 hectares of existing
divorced people, and by a growing proportion of brownfield sites[2]. This implies a target of 40
older people. This represents a 19% increase in the dwellings per hectare. However, the issue is not
number of UK households from 1996[2]. If these just one of new housing. New urban developments
also need open space, community, leisure, health
and educational facilities, and locations for
employment. So site densities for brownfield
housing developments should aim to be higher.
There is plenty of scope – even 100 dwellings per
hectare is less dense than some of the most lively
inner-city areas in English towns and cities (parts
of Bloomsbury and Islington in London have up
to 200 dwellings per hectare).

01 – A flat, brownfield site: Close to bus routes and a main line railway station
At these higher densities all of the required new
homes could be provided on just two-thirds of the
available brownfield land. With fresh stocks of
redevelopment land becoming available through
the urban regeneration process, re-occupation
of empty houses, and with a gradual increase in
suburban densities around public transport nodes,
the ZED model shows how it is possible to provide
the additional homes without needing to build on
02 – Site sold with outline planning permission for the following residential use:
agricultural land, while providing new open green
64 homes @ 3.5 hab rooms per home proposed on a 0.64 ha plot. Three-storey housing
@ 100 homes/ha, a car pool and parking shared between workspace and commercial uses spaces within our towns and cities.

HOW BedZED WILL CONTRIBUTE

BedZED is a compact mixed-use urban
development with 82 units, 271 habitable rooms,
plus over 2500 m2 of space for offices, studios,
shops and community facilities. The housing is
a mix of one- and two-bedroom flats, maisonettes
03 – ZEDfactory team propose an additional: 1560m2 net workspace on the same 0.64 ha
plot. Density is 203 workspaces/ha @ 12m2/workspace, with car pool shared with housing and town houses. The workspaces provide jobs
in a suburban area close to public transport,
and give residents an opportunity to avoid
commuting, and reduce car use. Rental income
from the workspaces funds the slight increases
in building costs of an ultra-low-energy, super-
insulated specification.
04 – Integrated live/work community: 100 homes and 203 workspaces/ha: With a shared
car pool, parking and skygardens placed on workspace roofs enabling the densification BedZED’s developers’ view of sustainability means
of suburbia around public transport nodes without net loss of amenity.
that new development should be restricted as far
Funding of carbon-neutral urban infrastructure through planning gain as possible to existing brownfield sites. Building

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

BedZED – CONCEPT, DENSITY, FORM

on agricultural land cannot be sensible for a The workspaces are in the shade zone of the
bioregional, locally sustainable future. Especially dwellings, and lit by large triple-glazed northlights
around cities, we need land for local use and set between the roof gardens, leaving the houses to
benefit, for food crops, biomass energy, wood benefit from the southern sun and useful passive
products, biodiversity and amenity. solar gain. A football pitch and small village square
provide sports facilities and open space for residents
BedZED is a model for integrating solutions to the and the surrounding community.
contradictory objectives of urban planning.
It achieves an overall density of 50 dwellings per FORM
hectare, 120 workspaces per hectare, and over Four different typologies have been designed
4000 m2 of green open space per hectare. At these at BedZED, loosely based on traditional English
densities nearly three million homes could be urban forms, each with different subdivisions
provided on existing brownfield land, at the same creating a variety of flat types:
time as providing all the workspace needed for ■ south-facing terraces with front gardens
the occupants. ■ terraces with workspace and vehicle mews
■ pedestrian-only mews with gable-end entry
Without the sports facilities, and by placing car workspace and café/shop
parking under the village square, the ZED model ■ housing with space for community activities
can achieve 105 homes plus 200 workspaces per such as childcare, health and arts.
hectare, staying within a three-storey height
restriction. (See Appendix 1 for more details of These are integrated so that one building does not
space and densities.) steal sunlight from its neighbours. The scheme is
highly optimised, and approaches the highest
A high occupation density (over 500 people living density for mixed use capable of benefiting from
and working per hectare for the core area) is made useful amounts of passive solar gain, daylighting,
possible by integrating workspace and housing and outdoor space. It therefore could provide a
within a compact cross-section. The workspaces’ basic model for sustainable urban development,
roofs are colonised as gardens for the adjacent equally appropriate to town centres and (as at
dwelling, giving most units a private garden, at Beddington) suburban areas where residential and
densities that would normally allow only a balcony. employment land overlap.

North-south section through the scheme, showing south-facing dwellings and north-facing workspaces

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

BedZED – CONCEPT, DENSITY, FORM

Site plan

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

5 TACKLING ENERGY ISSUES

The Government’s targets will be achieved by more

efficient and cleaner power generation (including
CHP); reducing methane and other greenhouse
emissions; generating 10% of electricity from
renewable sources; and better energy efficiency
in households and the service sector. Buildings
(including houses, shops and offices, and
construction) are responsible for around half of all
Britain’s carbon emissions, and it is forecast that
there will be a 13% increase in household CO2
emissions from 1990 levels by 2010[3].

The Beddington ‘zero (fossil) energy development’

is Britain’s first urban carbon-neutral development.
It is a powerful argument for the feasibility of
a zero-carbon target for all new build. If new
development avoids adding to the problem of
global warming, there is proportionately less
pressure on the far more complex issue of making The biomass-fuelled combined heat and power unit will supply BedZED’s hot water
the existing stock more energy efficient, while still and electricity needs over the year
meeting carbon reduction targets.
Element 95 Regs BedZED BedZED material
BedZED’s zero-carbon ‘total energy strategy’
is achieved via: Roof 0.25 0.10 300 mm styrofoam
■ energy-efficient design of the buildings – Exposed walls 0.45 0.11 300 mm rockwool
reducing heat losses and utilising solar gain, Floors 0.45 0.10 300 mm expanded polystyrene
to the point where it is feasible to eliminate External windows, 3.30 1.20 Argon-filled triple-glazing
conventional central heating systems altogether doors and rooflights
■ energy-efficient and hot-water-saving
appliances to reduce demand – this sets the Table 1 Fabric U-values (W/m2K) – BedZED compared with housing to 1995 Building
capacity for the CHP system Regulations elemental method (Source: General Information Report 53[4], Table 4)
■ use of renewable energy sources – wood-fuelled
CHP (trees absorb CO2 as they grow, and
95 Regs BedZED target Note
return it to the atmosphere when burnt); PV
power integrated into the sunspace roofs Space heating 7962 (gas) 0 1100 kWh/yr
means that BedZED will become a net exporter equivalent from fabric
of renewable energy heat storage of passive
■ a green transport plan (see Section 6) – gains
minimising residents’ use of fossil-fuel cars and Hot water 4548 (gas) 3650 (heat) Consumption largely
the need to commute to work. Cooking 656 (gas) 590 (electric) governed by occupant
Lights and 3000 (electric) 2700 (electric)
REDUCING DEMAND – ENERGY appliances
CONSERVATION AND PASSIVE DESIGN Pumps/fans 175 (electric) 20 (electric)
A 300 mm ‘overcoat’ of super-insulation to the Total 16 341 3650 CHP heat
roofs, walls and floors keeps in the warmth, so 3310 CHP electricity
that sunshine, human activity, lights, appliances
and hot water provide all the heating needed. Table 2 Energy demand (kWh/yr) – BedZED housing compared with housing to 1995
The insulation is outside the structure, avoiding Building Regulations

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

TACKLING ENERGY ISSUES

BedZED will be heated by a

combination of passive solar
and internal gains, with
temperatures moderated by a
thermally massive structure

thermal bridging and exposing the thermally doors, together with the concrete construction, give
massive concrete ceilings, walls and tiled floors a good level of airtightness. Heat exchangers in the
to the accommodation. This provides enough heat passive, wind-driven ventilation system recover up
storage to prevent overheating in summer, and to 70% of the heat from outgoing stale air.
to store warmth in winter, releasing heat slowly
Specially designed rooftop wind on overcast days. Most of the residential glazing faces south to
cowls use the wind to draw receive maximum sunlight. Unheated double-
warm stale air up from inside, Triple-glazed, argon-filled windows with low- glazed sunspaces form an integral part of each
and direct fresh air downwards emissivity glass, large panes and timber frames dwelling. In summer the outer windows open to
over a passive heat exchanger further reduce heat loss. Well-sealed windows and create open-air balconies. Ground-floor levels of
northern blocks are stepped up by 700 - 2000 mm,
reducing overshadowing of ground floor windows.
The levels are built up using contaminated soil
from the site, sealed under the concrete slab.

BedZED homes achieve a theoretical SAP rating –

the Government’s Standard Assessment Procedure
for Energy Rating of Dwellings (1998 Edition) –
of 150. Compared to a standard suburban home
built to 1995 Building Regulations, a 60%
reduction in total energy demand, a 90%
reduction in heat demand, and a 50% reduction
in energy bills are predicted[5]. A household
living in a three-bedroom BedZED maisonette
will save up to £240 per year on household
energy costs (if billed at normal electric utility
unit rates). Typical energy consumption figures
are shown in Table 2.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

TACKLING ENERGY ISSUES

By placing the spaces for employment and tree surgery waste can be supplemented with short
community use in the shade zones of the housing rotation willow coppice from the adjacent ecology
terraces, the tendency for summer overheating of park. See Appendix 3 for the area of short rotation
workspaces (due to the occupants, equipment, and coppice (SRC) needed to supply BedZED.
sunshine) is avoided, along with the need for
energy-wasting fan-driven ventilation or air- London produces 51 000 tonnes of tree surgery
conditioning. Large north-facing rooflights ensure waste per year (which could rise if local authorities
adequate daylighting, so reducing the energy develop plans for recycling park and garden waste).
demand for artificial lighting. This carbon-neutral fuel can be commercially viable,
and could be used in similar developments while
COMBINED HEAT AND POWER waiting for the price of solar technologies to fall.
The CHP unit generates electricity, and distributes
hot water around the site via a district heating Excess electricity production at any time is fed into
system of insulated pipes. These deliver constant the grid, which returns extra power (on a green
heat to oversized domestic hot water cylinders, tariff) whenever there is a peak of electricity
keeping them ‘charged-up’. The cylinders have demand. The designs allow a 5% margin to cover
electric immersion heaters for emergency back-up. hours that the CHP is out of action (beyond the
They are in cupboards within each home and
office, positioned centrally so that they can be
KWh/day peak
opened to double up as a radiator in cold spells.
Peak winter (design-day) Residential 1720
The 130 kWe (ie 130 kW of electric power) CHP heat/hot water Non-residential 1440
plant satisfies both the electrical and heat demand demand Pre-drying of woodchips for Surplus
of the project due to three interrelated factors: CHP plant
■ average loads are reduced CHP heat output 4680
■ the design evens out the normal fluctuations
between summer/winter and daytime/evening Table 3 Peak heat demand (kWh/winter design day) and heat supply (figures from
space-heating demands Ove Arup & Partners and B9 Energy Biomass Ltd)
■ the domestic/commercial mix also evens out
KWh/yr
the daily electrical demand to more closely
match the CHP output. Residential 407 000
Non-residential 347 500
The CHP heat output needed is about 10% of the Other – eg street lighting 57 500
boiler output for an equivalent conventional Total 812 000
project. The flattening of peak loads means that CHP electrical output (130 kW @ 18 hours/day) 854 100
the capacity of the CHP plant can be reduced, and
the boiler installation normally needed by a CHP Table 4 Predicted annual building electricity demand and supply (figures from Ove
system for peak backup is avoided. Emergency Arup & Partners, B9 Energy Biomass Ltd)
backup is provided from the electricity grid and
by stored hot water. KWh/yr

Fossil fuel demand – 14 conventional vehicles 161 517

The generator engine is fuelled by a combustible Electricity demand – 40 electric vehicles 83 229
mix of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane PV electricity supply 97 000
gases, produced from woodchips by an on-site Renewable PV electricity surplus (transport) 13 771
gasifier. These come from tree surgery waste from Target net carbon emissions (transport) 39.9 tonnes CO2/yr
nearby woodlands – waste that would otherwise go
to landfill. The demand is 1100 tonnes per year, or Table 5 Transport – annual energy demand targets after 10 years (figures from
two 15-tonne lorry-loads a week. In the longer term, BioRegional and Ove Arup & Partners)

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

TACKLING ENERGY ISSUES

six hours overnight that it will be turned off, when

servicing and maintenance can take place). COMPUTER MODELLING
Building physics engineers Arup used

Actual demand will depend on users’ habits and advanced computer modelling to analyse the

lifestyles, and will be carefully monitored. dynamic thermal effects of the building form

Residents can easily assess their everyday energy and materials. The modelling was based on

and water use through meters prominently placed explicit finite difference for unsteady heat

in kitchens – these will also act as a reminder and flows and radiosity for separate long-wave

incentive not to waste energy. and short-wave radiated heat flows. It also
factored in the body heat of occupants,

PHOTOVOLTAICS activities such as cooking and running office

PV power was originally considered as a means of equipment, and the effects of energy-

providing all the building’s electrical needs, with efficient appliances. This allowed room

evacuated tube solar collectors to provide hot condition predictions using real weather

water. With a payback period currently of more sequences and a ‘what-if’ design scenario.

than 70 years the CHP alternative was far more

cost effective. The modelling identified the importance of

Photovoltaic panels will be thermal inertia using high mass construction

mounted on south-facing The PV financial payback period drops by a factor for storing the variable winter heat gains

elevations of about five, to about 13 years, if the electricity is until they can usefully contribute to the

used to displace transport fossil fuel, with its high space-heating needs. It also demonstrated

tax levels. A successful EU Thermie project that extensive south-facing glazing does not

identified that 777 m2 of high-efficiency mono- need external shading, if used in conjunction

crystalline PV panels could be integrated in the with large areas of room exposed thermal

sunspace roofs. These panels generate enough mass in domestic applications. Extensive use

solar electricity to power 40 electric vehicles for has also been made of balcony and sunspace

approximately 8500 km/year[6]. See Section 6 floors to reduce the amount of high-angle

for more details. summer sun reaching the inner glazed

screen. Large areas of opening windows and

A conventional household’s car energy use is doors allow good ventilation of the sunspaces

comparable to that consumed in the home[4], in summer, with opening rooflights and

so for BedZED car energy could greatly exceed windows on the north elevation encouraging

domestic consumption, and become the major cross-ventilation.

source of occupants’ direct carbon emissions.

Using PV power to charge electric vehicles means
that residents have a practical option to reduce neutral, with surpluses of renewably generated
their direct contributions to global warming to electricity from the CHP and PV panels being fed
zero, while also reducing urban air pollution. into the grid. With the phasing-in of electric cars
(They will still make indirect contributions, and other Green Travel Plan measures (see
Woodchip store under through the food, clothing and other goods Section 6), individual residents will be able to
construction. An automatic they consume.) reduce their direct contribution to global
grab will carry woodchips to warming to zero.
the gasifier hopper, part of the TOTAL CARBON BALANCE
CHP plant A total carbon balance for BedZED has been Co-developers BioRegional have calculated that if
considered, based on the building energy energy targets (including transport) are met, carbon
modelling and the Green Travel Plan targets. emissions will be just 4% of the level resulting from
Energy use in BedZED’s buildings will be carbon- an equivalent conventional development[7].

14
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

6 GREEN TRAVEL PLAN

A family car covering 19 000 km (12 000 miles) per London offices can be encouraged to set up on site,
year produces nearly as much carbon as four people offering provision to BedZED businesses, and to
living in a typical modern house[8]. Nationally, other local firms.
transport energy accounts for approximately one-
third of the UK’s energy consumption, and is The opportunity to develop on-site facilities such as
growing (while other sectors’ energy consumption a shop, café and community facilities could further
is levelling off[1]). Achieving zero-carbon buildings reduce the need for residents to travel. Any shop is
highlights the need to reduce or eliminate the unlikely to take over completely from the weekly
global warming effects of personal transport. supermarket trip (the nearest supermarket is nearly
2 km away), so to further reduce shopping-related
There are other, perhaps more immediate, reasons travel, residents will be able to order goods ‘on-line’
to tackle the growth of traffic. One in 15 children through a community internet facility. Regular,
is injured on the road before school-leaving age. co-ordinated deliveries of BedZED orders will reduce
Asthma and other respiratory diseases now affect shopping delivery miles. This system can be applied
one in four children in London, and although to supermarket-type goods, and to a ‘green box’
there are many possible causes of such illnesses, scheme of fresh organic fruit and vegetables, with a
there is no doubt that air pollution from cars and possibility of negotiating discounts for large orders
lorries exacerbates the conditions. to bulk deliveries.
BedZED is close to two rail
stations, and has a bus stop
To formalise their commitment to minimising
on its doorstep; there is
BedZED residents’ environmental impact from
also a tram station at
travel, the Peabody Trust and BioRegional have
Mitcham Junction
committed themselves to a Green Travel Plan as a
legal obligation under the planning agreement –
the first time this has been part of a planning
permission for a housing development.

By reducing the need to travel, and promoting

alternatives to the car, BedZED’s Green Travel
Plan aims for a 50% reduction in fossil-fuel
consumption from car use, over 10 years. For the
remainder, PV power is available for electric
vehicles. This not only means zero carbon
emissions, but also zero sulphur, carbon
monoxide, nitrous oxides and particulates given
off by conventional vehicles, and reduced noise.

REDUCING THE NEED TO TRAVEL

As a mixed-use development, BedZED offers the
opportunity for residents to live and work on site,
therefore eliminating the need to commute to
work. Some of the jobs on site will also be taken by
neighbouring residents, further reducing overall
commuting impacts.

It is hoped that a telecommuting business centre

offering video conferencing and access to
expensive equipment normally found in central

15
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

GREEN TRAVEL PLAN

PROMOTING ALTERNATIVES TO THE CAR Subject to demand, the car pool will offer a
Walking minibus/people-mover shuttle service to and from
Over 80% of journeys under one mile are made the stations at peak times. Again, subject to
on foot[8]. Factors affecting people’s decision to walk demand for travel to different destinations or at
even short distances include quality of the local different times, existing bus routes may be
environment, levels of pollution, and perceptions supplemented by Sutton Community Transport.
of safety from traffic and street crime. Most of these
are off site, and beyond the scope of one REDUCING THE IMPACT OF CAR USE
development to influence. However BedZED’s Car pool
design uses ‘home zone’ principles, with the road It is planned to establish a car pool, to be called
layout keeping vehicles to walking speed, pedestrian ZEDcars, offering residents, businesses, and
priority, drop-kerbs for prams and wheelchairs, good employees the opportunity to hire a vehicle by the
lighting and natural surveillance of paths by the hour. The car pool will be set up with a range of
houses. These are all part of making BedZED safer vehicles. This offers the ‘mobility insurance’ that a
for children, pedestrians and cyclists, and bringing car provides, plus extra flexibility, without the
lower levels of air and noise pollution for residents expense of owning one.
and workers.
Edinburgh’s ‘City Car Club’ car pool shows that a
Cycling member with an annual mileage of 11 000 km to
Around 70% of journeys made by residents 13 000 km could save up to £1500 per year on
of Sutton borough are under 5 km, yet only 2% their motoring costs. The financial benefits of
of journeys are made by bicycle[9]. BedZED will using a pool car rather than a private car will be
encourage cycling. All dwellings will be allocated even greater at BedZED, where there will be a
cycle storage space. The spaces range from those charge for parking.
within homes to lock-on points in workspace
areas. There will also be lockable bike parking Car pools are already operating successfully in a
frames for visitors and employees, and workspace number of European countries, and research
showering facilities. The site has easy access to shows that one pool car displaces around five
Sutton’s existing cycle network. privately owned vehicles. Complementary usage
patterns enable the same vehicles to be shared
Public transport between the commercial workspace occupants
The development is located on a major road used (weekday use) and residents (weekend use).
by two bus routes, which connect to local centres Community car pools are also likely to reduce the
of Mitcham, Sutton and Wallington. Buses also go number of car journeys made by members, as they
to Hackbridge station, 0.7 km to the south, and make better use of public transport season tickets
Mitcham Junction 1.2 km north. Both stations and bicycles, and because they are more likely to
connect directly to Sutton and London Victoria, car-share within the pool.
and both are on the Thameslink line to north
London. Mitcham Junction is on the Tramlink For more or less the same cost of running a private
route to Croydon and Wimbledon. car, a BedZED resident could run a well-serviced
bike, travelling regularly by public transport, and
To encourage residents and employees to make have the flexibility of using a pool car or hire car
best possible use of these public transport routes, once or twice a week.
information about local bus, rail and tram services
will be widely available, including on-line updates Electric cars
at the community Internet facility. Discounted Residents who are keen to retain the use of a
season tickets will be negotiated for residents private car will be encouraged to change to an
and workers. electric vehicle. Up to 40 electric vehicles will be

16
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

GREEN TRAVEL PLAN

powered by 777 m2 of PV panels on the buildings,

which will be producing 109 kW peak output.
It is hoped to achieve this level of electric car
ownership over 10 years, with financial support
through the Energy Saving Trust’s ‘Powershift’
cashback scheme (which subsidises the purchase
of clean-fuel vehicles), a waiver on parking fees,
and through the car pool.

On-site charge points will be inexpensively fitted

to the kerbside bin-stores and near to parking
places. The recharging infrastructure off-site should
be further advanced by this time – a free public
electric vehicle charging point is already available
in Sutton town centre car park.

Car parking
The Green Travel Plan allowed the planning
authority (Sutton) to accept parking standards 30%
below those required on a conventional
Ian Aitkinson

development. The parking ratio is 1:1 – one parking

space per dwelling (including spaces occupied by
pool cars). They are not allocated to dwellings, so
empty spaces during the day can be used by
employees driving to the site. A Citroen Balingo electric van at Hope House, with rear floor pan cut back to fit rear
bench-seat, side windows and a sunroof. The cost of the van, enough photovoltaic
The spaces are located on the perimeter road, panels to run it for around 5000 miles/year, and the modifications, are still less than
keeping cars as far away from children and the price of a fossil-fuel-powered people carrier, and the electric vehicle has similar
pedestrians as possible. functionality in urban areas

The annual travel that can be achieved Therefore a BedZED resident giving up a private car in favour of a pool car could run
for the same price as running a car are a well-serviced bike and travel regularly by public transport, taxi and hire car for the
given below. same price as running a private car.

Item Cost (£) Item Cost (£)

Depreciation 685 Running a bike:

Road tax 150 – capital cost of £300, depreciating over three years 100
MOT test fee 28 – two inner tubes, lubricant, brake blocks 20
Road rescue service 70 – annual service 50
Insurance 250
Five local trips by bus/train per week @ £2 per trip 520
Annual BedZED parking permit fee 500
Net loss of interest on cash used Two minicab journeys per week @ £5 per trip 520

to buy car 104 One day car hire per week @ £28.95 per day 1505
Fuel 717
Total annual cost 2715
Tyres, servicing and maintenance 250
Total annual cost 2754 (Source: Analysis by BioRegional Development Group)

17
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

7 GREEN SPACE

BEDZED BIODIVERSITY PLAN ■ Advantage has been taken of all planting

BedZED has aimed to provide the best possible opportunities around the site. The village
habitat for biodiversity in the urban environment square, the roof garden planters and all site
through implementing a number of measures, landscaping use native plants, including plants
including the following. that encourage particular species such as
■ Existing features of the site have been retained, buddleia for butterflies, and night-scented
including the line of mature horse chestnut plants for bats.
along the boundary (one tree had to be felled ■ Features of the buildings have been designed
at the access road junction). to encourage wildlife, eg incorporating bat
■ Existing ditches have been developed into roosts into the weatherboarding, feeding and
water features, eg planting emergent vegetation nesting stations to encourage tree sparrows
along the fringes of the ditch, and designing-in (which are declining rapidly in the UK), and
shallow areas to encourage dragonflies and sedum-planted roofs to provide an insect
Sutton Council and BioRegional
water voles. habitat, which in turn supports birdlife.
are to create a new eco-park
next to BedZED

1. Lavender fields 11. Parking

2. Permaculture keyhole 12. Shop/café
beds 13. Workspace
3. Rainwater storage lake 14. Housing
and wetland with
birdwatching hole 15. Playing fields
4. Ecology park 16. Club house
5. Future biomass crop 17. Reed beds
6. Urban tree station 18. Future renovation of
footpath and railway
7. Existing weighbridge bridge
8. Existing stream 19. Short rotation willow
9. High-tension overhead coppice irrigated by
power lines existing channels
10. BioRegional 20. Farm track used to take
Development wood chip to the CHP
workshop 21. Biomass-fuelled CHP

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

GREEN SPACE

Use is made of ‘native provenance’ – local seed, and seating, and is part of the pedestrian route
and trees grown from seed from the area. through the development.

The ZED residents’ handbook highlights the As with other community facilities being set up
ecology of the site, identifying local species. as part of the scheme, these are resources for the
It advises on native planting opportunities in the whole of the neighbouring community.
roof gardens, how to encourage wildlife, and how
to avoid using garden pesticides and fertilisers. PRIVATE GARDENS
The high amenity value at BedZED is not just
The BedZED Biodiversity Plan will complement provided by the public open space. Nor is it
the 18-hectare ecology park to be established provided just by the sunspace/balconies on the
on the adjacent site. Play and amenity space, southern face of every dwelling unit. Equally rare
wetlands and wildlife habitats, and economic for high-density social housing, BedZED
activity such as lavender growing, urban incorporates private gardens for 71 of the 82 units.
forestry and wood coppicing, are all proposed
for the eco-park. These are in the form of roof gardens on top of the
workspaces for the flats, and ground-level gardens for
COMMUNAL OPEN SPACE the houses and maisonettes. Access to the roof gardens
Communal open space is provided by a is directly from the flats, or by private footbridges over
90 m x 45 m sports pitch, with clubhouse and the mews between blocks. These gardens form small
A sports pitch and clubhouse
changing facilities, and a small village square at ‘outdoor rooms’, and vary in size from 8 m2 to 25 m2,
for local use are being provided
the heart of the development – this features trees with most of the roof gardens at 16 m2.
as part of the scheme

19
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

8 WATER STRATEGY

Household water needs have risen steadily during household’s annual water consumption [10] .
the past two decades to an average of more than BedZED’s 3-5 litre dual-flush toilets save an
150 litres per person per day. This is all treated estimated 55 500 litres of water per household
to drinking water quality, although most of it will per year compared to the 7.5 litre maximum
be used for flushing toilets, watering gardens, and permitted under the 1999 UK Water Byelaws.
washing cars and clothes. With dry summers ■ Showers, baths and taps – no power-showers
common in the south-east of England, water are fitted, and baths are lower-volume sculpted
has frequently been in short supply during the baths. Single-bedroom flats have showers
summer months. High demand, coupled with rather than baths – a common practice that
high levels of runoff when it does rain, result also saves space and energy. Taps are fitted
in the paradox of localised shortages, low river with water-saving flow restrictors.
levels and shrunken wetlands in summer, and ■ Washing machines – water- and energy-
destructive flooding in winter. House building, efficient washing machines are installed into
rising standards of living, and inward migration all dwellings.
to the south east will further increase local water
demands in future years. Metered water acts as an incentive to conserve
use, and residents and workers are constantly
USAGE AND CONSERVATION reminded about their water use by highly visible
BedZED aims to cut the mains water consumption water meters in all kitchens. Water-efficient
of a typical household by 33%. This is achieved by lifestyles are encouraged by giving residents and
installing water-efficient appliances and by collecting workers water-saving ideas, and information on
rainwater for flushing toilets and irrigation. the environmental and financial advantages of
■ Toilets – a typical toilet uses up to 9 litres per saving water. Residents following this advice can
flush and accounts for 33% of an average cut their consumption by up to 50%.

BedZED will cut mains water

consumption by using
rainwater and recycled waste
water for flushing and
irrigation

20
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

WATER STRATEGY

Savings in mains water usage result in lower water

bills. A typical household will save £48 per year
compared to an equivalent conventional
household. An enthusiastic BedZED household
could save up to £106 per year.

It is predicted that, on average, 18% of a BedZED

resident’s daily water consumption will be met
from rainwater. Owing to the unpredictable
rainfall, large volume storage tanks are needed –
these are integrated into the foundations.

DISPOSAL
Foulwater from BedZED is treated using a small-
scale, on-site sewage treatment system. Housed in a
greenhouse, this is a biologically based system
which utilises the nutrients in sewage sludge as food
for plants. This efficient sewage treatment system Dual flush WC to save water
can be used as an educational facility and, when full
of plants, is visually attractive. Water can be treated As water drains through these layers it is filtered
to a standard that allows recycling back to the and returned to the groundwater with a lower level
underground tanks, to supplement rainwater for of pollutants than would otherwise be the case.
toilet flushing. Surplus water is piped to a soakaway Normal drainage systems take runoff water straight
into the underlying gravel strata. to local rivers, so raising the risk of flooding. Runoff
from sky gardens, roads and pavements is drained
Car parking spaces are laid with porous block to the front of the site where a dry ditch is being
paving over gravel to minimise surface runoff. enhanced to give a wildlife-friendly water feature.

Waste water from domestic

uses and sewage will be treated
on-site with an intensive
greenhouse-based reed system
(photo of reed water treatment
system at the Earth Centre,
Doncaster)

21
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

9 MATERIALS, LABOUR AND WASTE

MATERIALS reduce pollution and energy impacts from

Wherever possible, BedZED uses natural, recycled transportation, and to encourage local industry.
or reclaimed materials, products with a low A considerable proportion of the high weight
embodied energy, and those not associated with and volume materials (which have the greatest
habitat destruction. transport impacts) have been sourced inside this
radius. These include bricks, blocks, aggregate and
The developers have seen this project as a 50% of concrete materials, imported topsoil, 80%
particularly good opportunity to provide an of timber and all the plasterboard.
income for local, well-managed, and/or Forest
Stewardship Council certified woodlands. Buying Local sourcing also encourages use of materials
timber from these woodlands gives financial value traditional to the area, such as the oak
in addition to their amenity and wildlife value, weatherboarding characteristic of the regional
promoting long-term bioregional sustainability. vernacular, providing extra architectural interest
and reinforcing local identity. Default to a
Reclaimed materials include doors and other conventional construction product has occurred
internal joinery, steel beams and scaffolding poles only when cost or programme requirements make
(for handrails and balustrades), kerbs and paving a local product or service not viable.
slabs. Recycled materials include the plastic in
kitchen cabinet doors and worktops, and recycled There are materials on the scheme that cannot
crushed aggregate in the road sub-base. be obtained from within 60 km, such as glass and
tiles, but where possible, these are sourced from
As much of the material as possible is sourced within the UK. This has highlighted problems
from within 60 km (37 miles) of the site, to within the British construction industry, in that

All the structural steel

is reclaimed

22
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

MATERIALS, LABOUR AND WASTE

some components simply are not available at

affordable prices. The argon-filled triple-glazing
units are Danish – no British manufacturer was
found who could supply the volumes and
specification at a competitive price.

LABOUR
BedZED has grappled with one issue raised by the
Egan Report[11] that increasing the proportion of
building components prefabricated off-site may
reduce waste and transport impacts, as well as costs
and construction time. Waste can more easily be
controlled and recycled in a factory, while bulk
material deliveries come to one destination rather
than being dispersed to individual sites, with
potential reductions on energy use and local
impacts. However, prefabrication also risks
de-skilling the construction trades, and reducing
opportunities for local construction work. contouring where possible, with the remainder The UK replaces its urban
joining other inert waste to restore adjacent gravel fabric on average at 1.5% per
Although there is no formal local labour scheme, workings into an ecology park. year. High-performance new
local contractors have been favoured and, where construction can be built using
possible, local fabrication – such as local joinery Construction works can generate disproportionate predominantly reclaimed
firms to manufacture framed south elevations from quantities of waste. As labour is more expensive materials
local timber. The approach included an on-site than many building materials, there is little
covered joinery workshop making simple incentive to spend time and care using materials
components such as straight flight external efficiently. BedZED’s contractors are required to
staircases, weatherboarding, oak bridges and minimise the waste they create, which has been
decking from local and reclaimed timber. This monitored – this in itself can reduce waste, simply
emphasises the value of local labour over distant by drawing attention to it.
capital-intensive factory production.
Post-occupancy domestic waste
WASTE Once BedZED is occupied, the developers will be
Construction waste encouraging residents to reduce the amount of waste
With growing pressure on landfill sites, and the sent to landfill by 60% of a typical household’s total
extra expense of disposal incurred through the waste. This is one of the environmental targets
Landfill Tax, it is vital to minimise the amount agreed under the Planning Agreement.
of waste created, and to maximise the amount
recycled. BedZED seeks to tackle this problem Residents will have a set of containers for different
both in its construction and when the homes types of waste built into the kitchens. There will
and offices are in use. be multi-material recycling points on site, for
metal, glass, paper and card; and there will be
The site used to be part of a sewage works, and provision for community composting linked to
remaining contamination has been dealt with the adjacent eco-park. Residents will also be
on-site by placing it under the ground slabs of the encouraged to reduce their consumption of
buildings. Reusable site topsoil will go on to the disposables and over-packaged goods. The
gardens. Subsoil that has been extracted for the recycling system at BedZED is tailored to match
footings and water storage will be used for the site Sutton’s recycling strategy.

23
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

10 SUSTAINABLE LOCAL ECONOMY

BioRegional’s principles of local production for transparent insulation, and water treatment.
local need, and making maximum use of natural Perhaps future ZEDs will not have to go abroad for
resources and labour, apply as much to the broad large quantities of high-performance glazing.
economy as to the detail of sustainable
construction. BedZED does not exist in isolation LOCAL EMPLOYMENT
from the greening of other parts of the economy BedZED supports the local economy by providing
(such as food production and distribution, space for over 200 employees. The workspaces are
recycling industries, and zero-emission vehicles). for retail, commercial, professional and service
businesses, and light technical and craft activities.
SUPPORTING THE REGIONAL ECONOMY Because the workspaces are so close to dwellings
Using materials sourced from within a relatively there are noise and safety restrictions that rule out
small radius (60 km) supports the regional some types of business.
economy. As more developments following the
ZED model are built around London and the It is planned to install information and
south-east, the ability to meet green specifications communications technology (ICT) connections
will move up the supply chain. A suppliers’ to all workspaces and homes. Although the homes
network for low-energy, sustainable, reclaimed or are not designed as ‘telehomes’, with space
recycled materials can be built, and contractors designed in for home-working, many of the homes
will gain experience of applying these materials are linked through to their adjacent workspace,
and techniques, reducing costs as perceptions of forming large live-work units.
uncertainty and risk diminish.
ENTERPRISE
Similar networks can be established in other The workspaces provide excellent starter units,
regions of the country. This will help provide a encouraging new enterprises into the area.
A ‘green box’ scheme will make market for fledgling green industries in the In addition, enterprise opportunities are built into
it easy for residents to get fresh construction field, such as small-scale renewable the scheme, such as for a shop/café, and childcare.
organic produce, and help energy (solar, wind-power, bio-fuels, etc), It is hoped that once the car pool has been
support farmers in the region established by BioRegional, it can be taken over
and managed as a business by a group of residents.

The Peabody Trust will be responsible for

management of the site, but it is consistent with
the Trust’s approach for some roles to be sub-
contracted to a community enterprise. This could
apply to maintenance of the buildings and
grounds, and running the water treatment plant.

DEVELOPING A SUSTAINABLE FOOD SUPPLY

It has been calculated that households’ indirect
contributions to global warming – primarily from
the transport of their food – are as significant as
their direct contribution from their homes and
personal transport[4]. For example, one tonne of
strawberries air freighted to London from Israel
releases 4.6 tonnes of CO2, while the same weight
of strawberries transported from a farm in Kent
would emit 0.014 tonnes of CO2. One tonne of

24
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

SUSTAINABLE LOCAL ECONOMY

apples shipped from New Zealand releases as well as incorporating allotments within the
0.5 tonnes of CO2. The same weight of produce park design
transported from a farm in Kent to London would ■ new residents will be encouraged to grow food
emit less than 0.03 tonnes (30 kilos)[12]. (Global in their sunspaces and on their roof gardens,
warming impacts can be thought of as a proxy with a free selection of vegetable seedlings and
for other environmental costs and risks, such seeds and a guide on how to grow them
as oil discharges, over-packaging, materials, and ■ the BedZED community will have links to
risk of accidents.) organic farms in the region, allowing direct and
cost-effective supply of local organic produce
BedZED residents can reduce their direct global ■ the food shop will be encouraged to sell
warming impacts from housing and transport to local produce, and the success of this will
zero, but there is still a need to reduce the indirect be monitored.
ones. As a high-density urban development,
BedZED cannot enable families to be self-sufficient Residents will be able to order home deliveries of
in food – nor is this a viable option for cities as a groceries via the Internet. These will be regularly
whole. Nevertheless, much can be done to address delivered in bulk, bringing environmental benefits by
this aspect of overall sustainability: reducing the need for individual car journeys to the
■ a food-growing project will be established supermarket (and hence encouraging residents to give
as part of the proposed adjacent ecology park, up car ownership in favour of joining the car pool).

25
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

11 CREATING A SUSTAINABLE LOCAL COMMUNITY

It is not enough for a community to contribute to A community forum of residents and businesses
local and global environmental sustainability if will be set up that will deal with issues and
people are excluded and isolated, suffer from poor problems as they arise, and will look for new
health, will not go out for fear of crime, and have opportunities to improve and innovate. The forum
nowhere to meet friends or watch their children will have links to the surrounding community –
play in safety. links that have been established from the outset
through the consultation process and through the
The ‘neighbourhood renewal’ agenda aims to joint development of the sports facility.
tackle some of these issues, and BedZED serves
as a model for integrating them into new The community will have its own website, access
development. to computers, and it is planned to set up a local
e-mail network. Apart from the sports clubhouse,
The mix of tenures and high proportion of informal meeting spaces are offered by the village
Residents will get exceptionally affordable housing will ensure a variety of different square and the café. Safety is promoted by the
high amenity values for income brackets and professions live at BedZED, home zone principles keeping car speeds down and
high-density housing, with and the mix of sizes from small flats to four- providing pedestrian priority, while security is
glazed sunspace/balconies and bedroom town houses allows a range of age groups, increased by the high levels of natural surveillance,
private roof gardens single people and families to move in. with flats overlooking the public spaces.

The workspace in one block is being marketed for

community use. A crèche/childcare facility,
available to employees who want to bring their
children close to where they work, and to residents
who have to work elsewhere, is proposed. There
may also be a base for cultural activity, such as
performance workshops in the large communal
hall by professionals from the local Charles
Cryer Theatre.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
By its very nature, BedZED furthers the kind
of healthy lifestyle being promoted by health
authorities under their public health and health
promotion programmes:
■ a diet of fresh food is encouraged by the ‘green
box’ scheme, and by easily available produce
in the shop
■ good storage provision, showers, and links
with the local cycle network encourages
cycling as a healthy activity
■ warm and well-lit houses improve comfort and
reduce winter illness, while low fuel and water
bills increase disposable incomes
■ the houses are low-allergy, damp-free
environments – tiled floors making wall-to-
wall carpets unnecessary, reducing the risks
of asthma and similar illnesses.

26
 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

12 CONCLUSION – WAYS FORWARD

BedZED can be seen as a model or system for PRIVATE SECTOR SUSTAINABLE HOUSING
sustainable housing development. The major In the short term, pressure for sustainable housing
task for designers and developers will be to spot, is likely to be policy led, and encouraged through
exploit and refine the opportunities for integration. the planning system. However, in Europe and the
As a model, it can be tailored for different uses USA, private ecological housing has often
and locations but the core principles of local outperformed the market average in terms of resale
sourcing, integrated mixed-use linked with solar values. BedZED, with its private component, may
design, renewable power, and maximising the help establish a similar pattern here, and thus the
community, economic and amenity values, are existence of a niche market for ‘green’ housing
widely applicable. It is clearly appropriate for urban that could become mainstream (analogous to the
sites, but may also be relevant to rural situations growth of organic food in the 1990s).
as part of a sustainable solution to rural poverty
and agricultural decline. There is, however, an opportunity for an
innovative private developer to gain a market lead.
The increased demand for more labour in organic This will be invaluable if governments learn from
food could result in a need for more affordable rural BedZED that zero-energy housing is viable, and
homes in the near future. impose more stringent standards on new
developments through planning guidance and
NEW HOUSING WITH NO EXTRA Building Regulations.
GLOBAL WARMING
BedZED is the first attempt in the UK to establish REGENERATION AND NEIGHBOURHOOD
the technical and financial viability of zero net RENEWAL
carbon emissions for new low-cost urban housing. Most of the environmental, economic and
When it has been proven in use, it will be a strong community features offered by BedZED overlap
argument that all new housing should be zero- with the objectives of regeneration and
carbon, with no additional global warming effect. neighbourhood renewal. Green developments
It could buck the common trend of greater eco- have a market appeal, and where environmental
efficiency being forever compromised by higher and social issues are addressed in a sincere rather
gross levels of production and consumption. than cynical fashion, support from local residents
is normally forthcoming.
USE OF PLANNING AND SALE AGREEMENTS
The sale and planning agreements are a useful In some areas image is as much of a problem as the
precedent for local authorities wishing to promote physical fabric. Here, the ZED model could serve as
sustainability. Requirements to incorporate a powerful symbol and flagship for turning round a
renewable energy, green transport plans, mixed-use, depressed neighbourhood. As well as demonstrating
and the other environmental benefits exemplified public commitment to improvement,
by BedZED, can be included alongside such familiar environmentally friendly housing is more likely
requirements as for affordable housing and than conventional models to attract new residents,
infrastructural improvements. Detailed specifications especially the young urban professionals and
can and should be included to monitor performance. families who are such an important part of the
social mix for inner-city areas.
Some of the environmental benefits can be
quantified in financial terms and used in the THE IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATION
comparative assessment of bids in a competitive It is a common mistake to try to be ‘more sustainable’
tendering situation. It would be useful for local by adding eco-friendly elements piecemeal on to a
authorities and developers if central government conventional project. The contradictions and trade-
produced guidelines on how local authorities may offs that arise limit the effectiveness of each
value environmental benefits. component and of the finished whole. One lesson

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

CONCLUSION – WAYS FORWARD

of BedZED is that it is no more expensive, and may This does not just apply to environmental design.
even be cheaper, to aim for complete eco-friendliness, Throughout the programme, the designers and
rather than to stop half way. developers found new links between different
aspects of the scheme, and new ways of knitting
For example, increasing the insulation thickness them together and reinforcing the benefits. Sports
on a standard home will still require the facilities, nurseries and shops, community facilities
installation of a central heating system. If, and car pool have been integrated, helping to
however, super-insulation is adopted with high regenerate the area outside the site boundaries.
levels of thermal mass integrated into the building A wide range of different size homes and different
structure, together with efficient south-facing tenures provide a healthy social mix, and make
glazing, then it is possible to reduce heat losses it easy and affordable for all generations to
so that no central heating is required. This saving participate in a low-impact lifestyle.
helps cover the cost of the super-insulation, while
provision of energy-saving appliances by the Coupled with high density, such mixed-use and
landlord reduces demand – and bills. Savings from integration maximises the value of land, and
not having to install and maintain heating, air- yields income which pays for the higher build
conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems specification. In a public sector context, it achieves
in the workspaces can help offset the cost of CHP. best value for a site.
This in turn offers further efficiency gains over
conventional individual boilers, while links with MASTERPLANNING
local woodland managers and waste authorities For ZED-type developments to be implemented
help to make biomass viable as an energy source on a significant scale, sustainability must be
for urban areas. central to masterplan briefs. Masterplans must
reflect the

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

CONCLUSION – WAYS FORWARD

key importance of solar gain, close integration of

residential, employment and community uses, and
transport, biodiversity and water-saving strategies.
Favourable criteria for shading and aspect, plot use,
drainage and access must be set, and aspects of
urban design such as height, built form and street
frontage must be compatible. If these are not
considered from the outset, it will be all the more
difficult to make a sustainable development viable.

INCREASING DENSITIES
BedZED’s core blocks achieve a density of 105 units,
plus around 200 workspaces, per hectare. This
probably represents the highest density of naturally
lit mixed use urban grain capable of benefiting
from useful amounts of passive solar gain, at the
same time as providing good amenity and private
gardens for most homes.

At these densities, around 3 million new homes

could be provided on the existing stock of
28 800 ha of derelict brownfield land, staying
within a three-storey limit, using traditional
construction techniques. The UK currently replaces
its urban fabric at around 1.5% a year. If ZED
standards become commonplace, it will be possible
to achieve a broadly carbon-neutral urban to assist planning authorities when drawing-up
infrastructure by the start of the next century, with briefs and assessing proposals, and developers
no loss of agricultural land. to meet sustainability requirements.

SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS CONCLUSION

As a result of the Egan Report[11], Key Performance While reversing global warming trends is vital
Indicators are being introduced to the construction to the future, planning communities that do not
industry to measure productivity and quality. It is address all aspects of modern life – for example
essential also to measure the environmental, social building houses with no regard for where people
and economic sustainability of a project. Several will work and play – is itself unsustainable.
organisations, including councils, CIRIA, and
Movement for Innovation (M4I), have drawn up An holistic sustainable development strategy
checklists or indicators to aid this process. encompassing a wider range of issues is able
to reduce costs and minimise problems at the
The ZED team has applied this approach to planning and design stages. Providing that the
BedZED to draw up the Performance Indicators financial and lifestyle benefits of this rather more
in this document (see Appendix 1). The team is wholehearted approach can be demonstrated to
developing these into a more detailed list of 120 both developers, businesses and residents, it may
such indicators for new housing, drawing on the be possible to bypass the incremental approach
experience and issues raised by BedZED and similar to innovation with its marginal benefits, and
projects. The indicators include benchmarks for leapfrog directly to environmentally, socially and
standard, good and best practice, and are designed economically sustainable communities.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX 1 – KEY INFORMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AS AT JANUARY 2000

KEY INFORMATION FOR BEDZED AND BedZED’s high-density core of six block plus
ZED MODEL the village square. This is to show the densities
Two sets of figures are given. The first column achievable by ZED as a model for sustainable
gives gross figures for BedZED as designed and high-density mixed-use development.
built. The second column gives figures for

BedZED actual ZED model (BedZED core)

Gross area of site (ha) 1.7 0.64

Number of dwellings 82 63
Total floor area (m2 gross external) 10 388 8235
Residents 244 198
Habitable rooms 271 225
Area of sports pitch (m2) 4335 –
Area of village square (m2) 538 538
Area of roof/ground-level private gardens (m2) 2058 1638
Area of primary circulation (m2) 3207 1160
(ie 50% perimeter routes)
Area for car parking (m2/number of 986/84 –
parking spaces)
Area of work and commercial space 2369 1559
(internal m2)
Area of outdoor private garden/home (m2) 25 26
Area of public open space/home (m2) 60 3.5
Total number of workers 196 130
(@ one per 12 m2 floorspace)
Densities
Population density (residents/ha) 148 309
Homes/ha @ 3.5 hab rooms/home 47 100
Habitable rooms/ha 164 352
Public open space, excluding roads, 3000 840
pavements (m2/ha)
Employment density @ 12 m2 per employee 119 203
(workspaces/ha)
Total site population density (people/ha) 267 512

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX 1 – KEY INFORMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AS AT JANUARY 2000

SUSTAINABILITY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

1 Site location indicators

Indicator BedZED performance

Ratio of site previously used for buildings or industry 100% of site previously used for sewage
treatment
Pedestrian travel distance to railway station 0.7 km – easily walkable
Number of bus routes within 100 m of site boundary Two
Pedestrian travel distance to nearest bulk food shop 3 km (1.9 miles) to large supermarket
Pedestrian travel distance to nearest doctors/health centre 100 m
Pedestrian travel distance to nursery facilities 0 – proposal for on-site facilities
Pedestrian travel distance to nearest café or pub 0 – proposal for on-site café
Pedestrian travel distance to nearest infant, junior and senior 0.6 km, 0.6 km and 2 km
schools respectively
Opportunity to grow vegetables within 150 m Yes – adjacent eco-park, and roof
gardens

2 Energy indicators

Indicator BedZED performance

CO2 emissions – kilograms per square metre of floor area Zero

(This ideal measurement of global warming impact is complex
to calculate in advance, makes hidden assumptions, and is
dependent in practice on occupants’ behaviour. The following
are more easily measured indicators)
Installed capacity of active renewable energy harvesting 47 W/m2 (peak)
systems (eg wind, PV, wood, solar)
Installed capacity of CHP per m2 floor area: (a) fossil fuelled; 21 W/m2 thermal; 14 W/m2 electric
(b) renewable-fuelled
Installed capacity of heating/hot water systems: (a) fossil Zero
fuelled; (b) electric (also indicates level of thermal insulation
and airtightness)
Installed capacity of lighting systems 5 W/m2
Installed capacity of mechanical cooling systems in Zero
workspace or housing
Installed capacity of pumps, fans, etc 0.6 W/m2
Energy meters installed at occupant-readable position Yes
Design includes energy targeting Yes
Installed area winter-sun-exposed window 0.08 m2 glazing per m2 floor area
Installed area of daylight-exposed window 0.16 m2 glazing per m2 floor area
Hours per year rooms are above summer Zero
peak temperatures*
Ventilation efficiency* 0.33 litres fresh air (averaged)
per m2 floor area (8 litres/sec/person)
(*the last two indicators check that energy efficiency is not achieved at the cost of comfort)
3 Travel/transport indicators

Indicator BedZED performance

Covered bike space per home 1.42

Charging facilities for electric vehicles 26 charge points

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX 1 – KEY INFORMATION AND SUSTAINABILITY

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS AS AT JANUARY 2000

4 Materials

Indicator BedZED performance

Ratio of recycled or reclaimed materials to new materials Target 50%

in construction
Ratio of new timber certified by recognised assessor (eg FSC) Target 100%
Embodied energy of construction materials per hectare Data available post-construction
of built area
Proportion by weight of construction materials sourced from Data available post-construction
within 60 km
Domestic recycling: facilities for household separation Yes – three/four compartment bins
waste at source in kitchens for target 60% recycling
of domestic waste

5 Green/open space

Indicator BedZED performance

Sun-exposed garden area 0.13 m2 per m2 of residential floor area

6 Water saving

Indicator BedZED performance

Water consumption per person

(This ideal measurement is complex to calculate in advance,
and is dependent in practice on occupants’ behaviour.
The following are more easily identified design aspects)
Water meter installed in occupant-readable position Yes
Flow restrictors on all water outlets Yes
Water capacity of flush toilets 3/5 litre dual flush
Domestic hot water at mains or equal pressure
(to avoid power showers) Yes
Low-water appliances provided Yes
Water leak detection No
Rainwater/greywater collection for irrigation Yes
Rainwater recycling for indoor use Yes
Greywater recycling for indoor use Yes
On-site foul water treatment Yes
Surface water runoff attenuation
(eg porous landscaping, balance pond) Yes
On-site treatment of contaminated surface water Yes
7 Cost and quality

Indicator BedZED performance

{
Build cost – residential £ total 6 920 000 Includes
£ per m2 1100/m2 non-CHP
Build cost – work and commercial space £ total 2 090 000 infrastructure,
landscaping and
£ per m2 752/m2 workspace
external works
636/m2 commercial
CHP £ total 640 000
£ per m2 61/m2
Other (eg fees/S106) 2 140 000
Development cost £ total 11 790 000
average £/m2 floor area 1135/m2
Durability – target design life of structure 75 years minimum
Maintenance – average maintenance cost per m2 per year To be confirmed after five-year monitoring

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX 2 – PARTNERS

PEABODY TRUST The eight-strong practice has a wide range of

The Peabody Trust is London’s largest and longest- experience of working on low environmental
established housing association. It owns or impact projects, including design, masterplanning,
manages over 17 000 homes, and has a commercial risk management and developing and funding
portfolio that provides income for its charitable innovative environmental technologies – including
work. It has a long tradition of innovation, both the use of planning gain to fund carbon-neutral
in social and community initiatives and in development. BDA is particularly interested in
housing construction. showing how green issues suggest both new and
traditional construction techniques and a fresh
Peabody’s view is that the poor suffer soonest and new aesthetic.
most seriously from environmental destruction,
so its aim of relieving poverty in London demands Bill Dunster ended a 14-year association with
a long-term sustainability perspective as well as Michael Hopkins and Partners as the project
immediate social and economic action. Peabody’s associate responsible for the Nottingham
interest in the ZED scheme relates to several University Jubilee Campus. BDA is currently
specific areas: completing a new conference centre and visitor
■ reducing fuel bills and addressing fuel poverty, centre at the Earth Centre Doncaster, and currently
while reducing global warming emissions works from a prototype solar live-work unit near
■ mixed-use development, to build communities Hampton Court.
and support local employment
■ maximising green space to improve quality For examples of BDA’s work and published
of life in high-density urban developments material, please see the website:
■ supporting regional economies by using locally www.zedfactory.com or contact
sourced materials billdunster@zedfactory.com
■ low levels of car ownership, and alternatives
to fossil-fuel-powered private cars. OVE ARUP & PARTNERS – BUILDING PHYSICS
ENGINEERS, BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEERS
BIOREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GROUP Arup, founded in 1946, provides consulting
Established in 1994, BioRegional Development engineering, management and planning services
Group is an environmental organisation that aims through 76 established offices in 31 countries, with
‘to bring local sustainability into the mainstream’. over 6000 employees. Each group within the firm
It is founded on the green ideals of local production has particular specialist skills and is responsible for
for local needs, and use of sustainable resources. its own projects and to its own clients. From this
The Group takes a market-led approach, taking wide and diverse global resource, skills developed
account of economy, lifestyles and affordability. over many years are readily available for most
aspects of sustainability.
Projects include local wood products supplied to
national retailers, processing tree surgery waste, Arup’s design approach for sustainability is based
and developing the concept of BioRegional on the tripartite balance between social progress,
Networks to supply local food to national retailers. environmental impact and economic growth.
The BedZED project furthers BioRegional’s aims BedZED is the result of the application of a range
to promote local sustainability. of engineering techniques and specialist skills.
Increasingly this form of technology transfer and
BILL DUNSTER ARCHITECTS holistic design approach is seen as the future for
Bill Dunster Architects (BDA) is committed to solving sustainability issues. The aim is to give the
creating buildings and communities that reduce stakeholder more value with the use of less
consumption of natural resources at the same resource, and it illustrates how engineering is a key
time as improving our collective quality of life. constituent for society’s sustainable future.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX 2 – PARTNERS

GARDINER & THEOBALD ZEDTEAM

Gardiner & Theobald offers a comprehensive Zedteam is a consultancy of BedZED’s partners
worldwide service of construction consultancy that make the expertise and experience of
in conjunction with its global alliance partners design, construction and operation of sustainable
– Levett & Bailey and Rider Hunt (Asia Pacific). developments and communities more
widely available.
On BedZED, Gardiner & Theobald is committed to
sustainable development and is playing a key role in ELLIS AND MOORE
its achievement. It is doing this by challenging Ellis and Moore provides structural and civil
existing design briefs and specifications, aiming for engineering design services for a broad range
standardisation of components, as well as consulting of buildings. In recent years, the practice has
and co-ordinating with the project team. It is specialised in the development of brownfield
Gardiner & Theobald’s role, in conjunction with the sites for new-build housing projects,
project team, to obtain optimum, or best, value by refurbishment of listed buildings, estate
providing the necessary functions at the lowest cost. regeneration and research into the use of lime
in new-build projects. The practice philosophy
Gardiner & Theobald’s financial knowledge with is to produce technically competent solutions
regard to sustainable development is now highly that are economic and practical to build, whilst
developed thanks to the growing success of BedZED being sensitive to environmental issues.
and other environmentally aware schemes. It can
now reasonably ascertain the overall costs of On BedZED, Ellis and Moore is responsible
equivalent schemes, because of its experience and for the design of the building structures, site
close working relationships with the project team, decontamination, roads, underground drainage
specialist contractors and suppliers. and waste water treatment.

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

APPENDIX 3 – SHORT ROTATION COPPICE REQUIREMENTS

BedZED requires the following woodchip inputs

per year:
■ 0% moisture content – 700 tonnes/year
■ 50% moisture content – 1400 tonnes/year
■ 30% moisture content – 850 tonnes/year.

This would require a three-year, short-rotation

coppice woodland of around 70 ha, with around
24 ha of coppice being cut to meet the
community’s fuel demand each year.
(Source: B9 Biomass Energy.)

BWV chipstore

CHP gasifier

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 BEDDINGTON ZERO ENERGY DEVELOPMENT

REFERENCES

[1] Energy – The Changing Climate, Royal

Commission on Environmental Pollution, This Report is based on material drafted by

(The Stationery Office, 2000) Bill Dunster Architects under contract to

[2] Urban White Paper (DETR, 2000) BRECSU for the Energy Efficiency Best

[3] Derived from UK Energy and the Environment Practice programme

(Cambridge Econometrics, 1999) and Energy –

The Changing Climate, Royal Commission on
Environmental Pollution (The Stationery
Office, 2000)
[4] General Information Report 53. Building
a Sustainable Future. EEBPp, London, 1998
[5] Calculations by Ove Arup and Partners
[6] Ford THINK electric car (two-seater) launched
2001 in London – consumption
0.185 kWh/km. Peugeot 106 electric launched
1996 – consumption 0.27 kWh/km.
[7] BioRegional Development Group: BedZED
Total Energy Strategy and Green Transport
Plan, 2000
[8] Transport in the Urban Environment, Institute
of Highways and Transport, 1997
[9] London Borough of Sutton Sustainable
Transport Strategy, 1998
[10]Anglian Water, 1992
[11]Rethinking Construction: The Construction
Task Force, 1998
[12]Davies, Desai Feasibility of Local Sustainable
Food Sourcing by Supermarkets, BioRegional
Development Group, 2000

The Government’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme provides impartial, Energy Consumption Guides: compare energy use in
authoritative information on energy efficiency techniques and technologies in industry and specific processes, operations, plant and building types.
buildings. This information is disseminated through publications, videos and software, Good Practice: promotes proven energy-efficient techniques
together with seminars, workshops and other events. Publications within the Best Practice through Guides and Case Studies.
programme are shown opposite.
New Practice: monitors first commercial applications of new
Visit the website at www.housingenergy.org.uk energy efficiency measures.
Call the Environment and Energy Helpline on 0800 585794
Future Practice: reports on joint R&D ventures into new
energy efficiency measures.
For further specific information on buildings-related
projects contact: General Information: describes concepts and approaches
Enquiries Bureau yet to be fully established as good practice.
BRECSU Fuel Efficiency Booklets: give detailed information on
BRE specific technologies and techniques.
Garston, Watford WD25 9XX
Tel 01923 664258 Introduction to Energy Efficiency: helps new energy managers
Fax 01923 664787 understand the use and costs of heating, lighting, etc.
E-mail brecsuenq@bre.co.uk © CROWN COPYRIGHT FIRST PRINTED MARCH 2002