Carbon negative building
The Home Quality Mark One, Technical Manual SD239, England, Scotland & Wales, published by BRE in 2018 defines carbon negative as:
|
A building or site that generates, surplus to its own energy demand, an excess of renewable or carbon neutral energy and exports that surplus via the national grid to meet other, off-site energy demand, i.e. the building is a net exporter of zero carbon energy. Surplus in this respect means the building or site generates more energy via renewable or carbon neutral sources than it needs to meet its own regulated and unregulated energy needs. This definition of carbon negative focuses only on energy and carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the operational stage of the building life cycle, as this is the stated aim of this assessment issue. It does not take into account the embodied carbon, in terms of carbon fixing, or emissions resulting from the manufacture or disposal of building materials and components. |
These impacts and benefits are dealt with by the Home Quality Mark in Section 6.2 Environmental Impact of Materials.
BREEAM UK New Construction, Non-domestic Buildings (United Kingdom), Technical Manual, SD5078: BREEAM UK New Construction 2018 3.0, published by BRE Global Limited, suggests that a carbon negative building is:
| …one that generates a surplus to its own energy demand (i.e. an excess of renewable or carbon neutral energy) and exports that surplus via the national grid to meet other, off-site energy demands. In other words it is a net exporter of zero carbon energy. Surplus in this respect means the building or site generates more energy via renewable or carbon neutral sources than it needs to meet its own regulated and unregulated energy needs. Any surplus must be exported through the national grid. This definition of carbon negative focuses only on energy and carbon dioxide emissions resulting from the operational stage of the building life cycle (as this is the stated aim of this assessment issue). It does not take into account the embodied carbon, in terms of carbon fixing or emissions resulting from the manufacture or disposal of building materials and components. |
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- BRE articles.
- BREEAM.
- Building Research Establishment.
- Carbon neutral contract.
- Carbon ratings for buildings.
- CIC launches a carbon zero climate action plan for professional institutions.
- Climate Change Act.
- Carbon footprint.
- Carbon neutral.
- Half of public sector bodies not planning for net zero carbon.
- Home quality mark.
- Low or zero carbon technologies.
- Nearly zero-energy building.
- Net zero by 2050.
- Net zero carbon 2050.
- Net zero carbon building.
- Transform to Net Zero.
- What we need for the journey to net-zero carbon emissions.
- Wood and carbon.
- Zero Bills Home.
- Zero carbon homes.
- Zero carbon non domestic buildings.
Featured articles and news
Building Safety Levy technical consultation response
Details of the planned levy now due in 2026.
Great British Energy install solar on school and NHS sites
200 schools and 200 NHS sites to get solar systems, as first project of the newly formed government initiative.
600 million for 60,000 more skilled construction workers
Announced by Treasury ahead of the Spring Statement.
The restoration of the novelist’s birthplace in Eastwood.
Life Critical Fire Safety External Wall System LCFS EWS
Breaking down what is meant by this now often used term.
PAC report on the Remediation of Dangerous Cladding
Recommendations on workforce, transparency, support, insurance, funding, fraud and mismanagement.
New towns, expanded settlements and housing delivery
Modular inquiry asks if new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing.
Building Engineering Business Survey Q1 2025
Survey shows growth remains flat as skill shortages and volatile pricing persist.
Construction contract awards remain buoyant
Infrastructure up but residential struggles.
Home builders call for suspension of Building Safety Levy
HBF with over 100 home builders write to the Chancellor.
CIOB Apprentice of the Year 2024/2025
CIOB names James Monk a quantity surveyor from Cambridge as the winner.
Warm Homes Plan and existing energy bill support policies
Breaking down what existing policies are and what they do.
Treasury responds to sector submission on Warm Homes
Trade associations call on Government to make good on manifesto pledge for the upgrading of 5 million homes.
A tour through Robotic Installation Systems for Elevators, Innovation Labs, MetaCore and PORT tech.
A dynamic brand built for impact stitched into BSRIA’s building fabric.
BS 9991:2024 and the recently published CLC advisory note
Fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings. Code of practice.