Results:

Low or zero carbon energy sources are increasingly being installed in buildings, e.g. small scale and micro CHP units, photovoltaic panels and building mounted wind generators. The development of performance standards and suitable guidance on satisfactory provisions, on e.g. structural measures, weatherproofing and location is needed, also compliance with ADL and any relevant provisions of the forthcoming Electrical AD. This desk study will also take account of the Energy White Paper and the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD).

The overall aim of this project is to develop suitable performance standards and guidance for the installation of low or zero carbon energy sources in buildings.

It is proposed to include a specified list of low or zero carbon energy sources as alternatives to energy conservation and energy efficiency measures in order to achieve target carbon emissions for different building types. The extent to which LZC energy sources can contribute to achieving the carbon emissions target should be limited to a given level or percentage.

Since the proposal is to include LZC energy sources as an alternative to further energy conservation or energy efficiency measures there is no strict requirement to calculate the cost effectiveness of each for the purposes of regulatory impact assessment. However, an assessment of cost effectiveness has been undertaken to provide ODPM with:

The assessment of cost effectiveness shows that few LZC technology/application cases achieve a positive NPV and hence none are recommended to be considered for mandatory inclusion.