“Think Fabric First” In practi ce the energy efficiency of a building boils down to a couple of things. How much fuel is required to power its heati ng and water systems and how well the building manages to retain the heat that is generated.
The bett er a building performs in these two areas, the less fuel its occupants will use on a daily basis and the lower its emissions will be. As such the fabric of a building is central to its green credenti als. Increasingly this is becoming a significant factor in the decision making process for all house builders. Within the past few years, the building standard regulati ons were amended to ensure all new properti es deliver a 30% cut in the current benchmark for CO2 emissions. The standard will then be reduced again by a further 30% in 2016.