Sustainable & Low or Zero Carbon Buildings
Built-in sustainability
The SOL approach to sustainable and low/zero carbon buildings
What we can do for you
Sustainability is a key value in today’s environmentally aware society. And if you’re planning a new construction or infrastructure development, not only is it an ethical obligation, it’s also a legal requirement.
It can be very challenging to make effective, practical project decisions while staying compliant with evolving sustainability regulations. At SOL, we have the expertise and the experience to support your organisation throughout the whole project lifecycle, from inception to final construction and operation.
Start right
The best way to achieve a sustainable building is to design one. That may seem obvious, but many organisations don’t factor in sustainability until just before the planning submission, when a design is fixed, or even at the construction phase. This can lead to inefficient processes, rising costs and unforeseen issues that can delay project completion, or even stop it entirely.
At SOL, we believe in getting it right from the start. Our expert consultants and specialists embed sustainability goals and targets at the earliest design phase, giving full consideration to best practice. We offer 360-degree, multidisciplinary support that covers every aspect of design, planning and construction, making sure your low or no-carbon build process is streamlined, effective, and compliant with all relevant regulations.
How we support you
- Sustainability appraisals
- SAP/SBEM energy modelling
- Energy and CO2 emissions strategy (including building energy statements)
- Daylighting, thermal comfort, overheating and operational energy assessments
- BREEAM, WELL and sustainability assessments
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
- Whole Life Carbon Assessments (WLCA) and Circular Economy Statement (CES)
- Passive House
- Sustainability Statements and Climate Change Chapters
- Site feasibility, constraints and suitability assessments
Need more detail? Download our factsheets below
Energy efficiency and low carbon impact are key planning considerations at both national and regional levels. Most existing and emerging core strategies require you to commit to a mandatory minimum CO2 rating that goes well beyond those laid out in Part L of the Building Regulations. With the government’s net zero carbon emissions target for all new developments, BREEAM standard compliance has also become increasingly important across many regions and sectors. All this means that developers must adopt robust and compliant energy strategies going forward. SOL’s comprehensive support can prevent this from placing serious strain on the planning process.
All residential and commercial buildings are required to have their energy performance modelled and certificated. As qualified low carbon energy assessors, SOL can provide a range of energy modelling services, as well as lodging commercial EPCs. Our team can advise on cost-effective design and strategy that will meet the most stringent energy requirements, as well as supporting low-carbon developments across a range of commercial sectors.
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) is widely used to evaluate and certify the environmental performance of a building. BREEAM sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design; it’s the most common measure used to describe a building’s sustainability and environmental performance. Credits are awarded in ten categories according to performance, on a scale of Pass, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding. The SOL in-house team includes several qualified BREEAM assessors and accredited professionals. In addition to BREEAM, our qualified assessors cover methodologies such as WELL, Fitwel, DREAM, Wired, Passive House Designer, and others.
Building regulations are growing tighter. That’s why it’s important to make sure that every aspect of a new development works to reduce overall carbon emissions. Using the principles of building physics, we help our clients to reduce a building’s operational carbon. Our modelling services help to optimise carbon emissions, energy use, occupant comfort and operational performance. This ensures that every design balances practicality with minimum carbon and energy use. Services include: daylight analysis; u-value calculations; thermal comfort assessments (TM52); overheating calculations (TM59); operational energy assessments (TM54); dynamic thermal modelling; PHPP (Certified Passive House Designer); passive design analysis, and LZC feasibility studies.
Sustainability statements are commonly required as part of a planning application. We are experienced in providing statements that address the broad range of sustainability and climate change criteria across all planning policies. We can also provide Climate Change Chapters suitable for an Environmental Statement, or a full Environmental Impact Assessment.
Drop us a line
If you want expert, independent sustainability advice for your new project, just call or email us. One of our team members will be in touch as soon as possible.