In other words, we want clean energy solutions which won’t require big behavioural changes, or huge investment in associated infrastructure.

Ask yourself whether you really need to build a new building or whether repurposing an existing building could achieve the same end goal..Undertake a pre-demolition audit to understand the potential for reuse on the existing site.

Use this information to develop sustainable construction design solutions..Understand the potential reuse of buildings or building components locally, including the need to transport and store materials.. Balance cut and fill to reduce off-site waste and new material brought to construction sites.. Use lean design principles to reduce the amount of material overall.This will also reduce the embodied carbon..

Consider design for deconstruction at the start of the design process rather than try to retrofit it into the design part way through.. Be clear on the potential flexibility that is needed by the proposed occupants and consider what future flexibility could be included with minimal additional materials, allowing the building to be adaptable and future-fit..Embrace digital design to have more understanding and control over the design decisions and material quantities.. Use recycled materials wherever possible and adapt project aspirations to suit..

Develop clear and concise operation and maintenance (O&M) information to enable the future building to be well maintained and have the potential to be reused or recycled as valuable components in the future..

Consider each layer of a building, with a different strategy for each which responds to the life expectancy of each layer..One of the reasons why there’s a big focus on projects in the US (other than technology development) is the relative lightness of the permitting and approval process.

The UK is seen as relatively straightforward; however, the system is often slowed by multiple objections.In other countries (for instance, Spain) the permitting process is very long.. Getting power to site is another key factor.. Power in Europe is supplied by a monopoly.

Often state-run, these organisations suffer no commercial loss from being slow or late in delivering agreed power infrastructure.This can typically take 12 to 18 months.. To contend with some of these challenges, developers are pushing the boundaries of their operations and getting directly involved in the delivery of electrical distribution infrastructure by contracting private companies to carry out the work.