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
Editor's broadbrush view on forms of electrical heating in context.
The pace of heating change; BSRIA market intelligence
Electric Dreams, Boiler Realities.
New President of ECA announced
Ruth Devine MBE becomes the 112th President of the Electrical Contractors Association.
New CIAT Professional Standards Competency Framework
Supercedes the 2019 Professional Standards Framework from 1 May 2025.
Difficult Sites: Architecture Against the Odds
Free exhibition at the RIBA Architecture Gallery until 31 May.
PPN 021: Payment Spot Checks in Public Sub-Contracts
Published following consultation and influence from ECA.
Designing Buildings reaches 20,000 articles
We take a look back at some of the stranger contributions.
Lessons learned from other industries.
The Buildings of the Malting Industry. Book review.
Conserving places with climate resilience in mind.
Combating burnout.
The 5 elements of seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu and shitsuke.
Shading for housing, a design guide
A look back at embedding a new culture of shading.
The Architectural Technology Awards
The AT Awards 2025 are open for entries!
ECA Blueprint for Electrification
The 'mosaic of interconnected challenges' and how to deliver the UK’s Transition to Clean Power.
Grenfell Tower Principal Contractor Award notice
Tower repair and maintenance contractor announced as demolition contractor.