The focus in the built environment section is on the proposed expansion of new homes and the refurbishment of existing properties in the Development Plan.
Cork City Council must adopt a Home Performance Index as a measurement system, to be a mandatory requirement for all potential tenderers carrying out housing projects within the remit of the City Council. This will measure the performance of the building and also the recoverability of all materials used in its construction.
Detailed Rationale here:
(Ref: 5.25.) According to SEAI data, emissions from housing and construction can be as high as 37% of the total energy usage in Ireland. This figure is second only to transport emissions. The introduction of Building Reg Part L, 2019, incorporating near zero energy building, has substantially reduced the in use energy demand of future building. This is a very narrow focus and does not consider the emissions generated during the building process from extraction of mineral, to fabrication of equipment or the dealing with the end of life of buildings.
It is estimated that when this energy is calculated, it can be equal to as much as 40-60 years worth of the operational energy of use of a new building. The construction sector is responsible for over 35% of the EU's total waste generation. Greenhouse gas emissions from material extraction, manufacturing of construction products, as well as construction and renovation of buildings are estimated at 5-12% of total national GHG emissions. Greater material efficiency could save 80% of those emissions.
There are many different standards and measurement methods available to measure the 'Whole life Cycle' of the building process that can better inform building industry, government and the public in general. Tools include LEAD used in the US, BREAM in the UK and an new system being rolled out across EU called LEVELs. Here in Ireland, the Irish Green Building Council have their own version call Home Performance Index (HPI). This measures the Whole life Cycle of a building from mineral extraction to construction to eventual replacement of the building. It is a scoring system that also awards extra points to building for density, design access to public amenities, public transport etc.
Cork city will be transformed over the coming decades with population increases and with the number of new builds set to rise by as much as 60%. We can achieve this expansion while being an exemplar of positive development which aligns perfectly with other goals set out in the plan such as achieving circularity and the adoption of a 15-minute city.
(Ref: 5.34) The reference in the plan to the potential contribution of renewable energy in the large developments in the docklands is scant and tokenism. Renewable heating systems such as district heating deserves much more than a cursory mention. A commitment to undertake a serious review of this matter is required.
Geothermal heating should be standardised in new housing developments.