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CarbonBuzz is a free platform that collects anonymous building energy consumption data to highlight the performance gap between design figures and actual readings

 

Published Projects: 22
Projects Entered: 398
Registered Users: 802

York House 2010
Use CarbonBuzz to:
  • upload projects and compare their performance anonymously
  • share data across organisations
  • track project energy consumption and associated CO2 emissions
  • go beyond compliance and refine design estimates to account for occupant related activities when estimating energy use
  • inform the development of more detailed benchmarks and robust energy use predictions

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THE PERFORMANCE GAP

This diagram shows typical risks of underestimating the likely energy consumption of buildings. We label these risks collectively as 'unregulated' because mandatory compliance calculations do not account for occupant-related energy use. The site invites users to go beyond compliance and refine estimates to account for these when predicting energy use.

 

CarbonBuzz currently helps users assess likely appliance and IT use including special equipment for common building types. Your data will help define the scale of impact from other risk areas which are major factors in operational carbon emissions, usability and comfort.

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Registered users can ...

  • Find out how a building performs against others
  • Compare design estimates against operational energy use
  • Study the end use composition of other projects
  • Track the design and actual CO2 emissions of a portfolio of buildings

 

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Partners

CarbonBuzz is funded jointly by the Technology Strategy Board and industry partners. We are grateful to the Steering Group for their vision, expertise and case studies towards the current development of the platform.

 

RIBA CIBSE UCL bre AEDAS
FCSB XCO2 AECOM Technology Strategy Board (TSB)
Davis Langdon      
bre British Land BSRIA Carbon Trust carillion Deloitte
elementus Hackney Hammerson Islington Council Low Carbon Workplace Oxford Brookes University
Partnerships for Schools RIBA RICS Rockwool Sturgis Associates  
TSB Usable Buildings Trust wates Willmott Dixon  
           

Sarah Cary - British Land: Post occupancy evaluations and energy in use has moved from experts to everyone. CarbonBuzz could provide the framework for this exercise.

 

Rory Walsh-Low Carbon Workplace Fund: CarbonBuzz provides a reliable platform to exchange information about predicted vs real energy use - the link between design and operational energy consumption is widely misunderstood.

 

Emma Bushell - Islington Council: As part of Islington Council's Green Performance Plan CarbonBuzz can help demonstrate achievements in minimising energy consumption.

 

Keith Snook - BRE: CarbonBuzz can make a useful contribution to policy by providing a repository of real energy use evidence for benchmarking.

 

Phil Jones - CIBSE Benchmarking Group: The incorporation of high resolution datasets makes CarbonBuzz a robust tool.

 

Alasdair Donn - Willmott Dixon: CarbonBuzz provides added value above DECs through collecting detailed information on individual buildings.

 

Ann Bodkin - Partnership for Schools: CarbonBuzz can help users understand the risks associated with unregulated energy use.

 

Simon Sturgis - Sturgis Associates: CarbonBuzz can provide data in response to users' evolving requirements; in the future this focus may move from design vs. actual to operational data vs. whole life.

 

Will Ray - Rockwool: CarbonBuzz provides a great opportunity to make data more accessible online and will support our work to bridge the performance gap between expectations and outcomes.


 
Partners
Part L calculations include heating, hot water, cooling, ventilation and fixed lighting at set occupancy and operating hours
Design vs. As-built - changes occur from compliance stage through to construction, commissioning and handover which affect building performance
ICT including servers, telecoms, security, etc. can have a major impact on energy use
Small power equipment including plug loads and other electrical equipment are excluded from the compliance stage totals
Special functions are specialist activities that can cause a major increase in energy consumption such as lifts, swimming pools, medical equipment, etc.
Operating hours beyond those assumed in compliance calculations, including intermittent occupancy are not required to be considered for compliance
Occupant density beyond compliance assumptions can affect energy use but can be difficult to estimate or verify
Building management, and relating training, commissioning, controls and metering have a major impact on how long and at what intensity services or equipment operate each day.
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