Client questions the efficiency of solar power and wind technology

A leading client has hit out at public bodies setting renewable energy targets for new buildings, claiming that green technologies such as solar power and wind are currently inefficient.

Marcus Boret, director at office and industrial developer Akeler, said the new target set by the London mayor for new developments to generate 20% of energy from renewable sources missed the point. He said more effort needed to be taken into creating efficient basic buildings rather than adding solar panels or wind turbines.

Boret, who overseas construction and procurement for the developer, said: "Setting renewable targets for new buildings, it's completely the wrong response if you want to create energy efficient buildings. It focuses on the things you add to buildings rather than the inherent systems in the buildings, such as M&E.

"It's very inefficient trying to put 10% extra (renewable) on a building. Why not get clients to give that to the government and they can build a wind farm in the North Sea?"

Borer said solar, photovoltaic and wind technologies were still in their infancy.

"Is (solar panels) it really efficient? You have to first of all convert the energy from DC to AC before selling it back. The payback on it is ridiculous. It's far too expensive... What happens if you don't get the metre per second velocity for wind turbines? It's unproven."

Borer gave as an example of his firm's approach a new scheme planned for Aberdeen for oil giant BP. Akeler has worked with a team from Cambridge University to come up with a new natural ventilation system for the building which will halve the property's heating costs. "That's a passive solution but the benefits are big," he said. "You can work much harder on the fabric of the building through the M&E design."

Renewable targets for new buildings, it’s the wrong response if you want to create energy efficient buildings

Marcus Boret, director, Akeler

Boret also called for energy labelling to be introduced, which would indicate how much energy a building would use. "I would like a calculation for a building like they do for white goods. As an industry we struggle on this. There is very little data about how buildings are performing."

Boret said although the government had struggled to implement the new version of Part L of the building regulations he saw the move as positive.

He said in some cases complying to the new Part L would not add extra costs to buildings, in spite of predictions revealed in QS News of costs rises from the government and QS Davis Langdon.

Boret said: "It's more laborious and tougher but I think it's a good thing. I don't think it will necessarily (add costs). Some of these things you can do for nil costs.

"It can come down to good masterplanning, to the whole balance of the site."