“The Merton Rule”
10%+ Renewable Energy Planning Policy
Combating climate change
The power of local government
The power of planning
Merton Community Plan target to cut CO2 emissions by 15% by 2015
Adrian Hewitt
London Borough of Merton
Copyright LB of Merton – not to be used or copied without permission
Please contact: 020 8545 3457 – adrian.hewitt@merton.gov.uk
020 8545 4854 – mike.carless@merton.gov.uk
Merton UDP policy PE13 – Adopted Oct 2003
“All new non-residential development above a threshold
of 1,000 sqm will be expected to incorporate renewable
energy production equipment to provide at least 10% of
predicted energy requirements.”
Every borough has a policy that “encourages” the use of renewables…….but the word
“encourage” never persuaded a developer to ever actually use them.
Why?
• Climate change
• Rising fuel costs
• Fuel Poverty
• Lower business costs
• Security of supply
Merton’s original policy was only for non-residential development. The revised
policy for the Local Development Framework will require all residential units to use
renewable energy equipment cut CO2 emissions by at least 10% - slide 9
In the meantime the Croydon UDP policy has
become the most commonly used example.
RIBA - Jan 05
Croydon – most common example of 10% policy
“The Council will expect all development (either new build or conversion)
with a floor-space of 1000m2 or ten or more residential units to incorporate
renewable energy production equipment to provide at least 10% of the
predicted energy requirements.”
Contains the 8 criteria essential for a prescriptive renewable energy policy:
1.
It includes the word “Require” or “Expect”.
2.
It states it is for “new build or conversion” – to catch change of use in regeneration areas
3.
It is for the combined floor space of commercial and residential.
4.
It establishes the floor-space and residential unit number threshold
5.
It states it is for on site renewable energy equipment – not buying in green energy
from the grid. The rationales of the policy are to stimulate the micro-renewables economy,
address fuel poverty, and lower energy bills for businesses.
6.
It sets the % target – in this case 10%.
7.
It is for the “predicted energy usage” - It is not acceptable to build and then monitor usage
8.
It says to provide “at least” 10% - which means that a higher target can be required if
and then retrofit the renewables. However, the policy should be implemented in terms of carbon
not energy – see following slide.
technically feasible and financially reasonable.
GOL/GLA - Feb 05
Public support
Mitcham town centre regeneration
consultation Question 6
“Would you support the use of
renewable energy to generate hot
water and electricity?”
84%
16%
96%
Question 7
“Would you support the use of
sustainable energy generation
and distribution systems?”
4%
90%
MorZED residents consultation
Question 3
“To what extent do you agree with
on- site renewable energy?”
ICLEI – Stockholm May 05
10%
Three main concerns preventing mainstream adoption
1. Is it legal? – YES - Precedent set by Merton in adopting and implementing
2. Will it lower land values and scare developers away? – NO
Experience is showing only about 2% to 3% additional build cost – and developers
are not being scared away from Merton and Croydon where the policy is being
implemented.
3. Will it overload my Development Control officers? – POSSIBLY
• DC officers should not be expected to become experts in renewable energy
• or advise on engineering options - it’s not their job to!
• Find an officer with an interest who can act as a pre-application “guide”
• Use the London Renewables Toolkit or one of the software programmes available
• Energy consultants will be used by the developer in complex cases – establish an
approved list who can be trusted not to cheat.
• Get advice from local Energy Efficiency Advice Centres or for non-profit company
• Resist the temptation to become fixated on overly complex CO2 & renewable energy
calculations – concentrate on implementing the policy and getting a reasonable estimate
of 10% with the minimum of fuss
DTI/DEfRA - July 05
Breaking the psychological log-jams
1 GLA – Renewables policy Feb 2004 & the first few boroughs adopting
2 Established the London Renewables Group > London Energy partnership
3 Training workshops for planners, Councillors and developers
4 Work on revising DTI/Carbon Trust Energy Consumption Guides
5 Website guidance and support: www.themertonrule.org
London Renewables Toolkit
6
http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/energy/docs/renewables_toolkit.pdf
7 PPS 22 – Aug 2004 - confirming the right of PAs to have a MertonRule policy
RTPI presentation July 06
Momentum gets going – boroughs start to embed a 10% policy in their own UDPs
Barking & Dag
Belfast
Isle of Wight
St Albans
Leeds
Bexley
Blackburn
Hull
Surrey Heath
Lincolnshire
Bromley
Thursday
8 June 2006
– mainstreaming
complete….!!!!
Telford & W
N. Lincolnshire
Bracknell F
Kirklees
C of London
Bradford
Croydon
Brighton
Test Valley
Leeds
Written Ministerial
Statements
Leicester
Wakefield
N.E.Lincolnshire
Oxfordshire
Ealing
Communities
and Local Government
Waveney
Calderdale
Liverpool
Enfield
Cambridge
Manchester
PPS22
York
S.Gloucestershire
Greenwich
Camden
Maidstone
Aylesbury Vale
Somerset
The
Minister forCantebury
Housing and Planning
(Yvette
Cooper):
Belfast
Milton Keynes
Haringey
Richmondshire
Test Valley
Space followBradford
Worcestershire
Charnwood
Newcastle
Havering
“It
is essential that
all planning authorities
this example and
take account
Chester
North
Devon
Lambeth
bar
fully
of the positive
approach to renewables
set Chester
out in PPS22 at REGIONAL
the earliest
PLANS
Chichester
Lewisham
opportunity
in their
plan-making.Oldham
In particular theCornwall
Government expect
London all
Craven
Crawley
Reading in their development
Merton
planning
authorities
to include policies
plans
Eastthat require a
Derby
Southwark
percentage
of the
energy in newRotherham
developments Dartford
to come from on-site
Yorks & Humber
Doncaster
Doncaster
Sutton
renewables,
where
it is viable.” Ryedale
South East
Tower Hamlets
East Riding
Salford
East Devon
South West
“IWaltham
have Forest
instructedEdinburgh
my officials to Sedgefield
write to all chiefEast
planning
officers
enclosing a
Riding
North East
copy
of
this
ministerial
statement.”
Exeter
Gateshead
Sefton
Westminster
East Midland
Barnsley
Guildford
Sheffield
Hambleton
Bedford
Harrogate
Southampton
Harlow
The Housing Corporation - June 05
Scotland
Wales
For local authorities front loading a 10%+ policy into their LDF –
3 issues to note
1. Residential thresholds
Policy should be for all residential units
– the additional capital cost is only £2K for solar thermal panels
2. “Expect” vs “Require” – use of the word “require” is justified by PS22
3. Carbon NOT energy
Policy should be written so that renewable energy is used to cut CO2 emissions rather
than generate 10% of energy needs. This is to discourage house-builders from installing
electric heating. Electric heating is cheaper to install but is more expensive for the end user
and is a far less CO2 efficient way of providing heating.
kW hours
of Energy
Electricity
Gas/water
East Region - June 05
10%
kWh
=
X ££
10%
CO2
CO2
=
Y ££££
Revised Local Development Framework (LDF) policy:
Merton LDF policy
“The Council will require all developments, either new build or
conversion, with a combined floor-space of 500m2, or one or
more residential units, to incorporate on-site renewable energy
equipment to reduce predicted CO2 emissions by at least 10% ”
Rising fossil fuel prices
Falling cost of renewables
DTI/DEfRA - July 05
At least 10% - Cranking up the % target & offsite generation
Renewable energy policy matrix
Appendix to LDF for interpreting the meaning of…. “…at least 10%….”
Low
rise res
4 story +
res
Light
industrial
Office
Etc etc
Conservatories,
extensions & conversions
Year 1
(08)
10%
10%
7.5%
10%
5%
Cut of 25%
solar thermal panel
Year 2
(09)
15%
12.5%
10%
12.5%
7.5%%
Cut of 30%
Solar thermal and PV
Year 3
(10)
20%
15%
12.5%
15%
10%
Cut of 50%
PV
Year 4
(11)
25%
20%
15%
17.5%
12.5%
Cut of 75%
PV and other
Year 5
(12)
30%
25%
17.5%
20%
15%
100%
PV and other
If the % target is technically unfeasible or financially unviable then offsite
generation may be permitted if it can be traced back to a “pure” green source.
Renewable Energy Association - June 06
Implementation for DC officers
1. Determining how much the 10% is
Identify kilowatt hours per annum (kWhpa) for electricity and kWhpa for heating for the
particular type of development (see London Renewables Toolkit p107 below) and then
multiply by the m2 of the building.
There are companies that can help both developers and LAs in implementing the 10%
policy. They will calculate CO2 emission footprints and percentage targets, and advise on
equipment options.
The London Renewables Toolkit was commissioned by the London Energy Partnership
and covers all the relevant areas for implementing the policy.
http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/energy/docs/renewables_toolkit.pdf
Naturally ventilated
open plan office
kWh pa
per m2
Size of
building m2
Total
kWh pa
kWh to
CO2
Total kg
CO2 pa
Electricity
54
X 3,500
189,000
X 0.46
86,940
Heating (gas)
72
X 3,500
252,000
X 0.19
47,880
TOTAL
10%
Institute of Physics - June 05
= 134,820
= 13,500
2. Confirming if the developers proposal meets the 10%
http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/energy/docs/renewables_toolkit.pdf
www.themertonrule.org
In order to minimize the number of solar panels or wind turbines etc needed to meet the
10% target, the developer will inevitably try to keep the predicted energy/CO2 emissions
as low as possible by incorporating energy efficiency measures into the building.
3,500 m2
office
=
10% = 13,500
kg CO2
Energy efficiency
= 10% CO2 cut
Technology
CO2 cut
p/a
Number of
devises
Total CO2
cut
1m2 Solar thermal panel
85 kg
17
1,445 kg
1 kWp Photovoltaic
350 kg
10
3,500kg
Micro-wind turbine
1,200 kg
6
7,200g
Building Service Journal – Oct 05
10% = 12,150
kg CO2
12,145
kg CO2
Enforcement Condition – developed jointly by Merton & Croydon
“Before any unit is occupied the renewable energy equipment shall have
been installed and the local planning authority shall be satisfied that their
day to day operation will provide energy for the development for so long
as the development remains in existence.
The carbon savings which result from this will be above the requirements
of the legal Building Regulations.”
The policy delivers the Building Regs by default
South West Region – Nov 05
Implementing the 10% policy – the story so far….
Attitude of developers – Getting ahead of the game in designing,
constructing and marketing low-carbon buildings.
Embedding it into their modus-operandi
103 applications to date in Croydon & Merton,
others across London & a few boroughs outside
Residential - solar water heating – if there’s no room for twin coil hot
water tanks, so they go for PV sometimes. Some micro-turbines.
High rise res – PV, solar thermal, wind
Industrial warehousing/Light industrial - PV & wind (up to 6kW)
Hotels, town centre retail and large stores – GSHE, PV & wind
Offices – PV & wind
Large mixed use - Biomass CHP and district heating
University of Venice May 2006
First implementation – 4,500 sqm of 10 light commercial units
10 individual business units
RIBA Jan 05
Willow Lane Industrial Estate - Merton
108,200 kgCO2
condensing boilers &
intelligent lighting = 9%
Animated
97,700 kgCO2
slide
– hit
space bar
and wait
each time
Lower CO2 footprint of
67,300 kgCO2
condensing boilers &
intelligent lighting = 9%
60,000 kgCO2
Additional build cost 3%
7.5%
16.5% total
CO2 reduction
21% total
CO2 reduction
10% = 9,700 KgCO2
10% = 6,000 Kg CO2
10 micro-turbines, 5kWp photovoltaics
& water saving taps & toilets = 7,250 kgCO2
12.0%
2nd Implementation – B&Q
Growing market = Falling prices
The bigger picture – the future – selling renewables to owner occupiers
Vertical axis wind turbine
Photovoltaics
Solar thermal
Renewable
energy
visitors
centre
Ground source heat piles
Merton Environment & Safety Forum - Oct 05
Micro-turbines
Exponential growth in the industry
£1.5b
LDF 2008 – PPS 22 &PPS 26
Micro-wind
PV kWp
m2 Thermal/GSHE
150
150
5,500
x by 422 PAs in UK
63,300
63,300
2,321,000
£5,000 (unit)
£5,000 (kWp)
£400 (sqm)
£316,500,000
£316,500,000
£1,012,800,000
Current
value of
installed
renewables
£35m
£1,500,000,000
And jobs in - BSE, Architecture, Marketing, R&D, Planning, Legal, etc
Said Business School, Oxford University - Feb 05
Wouldn’t it be better to do this through the Building Regs ?
NO - so why are Planning Policies and local initiatives the best approach?
BRs are inflexible and only give the minimum
Create pride and recognition at a local level
Foster healthy competition between boroughs
Enthuses the next generation of planners
Preserve imagination and initiative at a local level
Can’t explore the frontier
from behind a central
Government policy desk.!!
Unst hydrogen Island
Space bar
Merton 10%
Urban turbines
Building Regs
Ofgem, Gov Depts
etc
B&Q
BedZED
Woking DHP
Edinburgh Univ tri-gen
Oxford University - Institute of Russian and Slavonic Studies - Nov 05
Solar Century
The Energy Review - future “mindset”
Central planning vs decentralization
Decentralization of future investment - financial - technological - intellectual
The energy that families and businesses will want will be the cheapest
energy – which will be that which they have some ownership or control of
Turbines
Solar thermal
Space bar
Solar PV
GSHE
Design and retrofit the building
Architects Journal – Dec 05
Renewable
energy
supply
companies
and
retailers
“The Merton Rule”
10%+ Renewable Energy Planning Policy
Mobilizing to combat climate change
From “cottage industry”
to commercial industrial
“To mobilize we must develop a technique and
methods so simple that the citizen of good
common sense can readily grasp the idea.”
General George C Marshall
Adrian Hewitt
London Borough of Merton
Copyright LB of Merton – not to be used or copied without permission
Please contact: 020 8545 3457 – adrian.hewitt@merton.gov.uk
19/10/05
Getting to 10% - Building Services Journal
London CIBSE - Church House, Westminster, London
15/07/05
Sustainable energy economy
DTI/DEFRA Sustainable Industries Unit - London
12/07/05
10% Policy - Parliamentary Renewable & Sustainable Energy Group
Liberal Club - London
05/07/05
Building Integrated Renewables - Solar Century
Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors - London
29/06/05
Climate change planning - National Society for Clean Air
Institute of Physics - London
28/06/05
Planning & Community Heating - Combined Heat & Power Association
Army & Navy Club – Pall Mall, London
08/06/05
Sustainable planning - Eastern Region
Ipswich
25/05/05
Urban sustainable energy planning and technologies - LETIT (EU)
Terni - Italy
18/05/05
Sustainable planning - Edinburgh & South Lothian
Edinburgh University
16/04/05
Merton Energy Strategy - Merton Environment & Safety Forum
Morden Baptist church - Merton
03/03/05
Sustainable energy & planning - Sustainable Institutions Group
Said Business School - Oxford University
21/02/05
Planning for Low Carbon Building - Government Office for London
Greater London Authority - City Hall, London
26/01/05
Eco-housing - Oxford Brookes University
Royal Institute of British Architects - London
24/01/05
Low-carbon technologies and spatial planning - Oxford Trust
Culham Laboratory - Oxfordshire
21/11/04
10% renewable policy - Building Services Engineering
Max Fordham Associates - London
23/10/04
Renewable energy in Merton – Merton Environment & Safety Forum
London Borough of Merton - London
22/09/04
“Solar technologies will never work in Oxford” – Debate
Oxford Union
24/08/05
10% renewable policy - East Midlands planning conference
De Montfort University - Leicester
06/06/04
Low Energy Technology Implementation (LETIT) - EU - 6th Framework
London
29/03/04
10% renewable policy - IT Power
Greater London Authority - City Hall - London
29/05/03
Sustainable development communication strategies - EU Asia-Urbs
The Energy Research Institute - New Delhi, India
22/09/02
Urban Carbon Zoning – Combating climate change
Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Massachusetts
04/07/02
Sustainable urban planning and building design – EU Asia-Urbs
Barcelona - Catalonia
Into the mainstream 1 – presentations given at the following conferences & seminars
RTPI presentation July 06
14/09/06
Combating climate change – sustainable energy planning in Britain
Perm University - Russia
28/06/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy - Local action on climate change
London
19/06/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy – policy briefing
The Housing Corporation - London
08/06/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy – Renewable Energy Association
Institute of Civil Engineers - London
26/05/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy – Begbroke Science Directorate
Oxford University
25/05/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy – Sustainable planning conference
Oxford Brookes University
22/05/06
Mapping and monitoring the 10% policy on GIS – UDMS City Knowledge
Venice University
17/05/06
Mapping and monitoring the 10% policy on GIS – UDMS City Knowledge
Aalborg, Denmark
16/05/06
Merton sustainable energy strategy - ICLEI
Stockholm
27/04/06
Low carbon planning and infrastructure – EU LETIT
Brussels
06/04/06
Merton 10% Policy – MSc lecture
Oxford Brookes University
13/03/06
Sustainable Planning policy
Southampton Town Hall
07/02/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy – Wycombe Borough Council
Merton
17/01/06
The MertonRule 10%+ Policy – Sheffield City Council
Merton
12/01/06
Low carbon planning and infrastructure – EU LETIT
University of Lisbon
09/01/06
Merton Energy Strategy – Merton Scientific Society
Merton Adult Education College
12/12/05
10% Renewable Policy – Energy Centre for Sustainable Communities
Hove Town Hall
07/12/05
Planning for Climate Change - Friends of the Earth Cymru
Welsh Assembly
01/12/05
Sustainable Architecture - Architects Journal
Hamilton Place - London
24/11/05
Climate Change & Politics
Institute of Russian & Slavonic Studies - Oxford Univ
23/11/05
From Paper to Practice (10% Policy) - South West Region
Centre for Sustainable Energy - Taunton
16/11/05
Renewable Futures (10% policy) - South West Region
Regensw - Western–Super Mare
27/10/05
Building a sustainable future - Construction News
Institute of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – London
Into the mainstream 2 – presentations given at the following conferences & seminars
RTPI presentation July 06