Retro and Fit Taking energy efficiency in buildings to scale
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a greenfutures Special Edition Published by
Retro
and Fit
Taking energy efficiency
in buildings to scale
Photos: xxxxx
www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 3
“We must make the most of what “Retrofit can be art.
we have already taken” Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so interested”
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is widely regarded stresses the importance of an integrated approach to
as one of the pioneering masters of modern design, so that steps taken at one stage do not need
architecture. He sought to develop a new style to be undone or reworked later on, causing us to lose
defined by efficiency and simplicity. He valued space, precious time and money.
and kept unnecessary ornamentation to a minimum. We are blessed in the UK with significant natural
His principles have much to offer as we work towards resources of construction material aggregate. The
a more sustainable construction industry. products Lafarge delivers, such as concrete, form the
Today, homes and buildings represent nearly foundations of our infrastructure and almost every built
40% of our global energy demand. There’s no ‘one development. They are in our floors, columns, walls,
size fits all’ solution to making them sustainable. staircases, towers, bridges, roads, pipes, and so on.
The characteristics of an energy-efficient home However, environmental pressures on land
vary according to the climate, the building’s size, its increasingly restrict its availability for quarrying. When
function and its spatial organisation. But there are we do quarry, we need to do so responsibly, efficiently
ways to design more efficient buildings, and even ones and sustainably. But we also need to ensure that we
which produce as much energy as they consume. use these materials in a way that will benefit us for
With every stage of a building’s life in mind, many years to come.
Lafarge has developed 20 simple rules for sustainable Times are changing. We are very aware that this is
construction. These will be showcased at Ecobuild a world under pressure. Its resources are finite, and yet
2012, alongside a model based on the work of Ludwig our appetite for them seems limitless. The importance
Mies van der Rohe. of making the most of what we have already taken
Just enough and no more: By following these principles, we aim to make the from the earth cannot be underestimated.
the Farnsworth House, most of freely available resources, such as sunlight,
built by Ludwig Mies van natural ventilation and the integration of renewable Jeremy Greenwood is Managing Director –
der Rohe in 1951 energies, and to minimise waste. The final rule Concrete Lafarge Aggregates & Concrete UK.
If you look around a city, the majority of To my mind, architecture has become too
buildings are not used for their original narrowly defined. It’s about space and image, but
purpose. Take Bedford Square [pictured above], also about resources and the environment. What
built circa 1780 to house London’s upper middle do we need for our wellbeing? We need to survive,
class: now home to university facilities and the odd but fulfilment of human life and potential begins
printing press, among other things. when basic needs are met. And so there’s no trade-
Almost on a daily basis we change the buildings off between art and architecture. Genius lies in
around us. We should think of them as dynamic, combining art and resources to produce a result that
living entities. Consider the sensual experience of is both long-lasting and fulfilling.
being inside. You’re often not aware of the building’s We are changing our view of the resources at our
structure: that’s the timeless factor. You may barely disposal. We are moving towards more responsive
be aware of the services it provides, from temperature buildings: ones that sense our movement, or
regulation to lighting. Then you have the scenery: the respond to daily or seasonal changes in light and
Front and back cover: Penoyre & Prasad; Photos: Lafarge A&C; View Pictures Ltd / SuperStock
colour of the paint, the style of furniture. These things temperature. The idea of intelligent buildings is
are immediate to us, and we change them all the time. starting to make everyday sense. You walk into a
Retrofit isn’t just about cutting carbon and saving space and the light comes on; you walk towards an
energy. It can also be about the wellbeing of the escalator that starts moving…
people who use that building. I fundamentally believe We live in a world where visions and
that people need to be more aware of the spaces in communication are really important: we need to
which they live and work, and the profound impact inspire people about retrofit. As architects we rely on
these have on our lives. We all need to talk about advocacy and persuasion. Clients may have all the
it more. We talk about music, cookery, the theatre, good intentions in their mission plans, but getting
but not about the walls around us. The broadsheets them to understand the implications of their own
Photos: Penoyre & Prasad; iStockphoto / thinkstock
have a few column inches on architecture, but media commitments is another thing.
attention is light. Just think of the construction challenge of
Where there is coverage, new build tends to working with people in situ. There’s nothing boring
dominate, instilling the feeling that working on retrofit about such project management! Imagine being in a
is second rate – that it doesn’t require the same building while it changes around you. It’s a dramatic
intellect or passion or creativity. But it does. Retrofit thing to be the conductor of: there’s glamour in it.
can be art: if it couldn’t, I wouldn’t be so interested. We have to transform the world around us, while
Of course, there will be retrofit projects where things we live in it.
are so constrained that all you can do is replace the
boilers and plumbing… But then you probably won’t Sunand Prasad is a Founding Partner at architects
need an architect. Penoyre & Prasad.
2 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 3
Opportunity Winning offers
Serious Energy is pioneering a retrofit funding model in
the US, spurred on by its success in selling solar arrays.
start-up’s founder and president, Cisco DeVries. “And that’s
as it should be.”
knocks
The start-up has already snapped up some big business, The city of Melbourne [below], Australia, has created a
including the refurbishment of all 6,514 windows in the Empire new Environmental Upgrade Charge programme, to finance
State Building, and another contract at the New York Stock energy retrofits in commercial buildings, using a variation of
Exchange. It works by assessing the current energy bill of the the PACE model. Here’s how it works. The council enters into
client, and identifying improvements to cut those costs. It then an agreement with both commercial property owners seeking
offers to pay for these improvements and to pay the energy up-front financing for projects that improve energy, water and
bill, all at a reduced cost to the building owner. environmental efficiency, and with the financial institutions
So, take a building with an annual energy spend of willing to fund these retrofits. A private lending body advances
$1 million. The owner wants to cut the operating cost, funds to the building owner to undertake the project. The
As the UK Government grapples with high targets, but is put off by the upfront investment and the risk that the
changes won’t achieve performance targets. Serious Energy
owner or occupier pays an ongoing environmental upgrade
charge, levied by the council, which matches the principal and
businesses are finding cash in the attic, and creating
identifies energy improvements that will require a $1 million interest. Payments are then passed on to the lender. The aim
investment and that will result in 25% savings. It offers the is to reduce the risk associated with lending for the financial
customer a 10-year contract with a 5% Energy Bill Reduction institution, and offer finance to property owners at a lower rate
jobs in the process, says Andrew Brister. Guarantee, so that instead of paying $1 million a year in bills, than commercial loans.
the building owner pays Serious Energy $950,000 a year.
Serious Energy uses this money to implement the energy
bills [see ‘Domestic goddess?’, GF81, p30]. This retrofit projects and manages energy performance for the
much awaited scheme could lead to the upgrade of duration of the contract, paying the $750,000 annual bill and
500,000 homes a year, and Energy Secretary Chris using the remaining £200,000 to cover maintenance, bank
Huhne has high hopes that it will create 100,000 jobs and financing fees.
in home refurbishment alone by 2015. Californian start-up Renewable Funding was launched in
“The potential for low-carbon growth is 2009, to administer Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE)
enormous”, says Business Minister Mark Prisk, loans. These loans are available for home and commercial
co-chair of the Government’s recently established retrofit projects, and are paid back through fixed payments
Green Construction Board. “There are approximately as part of the property tax bill. If the owner sells the property,
25 million existing homes to be retrofitted by the end these payments are passed on to the buyer. Renewable
of 2050. This is a huge business opportunity that Funding provides a comprehensive service to make the
small construction firms should grasp.” whole process easy, such as processing applications and
Some larger construction firms are at the ready. providing quality assurance. “Over time, it’ll probably be
Willmott Dixon Re-Thinking is embarking on a range a very big market, and it’ll be more than just us,” says the
of projects to explore the most efficient ways to
greet the opportunity at scale, working with partners
and the supply chain. As David Adams, the Director
in charge of retrofit at Willmott Dixon, puts it, “The
In the UK, the halo has slipped from the rewards are actually quite astonishing. [The Green Siemens Financial Services UK. Worth up to loft insulation, and new heating systems, to solar
self-proclaimed “greenest government ever”. Deal] could create jobs now, which will be paid for £550 million over three years, this is designed to help thermal and solar PV.”
First, Chancellor George Osborne performed if in the future, without going into debt!” But, he asks, businesses invest in both energy efficiency and other Carillion has seen some 400 people come
not a U-turn then a sharp right, when he blamed a “With such a huge prize, an enormous prize, how do low-carbon technologies such as biomass heating. through its Bedford Training Academy in the last
decade of environmental laws and regulations for we make this work?” “We are pushing our members towards the Carbon two years, acquiring skills in all areas of low-energy
“piling costs on the energy bills of households and Like many potential Green Deal providers, Trust scheme Implementation Services and Siemens retrofit. “We are providing opportunities for our
companies”, at the Conservative party conference. Adams and his team are keen for more detail to Finance, rather than the Green Deal”, says David electricians to develop skills in solar PV, or our gas
Now, a nascent solar industry reels in the face of emerge on the nitty gritty of the scheme. “We need Frise, Head of Sustainability at the HVCA, the UK’s engineers to work with biomass, for example”,
the slashing of the Government’s Feed-in Tariff (FIT) to see what incentive mechanisms are going to be trade association for building engineering services. says Richardson.
With such a scheme – one that has done so much to create jobs put in place, to give us a steer as to how big this Why? Firstly, he explains, “because the scheme is These skills are already being put to use in the
at a time of stagnant economic growth. market will actually be”, he says [see ‘We won’t get up and running a year ahead of the Green Deal. And north of England, thanks to a partnership between
huge prize, One thing remains certain. The UK Government another chance’, p10]. also because the Carbon Trust is an organisation Carillion Energy Services and Sheffield City Council.
an enormous has to meet its legally binding commitment to reduce A consortium of industry leaders, clients are aware of and trust [due to its] track record Their Free Insulation Scheme is designed to make
prize, how greenhouse gas emissions by 80% come 2050, from including energy services provider Carillion, and an understanding of energy saving projects. it as easy as possible for homeowners and private
a 1990 baseline. the DIY giant Kingfisher, EDF Energy and The Green Deal is an unknown quantity, and the tenants to benefit from loft and cavity wall insulation.
do we make Buildings account for almost half of all carbon PricewaterhouseCoopers [PwC], is working on the credibility of the Department for Energy and Climate The scheme draws on major energy suppliers’
this work?
Photo: Davis McCardle / Digital Vision / thinkstock
emissions, so tough legislation (such as the business plan for a non-profit organisation, to be Change (DECC) is not high following the FiT review.” obligations to help their household customers
Building Regulations and the Carbon Reduction called the Green Deal Finance Company. The aim But whether the funding comes from the Green make savings in CO2 emissions under the Carbon
Commitment) comes as no surprise. It’s combined is to create a single national body that can provide Deal or elsewhere, Carillion is preparing itself for a Emission Reduction Target (CERT). Funds from the
with carrots to bring about changes in new building finance to all accredited Green Deal providers on an busy time ahead, as more people become aware energy suppliers are matched by the council, with
design and encourage the retrofitting of existing equal and open basis. Paul Davies, the lead partner of the opportunities. “We’ve been a specialist in the aim of improving the efficiency of homes at no
stock, such as the Renewable Heat Incentive and at PwC, believes it will create “a highly competitive the low energy retrofit arena for many years, but cost to the occupant. Over 30,000 households have
the forthcoming Green Deal. Due to launch in market which will compete on cost, reliability, the Green Deal brings this to the forefront”, says benefited, typically enjoying savings of up to £118 a
October, this aims to help consumers afford energy lifespan and technology”. Carillion business partner Keith Richardson. “We year on energy bills. Sheffield City Council believes
Photo: Anesco
efficiency improvements by removing the need In the meantime, other funding models are will work with both the private and public sector the scheme has so far been worth more than £5.4
for them to pay upfront. Instead, the costs will be already attracting business, such as that offered to recommend measures to improve energy million to the city through green jobs, reduced energy
recouped over time via a charge on their energy by the Carbon Trust, with financial backing from performance, from the installation of cavity wall and costs and indirect benefits to the wider economy.
4 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 5
Survival of the
“With recent Government figures showing nearly
half of Britain’s homes lack adequate insulation,
the example set by Sheffield could be a blueprint
At your leisure
for other local authorities across the country”, says Working in partnership with Gateshead
Keeley Sharp of Carillion Energy Services. Council, Willmott Dixon Construction
retro-fittest
But it’s not just homes that are set for a refurbished a 1920s swimming pool that might
makeover. Firms will no doubt be encouraged otherwise have been demolished and rebuilt
by consultants Ernst and Young’s report into the from scratch. The project saved the council
potential of the Non-Domestic Green Deal, which substantial sums of money, and opened five
covers commercial and other buildings. It estimates months earlier than a new-build equivalent.
that a 10% take-up would result in a market for The scheme was delivered under a
energy efficiency measures in small and medium partnering contract, so the design team was
business that, by 2020, would be worth £800 million employed by the contractor. First, the design
a year. Ernst and Young urges the Government
to adopt a more business-centric mindset in its
was agreed and approved, and then contractor
Willmott Dixon fixed a maximum price to Green refurbishments save money and reduce CO2 emissions.
The challenge is getting people to do them, says Carl Frankel.
forthcoming consultation, to make sure the benefits implement the project, under guarantee.
of participation are clear and compelling enough to From the outset, the project was set a
persuade businesses to get involved. target of “very good” under the BREEAM
In London, the Mayor’s RE:FIT programme is energy assessment method. Willmott Dixon
set to help hundreds of public sector organisations Re-thinking ensured sustainability was integral A more comfortable home, a slimmer energy result is predictable: people switch off and go back to
retrofit their premises. It works by appointing a to the scheme, which included a combined bill, more jobs for your community, less oil to watching the telly.
They say: pre-qualified energy service company (ESCo) to heat-and-power plant, along with measures to import from the volatile Middle East... But in It’s a problem, even if you leave stretching carbon
undertake a range of efficiency measures. The increase daylight by 20%. spite of these attractions, people aren’t swarming to targets out of the equation. Energy costs are claiming
‘We haven’t got ESCo guarantees that these will achieve a set level green their living space. Paul King, Chief Executive of an ever larger chunk of people’s budgets. “Fuel prices
any money.’ of energy savings over a defined payback period, the UK Green Building Council, reels off the reasons: in the UK increased by 15-18% in the past year alone,
We reply: ‘You helping the organisation to justify its investment. “There’s an upfront capital cost barrier for many and people’s incomes aren’t keeping pace”, warns
Loans to help finance the costs are available people, for a start. And the economic environment is Rik Kendall of construction and support services
don’t need any.’ through the London Green Fund, set up by the projects are ones where the customer does getting more challenging, which means people are company Carillion PLC. “We also have an aging
Mayor’s Office. The 42 buildings that piloted not provide the capital for any technology even less inclined to spend money. Then there’s the housing stock in the UK that’s much less energy
RE:FIT, with a £7 million investment, saw savings investment upfront. Anesco makes the investment fact that people don’t know who to trust and where efficient than the housing stock in much of Europe.”
of up to 40% in energy, collectively saving the city on the customer’s behalf, and pays itself out of to go for reliable advice. It doesn’t help that it’s not a About half of UK homes do not have even basic
£1 million a year in fuel bills, with a payback period the savings. sexy topic, not something people feel excited about. insulation installed, according to the Department of
of seven years. “We go into businesses and say this is how They might be excited about putting a panel on their Energy and Climate Change [DECC]. In Kendall’s
“There is a massive economic prize coming you could improve on energy efficiency”, says CEO roof, but solid wall insulation is a bit of a turn-off for words, the ‘three-legged stool’ of low incomes, rising
from retrofitting activity, not least in terms of the Adrian Pike. “The first thing they say is: ‘Look: we lots of people.” And that’s before they get into the energy costs and leaky buildings has led to sharp
solid investment opportunity it represents for private haven’t got any money.’ We reply: ‘You don’t need practicalities of actually making the change... increases in the national fuel poverty level, defined as
businesses”, said Mayor Boris Johnson. “It is [also] to put any money in: the capital investment will be This brings us to the intimidation factor. Green households that spend 10% or more of their income
a massive potential generator of employment. In the paid for by the energy savings.’ From a sales point of retrofits are a challenging process, involving a on home heating. According to data from DECC and
same way that tens of thousands were employed by view, that is not a difficult sell…” host of complex and often interrelated decisions the Centre for Sustainable Energy, close to 20% of
our hunger for fossil fuels, so in the 21st century, we The new venture, formed at the end of 2010, [see ‘Master planning’, p14]. The person in charge households now live in fuel poverty.
need the private sector to invest in green growth.” has already attracted £6 million of equity investment has to decide which technologies to use, how to The US faces similar problems. Energy costs
Some quick thinkers are already investing in from clean technology investors Zouk and SSE, and optimise system synergies, what the best financing are also rising sharply, along with levels of fuel
new energy efficiency ventures. One promising is on track for a £26 million turnover in its first year. mechanism is, and who to hire to get the job done poverty. While the housing stock tends to be newer
start-up is Anesco. It offers energy efficiency and It just goes to show that there’s a big prize waiting right. That’s asking a lot of a person with no expertise, than in the UK, this positive is offset by the fact
microgeneration services, including solar power, for those who can make low-carbon buildings a especially when they’re inundated with information that many Americans live in hot climates and treat
renewable heating, insulation and building energy no-brainer. and uncertain where to turn for reliable advice. The air conditioning as a bit of a ‘right’ – alongside life,
management systems, as well as energy efficiency liberty and the pursuit of happiness… The challenge
consultation, to domestic and commercial Andrew Brister is a freelance journalist who of inspiring individuals to take action is arguably
Can the dream home of
customers in the UK. Around half of Anesco’s specialises in sustainability and the built environment. even greater in the US, where energy wastefulness
TV presenter Oliver Heath
is the norm and the return on investment numbers
inspire the public?
unfavourable.
One way around this dilemma is by engaging
people at the community rather than individual
Well matched level. This approach has much to recommend it,
including lower prices through collective buying
Spend a day at the cricket and come home monitors and installing solar panels at a free power and a level of scale that attracts subsidies
with some of that crisp white padding… For energy awareness session. Club members and the combined talents of powerful players.
your loft, that is. are also being offered free water saving kits The UK’s Community Energy Savings Programme
Durham County Cricket Club has teamed that could save up to 95 litres of water a day. (CESP) is an example of a multi-partner approach
up with Carillion Energy Services and It’s all part of Durham CCC’s commitment that engages people at the broader community level.
Photo: iStockphoto / thinkstock
Northumbrian Water Ltd to help its members to become one of the most carbon-efficient The Government requires major energy suppliers
and supporters save energy and water in international test venues. Plans include a and power generators to drive reductions in CO2
their homes. At a recent test match against solar PV array on the Club’s media centre, emissions. CESP makes this possible through what
Photo: Oliver Heath
Somerset, supporters were offered advice on and a project to offset the carbon footprint of is essentially a matching fund programme. The
insulation, efficient heating systems, energy fans’ travel by funding a wind farm in India. big energy companies put up half the money for
house-by-house, street-by-street energy efficiency
improvements in low-income communities through
6 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 7
Ear to the wall
1,800 installations. While not a huge number, “sales
are increasing exponentially each month”, says
Shannon Coulter, Vice-President of marketing. “We
expect to be at about 2,200 by year’s end.” 1 Block
off the Grid will have to demonstrate that the Groupon
model can persuade people to make over their homes
as well as their personal appearance. And of course,
it’s only one player. Thousands of others around the Social media offers a window on pilot retrofits,
world will have to contribute, too.
But innovative financing and delivery models
are only part of the puzzle. Another big part of it is
writes Laura Dixon.
communication. Consumers need to be aware of the
available opportunities, and inspired to pursue them. “Boiler fitted, loft insulation done, loft hatch negative comments affect outsiders’ perception of the
“We have to help people understand how fitted, heat exchange fan fitted. Scaffolding up for project? Could they dissuade other householders, or
important this is”, says David Adams, a Director in cavity wall to be done next week. Then I guess we’ll even prevent future projects from going ahead?
the wonderfully named Re-Thinking department of start snagging…” But while there are risks, there are also significant
construction and support services company Willmott Michael Keeves’ Facebook post sounds like a benefits to be gained if developers can hear what the
Dixon. Adams sees much potential in the Green Deal, brag about how eco-friendly he is. But it’s actually local residents are saying and respond. Moreover,
currently wending its way through the UK Parliament proof that a pioneering project which uses social whatever is said, this online chat builds a sense
[see ‘We won’t get another chance’, p10]. This media to engage a small community in a retrofit of community that is crucial to keep the residents
Have a peep chez Heath, the UK. These funds, which will total £350 million scheme directly addresses the heavy upfront burden scheme is working. engaged over the two-year period.
part of the Old Home over a three-year period, are matched at the of green retrofits by adding the cost of the retrofit to At Rampton Drift in South Cambridgeshire, 13 “It’s certainly helpful to know what they are talking
SuperHome Network community level, typically by the local authority. the home’s energy bill over a 25-year period. “But the former Ministry of Defence houses built over 40 years about and what their expectations are”, says Michael
The result: big chunks of leaky housing get an savings aren’t huge”, admits Adams: “They’re unlikely ago are being fitted out with £320,000 of energy-saving Willoughby, Communications Manager at Willmott
energy efficiency upgrade. to inspire mass engagement.” and micro-generation technologies, from efficient Dixon, Rethinking. “In theory it could help increase
Working under the CESP umbrella, Carillion So what will? Back to that telly… TV presenter boilers to photovoltaic panels. It’s a joint endeavour participation and prevent disputes. A future where
recently partnered with power company InterGen Oliver Heath has brought more than a touch of involving the district and county councils, Cambridge contractors use social media for customer engagement
UK, pipeline provider Northern Gas Networks, class to retrofit with his popular programme, ‘Dream University, and contractors Willmott Dixon. The aim is on a project-by-project basis certainly makes sense,
local community interest group Community Energy Homes’. In the first episode, Jon and Jane restore a to showcase the transition to low-carbon living, and and could well be on the cards.”
Solutions (CES) and social housing provider Fabrick medieval barn in East Sussex; in the second, a run- assess which measures are most successful in cutting “We’ve got so much to share in terms of
Housing Group. The purpose of this impressive down Georgian house is revived using local builders energy use, in preparation for the launch of the Green community engagement for future projects”, says
alliance was to replace old, inefficient electric heaters and traditional skills… They may not be tales of your Deal [see ‘Opportunity knocks’, p4]. Mann. “We’ve seen that the more empowered
with energy efficient A-rated gas central heating average low-income householder, but the point is As part of the research, the householders have the residents have been [through having editorial
Telling it like it is
systems in over 200 social housing households in they’re aspirational. committed themselves to two years of monitoring. freedom on Facebook], the more they step up to
Teeside in the north of England. All the partners had “One of the big problems with sustainability”, The spotlight will be on both their energy bills and their their responsibilities” – whether it’s being at home to
an essential role to play. The Government drove Heath argues, “is that it appeals to a particular side behaviour throughout the refurbishment, and digital welcome the installers, or making sure the changes are
the initiative. InterGen contributed CESP funding. of the mind – the pragmatic side: the efficiencies, the communication is a key part of it. properly monitored.
It’s important Northern Gas and CES provided additional financing cuts. But this practical way of thinking doesn’t make “The residents have a Facebook page where This is particularly important because the project
that people and access to mains gas. Carillion facilitated the people excited. Sustainability has a duty to become they can log in and comment on various aspects of needs the participants to go on contributing to
come in and financing arrangements and installed high-efficiency more appealing.” Heath cut emissions by 62% in his the work, and we send regular email updates on the the research for the next two years: a year and a
heaters. And, “because it’s [housing provider] Fabrick own home, a 1960s semi in Brighton, thanks to full progress of work”, says Tracy Mann, Principal Lead half after the refit has been completed. But digital
say “Wow!” that’s going to their tenants, they’re far more inclined insulation, a heat recovery system, solar water heating for Community Infrastructure at South Cambridgeshire communication is just part of the bigger picture.
to say, ‘Let’s have it’”, Kendall explains. panels, double glazing and low-energy lighting. District Council. “We will also be creating a website “We see that at the moment, door knocking works
In the US, where a hotchpotch of renewable But what he’s most proud of is its looks. It’s now that displays the real-time energy usage of their best, and that social media is better at the younger
energy financing mechanisms create opportunity part of Britain’s Old Home SuperHome Network, homes, anonymously, for everyone to see.” This means end of the scale”, continues Tracy. “We also know
and befuddlement in roughly equal measure, a new which means he gets to show it off to visitors at residents can compare their consumption with that that people want to be informed all the time about
social enterprise is trying to cut through the clutter. least three times a year. “It’s important that people of other households, and even compete with their everything, and any mechanism that helps keep them
San Francisco-based 1 Block off the Grid provides come in and say ‘Wow! I love it!’”, he asserts. “We neighbours, without revealing their identity. updated is essential.”
one-stop shopping for prospective solar customers have to integrate aesthetics: it’s not secondary to the Crucially, the council updates information regularly At the end of the day, even the best technologies
Photos: Comstock Images / thinkstock; Hemera Technologies / Getty / thinkstock
in 40 states around the country. It works with them sustainable design movement. Without good design on the Facebook page as well as by email, and there is and most attractive subsidies will be unable to cut
to pinpoint their payback period, provides financing that makes you think ‘I want that’, how are we going no issue of editorial control: residents are free to speak domestic emissions, unless householders are prepared
guidance, and then connects them with a skilled local to sell it? If the windows are tiny, we won’t get the their mind. The council’s hope, as stated on Facebook, to open their doors. Finding ways to engage with them
installer. This installer offers a sizeable group discount, right levels of take-up.” is that others will “see the longer term benefits of a and gain their trust will be key.
because 1 Block off the Grid is doing the difficult and But, King warns, “We mustn’t assume a one- range of different energy efficient technologies”, and
time-consuming work of herding customers their size-fits-all message when it comes to engaging be able to access “a wealth of information as to ‘How Laura Dixon is a freelance journalist and regular
way. The smart start-up is also making use of satellite householders. Some think it’s smart and attractive was it for you?’”. contributor to Green Futures
photography to do much of the analysis remotely. to green their home; some are motivated by future- To date, the Facebook page largely reveals the
Its business model works rather like Groupon, proofing themselves against energy price rises; others frustrations felt by homeowners over the project.
the popular web-based coupon company. Groupon won’t find it very interesting at all. Trying to cater for all “Waiting for money back for panels but still £3k
finds service providers (in anything from facials to those people will take clever communications.” out of pocket. Not happy, outraged. Your thoughts?”
fitness classes) that are willing to give customers a Still, where the magnitude of the stakes and the says Shaun Rivers.
big one-time discount, and then sends battalions of potential savings have failed to pull in the crowds, it’s “Thought the scaffolding had gone up quite
customers their way. 1 Block off the Grid proposes to possible that the old combination of good looks on TV well until I discovered I couldn’t open my back door!”
Photo: Oliver Heath
do the same for solar. In fact, the company received will do the trick. says Lizz Mayers. “Luckily they are due
its initial round of funding from New Enterprise back tomorrow and will be able to adjust it.”
Associates, which also funded Groupon. Since its Carl Frankel is a US-based writer, specialising in Such a public commentary on progress could
launch in 2008, the company has closed on about business and sustainability. be intimidating to some developers. How might any
8 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 9
“We won’t get
means that a relatively small change in tax has a be very low, as each stamp duty calculation is already
disproportionate effect on choices: significant bang unique, and energy performance is already centrally
for the buck. logged, on a scale of A-G, thanks to obligatory
An ideal candidate for an effective retrofit nudge Energy Performance Certificates. All you need to do
would be stamp duty: the 1-5% tax paid on property is combine the two. It’s also a flexible mechanism. It
another chance”
purchases. The Government could offer a slight could be introduced at a level that would only affect
reduction on homes that are more energy efficient, homeowners by a few hundred pounds either way,
and raise duty on inefficient ones. This would keep but be set to increase as time goes on, so that people
the Treasury happy, because the tax lost from better- see the benefit of acting quickly. And poorer people
performing homes could be made up through higher needn’t be affected at all, as only homes that sell for
contributions from the power-hungry dwellings. more than £125,000 qualify. In changing the property
No one’s going to complain about paying less tax. sale tax, the Government will be able to say: ‘It is
But what about those who have to pay more? Well, your duty as a citizen to consume less energy. Fixing
that’s where the Green Deal comes in: by enabling your leaky home is a great way of doing this, and now
householders to afford energy efficiency investments, you have upfront cost-free tools and incentives to
it will help them to mitigate the additional stamp encourage you to do so.’
duty with lower energy bills. And for those that don’t The Green Deal has to work, because we won’t
want to? Well, if they are happy paying higher than get another chance to attempt something of this
necessary energy bills they must also be happy scale. Let’s use the taxation and metrics we already
paying higher than necessary stamp duty. That’s how have in place to make sure it does.
the argument can run.
There are other benefits in using stamp duty to David Adams is a Director at Willmott Dixon, where
promote greener housing. The upfront costs would he is in charge of retrofit.
David Adams calls for a strong
nudge towards greener homes.
warming water on a gas ring, consumers appear
to have taken on board gradual price increases
without getting hopping mad. People aren’t even
very excited by switching suppliers for a better rate.
So, we shouldn’t get too optimistic about take-up
for the Green Deal, given the relatively low savings
An alluring lease
Retrofits can be winners for landlords and tenants
If the UK is going to cut carbon emissions
by 80% by 2050, we will have to carry out a that people will make after efficiency measures are
domestic energy retrofit every minute until carried out, likely to be just £100-150 per year.
that date. And that’s if you pretend we’ll be at it
24 hours a day.
Of course, this pessimistic tone overlooks the
fact that we have already been successful in carrying
alike, says John Eischeid.
Thank heavens, then, for the Government’s out a range of ‘easy’ energy measures, such as loft
Green Deal, currently going through Parliament. and cavity wall insulation, and condensing boilers in Landlords of retrofitted buildings will find it energy costs will make retrofit increasingly appealing to
Under the scheme, third party providers will fit a their millions. In fact, these successes have meant easier to attract and keep tenants. So says Heath both landlords and tenants.
variety of insulation and energy generation measures that emissions from homes have stayed flat, even Blount of Brightworks, a US construction consultancy One tenant’s retrofit can even bring down energy
to homes at no upfront cost to the homeowner. They as the underlying trend has risen. At a certain point, specialising in sustainability. costs for others in the building, a domino effect that
will then pay back the provider with interest over a though, we will have to carry out the more disruptive Lower energy bills are one reason, but not the only landlords would clearly find attractive. Cosmetics
period of 25 years through a charge on the home’s and expensive retrofit measures, such as insulating one. There’s reputation, too: “[Commercial] tenants are company Av on pushed for energy-saving measures at
utility bills. These repayments will be less than the floors and homes with solid walls. We’ve also got to becoming much more interested in their impact”, says its recently opened headquarters at 777 Third Avenue One tenant’s
anticipated energy savings, so the homeowner will be work on reducing draughts: houses lose a surprising Blount. Having a space that consumes less is a natural in Manhattan, installing individually controlled vents
better off overall. And because the charge is attached amount of heat through small holes in the wall. fit with a high-profile stance on sustainability, and if on its heating and cooling ducts. These vents have a
retrofit can
to the bills, it doesn’t matter if the person moves It’s fair to say that, although the Green Deal you’ve made public boasts about its benefits, you’re knock-on effect for the whole building’s temperature even bring
house: the benefit of the low-energy work and the should be welcomed, even the cleverest marketers likely to hang around. regulation system, as Glenn Dibiase of building owner down energy
charge are passed on to the next householder. in the business are unlikely to drive take-up, except Landlords who might once have balked at Sage Realty explains. “When [the vents] close, they
Will all homeowners rush to carry out these among enthusiastic early adopters. So how do we such renovations are now beginning to reconsider. put air pressure back into the system. That pressure
costs for
works as soon as the Green Deal shop flips its sign bring about a mass adoption of deep green retrofits? The economic downturn prevented some major causes the fans to slow down and use less electricity. others in the
to open? No, they won’t. How can we be so sure? There are three options, as I see it. You can make refurbishments from going ahead, as building owners Avon is not the only tenant on that system, so the building
Using research grant money we offered to carry out people do it through legislation. You can offer people grew reluctant to spend the necessary funds. But that’s efficiency of the vents and the fans working in tandem
just such measures for free to owners of a group of grants to do it. Or you can nudge people in the right changing, says Peter Belisle, President of the Energy is passed on.” Louise Matthews, Vice President, Global
90 homes. Just 13 took up the offer. So why was direction in a way that government feels it can afford. and Sustainability Services Group at Jones Lang Real Estate for Avon, described Sage as “extremely
Photo: © IRTsurveys ltd www.irtsurveys.co.uk
there such a low response? Various explanations This Government isn’t keen on legislating except LeSalle, which carried out the retrofit for the Empire receptive” to such measures: it is even looking for ways
have been suggested, including a lack of trust about as a last resort, so we can take this option off the State Building. Why? “Because they [now] realise that to retrofit its other properties.
what was being offered or fear of disruption to table for owner-occupiers. It also has a target of the energy savings can be significant enough [to justify Energy efficiency legislation, from California’s Title
home life. But, more likely, most people simply had cutting departmental spending by £37 billion by the cost].” 24 to the UK’s 2011 Energy Act, is set to prompt more
other things to worry about. They just weren’t that 2013-14, so we can forget about option two. That Blount agrees, pointing out that while finance for co-operation between landlords and tenants in the
bothered. leaves the nudge. Nudges tend to work best when new construction has declined in the last few years, future. But there’s no need to wait for it, says Adams:
That’s surprising, given the fact that energy bills people are making a decision anyway. Let’s put investment on existing buildings has actually grown. “There is the opportunity for landlords and tenants to
have more or less doubled since 2005 and look set it down to consumer inertia. So, while people will And it’s a trend likely to be sustained, says David work together and both gain.”
to do so again over the next decade. But like the tolerate creeping price rises, they absolutely hate Adams, a Director at Willmott Dixon Re-Thinking. He
anecdotal frog which meets its end in a pot of slowly paying tax. It just feels like ‘one more thing’. This argues that a combination of legislation and rising John Eischeid is a freelance writer based in New York.
10 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 11
Views from the
on Climate Change, buildings globally offer almost
twice the carbon abatement potential of any other
sector. That’s quite a lot of pressure to act! But there’s
also a lock-in effect. If you only harvest 10% of that
potential because the low-hanging fruit looks so
rooftop
good, and stop there, you might lock in 30-40% of
emissions. That’s a real threat. Then again, it’s not
realistic to assume people will go straight for an 80%
emissions reduction. It might just be too costly, even
if it’s technologically possible.
How can you know what to do first?
There’s a strong argument for a whole-house plan,
which shows you the potential, the maximum
“The UK has anything but a solid wall insulation in my house, which was built in
the 1780s. I organised a delivery of insulation to my
you could do – and gives you a range of options,
depending on how far you want to go. It should also
uniform housing stock” home, but it arrived in a lorry so huge that it couldn’t show you the sequence in which you ought to tackle
get up my road! So there I was unloading it in the it. I had this done for my own home, and I’m glad I did.
Paul King, Chief Executive, UK Green street... I thought, multiply this by 26 million homes I know a lot about this, but I could have made some passive measures, and sometimes some very simple No one-size-fits-all for
Building Council and we could bring the country to a standstill! And basic mistakes. So, your old sash window might feel things like bringing maintenance up to date, resetting UK housing
you have to remember that, in the UK, we’ve got like a priority because the wind is howling through it or replacing controls, and the like. This is not nearly as
How can we get people to embrace anything but a uniform housing stock. We’ll need lots and it’s dripping with condensation… But actually, you exciting as a wind turbine, or better still, a whole farm
energy efficiency? of different solutions. But that’s not an excuse not to have to think about increasing the depths of sills to of them! Our jackdaw minds (and those of politicians
Marketing is a huge challenge, because efficiency has do anything. We simply have to try bringing all the install solid wall insulation; otherwise, you might have and officials) are much more attracted to shiny things
to be communicated differently to different audiences. different elements together. We need to know about to rip out your nice new window later on. that whizz around and represent a visible response to
Photos: Patrick Wang / shutterstock; David Banks / Getty; The GPT Group
There’s an amazing diversity of players, from those all the things that can go wrong, and try to iron them the challenge of climate change, than they are to low-
actually managing the financial mechanisms and out before the Green Deal is launched. tech work in the fabric of a building.
services, to high street retailers, housing associations, Energy that doesn’t need to be generated at all,
contractors, energy companies… Then there are Are we facing a skill gap? because it isn’t being consumed, doesn’t get the
householders: we mustn’t assume a one-size fits all “We’re facing a skills gap” has become a bit of a stock “Energy efficiency measures same attention. It is, however, the most cost-effective
message for them, either. Some are motivated by reaction! Talk about any sustainable development way of reducing our emissions, so we need to get
future-proofing themselves against energy price rises; project, and people say we have a dearth of skills.
don’t do it for me” excited by that – by the fact that we are fixing the
some think it’s smart and attractive to green their home; But I never cease to be amazed at how quickly an problem, and by the opportunities created at home
others won’t find it very interesting at all. Then there’s the industry can gear up and deliver when market demand Paul Morrell, Chief Construction Advisor to and abroad in knowing how to do it.
question of who to trust. It will help to have registered is clear. What we mustn’t do is send mixed signals. the UK Government So that is what I get excited about: that we might
providers, like the Corgi gas installers, so that you know If the signals are clear and strong, then a nascent set ourselves the ambition of being the first country
Photo: Ben Rahn/A-Frame
you’re dealing with someone competent. industry will be bubbling away. I’m afraid, though I know I shouldn’t say it, that I in the world that knows how to decarbonise an entire
cannot get excited about energy efficiency measures economy, effectively and economically – knowing, if
If we can break through the trust barrier, Should we aim to do everything we can to a – and I actually think that the search for excitement you accept the science (and I’m not clever enough
will it be easy? property as soon as possible? might be part of the problem. Energy efficiency is first not to), that the whole world will need to follow. How
There are still practical difficulties. I recently installed According to the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel of all a matter of the careful application of well-chosen much of an opportunity would that represent?
glass reduces solar heat into the local sewer. One Largest scale
Transformers gain. A third internal layer
filters sunlight through a
hand-woven textile that
of the most significant
energy reductions comes
from an efficient cooling
1200 Buildings Programme,
Melbourne
depicts the town’s industrial system. The building The City of Melbourne and the
We’ve picked some pioneering past. The changes have earned a BREEAM Victoria Government, Australia,
examples to prove that retrofit can improved the library’s
energy efficiency by 67%.
‘Excellent’ rating. have set a goal to refurbish
1,200 commercial buildings
be big, bold and beautiful. Most improved to reduce emissions, use less
water and create healthier work
Most attractive 100 Princedale Road, environments. It’s being touted
Least recognisable Unilever House, London
The goal here was to keep the aesthetics of Unilever’s
London
This domestic retrofit
as the largest transformation
in the city for 160 years, and
The Hespeler Library, Cambridge, Canada neoclassical headquarters intact, breathing “new life into a smashed its targets, cutting carbon emissions by 83% and hopes are high that it will
The Hespeler Library was originally built in 1922 at a cost of stunning but under-performing [Grade 2] listed building”. Arup’s energy use by 94%, and scooping a Green Apple Award. It generate AU$1.3 billion in
$14,500, funded by the Carnegie Foundation. Kongats Architects solution preserved 60% of the original building, behind its saves the tenants £910 a year in utility bills. It was designed to economic activity. The project’s
won a 2010 Zerofootprint Re-Skinning Award for its work, which spectacular fluted-column façade. Original fittings, such as the Passivhaus standards, with the first triple-glazed sash windows flagship is 530 Collins Street, owned by GPT Wholesale Office
aimed to showcase the old building while giving it a contemporary parquet flooring, were retained or reused, and any unwanted to be installed in the UK, alongside wall insulation. It has no Fund. Its retrofit involved new boilers and cooling towers, a
facelift. Mid 20th-century additions were demolished to reveal furniture was donated to schools and charities. The refurbished boilers, radiators or heating system, featuring solar thermal combined heat and power plant, and ultra-efficient lighting,
the original structure, and then an insulating glass ‘display case’ building now features a landscaped roof garden and spray panels for warm water and an innovative underground heat and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately
Photos: xxxxx
Photos: xxxxx
was built around the building. A double layer of ceramic frit taps, innovations that reduce the peak flow of waste water exchanger for warmth and ventilation. 4,700 tonnes a year.
Left to right: The Hespeler Library, Unilever House, 530 Collins Street
12 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 13
Master planning
flagship for sustainable refurbishment was not without will not be needed in two years, thanks to cloud
its challenges. A team of specialists was assembled, computing,” he says. “All you’ll need will be a terminal
led by owner Anthony Malkin, President of Malkin with a connection to enable it to communicate with
Holdings, and including environmental organisation the cloud.” These changes affect more than mere
Rocky Mountain Institute and project manager Jones clutter, he argues. “It means that there’s no point in
Lang LaSalle. Also on board at the outset was the spending money on putting in building services to
building’s energy supplier, and building controls deal with the heat from electronic equipment that will,
There’s no single path to a successful retrofit, manufacturer Johnson Controls, as the custodians of
its energy consumption data. It took seven months of
very soon, no longer be needed.”
David Adams, a Director at the capital
A good plan
but Andy Pearson finds out where to start.
audits, brainstorming, energy modelling and financial works, regeneration and support services company
analysis to determine what it was possible to achieve Willmott Dixon, agrees: “In ten years’ time, the world
within strict financial parameters. will look very different. You have to ask, are you
builds in
One of the team’s key findings was that the most procuring your buildings today thinking about the next room for the
Embarking on a retrofit can be a daunting Take the case of a ‘hard to heat, hard to treat’ cost-effective way to meet energy efficiency goals 20 years or the last 20?” unknown
prospect. Plan it right, and the scheme will cut 1950s house in Norfolk. Its CO2 emissions were would be to integrate the plans with the existing However, predicting the impact of technological
energy use, reduce running costs, and improve the reduced by 93% and its energy consumption by refurbishment programme. A prime example of developments is notoriously difficult. Hilson Moran
comfort and productivity of the people who use the 81%, thanks to a retrofit pilot called ‘Greening the this was the refurbishment of the building’s 6,500 has a research and development team whose job
building day to day. For a company, it could enhance box’, delivered by Wherry Housing Association and windows. The owners had already decided to it is to gaze into the future, but even they “can only
the brand by showcasing its commitment to a Broadland District Council. Lafarge worked with reseal all the windows under the capital upgrade look forward probably five years, perhaps eight years
low-carbon future. But get it wrong, warns the Carbon architect Jeremy Harrell on the plans from the start. programme, so it made sense to invest a little more tops”, he says.
Trust, and a refurbishment can actually lead to an Key to the success was a super insulated in situ money in improving their thermal performance to Perhaps a good plan, then, is one that builds in
increase in energy consumption through changes in concrete ground floor, in which thermostatically achieve significantly higher energy savings. And, room for the unknown. Instead of sealing off a fixed
the way a building is used. controlled, low-grade electric underfloor heating because the window refit reduced solar gain, it was solution, it leaves a way in for further changes in the
Knowing where to start isn’t easy. Sunand Prasad was embedded. This works alongside solar water possible to upgrade the cooling plant with more future. It may be a hard balance to strike, but it’s an
of London-based architects Penoyre & Prasad counts heating and photovoltaics installed on the roof. The efficient motors and drives, rather than having to important one – like the difference between good
five main things to consider. First, you have the refurbished house now functions as a whole system, replace it, which brought additional cost savings. ventilation and a draught.
occupants: how they use the space, and the changes each innovation feeding into the next. A piecemeal Across the pond in London, a refit at the National
they would like to see. Then there’s the fabric of the approach to its design could not have delivered such Gallery was driven as much by artistic considerations Andy Pearson is a former editor of Building
building as it stands, and the way in which it has been a result. as financial ones. Shedding the right light on a Sustainable Design magazine and Building Services
piped and wired. Zooming out, there’s also the local But there’s another significant benefit in getting priceless collection is no easy task – and one that a Journal. He works as a freelance writer and editor.
infrastructure it draws upon (utilities and plants), and everyone together early on, says King: they are team led by conservation scientist Joseph Padfield of
the question of renewable energy generation on-site. more likely to be open to solutions outside their the Gallery’s Scientific Department has been working For a guide to low-carbon retrofit in non-domestic
A piecemeal No building is an island: changes in the wider comfort zone. “It helps to be part of a team with on for three years. buildings, see Low Carbon Refurbishment of
economic and political landscape will also have an experience of doing things out of the ordinary and “I’ve been testing LEDs for a number of years to Buildings – A Management Guide, published by
approach to The Carbon Trust: www.carbontrust.co.uk.
impact. How might policy and legislation affect its being imaginative, because they will recognise see how good they have become”, says Padfield.
design could running costs in the future? What targets will have opportunities that conventional designers wouldn’t.” Now, he’s convinced that the technology has
not have to be met? How might advances in technology But, he adds, you have to factor in enough time to advanced to a point where its application will not For domestic buildings, check out the Energy Art under a new light:
affect the way it’s used? With so many questions to explore the options. only save the gallery energy but actually improve the Saving Trust’s guide, Sustainable Refurbishment:
delivered such negotiate, it’s important to know who to ask. For Matthew Kitson, Head of Sustainability at quality of light on the pictures too. www.energysavingtrust.org.uk.
the National Gallery,
London
a result “The key to a successful refurbishment is getting consulting engineers Hilson Moran, you have to start “We measure the levels of light on the paintings
the right people on board before you start ruling out with the people who will actually use the building. As continuously”, he explains. “If there is insufficient
options, and even before you set a final budget”, he sees it, “the biggest factor in any refurbishment is daylight [from skylights] then we add artificial light.”
says Doug King, Principal of low-carbon consulting achieving occupant satisfaction”. This is particularly The current system uses tungsten halogen lamps,
engineers King Shaw and a visiting professor of true of commercial retrofit, he explains, where a good which switch on and off in response to natural light
building physics at the University of Bath. “You result “can help attract the best employees, improve levels. But, Padfield says, these changes can be
need everybody round the table”, he argues. “The productivity and help retain staff”. How people go abrupt and “distracting for visitors”.
architects will be able to advise on occupancy and about their jobs day to day has implications for the The new LED system, which will replace existing
space planning; the structural engineers will be best layout of the building, which in turn impacts lighting on all the gallery’s pictures and throughout
able to assess the degree of possible alteration or on its structure, and on services like lighting and the adjoining Sainsbury Wing, has been designed to
whether an existing structure can accommodate temperature regulation. overcome this distraction. The move is expected to
additional loads or the building can be extended. Of course, any business planning a retrofit will cut lighting energy consumption by 85%, which will
And the building services engineer can advise on also want clear benefits to present to the board. For reduce carbon emissions by up to 400 tonnes a year.
how to achieve a comfortable internal environment.” Kitson, this means that the design team need a good And so alongside slimmer bills, it means the gallery
You also need to consider the materials you’re grasp of the client’s business model and motivations. will have less to pay in carbon tax under the UK’s
going to be using, adds Emma Hines, Sustainable One of the most high profile retrofits, literally, has mandatory Carbon Reduction Commitment Energy
Construction and Development Manager at Lafarge been New York’s Empire State Building. The project Efficiency scheme.
A&C UK, as these have an impact on everything turned the 80-year-old skyscraper into one of the It’s one thing to plan a retrofit around the purpose
from the structure of a building to its aesthetics. most sustainable office blocks in the US. It was driven of a building today; another to plan for how it might
“The sooner we’re involved, the more we can help by hard-nosed financial goals, so that the reduction in be used in the future. Over time, houses become
with providing solutions for the client”, she says. energy consumption and environmental impact would offices, power stations are transformed into galleries,
Photo: © National Gallery, London
“Once a client has seen the plans and said ‘Yeah, I simultaneously enhance its profitability for the owners. churches become concert halls… Lifestyles also
like the look of that’, it becomes much more difficult The result was a cut of almost 40% in the building’s evolve, changing what we want from our homes,
to suggest changes. The last thing you want is to energy consumption – double that of a typical offices and cultural spaces. Just think how recent
be going back to the designers and engineers after commercial building retrofit. And, with a payback advances in technology have already influenced the
the plans have been submitted, because you’ve just of just three years, it is proof that refurbishment can way we communicate or go about research.
come across a material with great properties that make economic sense. Kitson extrapolates from current trends: “We
you didn’t know about before.” However, turning the 80-year-old icon into a anticipate that most of the IT kit on office desks
14 Green Futures January 2012 www.greenfutures.org.uk www.greenfutures.org.uk Green Futures January 2012 15
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