Southwest Environmental Limited

Green Performance Plan

SWEL can create and manage a green performance plan for you project, whether you have asked to provide a draft green performance plan at planning, or a full green performance plan post construction, we can manage the whole process.

A green performance plan is document, with a subsequent monitoring period to ensure that "green" buildings that have promised high levels of sustainability actually deliver, this might include builds assessed under the code for sustainable homes, BREEAM or Passive House.

The need for a green performance plan comes from a long list of sustainable projects that have shown that post construction management is essential to ensure that low emissions are maintained.

Example: A new school is built and is installed with biomass boilers, it is also fitted with back up gas boilers. After a year of so the project manager visits the school to check building systems and find that the bio mass boilers are not in use, as no fuel has been ordered. The school is running on the back up gas boilers, and therefore not realising the anticipated emissions savings.

This problem could have been avoided in number of ways including a clearer procurement strategy, better training for staff or perhaps specification of a entirely different system. But a green performance plan with regular monitoring would have picked up on this problem early on, and made moves to rectify the situation.

Islington Borough Council will require Green Performance Plans for  projects which promise high levels of sustainability. There content requirements are set out below.

Introduction

• Give an overview of the development
• Summarise the sustainable design measures incorporated in the development
• Introduce the organisation(s) and occupier(s) involved (where known), and provide an overview of how the development is expected to be used

Performance targets and indicators

• Set out the indicators to be monitored and the monitoring targets. Indicators should at least cover energy use, CO₂ emissions and water consumption (based on those set out in the SDC Statement). Targets should have a three-year timeframe, with interim annual targets where appropriate
• Justify the selection of the indicators and targets, referring in particular to the modeling undertaken and targets committed to as part of the planning application.

Data collection, analysis and reporting

• Explain how the indicator information will be measured and collected, when and by whom
• Explain how, when and by whom to whom this data will be analysed and reported on

Management and monitoring

• dentify the GPP coordinator and individuals and organisations that the applicant will work with to deliver the plan (including handover arrangements for the GPP where the occupier is different to the developer)
• Outline how the GPP process will be managed, for example via a steering group
• Specify who will be ultimately responsible for the GPP throughout its lifespan
• Present the timetable for monitoring of the GPP and for annual reporting of progress against the targets to the counci

Arrangement for addressing performance

Set out the arrangements for addressing performance in the event that the agreed objectives are not met at the end of the two year monitoring period

When does GPP information need to be submitted to the Council?

3.0.2 A draft Green Performance Plan

shall be provided as part of a planning application for all major developments. This should form an appendix to the Sustainable Design and Construction Statement. Where the end occupier/manager of the development is known, the plan should be developed jointly. The draft GPP will follow the same format as the full GPP, but may be missing some detail, such as the exact arrangements and timetable for monitoring.

3.0.3 A full GPP

shall be submitted within six months of occupation of a major development. This will be a refined version of the draft GPP, with updated targets (e.g. adjusted to reflect the latest information on occupation, equipment, etc.) and full details of the arrangements for management, monitoring and reporting of the plan, and of the arrangements for addressing performance in the event that agreed objectives are not met. The final GPP will be secured as part of a legal agreement or via planning condition.

3.0.4 A final report on implementation of the GPP

shall be submitted following completion of two years of monitoring. The report shall include the following sections:

• Full indicator data for the two year period;
• Analysis of performance against the GPP targets;
• Discussion of progress made and the reasons for why the targets were missed/achieved/surpassed (including interpretation from Facilities Managers/relevant stakeholders);
• A summary of any lessons learned;
• Next steps, including any future work planned to improve performance further or any additional actions to be undertaken to address performance where objectives were not met

Please contact us if you would like SWEL to Manage you Green Performance Plan Obligations.