There is enormous pressure on developers and public sector clients to cut the carbon impact of new buildings. The same pressure is mounting for small carbon footprints from refurbishment projects, and this pressure is unlikely to go away.

However, once you have covered the basics like insulation, airtightness and efficient heating, lights and ventilation, it is hard to make further savings in CO₂. There are hundreds of manufacturers only too happy to take your money for their equipment, but how can you be sure you are investing wisely, and how do you know if you can believe their claims for CO₂ savings?

There are dozens of options for low carbon technologies, each with their own set of risks and benefits:

• photovoltaics
• solar water heaters
• ground-source heat pumps
• wind turbines
• biomass heaters
• combined heat and power.

However, not all are mature technologies, and many do not deliver the CO₂benefits claimed. CAR can help you sort the wheat from the chaff, and make informed decisions about which low carbon technologies to use.

CAR worked with BRE and others on ‘Climate Lite’ – a computerised tool allowing designers to model CO₂ emissions at an early stage, and then work out the best way to meet planning requirements from renewables.

We have also carried out long-term monitoring and analysis of PV systems, installed heat pumps, wind turbines, and heating controls