Lesson plan
Performance gap
A performance gap is a disparity that is found between the energy use predicted and carbon emissions in the design stage of buildings and the energy use of those buildings in operation. Research in the UK suggests that actual carbon emissions from new homes can be 2.5 times the design estimates, on average. For non-domestic buildings, the gap is even higher - actual carbon emissions as much as 3.8 times the design estimates, on average. There are established tools for reducing the performance gap, by reviewing project objectives, outline and detailed design drawings, design calculations, implementation of designs on site, and post-occupancy evaluation. NEF's Assured Performance Process (APP) is one such tool, which is being used extensively on different sites that form part of East Hampshire's Whitehill and Bordon new town development, one of the largest regeneration projects anywhere in the UK, with high ambitions for both environmental performance and health.
Article summary
A performance gap is a disparity that is found between the energy use predicted and carbon emissions in the design stage of buildings and the energy use of those buildings in operation. Research in the UK suggests that actual carbon emissions from new homes can be 2.5 times the design estimates, on average. For non-domestic buildings, the gap is even higher - actual carbon emissions as much as 3.8 times the design estimates, on average. There are established tools for reducing the performance gap, by reviewing project objectives, outline and detailed design drawings, design calculations, implementation of designs on site, and post-occupancy evaluation. NEF's Assured Performance Process (APP) is one such tool, which is being used extensively on different sites that form part of East Hampshire's Whitehill and Bordon new town development, one of the largest regeneration projects anywhere in the UK, with high ambitions for both environmental performance and health.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.