First School footsteps: A blueprint for Hertfordshire’s first Carbon Neutral, Passivhaus standard School
Mark Ellson, Sussed Sustainability; James Bowie, Holmes Miller; Emma Curtis, Morgan Sindall & Daniel Trindall, Morgan Sindall

Buntingford First School was a pilot project for Hertfordshire County Council. This trailblazing school is a significant step towards achieving a carbon neutral education estate, and sought to meet both a demanding operational energy target, and an ambitious embodied carbon target for the building. Hertfordshire County Council and the Scholars Education Trust will discuss the benefits this exemplar new school has brought to pupils, how the quality of the teaching environment has enhanced curriculum delivery for staff and outline the successes and challenges which will shape procurement of new school buildings in the County for the future.

Approaches to Net Zero Carbon. Do we need to go as far as Passivhaus?
Poppy Parsons, Galliford Try & Allan Smith, Morrison Construction

The correlation between low operational energy and low embodied carbon is increasingly pertinent in the construction industry, particularly with the upcoming UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard, and current funding mechanisms initiated by the Scottish Government driving the development of low-energy and Passivhaus buildings. As attention shifts towards reducing embodied carbon, it becomes essential to explore how these targets both complement and compete with one another.

The presentation will explore:

• How do low energy, Passivhaus and embodied carbon targets compliment and compete with one another?
• Analysis of embodied carbon performance 
• Strategies and practices for reduction of operational and embodied carbon footprints