Visualising the Big Picture: Key Performance Indicators & Sustainable Urban Design

Transcription

1 Visualising the Big Picture: Key Performance Indicators & Sustainable Urban Design Session: 1st Workshop on EeB KPIs -Key Performance Indicators T,. Crosbie, M. Crilly & N Dawood, TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY MIDDLESBROUGH, UK J. Oliveras FOMENT DE LA REHABILITACIO URBANA DE MANRESA, SPAIN N. Niwaz RAMBOLL (ENERGY SUPPLY &PLANNING) COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

2 CONTENTS Some insights from the requirements capture & case study scoping in the SEMANCO project WP2 & WP6. The idea of maintaining the bigger picture Examples of scope & scale of sustainability KPIs Building Scale KPIs Project Scale KPIs Urban Scale KPIs The potential of Semantic Energy Modelling to support integrated KPIs The pitfalls of big data

3 The idea of maintaining the bigger picture Integration around sustainability is more than simply patching together separate KPIs that measure one of the elements of sustainability Coordination between scales of intervention from the macro (city & region) to the micro (buildings & components) is a prerequisite of sustainable design Assessing sustainability also requires thematic integration as there are complex relationships between spatial planning urban regeneration energy policy & technical standards In this context developing sustainability KPIs is far from a simple task

4 Building Scale KPIs - The Code for Sustainable Homes CSH is the accredited approach to sustainability assessments at the project design and post-completion stages in the UK The essential elements - energy & carbon dioxide emissions have KPIs requirements that relate to DER (dwelling emission rate) & the TER (target emission rate) figures used to calculate the FEE (fabric energy efficiency) using thesap (standard assessment procedure) Cross referencing to statutory KPIs provides a common language & reference points for comparison & evaluation. Many UK local planning authorities are refining their sustainability standards in the context of an improvement over the TER However CSH largely limits KPIs to the building scale With the exception of a limited number of urban scale KPIs e.g. site density (gross number of dwellings per hectare) & development mix (gross floor area by land use) It also largely fails to incorporate lifestyle features & designs for behavioural change for live low carbon lifestyles

5 Project Scale KPIs Stakeholder scoping was conducted in three case studies in Spain Denmark and the UK as part of the SEMANCO project to identify relevant indicators or KPIs Despite the fact that each of the case studies are framed by the Covenant of Mayors stakeholders required different KPIs In total 62 separate KPIs were identified- it is hoped that these will be generic & transferable to similar situations & project scenarios The diversity of KPIs identified are typical of project-specific KPIs concentrate on measurable outcomes set within the initial project briefs be it the development of a zero carbon neighbourhood (North Harbour, Copenhagen) or the area-wide removal of fuel poverty (Riverside Dean, Newcastle)

6 Urban Scale KPIs - The Covenant of Mayors This European cooperative movement involves local municipalities making corporate commitments to a target level of a 20% reduction in CO 2 emissions by 2020 These are delivered by Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAP) that rely on KPIs to measure a 1990 baseline level of CO 2 emissions & a year on year reduction in emissions Actions within the individual SEAPs vary enormously with each signatory deciding on their own set of measures The approach adopted in each case reflect the statutory responsibilities & areas of control via purchasing & public private partnerships etc. However the relevant indicators shown in a meaningful way are important in moving the municipality towards their CO 2 emissions targets

7 Stakeholder perspective Many stakeholders acknowledged the benefits of integration in the scope & scale of indicators for sustainability Urban designers and town planners are still largely limited to the measurement & assessment of technical issues & scared by the complexity of human interactions preferences values tastes & lifestyles They are also aware of significant problems in scaling up technical solutions one of the most famous attempts at scaling up innovative thinking on sustainable energy & water systems, buildings & lifestyles, Bedzed in Sutton in the UK had serious operational difficulties the greatest saving in carbon emissions arose from collective CHP, car clubs & other behavioural factors which was a result of the high density form of the Bedzed development & because it attracted environmentally aware people Yet aspects of urban density & occupant preferences are not generally considered as sustainability KPIs

8 Integrated KPIs - Semantic Energy Modelling The SEMANCO project applies Semantic Energy Modelling, to support the calculation of a set of energy based KPIs The requirements capture highlighted significant concerns over metadata standards - e.g. sources dates sampling & accuracy The collection of appropriate supporting data considered the data format (spatial / three-dimensional) & the scale(s) of operation This generally reflected the operational scale of the key stakeholders in each case study working in sustainability & energy efficiency Key concerns included the source of data, whether it was actual / monitored or modelled data & the cost-effective use of open-source public data The approach to semantic structuring of data supports KPIs in a toolkit that is pragmatic around the best use of cost-effective data & sharing data at different scales of operation & stages within any project implementation The stakeholder is able to self-select & visualise their own specific energy-related indicators using the platform developed as part of the SEMANCO project

9 The Pitfalls of the use of big data Numbers have no way of speaking for themselves. We speak for them. We give them with meaning It is similar when indicators and measures are used in calculations of climate and carbon emissions. They often ignore the importance of errors & levels of uncertainty as part of making sense of the complex system Planners & policy makers set the semantics for the data. This is why the SEMANCO project has developed front-end tools to facilitate end user involvement in the semantic data modelling underpinning the project & the exploration of semantically modelled data In this way it ensures the outputs of the project are of value to end users

10 The Pitfalls of the use of big data Dealing with urban sustainability means addressing the procedural aspects and varying scales at which decisions are taken that impact on energy consumption and carbon emissions. Activities and KPIs at the urban design / neighbourhood and city scales need to be aligned with and supported by the regional & national governmental structure and cultures. Experience has shown that without consistency between scales of action there will inevitably be a 'gap' between policy and delivery. This will be the case even allowing for some level of flexibility & creativity to achieve the important KPIs at the local level. We need indicators not just to measure processes but as a reminder of the scope and definition of sustainable urbanism

11 Big Picture Example - Water Quality in the River Tees Used blindly KPIs can have unexpected consequences

12 Conclusion As KPIs can have unexpected consequences. Even in the world of big data it needs to be understood that KPIs must be used with caution Planning & managing urban change is complex & contextually contingent We have to accept that when planning sustainable urban change one size does not fill all However SEMANTIC data modelling undoubtedly offers the potential to work more systemically and holistically using existing data sources more effectively across different procedural actions & at different policy scales