Richard Hipkiss, Development Director of the Modular and Portable Building Association (MPBA), discusses how volumetric technology can support net zero targets for the healthcare sector and produce energy efficient buildings.
Identifying a route to net zero emissions for a complex system as large as the NHS is particularly challenging. On 1 July 2022, the NHS became the first health system to embed net zero into legislation, through the Health and Care Act 2022. The Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service report is now issued as statutory guidance. Recognising and finding ways to meet the requirements of changing regulations and policy demands is crucial in reshaping our approach to sustainability.
The ecological clock is ticking, and we must take urgent action to mitigate the impact of global warming. The emphasis with net zero construction is quite rightly focused on the environment but through a more sustainable approach to designing and developing buildings, those operating in the healthcare sector will reap the benefits for many generations to come. Energy costs are now not only having a major impact on household budgets but also NHS estate resources. There is significant evidence that traditionally constructed buildings do not produce structures that perform as well as design expectations and there is a great void between anticipated and actual in-use performance.
Findings from studies such as PROBE (Post Occupancy Review of Buildings and their Engineering) reveal that actual energy consumption in buildings is often as much as twice of that predicted at the design stage. With great challenges come opportunities. We have a proud legacy of innovation and many of our members in the volumetric modular and portable building sectors are setting out road maps to deliver structures that will be net zero in operation and highly energy efficient. At the forefront of offsite approaches, it is now established that volumetric modular technology is a game changer for the construction industry – reducing build times by an impressive 50-60% whilst increasing quality, productivity and safety.
Volumetric modular buildings however are less susceptible to poorly specified products as time can be taken upfront to validate the correct specification of materials. Factory manufactured modular buildings are highly accurate, well insulated and airtight, with air permeability with 1.5-3 m3 @50PA being the norm. A key advantage of modular construction is the quality benefits which come from working in a controlled environment. By producing buildings in a factory setting, the quality of elements such as insulation can be better assured. Predictability of in-use performance is a substantial benefit in not only achieving net zero goals but reducing primary energy requirements and in-use operational emissions during the lifetime of the building.
This manufacturing method also allows better control over optimising material use. The surplus materials are recycled or reused for future projects, reducing construction waste that ends up in landfill. Materials are protected from moisture and extreme weather conditions, reducing the risk of disposal through water ingress and damage. It is widely recognised that modular has the potential to reduce overall construction programmes, but it is not often acknowledged this approach can reduce up to 90% of the waste generated when compared with traditional construction methods.
With volumetric manufactured buildings all construction data can be validated and co-ordinated as part of a structured process, which helps provide accurate and reliable information for clients at the point of handover. Volumetric construction helps ensure client satisfaction and product assurances through the certainty and quality embedded into the manufacturing process. Many MPBA members are accredited under a number of modular building frameworks, including NHS Shared Business Services Framework, LHC, Crown Commercial Service and NHS Commercial Solutions. These frameworks help NHS trusts and other public sector clients improve the speed and cost-efficiency of procurement to support world-class patient care. The MPBA and many of our members understand the construction challenges facing healthcare providers – from highly constrained budgets, to increasing demands for carbon and waste reductions. The benefits of volumetric manufactured buildings begin in the factory, continue on to the construction site and last through the lifetime of the building.
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