Sustainable Building is the term given to building techniques associated with environmentally responsible and resource-efficient materials. This includes everything within a building including siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. The common objective or a 'green' or 'sustainable' building is to be designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment.

These can be broken down into 4 main areas, these being energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency and waste reduction.

Energy Efficiency...

To reduce operating energy use, designers specify high-performance windows and extra insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors.  They also use renewable technologies in solar building design such as solar PV, solar hot water, air / ground source heat pumps etc) in order to keep power generation to a minimum, which happens to be the most expensive feature to add to a building (click here for our renewables courses).  For PPL Training's domestic energy assessing course click here City & Guilds 6361 Level 3 Certificate for Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) and for our  non-domestic (commercial) energy assessing courses click here, City & Guilds 6361-02 Certificate for Non Domestic Energy Assessing

PPL Training run a wide range of sustainable building training courses that are designed to improve the environmental performance of a new build property or retrofit project. 

Low Carbon Refurbishment Awareness (1 day) course.
This course will help candidates understand the different levels of environmental performance given by various interventions that can be made during repair and refurbishment activities. Contractors and specifiers will be able to use sustainability principles to offer cost effective carbon reducing improvements to their clients.

Internal Wall Insulation (1 day) course (Knauf Thermoshell IWI Installer)
The ThermoShell Internal Wall Insulation system insulates the “hard to treat” or solid external walls from the inside of the property, meaning there are improvements to the buildings thermal performance without affecting its appearance. Attendees must have passed a ACOP Gas Awareness course
 
Internal Wall Insulation Surveyor (Knauf ThermoShell IWI Surveyor)
This course is aimed at existing ThermoShell IWI surveyors and new entrants wishing to become an approved Knauf ThermoShell Internal Wall Insulation surveyor. All attendees must have passed a ACOPs Gas Awareness course

Loft Insulation (1 day) course
This is a 1 day domestic loft installer’s course.  It is aimed at anyone wishing to gain theory and practical training in the installation of domestic loft insulation.  Loft insulation is one of the best ways to save money on fuel bills and reduce the carbon footprint for buildings.

Rainwater & Greywater Harvesting (2 day) course.
The course offers a nationally recognised rainwater harvesting qualification from Bpec.  It covers the collection, storage and use of rainwater for such activities as domestic washing machines, WC's and flushing urinals.

Underfloor Heating
This course has been developed by Bpec in association with the Underfloor Heating Manufacturers Association. It is an underfloor heating system installers course, therefore principally aimed at those involved in the installation of underfloor heating systems (UFH). There is a separate designers course the Bpec Underfloor Heating Design course.