Environmental High-quality

See also: HQE

The environmental High-quality or HQE initially was a consensual theoretical base before becoming a registered trademark in France. “Environmental High-quality” aims at integration in the frame of the principles of the Sustainable development as defined in the Sommet of the ground in June 1992. In France, it was gradually established, of the beginning of the year 1990 to 1997, between various actors of the building, the Environnement and the building owners (PUCA, ADEME, CSTB and Association HQE). It is a qualitative step recent and still perfectible (in particular by integrating the Biodiversité there), which integrates all the linked activities into the design, construction, the operation and the déconstruction of a building (Logement, public building, tertiary sector or industrialist).

The Environmental High-quality is interested specifically in the environment, but by recognizing that this one cannot be durably preserved in a company which is badly, also the step quality also integrates it social aspects. Those can be the subject of a broader and complete work for example through the Agenda 21 local or of RAINED (Local plans of town planning), PADD, écoquartier S, etc

So today the step Environmental High-quality is primarily applied to isolated buildings, it is desirable to adapt it to coherent units, such as zones of activity, built or renovated districts (écoquartier S, Ville renewed on itself). Reflections are in hand as for a variation for the transport infrastructures of energy, matters, information…

Environmental High-quality is chosen, not by legal requirement, but for reasons ethical S and/or economic, possibly of image, by knowing that in term of “overall costs”, of the operating costs and sometimes of construction will be avoided, with many environmental and social benefit. The avoided costs are in particular: less Pollution, less consumption of not or not very renewable resources, increased recyclability, flexibility of conversion to other uses, costs of exploitation reduced, weak medical impacts (Disease S, various disorders) or social, etc It is also an answer to a social request which evolves/moves. The Citoyen S wish more quality of Vie, equitable Commerce ethical and thus , of soutenability of the development, éco-citizenship, new governorship, etc). To live should not contribute any more to the degradation of the Environnement.

Two principles underlie approach HQE:

  1. construction, the maintenance and the use of any building induce an environmental impact, and thus overall costs, that the HQE will try to reduce or compensate, beyond what request the law (for at least 7 targets out of 14) and by aiming at the maximum performance (for at least 3 targets known as " prioritaires"). The saving in a construction project HQE is thus apprehended under the angle of the overall costs; it takes account at the same time of the investment and operation.
  2. the principle of the targets: It is related to the Démarche quality; the target is reached so in the field concerned, the relative level of performance is equal to that of the best project known at the same time. After long debates, association HQE admitted that all the targets could not be treated by aiming at the maximum of performance, which would have, for reasons of initial costs, put the HQE out of reach small budgets.

The step can and must be adapted to each project - as of the design, by studying if possible carefully the choice of the place. It is necessary to work with a ecologist and why not with a sociopsychologist - because the HQE is interested in the needs and functions of Alive, rests on the Biodiversité, and must integrate the assets and constraints related to the context (of which human, social context.) ; as many elements which always vary according to the place, the time and the characteristics of the project.

Certain effects of thresholds and scale are more easily reached on a district scale which can be urbanized while following these principles, with methods varying according to the scale of action considered (see the concept of écoquartier, écovillage, one evokes also a écoville in China…).

Why build HQE?

  • to reduce our Impressed ecological;
  • because we pass 80% of our time inside buildings;
  • for our wellbeing, because the Qualité of the interior air influences our health;
  • because the Construction and the use of these buildings consume many energy and nonrenewable resources (40% of the consumption of energy in France) while at the same time of the active techniques and passive of energy efficiency make it possible to strongly decrease consumption of energy and thus pollution and the risk associated, for an improved comfort.

Who does what?

In France, the step HQE gave rise to a registered trademark by Association HQE. 3 organizations contribute to structure the step of it and to make promotion of it:
  • Association HQE
  • ADEME
  • the CSTB (and its new subsidiary company of certification CERTIVEA: http://www.certivea.fr/)

These organizations set up a system of certification aiming to the delivery of the certificate of the right of use of the mark " NF Tertiary Bâtiments - HQE" Step;. This certification rests on a technical Référentiel in 2 shutters:

  1. the SMO (System of Management of the Operation)
  2. the QEB (Environmental Quality of the Building industry)

This second shutter identifies 14 targets:

14 targets

Écoconstruction

1. Relation of the building with its immediate environment

  • under-targets:
    • use of the opportunities offered by the vicinity and the site;
    • management of the advantages and disadvantages of the piece;
    • organization of the piece to create a pleasant framework of life;
    • Reduction of the risks of harmful effects between the building, its vicinity and the site;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to treat the insertion of the building in its environment by carrying out a prior study with the project a study of organization of the piece, a study of treatment of external and intermediate spaces. In the event of industrial waste lands, to analyze the level of pollution and to cleanse if necessary;
    • to locate the sources of external noise and to create a satisfactory soundproofing.

2. Integrated choice of the products, systems and processes of construction

  • under-targets:
    • adaptability and durability of the buildings;
    • choice of the processes of construction;
    • choice of the products of construction;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to use processes and sparing products out of matter and energy;
    • to study the possibilities of waste recycling of adaptation and demolition of building, in particular by choosing products without risk for the environment.

3. Building site with weak environmental impact

  • under-targets:
    • management differentiated from waste of building site;
    • reduction of the noises of building site;
    • reduction of the Pollution S on the piece and in the vicinity;
    • control of the other harmful effects of building site;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to integrate measurements upstream allowing the control of waste during the building site and the reduction of the harmful effects (noise, dust, muds);
    • to reduce the consumption of energy and air pollution by the building sites;
    • to reduce the water consumption and the ground and water pollution during the building sites;

Targets of éco-management

4. Energy management

  • under-targets:
    • reinforcement of the recourse to renewable energies;
    • consuming reinforcement of the effectiveness of the equipment of energy;
    • use of clean generators with combustion when one has recourse to this type of apparatus;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to reinforce the energy efficiency of the projects;
    • to choose labellized “clean” boilers with weak CO2 emission.

5. Management of water

  • under-targets:
    • management of drinking water;
    • recourse to non-drinking waters (recovery of rainwater);
    • insurance of the cleansing of waste water;
    • management of rain water on the piece;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to seek systems which limit the drinking water consumption: powerful equipment, monitoring of the networks to decrease the escapes;
    • to consider a collection of rain water for the power supply of the WC, cleaning, the gardening, etc

6. Management of waste of activities

  • under-targets:
    • design of buildings with dustbin adapted to the recycling and the valorization of the Waste S;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to take into account the local selective authorities;
    • to configure the kitchens and the technical premises by envisaging recycling;
    • to conceive the transit enters the stock rooms and of collecting;
    • to separate storage from household waste of the circulation of the people.

7. Maintenance - Perenniality of the environmental performances

  • under-targets:
    • optimization of the needs for maintenance;
    • installation of effective processes of technical management and maintenance;
    • control of the environmental effects of the processes of maintenance and the maintenance products;

Targets of Comfort

8. Hygrothermic comfort

  • under-targets:
    • permanence of the conditions of hygrothermic comfort ;
    • homogeneity of hygrothermic environments;
    • hygrothermic zoning;
  • minimal requirement:
    • to ensure the thermal comfort of summer.

9. Acoustic comfort

  • under-targets:
    • acoustic correction;
    • soundproofing;
    • reduction the noises of impact and equipment;
    • acoustic zoning;
  • minimal requirement:
    • to reduce the acoustic pressure level by protecting the residences against the noises emitted inside and outside.

10. Visual comfort

  • under-targets:
    • satisfactory visual relationship to outside;
    • optimal daylight in terms of comfort and energy expenditure;
    • satisfactory illumination in supplement of the daylight;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to make a study of establishment and dimensioning of the walls glazed compatible with the energy requirement;
    • to respect the requirements relating to electrical installation;

11. Olfactive comfort

  • under-targets:
    • reduction of the unpleasant sources of odors;
    • ventilation allowing the evacuation of the unpleasant odors;

Targets of health

12. Medical quality of spaces

  • under-targets:
    • limitation of the electromagnetic harmful effects;
    • creation of satisfactory conditions of hygiene;
    • provisions facilitating cleaning and the evacuation of waste of activity;
    • provisions facilitating the health care;
    • provisions in favor of the people with reduced physical capacities;
  • minimal requirements:
    • to judiciously choose the site and the shape of the technical parts and to equip them correctly;
    • to facilitate maintenance and cleaning;

13. Medical quality of the air

  • under-targets:
    • management of the position risks by the products of construction;
    • management of the position risks by the equipment;
    • management of the position risks by maintenance or maintenance;
    • management of the position risks by the Radon;
    • management of the position risks by the new air;
    • ventilation to guarantee the quality of the air (Renewal of the interior air);
  • minimal requirements:
    • choice of the generators with combustion equipped with a standardized security system;
    • to avoid the polluting products used in the construction industry: formaldehyde, Solvent S, Pesticide S, etc
    • to analyze the risk of emission of Radon in the significant areas and to adapt the design of the buildings consequently;
    • to dimension the renewal of air correctly and to use powerful ventilation systems;
    • to check the absence of Asbestos and CFC in certain alveolar plastic insulators, like the equipment producing of the cold, the aerosols and solvents.

14. Medical quality of water

  • under-targets:
    • collective protection of the drinking water distribution network;
    • maintenance of drinkable water quality in the buildings;
    • possible improvement of drinkable water quality;
    • possible treatment of non-drinking waters used;
    • risk management related to the nondrinkable water supply networks;
  • minimal requirements:
    • not to use drains in Lead (prohibited by DTU 60-1)
    • to maintain a temperature of storage of warm water with 60°C and distribution with 50°C, to minimize the risks of Légionellose.

Formations

The request for competence increases quickly, and would owe in France being doped by the commitments entered into continuations with the Grenelle of the Environment.
  • Of the modules of formation starts to be proposed, in initial training and/or continuous by schools of Architecture, by the Académie of Sustainable development and Humain.
  • Ademe set up (3 sessions in 2006) a formation " Sensitizing with the step HQE, environmental quality of the framework of life built ".
  • a formation is in preparation with CAPEB for the craftsmen.
  • There exists a Charter of continuing educations to step HQE® * Courses of HQE are given in several trainings of engineers (Mastère specialized renewable energies of ENSAM, professional Master of Construction and Durable Installation (CAD) of the IAUL of USTL…)
  • Formations sustainable development and Environmental High-quality Bridges Formation Edition, continuing education of the ENPC http://www.ponts-formation-edition.fr/environnement
  • Formation " 'Sustainable development and environmental quality in installation of the terroire, town planning, architecture and construction'" in Alsace, Lorraine (class 4), Champagne-Ardenne (IFRB), Franche-Comté (Ajena), and the Rhone-Alps (Europe and Environment and the Order of the Architects). Initiated by association Europe and Environnementen Alsace. It is an continuing education multi-actors 19 day old, aiming at the actors of installation and the construction, approved by the DAPA (Direction of architecture and the inheritance), certifying and encouraging the development of a network of qualified actors in the field of the construction of Environmental Quality.
  • CSTB proposes in its catalog of formation 2008 16 different training courses, of which 6 are new.

Some examples

Among approximately 600 examples listed in France:

  • certified Buildings
    • Administrative Pole “Mureaux” (NF380/05/001)
    • Turn Granite (district of Defense)
    • Professional training center, INERIS (NF380/05/004)
    • Building 270 with Aubervilliers (NF380/05/004)
    • College Léonard-with-Vinci with Calais (France, Nord/Pas-de-Calais Area Area)
    • College Jacquard with Caudry (France, Nord/Pas-de-Calais Area Area)
    • Center of Natural education of Houtland with (Wormhout (France, Nord/Pas-de-Calais Area Area)
    • College of Saint-Andrew (Island of the Meeting)

Assessment of stage for the Nord/Pas-de-Calais Area area (in 2005)

In this area pionnière, where approach HQE was developed in 1993, approximately 150 achievements were made in 10 years, Nord/Pas-de-Calais area, primarily in urban environment and périurbain: social housing, schools, public equipment, offices…
- One notes energy and water saving from 20 to 30% and one reduction of 50% of the polluting emissions.
- the initial additional cost from 0 to 15% is quickly refunded by the savings in operation. One can now consider houses with positive energy (producing more energy than they do not consume any).
- a feeling of comfort and wellbeing are largely expressed by the users.
- many projects treated one or more targets in a priority way, according to the context.
- the request increases on behalf of the silent partners, requiring devices of training of the craftsmen (in progress).
- a project of district HQE to Lille.
- tools of accompaniment were created with the District council, the ADEME, the DIREN, the CAUE, the school of architecture and landscape of Villeneuve d' Ascq, of which a regional Atlas of the landscapes, the first to integrate a shutter ecology of the landscape, a regional wind atlas, assistances with the installation of solar panels, a loan (Isolto) to encourage the insulation of the roofs, assistances with the establishment of a environmental Profil local intended to help the territories to identify and control their natural resources steps, little, with difficulty or expensively renewable, so as to hold account of it in their projects of installation, a Mission differentiated Management, a seedbed able to provide genetically varied plans of local species (Seedbed of Haendries), atlases and accompanying document of a green and blue screen (TVB), plates of sensitizing, modules of formation, etc

First assessments, one can deduce that so from here 2010,100% from the colleges, 70% of the colleges, 30% of the public corporations and the social housing and 5% of the offices and the private residences were thus built or rehabilitated according to a step HQE, one could hope:

- at least 30% of energy saving in the residential one and the tertiary sector
- at least 16% of economy out of drinking water
- a potential of uses of 10 to 15.000 direct uses and indirect
- the constitution by the qualification of the project superintendents and companies of the building, a regional pole of competences

Evolutions, prospects

Worms of the Roads HQE? In France, with the assistance of CSTB and other actors, the General advice of North set up in 2005-2006 an work group on this topic.
One fifteenth target HQE? a beginning of reflection exists since 2004 with in particular the Environnement direction of the District council of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais on the topic of a Fifteenth target HQE aiming at a better integration of the Biodiversité. This target would more largely integrate also and the idea of “ refunding of the ecological Dette” (of the frame and its inhabitants or users).
Less luminous pollution : ADEME set up a at the end of 2005 formation on the control of the demand for electricity, concerning lighting and integrating the aspects known as of “" luminous Pollution " ”, whereas AFE (French Association of the Lighting engineers) published its first guide on the " harmful effects lumineuse" ; as many elements which will be able to help with the best taken into account of these factors, in particular for the external lighting which takes an increasing importance.
Towards a certification : May 1st, 2006, the activity of licensing of the actors and the works of construction initiated within the CSTB is transferred to a new business called Certivea which conceives, develops, and carries out services of certification of actors and work of construction

Tracks of improvement and reflection:

- Choice of the site ;
This choice generally escapes the architect, even with the prescriber. One can consider it regrettable that certain sites with vocation HQE are far away from the joint grid systems, built in floodplain or that they contribute to split up the ecosystems. How to encourage the building owner to locate in an ecologically coherent way the frame and the infrastructures serving it, by taking account of the context ecological, landscape, urban, socio-economic, and so as to minimize flows, the distances from displacement (and the consumption of energy and the sources of pollution and harmful effects afférant there? … To encourage integration very upstream HQE on a Country scale, Agglomerations, by ex within the framework of a Diary 21, of a SCOT (Diagram of Territorial Coherence in France) is one of the mid developed tracks 2007 by Grenelle of the environment (Workshop 1)
- the integration of Alive the (fauna and flora)
It is approximate for esthetic reasons, but it is necessary for ethical and functional reasons (see Fifteenth target HQE). It is too often limited to the plant. Ecological balances require the presence of a minimal fauna. The pollinating ones, the insectivorous ones deserve an special attention. night lighting should not disturb them, etc They should find place:
    • in the external frame (envelope, courses interior, foundations, overhangs, etc, in a spirit close to the concept of House-nesting box),
    • in certain spaces plugs, for certain species (veranda type, wintergarden, as far as possible planted in the original ground),
    • in certain interior spaces (ex: system of air-cleaning, waste water using the plants like Phyt' air, algae, but also bacteria and other organizations watery), with the precautions and the follow-up which are essential.
    • by envisaging ecological niches for the species potentially present after the environment will have improved and not for the only species present at the time of the realization of the initial state or the environmental profile.
The principles of the integration of the biodiversity in the human environment (built and not built structure) are summarized in the article Biodiversité in the frame and the garden.
- the development of compensatory functions and restauratoires .
These two functions are necessary to an objective of “refunding of the ecological debt”.
    • This implies to register the frame in a ecological Réseau functional (grid of biological corridors to create, restore, preserve, then to manage (ecological management and restauratoire, and thus differentiated).
    • the building and shouldn't its occupants produce more oxygen than they do not consume any, and to reject water and air as or more clean as as they will have taken in the medium? Shouldn't their organic waste and those of the green areas systematically contribute to restore the ecosystems (when that does not pose a problem medical)?
    • Of the compensatory ecological niches could tend to erase the ecological print of installations and their operation.
    • the measurement of the ecological Impressed, which is necessary to the evaluation of the ecological Dette.

Projects of cities-HQE, in the world…

various projects of éco-towns or vast districts HQE succeeded (“ Mountain View ” in California, “ Hammerdy Sjöstat ” in Sweden, “ New Songdo City ” in Korea, or Ecotowns English in particular inspired by the district of BedZed).
Royaume-Uni: the Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced during his nomination the creation of five Ecotowns in the country; from 10.000 to 20.000 inhabitants each one, the first being created by the State and the following ones on local initiative. A call to project caused nearly forty candidatures of English cities, which encouraged the government to extend this program to ten écotowns
France took delay, but in the dynamics of the Grenelle of the environment, in of 2007, the idea to encourage rehabilitation HQE and to build cities HQE renewed on themselves progressed. The commission Attali also in 2007 proposed to create before 2012 at least ten “Ecopolis”; cities new HQE, including/understanding 20% of green areas, favorable to the biodiversity, and which would shelter more than 50.000 inhabitants, by integrating an high level of NTIC, local employment and a social diversity, supplied with the wind one and the solar one and playing the part of window and laboratory as regards energy sobriety and out of water. The écopolis remain criticized by several ONG if they must still contribute to urban spreading out and to increase the highway network. These last wish a rehabilitation HQE of cities with densifier.

See too

External bonds

  • Assoc. HQE
  • CSTB
  • Some examples of building HQE

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