High-rise buildings much more energy-intensive than low-rise

Office and residential buildings use more energy per square metre, the taller they are, according to new research from UCL. Researchers at UCL's Energy Institute have found that electricity use, per square metre of floor area, is nearly two and a half times greater in high-rise office buildings of 20 or more storeys than in low-rise buildings of 6 storeys or less. Gas use also increases with height, by around 40%. As a result, total carbon emissions from gas and electricity from high-rise buildings are twice as high as in low-rise. The 'High-Rise Buildings: Energy and Density' project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) analysed data from 610 office buildings in the UK. The research team looked at energy consumption 'in operation' and not 'embodied energy' (energy used to produce building materials and in the construction process). Professor Philip Steadman (UCL Bartlett School of Energy, Environment and Resources) explained, 'The use of air conditioning plays a part in but does not provide a complete explanation of these results.