Scottish Government

BCIS

Building Cost Information Service (part of RICS)

BRE

Building Research Establishment

BREEAM

The BRE Environmental Assessment Method

CHP

Combined heat and power

CO ₂

Carbon dioxide

DBERR

Department for Business, Environment and Regulatory Reform

DER

Dwelling emissions rate. The design rate of CO ₂ emissions from a dwelling, measured in kilograms per square metre of floor area per annum, which is compared with the TER in order to assess compliance with Energy standard 6.1 of the Scottish building regulations.

EcoHomes

A widely adopted environmental assessment method for dwellings

EMS

Environmental Management System

GSHP

Ground source heat pump

HAG

Housing Association Grant

kW

Kilowatts

kWh

Kilowatt hours

LPG

Liquid petroleum gas

LPS

Loss Prevention Society

LTHW

Low temperature hot water system

MVHR

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery

NOx

Nitrous oxide

NPV

Net present value (the value of a series of current and future costs brought back to a common base date for comparative purposes)

OSB

Oriented strand board

PV

Photovoltaics

RPI

Retail Price Index

RSLs

Registered social landlords

SAP

Standard Assessment Procedure (the Government approved method for the energy rating of dwellings)

SPP6

Scottish Planning Policy 6 on renewables

SUDS

Sustainable drainage systems

TER

Target emissions rate. In Scotland, the target CO ₂ emissions rate of a notional building, calculated on the basis of the fuel packages given in the table to clause 6.1.2 of the Technical Handbooks 2007, using SAP software accredited for use in Scotland.

TRV

Thermostatic radiator valve

U-value (W/m ².k)

The standard measure of the thermal transmission of a building element

Wp

Watts peak, the maximum output power of photovoltaic modules, under standard test cell conditions