A renewable energy specialist is launching a new free eco design advice service for architects and developers to help their projects meet tougher green building standards.

Stiebel Eltron is launching its service in response to an urgent and growing need for expert advice on how building projects can become greener.

Only this month the National Federation of Builders revealed that builders are ignoring green guidelines with half never using renewable energy or assessing the environmental impact of their developments.

Stiebel Eltron managing director Mark McManus said the service will focus on helping architects and developers modify their plans to achieve excellent level BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standard ratings.

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BREEAM is the leading and most widely used environmental assessment method for buildings. It sets the standard for best practice in sustainable design and has become a key measure used to describe a building's environmental performance.

"Stiebel Eltron has more than 25 years experience manufacturing and pioneering renewable energy products in Europe," he said. "We want to draw on that deep reservoir of practical planning experience and offer the property industry our insight. We can take a set of architects drawings and redesign them making the project as eco friendly as possible. Critically we are running the advice service alongside the BREEAM standard so there is official independent recognition of the buildings green credentials."

Mr McManus said the building industry is coming under increasing pressure to make new properties greener.

He said there are three main strands to improving either a new or existing buildings green credentials.

"First you need to reduce the buildings need for energy. Second you need to look at making the property more energy efficient. Third you need to supply energy from renewable sources such as heat pumps and solar. Our eco design service can make thorough recommendations in all these areas."

Mr McManus stressed the huge importance of renewable energy heat pumps in making buildings more green friendly.

"Heat pumps are right at the forefront of the green energy revolution and this is a massive growth industry," he said.

(GK/JM)