Investigating Net Zero in UK Commercial Buildings: Its Impact on Climate Change and Cost Management

This is an accepted article with a DOI pre-assigned that is not yet published.This research identifies the optimal combination of insulation and glazing materials for commercial buildings to achieve the United Kingdom’s (UK) net-zero 2050 target in terms of energy savings and cost-effectiveness. Twelve insulation and glazing materials are critically evaluated using the Analytic Hierarchy Process and assigned a score based on the data. The top-ranked materials are applied to a building model in EDSL TAS software for simulation. The average U-values, energy consumption, total emissions, and energy performance asset ratings of the four specific conditions in eight selected locations of the UK are analysed and compared. Results show that Glasgow has the highest value in every parameter, while Plymouth has the lowest, indicating regional weather variations. It is also observed that the lowest average U-value comes from vacuum-insulated panels (VIP), which is 0.18, and for glazing, it is 0.56, obtained from triple glazing with lower solar gain (TG LSG). Both results meet the standard set by Building Regulations 2010. The combination of VIP and TG LSG gives the U-value of 0.09 indicating improved thermal insulation. It also reduces energy consumption by 40.98% and total emission by 26.45% compared to the worst combination. This set is 42.26% more expensive than the baseline; nevertheless, it offers annual energy savings of 49.16% per m2. The average yearly saving is £6,082.50, and the payback period is 35 years under current conditions. Net present value of this combination is £-66,750.50, which can be improved if the unit price of materials decreases through mass production, along with government incentives and subsidies. From a carbon-saving perspective, this combination reduces, on average, 20.07 tCO2eq of operational carbon footprint, exceeding the baseline by 31.90%, and saves £839.90 in potential carbon penalties annually, promoting long-term resilience and economic feasibility. The study’s findings offer valuable insight to policymakers to pursue sustainable envelope design.