Code for Sustainable Homes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Code for Sustainable Homes is an environmental impact rating system for housing in England, setting new standards for energy efficiency (above those in current building regulations)[1] and sustainability which are not mandatory under current building regulations but represent important developments towards limiting the environmental impact of housing.
The Code was officially launched on December 13, 2006, and was introduced as a voluntary standard in England in 2007. The Code complements the system of Energy Performance Certificates[2] for new homes introduced in April 2008 under the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive [1], and builds on the most recent changes to Building Regulations in England and Wales.
The Government-owned scheme is a successor to the Building Research Establishment's EcoHomes rating scheme first used in 2000. Although the Code currently applies only to newly-built dwellings in England, the National Welsh Assembly recently announced a plan to adopt the code, and Northern Ireland are required to achieve a code level 3 on all public sector homes from April 2008. In February of 2008 Stroma Accreditation won the license to training and accredit code assessors, this was pushed through by communities and local government (CLG) as fears from a lack of assessors to cover demand.
The code works by awarding new homes a star rating from 1 to 6, based on their performance against 9 sustainability criteria which are combined to assess the overall environmental impact. One star is entry level above building regulations, and six stars is the highest, reflecting exemplary developments in terms of sustainability.
The sustainability criteria by which new homes are measured are:
· Energy and CO2 Emissions – Operational Energy and resulting emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere
· Water – The consumption of potable water from the public supply systems or other ground water resources
· Materials – The environmental impact of construction materials for key construction elements
· Surface Water Run-off – The change in surface water run-off patterns as a result of the development
· Waste – Waste generated as a result of the construction process and facilities encouraging recycling of domestic waste in the home
· Pollution – Pollution resulting from the operation of the dwelling
· Health and Well-Being – The effects that the dwelling’s design and indoor environment has on its occupants
· Management – Steps that have been taken to allow good management of the environmental impacts of the construction and operation of the home
· Ecology – The impact of the dwelling on the local ecosystem, bio-diversity and land use
In March 2008, the UK government announced a mandatory requirement for all new homes to be rated against the Code from May 2008. No specific star ratings or assessments are set, but the rating means that every new home owner will know whether their home was built to higher standards than building regulations and what standards had been met. The rating also acts as an incentive to home builders to consider building to the Code's higher standards, whilst making the information routinely available will encourage consumers to be more demanding.
Technical guidance [3] is amended on a six-monthly basis (April – October) to reflect changes in materials and building techniques resulting from feedback from assessors and industry.
Contents |
[edit] Application
The Code for Sustainable Homes is to be compulsory where public sector (Housing Corporation) funding is involved [2], but voluntary in the private sector.
In the consultation document Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development it is proposed that all new homes should be rated against the Code for Sustainable Homes from April 2008, although it would not be necessary to comply with a minimum standard in the private sector.
Currently, compliance with the Code is voluntary, with a long-term view for it to become mandatory. However, landowners and agents are already selling sites with stipulations to build at a certain Code level.
The cost implications have also raised concern amongst housebuilders. The extra cost of building to Code Level 3 is valued at around £10000, a significant add-on to already high-priced houses. This has raised the question whether or not the customer is willing pay this increase.
The above is out-of-date and the UK Government issued new guidance in February 2008. (John Bone)
[edit] Reaction
The scheme was welcomed by the WWF for putting zero carbon development at the top of the industry agenda [3], and by the Association for Environment Conscious Building [4]. Other reactions were generally welcoming, but with some reservations [5].
Views of the scheme were not always so positive; early drafts were heavily criticised by industry commentators, both for being unnecessary (due to it being apparently modelled on the existing EcoHomes scheme) and due to its contents [6]. In December 2005 the WWF representative on the Steering Group resigned "in despair" due to the failure of government to accept the Steering Group's advice and recommendations [7]. The Construction Products Association criticised the original proposals as being confusing [8]. The Sustainable Development Commission is keen that the standard is extended to cover existing homes, and covers this and other recommendations in its report 'Stock Take' [9]
[edit] See also
- Association for Environment Conscious Building
- Energy efficiency in British housing
- Good Homes Alliance
- Green building
- Low Carbon Building Programme
- Sustainable development
- Sustainable design
[edit] Compare to
- LEED in the United States and Canada
- Haute Qualité Environnementale in France
