The most environmentally-friendly council-built housing in London is set to be unveiled at an open day in Croydon last summer. Dozens of new homes that set new standards in domestic green technology are ready for their first tenants. Many were … Continue reading
The maximum Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 is awarded for zero carbon homes.This is a highly aspirational level of sustainability and not many buildings have achieved this level of energy efficiency. The Energy Savings Trust has published a report providing a number of zero carbon case studies:Low carbon futures: zero carbon case studies.
These case studies summarise all currently known developments that have met – or propose to meet – the zero carbon Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 standard, or those schemes that are exempt from Stamp Duty Relief Tax due to their zero carbon status (outside of England and Wales). All new homes built in England from 2016 will have to be built to a zero carbon standard. Wales plans to meet a Code for Sustainable Homes level 5 target by 2011 and aims to achieve further emissions reductions by decarbonising their national grid. The Sullivan report (2007)2 sets out a timeline for Scotland to reach zero carbon by 2016 and Northern Ireland also aims for a zero carbon standard by 2016.
Detail is also included about water efficiency measures, for which the Energy Saving Trust is developing solutions to add to its guidance on energy efficiency. Sustainable waste plans for housing will also be covered in future publications.
The schemes here demonstrate that the housing sector can deliver the highest standards of sustainable housing even during the current economic downturn. This should provide inspiration for others to follow suit and take on the challenge to meet the zero carbon standards.
The Code for Sustainable Homes sets minimum standards against nine performance categories. To achieve Code level 6, at least 90% of the points available under each category have to be gained.
The categories are:
Code for Sustainable Homes level 6 homes are highly sustainable, with net zero CO2 emissions over the course of the year. The Communities and Local Government (CLG) consultation document Building a greener future: towards zero carbon development, sets out a definition of zero carbon as:
For a new home to be genuinely zero carbon it will need to deliver zero carbon (net over the year) for all energy use in the home – cooking, washing and electronic entertainment appliances as well as space heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and hot water.
Stamp Duty Land Tax Relief was a measure introduced by the Government in 2007 to offer tax relief to homes built to a zero carbon standard across the United Kingdom. Homes must meet certain requirements for energy generated for heating and cooking. To qualify for relief, a zero carbon home certificate is required from an accredited assessor. Detailed guidance and qualifying conditions are provided by HM Revenue and Customs.
The energy performance of a building is one of the key credits in the Code for Sustainable Homes assessment methodology. The 2016 zero carbon homes agenda is another key driver of improving the energy perfromance of new homes. The energy Savings Trust has publish a report “The 100mm Cavity Debate” discussing the predominant use of the cavity wall to achieve good insulation values and investigating potential alternatives.
The report seeks to investigate why cavity masonry construction is so predominant in mainstream housing; why the industry appears so keen to stick to the 100mm cavity; and what are the potential
routes to achieve the improved thermal performance that is necessary at higher levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
In 2008 participants were invited to express their opinions on five of the key issues, and suggest the type of construction they view as most appropriate in achieving better thermal performance. The technical and commercial rationale underpinning the suggested construction was described, and extensive further information about their choice was then entered into an accompanying matrix.
Four key industry experts were invited to comment, each specialising in a different type of construction – masonry, timber frame, light-gauge steel frame and alternative construction techniques. Of these, three provided input, with the timber frame expert failing to comment. Sadly this means that considerations of timber frame had to be omitted from this report.
The results of the survey indicate that externally insulated solid walls could potentially provide a suitable way of increasing thermal performance whilst utilising the existing skills base. These would gradually be replaced in turn by Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) systems, which offer further benefits in terms of build speed and economy, as well as greater quality control.
Other findings of this report include:
Author: Terrapin Ltd
The modular building industry is pioneering innovative, cost-effective solutions that meet the latest legislation for sustainable homes.
The renowned Hybred® concept has recently been applied to developments that are required to meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 or above, providing homes that meet the highest environmental performance requirements, whilst remaining within budget constraints. A recent project has the Hybred® concept being developed for use on a number of bungalows, to great effect, but it could equally be applied to five storey apartments, demonstrating the flexibility of the system.
The design is scalable to suit even the highest levels of the Code for Sustainable Homes, with the incorporation of features such as rainwater harvesting and the option of a monopitch roof, which incorporates sun pipes and PV panels. The design also allows for the inclusion of a mechanical ventilation heat recovery (MVHR) system, which adds to its environmental credentials, as well as offering low maintenance.
In reality, it means a single storey, Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 property can be delivered for under £100k, making it an attractive option for many social housing providers. There is also the option of extending the concept to meet the requirements of Code for Sustainable Homes Levels 5 and 6, by combining the very best in off site design with expertise in delivering sustainable buildings.
The Hybred® modular building solution provides the potential to achieve ‘A’ rated energy performance through the use of innovative cladding methods to optimise insulation levels and reduce heat loads. The flexibility of Hybred® also means that renewable options, such as green roofs, low emissivity glazing and solar panels can all be integrated within the system, providing a low carbon footprint for a building.
A complete turnkey solution can be offered by some offsite companies, by working with the client from the initial design and pre-planning stages right through to handover. Over 85 per cent of the structure can be built in the factory, which minimises the amount of time on site. Even the roof is completed off site, which means the whole building could be watertight within just one day. The end result is a building that meets the performance requirements of the highest Code levels, backed up by all the benefits of off site construction.
In addition, the building’s lifetime carbon emissions can be minimised by specifying low embedded carbon building products that contain a high level of recycled materials.
As well as meeting exceptional performance standards, Hybred® also allows for the integration of non-rectangular modules and to introduce corner-to-corner glazed walls, using Corner Loaded Modules. There are a range of options for exterior and interior finishes and a variety of service options to give long term cost savings.
Terrapin is the first offsite manufacturer to gain accreditation to the Buildoffsite Lloyds Register Scheme which is integral to a newly launched building warranty scheme. This is being developed by the Royal Chartered Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Lloyds’ Register, BLP (Allianz) and the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) and provides assurance to the lending community that buildings will be sufficiently durable as to be readily saleable throughout the duration of two mortgage terms, which equates to 60 years. It also provides the peace of mind that the structural integrity of its buildings will not have a negative impact on the mortgage security during that term.
The modular building industry recognises the urgent needs of the present and future with regard to sustainable building methods and materials, and strives to find solutions to these requirements.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/modular-building-solutions-for-sustainable-homes-4105561.html
About the Author
A leading UK provider of off site construction solutions, Terrapin has been in the business of permanent and temporary solutions for 60 years. Off site construction delivers fast, accurate and affordable solutions to permanent, temporary and relocatable building requirements for healthcare, education, developer and commercial projects.
Compared to conventional building methods, Terrapin’s modular solutions reduce time on site, cut the number of deliveries and are virtually unaffected by weather considerations. Importantly, for a site where disruptions must be kept to a minimum, the off site construction approach creates much less noise and interference to the day to day operation of the site and its occupants.
Author: Tal Potishman
As part of its strategy to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions, the UK government has introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes. The code covers many important issues, but one of them has particular relevance to the plumbing and heating industry in the UK. It will impact both new building developments and existing building retrofits.
New properties already have to meet part L1A of the building regulations in force. This part determines a set target for carbon emissions that every new property has to meet. The property developers have to prove in advance that once fully built the property will generate CO2 emissions which is less than (or equal to) the target.
Launched in 2005, Part L1A set a target of 20% reduction in carbon emissions for new housing developments. The new Code for Sustainable Homes further builds on that to set a six-level basis of evaluation. Level one demands at least 10% carbon emissions reduction, with level six demanding ‘Zero Carbon’ buildings. By 2016, the government has set a target of 100% reduction in carbon emissions which is equal to level five.
The levels reached per dwelling are based on a points system, which evaluates each property according to the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of its components. A score of 57 is required for meeting level three, while not less than 90 points are required to meet level six.
It is fair to say that water heating systems currently available in the UK can meet the standard for medium levels within the Code for Sustainable Homes. Still there is work to be done to make the heating systems efficient enough to meet the requirements for the top most levels, such as levels five and six.
One way of meeting the demand is by using renewable energy sources. For example, a level four in the Code requires a high ratio of such sustainable energy systems. Solar thermal systems are highly effective and emit virtually no carbon. Winter heating (when the days are short), will be supplemented by a gas boiler or a hot water tank with an immersion heater.
Although currently the code mainly talks about new build projects, experts urge the government to apply the code in retrofits as well. Replacing an old boiler with a new high efficiency boiler will reduce the carbon emissions but also will help the home owners reduce their heating bills. An A rated boiler, such as a modern condensing boiler will reduce the emissions and cut the heating bills by around 30%. Similarly, a well insulated hot water cylinder will cut the heat loss and reduce heating bills further, compared with an old inefficient cylinder.
It is likely that the Code for Sustainable Homes will influence the building regulations that are planned to be launched in 2010. As such, it is crucial that the Code is carefully worked out and that the UK heating industry is fully prepared for it well in advance to ensure a successful roll out.
Engineering and technological capabilities in the UK are high, giving the government comfort in the ability of the sector to roll out the high efficiency technologies. What’s more, the new technologies become ever more attractive to the public as prices drop while performance levels improve.
Article Source: http://talpotishman.articlesbase.com/diy-articles/code-for-sustainable-homes-impacts-uk-heating-industry-587532.html
About the Author
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, publishes content about new boilers, Kingston plumbers, central heating, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating
Author: Robin Lawson
The United Kingdom introduced Code for Sustainable Homes in 2008 with the dream to decrease carbon emission from homes and increase carbon housing in the country. It has been divided into 6 levels based on the amount of carbon emitted in the home including all activities. Your home should fall under any of the six levels like level 1 for 10%, level 2 for 18%, level 3 for 25%, level 4 for 44%, level 5 for 100% and level 6 for zero carbon for sustainable homes assessment.
Our home for us is the most comfortable place on the earth but have you ever thought why? Because knowingly or unknowingly we use many different things to enjoy all the comforts of the home like we use energy to run various appliances, we use water for cleaning purpose and we also waste too many things during the process and the best part is there is no one to control our use or waste of resources in the home. All these activities result in huge amount of carbon emission. The code of sustainable homes has been devised to make sure each person in UK thinks of reducing carbon emission in the environment.
Code for Sustainable Homes assessment deals with checking the carbon emission of homes which have been designed and built from 2008 onwards. It is checked in the initial stages when the builder submits a full plan application, building notice or a notice to know the applicable regulations with reference to the building.
UK does provide that all homes built after 2008 should be built as per the code for sustainable homes still the builder has the choice to build the home as per the guidelines of the sustainable homes code which can be known from an ecologist or build it as any other home and download the zero rating to give to the home buyer. In the first case builder will have to obtain code certificate displaying rankings and in second case simply passing on the certificate as not certified will suffice to finish his part of the job.
But nil rating has its own threats and so most of the builders try to build homes to atleast level three of the code for sustainable homes. Building it to sustainable homes assessment level 3 will require significant changes in the method of construction like you will have to provide for water conservation.
Of course building homes as per the code for sustainable homes will be more costly as compared to the price we otherwise pay. But do not be disappointed as there are efforts in place which can help home owners reduce the cost of complying by the code for sustainable homes. If Stroma accreditation is willing to train in house energy assessors then it is possible to cut the cost on sustainable homes assessment. When this happens it will be possible to pass on the benefits of reduced cost to home owners or buyers.
Everyone seems to be standing in support of the new initiative taken to have better greener planets. The best part is that it is not all that difficult to build homes in accordance with the code for sustainable homes.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/code-for-sustainable-homes-an-option-to-naturally-restrict-your-carbon-consumption-3848893.html
About the Author
Ecologist can suggest different changes in the home design and construction so as to reduce your carbon emission and help you comply with the code for sustainable homes
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The Code for Sustainable Homes is a national sustainability standard for the design and construction of new homes. The Code for Sustainable Homes is administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), which is also responsible for planning policy and building regulation in England. In order to minimise the environmental impact of new homes, in particular energy use and CO2 emissions, Building Regulations are to be tightened over the coming years to improve the energy efficiency of and reduce carbon emissions from new homes. The CO2 performance standards in the Code for Sustainable Homes mirror the proposed minimum mandatory levels that will be implemented through future revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations (which deal with energy use and CO2 emissions). Thus the Code for Sustainable Homes signals the direction of change towards zero carbon homes that will be mandated through the Building Regulations.
The Code for Sustainable Homes is a voluntary standard and there are currently no plans to make it mandatory at the national level. However, the Code for Sustainable Homes is increasingly being adopted by local authorities as a planning condition for new developments, and any social housing schemes seeking government funding must currently achieve at least level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes.
Periodic updates to the Code for Sustainable Homes are necessary to maintain alignment with other legislation such as Building Regulations and to take account of feedback from the house building industry. Any changes to the legislation must be informed by an impact assessment to evaluate the effects at the national level. Conducting the impact assessment requires an understanding of the costs of building to the Code for Sustainable Homesand this report presents the findings of a consultation conducted in later summer 2010 to gather cost data from builders with experience of building Code homes.
extract from Cost of building to the Code for Sustainable Homes – updated cost review, reproduced under Crown Copyright license.
Author:
fiona davies
The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) launched the Code for Sustainable Homes on 13th December 2006. They are a national standard when constructing new homes so that sustainable design can be incorporated. The whole home is measured through the Code and it assesses its sustainability through nine separate categories.
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The Code for Sustainable Homes intends to signal how Building Regulations will be directed in the future in regards to home carbon emissions and energy use. The Codes are rated between 1 to 6 star rating and it shows the overall sustainability rating of any new home. Minimum standards are set in regards to energy and water use and allow both builders and homeowners\’ access to valuable information in terms of sustainability.
The Code Levels for energy efficiency are:-
Guidance for solutions to meeting the energy efficiency requirements for level 3 and above are below:
As of 2010 Code for Sustainable Homes levels 1 and 2 were made redundant as the Code Level 3 was made mandatory for new builds in both the public and private sectors, this includes both houses and flats. Code Levels of 4 and above are voluntary but in the future increases in each step will take place, some landowners and agents are already selling certain sites asking for a certain Code for Sustainable Homes level to be achieved. All new homes need to have an Energy Performance Certificate so a new home will have a rating against the Code anyway. This gives builders and developers an incentive to reach higher ratings. If no Code for Sustainable Homes assessment is done on the new build then the new build is given a zero rating.
Many Housing Associations now require a Code Level 4 as a minimum standard for their houses, the reason that they require a high level is that the end product is suited to their tenants. Energy efficient homes will not only be kinder to the environment but more importantly for their tenants they will have low energy bills.
http://www.uklandforsale.org
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/codes-for-sustainable-homes-4251686.html
About the Author
Miss Fiona Davies is Sales Director for http://www.uklandforsale.org
She has worked in the property and land sector for the last ten years.All articles on the website are written uniquely by her.
At present, water mains are used for about half of the daily water consumption when it is not always necessary to use quality drinking water. When you consider that, even after the summers of 2007 and 2008, many areas of the UK are under what is termed “water stress” – this is incredibly wasteful. Official pressure is now on to replace water mains with rainwater to try and relieve this water stress. It is now necessary to use methods to cut back on water consumption. There are three ways in which to do this, which are: – change your behaviour, use water-efficient appliances such as double flush WCs, and use rainwater from available roofs. These are efficient and logical steps to take. Also, noticeable financial savings can be made in meeting these mandatory requirements. The first investment will be recouped, if not straightaway, at least soon enough to make it worthwhile.
Quality water mains are not necessary for supplying WCs and washing machines or for outdoor use, such as irrigation or cleaning. WC use represents about 20 to 30% of water mains consumption. This percentage rises considerably in schools where there is less bathing and showering. So using rainwater in schools primarily for toilet flushing is very advantageous.
Here are some examples. In a recent quote for a primary school, it was calculated that on a WC usage of 420 children and adults, the school can save @ £1700 per annum in water rates. With equipment costing £7500, which equates to a pay back in four years six months. This tallies with installations done by Stormsaver in primary schools where the estimated savings each year on water costs are between £1000 and £1500.
Capital funding now has a condition that new build or refurbishment projects must attain a “VERY GOOD” rating under the BREEAM schools scheme. The requirement covers all major new-build and refurbishment projects valued at over £500,000 (primary schools) and £2million (secondary schools). For refurbishment, this must cover more than 10% of the floor area. There are smaller schemes which may be suitable for formal BREEAM assessment too. Credits are awarded in ten categories and include water for consumption, leak detection, re-use and recycling. When planning, a sum of the estimated water use – m3/person/year must be made and the percentage of this water use to be provided by rainwater or greywater.
When considering that contractors are already on site for a new school or major refurbishment, rainwater harvesting systems are not very costly or difficult to install. They can certainly contribute towards economizing on overall running costs.
Rainwater Harvesting Limited supplies rainwater harvesting storage tanks, pumps, filters and management systems to households and commercial businesses. Rainwaterharvesting.co.uk is a large information resource offering valuable technical information and advice in addition to 1000s of product specifications. Download the invaluable rainwater harvesting tank size calculator
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_Bicknell
By Chris Dixon
Combating climate change by reducing carbon emissions in the built environment, is widely affecting product specifications within the construction industry.
Traditional materials are now being re-examined from the aspect of sustainability, in order to assess the damage which they may cause to the Planet during their manufacture as well as throughout their life and upon disposal.
This has caused many specifiers to become dissatisfied with their historically traditional materials – and who are now seeking a more benign and longer lasting alternative. Areas of discontent (supported by Greenpeace and Good Homes Alliance) are –
* Human toxicity and greenhouse gases from PVCU
* Tropical rainforest destruction and continuous maintenance of Timber
* High embodied energy and poor insulation properties of Aluminium.
Clients and specifiers are increasingly demanding higher sustainability standards through increased levels of performance under BREEAM and Code for Sustainable Homes. Carbon neutral construction is also being mooted and which is scheduled to be adopted in Wales by 2012. One of the single most important criteria in these higher standards is thermal insulation.
50% of all CO2 emissions in UK is due to heat loss from buildings, whether commercial offices or housing. Windows are the weakest point of insulation in all buildings, accounting for over 25% of that heat loss, a prodigious proportion of the total UK carbon footprint.
The Achilles heel of window insulation is the frames rather than the glass. So a well insulated double or triple glazed unit can be let down by using poorly insulated window frames that allow heat to escape around the glass, more easily.
non housing projects requiring thermal U values of less than 1.6 are increasing – and the dominant incumbent supplier, aluminium, cannot generally achieve better than about 1.8. Projects can increasingly require U values as low as 1.0 and on which aluminium has had to be completely discounted. GRP is a naturally low thermal conductor and so can provide window U values down to 0.9 and still without compromising the other performance criteria of aluminium.
Pultruded Fibreglass is a strong and durable alternative, which has many beneficial properties (detailed below) – but one of them, critically, is very low thermal conductance, which means it can provide exceptionally low U values for windows, from 0.9 – 1.6 W/m2K. So, it is with ideal timing that this ‘new’ material has become available for window frame manufacture, when it is most needed – but many industry professionals remain unaware of it.
Fibreglass (or GRP, or ‘Composite Material’) is a Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) which is strongly recommended by BRE for heavy duty external applications within the building industry. BRE set up ‘NGCC’ (Network Group for Composites in Construction) in 2001, solely to promote the benefits of FRP to the entire industry. Fibreglass windows are available which are fully certified by BRE and have considerable independent support test data and accreditation.
“Pultrusion” is a manufacturing process for producing continuous lengths of glass fibre reinforced thermosetting resin, developed for window frame manufacture in North America in 1980s/90s. Windows made with fibreglass frames have been proved to provide much lower U values than other materials for any given glass specification (0.9 – 1.6 W/m2K). Fibreglass also provides longer life (50 – 75 years), better acoustic performance (Rw 38 – 41) and can potentially achieve 3.5 additional credits in an assessment for BREEAM or Code for Sustainable Homes.
Advantages of GRP Fibreglass fall into 4 main areas:-
* Performance:
o Already widely used to manufacture the best skis, tennis racquets, fishing rods and golf clubs. Even the new Boeing 787 ‘Dream-Liner’ has 94% of wings and fuselage made from FRP nano-composites.
o Fibreglass is unaffected by climatic conditions, including moisture, salt/sea spray, UV light, or extremes of heat or cold.
o The coefficient of expansion is negligible and can be discounted for all practical purposes.
Pultruded GRP has a strength to weight ratio of double that of steel and five times reinforced concrete and therefore much greater than aluminium – and far more resistant to distortion and impact damage.
o Requires no strengthening metal inserts like PVC, which transmits cold (thermal bridging)
o Service life is 50 – 75 years. This is at least double the life of all other window materials.
* Sustainability:
o A recent independent “Sensitivity Report” comparing Pultec with BREEAM – has concluded that 3.5 BREEAM credits are potentially available from using Fibreglass, due to the accumulation of numerous significant benefits.
o Some of these include, recycled source material, no VOC’s, low embodied energy, zero potential for Global Warming and Ozone Depletion (GWP and ODP), Very long life, excellent heat and sound insulation and zero maintenance required.
o Ultimate disposal is also an environmental positive, by grinding the GRP down and using it as a filler in concrete to improve the binding nature of the mix.
* Maintenance:
o Every window material, except Fibreglass, is susceptible to UK weather conditions.
> Timber rots when wet – so must be regularly painted to slow down that inevitability. This is an unsustainable and expensive process over the life of the window.
> PVC can discolour or craze in UV light and become brittle in cold and soften in heat – but however it discolours or crazes, it cannot be rectified.
> Aluminium is susceptible to the salt/sea corrosive element in our maritime climate, exacerbated by the on-shore prevailing winds. This attacks the aluminium and will quickly exploit any exposed metallic surfaces, scratches or surface damage to its essential powder coat protection – and which cannot then be repaired.
> Fibreglass is completely impervious to sea-water spray and requires no surface protection from the elements. The colour is applied for aesthetic purposes only. Ironically, however, Fibreglass can easily be repaired and/or re-painted if ever required, during its very long life, when no-one can know what damage may occur in the future. It is reassuring for clients to know that no such damage should require the replacement of any window before the end of its natural, predicted life.
> Appearance. All man-made pigments will fade. What matters is, a) how quickly will they fade – and b) what can be done about it? Even if undamaged, aluminium and Fibreglass will lose some colour at about the same slow rate over 20 years. However, Fibreglass retains the option to have the colour easily re-applied if/whenever required, whilst aluminium can only continue to decline aesthetically until replaced. In fact, the poor appearance could trigger premature replacement, where aesthetics are all-important. In future, such issues need to be considered at the design stage for these new, longer life products.
* Value:
o Fibreglass and aluminium are similarly priced, window for window – despite fibreglass providing significantly lower U values and longer life for a similar unit cost. The extra BREEAM credits can also prove invaluable.
o Add to this, the greater flexibility (and peace of mind) re maintenance options – and the ability to maintain the highest appearance of fibreglass throughout its life, with little danger of sustaining any terminal damage necessitating premature replacement.
o Finally, it is maintaining all the benefits over the 50 – 75 years life which proves irresistible in determining that Fibreglass is the far better value for the client, contractor and community at large.
o Fibreglass tends to be more expensive than timber or PVC to purchase, however,
> A BRE Whole Life Cost report demonstrates the better value of Fibreglass than PVC over 30 years. 20 – 45 years still remain.
Furthermore a specific report “Cost comparison with softwood” demonstrates the significantly better value of GRP over softwood both financially and environmentally!
Chris Dixon has spent quarter of a century pioneering Fibreglass building products. For 20 years this was as Managing Director of Lindman Ltd, the UK’s original GRP residential composite doors, which has grown into a £ 300 million industry. Nowadays, Chris is a freelance Business Development Consultant for Pultec Ltd, the sole dedicated manufacturer of GRP Windows in UK. Find out more about this new material at => http://www.pultec.co.uk Chris can be contacted at – cjd_home@hotmail.com
Article Source: New Window of Opportunity to Improve Your Breeam Ratings
