The Code for Sustainable Homes has been developed to enable a step change in sustainable building practice for new homes. It was prepared by the Government in close working consultation with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) and Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA), and through consultation with a Senior Steering Group consisting of Government, industry and NGO representatives.
The Code is intended as a single national standard to guide the industry in the design and construction of sustainable homes. It is a means of driving continuous improvement, greater innovation and exemplary achievement in sustainable home building.
The Code measures the sustainability of a home against design categories, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package.
The design categories included within the Code are:
| ● energy/CO2 |
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● management |
| ● pollution |
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● surface water run-off |
| ● water |
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● ecology |
| ● health and well-being |
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● waste |
| ● materials |
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The Code uses a sustainability rating system – indicated by ‘stars’, to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a home. A home can achieve a sustainability rating from one (*) to six (******) stars depending on the extent to which it has achieved Code standards. One star (*) is the entry level – above the level of the Building Regulations; and six stars (******) is the highest level – reflecting exemplar development in sustainability terms.
The Code supports the government target that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016 and the step changes in Building Regulations Part L leading to this. They are now consulting on changes to the Code in light of changing regulations and the development of the zero carbon definition as well as further options for streamlining and updating the Code.
A Code assessment can only be carried out by a licensed and accredited Code assessor. This ensures the rating is independent and trustworthy. In order to build to the Code, a builder needs to hire the services of a Code assessor. They can advise what features need to be installed to achieve different levels of the Code.
The rating ranges from 1 to 6 stars:
*1 homes will be 10% more energy efficient and 20% more water efficient than most new homes. It may also have some of the other features in the Code such as providing office work space with communication links within the home, secure cycle storage or greater security features.
*3 homes would be 25% more energy efficient and have many more sustainable features than a *1 home.
*6 homes would be highly sustainable and over the course of the year their net carbon emissions would be zero. Needing over 90% of the points available, a *6 home would include most of the sustainability features in the Code.
The roadmap has been set so that Code level 6 will be required by 2016 in the private sector and by 2013 in the public sector.
There are very different strategies to achieving the different levels of the Code since credits are earned by achieving the targets set in each category (some of which are mandatory) but the Code is not specific in defining how these targets are to be met. Wolseley can help customers to understand the various options available to reach these standards.