1. What the ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ means to you
D F Mitchell
Technical Director

2. Code for Sustainable Homes

3. A single national standard to cover aspects of sustainable design and construction of new homes in England
EcoHomes 2006 remains in Scotland, Wales, N Ireland
Driving continuous improvement and greater innovation in sustainable home building
A mark of quality enabling developers to demonstrate the sustainability of their homes and differentiate themselves from their competitors
Voluntary in short term – may become mandatory in future

4. ‘It is intended that the Code will signal the future direction of Building Regulations in relation to CO2 emissions from, and energy use in homes’
HBF view on simplification of the Regulations
Stepping stones mentioned in ‘Building a Greener Future’
Zero Carbon
Code
Simplification of Regulations

5. Key features of the Code
Based on EcoHomes 2006
Applied on a whole house approach
9 categories of environmental sustainability
Mandatory standards to ensure environmental robustness
6 levels  rating system

6. What’s in the Code

7. Code Categories Energy/CO2 Pollution Water Health and Well-being
Materials
Surface Water
Run-off
Management
Ecology
Waste

8. Minimum standards Categories Flexibility Energy Efficiency
6 levels of minimum standards; one for each level of the Code
Water Efficiency
Three levels of minimum standards, each covering two levels of the Code
Materials
A single basic standard at Code entry level
Surface Water Run Off
Waste
Pollution
No minimum standards
Health and Well-Being
Management
Ecology

9. Minimum performance standards for Energy/CO2
Code Level
Energy Performance
Equivalent rating
Level 1
10% improvement
EST Good practice
Level 2
18% improvement
Level 3
25% improvement
EST Best practice
Level 4
44% improvement
Approx. PassivHaus / EST exemplary
Level 5
100% improvement
Level 6
Full Zero Carbon

10. Scoring Code Levels Total Points Score out of 100
Equivalent EcoHomes rating (approximate)
Level 1 ()
36 Points
Pass
Level 2 ()
48 Points
Good
Level 3 ()
57 Points
Very Good
Level 4 ()
68 Points
Excellent
Level 5 ()
84 Points
Level 6 ()
90 Points

11. Weightings (in percentages)
Energy
Potable Water 9
Surface Water Runoff
Materials
Waste
Pollution
Health and Well-being 14
Management 10
Site Ecology 12

12. What the ‘Code for Sustainable Homes’ means to you
‘Goes Live’ from 10th April 2007
Voluntary
EP+HC = Communities England
Planning Conditions
10% renewables v code levels

13. Mandatory Assessments ?
Under consideration by ministers
Introduction in the future
Requirement to carry out assessment and display
No specific performance requirements

14. Why Mandatory Assessments ?
You might already be above Level 1
You might be very close
You might want to go to Level 1
(Do you want to display ‘no stars’)

15. Assessment A two-stage process
Design Stage
Post Construction Review
Approved Code Assessors

16. Customer Awareness Does the public - Know - Understand - Care
- Want it

17. What next Code seminars - CLG/HBF
Code for buildings other than dwellings
Existing housing stock
The road to Zero Carbon 2016

18. D F Mitchell Technical Director
Thank you
D F Mitchell
Technical Director