Zerokarb

 

Standards

 

 

Code for Sustainable Homes

The key UK standard for sustainable housing is the Code for Sustainable Homes, published by the Department for Communities and Local Government. The document is downloadable from this page of the Government's Planning Portal Website. The page also contains a link to the Department's 'Greener Homes for the Future' leaflet which explains what the Code is, how it works, and what it means to have a mandatory rating for new homes.

The Code for Sustainable Homes awards a number of points for performance in each of the following nine categories:

- Energy & CO2 Emissions
- Water
- Materials
- Surface Water Run-off
- Waste
- Pollution
- Healthy & Wellbeing
- Management
- Ecology

From May 1st 2008 it has been mandatory for all new homes to be rated against the Code. The Code measures the sustainability of a new home against categories of sustainable design, rating the 'whole home' as a complete package. The Code uses a 1 to 6 star rating system to communicate the overall sustainability performance of a new home. The Code sets minimum standards for energy and water use at each level and, within England, replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by the Building Research Establishment.

The Government has expressed an intention that all new homes built from 2016 will be legally required to meet Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Level 6 homes need to achieve over 90% of the available points; over the course of year their net carbon emissions would be zero.

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The Zerokarb website is published by MJP Architects, 9 Heneage Street, Spitalfields, London E1 5LJ. Tel: 020 7377 9262. Fax: 020 7247 7854. Email: mjp@mjparchitects.co.uk. Website: www.mjparchitects.co.uk. Director responsible for Housing: Duncan McKinnon.


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