Www.environmentcentre.com/suspurpol THE CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES: AN INTRODUCTION Dr. Richard Williams Project Manager SusPurPol

www.environmentcentre.com/suspurpol

THE CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES: AN INTRODUCTION

Dr. Richard Williams

Project Manager

SusPurPol


CSH CONTENTS• Draft published in Dec 2005

•Widely criticised by nearly everyone as too weak.

• Final publication in Dec 2006. The Code stronger.• Lowest levels of Code raised above min. building regs.

• Min. standards for energy and water efficiency at all levels.

• At entry level min. standards for materials, surface water run-off and waste management.

• Use of low/zero carbon technologies to receive credits.

• Government “minded to make…Code mandatory in the future”.


CSH: OBJECTIVES

• As recommended by the Sustainable Buildings Task Group

• Encourage home builders to construct more sustainable homes

• Single national standard for England

• Industry guide for design and construction for new homes

• Driving continuous improvement inlegislation, policy and good practice

• A mark of quality • Voluntary – may become

mandatory in future


CSH: PARTNERS

• Department for Communities and Local Government – own the method

• Developers/Architects/Clients – designing and constructing homes

• Assessors – qualified to carry out Code Ratings• BRE – Implements and certifies Code Ratings


CSH: KEY FEATURES

• Nine categories of environmental sustainability • Applied at the level of an individual Code Dwelling Type• 2 stage process - final certificate at Post Construction

Review stage• Mandatory standards for energy, water, materials, waste

and surface water run-off• Higher minimum standards for energy and water to be met

to achieve higher ratings• 6 level rating system – a tool for marketing!


CSH: MINIMUM STANDARDSCategories 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 & Well-Being

Management

Ecology


CSH IN THE MASS MARKET

Environmental Standards

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CSH EVALUATION PROCESS

• Part 1 - Design Stage– Based on design drawings,

specifications and commitments – Results in interim certificate of

compliance• Part 2 - Post Construction Review

– Based the design stage information– Confirmation of compliance through

site records and visual inspection.– Code certificate awarded based on

compliance at this stage.


ECOHOMES vs CSHEcoHomes CSH

Site Assessment Individual Dwelling Assessment

Usually ‘design stage’ only Assessed in 2 stages –

design stage and upon completion.

Flexible standards in all categories

Fixed Minimum Standards (thresholds) for some categories

Absolute carbon levels Energy based on percentage improvement over Building Regulations

New points for ‘Lifetime Homes’

Locational credits related to transport and amenities omitted.


CSH CATEGORIES: 1

• Energy/CO2

• Water

• Materials

• Surface Water Run-off


CSH CATEGORIES: 2

• Waste

• Pollution• Well-being

• Management

• Ecology


CSH MANDATORY ISSUES

• Mandatory performance levels for 6 key issues at entry level:

– Energy Efficiency

– Water Efficiency

– Surface Water Management

– Site Waste Management

– Household Waste Management

– Use of Materials

• Higher minimum thresholds for Energy and Water at upper

levels of the Code


CSH MINIMUM ENERGY STANDARDS

Based on SAP:2005 calculation and % improvement on 2006 Building Regulations Part LA

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”


CSH MINIMUM WATER STANDARDS

Based on consumption of internal potable water in litres / person / day using the Code Water Calculator

• Levels 1 & 2 – Above proposed water regulations level (120 l / p / d)

• Levels 3 & 4 – Cost effective water saving fittings (105 l / p / d)

• Levels 5 & 6 – Water recycling/ rainwater collection (80 l / p / d)


CSH MINIMUM SURFACE WATER RUN-OFF STANDARDS

Surface Water Management• Ensure that peak runoff rates and

annual volumes of run-off will be no greater than the previous conditions for the development site

• Requirement for all Levels


CSH: MINIMUM MATERIALS STANDARDSEnvironmental Impact of Materials

• At least 3 of the following 5 key elements to achieve at least a D rating in the 2007 Green Guide:

• Roof• External Walls• Upper and Ground Floors• Internal Walls• Window



CSH: MINIMUM WASTE STANDARDS

Site Waste Management • Ensure there is a Site Waste

Management plan in operation which requires the monitoring and setting of targets to promote resource efficiency on site.



CSH: MINIMUM WASTE STANDARDS

Household Waste • External space that allows the storage

of:

EITHER– All LA recycling boxes

OR– 100 litres of waste storage per one

bedroom dwelling. An additional 70 litres is required for every additional bedroom.



ACHIEVING CSH LEVEL 1: 1

• Energy – 10% improvement

• Water – 120 litres / person / day

• Minimum requirements met for:– Materials– Surface water run-off– Site waste management– Household waste management

• Additional 33 optional points (out of Level 1 requirement of 36)



• Meeting the Energy Requirements– Improved thermal efficiency of building fabric– Reduction in air permeability– High efficiency condensing boiler– Reduction of thermal bridging

• Meeting the Water Requirements– 6/4 litres Dual Flush WC– Flow reducing / aerating taps– 6-9 litres /min shower flow rate– 13 litres max volume (typical practice) dishwasher– 49 litres max volume (typical practice) washing machine


ACHIEVING CSH LEVEL 2













• Meeting the Energy Requirements– Measures outlined for Code Level 1– + possible use of low or zero carbon technologies

• Meeting the Water Requirements– 4/2.5 litres Dual Flush WC– Flow reducing / aerating taps– 6-8 litres/min shower flow rate– Smaller, shaped bath– 13 litres max volume (typical practice) dishwasher– 49 litres max volume (typical practice) washing machine









• Energy – 100 % improvement






• Energy – Full Zero Carbon (approximate 145% improvement)






Meeting the Energy Requirements– Full Zero Carbon incl. all energy used for small power (SAP

calculation excludes small power)– Very high building fabric performance– Low and zero carbon technologies

Meeting the Water Requirements– Lowest flow showers– Lowest capacity WC– All WC flushing water from grey water sources


• Energy

• Potable Water Consumption

• Waste

• Materials

• Water Surface Run-off

• Pollution

• Health & Wellbeing

• Management

• Energy


• Waste

• Materials


• Pollution

• Health & Wellbeing

• Management

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• Waste

• Materials


• Waste

• Materials


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Level 1Level 2Level 3Level 4 Level 5Level 6


CSH WEIGHTINGS

Category Credits % Final Score

Energy 29 36.4

Potable Water 6 9

Surface Water Runoff 4 2.2

Materials 24 7.2

Waste 7 6.4

Pollution 4 2.8

Health and Wellbeing 12 14

Management 9 10

Site Ecology 9 12

TOTAL 104 100


CSH LEVELS AND POINTS SCORECode Levels Total Points Score

out of 100

(equal to or greater than):

Equivalent EcoHomes rating

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


CSH ASSESSMENT• Some credits could be the same across the

whole development site• Some are specific to individual dwelling types

WHOLE SITEe.g. Flood risk

EcologyWaste management

INDIVIDUAL DWELLING TYPEe.g. Daylighting

Home officeCycle storage

+


CSH DWELLING TYPE

• For dwellings to be of the same Code Dwelling Type they must be identical in every aspect that affects the code


CSH DWELLING TYPESame Code Dwelling Type means the same in all these

aspects:• SAP rating (input data and output data should be the

same)• Lighting• Day lighting• Acoustic performance• Materials used• Water features• Cycle storage facilities• Etc etc.


CSH WHOLE SITE ISSUES

Other examples of issues that can be assessed over the whole site:

• Ecology• Flood risk• Water run-off• Considerate Constructors• Site Waste Management• Construction Site Impacts


CSH CAPITAL COSTS: 1• Code Level 3 designed to be approximately

EcoHomes ‘Very Good’ However:– Mandatory performance levels make it more

expensive – less room to move– Water standards are considerably higher than

current practice– Brings in Life time Homes– Removes some ‘locational’ benefits i.e.

proximity to local amenities


CSH CAPITAL COSTS: 2

• CLG RIA of meeting Code Level 3 available but will be updated if assessment made mandatory - http://www.communities.gov.uk/

• English Partnership/Housing Corporation research carried out by Cyril Sweett - Focused on impact of achieving Level 3 over EcoHomes 2006 ‘Very Good’. (Available now via EP website.)

• Level 6 is expensive though – likely to be at least £15-20k per unit depending on context with today's technologies and market prices.


CSH CAPITAL COSTS: 3

• Currently hard to know the cost implications but there are two conflicting issues to consider– EcoHomes credits based on 80% compliance allow

some poor performers to be accepted – Therefore costs are kept down

– Code credits applied at the level of each dwelling therefore this is no longer available

• BUT each dwelling type can now be designed to go for the most appropriate credits e.g. acoustic credits


CSH INTERIM ARRANGEMENTS• CSH for new build housing in England from April

2008• BUT EcoHomes will continue in England

– For all refurbishment projects– For Housing Corporation funded schemes from 2006-8

allocation (more on this later)– For sites where it is required as a result of contractual

commitment– For existing assessments registered under EcoHomes

• EcoHomes will continue in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales


CSH MANDATORY ASSESSMENTS

• Under consideration by ministers

• Introduction in future• Requirement to carry out

assessment and display results

• No specific performance requirements


WHAT DOES SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT LOOK LIKE?

BedZed, S. London Poundbury, Dorset

Sedgwick Road, Bishopstoke

Documents

Www.environmentcentre.com/suspurpol THE CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES: AN INTRODUCTION Dr. Richard Williams Project Manager SusPurPol