Sustainable Buildings

Zero carbon homes

Report on allowable solutions

Government’s zero carbon policy allows for measures such as offsite renewable energy generation and upgrades to existing buildings’ energy efficiency to be taken into account in achieving a net zero carbon development. These measures are known as "allowable solutions".  The Zero Carbon Hub published a report in July 2011 on what an allowable solutions policy might look like.  Regen SW produced a short summary of the report, which can be downloaded below.  The full report from the Zero Carbon Hub is available to download here.

Watering down of the definition of zero carbon

The Plan for Growth published alongside the March 2011 budget on zero carbon homes stated:

To ensure that it remains viable to build new houses, the Government will hold housebuilders accountable only for those carbon dioxide emissions that are covered by Building Regulations, and will provide cost-effective means through which they can do this.

In addition, the paper also says:
The Government will introduce more realistic requirements for on-site carbon reductions, endorsing the Zero Carbon Hub’s expert recommendations on the appropriate levels of on-site reductions as the starting point for future consultation, along with their advice to move to an approach based on the carbon reductions that are achieved in real life, rather than those predicted by models. This will be complemented by cost-effective options for off-site carbon reductions, relative to the Government’s pricing of carbon, and Government will work with industry through consultation on how to take this forward

These statements mean that government intends that unregulated emissions from appliances and cooking will not be included in the definition of zero carbon, as well as that the percentage of onsite reductions required will be lower than previously expected, with developers allowed to achieve a greater proportion of emissions reductions through offsite allowable solutions.

Government is due to formally consult on the definition of zero carbon – but it is clear that it intends to water down the policy compared to the policy statements in Building a Green Future (see below).

To read the Plan for Growth click here.

To view the latest on government policy on zero carbon homes visit the Zero Carbon Hub. 
 

Background

On 16 December 2009, CLG launched Sustainable New Homes: The Road to Zero Carbon: Consultation on the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Energy Efficiency standard for Zero Carbon Homes together with an updated impact assessment Zero Carbon Homes: Impact Assessment (December 2009)
 

This consultation goes into the detail of the ambition for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016, as set out by the July 2007 Building a Greener Future policy statement.  The policy statement set out a progressive tightening of the energy efficiency building regulations - by 25 per cent in 2010 and by 44 per cent in 2013 - up to the zero carbon target in 2016.

To read the Building a Greener Future policy statement click here.
 

Zero carbon non-domestic buildings

In Budget 2008, the Government announced its ambition that all new non-domestic buildings should be zero carbon from 2019 (with earlier targets for schools and other public buildings). Zero Carbon for New Non-domestic Buildings: Consultation on Policy Options was launched in November 2009.  

Further detail on the defiinition of zero carbon non-domestic buildings has not yet been published.

To read the latest from CLG on the consultation click here.