26 Code
GUIDE TO THE CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES
THE CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES (CSH) IS THE NEW STANDARD FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF DWELLINGS. IT WAS LAUNCHED BY COMMUNITIES SECRETARY RUTH KELLY ON 13TH DECEMBER 2006, THE TECHNICAL GUIDANCE BEING PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2007. THE DIFFERENCE IN THESE TWO DATES PERHAPS ILLUSTRATES SOME OF THE PROBLEMS SURROUNDING THIS NEW STANDARD.
BY TIM PULLEN
CSH forms part of a package of measures aimed at moving us towards the zero carbon target set by the Government for all new buildings from 2016. It is based on the EcoHomes standard and replaced EcoHomes for new homes in England from 1st April 2007 (EcoHomes will continue to be used in Wales and for renovation projects in England and Wales). BRE are planning to run CSH as a separate fully functional scheme from spring 2008, with a network of Licensed Assessors ready to provide Code certification. As of
January 2008 they had not arrived at a fee for the certification, again pointing at the difficulties surrounding this scheme.
Assessment under the Code is voluntary, at least until April 2008, unless it is a Housing Corporation or English Partnerships development or similar. CSH has six levels or star ratings, with Level 1 requiring thermal efficiency just above Part L 2006; level three being 25% improvement on Part L, and level six being 'zero carbon.'
CSH goes a good deal further than just energy efficiency. It deals with everything related to the construction of the house, the land it stands on and the way it is lived in. It deals with these issues in 9 separate categories:
Energy and CO2 emissions – one of the 3 categories imposing minimum standards at even the lowest level. The category deals with the obvious; efficient boilers, heat loss etc, but also deal with lighting, cycle storage and clothes drying areas.
Water – Materials –
Sets minimum standards for the consumption of drinking water and provisions for rainwater.
Deals with the environmental impact of materials and encourages responsible sourcing.
Surface Water Run-off – Specific provisions aimed at reducing flood risk. A critical issue when we consider 3 million new homes to be built by 2020.
Waste – Pollution –
Looks at both household and construction waste and encourages recycling and responsible construction practices.
Deals with emissions from boilers and other heating appliances and encourages the use of sustainable insulation and non-polluting building practices.
Heath and Wellbeing – Ensuring the provision of daylight, views of the sky, adequate gardens, as well as access and adaptability – this broadens into the Government’s Lifetime Homes initiative.
Management – Ecology –
Beyond a “user manual” for the home, it also deals with the management of the construction project and the physical security of the home (bit of a mixed bag).
Dealing with the ecological value of the site (encouraging the use of brownfield) and the enhancement of that value.
The Code differs from EcoHomes in several regards. It is assessed at the level of an individual ‘Dwelling’ rather than as a development, which has particular implications in terms of renewable energy generation and the ecology; it sets minimum mandatory standards for energy, water, materials, waste and surface water run-off, which must be met before even the lowest level of the Code can be achieved and which ratchet up as the star rating increases; and it is assessed in two stages with Code Certification taking place after a Post Construction Review has been carried out. – with the obvious potential for necessitating remedial work.
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