2028 will need to comply with the Future Homes Standard. For high-risk buildings, different dates apply, with transitional arrangements extending until September 2028. This means developers with large phased developments need to understand now which plots may fall under the new regulations and which may remain under previous standards. Construction programmes, site sequencing and delivery strategies will all need to be reviewed to avoid unexpected redesigns and compliance issues further down the line. Solar PV is no longer optional Perhaps one of the most talked about aspects of the Future Homes Standard is the new requirement for solar photovoltaic panels. The Government confirmed in 2025 that new homes would be expected to include solar PV as part of a new functional requirement within Part L. While there are some exemptions, the expectation is that the vast majority of residential developments will need to incorporate solar PV.
What is particularly interesting is that
compliance is no longer focused solely on the size of the PV system being installed. Instead, there is much greater emphasis on the actual energy output achieved. Factors such as roof orientation, roof
pitch, shading and available roof space will all influence compliance calculations. In practice, this means two developments with the same installed capacity could perform very differently from a regulatory perspective. We are also seeing requirements
increase significantly compared to previous notional building specifications, with many schemes requiring around 45% more PV generation than before. Heat pump performance matters more than ever The removal of gas boilers from new homes is one of the headline changes under the Future Homes Standard, but simply installing an air source heat pump will not automatically guarantee compliance. As the industry moves away from using gas boilers as the benchmark for performance, the efficiency of heating systems becomes increasingly important. Developers will need to pay closer attention to system selection, seasonal performance, distribution losses and overall network efficiency.
This is particularly relevant for communal heating systems and heat networks, where achieving compliance may depend on demonstrating lower distribution losses or improving overall system performance. The challenge for many developers will be ensuring these decisions are made early enough in the design process to avoid costly redesigns later on. A new approach to energy modelling is coming Another area creating considerable discussion is the future replacement of SAP with the Home Energy Model (HEM). Although HEM is not yet ready for implementation, the Future Homes Standard introduces SAP 10.3 as an interim solution while the industry prepares for the new methodology. At present, many questions remain unanswered about exactly how HEM will work in practice. What we do know is that it will introduce a more detailed and sophisticated approach to energy modelling, including improved occupancy assumptions, regional weather data and a greater focus on real-world building performance. For developers, this is likely to mean
more detailed compliance assessments and potentially greater scrutiny of building services design than has traditionally been the case. Ventilation can no longer be an afterthought Alongside Part L, significant changes have also been introduced to Part F. As buildings become more airtight, ventilation performance plays a much bigger role in both occupant wellbeing and regulatory compliance. Fan efficiencies, ductwork design and installation quality are all now more tightly controlled than before. What this means in practice is that
ventilation systems can no longer be considered at a late stage. Decisions that reduce performance may have direct implications for compliance, particularly as ventilation energy use is now more closely linked to overall carbon performance calculations. Developers should ensure ventilation
strategies are fully considered at the earliest stages of design and coordinated alongside heating, cooling and energy strategies. Seek specialist advice early As with any major regulatory change, there will inevitably be a period of adjustment while the industry develops
KG246
a clearer understanding of how the new requirements work in practice. The Future Homes Standard introduces
significant changes to heating systems, renewable energy, ventilation, compliance modelling and project phasing. While many developers are already moving in the right direction, there are still several areas where early advice can help avoid delays, redesign costs and compliance challenges. As the transition period progresses, the projects that are best prepared will be the ones that have started planning today.
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