Providing homebuilders with greater clarity

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) commented recently that the announcement by the government on zero carbon homes is necessary in providing homebuilders with greater clarity on the definition of zero carbon.

The government has recognised the point HBF has frequently made that there are major technical, cost and consumer challenges involved. The government’s acceptance that zero carbon cannot in most cases be delivered solely on the site of new developments is a step in the right direction.

Clarity is vital if the industry and the supply chain are to be able to invest in and test mainstream ways of achieving the standard that meet customers’ requirements and can be rolled out from 2016.

However, it remains clear that the challenge of delivering a zero carbon standard from 2016 is enormous.
HBF Executive Chairman, Stewart Baseley, commented:

“We will continue to work with the government, but in pursuing the ambition set out in the document the government must support the industry wherever necessary on research funding, mitigating cost and other commercial issues. It must also be prepared to take into account the lessons we are bound to learn along the way in rolling out the policy. Unless these issues are taken on board we will not succeed in pursuing zero carbon while also meeting the equally important need to increase the supply of new homes.

“Companies are still working on how to achieve the proposed changes in building regulations on energy efficiency in 2010 and 2013 which are equivalent to the energy requirements of Levels 3 and 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes respectively. The government’s ambition for a 70 per cent improvement on current standards delivered on-site using renewable energy technology from 2016 would be a further major step beyond that.