Past Tense

As part of its strategy to dramatically reduce CO2 emissions, the UK government has introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes. The code covers many important issues, but one of them has particular relevance to the plumbing and heating industry in the UK. It will impact both new building developments and existing building retrofits.

According to the Code for Sustainable Homes, a new property will be scored against a carbon emissions target. The property has to show that once built the real emissions from it would be equal to or below this target. This is the currently enforced procedure, based on Part L1A of the building regulations.

Part L1A was introduced in 2005 setting a target of 20% reduction in CO2 emissions for new property developments. The new Code for Sustainable Homes sets six levels of emissions reduction starting at 10% for level one, up to ‘Zero Carbon’ for level six. By 2016 all new dwellings have to meet the government target of 100% reduction in carbon emissions, which corresponds to level five of the Code.

The scoring for the dwellings is done according to a points system, in which every component of the home is scored based on its energy efficiency and carbon emissions. A score of 57 points is required for level three, while level six requires a score of 90 points.

Experts believe that the demands from the new Code for Sustainable Homes may pose a challenge. Although currently available systems can meet the demands of the middle levels of the Code, there is still some progress to be made in order to meet the demands of the highest levels of the Code.

In order to reach the new targets, some developers are voting for renewable energy technologies. For example a solar water heating system generates hot water with almost no carbon emissions. The system can be further enhanced by a high efficiency boiler or a hot water cylinder with an immersion heater to provide a reliable backup for the winters (with short and cold days).

Although currently the code mainly talks about new build projects, experts urge the government to apply the code in retrofits as well. Replacing an old boiler with a new high efficiency boiler will reduce the carbon emissions but also will help the home owners reduce their heating bills. An A rated boiler, such as a modern condensing boiler will reduce the emissions and cut the heating bills by around 30%. Similarly, a well insulated hot water cylinder will cut the heat loss and reduce heating bills further, compared with an old inefficient cylinder.

To ensure a successful launch, it is important to verify that the UK heating industry is well prepared for the implication of the Code for Sustainable Homes. Furthermore it is expected that the Code will have a direct impact on the building regulations to be introduced in 2010 further affecting the industry.

In general, the UK industry is well positioned to benefit from technological developments and the introduction of renewable energy systems. Local manufacturers and engineers are at the cutting edge of technology and will ensure successful uptake and introduction of such technologies to the public.