Building Regulations Code for Sustainable Homes

The Code for Sustainable Homes is part of the government’s programme to improve the sustainability of new dwellings and is the standard by which new homes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are now being judged for their green credentials. It is intended that the current version of the Code (Technical Guide, Version 2, May 2009) will be upgraded and re-issued before the end of 2010.

 

Why was it introduced?
It was introduced to drive a step change in building practice and improve the environmental impact and performance of homes by setting a single national standard.

 

How does it work?
The Code has six performance levels – Level 1 to Level 6, with minimum standards for energy and water use at each Level. Level 6 is the highest and, in terms of energy and CO2 emissions, properties built to this standard can be said to be zero carbon.

 

In order to determine Code Level, homes are assessed against nine categories of sustainability, rating the ‘whole home’ as a complete package. The categories are:

 
  • Energy and CO2 Emissions
  • Water
  • Material
  • Surface Water Run-off
  • Waste
  • Pollution
  • Health & Wellbeing
  • Management
  • Ecology
 

Each category covers a number of issues which are considered to have an impact on the environment, with a total of 104 credits available across all 9 categories. However, as some categories are deemed more significant than others in terms of environmental impact, a weighting factor is applied. For example, the 29 credits available in the Energy and CO2 Emissions category each have a weighting value of 1.26, whereas the 24 credits available in the Materials category have a weighting factor of 0.30.

 

What Code Level should you be building to?
Level 3 became the benchmark for all new social housing developments in April 2008. From October 2010, all new private homes must also comply with the Code Level 3 Energy and CO2 emissions standard, with public sector housing required to meet all sustainability categories of Code Level 4.

 

How can insulation help to achieve Code credits?
Insulation can play a major role in helping house builders to gain credits under the Code for Sustainable Homes in four key categories and the use of Isover glass wool insulation can help towards achieving almost one third of the total available credits across these categories.

 

Energy & CO2
A maximum of 15 credits are available under ENE 1 in this category for minimising the dwelling CO2 emission rate, with a further two credits available under ENE 2 for future-proofing the dwelling by maximising the insulation and air tightness of the building fabric.

 

The use of Isover insulation can deliver fabric U values of 0.15 or less, making a significant contribution to credits in this category. In addition, when used together with Vario climate control membrane it also helps to deliver effective air tightness.

 

Health & Wellbeing
Using Isover glass wool acoustic insulation in party walls is a cost effective way to achieve credits in this category. Under HEA 2, the health and wellbeing sound insulation part of the Code, four credits are awarded if the acoustic performance of a party wall is 8 dB better than current Building Regulations.

 

Isover’s RD35 and RD Party Wall Roll are the only approved acoustic insulation materials for use in dry-finished masonry walls in the Robust Details pattern book which supports part E acoustic regulations and can help to deliver the maximum 4 credits.

Isover RD Party Wall Roll is designed for use in E-WM-6, E-WM-10, E-WM-13, E-WM-17 and E-WM-20 Robust Detail wall constructions to meet and exceed Part E Building Regulations (England and Wales) and Section 5 (Scotland). Significant cost savings can be obtained since there is no need for pre-completion testing and additional savings can be made with E-WM-17 and E-WM-20 since it removes the need for wet plaster or parge coats. E-WM-20 is a Code for Sustainable Homes 4 credit solution.

 

Materials
Under the MAT 1 criteria, 15 credits are available when construction elements are assessed and rated against the BRE Green Guide. Isover glass mineral wool achieves an A+ rating in the BRE Green Guide so its use in key construction elements, such as the walls and roof, can gain up to 12 credits in this category.

 

Pollution
When it comes to the Global Warming Potential (GWP) of insulants, 1 credit is available if all insulating materials in listed elements have a GWP less than 5. Isover glass wool insulation has a zero GWP, enabling builders to meet the required criteria for POL 1.

 

Click here to be read more information at communities.gov.uk