The average additional cost of achieving Level 3 of the new Code for Sustainable Homes will be around 3% more than the old standard of EcoHomes ‘Very Good’, according to research published today on behalf of English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation.
Researchers at Cyril Sweett, the cost consultants who produced the report, found that costs will range for different house types and technologies from an additional 0.4% to an additional 6.2%. The benefits of achieving Level 3 of the new Code will see a 25% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per home, and water-usage savings of 21 litres per person per day, over an average home built to EcoHomes ‘Very Good’. The additional cost therefore produces more efficient results and more sustainable homes.
Registration of developments under The Code for Sustainable Homes starts this month. The Government is likely to propose that from April next year all new housing will be rated under the Code as a stepping stone towards all new homes being zero carbon by 2016. English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation have already adopted Level 3 of the Code.
Steve Carr, Head of Policy and Economics at English Partnerships said, “This report shows that the housebuilding sector can tackle global warming without major extra cost. For some of our development partners there may be no real extra cost at all because they are already using the energy saving design and construction methods needed to get to Level 3 of the Code.
“We have to start adapting to climate change now. Housebuilders who work with us on our land in the early stages are likely to have an advantage over their competitors in the future.”
Matt Leach, Director of Policy and Communications at the Housing Corporation said, "Attitudes to green issues have been transformed throughout the building industry as people's aspirations for higher environmental standards continue to grow. We're proud of the part we're playing in accelerating this change by ensuring that all Housing Corporation-funded homes will meet this standard.
“Moving to Level 3 of the Code for Sustainable Homes - reducing carbon emissions by 25% and saving 21 litres of water per person per day - is a considerable achievement, and will support the entire housing sector as it embraces the need to move towards zero carbon building in the future.
"This report from Cyril Sweett is the just the first in a range of support measures to help the sector embrace this challenge as cost-effectively as possible, raising standards and saving fuel bills for the people who live in our homes, as well as directly contributing to measures tackling climate change across the economy."
The report, which looked at four approaches to achieving Level 3 applied across six different house types, found that the Code would be most expensive to achieve in traditionally built detached and terraced houses. Apartments and two house types using modern methods of construction were the cheapest.
Further analysis of results showed that costs are likely to be lowest where it is possible to use wind energy or site-wide combined heat and power (CHP) technologies. It concludes that a planning requirement to use renewable energy would have a major impact on the strategy for meeting the Code’s energy standards.
Adam MacTavish, a Director of Management Consultancy at Cyril Sweett commented, “Whilst the costs of achieving these standards using traditional methods are high there are good reasons to expect actual costs to reduce as both the industry and its supply chain begin to focus on environmental performance.
“These standards amplify the benefit of taking innovative approaches to both design and delivery. The extent to which housebuilders embrace this will begin to have a material impact upon their success.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. A copy of the Cyril Sweet research, “A Cost Review of the Code for Sustainable Homes” can be downloaded from either the Publications page or www.housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
2. The house types considered were:
- Four traditional house types (built using commonly applied construction methods)Detached house (gross internal floor area of 116m²)
End terrace/semi-detached house (gross internal floor area of 101 m²)
Low rise apartment (net unit area of 59 m²)
Medium/high rise apartment (net unit area of 75 m²). - Two homes built using modern methods of construction and compliant with the requirements of English Partnerships’ Design for Manufacture (DfM) competition (such as Crest Nicholson’s SixtyK home at Rowan Road in Merton).
- An end of terrace house (76.5 m2); based upon the DfM WeberHaus product (being built on EP’s Aylesbury site).
- A mid terrace house incorporating a centralised CHP system (76.5 m2); referred to in this report as the ‘SixtyK House’
3. The scenarios applied to each house type were:
- Initial energy efficiency measures followed by use of solar thermal technology and then photovoltaics and biomass systems.
- Initial energy efficiency measures initially followed by use of small scale wind turbines and then biomass systems.
- Development with shared energy services, such as combined heat and power (CHP). For this scenario costs per unit are averaged for different infrastructure options for a theoretical 200 unit development.
- Achievement of Code Level 3 without recourse to renewable energies through the use of a whole house mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery and by assuming the use of proprietary construction details.
4. English Partnerships is the government’s national regeneration agency delivering high quality, sustainable growth in England. We do this by developing our portfolio of strategic projects and acting as the government’s advisor on brownfield land. We also ensure that surplus public sector assets are used to support wider government objectives, especially those contained in the Sustainable Communities Plan. English Partnerships helps create communities where people can afford to live and want to live. Information on projects and programmes can be found at www.englishpartnerships.co.uk
5. The Housing Corporation is the Government agency responsible for investing in new affordable homes and regulating over 1,500 housing associations across England. Its biggest ever investment programme of £3.9 billion for 2006-08 will fund 84,000 homes; 49,000 of these will be for affordable rent, and 35,000 will be for affordable sale through the Government's new HomeBuy initiative, helping people to get a foot on the property ladder.
6. Cyril Sweett established a Sustainabilty team in 2004 and have 11 experts offering sustainability advice.
Founded in 1928, the company has 16 offices throughout the UK, Ireland, France and Spain. Cyril Sweett has an international network of partners and associates of over 2,000 staff from 60 offices in 27 countries in Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific and India. Global partners include DG Jones and Partners, Drees & Sommer AG and Trammell Crow Megraj.
7. English Partnerships and the Housing Corporation are working with the
Department for Communities and Local Government to establish the proposed new national housing and regeneration agency, Communities England.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Davies
English Partnerships
tel: 020 7881 1624
email: mail@englishpartnerships.co.uk
Katy Nicholson
Housing Corporation
tel: 020 7393 2115
email: katy.nicholson@housingcorp.gsx.gov.uk
Caroline Covill
Cyril Sweett
tel: 020 7061 9102
email: caroline.covill@cyrilsweett.com
