Code For Sustainable Homes

Solar PV systems and the Code for Sustainable Homes

The Code for Sustainable Homes has been introduced by the Government to drive a process of continuous improvement in sustainable home building. The Code provides a national standard for use in the design and construction of new homes and to rate and certify their performance.

Solar PV systems can provide a predictable and reliable means of achieving the CO2 savings required to meet Code level 3 and are expected to be adopted widely on properties designed to Code level 4 and above.

For many housing bodies, the potential for feed in tariff income has made solar PV the logical choice to help achieve code level compliance.

In 2006 the Government announced a 10-year timetable towards a target that all new homes from 2016 must be built to zero carbon standards, to be achieved through a step by step tightening of the Building Regulations (2010: code level 3, 2013: level 4, 2016: level 6). Since April 2008 all new social housing has had to be built to a minimum of code level 3 and is expected to have to meet Code level 4 from 2010.

Code Solutions from Sundog Energy

Sundog Energy provides a complete service to design and supply the best solar PV solutions to enable new build homes to meet your target Code level. We can provide a comprehensive design, supply and installation package, or we offer a range of standard kits, with or without installation support services. The flexibility of the supply packages we offer means we can deliver the most appropriate and cost-effective solution to meet your exact requirements.

Please contact us to discuss your requirements in detail.

 

The Code in brief

 The Code covers nine categories of sustainable design, with points assigned to each category (Energy and CO2 Emissions, Water, Materials, Surface Water Run-off, Waste, Pollution, Heath and Wellbeing, Management, Ecology). The combination of points scored then provides the property with a 1 to 6 star rating - with 6 being the highest level of achievement.

• A level 1 home would be 10% more energy efficient and 20% more water efficient than most new homes. It may also have some of the other features in the Code such as providing office work space with communication links within the home, secure cycle storage or greater security features.

• A level 3 home would be 25% more energy efficient and have many more sustainable features than a level 1 home.

• A level 6 home would be highly sustainable and over the course of the year its net carbon emissions would be zero. Needing over 90% of the points available, a level 6 home would include most of the sustainability features in the Code.

The overall aim of the Energy and CO2 Emissions category is to limit emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere arising from the operation of a dwelling and its services. This includes assessment of the energy efficiency of the building and energy used in heating, hot-water, lighting and other appliances. The Code also specifically identifies the aim to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging local energy generation from renewable sources. Thus credits are awarded on the basis of the percentage reduction in total carbon emissions that are achieved by using Low or Zero Carbon (LZC) Energy Technologies such as solar photovoltaics (PV) or wind turbines.

More information on the details of the Code can be found in the following publications:

Greener Homes for The Future – an introductory guide

Code for Sustainable Homes: Technical guide - October 2008 #

The reliable output from solar PV systems means that their inclusion in any housing scheme will produce the predictable reduction in CO2 emissions that will be required in order to comply with higher Code levels. The financial return on investment in a solar PV system as a result of the feed-in tariff now makes solar PV both the logical and economic choice for housing bodies to help achieve Code level compliance.