Code for sustainable homes: case studies volume 2 - Gov.uk

BACKGROUND
The Code for Sustainable Homes (the
Code) was introduced in England in April
2007 as a voluntary national standard to
improve the overall sustainability of new
homes by setting a single framework
within which the home building industry
can design and construct homes to higher
environmental standards. Where it is used
the Code also gives new homebuyers
information about the environmental
impact of their new home and its potential
running costs.
The Code measures the sustainability of a
home against nine design categories, rating
the ‘whole home’ as a complete package.
The design categories are:
• Energy and CO2 emissions
• Water
• Materials
• Surface water run-off
• Waste
• Pollution
• Health and wellbeing
• Management
• Ecology
One star is the entry level – above the level
of the Building Regulations; and six stars the
highest level – reflecting exemplar development
in sustainability terms.
Assessment procedures are based on BRE
Global Limited’s EcoHomes System which
depends on a network of specifically trained
and accredited independent assessors.
Currently, BRE Global Limited and Stroma
Accreditation Limited can offer training and
accreditation of Code assessors.
Since May 2008 all new homes will have
to have a sustainability certificate in the Home
Information Pack. That can be in the form
of a Code certificate if the home has been
assessed against Code standards or, if it has
not been assessed, a ‘nil-rated’ certificate.
A nil-rated certificate can be downloaded
from the HIP website:
www.homeinformationpacks.gov.uk
More information about the Code
is available on our website:
www.communities.gov.uk/thecode
The Code uses a rating system to communicate
the overall sustainability performance of a
home. A home can achieve a sustainability
rating from one to six stars depending on the
extent to which it has achieved Code standards.
BACKGROUND | CODE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOMES | 03