How are homes assessed for sustainability?
There are two systems for assessing homes, in terms of how environmentally friendly and energy efficient they are:
EcoHomes XB
EcoHomes XB is a new assessment tool, based on an existing one developed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE), known as
EcoHomes.
Homes are assessed against certain standards, known as the EcoHomes standards, covering areas like energy,
pollution, water and land use.
Whereas EcoHomes was designed to assess new build and major refurbishment,
EcoHomes XB has been developed to assess and monitor existing homes, and only applies to housing stockholders, e.g. housing
associations and local authorities.
It has a management rating section, which assesses the stockholder’s overall company
policies in terms of sustainability.
EcoHomes XB is able to track routine maintenance and minor refurbishment work on homes
(e.g. replacement of boilers, taps, windows, heating controls etc.) and then adjust the performance ratings accordingly.
It highlights areas that require attention, so that maintenance and refurbishment work can be more easily prioritised.
In doing this, it helps us to provide housing that has fewer negative impacts on the environment, and lower running costs for residents.
Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable homes is the new national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new
homes. It is a voluntary star rating system that makes it easier for developers to show the overall sustainability of new homes.
The Code measures the sustainability of a home against various design categories, including energy/CO2 emissions, pollution, waste and use
of water. It then gives the home an overall rating.
In England, for new build, the Code replaces the EcoHomes scheme, developed by
the Building Research Establishment (EcoHomes XB is the assessment tool used for existing homes).
The Code builds upon EcoHomes in a number of ways, for example:
- It introduces minimum standards for energy and water efficiency at every level, therefore requiring high sustainability performance in
these areas for achievement of a high Code rating.
- It uses a simpler system of awarding points, with more complex weightings removed.
- It includes new areas of sustainability design, such as composting facilities.
The Code for Sustainable Homes can be
used by home designers and builders as a guide to development, and by homebuyers to help them in their choice of home.
Download further information about
the Code for Sustainable Homes.