Zero Carbon New Build
On this page: Building a Greener Future
Code for Sustainable Homes
Building Regulations
Stamp Duty
It is in the context of the shortfall in the projected reduction of emissions from existing housing and from the need to rapidly increase the rate of house-building, that the government has adopted the policy of zero carbon for all new homes by 2016.
Building a Greener Future
The Building a Greener Future: policy statement defined zero carbon as meaning that, over a year, the net carbon emissions from all energy use in the home would be zero. However, the statement also made it clear that the solutions to the zero carbon for the 2016 target are acceptable at the development level - e.g. if a development is served by a wind turbine that provided renewable energy to the whole development, that should be an acceptable way to achieve zero carbon.
The Code for Sustainable Homes Technical Guide
Defines the ‘true zero carbon dwelling' as one ‘ where net carbon dioxide emissions resulting from ALL energy used in the dwelling are zero or better' (p31) and elaborated this definition by reference to a series of issues which include the following:
- the energy used includes the energy consumed in the operation of the space and all electrical appliances i.e. both regulated and unregulated emissions
- the calculation can take account of on-site renewables/ low carbon installations; heating/cooling and hot water systems, ventilation, all internal lighting, cooking
- off-site renewable contributions can only count when they are directly supplied to the dwellings by private wire arrangement
- dwellings must meet the minimum mandatory energy requirements for Code Level 5
This policy is intended to achieve two objectives:
- save at least 15Mt CO2 per year by 2050 - as by then as much as one-third of the housing stock will have been built between now and then;
- stimulate an increase in demand for renewables, which would create scale economies, bring down installation costs and so make renewables more affordable for both private and social housing owners - this would enable retrofitting investment to go beyond its current emphasis on energy efficiency to deliver the micro-generation necessary to further substantially reduce the CO2 emissions from the existing housing stock .
Building Regulations
The principal policy tool for achieving zero carbon will be a major progressive tightening of the energy efficiency building regulations in three steps:
- 2010 a 25% improvement in the energy/carbon performance standard set by the current (2006) Building Regulations Part L - equivalent to energy/carbon standard of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 3
- 2013 a 44% improvement in the energy/carbon performance standard set by the current (2006) Building Regulations Part L - equivalent to energy/carbon standard of Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4
- 2016 zero carbon - Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6
Stamp Duty Rebates
Whilst building regulations are the stick, the carrot is stamp duty rebates on zero carbon homes. From £1,500 on a £150,000 house up to a maximum of £15,000 on houses valued above £500,000, stamp duty will be refunded on any new home that is built to ‘zero-carbon home' standard and purchased before 1st October 2012. The policy will be reviewed in 2012. The government intends that this rebate will:
- help kick-start the market for zero-carbon homes and raise public awareness of the benefits of living in these homes;
- provide developers with a powerful marketing tool to sell zero-carbon homes; and
- reduce potential cost barriers for developers, given such homes cost more to build than conventional ones
