Steve Rickards, Sales Director New Build at Potterton, considers the Code for Sustainable Homes and how it could offer an opportunity for professional installers and heating engineers to work closely with housebuilders and social housing providers for the benefit of all.
According to the Government, if we build the homes we need to meet our required housing needs, 'by 2050 as much as one-third of the total housing stock will have been built between now and then'. This signifies a huge opportunity for us all to influence the impact that these homes will have on the environment by moving towards more sustainable housebuilding practices. It also represents a great commercial opportunity for installers who understand the key role that the Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code) will play in directing the Building Regulations in the future with regards to home energy usage.
Whether you work mainly in the newbuild, social housing or general consumer market, the Code will start to affect the work you do and the choice of products you make. It is a single national standard to guide architects and builders as they design and construct every new home. It has been introduced to drive forward the creation of greener, highly efficient and more sustainable homes.
The Code measures the sustainability of the whole home as a complete package against nine categories: energy and carbon dioxide; water; materials; surface water run-off; waste; pollution; health and well being; management; ecology. It is then given a star rating of one to six, based on points awarded in each category.
For the consumer, the Code provides a wealth of information in order to make a more informed choice when it comes to buying or renting a new home. They can choose to be more energy efficient and reduce their carbon footprint, but at the same time want a reliable, cost effective, well serviced solution that will provide a pleasant and healthy living environment.
To homebuilders and developers, the Code represents a quality mark to demonstrate their sustainability credentials. It is flexible enough for them to choose which and how many standards they implement to obtain points, apart from the energy and water efficiency categories, which must be achieved at every level. By implementing innovative, cost effective systems, they can increase their sustainability performance, look to the future of building regulations and differentiate their offer from their competitors.
For social housing providers, the well being and safety of residents is of paramount importance. Reliable systems that demonstrate excellent whole life costings, high efficiency and lower running costs will help them show tangible sustainability achievements to tenants, funding bodies, governments and the public.
The Code will have an impact on the materials and products used for construction projects, and they will be chosen because they help the developer or builder achieve the necessary standards.
Within the energy and carbon dioxide category of the Code, points are awarded for the conservation of fuel and power in the home. The choice of boiler installed plays an important role in reducing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) emissions.
At Potterton, we recognise the importance of informing installers in advance of what they need to do in order to comply with the requirements of the Code. And because we have a thorough understanding of the Code ourselves, we can help to translate the technical information into a commercial advantage for our installers.
Out technical team can help to design the most appropriate heating system for the building - best for the environment, for the community, and commercially. In addition, we offer product training and comprehensive technical backup and support.
The Potterton Promax HE range offers the largest range of ultra low NOx products on the market. These products will contribute to minimising the environmental impact of dwelling emissions as well as helping to achieve a higher Code rating, providing two or three points, depending on the model installed.
Potterton is committed to a programme of continual development to ensure it offers the most reliable, highly efficient, cost effective and environmentally friendly range of domestic heating products, with a perfect solution for every application.
To help installers, housebuilders, developers and specifiers to understand the Code, and how it will affect them, Potterton has produced a handy, informative brochure. For a free copy, call Potterton on 0844 335 8821. For a detailed explanation of the sustainability ratings, visit www.communities.gov.uk/thecode
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For media information please contact Jocelynne Rowan, PR Officer, Potterton
T: 01926 478291 M: 07825 602043 F: 01772 646449
E: jocelynne.rowan@baxigroup.com
