Tweet

The Code for Sustainable Homes

Guest post by: Mike Andrews

Article Overview: Code for Sustainable Homes Assessments From May 2008 all new homes will be required to have mandatory ratings against the Code. We at Energy Saving Expert are licensed Code assessors and can guide you through the whole process.

The Code for Sustainable Homes

What is the Code?
With a more environmentally-conscious public, aware of the urgent need to limit their effects on climate change, there is a need for more sustainable new buildings. With greater demand for homes that offer reduced environmental impact, lower running costs and features that enhance health and well-being, the Code offers a tool for architects to demonstrate the sustainability performance of their homes, and to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

All new dwellings from May 2008 will be required to have mandatory ratings against the Code; level 1 for a basic improvement on Building Regulations, up to level 6 for an exemplar home in sustainability terms. This means that while it remains voluntary to design and build a home to meet standards set out in the Code, regulations will mean that from May those selling new homes will be required to provide information to any prospective purchaser on the sustainability of the home.

Where a home is designed and built to the Code and assessed against it, a Code certificate will be provided showing the overall sustainability rating for the home, and a breakdown of how that rating has been achieved.

From May 2008 homes that are not assessed will have a nil-rated certificate, homes with a 1 to 6 level on the Code Certificate will be more valuable and achieve a higher selling price.

How does it work?
The Code measures the sustainability of a dwelling by assessing its performance in nine categories and then rating them by issuing credits. The more credits achieved the higher up the code the dwelling is. These categories are; minimising CO2 emissions; limiting water usage; waste; pollution & surface water run off; using sustainable materials; maximising health & well-being; as well as applying good site management and protecting the ecology of the site.

Some of these categories have mandatory elements which must be achieved before any other credits can be is issued, no matter what level of the Code is sought. The Code will aim for progressively higher levels of environmental performance over the coming years with the aim of reaching level 6 (zero carbon) as mandatory for all new dwellings from 2016.

The Code Assessment
As a BRE Licensed Code assessor we will conduct an initial design stage assessment, recommend a sustainability rating, and issue an interim Code certificate. Design stage assessments are carried out on each specific environmental issue in each of the nine categories within any development – not every single home. So for example, if the specifications for water use are assessed as the same in all dwellings, the same credits for that issue are given to all dwellings.
A final Code certificate of compliance is issued after a post-build completion check to verify the rating as designed has taken place.

We will take responsibility for all the assessments at each point in the design process, what the assessment process requires from you is documentary proof that what is specified meets the Code criteria. This can take the form of drawings & plans, design specifications, copies of orders and letters of intent. It may be necessary to commission an ecologist report, flood risk management report, daylight calculations etc. in order to fulfil the criteria for a given credit. We will work alongside the architect and developer to ensure a smooth process.

For further information see; www.energy-saving-expert.co.uk

Related Articles
  Morse Code
  Dress for Success as a Sales Professional
  What is the Definition of a Green Home?
  Small businesses and workplace dress code policies
  Moving Forward: International Financial Institutions
  The most damaging eco-myth
  SME's - do you want business from government?
  LEADERSHIP IS FOLLOWING CODE OF CONDUCT
  How to Tell if Home Staging Will Work in Your Small Town – Part 1
  Article #38 Simple How To Web Analytics
  ••••••> SEO, Search Engine Optimization Tip of the Day: 4 Tips to Optimize JavaScript for Search Spiders
  Increase Sales by Selling Sustainable Solutions that Deliver Measurable Results instead of Benefits
  Introduction: Fiscal Dimensions of Sustainable Development
  Examples of Sustainable Development
  Fiscal Dimensions of Sustainable Development
  I’m Addicted to QR Codes and Here’s Why
  Maximizing Home Values and Appearances- How Home-Improvement Franchises Answer the Call
  Marcus Asay And Bar Coding- How it will work for your company?
  The time is right to renovate
  The Only People Getting Rich Renting Mobile Home Parks Are Tenants and Maintenance Men

Article Tags:



Related Forum Posts
Google landing page tips - Google AdSense expert, Joel Comm says "Edit the landing page, and you can tell the advertisers what they should write to get the most clicks with an ad on your site. You can even include your email address and contact information and invite them to contact you directly" ("The AdSense Code" 65 & 66). This way, advertisers will know to contact you via email if they can't find an option they like. In "The AdSense Code", Comm also suggests the following landing page tips (67 & 68 ): • Make your page look like it's a part of your site by adding a logo and using the same color scheme • Define what your website does • Outline the demographic and lifestyle information of your target market • Provide a list of the content and keywords that are likely to attract the most clicks and conversions • Explain to advertisers that a targeted campaign is likely to yield the best results for them
Re: Ideas For Business - Hello Lucy, you may consider this list for Ideas for Business: (Top 23 list) Rank Company 1 Google 2 Genentech 3 Wegmans Food Markets 4 Container Store 5 Whole Foods Market 6 Network Appliance 7 S.C. Johnson & Son 8 Boston Consulting Grp. 9 Methodist Hospital Sys. 10 W.L. Gore & Associates 11 Cisco Systems 12 David Weekley Homes 13 Nugget Market 14 Qualcomm 15 American Century Invest. 16 Starbucks Coffee 17 Quicken Loans 18 Station Casinos 19 Alston & Bird 20 QuikTrip 21 Griffin Hospital 22 Valero Energy 23 Vision Service Plan
Re: How Much Of Ourselves Should We Give Away...? - Thanks Ros! OmnivoreInk: [quote:1juiyp32]many of them allow you to download and read the first two chapters of their latest publication....[/quote:1juiyp32] It was on the basis of the first chapter of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code that was available free on his website that I did NOT buy the rest of the book! However, I do agree with the point you were making. Dan Brown was savvy enough to turn an average novel into a massive bestseller.
Reworking an idea versus stealing prose - It's always been a truism that one can't steal ideas. Ideas are just there, for anyone to take and run with. For example, I believe Dan Brown was recently sued because his DaVinci Code apparently took a lot of information from a non-fiction book about Jesus Christ and the last supper, postulating that Mary had been married, and the writers of that book said he'd stolen their idea. Well... he'd used their idea but he'd come up with the plot that went around it, not to mention all the words, so it was an "original" idea and they lost their suit. On the other hand I think Harlan Ellison won a suit over Schwarzenegger's The Running Man, because it was too close to one of his stories...
These maybe the coldest franchises out there: - Here are the worst 15 performing franchises in regards to having the highest Small Business Administration (SBA) loan failure rates. The list is dotted with sub sandwich shops, fitness centers and car shops. WORST FRANCHISE LOAN FAILURES Failure % 1 OBEE'S SOUP SALAD SUBS 55.56% 2 LADY OF AMERICA 41.94% 3 COUNTRY CLUTTER (BED & BREAKFAST) 41.18% 4 COPY CLUB 36.36% 5 ALL TUNE AND LUBE 35.71% 6 PICKERMAN'S 35.71% 7 PHILLY CONNECTION 35.59% 8 ROLY POLY ROLLED SANDWICHES 34.78% 9 COTTMAN TRANSMISSION 34.48% 10 HAIR COLOR EXPRESS 33.33% 11 LEE MYLES AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS 33.33% 12 GODFATHER'S PIZZA 33.33% 13 SMOOTHIE FACTORY 33.33% 14 BLIMPIE 31.39% 15 GOLF U.S.A. (RETAIL GOLF EQUIP.) 30.77% Source: Small Business Administration, SBA Loan Performance Within Franchise Code for the Period of FY 2001 - 2005


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Environment and productivity at the office

Why Your Own Internet Marketing Website Is A Must

Starting a Business a Brave Move or a NoBrainer

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.