Consultation response airs demands for embodied carbon conisderations and mandatory testing of buildings in use
A collection of built environment groups have written to the government to set out their proposals for an improved Future Homes Standard.
The group, which includes the Good Homes Alliance, UK Green Building Council and membership group LETI, as well as a slew of architects, said neither of the options put forward in the government’s consultation go far enough.
A consultation paper on the new standards, which would require all new buildings to be net zero ready from 2025, was published in mid-December.
Proposals to improve the energy performance of new buildings is focused on improving standards for building services, including banning gas boilers in favour of air source heat pumps.
Building fabric energy performance standards will be largely unchanged apart from higher airtightness standards and the proposals do not apply to upfront embodied carbon emissions.
In a letter to ministers, the industry groups welcomed the proposed commitment to electric heating and the integration of on-site renewables for new homes, but said that the government’s suggestions were “not a definitive Future Homes Standard, but rather a positive step towards it”.
It requested that a further iteration of the standard be developed to ensure new buildings are of a higher specification by 2028, with suggestions including mandatory enhanced testing of buildings post-completion was urged and policies to measure and limit embodied carbon in construction.
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Organisations across the built environment have been urged to co-sign the letter, which will be sent to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero before the end of the consultation of 6 March.
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