New Energy Efficiency Targets for New and Existing Homes and Businesses

PLANS TO IMPROVE the energy performance of new homes aimed at helping to protect the environment have been set out by Housing Minister Chris Pincher.

In response to a consultation on the Future Homes Standard, all new homes are to be built as highly energy efficient with low carbon heating. These homes are expected to be zero carbon ready by 2025 producing 75-80% lower carbon emissions compared to current levels.

Moving closer to meeting the Future Homes Standard by 2025, new homes will be expected to produce 31% lower carbon emissions from this year.

In 2019 the government introduced a legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The changes are part of the overhaul of Building Regulations and are the second of the two-part consultation on Part L and Part F to help meet that target.

New Energy Efficiency Targets

Existing homes will also be subject to higher standards for extensions, requiring replacement, repairs and parts to be more energy efficient. This includes the replacement of windows and building services such as heat pumps, cooling systems, or fixed lighting.

Christopher Pincher said: “Improving the energy performance of buildings is vital to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and protecting the environment for future generations to come.”

The government plans also include measures to tackle ventilation in high-risk non-domestic buildings such as offices and gyms, reducing the risk of any potential infections being spread indoors. A new requirement for additional ventilation and indoor air quality monitoring is proposed.

There will also be a new overheating mitigation requirement in the Building Regulations for residential buildings.

Home of the Future

Solar Energy UK Chief Executive, Chris Hewett, said, “We are delighted that the government has listened to our call for higher ambition on building standards, and that it will preserve local governments’ ability to set higher standards if they choose.”

“Every new home built will require an increase in energy efficiency that could be met by solar. This is a real victory for our industry and consumers, acting as an important steppingstone on the way towards a more ambitious Future Home Standard come 2025.”

“The home of the future will feature solar panels and a battery. It may well be heated with electricity, have solar heated water and an electric vehicle parked outside. It will be well insulated, well built and cost less to run than today. All the necessary technology exists at reasonable cost. Housebuilders, let’s get started”

Residential buildings currently account for 15% of the UK’s carbon emissions, and with the government targeting 300,000 homes built each year, the challenge of decarbonising housing stock in line with the UK’s 2050 net zero commitment is growing.

Solar energy technologies are expected to play a significant role in future decarbonisation. Last year Solar Energy UK published research revealing that the UK needs more than 4 million homes to be fitted with solar photovoltaics, battery storage and intelligent energy controls over the decade in order to tackle peak electricity demand.

Developer Standards

The government has said there will be stringent transitional arrangements to provide developers with certainty about the standards. These will last for one year and apply to individual homes, rather than an entire development.

Heating and powering buildings currently account for 40% of the UK’s total energy usage. Since 1990, overall total emissions from homes have reduced by about a fifth, despite there being approximately a quarter more homes.

The Future Buildings Standard consultation closes on 13 April 2021.

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