The British government is keen to enhance its green credentials and has recently set stretching targets for CO2 emissions reduction. Within this plan the government has introduced the Code for Sustainable Homes which, among other issues, has important implications on the plumbing and heating industry in the UK, both for new build projects and re-developments of existing housing stock.

According to the Code for Sustainable Homes, a new property will be scored against a carbon emissions target. The property has to show that once built the real emissions from it would be equal to or below this target. This is the currently enforced procedure, based on Part L1A of the building regulations.

Part L1A was set out in 2005, calling for a reduction of 20% in carbon emissions in new buildings. However the Code defines six levels of reduction in carbon emissions with level one demanding 10% up to level six which demands ‘Zero Carbon’ dwellings. The government has set a target that by 2016 all new homes will have to comply with level five, which states 100% reduction in emissions.

The scoring for the dwellings is done according to a points system, in which every component of the home is scored based on its energy efficiency and carbon emissions. A score of 57 points is required for level three, while level six requires a score of 90 points.

Currently available water heating systems are already capable of scoring well on the points system. However, experts say that in order to reach the top levels, there would be a need for further efforts to improve the efficiency of the systems.

In order to reach the new targets, some developers are voting for renewable energy technologies. For example a solar water heating system generates hot water with almost no carbon emissions. The system can be further enhanced by a high efficiency boiler or a hot water cylinder with an immersion heater to provide a reliable backup for the winters (with short and cold days).

Experts argue that the Code should be applied not only to new buildings but also to retrofit projects. Installing an energy efficient boiler or a hot water tank would benefit not only the environment, but also the home owners through reduced heating bills. A high efficiency boiler (such as an A rated condensing boiler) converts more than 90% of the input energy into usable energy, improving on previous boilers by around 30%. Similarly, a well insulated hot water cylinder will reduce heat loss during the night to near zero levels, compared with poorly insulated old cylinders.

The Code for Sustainable Homes is an important block in the governments’ strategy and will have other ramifications on the building industry in the UK. It is thus important to ensure that the industry is adequately prepared for it, as it is likely to influence the building regulations expected to be introduced in 2010.

Engineering and technological capabilities in the UK are high, giving the government comfort in the ability of the sector to roll out the high efficiency technologies. What’s more, the new technologies become ever more attractive to the public as prices drop while performance levels improve.