About

The Code for Sustainable Homes (the Code) is part of the BREEAM family, and is an environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes. It is a national standard for use in the design and construction of new homes with a view to encouraging continuous improvement in sustainable home building. It was launched in December 2006 with the publication of Code for Sustainable Homes: A step-change in sustainable home building practice (Communities and Local Government, 2006) and became operational in April 2007. Where Building Regulations apply, compliance is necessary at all times.

The implementation of the Code is managed by BRE Global (formerly BRE Certification Ltd) under contract to the Government Department for Communities and Local Government, under arrangements based on the EcoHomes operating systems. BRE Global is the main licence holder. Under the terms of its agreement with Communities and Local Government, BRE Global issues licences to both assessors and other Code service providers. BRE Global provides training, licensing and registration of Code assessors to standards ISO 17024 and EN 45011, within a UKAS accredited ‘competent person’s certification scheme’. BRE Global is the licensing Code service provider for Eco Energy and Environmental Ltd.

The Code for Sustainable Homes covers nine categories of sustainable design:

Energy and CO2 Emissions
Water
Materials
Surface Water Run-off
Waste
Pollution
Health and Well-being
Management
Ecology

Each category includes a number of environmental issues. Each issue is a source of environmental impact which can be assessed against a performance target and awarded one or more credits. Performance targets are more demanding than the minimum standard needed to satisfy Building Regulations or other legislation. They represent good or best practice, are technically feasible, and can be delivered by the building industry.

In addition to meeting mandatory standards, achievement of the requirements in each design category scores a number of percentage points. This establishes the Code level or rating for the dwelling. The Code certificate illustrates the rating achieved with a row of stars. A blue star is awarded for each level achieved, from one star for a Code Level 1 (Above Regulatory Standard), through to Code Level 6 (Highly Sustainable – Net Zero Carbon). Where an assessment has taken place and no rating is achieved, the certificate states that zero stars have been awarded.

Assessment Process

The Code for Sustainable Homes assessment process is based on EcoHomes operating procedures. The Code replaced EcoHomes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for new homes in April 2007, but EcoHomes is still used for new homes in Scotland, and for refurbished homes throughout the United Kingdom.

Assessments are normally carried out in two stages:

• Design stage (DS), leading to an interim certificate
• Post construction stage (PCS), leading to a final certificate

The assessment process for these two stages is very similar. Evidence is collated and used as the basis for the assessor to determine how many credits are to be awarded for each issue. A summary report is submitted to the Code service provider for quality assurance and certification.

Design Stage Assessment

The aim of the design stage assessment is:

• To assess the design specifications (i.e. before construction begins) for each individual dwelling to determine the design stage or interim rating
• To award (subject to quality assurance) a design stage or interim certificate

The DS assessment is carried out on the detailed design of each dwelling in the period up to the issue of tender documents, sometimes referred to as RIBA Stages A–G. A Code assessment requires a more detailed specification than Building Regulations compliance because the Code covers many more aspects of the performance of the dwelling. For instance, specification details of all the sanitary fittings are required to calculate the score for the Code indoor water issue.

The assessor will also be able to calculate, at this initial design stage assessment, any site-related credits. Therefore, details of planned landscaping and ecological enhancement measures will also need to be known.

Eco Energy and Environmental works closely with design teams to:

• Demonstrate that the performance requirements set for each of the three non-creditable mandatory issues of environmental impact are met for each dwelling.
• Demonstrate that the performance requirements set for each of the credited mandatory issues of environmental impact (dwelling emission rate, fabric energy efficiency, indoor water use and Lifetime Homes) are met for the desired rating for each dwelling.
• Choose the remaining tradable issues which are required to achieve the desired overall rating.
• Evaluate the performance of each dwelling against the requirements set for each of the chosen issues to confirm that the required standards are met for the desired overall rating.
• Assemble and check the evidence required for the developer, design team and other consultants to show the intended performance will be met.

When we are satisfied with the performance under the Code (and that the development achieves credits by means agreed with the client) we will submit the assessment report to BRE Global for quality assurance and to receive design stage Interim Code certification. The report must contain references to documentary evidence describing how performance requirements are met, creating a clear audit trail linking the rating awarded to the evidence used to justify it, and we work with clients to ensure the correct evidence requirements are satisfied.

Post Construction Stage Assessment

The aim of the PCS assessment is to assess each individual dwelling as built to determine the final score and Code level for the dwelling.

If a DS assessment has been undertaken, this can be used as the starting point for the PCS assessment. The PCS assessment is carried out to confirm that dwellings are either built to the DS specifications or, if there are variations from the DS, that they are documented, reassessed, and a new score and Code level calculated for each dwelling that is affected. Eco Energy and Environmental will carry out an appropriate level of checking to be satisfied that commitments made have been achieved.

If there has been no prior DS assessment, then the full assessment would be completed against the as-built dwelling(s).

Eco Energy and Environmental, as a licensed organisation, is required to set up robust and auditable post construction stage assessment procedures. These include:

• An appropriate number of site visits for each development site (at least once per site). The appropriate number of site visits is dependent on the particular situation. It is the assessor’s responsibility to determine the necessary number of site visits required to satisfy themselves that the assessment properly reflects the dwelling
• Every different specification for each issue shall be reviewed and evidence recorded to confirm that it complies with the requirements for PCS assessment
• Where dwellings of identical construction type are planned to be released in phases, the assessment evidence must show that the same specifications have been incorporated into dwellings completed following the initial release. If there are variances to the specification in subsequent releases, the assessor shall reassess the dwellings based on the new specifications

The number of PCS assessment reports is likely to be based on the phased completion of dwellings within a development. The number of PCS assessment reports submitted to cover a particular development is entirely at the discretion of the assessor and the developer.

For a large or phased development, there are some issues that will not be complete when a post construction stage assessment for the first dwelling(s) is submitted to BRE Global. For example, these could include some ecology credits or community-based facilities. It is possible to certify the first dwellings without certain issues being complete. The details of these exceptions are contained within the relevant issues and would be discussed with the design team at the outset of the assessment process.