Oxford - Code Assessment - 01865 527 028

The office that covers this area is: London

Phone Number: 01865 527 028 Email: oxford@e2consultants.co.uk

A Code Assessment - A Code Assessment in Oxford

The A Code Assessment in Oxford is the environmental assessment method for rating and certifying the performance of new homes; it is also known in Wales as part of the Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme. In England it was launched in December 2006, by, the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG and became operational in April 2007 as the new national standard for sustainable design and construction of new homes. Since the 1st of May 2008 the developer of any new home in Oxford a must have a mandatory rating against the Code.

The Code measures the 'whole home' as a complete package, assessing its sustainability against nine categories

The UK Government has committed to a reduction in carbon emissions of 80% by the year 2050. Improvement of all the new and existing housing stock in Oxford will be instrumental in achieving this target. The key to achieving these carbon reduction targets, for new and existing dwellings in Oxford is by being more energy efficient. By having a Code Assessment, a level of reduction can be established.

The whole construction and house building industry must start building more sustainable properties in Oxford .To initiate this; the Government has introduced the new national standards for the use in the design and construction of new homes in Oxford . The Code Assessment for Sustainable Homes or the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is the means of assessment.

It is a compulsory requirement for every new dwelling in England to achieve a rating or score against the Code assessment (C4SH). Information on this rating is to be made available to all potential buyers through a (HIP) Home Information Pack. This indicates whether the home has been built to a specific level of the Code, and if so, which one.

The Code assessment measures the 'whole home' sustainability of a new dwelling in Oxford against the nine categories of sustainable design; this produces a rating of the 'whole home' as a complete package. Each category is then further divided into further components which are individually assessed against a performance target and awarded the relevant credits for achievement.

The Code for sustainable homes assessment uses a six star rating system with an individual points total allocated to each star rating this communicates the overall sustainability performance of a new home. One is the lowest rating at entry level and six is the highest, deemed as zero carbon. The Code assessment for Oxford sets a minimum standard for the use of energy and water at each level. In England, Code replaces the EcoHomes scheme, previously developed by (BRE) the Building Research Establishment.

The Code level is derived from the total percentage points achieved and is represented on the certificate by an equivalent number of stars.

Level One: >36 Points, 1 Star = Entry level (above Building Regulations)

Level Six: >90 Points, 6 Stars = Zero Carbon (Highest level)

Code Level 3 is a Mandatory requirement for Social Housing. Some Local Authorities such as Harrogate in North Yorkshire are making Code Level 3 Mandatory as a planning requirement in there Local Plan for all new developments. Level 3 Code is similar to the Best Practice Standard for energy efficiency as defined by the Energy Savings Trust

A Code assessment at level 6 is based on zero carbon emissions for a dwelling and is an aspirational standard based on a dwelling achieving zero carbon emissions. A zero carbon home as defined in the Code for Sustainable Homes is a property where the net CO2 emissions resulting from ALL the energy use in the dwelling is zero or better.

In Wales, as of September 2009, for developments of 5 or more, new properties are required to meet Level 3 Code for Sustainable Homes Assessment. From 2010 all single dwellings must achieve the Code for Sustainable Homes rating at Level 3 and from 2011 onwards all buildings built are to achieve a zero carbon rating or Level 6.

Northern Ireland has a requirement for Code level 3 from 2008.

Scotland currently has no time scale for the adoption of Code.

Code assessments in Oxford can only be carried out by a qualified and accredited Code Assessor. Assessments are generally a two-stage process: after Pre assessment, with the Design Stage, which leads to an interim certificate. This is followed by the Post Construction Stage, where the final certificate is issued. Evidence has to be collated and used to determine the rating via the number of credits that are awarded for each element. A summary report is submitted by the Code Assessor to the Code Service Provider for quality assurance and certification.

All proposed sites, dwellings and developments requiring an assessment should be registered with the Code Assessors accreditation body as early as possible. A proposed development can only be registered against the current version of the Code. Sites which have been registered in Oxford against a previous version can be re-registered under the current version of the Technical Guide. Each registration is valid only for a maximum of 5 years between the expiry of the Technical Guide version it was submitted against and the submission of the design stage report.

There is no time scale once a project assessment has started on the delivery of the Post Construction Stage report.

If you require free initial advice, consultancy services or a definitive quotation on a A Code Assessment assessment in Oxford call one of our Oxford consultants at our Oxford Office on 01865 527 028 or Email oxford@eliteenergy.org.uk.

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Code Assessment can also be known as:
Code for Sustainable Homes, Code for Sustainable Homes Daylight Calculation, Sustainable Homes, C4SH, CSH,