Changing the standard to achieve Scotland’s net-zero target
Construction and manufacturing group CCG (Scotland) has launched a new housebuilding standard designed to respond to Scotland’s target of becoming a net-zero economy.
The Net Zero Home standard developed by CCG is intended to deliver a standard of specification that reduces greenhouse gas emissions arising from regulated operational energy use to a rate less than or equal to 0kg C02/m2/year. It is achieved by combining offsite manufacturing of timber systems with building services such as solar PV and air-source heat pumps.
CCG has carried out analysis that compares the new system to the baseline Section 6 standard for housebuilding in Scotland. It said that the outcomes have shown that the Net Zero Home standard can reduce dwelling emissions by up to 98% whilst energy costs to the end-user can be reduced by as much as 394% in houses and 167% in flats.
The standard is based on an entirely gas-free solution. CCG said that compliance has been demonstrated across a wide range of house and flat types using a methodology for calculating the energy performance of dwellings.