Buildings require huge volumes of natural resources as inputs. Lowering the environmental impact while improving economic and social performance is a result of well-informed design, using the right materials sourced from sustainable producers, utilising local renewable natural resources, developing the correct infrastructures. This reduces carbon emissions and waste and importantly can help to lower the whole life costs.

Sustain works with social housing providers, architects and the construction industry to bring these practices into play.

I-BEA 
Code for Sustainable Homes   
EcoHomes assessment 
EcoHomes XB  
Part L, SAP and SBEM assessment   
Energy and Environmental Audits 

I-BEA
I-BEA offers an integrated built environment assessment package tailored to meet the planning need of new building developments. Sustain offers an innovative and experienced consultancy with in-house expertise, streamlining the process to go above and beyond planning regulations.

The core package includes:

• Renewable and sustainable energy feasibility study
  Specific planning condition compliance
• NHER/SAP assessment for Part L, dwelling building regulations
• SBEM assessments for Part L, non residential building regulations
• Code for Sustainable Homes ratings
• Detailed design of renewable and sustainable energy components

This provides:

• A one-stop-shop, presenting an integrated optimal energy solution
• Best value as services are worked on collectively, streamlining the process and reducing delivery time
• Carbon emissions reduced at the lowest cost

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Code for Sustainable Homes
The Code for Sustainable Homes was launched in April 2007

The Code for Sustainable Homes was developed by the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) with the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) and Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA). 

The Code replaced EcoHomes from April 2007 in England and Code Level 3 is required for all Housing Corporation Funded schemes.  The Code assesses nine areas of a development including Energy, Water, Materials, Surface Water Run-Off, Waste, Pollution, Health and Well-Being, Managements and Ecology.  Each of the dwellings will be assessed individually, unlike EcoHomes which was a whole site assessment. Once built, the dwellings are required to undergo a Post Construction Review.

Sustain are BRE approved, experienced assessors for EcoHomes and the Code for Sustainable Homes and can help you achieve your accreditation.

We can offer:

• Qualified and experienced assessors
• A tailored package for your assessment, ranging from the full design review and guidance, to simply completing the assessment
• Pre-assessment checklist
• Cost efficiency for your assessment
• Part L compliance assessments 
• Detailed design advice

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EcoHomes assessment
The Housing Corporation requires all new Approved Development Programme-funded schemes to achieve an EcoHomes accreditation or they will not receive funding.

The Housing Corporation requires all new National Affordable Housing Programme-funded* schemes to achieve an EcoHomes accreditation of 'Very Good' and many planning authorities are setting EcoHomes targets as part of their Supplementary Planning Guidance.
Sustain’s Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) approved assessors can help you to meet these standards.
* Formally Approved Development Fund

We provide:

• Qualified and experienced assessors
• Professional and timely packages to suite client needs 
• Pre-assessment checklist advice
• EcoHomes assessment
• Detailed guidance for achieving a specific rating or credit information sourcing to maximise EcoHomes rating at least cost
• Detailed design advice
• Bespoke level of service to match level of certificate

See our EcoHomes case study pdf (79KB)

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EcoHomes XB 
EcoHomes XB was produced by BRE to help landlords, such as housing associations and local authorities to measure and track the environmental performance of refurbishment work.

EcoHomes XB is a monitoring tool to capture minor refurbishments and day-to-day maintenance for housing stocks.  The method is designed to show how these changes have improved (or will improve) the environmental performance of the housing stock.  By doing so, EcoHomes XB can help plan a cost effective and efficient works programme.  The assessment is designed to provide information and at this stage is not certified. 

We provide:

• Qualified and experienced EcoHomes assessors
• Advice and support to the client in sourcing the relevant information
• Providing an on-going service up-dating the records when new improvement works have been carried out
• Working with the client setting up realistic and achievable targets and reviewing these targets at agreed intervals

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Part L, SAP and SBEM assessment
Getting building design right delivers
long-term benefits to your tenants, residents, homebuyers and clients. Using quality assured software, our NHER accredited consultants can model different energy scenarios allowing cost-effective decision-making to embed good environmental practice into the built environment. Our service covers the following areas:

New build – Domestic & non-domestic
Existing Buildings – Domestic & non-domestic

We can provide:

• Pre-design options analysis for design guidance
  certified SAP ratings,
• Carbon dioxide emissions calculations, Target Emission Ratings, and Dwelling Emission Rating to demonstrate compliance, required by Building Regulations part L1A
• Assess priorities for the most cost-effective improvements, for individual dwellings or for large programmes
• Detailed case studies e.g. before and after improvements – useful for raising the profile of your projects and organisation 
• Fuel poverty risk assessment – modelling fuel bills to assess affordability and appropriate tenancy allocation
• Energy demand calculations for sizing heating and renewable energy systems
  

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Energy and Environmental Audits
As fuel prices increase and environmental issues become ever more pressing organisations from all sectors are increasingly recognizing the value of making energy and resource efficiency a primary concern.

As well as reducing environmental impacts there are clear financial benefits from an audit - most organisations could cut their fuel bills by up to 20% at little or no cost through applying affordable and effective measures to avoid wasting energy or creating unnecessary carbon emissions. 

By using CIBSE’s TM22 procedures, as well as more general energy auditing techniques, we can provide a  bespoke audit that provides detailed information including:

• A comparison of your energy & environmental performance against other similar businesses
• An analysis of staff behaviour, costed recommendations
• A breakdown of the financial and environmental
  benefits achieved through the recommended measures.