Homing In On Zero Carbon Building
A challenging package of measures for planners and housebuilders, which will help to reduce carbon emissions and bring innovation to the building industry, was published today by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly. The aim is to put tackling climate change at the heart of the planning system and the way we build new homes.Currently, the energy used to heat, light and run our homes accounts for 27 per cent of all of the UK's carbon emissions - around 40 million tonnes. To help tackle this, the Government is proposing that all new homes be zero carbon by 2016. Energy efficient and insulated buildings, which draw their energy from zero or low carbon technologies and therefore produce no net carbon emissions from all energy use over the course of a year, will help reduce carbon emissions as well as lowering fuel bills for households.The overall strategy, as set out in the consultation document Building a Greener Future: Towards Zero Carbon Development issued today, prov...
Government reveals latest plans to reduce carbon emissions through a revised planning system
13 December 2006: Solarcentury, the UK's leading solar energy company, specialising in innovation in building integrated photovoltaics, welcomes today's anticipated announcement from the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly, on a package of measures aimed at tackling climate change through the planning system. Solarcentury believes this is a positive move towards low carbon planning - but will likely be less ambitious than is required to tackle the scale of the climate change problem.
The measures are expected to include: A new national Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on climate change. The new PPS is expected to instruct planning authorities to have a much more positive attitude to projects that cut carbon dioxide emissions. Solarcentury would welcome such a move.
The Government is also expected to unveil a new Code for Sustainable Homes. This is expected to recommend steps that house builders should take to reduce the impac...
Stamp duty exemption for new build zero carbon homes
Solarcentury welcomes todays pre budget report from the Government, stating its ambition for all new homes to be zero carbon by 2016 with a time-limited stamp duty exemption for many new zero-carbon homes.
On this ambition for zero carbon homes, Chancellor Gordon Brown said: "It is time to set a long term framework for curbing the carbon emissions from homes - 30 per cent of all emissions. " He added: "Next week the Secretary for Communities and the Housing Minister will set out plans to ensure that within ten years every new home will be a zero carbon home, and we will be the first country ever to make this commitment. And to accelerate the building of zero carbon homes, for a time limited period the vast majority of new zero carbon homes will be exempted from stamp duty. For existing homes I will consult on a new facility to undertake energy audits and offer low loans that would in time, because of low energy bills, pay for themselves. Through greater en...