BEAMA publishes technology guide to Future Homes and Buildings Standard

Industry association BEAMA has published a comprehensive guide to the technological and design impacts of the proposed Future Homes and Buildings Standard.

The regs, currently out for consultation on the technical details, are designed to slash carbon by 75-80% in new buildings by 2025.

The Future Homes Standard Phase 1 Impact Report, claims to make no fewer than 22 tangible recommendations for government, ranging from accelerating the introduction of ‘evolved’ SAP 11 modelling to a competency framework that will support the new FHB Standard, to what it calls ‘the very real challenge of preparing consumers for a new way of living.’

BEAMA noted that this will bring a requirement to ‘future-proof all new dwellings with low carbon heating, high performing fabric specification and a complementary ventilation strategy which will focus on the assured health and wellbeing of occupants.’

Launching the guide yesterday, BEAMA’s lead consultant Kelly Butler called on the industry and government to work together in open dialogue to ensure that the necessary elements are put in place:

We have just two years to consult, prepare and act. It is time to rip up the rule book on competency and compliance and get back to basics. Of those 22 recommendations, the key one is SAP 11 and the need for dynamic thermal modelling …it needs to have the new technologies integrated into it…and it needs to be ready for 2025.

The report’s two key recommendations to the government are:

• The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should take an active role in HM Treasury’s pledge to rebalance the cost of energy, championing lower electricity costs to ensure newly constructed electrified homes are not penalised due to outdated energy policy and that short-term running costs reflect long term societal costs.
• The Government’s commitment to rebalance the cost of electricity and gas must be implemented and recognised in SAP and EPCs in time for Future Homes Standard implementation.

BEAMA added:

Although the cost of energy is not directly within the remit of the DLUHC, we strongly believe that they should be strong and vocal champions for the rebalancing of levies across electricity and natural gas, and the decoupling of electricity from that of natural gas prices.

Kelly Butler noted that the report took a holistic applications-based approach, rather than looking at the technology first:

What is clear is that all of the technology needed for the Standard is already in place: The supply chains are there and the manufacturers can scale up. But the real issue is, ‘Are there enough installers for the work and are they competent enough?’

The association said that the report acknowledges that the majority of technology solutions already exists today and therefore focuses on the ‘specific enablers that will support their inclusion within the homes of the future’. The report thus encompasses subjects such as design, installation and commissioning competency; the necessity to undertake a steep evolution in SAP’s building modelling capability; and the very real challenge of preparing consumers for a new way of living, are all covered within the report.

The body also has three recommendations around electricity supply:

1)The Future Homes Standard should support the specification of technologies, such as heat pumps and smart electric storage heating, which are capable of providing flexibility through demand side response.

2) Ensure that most new dwelling types can comply with the Standard without the use of heat pumps for areas where connections by a DNO are not approved. This includes hot water only heat pumps and water-to-water heat pumps in apartments.

3) The DLUHC, in collaboration with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, should commission an industry-wide taskforce to review the challenges and barriers to the future of electrification in regards to electricity grid connection and capacity.

BEAMA will be publishing a second phase report, covering refurbishment and the integration of the SAP 11 modelling.

The report assesses the various technologies that are available to comply with the standard, from air source and ground source heat pumps to infrared panel heaters, electric water heaters and mechanical ventilation. It provides a risk assessment for the application of each technology from the perspective of both installers and consumers.

Kelly noted that maintenance would be a key element in the ongoing carbon reduction of the technology. But he warned:

Should that be the responsibility of consumers? That is up for debate.