Kingspan Lighthouse Climate for change, zero carbon future

Introduction	Code for Sustainable Homes	Lighthouse Design	Accomodating Climate Change	Achieving Code Level 6

Energy	Energy Certification	Lighthouse Building Services	Kingspan Off-Site Building Fabric Solutions	Credits

Code for Sustainable Homes


The Code for Sustainable Homes is a set of sustainable design principles covering performance in nine key areas:
	Energy and CO2	Water	Materials
	Surface water run-off	Waste	Pollution
	Heath and well being	Management	Ecology

The Code for Sustainable Homes and contents from its Guidance document is Crown Copyright and available from Communities and Local Government Publications and online via www.communities.gov.uk

The Code provides valuable information to homebuyers on the sustainability performance of homes. Houses built to the standards in the Code will bring with them lower running costs, improved well-being and reductions in the environmental footprint.

In addition, all new Zero Carbon homes costing up to £500,000 will be exempt from Stamp Duty and where the purchase price of the home is greater, then the Stamp Duty will be reduced by £15,000.

With these standards come new technology and altered ways of living. To operate a truly Zero Carbon home and a way of living, occupiers need to be well-informed – making optimum use of appliances and systems that reduce consumption and generate renewable and alternative forms of energy.

Technology to Reduce Consumption

Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery (MVHR)
An electrically driven whole house ventilation system with very efficient heat recovery provides background ventilation in the home.

Electricity
Appliances: Efficient +++ goods and a reduction in stand-by power.
Lighting: Low energy lighting technology throughout with external mood lighting provided by LED lights.

Technology to Generate Renewable Energy

Biomass boiler
The boiler provides hot water and space heating in winter, fuelled by wood pellets. It is located in the utility room to provide a dedicated drying area, as an alternative to the (electricity sapping) tumble dryer.

Solar thermal panels
The panels generate all the hot water in summer and some in the spring and autumn, reducing the demand on the biomass boiler and the amount of wood used.

Photovoltaic (PV) array
PV panels capture energy from the sun to supply electricity for the whole house.

For Code Level 6, the mandatory heat loss parameter standard is very high placing more demands on the building envelope such as insulation, glazing and shading and how these operate with the technological systems of the house.

Smart Metering and monitoring systems
A Smart Meter records energy consumption, to help occupants identify any wastage and to promote more environmentally aware lifestyles.

Ventilation
Understanding how the ventilation and passive system operates – activated by the‘ windcatcher’ in the Lighthouse.

Heating
The building envelope specification will deliver high levels of thermal insulation and airtightness so that the home will only need to be heated for a couple of months in mid-winter.

Reducing solar gain
External shutters can be used in summer to reduce the build up of heat. They block out all direct sunlight.

Reduced glazing
Complying with the U-values of the Code, the glazing is 5-10% less than that in the traditional home. The living space of the Lighthouse is adapted to accommodate this with a large double height volume on the upper levels with sleeping accommodation below.

Airtightness
Lobby areas design to the front and back of the house to maintain the high level of the airtightness in the build.

Water
Increased awareness about what water to use where - rainwater for the garden and washing machine, shower and bath water for the WC.

Environmental issues covered by the Code:

Environmental Impact Categories	Number of Credits	Environmental Weighting Factor (as % of total possible Points Score available)
Category 1 – Energy/CO2	29 credits	36.4%
Category 2 – Water	6 credits	9.0%
Category 3 – Materials	24 credits	7.2%
Category 4 – Surface Water Run-off	4 credits	2.2%
Category 5 – Waste	7 credits	6.4%
Category 6 – Pollution	4 credits	2.8%
Category 7 – Health & Well being	12 credits	14.0%
Category 8 – Management	9 credits	10.0%
Category 9 – Ecology	9 credits	12.0%

Total	104 credits	100.00%

A combination of mandatory and tradable points are available:

Number of points a house needs to achieve for each Code level:

Level 1	36 Points (Mandatory + 33.3 Points)	• Exceeds Regulations • EcoHomes 2006 Pass • EST Good Practice

Level 2	48 Points (Mandatory + 43.0 Points)	• EcoHomes 2006 - Good

Level 3	57 Points (Mandatory + 46.7 Points)	• EcoHomes 2006 Very Good • EST Best Practice • Conventional Water fittings

Level 4	68 Points (Mandatory + 54.1 Points)	• Greywater/Rainwater • Passive House (approx)

Level 5	84 Points (Mandatory + 60.1 Points)	• Zero SAP • Significant Renewables

Level 6	90 Points (Mandatory + 64.9 Points)	• Zero Operational Carbon • Most Code Credits achieved

For Level 6 - Mandatory issues:

Energy Net-Carbon Zero in operation

Very high building envelope thermal performance
HLP = 0.8 W/m²K or greater (SAP)
Renewables for all heating, hot water, lights, fans and pumps.
Renewables for occupant systems and appliances
Credits for other low carbon features

Water – 80 litres/ day per person of potable water

On-site water recycling required
Using new more stringent Water Calculator

Environmental Impact of Materials

Three of five key elements achieve relevant rating of A+ to D
Update 2007 The Green Guide

Surface water run- off

Peak run-off no greater than existing
Located in low Flood Risk / Flood mitigation

Waste

Specified minimum household waste handling
Construction waste management system

Plus 86% of all tradable points
Note that individual credits have different weighting factor applied to them to convert than to points

Lighthouse: the Level 6 House

1 Energy performance

Walls, roof, floor U-values = 0.11 W/m²K
- TEK® Building System, 284 mm thick
Windows = 0.7 W/m²K (incl. wooden frame), triple glazed, gas filled
Air permeability = 1m³/h/m² at 50Pa
Thermal bridging 4.5% of surface area
Mechanical ventilation = 88% heat recovery
- Kingspan KAR MVHR
Specific fan power 0.92W/l/s
Lighting – 100% compact fluorescents
Drying room with fittings
Energy labelled A++ white goods
External lights on PIR sensors
Cycle storage
Home office facilities

On-site renewable energy

4.7kW, 46m² photovoltaics
10 kW automatic wood pellet boiler – only 2kW needed
Wood pellet store, filled 2/3 times a year
4m² solar hot water to reduce wood pellet resource used in summer

2 Potable water reduction

Low water shower 8 litres/min and taps
Dual flush WC, 4/2 litres, 160 litre bath
Water labelled A++ washing white goods
Greywater recycling for WC flushing
Rainwater harvesting for washing machineand irrigation

3 Surface water run-off/pollution

Bio-filtration through surface water management - swales

4 Materials

Walls and roof – TEK® Building System
Cladding – sweet chestnut
Paved surfaces from recycled or sustainable sources

5 Waste

Construction – recycled, reused
Household – bin compartments
Composting

6 Health and well-being

Daylight 1.5 – 2% daylight factors
Private space
Lifetime homes

Management

Home user guide
Construction Site Impacts
Security – alarm system

Ecology

Improved biodiversity through native planting and creation of surface water

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