ew of this need, there is a greater challenge in meeting the need for large family homes in mixed tenure estates with little equity and poor quality existing housing. The Council has a plan of developing up to 365,600 houses by 2026 to address this problem having studied the current need and the population growth rate.
In 2007, the UK government issued a policy statement on “Building a Greener Future” which envisioned the construction of zero carbon homes from 2016. The approach to zero carbon homes is based on the following key points: high energy efficiency, direct heat connection or minimal carbon reduction onsite and offsite solutions for countering other emissions.
Birmingham City Council’s policy on housing regeneration and development finds its roots upon this reality. This calls for the development of housing plans that will ensure minimal environmental degradation.
Buildings, according to government surveys, are responsible for up to 50% of UK’s carbon emissions and energy consumption with homes currently accounting for 27%. From these figures, it is beyond doubt that homes contribute significantly to global climate change.
Energy consumption and carbon emission levels can significantly be reduced by making improvements to energy performance and utilisation in homes. This can also be reduced by installing efficient certified air conditioning systems in homes which should be regularly inspected to ensure they meet regulatory requirements.
Heating water in tanks is known to greatly increase the amount of energy used in homes. Water heaters installed in homes should be instant (tankless) heaters as opposed to traditional heaters which have tanks. In general, families need to have awareness of how to use energy efficiently and by installing equipments which have automated control systems.
During construction, design, and installation considerations must be taken into account. Only efficient models of heating equipments and energy consuming