The Code for Sustainable Homes is a national standard for the sustainable design and construction of new build housing. Its aim is for every new home to be zero carbon rated by 2016

A Code for Sustainable Homes assessment is now required for the majority of new build housing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is usually required to satisfy funding or Local Authority sustainability policies.

The code introduces minimum standards for energy and water efficiency based on a simple system of awarded credits. Part of this policy introduces the requirement for all new homes to be zero carbon from 2016.**

**Source of information: Code for Sustainable Homes 2006 Zero carbon hub 2016 timeline available at www.zerocarbonhub.org

At Polypipe we have focused our development resources on providing piping solutions to enable the utilisation of building techonologies aimed at the reduction of CO2 emissions and redirection of energy usage - Carbon Efficient Solutions and the effective management of water - Water Management Solutions. Both are key categories in achieveing the necessary standards under the Code.

Polypipe Water Management Solutions

We are Surface water management and reduced water consumption are just two of the nine areas addressed by the Code, nevertheless they are two of the most critical.

Polypipe provides bespoke, cost effective solutions to help enable code compliance

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1. Re-use - Single dwelling Polypipe Rainstream water re-use systems provide an effective and economical alternative to mains water in a variety of applications around the home, cutting household consumption by as much as 50% and achieving level 5-6 in WAT 1 of the Code for Sustainable Homes at a stroke.

2. Re-use - Multiple dwelling In larger developments, such as social housing projects, individual dwellings can be linked to a single Rainstream tank in a manifold supply arrangement, providing for the non-potable water needs of multiple households and reducing overall installation costs.

3. Re-use and combined attenuation Water re-use systems can play their own part in wider SUDS schemes, reducing flood level risk during storms by capturing run-off from paved areas. Where rainfall regularly exceeds the capacity of a Rainstream tank, it can be linked to a cellular SUDS product to form an integrated attenuation system.

4. Adoptable attenuation and soft SUDS systems Providing a bespoke, fully accessible, below ground solution allowing the land above to be utilised. Ridgistorm-XL when linked with Storm-X4 advanced filtration system improves the quality of surface water entering the receiving water course aiding compliance with the Water Framework Directive.

Polypipe Carbon Efficient Solutions

"The decision that new homes must be low energy/zero carbon from 2016 is very challenging. These homes will not simply be the homes we build today with extra insulation. A low energy/zero carbon home is a complex combination of systems and products which must perform as specified".*

The move towards low energy, zero carbon homes and buildings calls for the adoption of new building technology at an unprecedented pace and scale. Complex combinations of systems and products, such as heat pumps, heat recovery and geothermal technology, require careful planning if they are to perform as specified.*

Polypipe provides plastic piping systems that enable the effective installation and performance of these sustainable building technologies to meet the global challenge of collection, transmission, control and emission of energy.

*Carbon Compliance for Tomorrow's New Homes - July 2010