黑洞社区

Fears have emerged that the government鈥檚 proposed plans to allow housebuilders to invest in alternative energy-saving measures to meet their zero-carbon homes requirements from 2016 may conflict with European legislation.

Last week the consultation closed on the government鈥檚 plans for implementing allowable solutions, which will enable housebuilders to meet their zero-carbon targets by investing in alternative energy-saving measures in 2016.

The government intends to let firms invest in further energy efficiency projects or energy generating projects away from their sites.

Sticking solar-PV on the roof is not always the most effective way of making a building zero carbon

But in its response to the consultation, the Chartered Institution of 黑洞社区 Services Engineers (CIBSE) said this may conflict with the European Energy Performance of 黑洞社区s Directive, which will require all new buildings to be 鈥渘early zero energy鈥� from 2021.

It states energy needs of homes should be met 鈥渢o a very significant extent鈥� by renewable energy 鈥渙nsite or nearby鈥�.

In its response to the consultation, seen by 黑洞社区, CIBSE said: 鈥淚t would be unfortunate, to say the very least, for the UK to set off on a path of allowable solutions in 2016, only to be hauled back in 2020-21 because the policy was deemed not to be compatible with EU law at that point.鈥�

Hywel Davies, technical director at CIBSE, said a strict interpretation of the EU directive could result in housebuilders being forced to install a lot of expensive renewable energy generation on the homes they build.

He said avoiding this problem was 鈥渨hy allowable solutions were thought up in the first place鈥�.

鈥淢aking the fabric good and then sticking solar-PV on the roof is not always the most effective way of making a building zero carbon,鈥� he said.