Anthony Ottway is the founder and MD of GL. For over 20 years GL has supplied lighting and electrical products to housebuilders and now delivers on all-electric sustainable solutions.
The housebuilding industry is having to adjust to some of its biggest challenges in decades due to the recent changes to building regulations. Part L, Part O and Part S are completely altering the building landscape and it is a challenge all developers are having to navigate, with so many permutations and different ideas to grasp.
So where does the industry start with all this change? One thing is certain, the future for new homes is a carbon zero one. This started with the gradual reduction of CO2 emissions by 31 per cent in 2022, increasing to a 75 per cent reduction in 2025 – quite a substantial jump in three years.
Part L came into effect on 15th June 2022 and gas boilers will no longer be installed from 2025. As every developer has numerous house variations, they are looking for suppliers to provide the right products which are fit for purpose to meet the regulations.
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h so many products coming onto the market making it difficult for developers to know exactly what is required, suppliers need to adapt and collaborate to fully grasp what their clients need, not just what they think they need.
From a supplier’s perspective, it has been interesting to see how quickly developers are embracing these changes and, so far, it’s very positive with housebuilders taking a wholly proactive approach. Yet, that is not to say it’s one size fits all. Air source heat pumps and shower save schemes all have their place, but from GL’s perspective, a carbon zero future starts with battery and power storage.
So, how can the house building sector be looking at a carbon zero future without power storage in new homes, especially when more reliance will be placed on electricity for heating once gas boilers are no longer installed? Making homes less reliant on the national grid by installing solar PV significantly reduces CO2 emissions – but installing solar PV is just the first part. It’s a positive step forward yet power generated by solar has its limitations as it can only be used in daylight hours which, in the UK, often fall short of the peak usage hours.
This is a huge waste for the homeowner and surely goes against what the sector is trying to achieve. With the addition of battery storage however, excess solar power can be stored and used on demand or, with the addition of an overnight tariff, so too can excess power from the grid. This is a win-win situation for the homeowner who is not only generating and storing the power they produce, but also helping to prevent wastage on a much larger scale.
Many developers are already ahead of the curve and conversations around solar, hybrid inverters and battery storage are becoming more commonplace. Looking back only 50 years, in 1970 just a third of UK homes had central heating, but fast forward 20 years to 1990 and this had rocketed to 80 per cent. Today, a total of 95 per cent of UK homes are centrally heated, with the vast majority relying on gas or oil-fired boilers.
Again, as housebuilders look to make changes and adaptations, this is where suppliers need to ensure they are making clear all the available options. Where energy storage is concerned, housebuilders will be looking to install enough to reach SAP targets. For small homes for example, suppliers can support this by supplying a 3.6kW inverter with 2kWh battery storage; a ‘starter system’ where homeowners can expand the amount of storage in the future if they wish. However, it’s not always clear cut so working in collaboration with developers is more important than ever.
Suppliers also need to consider having both an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and a sustainable strategy in place to support the housebuilder in achieving Scope 3 emissions.
The majority of developers also understand that becoming more energy efficient goes beyond just adhering to government regulations; they also need to think how best to attract buyers. With the current energy crisis never far from the headlines, both homeowners and, crucially potential buyers are becoming savvier to energy efficiency and ratings. According to a recent survey by Savills, 71 per cent of homebuyers regard EPC ratings as important in their decision making.
The price cap rise may accelerate the demand for electric-only properties sooner than 2025 as homeowners look to free themselves from dual fuel costs.
These potential buyers will also be questioning the resaleability of their new house if it has gas central heating – who will want it after them? These future resale values as well as reduced energy bills are becoming huge factors for them and so developers who aren’t on board could find themselves left behind.
Add to this the threat of power outages in the future and this is another reason battery storage will become more important in the home.
Installing solar should no longer be a tick box exercise to achieve Part L – the emphasis needs to shift to a battery first mindset and suppliers need to be on hand to support housebuilders in making this a reality.