Towards Zero Carbon Homes

Housebuilder Media’s Towards Zero Carbon conference provided a thorough overview of the issues affecting both developers and suppliers as they move towards the government’s 2016 target date for zero carbon housing.

Shona Dunn of Communities and Local Government offered an overview of the current policy position, whilst NHBC’s group head of technical, Neil Smith and Dave Mitchell of the Home Builders Federation, who chaired the conference, offered an industry perspective on the technical challenges facing housebuilders.

Other speakers included Design for Homes chief executive David Birkbeck, who offered some valuable insights on the low carbon housing scheme Hammarby Sjostad in Sweden, which has been held up by government as an exemplar sustainable community, along with Jeremy Leggett of Solar Century, who provided advice on the practical application of microrenewable technologies in housing.

Overall, the conference aimed to provide delegates - of both technical and non-technical backgrounds - with a strong understanding of the steps they would be required to take to meet the zero carbon agenda within their own companies, and the costs and challenges involved.