EcoHomes

EcoHomes is an environmental assessment method for new and refurbished homes.  It forms part of the Building Research Establishment?s Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) suite of tools. 

This flexible standard rewards positive steps to improve the environmental performance of housing in the UK.  It considers the broad environmental concerns of climate change, resource use and impact on wildlife.  It balances these against the need for a high-quality, safe and healthy internal environment.  The standard goes beyond requirements expected by current SDS and Building Regulations. 

EcoHomes addresses a range of environmental impacts.  These are grouped under the following issues:

Energy
Transport
Pollution
Materials
Water
Land use and ecology
Health and well-being

EcoHomes encourages a range of actions to improve environmental performance and attaches a score to each.  The scores form one of the four achievable ratings:
   
Pass   
Good   
Very good  
Excellent.  

For your EcoHomes guide for housing associations click here

For your EcoHomes general guide click here

A rating prediction checklist can provide a rough indication of how well a scheme may perform.  This could change when fully assessed. For an up to date prediction checklist click here or visit Sustainability Works.

All assessments have to be carried out by a qualified assessor under licence from the Building Research Establishment (BRE).  BRE carries out assessor training and quality assurance for assessments.  Any organisation can train its staff, through BRE, to become an EcoHomes assessor. 

For your guide to getting an assessment click here

Work is currently taking place to expand EcoHomes to look in more detail at existing stock and refurbishment.  The outcome of this work will be added here at the end of 2004. For more information, contact BRE on ecohomes@bre.co.uk, or 01923 664462 or visit http://products.bre.co.uk/breeam/ecohomes.html

Credit areas

To find out what is needed to tackle the EcoHomes issues select from the choices below:

Energy
Water
Materials
Waste
Health and well being

Costs

Currently there is little research into the cost of achieving EcoHomes on existing stock.  There is some cost research on EcoHomes and new build.  The table below shows the general costs involved with achieving each rating.