Jun 13 2006
BRE in collaboration with the Housing Corporation has launched EcoHomes XB today, Friday 9 June 2006.
EcoHomes XB is a sophisticated yet simple tool designed specifically to assist landlords such as housing associations and local authorities in planning, and measuring the benefit of improvement works to their housing stock and aiding the overall environmental performance.
Due to the variety of existing property types, there is an equally wide scope of potential for improvement. However, there are a limited number of measures that can realistically be adopted.
BRE has worked very closely with the Housing Corporation to ensure that EcoHomes XB is as user-friendly as possible, as it is organised around a list of practical, adoptable measures. EcoHomes XB adapts the BREEAM/EcoHomes methodologies and criteria to the constraints of the existing stock. Topics covered by EcoHomes XB are: management policies, energy, transport, pollution, water, health and waste.
David Strong, MD of BRE Environment comments: ‘Reducing the environmental impact of the existing housing stock is a vitally important issue. BRE has worked closely with the Housing Corporation to develop EcoHomes XB - an environmental assessment tool for existing managed housing stock. We are delighted to have been able to assist the Housing Corporation by developing EcoHomes XB, a valuable addition to our family of environmental assessment tools.’
EcoHomes XB has taken just over 2 years to complete. Its development has involved consultation with a representative range of stakeholders and mainstream bodies, including housing associations, local authorities, EcoHomes assessors, and other interested parties.
The scheme has been piloted twice, and a number of housing associations and local authorities have participated. The assessment is designed for both local authorities and housing associations, who between them represent over 4 million homes emitting an estimated 27.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.
Jon Rouse, Chief Executive of the Housing Corporation, said: "The Housing Corporation is committed to increasing sustainability across the whole housing sector. Making BRE's EcoHomes Very Good standard a new build requirement across our multibillion-pound national investment programme has already put down a marker for the construction industry.
"Now EcoHomes XB extends this challenge to all social landlords. Although currently a voluntary measure, EcoHomes XB has the potential to support environmental improvements across all four million existing homes owned and managed by housing associations and local authorities.
"Designed to be easy to use, not only is this a cost-effective way for social landlords to celebrate their achievements, it can also bring genuine cost-savings to residents."
Ecohomes XB is a complete tool for housing associations and local authorities to judge their own environmental performance of their management structure and their existing housing stock, highlighting properties that are in need of attention. The tool is easy to use as it draws on existing data already to hand within housing associations and local authorities and other readily accessible information.
Assessments under Ecohomes XB are for the guidance of social landlords: and are not currently mandatory requirements for housing associations. Assessments will assist in highlighting areas of the stock which require attention and will facilitate the choice of work to be undertaken for the most benefit and practicality.