Iain Butler recently featured in an interview with Construction News, discussing the changes to the Future Homes Standard. This will require all new build homes to have low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency, demanding innovation in the construction industry.

New standards need new ideas

From 2025, the Future Homes Standard will require new-build homes to have low-carbon heating and conform to demanding levels of energy efficiency. The goal of this mandate is to achieve a 75 - 80 percent reduction in carbon emissions compared to current Building Regulations. Local planning authorities are also expected to impose stricter environmental performance standards on new buildings. Additionally, reducing embodied carbon through material reuse is a growing concern. 

In order to meet these requirements, developers and their supply chains must adopt innovative approaches, such as improving heating systems and using low-carbon technologies. However, innovation can be costly and time-consuming, involving research and development (R&D) with uncertain outcomes. The government is providing support for R&D work through tax credits, but companies must prove that the funds were genuinely spent on R&D.

Read the full insight

Published by Construction News here.

The article covers:

• What the mandate will mean for new build homes come 2025

• Growing concerns regarding embodied carbon and material reuse in construction 

• The demand for innovation among developers and supply chains 

• Government support through R&D tax credits

• Traditional best practices vs required new demands

'R&D is something companies need to be thinking about, even if it's not right on their agenda at this moment.'

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