VIEWPOINT
Challenges With Document L By Wojciech Brozyna – MD of Aluprof UK Net Zero Carbon Homes by 2050, a step too far? Well it certainly is a challenge for the Construction Industry and home improvement, but it is possible to achieve? Let’s first look at some of today’s facts: 27% of our carbon emissions in the UK comes from heating our buildings, with 18% coming from our domestic building stock. 80% of our homes that will be needed in 2050 have already been built and
we are still building homes today that are not in line with net zero. So what do we have to do? Currently our homes range from 90 to 170 kWh/m2 energy usage per year, in 2050 we need to have our homes between 40 to 60 kWh/m2 per year. We will achieve this by taking a whole building approach, increasing thermal insulation whilst reducing air permeability and cold
30 WINDOW NEWS | JANUARY 2022
bridging. Obviously we will need to stop using fossil fuels such as gas as soon as practicable and move to heat pumps as the most accessible technology at the moment. Currently over 85% of homes in the UK have gas boilers. A gradual phase out of gas boilers and an increase in heat pump installations will allow the gradual increases required in the electricity grid, which continues to be decarbonised to use more renewable energy. To achieve our net zero target, our well insulated homes will require less zero carbon energy to run and it is only then when we can claim a ‘Net Zero Carbon’ balance for our building stock. As for windows and doors, it is anticipated that these should achieve 0.8 W/m2.K by 2025. Couple these lower values with increased insu-
