Ecohomes Assessments

What is an Ecohomes assessment?

Ecohomes is a environmental performance rating for new, converted or renovated homes. The ratings are "Pass", "Good", "Very Good" and "Excellent". Ecohomes is increasingly being used as benchmark for new housing by local authority and funding bodies who may require a "Very Good" or "Excellent" standard to be met before giving a project the go-ahead.

Who usually commissions an Ecohomes Assessment?

Our main clients are housing developers, builders and housing associations.

How will my development benefit from having an Ecohomes assessment?

An Ecohomes assessment will examine all aspects of the environmental impact of a development in advance of construction. Ecohomes is an increasingly recognised standard of ecological performance and is a potential selling point as residents will benefit from reduced energy bills.

What are the criteria used to assess housing?

Detailed designs for new housing are assessed on:

• Energy – used by the house and the embodied energy used in construction
• Transport – proximity to public transport
• Pollution – caused by the house
• Materials – toxicity and carbon emissions of the house
• Water – used by the house and its ability to recycle water
• Ecology – effect on the proposed site's natural ecology and the effect of development
• Health – the ability of the building to contribute to the health of its occupants
• Management – of the building once lived in

Who can carry out an Ecohomes Assessment?

Our Ecohomes assessor and architect Paul Barham is licensed by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to assess homes and provide advice on improving the environmental performance of developments. You can email Paul Barham or telephone him on 0141 551 8383.

What does an Ecohomes Assessment cost?

An Ecohomes assessment normally costs between £1,000 to £5,000. The assessor can also give advice on how to improve environmental performance and this should be charged on a time-basis.

How long does an Ecohomes assessment take?

The assessment should take three days, provided all the information required is to hand.

What information do you need from me to carry out an assessment?

You will need scale plans, elevations, specification details and Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) calculations.

The Ecohomes Pre-Assessment Estimator from the BRE can be used to understand the issues covered by an Ecohomes rating and to see the level of information required by an assessor.

A more detailed look at Ecohomes and its future in Scotland by Paul Barham.