Achieving the 2025 future homes energy and carbon standard for England using AAC masonry

In 2019, the Government for England published a consultation document on the changes to energy conservation and ventilation in homes for 2025, with an interim change effective from 2022. The 2025 proposed target was issued as the “Future Homes Standard.” The Standard is aiming to produce highly efficient non‐domestic buildings which use low‐carbon heat and have the best fabric standards possible. Buildings built to the Future Buildings Standard will be zero carbon ready, with the ability to decarbonize over time alongside the national grid without any further energy efficiency retrofit work. The target for 2025 is effectively some 80% improvement in energy and carbon compared to the 2013 regulation. Midland Heart Housing Association decided to trial the various options available in the Future Homes Standard under a project called “Project 80.” This comprises an initial development of 12 family homes, constructed with a mix of AAC and aggregate concrete masonry. The first residents moved into their homes in 2022 and have gone through training to understand how the technologies will work in their homes. The homes model how to do this in three different ways, using different technologies. The constructions using AAC are given in this paper, with the technical details of the build.