Assessing feasibility Modelling cannot possibly reproduce all the opportunities and challenges which arise on each individual

development site. Instead, it is necessary to develop a standard benchmark which can be used as a proxy for feasibility. Heat generation (for space and water heating) is currently the most significant use of regulated energy in the home. Various technologies are available to provide low and zero carbon (LZC) heat. However, as the Carbon Compliance limit is tightened it becomes increasingly difficult to achieve simply through LZC heat generation. LZC electricity generation may also be needed, for which there is a smaller range of options. In practice, the mainstream technology currently usable for a wide variety of individual dwelling types and locations is photovoltaic (PV) panels, which are usually installed on the roof and convert light to electricity. Other options, such as wind turbines and CHP, are onlyappropriate i n some situations and their use should not therefore be the basis for setting a national regulatory limit. The Task Group has agreed, therefore, that feasibility should be assessed by reference to the amount of PV required, taking this as a proxy for all LZC electricity generation technologies. If the area of roof-mounted solar technologies required, of which PV is one, exceeds a certain proportion of ground floor area, it indicates that specific solar design features such as orientation or roof type and pitch may also be required, and other features such as dormer windows or vernacular design may become impractical. This is contrary to the Task Group s general view that the Carbon Compliance standard should not be achieved at the expense of good placemaking or by requiring house designs that look out of place. The Task Group considers that a requirement for roof-mounted solar technologies equivalent to 40% of ground floor area is the appropriate reference point for feasibility. If the area required exceeds this amount, other measures may be necessary which are not feasible or desirable in every case. The majority of participants at the Have Your Say events who commented on this issue agreed that this was an appropriate reference point. PV is used in this model simply as a proxy for feasibility. It does not assume that all sites are the same, nor does it imply reliance on PV. Developers would be free to choose any other approach which achieves the same performance and the Task Group would expect a broad range of technologies to be employed. Dwelling types A number of different dwelling types have been modelled, as illustrated below. They were selected as being generally representative of the range of new dwellings being built. The dimensions of the dwellings modelled are the same as in the Zero Carbon Hub s earlier report on the Fabric Energy Efficiency Standard20. A range of other dwellings of different types and sizes was modelled in order to test the sensitivity of the core assumptions, including the dwelling types. It would not have been feasible to undertake equally extensive modelling of technical options and compliance limits for every one of these dwellings. However, the sensitivity analysis shows that, in each case, there is a suitable proxy for performance within the range of core types that were modell ed