Sustainable by Design
We Are
Element Sustainability comprises qualified and talented environmental consultants with many years of collective experience. A dedicated team with a professional and personal concern for the environment we are committed to delivering a personable, professional service backed by in-depth technical knowledge throughout the development cycle – from planning, design, construction and beyond.
We Aim
At Element Sustainability, we seek to limit the impact of our collective actions upon the environment. We promote sustainable development practices, both throughout your project and in our own operations. Our fundamental aim is to ensure that we all benefit from an enhanced built environment and secure a sustainable future for everyone.
We Do
We meet these objectives by providing a broad range of technical services that enable us to measure sustainability performance, and by giving helpful, straightforward advice and guidance. Our job is to decipher technical issues on your behalf and to determine financially viable and technically feasible solutions to meet your sustainability and compliance targets.
We Work
We work hard to maintain our qualifications and accreditations and to keep up to date with industry developments so that we always provide accurate and relevant advice. Through everything we do, we aspire to improve understanding of sustainability issues within the construction industry in a helpful and proactive way.
News and Debate
Bridging Today and Tomorrow: The Transition to the Future Homes Standard
Following a recent clarification meeting the Home Builders Federation, has now confirmed the timeline for the implementation of the Future Homes Standard (FHS), with full enforcement of the new regulations set to begin in January 2028. The timeline is understood to be as follows: At Element Sustainability, we see this transition as a positive and pragmatic step forward. It gives our clients time to align their projects with the new standards while ensuring regulatory certainty in the interim. Our team will be working with both SAP 10.3 and the Home Energy Model and is well positioned to guide developers through the upcoming changes. If you need tailored advice on how the Future Homes Standard could affect your upcoming projects, please
Future Homes & SAP 10.3
On the 14th of May 2025, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) announced that both SAP 10 and the Home Energy Model (HEM) could be used in England to assess compliance with the upcoming Future Homes Standard. To ensure a consistent and reliable outcome in support of future residential developments and meet the Government’s targets for house building a new version of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) will be developed. SAP 10.3 aims to secure a smoother transition to the Future Homes Standard and allow time for the new Home Energy Model to be fully completed before it is used to calculate compliance with the Future Homes Standard. It is expected that SAP 10.3 will contain:
Two Paths, One Goal: Transitioning to the Future Homes Standard
The UK Government has confirmed that both the current SAP 10.3 and the new Home Energy Model (HEM) will be used to demonstrate compliance with the Future Homes Standard, set to be introduced in 2025. This dual-methodology approach provides a transitional period where both systems will be valid for assessing the energy performance of new homes. The move is designed to give developers and energy professionals time to adapt to the more advanced Home Energy Model, which is expected to eventually replace SAP. SAP will be updated to include a new notional specification and carbon factors to establish the revised FHS compliance targets. The HEM introduces a more dynamic and data-rich method of modelling energy use, reflecting modern innovations such
Tarvin Litter Pick
Today the team at Element Sustainability enjoyed the sunshine with a walk around Tarvin. We are lucky to have our office and working facilities in this rural area of Cheshire and we think it’s important to look after this space as much as possible, so we decided to use our time out in the sun to undertake a litter pick of the surrounding area. Cooper and Stanley of course helped in collecting any bits of food that had found their way onto the street. Undertaking these activities as a team help to remind us of the importance of protecting the natural environment, which is one of the three pillars of sustainability that underpins all of our work that we do
BREEAM New Construction: Residential is Here!
Today (16th April 2025) the BRE have released BREEAM New Construction: Residential V.6.1 (UKNCR V6.1). UKNCR V6.1 will now supersede HQM V6 as the current BREEAM assessment for new homes in the UK. Should you have an active new construction residential project with Element Sustainability, this will remain on the HQM version it was registered with. The update focuses on delivering a greater recognition and credibility for domestic new construction through integrating with BREEAM and streamlining the certification process. The majority of issues have remained consistent with HQM V6 with some minor changes noted for evidence requirements and definitions. However, significant changes are noted to the following two issues. Issue 4.2 – Natural Light Previously referred to as daylighting in
Changes to BREEAM Fees
The BRE have announced that they will be increasing prices for their registration, QA and certification fees across a number of schemes from 1st May 2025. This increase will be approximately: The existing fees can be locked in with the current prices where your schemes are registered before 1st May 2025. So, the last date for registration with the current fees is the 30th April 2025. For more information as to how this may affect your BREEAM assessments please contact a member of the team who will be happy to discuss this further.
When to Contact Us
Early involvement in the development cycle allows us to advance your sustainability strategy and determine viable, deliverable solutions. Integrating sustainability criteria at the initial design stage is crucial in order to reduce costs, minimise the impact on the natural environment and realise your scheme’s potential.
The sooner you contact us the better! GET IN TOUCH TODAY
About Us
Established in 2011, Element Sustainability has enjoyed strong growth and has built a broad client list based on positive referrals. We have supported thousands of successful developments across the UK in achieving their sustainability and compliance targets.
Our core team is made up of experienced sustainability specialists including a number of licensed BREEAM Consultants, accredited energy assessors and site technicians.
Find out more about us on our Meet the Team page.
In addition to our core competencies, Element benefits from a number of strategic partnerships with skilled associates, enabling us to provide a reliable, turnkey sustainability package. For full details of our services, please visit our Consultancy pages.