BRE to lead on development of SAP

The Building Research Establishment (BRE) has been appointed by the UK government to spearhead the development of the next iteration of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), the official methodology for assessing the energy performance of homes.

Part of the government's efforts to implement the Future Homes Standard in 2025, this initiative aims to ensure new homes are built with low-carbon heating and high energy efficiency.

Under contracts awarded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), BRE will lead the modernisation of SAP and the development of the Home Energy Model (HEM), a comprehensive overhaul designed to better accommodate modern technologies such as heat pumps, energy storage systems, and smart controls.

The updated methodology, informally referred to as SAP 11, will feature a modular architecture and higher time resolution, enabling it to model energy performance for every half-hour of the year. This enhancement will provide a more accurate representation of smart technologies and energy storage.

"The introduction of the Home Energy Model is a significant milestone on the road to achieving net zero across the UK’s housing stock," said Gillian Charlesworth, Chief Executive of BRE. "As uptake of green technologies increases, an effective assessment methodology which accounts for these changes will be imperative as the Government looks to secure buy-in from homeowners, housebuilders, and the retrofit industry on the net zero transition and achieve its targets in this area."

The government plans to release the Home Energy Model as open-source software, increasing transparency and facilitating its adoption and adaptation by industry stakeholders and researchers. The updated SAP and HEM are expected to be implemented alongside the Future Homes Standard in 2025, providing the construction industry with the necessary tools to meet the new energy efficiency requirements.