Episode four: Beyond policy and compliance: Delivering net zero homes in practice
As the UK housebuilding industry prepares for the Future Homes Standard and the 2027 Solar Mandate, the focus is shifting from policy ambition to practical delivery. The challenge now is ensuring new homes perform as designed, reduce carbon across their lifecycle, and are ready for the net zero future.
In this episode of Shaping a Greener Tomorrow, host and UPOWA Managing Director Paul Terry is joined by Chris Gaze, Associate at the Future Homes Hub. Together, they explore how the industry can move beyond policy and compliance to deliver net zero homes in practice, and the role of collaboration between developers, policymakers, and technology partners in making that transition a reality.
From implementing new regulations to addressing whole-home performance and embodied carbon, this conversation offers a practical perspective on the opportunities and challenges facing housebuilders as the sector moves toward a low-carbon future.
Key topics include:
The Future Homes Hub – Its mission, roadmap, and role in supporting housebuilders and the wider supply chain through the transition to the Future Homes Standard.
Future Homes Standard & the Solar Mandate – What these landmark policies mean for developers, installers, and suppliers as the industry prepares for 2027.
Scaling net zero delivery – Moving from policy ambition to practical implementation, and overcoming challenges around cost, skills, supply chain capacity, and quality assurance.
Whole-home performance – Ensuring new homes perform as designed through integrated design, energy systems, and smarter technology integration.
Embodied and whole-life carbon – Why lifecycle carbon matters and how innovation in materials, construction methods, and energy systems can reduce impact across a home’s lifespan.
Collaboration and innovation – How developers, policymakers, and clean technology partners like UPOWA can work together to accelerate the delivery of future-ready homes at scale.
Guest: Chris Gaze, Associate, Future Homes Hub
Resources & mentions:
Future Homes Hub
Future Homes Standard
UPOWA
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