Application of Innovative Materials, Products and Processes to Meet Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 Energy Performance (AIM C4)

Builders are constructing new homes that meet strict energy standards without adding expensive solar panels or heat pumps, using only better materials and smarter assembly. This matters because the UK’s Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 requires significant energy savings, but developers have typically met it by bolting on renewable technologies—driving up costs. The AIMC4 project aims to prove that a “fabric first” approach—improving insulation, airtightness, windows, and construction methods—can hit Level 4 energy performance at the same cost as building a lower-standard Level 3 home. That gap has been a barrier to volume housing delivery. If successful, the project could reshape how volume housebuilders design and assemble building envelopes. Supply chains would shift toward innovative products and systems that are simple to install and maintain. Homeowners would get energy-efficient houses that are easy to live in, without complex technology to manage. The construction industry would gain a replicable, cost-neutral route to higher energy standards—quietly reducing carbon emissions across thousands of new homes without relying on renewable add-ons.