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Peter Bonfield, chief executive of the Building Research Establishment, is helping industry meet the government’s zero-carbon goal for 2016. George Coupe reports

There are few challenges more demanding than the Olympics — for the competitors and those who stage them.

Dr Peter Bonfield has experience of both. As a former racing cyclist he coached the ladies triathlon team for Athens and is now a member of the Olympic Delivery Authorityfor London 2012, responsible for procurement and sustainability on construction projects.

But he is not worried about 2012. ‘We are making really good progress there,’ he said. He is more concerned about another deadline in 2016.

Five months ago Bonfield, 43, was appointed chief executive of the Building Research Establishment (BRE) which is providing the technical backing and research for the government’s Code for Sustainable Homes, launched in April. The code demands that all new houses built in the UK by 2016 should satisfy the new ‘zero-carbon’ standard. This means the energy requirement for heating, lighting and operating all electrical appliances inside a home is small enough to be compensated for by renewable power generation. Tall orders do not come more Olympian than that.

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