11.  The focus of the design guide is on good design in the planning system, so it is primarily for:

• local authority planning officers, who prepare local planning policy and guidance and assess the quality of planning applications
• councillors, who make planning decisions
• applicants and their design teams, who prepare applications for planning permission
• people in local communities and their representatives.

138.  Well-designed places and buildings follow the energy hierarchy, starting with:

• reducing the need for energy
• energy efficiency (see below)
• maximising the potential for energy supply from decentralised, low carbon and renewable energy sources, including community-led initiatives
• and then, efficiently using fossil fuels from clean technologies.

139.  They maximise the contributions of natural resources such as sun, ground and wind, and include passive measures for light, temperature, ventilation and heat.

140.  They make use of renewable energy infrastructures, such as photovoltaic arrays, ground source heat pumps and district heating systems, to reduce demand for non sustainable energy sources. IT advances and app-based solutions allow users of well-designed places and homes to take ownership or management of these systems in order to use them most efficiently.

141.  Good developments minimise the cost of running buildings and are easy and affordable for occupants to use and manage.