With Part L of the Building Regulations set to change in October 2010, housebuilders will be forced to make buildings greener as the government continues its drive to improve the energy efficiency of new and refurbished homes. Steve Skeldon from Wavin discusses the best options for reducing CO₂ to comply with new building regulations.
While housebuilders have a few months to prepare for the impending Part L regulations, ensuring compliance costs don’t escalate will be key. The government must act to reduce carbon emissions. However, it should do so in sensible stages to avoid unreasonable burdens on the housebuilding industry.

A recent survey by international multi-disciplinary consultancy hurleypalmerflatt highlighted this with 68 per cent of respondents believing compliance with Part L will significantly increase costs. The survey went on to reveal that less than half the companies questioned would be fully compliant by October 1, according to 80 per cent of respondents.

“While Part L will undoubtedly result in major changes to the way buildings are designed, constructed and operated, such a burden could be lessened through the specification of cost effective and energy efficient products,” Steve Skeldon insists. “This is good news for the house building industry as it seeks new ways to achieve the required 25 per cent improvement in the energy efficiency of each new home, in compliance with proposed changes.”

The energy efficiency of any new build is measured by its Dwelling Emission Rate (DER) and a Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is used to make the necessary calculations to determine the target emission rate needed to achieve compliance with Part L.

Consideration should therefore be given to what comparable improvements a product can deliver in a property’s DER.

“We are all aware of government’s intentions under the Decent Homes programme which has already led to great improvements to the energy efficiency of social sector homes. This scheme also highlights the importance of the SAP procedure; the decent homes scheme will help towards improving homes under the procedure and help families out of fuel poverty as a result.

“As well as reviewing products which deliver against compliance, social housing developers in particular require energy efficient products that deliver results, are simple to install, and have no costly maintenance issues, to ease the pressure on housing associations or ALMOs which are usually responsible for the running costs and upkeep of the properties. Also we urge housebuilders to consider whether the chosen energy efficient products can work effectively throughout the year in any climate. For example, photo-voltaics are only at their most effective during the summer months.

Wavin has a strong heritage of providing regulatory compliant solutions and Part L is no exception. The company has recently launched Showersave which works by reclaiming the heat from water used for showering. This system is capable of recouping 300 kg - 1,000 kg CO₂ per year. This equates to up to a 40 per cent reduction in total water-heating outlay.

“In order to meet the needs of clients we realised it was essential to work with an independent expert in the renewable energies field to develop a product which can deliver reduced DER ratings of around 8 per cent under the SAP assessment guidelines,” Steve continues.

“SAP assessments are crucial to housebuilders when specifying suitable renewable technologies as they measure the efficiency of a property at the initial design stage and recommend the appropriate carbon reduction solutions in Appendix Q.

“We feel that, relative to other technologies, this new proposition, in terms of the cost per percentage point improvement on a home’s DER, is difficult to beat. While it is recognised that, although certain methods of renewable energy or energy conservation have recorded excellent DER reduction levels, this product will stand out against its competitors for its simple installation, low maintenance and the fact that it can be utilised all-year-round.”

Independent expert in renewable energies and SAP assessor, Jon Walker, who worked on the project, said: “I’ve assessed a variety of house types and I would advise clients to make this product their first choice before considering other compatible technologies such as solar or flue gas heat recovery.”

He concludes: “So while the new regulations may be daunting, they are a necessary evil in terms of future-proofing homes. However the good news is that by selecting innovative products with proven energy saving results, the lead up to the new Part L regs may not be as burdensome as first expected.”