Upcoming Changes to Part L
Phil Brown, European regulatory marketing manager at Pilkington Group, Sheds some light on the upcoming changes to Part L.
The government’s CLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) announced the consultation proposals for amending Part L of the Building Regulations for England and Wales in 2010 in June this year. The CLG has a well-publicised timeline for improving the requirements of Part L in stages up to 2016. New homes will require CO2 reductions of 25% by 2010, 44% by 2013 and 100% (zero carbon) by 2016. Existing homes will also need to improve their energy-efficiency levels over time, with the government having a legal obligation to reduce CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050.
But what does this mean for installers and the glazing industry? The energy efficiency requirements for new homes are based on the total energy performance of the whole building. As new homes will need to be considerably more energy efficient from 2010, this mean higher performance windows will be required.
The way in which windows are evaluated in the context of Part L 2010 fully considers the positive energy benefits of glazing taking into account the U-value, solar heat gain (g-value) and daylight transmission characteristics of windows, This mean freedom from the traditional fixation with simple U-values – and the full benefits of larger areas of glazing will be recognised. As a result, installers should see Part L 2010 as an opportunity to market higher performance energy-efficient glazing to housebuilders that exceeds current Part L 2010 targets and provides the highest levels of energy-efficiency in low or zero carbon homes, such as products from the Pilkington energiKare range. High performance glazed units like these optimise the balance between U-values and g-values to maximise energy efficiency, and offer a solution to meeting and exceeding Part L 2010 regulations.
For existing dwellings and replacement windows in homes, Window Energy Ratings (WERs) were a main way of demonstrating compliance to Building Regulations in 2006, with an ‘E’ rating being required in replacement windows and ‘D’ in extensions. These regulations have been drastically changed and levels will be increased in 2010 (a ‘C’ rating for both), anticipating a move towards an ‘A’ rating requirement in 2016. In 2010, it’s likely there will be no standard for whole U-values for windows. Centre pane U-values, a poor indicator of total windows energy-efficiency, are likely to be an allowable demonstration of compliance only in very exceptional circumstances, where choice of frame design is severely restricted, in a listed property for example.
Since the British Fenestration Ratings Council (BFRC) launched the windows Energy Rating Scheme in 2004, WERs have been recognised as the energy-efficient windows measure of choice in a number of other Government-supported initiatives. The scheme simplifies the specification of windows to enable the concept of energy-efficient glazing to be understood by both the trade and consumers. Those that are rated C or above are also eligible for accreditation under the Energy Saving Trust’s Energy Saving Recommended Scheme, although this is expected to change when Part L 2010 is implemented.. The Scheme’s symbol has become a marker for consumers to identify which products, from washing machines to fridges, will save energy and money off their fuel bills.
The energiKare family, which Pilkington introduced in 2009, is a range of energy efficient glazing for all property types. As well as energiKare Classic which offers a rating of ‘C’, the range also comprises of Triple which can exceed an ‘A’ rating; enrgiKare Plus, which can achieve a WER rating of ‘A’ or ‘B’; and Legacy – ideal for improving the energy efficiency of older buildings without changing the look of them. From new homes to traditional building, the range has been designed to help the industry meet and exceed the proposed changes to building regulations for England, Scotland and Wales in 2010 and beyond.
The implementation dates of October for Part L 2010 is fast approaching. Installers have a major role to play when advising their customers on these changes and how energy-efficient glazing can help housebuilders and homeowners improve the energy-efficient of their homes. In tough conditions, it is all about increasing the value of the offering to your customers and supplying energy rated products that meet and exceed Part L 2010 is one to do this.
Source: Clearview North (Issue 103) January 2010
