Energist - Part L Compliance Experts - Blog

THIS WEEK, TENS of thousands of professionals from the European building industry attended the EcoBuild exhibition at Earl’s Court to gain an insight into the latest developments in building materials, renewable technologies, heating systems and building legislation.

So what did the Energist team uncover in among the thousand plus exhibitors and scores of seminars?

“EcoBuild was launched 5 years ago, and the attendance was 950 visitors in the first year.  This week, the 2010 EcoBuild had over 55,000 visitors, with 25% more exhibition space than 2009.  This surely demonstrates the size of the green and sustainable market – which gives us a glimpse of a no doubt challenging but also exciting future” Sarah Fenwick, MD, Energist UK

-          There was a heavy ethos on PassivHaus among developers and accreditors. This is despite there only being a handful of live projects currently on the go in the UK. PassivHaus is used more widely in Europe as an alternative way of gauging energy efficiency in buildings, with the emphasis on air tightness and insulation to keep heating costs to an absolute minimum. If you would like more information on PassivHaus developments, call us for more information.

-          Mechanical Ventilation systems – which channel warm air from wet rooms, filter it and recirculate around the rest of the house – have come on leaps and bounds in the past couple of years. Again, the benefit here is a more constant internal temperature and higher air tightness; although there are murmurs that developers are not convinced that these systems are being used correctly by the people who live in the houses, causing the dwelling to be less efficient.

-          Plenty of building materials and insulations on show from polystyrene blocks to walls made of hay and hemp. This can be a confusing juggling act for those responsible for sourcing materials for building… is it cost effective? Does it have a good conductivity? Are the materials sustainable? Do they degrade over time? Can it be damaged easily? How will it effect the SAP and SBEM calculations? We’d recommend putting plenty of research into new construction methods if you haven’t used them before to make sure they’re appropriate for your site.

-          There are plenty of bodies out there eyeing up the future of Building Regulations in the UK. Short term, the SAP Calculation is going to get tighter (starting with a 25% emission cut from October) with the ambition that all new build dwellings are carbon neutral by 2016, and all commercial buildings by 2019. And then the longer-term plan is to turn our attention to the existing housing stock to see how we can cut our emission rates even further.

What thoughts did you come away with from this year’s Ecobuild? We’d love to hear them!

Remember that Energist can help with Air Tightness Testing, SAP and SBEM Calculations; Code for Sustainable Homes, Energy Statements, PassivHaus, Sunlight Feasibility Reports, BREEAM, Commercial Energy Performance Certificates, Display Energy Certificates, the list goes on…. Call us on 08458 386 387 to find out how we can help you meet your Part L sustainability needs.

Warning - Arithmetic required!

Since September, it has been illegal to manufacture or import light bulbs of 100W or greater – this is part of the Government phase out to reduce our carbon emissions through more efficient lighting by 2012.

I’m sure we’ve all seen various campaigns about how energy-saving bulbs save us money, but just how much? There’s a simple test to find out, but you’ll need a calculator,  a pen and some paper!

-          Write a list of the wattages of tungsten and halogen bulbs in your home (if you don’t know the wattage, let’s assume 60 for normal bulbs, 50 for downlighters)

-          Alongside this, write how many hours a day you are using each one on average (bearing in mind you’ll use them less in the summer)

-          Multiply each wattage by the hours used, and add the results together

-     Multiply that figure by 0.365 – this gives you the total wattage you use per year

-          Multiply this figure by 0.12 (or, if you know how much you pay per unit of electricity, use that figure instead – for example: if you pay 10p per kWh, multiply by 0.10 instead)

-          This tells you how much you are currently spending on lighting every year (in pounds)

-          Divide this figure by 5.5. This tells you how much your lighting would cost you every year if you converted to energy savers.

You can typically buy energy savers for less than £2 a piece, so is it worth changing them now?

 For all new homes in England and Wales, a number of internal light fittings (based on floor area and total light fittings) should not be able to take tungsten or halogen bulbs. In Scotland, this figure is 50% regardless.

Energist’s assessment team will calculate this figure for you as part of our Guaranteed Pass service on all new build SAPs – helping you to meet all aspects of Part L or Section 6.

Give us a call on 08458 386 387 to find out more.

As part of government efforts to reduce total UK carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by at least 60% on 1990 levels by 2050 and by at least 26% by 2020, the majority of urban councils now require an energy statement to supplement planning applications for large houses and developments, regardless of whether the construction project is new build or conversion, domestic or commercial development.

Why use Energist for your Energy Statement?

- No costly resubmissions - our reports are Local Authority accepted!
- You can be confident you are getting the right advice from our team of fully qualified accredited expert assessors!
- We save you time by liaising with Building Control on your behalf!
- No long wait with our 7 day turnaround on reports!
- 5 * customer service - no hassle, no stress, guaranteed!

Call Energist on 08458 386 387 to discuss your project or visit our website www.energistuk.co.uk

Energist’s latest customer newsletter contains valuable information about changes coming up in October 2010 to Building Regulations. There is also a feature on Energy Statements which will be of special interest to anyone building in London and affected by the London Plan.

To read the newsletter, visit our website http://www.energistuk.co.uk/form/newsletter-registration

And for help or advice or a quotation for your latest project call Energist on 08458 386 387

Did you know that with an Energist Air Test you get an immediate on site result - so there’s no wasting time or waiting around for your results!Call 08458 386 387 today for an instant quotation.

PLUS each day one lucky person who requests a quote will receive our chocolate of the month! Check out this month’s favourite at www.energistuk.co.uk.