Energist - Part L Compliance Experts - Blog

Over the coming weeks we’ll be examining the upcoming changes to SAP and SBEM in more detail, which will hopefully give you a bit of a head start when these tougher regulations kick in come October 1^st.

This week we’re travelling north of the border, and looking at the changes which are going to be imposed on Scotland when the new Section 6 goes live – this will also be on October 1^st in line with the new SAP methodology and the new Part L.

The biggest change to Section 6 is the Target Emission Rate which is being tightened. Overall, the emission rate is being lowered by 25%, but this percentage will vary depending on the type of dwelling being built (so some houses will need a 30% reduction compared to current figures, some will only need 20%, but the national average will be 25%). This is known as the ‘Aggregate Method’ for calculating the Target Emission Rate and is being used by the new SBEM method in England and Wales.

Air Leakage Testing is another big change – but this isn’t coming into play just yet. Air tests are now commonplace at new developments in England and Wales; they are currently voluntary in Scotland. From May 2011, air tests will become compulsory for small dwellings, followed by all dwellings in October 2011 – around 5% of new houses will need to be tested.

Limiting U-Values are being reduced – walls will need to achieve an average U-Value of 0.25, ground floors will need to be 0.2, roofs 0.18 and glazing / rooflights 1.8 – these figures are lower than what is required in England and Wales.

To make things slightly more confusing, U-Values are different if you are planning a conversions project to create a new dwelling – the most noticeable change is a maximum U-Value of 1.6 for all windows, rooflights and external doors. Extension projects will fall under a third band of U-Values!

Thermal bridges are going to affect Scottish SAP Calculations more than ever before, assessors will need to look more closely at areas of a building where insulation overlaps. The Accredited Construction Scheme from the Energy Savings Trust gives more information about what building practices are required in order to comply with this section.

The minimum efficiency of heating systems is being increased – boilers running on mains gas, oil and LPG must be A-Rated for all new developments – oil combi’s can be B-Rated.

When it comes to lighting, three quarters of all internal light bulbs must be low-energy, and 100% in communal areas, such as stairwells of flats.

As this list of highlights shows, the new Section 6 is going through some substantial changes in a bid to reduce carbon emissions in Scotland. To find out how Energist can help you with future developments, call our Customer Service team on 08458 386 387.

Firstly, I feel the need to offer huge ‘Congratulations’ to the brave team from Energist who completed a charity abseil last weekend.

MD Sarah Fenwick, sustainability expert Rosemary Bailey, Stuart Clark from the CSH team and Laura Pitcher from our Customer Service department managed to raise more than £1,100 for the Winston’s Wish charity – an organisation which helps bereaved children.

The abseil was down the face of the Eagle Tower in Cheltenham – the tallest tower block in the city stretching up fifteen storeys.

It’s not too late to donate! There’s always somebody in the Energist team looking to raise money for one charity or another. Keep in touch with us and we’ll let you know our upcoming fundraising events.

~~

Elsewhere in Cheltenham this week, Energist teamed up with solicitors, Rickerby’s, to offer a free training seminar covering BREEAM Communities and an update on the Government’s Carbon Reduction Commitment.

The morning was attended by a mix of fifty architects, surveyors, lawyers and people from across the construction industry, keen to find out more about how the new BREEAM scheme will effect the planning and development of future sites.

Attendees were also given an update on the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (previously known as the Carbon Reduction Commitment) which was launched in April, and is a plan to raise awareness in large organisations about energy saving measures and to encourage changes in behaviour and infrastructure.

In July, Energist will be hosting a training morning dedicated to the changes in Part L regulations, the effect this will have on SAP and SBEM calculations.

For more information about this and other training sessions which are available, contact our Customer Support team on 08458 386 387.

~~

The final story of the week looks at the Government announcement of a series of cuts which has instantly hit a number of grants for installation renewable technologies in the home.

The Department of Energy And Climate Change has had its budget cut as part of the coalition Government’s saving plans. It means that, with immediate effect, there are no grants available for installing heat pumps or solar panels.

Grants for using photovoltaic panels or wind turbines were scrapped under Labour, with a Feed-In Tariff introduced to replace it.

It’s thought this announcement will put a dent in the amount of renovation projects using renewable technologies, but it isn’t expected to have such an impact on new build developments, which are being forced to use more energy efficient means of fuel by building regulations.

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.

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