"You can run, but you can't hide" - Meeting the Challenge of the New Building Regulations

"You can run, but you can't hide"

"You can run, but you can't hide"

That was the essential message given to a recent meeting of Regional Managing Directors from some of the UK's largest volume house-builders by speakers from the Zero Carbon Hub, NHBC and Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), recently. With UK gas reserves forecast to run out around 2039, and electricity brownouts' anticipated from as soon as 2015, this is no time for the construction industry to be complacent about design, building standards or past achievements, they were told..

Energy Efficiency Upgraded

From October this year, on-going changes to the Building Regulations will require greatly improved energy efficiency standards for ALL new residential accommodation. Believe it or not that includes static caravans, home extensions and extensive renovations, as well as new build houses, bungalows and flats.

Improvements Required

In Wales the Assembly Government are looking for a 55% improvement over the current (2006) regulatory requirements by 2013. England is looking for some 44%, with Scotland and Northern Ireland considering variations. But none of these authorities know exactly how UK house-builders will achieve this. Nor do the home builders themselves.

Building Fabric & Renewable Energy

The Welsh spokesman suggested that around 35% to 37% of these increased requirements are anticipated to come from improvements in the building fabric envelope, i.e. foundations and ground floors, external walls, fenestration and roof coverings. But that still leaves up to between 9% (in England) and 20% (in Wales), depending on where you are building, to be achieved by other means. In some areas a large chunk of this may be able to come from on-site renewables.

Solar Hot Water & PV

Principle among these are solar water heating and solar PV that's photo-voltaic electricity which uses the sun to power the generation. But regional on-going studies being carried out by the Zero Carbon Hub indicate that only the South West is showing anything like a good performance for this. In the Midlands this seems mixed and the Border regions are regarded as poor'.

Further Measures

This still leaves a big hole in the levels of achievement required. Ground Source and Air Source Heat Pumps, Bio-fuels, and even gas from bio-digester sewage treatment are just some of the things being considered on the generation side. Efforts to reduce energy consumption, like the use of LED lighting, while being applauded, may in themselves make little difference. More R&D is therefore urgently required.

Unintended Consequences

This includes the need to consider possible unintended consequences, like increased dampness and mould growth. One such area is the possible need for longer drying out periods in highly airtight masonry built houses. Another is the need for further (capital and operating) cost /benefit studies in the use of Mechanical Heat Recovery Ventilation systems It appears that these are required at levels as high as 5 air changes per hour in wet' masonry builds, but that this could drop to 3 air changes per hour or less in dry build' structures like timber frame.

Experienced Advice Required

Most of the volume house builders present pointed out that WAG's consultants' advice - that the required improvements will cost only around an additional 9% of build cost - was far too low. Consequently representation is being made that the house-building industry are better placed to consult on such measures.

On-Line Help At Hand

Fortunately New Home Builders, Extenders and Renovators are able to get help and advice from some component and systems manufacturers, like nationally acknowledged timber frame specialists, the Benfield Advanced Timber Technology Group. Recognising the link between the use of timber frame and the need for ecologically & environmentally sustainable development as long ago as 2000, they now have a considerable lead over most other firms in the sector. They now offer a range of different fabric building envelopes together with appropriate renewable solutions, depending on the size and location of any property development. Help and advice can be obtained on-line (www.BenfieldATTgroup.co.uk) or by calling 01291 437 050.

"You can run, but you can't hide" - Meeting the Challenge of the New Building Regulations

By: Prof. Dr Michael Benfield

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