New Regulations Mean Buildings Will Produce 1/3 Less Carbon

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• New Regulations Mean Buildings Will Produce 1/3 Less Carbon

05 January 2022

New homes and buildings in England will have to produce significantly less CO2 under new rules.

Under the new regulations, CO2 emissions from new build homes must be around 30 per cent lower than current standards and emissions from other new buildings, including offices and shops, must be reduced by 27 per cent.

Heating a Significant Issue

Heating and powering buildings currently makes up 40 per cent of the UK’s total energy use, therefore installing low carbon technology, such as solar panels and heat pumps, and using materials in a more energy-efficient way to keep in heat will help cut emissions

This will also lower the cost of energy bills.

All new residential buildings, including homes, care homes, student accommodation and children’s homes, must also be designed to reduce overheating, making sure they are fit for the future and protect the most vulnerable people.

Improvements to ventilation will also be introduced to support the safety of residents in newly-built homes and to prevent the spread of airborne viruses in new non-residential buildings.

New Uplift to Building Regulations

Alongside amendments to the Building Regulations, the government has also published 5 new Approved Documents:

• Approved Document L, volume 1: dwellings
• Approved Document L, volume 2: buildings other than dwellings
• Approved Document F, volume 1: dwellings
• Approved Document F, volume 2: buildings other than dwellings
• Approved Document O covering overheating

New regulations come into force on 15 June 2022.

Hwyel Davies, Technical Director at Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) praised the revision to Building Regulations in England.

“It is encouraging that for the 2021 uplift, DHLUC adopted the most ambitious option within those in the consultation. CIBSE welcome new requirements for energy performance modelling and overheating risk assessments, which should help deliver better building performance outcomes.

“We are also pleased to see the renewed commitment that the Future Homes / Buildings standard will ensure new buildings do not need retrofit for net-zero. We look forward to working with DHLUC on this, and on the next uplifts for works to existing buildings, since retrofitting our existing stock is essential to deliver net-zero as well as healthy and comfortable buildings.”

Picture: an aerial photograph of some residential properties 

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 05 January 2022

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