Part L, Technical Handbook 6 and Part F
For the latest information on Part L 2022 and how its implementation will affect Wales click here.
In both England and Wales, Building Regulations for the conservation of fuel and power are covered by Part L and its accompanying Approved Documents. For Scotland, the regulations are supported by Technical Handbooks, Section 6 of which deals with energy. For Northern Ireland the regulations are in Part F, last updated in 2006. There is also a corresponding Part L for the Republic of Ireland.
Ahead of the introduction of the 2016 zero carbon homes target, the UK Government dropped its zero carbon buildings policy in England. However, it is committed to introducing its Future Homes Standard and Future Buildings Standard in 2025, complementing building regulations and intended to deliver a step change towards decarbonisation of buildings.
One of the most significant changes in building regulations in the past few years was the introduction of Window Energy Ratings (WERs) as an alternative to U values as a criterion for compliance. WERs are a much more accurate indicator of the energy performance of a window because they take a range of factors into account, including the useful solar heat gain. For existing homes in Scotland, WERs are now an established route to compliance for replacement windows and windows for extensions.
Window Energy Ratings are administered by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC), Thermal Rating Register (Certass) and the BSI. Detailed information on obtaining BFRC Ratings for windows can be found on: www.bfrc.org
www.thermalratingregister.org
www.bsigroup.com/en/ProductServices/energykitemark/WER/
Solutions to meet the requirements of building regulations include the Pilkington K Glass™ Range and Pilkington Optitherm™ S1 Plus low emissivity glass that can be combined with Pilkington Activ™ self-cleaning glass and Pilkington Optiphon™ to give a broad choice of thermal and other properties. For year-round comfort Pilkington Suncool™ is a range of solar control glass products that combine low emissivity glass, low U values with solar control with neutral appearance.
A recent innovation in energy efficiency is Pilkington energiKare™ Advantage which can provide triple glazing performance in a double glazing.
To view details of the full Pilkington range of Thermal Insulation glass to help you meet the regulations for conservation of fuel and power please click here.