CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
UK dwellings both old and new utilise a large amount of energy caused by heat loss.
Since 2008, the requirements for conservation of energy in new build domestic buildings in England and Wales have become ever more demanding and are now embedded into the Building Regulations of England, Wales and Ireland together with the Building Standards in Scotland.
Central Government's commitment to reducing carbon dioxide and using renewable energy resources initially led to the Code for Sustainable Homes, which until 2015 bench marked houses from a scale of 1-6, where Level 1 was a grade marginally above Building Regulations and Level 6 was a zero-carbon rated building.
As detailed above, elements of the code together with other requirements such as water consumption and access arrangements have now been included within the Building Regulations.
Since 2015, Local Authorities set the standard. Relating this new standard back to the previous 1-6 grading of the energy performance requirements, the Building Regulations set at a level equivalent to the former Code for Sustainable Homes at Level 4.
Some Clients want an assessment for their own purposes but most do it because it is a condition set out by the Local Authority as a result of the planning process and planning permission.
Our comments relate to new builds but it is possible to “upgrade” an existing structure especially as part of a refurbishment or extension work.
An environmental assessment for new dwellings is undertaken which covers nine categories of sustainable design being Energy and CO2 Emissions, Water, Materials, Surface Water Run Off, Waste, Pollution, Health and Well Being, Management and Ecology.
The Assessment can only be carried out by a trained and licensed assessor. Evaluation is undertaken at the design stage and then tested on completion.
For a small fee, through our network of Partnered Approved Inspectors we can provide Clients and Customers alike with the relevant certification and provide further advice.
The New Build Certification pack satisfies testing requirements of the Approved Documents F, G & L of the Building Regulations and includes
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Water Calculation
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Extractor Fan Testing
The fee paid normally includes a preliminary meeting with you and a completion inspection once the works have been completed. It also includes some limited consultancy but site conditions or other complications can require substantial further input which is not included, for instance, if the build is complex or an ecologist’s, a renewable energy consultants or a water engineer's report is required.
