m&e sustainability

Amendments to Part L of the Building Regulations (conservation of fuel and power) were published on the 15th March 2006 and came into force in England and Wales on the 6th April 2006. The revisions to Part L introduce new energy efficiency requirements and have been revised as part of the government’s drive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One important way of achieving this is by improving the energy efficiency of buildings.

The Building Regulations are made under the authority of the Building Act, which is rarely changed and defines both the scope of coverage of the Building Regulations and the legal framework for their implementation.

Part L of the Building Regulations has been divided into four sections and covers all buildings. Approved Document L1A covers new dwellings, while L1B focuses on work carried out in existing dwellings. Approved Documents L2A and L2B cover new and existing buildings other than dwellings respectively.

Existing Competent Person Schemes

The Part L Approved Documents cover the whole building design and construction process. This guidance focuses only on the new requirements for fixed electrical installation works (internal & external lighting, electrical heating systems and control systems) within the scope of the new Part L1A and L1B Approved Documents, and the implications for electrical contractors that carry out work in dwellings.

New fixed electrical installation work in dwellings should be carried out and notified by firms registered with a Competent Person Scheme, unless the work is inspected and certified by the local Building Control office. The existing Part P (electrical safety) Competent Person Schemes have been modified to include these new Part L requirements to enable registered firms to self-certify that their new electrical work within scope complies with the Building Regulations. Further information on Part P Competent Person Schemes can be found at www.partp.co.uk.

Fixed electrical installation work means any part of, or any controls associated with:
a) fixed internal or external lighting installations, but does not include emergency escape lighting or specialist process lighting; or
b) electric heating or electric hot water service.

Part L Requirement

The following section is quoted directly from the Regulations and Approved Documents. The Regulations under which the Approved Documents covering energy efficiency are issued read as follows:

L1 Reasonable provision shall be made for the conservation of fuel and power in buildings by:
a. limiting heat gains and losses
i. through thermal elements and other parts of the building fabric;
ii. from pipes, ducts and vessels used for space heating, space cooling and hot water storage;
b. providing and commissioning energy efficient fixed building services with effective controls; and
c. providing to the owner sufficient information about the building, the fixed building services and their maintenance so that the building can be operated and maintained in such a manner as to use no more fuel and power than is reasonable in the circumstances.

Part L1A – New Dwellings
This Part covers all new dwellings except for those buildings containing rooms for residential purposes such as nursing homes, student accommodation and similar are not considered as dwellings, these such buildings would be covered by Approved Document L2A for New Buildings other than Dwellings. The presence of a small flat, for a member of staff or an in house manager in a non-domestic building would not result in the whole building being treated as a dwelling.

The actual Approved Documents contain five main criteria to be considered, not all of which are relevant to fixed electrical services. The main changes that affect the fixed electrical services are detailed below.

Fixed Internal Lighting
A way of showing compliance would be to provide lighting fittings (including lamp, control gear and an appropriate housing, reflector, shade or diffuser or other device for controlling the output light) that only take lamps having a luminous efficacy greater than 40 lumens per circuit-watt.  Circuit-watts means the power consumed in lighting circuits by lamps and their associated control gear and power factor correction equipment.

Fluorescent and most compact fluorescent luminaires would meet this standard. Luminaires for GLS tungsten lamps, or tungsten halogen lamps would not.

Reasonable provision would be to install fixed energy efficient light fittings in the most frequented locations in the dwelling to a number not less than:

a. one per 25m² of dwelling floor area (excluding garages) or part thereof; or
b. one per four fixed light fittings.

A light fitting may contain one or more lamps. It is noted that installing mains-frequency fluorescent lighting in garages may cause dangers through stroboscopic interaction with vehicle engine parts or machine tools. High-frequency electronic ballasted fluorescent lamps substantially reduce this risk. The same applies to other areas such as workshops. Note, though, that garages will normally be excluded from the areas where energy efficient lighting can count towards the total since they are not heated!

Lighting fittings in less frequented areas like cupboards and other storage areas would not count. GIL20 gives guidance on identifying suitable locations (GIL20: Low energy domestic lighting, Energy Saving Trust, 2006).

Fixed External Lighting

Fixed external lighting means lighting fixed to an external surface of the dwelling supplied from the dwelling occupier’s electrical system. It excludes the lighting  in common areas in blocks of flats and other access-way lighting provided communally.

Reasonable provision would be to enable effective control and/or the use of efficient lamps such that:

a. Either: lamp capacity does not exceed 150W per light fitting and the lighting automatically switches off:
i. When there is enough daylight; and
ii. When it is not required at night
b. Or: the lighting fittings have sockets that can only be used with lamps having an efficacy greater than 40 lumens per circuit watt.

Compact fluorescent lamps would meet the standard in (b). GLS tungsten lamps with bayonet cap or Edison screw bases or tungsten halogen lamps would not.

The above is rather self-explanatory, though in fact not all compact fluorescent lamps give 40 lm/W. Note that, from April 2006, fixed external lighting will also come within the scope of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 with regard to light pollution as lighting is being included in factors which can be a “statutory nuisance”.

Electrical Space Heating and Hot Water Heaters

Guidance given in this section covers the following types of electrical heating installations, which may be used to provide primary or secondary space heating in dwellings:

* Electrical boilers for central heating systems
* Electrical panel heaters
* Electrical warm air heaters
* Electrical storage heaters
* Electrical fan, convector and radiant heaters
* Electrical underfloor heating systems

The following electrical hot water heaters systems covered are:

* Point of use electrically heated water heater systems
* Instantaneous electrically heated water heater systems
* Local electrically heated water heater systems
* Centralised electrically heated water heater systems

Reasonable provision for the performance of heating and hot water system(s) would be:

a. the use of an appliance with an efficiency not less than that recommended for its type in Domestic Heating Compliance Guide; and

b. the provision of controls that meet the minimum control requirements as given in the Domestic Heating Compliance Guide for the particular type of appliance and heat distribution system.

Commissioning of Heating and Hot Water Systems

The heating and hot water system(s) should be commissioned so that, on completion, the system(s) and their controls are left in the intended working order and can operate efficiently for the purposes of the conservation of fuel and power. In order to demonstrate that the heating and hot water systems have been adequately commissioned, Regulation 20C states that:

1. This regulation applies to building work in relation to which paragraph L1(b) of Schedule 1 imposes a requirement, but does not apply where the work consists only of work described in Schedule 2B.
2. Where this regulation applies, the person carrying out the work shall, for the purpose of ensuring compliance with paragraph L1(b) of Schedule 1, give to the local authority a notice confirming that the fixed building services have been commissioned in accordance with a procedure approved by the Secretary of State.
3. The notice shall be given to the local authority:
a. not later than the date on which the notice required by regulation 15(4) is required to be given; or
b. where that regulation does not apply, not more than 30 days after completion of the work.

Operating and Maintenance Instructions

In accordance with Requirement L1(c), the owner of the building should be provided with sufficient information about the building, the fixed building services and their maintenance requirements so that the building can be operated in such a manner as to use no more fuel and power than is reasonable in the circumstances.

A way of complying would be to provide a suitable set of operating and maintenance instructions aimed at achieving economy in the use of fuel and power in a way that householders can understand. The instructions should be directly related to the particular system(s) installed in the dwelling.

The aim is that this information will eventually form part of the Home Information Pack.
Anyone who sells their house in the future will have to produce a ‘Home Information Pack’ (HIP). This requirement is enacted in the 2005 Building Regulations. However, because of the amount of new ‘Home Inspectors’ needed, the Home Information Pack is unlikely to come into practice until 2007, although we understand that systems will be in place to allow voluntary HIPs from late 2006.

Checklists

Electronic versions of the compliance checklist can be downloaded from the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) website www.communities.gov.uk. 

Part L1B – Work within Existing Dwellings

This gives guidance relating to:

a. extensions;
b. when creating a new dwelling or part of a dwelling through a material change of use;
c. material alterations to existing dwellings;
d. the provision of a controlled fitting;
e. the provision or extension of a controlled service; and
f. the provision or renovation of a thermal element.

In most circumstances reasonable provision would be to limit the area of windows, roof windows and doors in extensions so that it does not exceed the sum of:

a. 25% of the floor area of the extension, plus
b. the area of any windows or doors which, as a result of the extension works, no longer exist or are no longer exposed.

In some cases different approaches may be adopted by agreement with the building control body in order to achieve a satisfactory level of daylighting. BS 8206-2 Code of Practice for Daylighting gives guidance on this.

Note that BS 8602-2 is overdue for revision. It is hoped that work will begin shortly.

Fixed Internal Lighting

The requirements come into effect when:

a. a dwelling is extended, or
b. a new dwelling is created from a material change of use, or
c. an existing lighting system is being replaced as part of re-wiring works.

The requirements are the same as for new dwellings.

For further information:

Part L - Tel: 01623 404515 or  www.partl.co.uk
Part P - Tel: 0870 609 6093 or  www.partp.co.uk 

Useful Websites

Department for Communities & Local Government www.communities.gov.uk  
Local Authority Building Control   www.labc.co.uk
The Carbon Trust     www.thecarbontrust.org.uk
Energy Technology List    www.eca.gov.uk/etl/
Buying Solutions     www.ogcbuyingsolutions.gov.uk
Environment Agency     www.environment-agency.gov.uk
NetRegs      www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs
Defra       www.defra.gov.uk