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2021-04-07
news

Elmhurst issues draft response to Future Buildings Standard consultation

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In January 2021, The Ministry of Housing Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) released the long awaited Future Buildings Standard consultation with proposals to improve the energy efficiency and ventilation standards of work in new and existing non-domestic buildings. Elmhurst has spent time analysing the proposals put forward and has now issued its draft response to this consultation.

You can read Elmhurst’s draft consultation response here.

 

The Future Building Standard consultation is considered to be the second stage of the government’s 2-part consultation on proposed changes to Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part F (ventilation) of the Building Regulations. It builds on the previously released Future Homes Standard consultation (which looked at an uplift in the energy efficiency of new homes), by setting out energy and ventilation standards for non-domestic buildings as well as existing homes and also includes proposals to mitigate against overheating in residential buildings.

The key messages and draft response provided within this article only consider the non-domestic parts of this consultation.

Key Messages from Elmhurst’s response

  1. We support the government’s preferred option to uplift the energy efficiency standards for non-domestic buildings in the Building Regulations. This calls for a 27% reduction in carbon emissions on average per building, as part of an interim uplift in 2021. We also advocate for a whole building approach to be used in pursuit of this uplift and to also utilise the National Calculation Methodology in providing a full energy assessment of a building
  2. Elmhurst believes that an additional step change should be included in 2023, in between the 2021 Interim uplift to Part L and the 2025 Future Buildings Standard. This will allow us to discover and review whether the changes implemented in 2021 are being met and that the technology is present and being utilised to ensure a smooth transition to the 2025 standards.
  3. Future proofing buildings is sensible but unintended consequences should be considered.
  4. With the movement towards ongoing new technologies as a solution to the complex non-domestic building stock, we must ensure SBEM is able to account for them with regular reviews and updates.
  5. All building regulations Part L2 checks (BRUKL reports) should be completed by accredited, qualified and competent Non-Domestic Energy Assessors.

Next Steps

The government has indicated that the results of the consultation will appear in legislation in December 2021 for adoption in the summer of 2022. We have already received some great feedback from members following our Future Buildings Standard course and we ofcourse welcome any further thoughts you may have.

In order to continue to be open, honest and, vitally independent; we will post our full and final response in advance of the consultation deadline (13th April 2021). We hope that likeminded individuals and businesses respond accordingly.

To read the consultation, click here.

To read Elmhurst’s draft consultation response, click here.

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2021-04-07
news