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Wales aims for the greenest building regulations |
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11 Jul 2010, 8:31 PM
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It seems that when Wales gains control of its own devolved Building Regulations, the energy efficiency and carbon cutting targets will be stricter than those operating across the rest of the UK. As the first step on the path to zero carbon the Assembly Government has set a 55% improvement (over the 2006 Building Regulations) as the target for the first changes to devolved Building Regulations. It aims to bring forward detailed proposals for consultation during 2012 with a view to implementation in 2013.
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A statement released recently by the Assembly said that renewable energy is expected play a part in meeting new standards although in the short term this will mainly be on a domestic scale. The target reflects the need to find a balance between an ambitious agenda on climate change and setting standards that did not make the cost of new building prohibitively expensive with the risk of stalling the housing market and losing the social value of new housing. Building Regulations powers transfer to Wales on 31 December 2011.
With transfer of Building Regulations established there will be a need to provide industry with a clear indication of what should be expected for the first changes and the trajectory on to zero carbon. The task in setting a target for the first changes has therefore been to find the most environmentally progressive balance between reducing energy demand and maintaining a healthy housing market attractive to construction companies and developers
On the basis of the analysis undertaken, which considered a range of options from current standards to a 70% improvement (against the Building Regulations 2006 baseline), Welsh Ministers have concluded that a reduction in carbon (CO2 equivalent) emissions of 55% compared to 2006 achieves that balance and will be the goal for the first changes, which we expect to be take effect from 2013.
In seeking to achieve a balance Welsh ministers have considered a number of key issues which will influence and be influenced by the proposed changes:
Firstly, the nature of the industry with many companies operating in both Wales and England. In England the previous UK Government had set targets of 44% and 70% reductions in carbon dioxide (equivalent) emissions (against 2006 Building Regulations) for new housing to be introduced in 2013 and 2016 respectively. Secondly, the state of the housing market, its impact on house building activity and factors affecting the recovery, the limited potential impact in the short term of higher standards on property values and the consequential impacts on land values and planning gains
The work of the UK Government, the UK Zero Carbon Hub, in particular in relation to fabric efficiency standards and primary energy use, and discussions through the Wales Low Zero Carbon Hub has informed thinking which builds on national planning policy set out in Planning Policy Wales. This currently sets an expectation of a 31% improvement against the 2006 baseline for housing developments of 5 or more dwellings (with all dwellings from 1st September 2010). The 55% represents a further improvement of 24% against that policy.
For a typical private sector semi-detached house served by mains gas the additional construction costs (2010 prices) of achieving a 55% improvement are estimated at 9% of costs excluding site works. Weekly fuel bills for heating, lighting and hot water are estimated to be £7.50. Whilst the % improvement is quoted against the 2006 baseline, for reasons of comparability, additional costs have been estimated against a base of the recent 2010 25% improvement to the Building Regulations for England and Wales.
The primary objective will be to reduce demand through passive measures i.e. an efficient fabric before consideration is given to renewable generation. It also takes account of current concerns over air tightness and indoor air quality and thus setting standards at a level capable of being delivered by natural ventilation.
The introduction of Feed in Tariffs has introduced incentives for the provision of renewable energy generation as part of the solution to meeting higher new housing standards. The income stream payable for the life of the technology could help offset the additional costs and/or help developers distinguish their products from the secondhand market. In simple payback terms the costs of PV are estimated to be recovered through the tariff received and reduced electricity consumption from the grid within 10 years. Whilst site layout and orientation will determine what is practical the 55% target has been based a conservative assumption of photovoltaic provision (e.g.1.25Kwh/yr peak for a semi detached house)
Experience of building performance, occupant behaviour and comfort gained from the current social housing (RSL) pilot programme aimed at code levels 4 and 5 and a number of Passivhaus demonstration houses will inform the development of standards for 2012 and beyond. Early indications from the RSL pilots are that costs of achieving code 4 (a 44 % improvement on 2006 Part L) over current Welsh planning policy are of the order of 3-4% and that levels of airtightness are regularly exceeding expectations.
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