Amendments to UK Building Regulations

October 2010 Amendments

The latest revisions to Part L Building Regulations, which are due to come into force in England and Wales in October, will set a new mandatory requirement for window energy performance within the Window Energy Ratings (WERs) Scheme. Forward thinking investment in product development and testing over the past few years has put us – and our customers - one step ahead of this major update of energy efficiency regulations. We have taken all the necessary steps to ensure that all our products comply to these new more stringent regulations.

With only the following exceptions:

Stricter requirements

Window Energy Ratings (WERs) have been the main way of demonstrating Part L compliance since the last revision to the regulations in 2006, and they have proved popular with consumers who recognize the A to G energy labels from the white goods they buy for their home. The introduction of Part L 2010 will see the minimum requirement for a Window Energy Rating rise from an ‘E’ rating to a minimum ‘C’ rating. This, however, is widely expected to increase to a mandatory ‘A’ rating in 2016 as the construction industry moves ever closer to the end goal of zero carbon buildings.

The new regulations will also remove what in the industry has become to be through of as the ‘get out of jail card’ that has made it possible for manufacturers to comply to the 2006 regulations by simply supplying a window that has a glass centre pane value of 1.2 W/m²K. Under the new regulations this is likely to be allowed only in exceptional circumstances, for example where the choice of frame is restricted, such as in conservation areas. It should be noted that there are two main routes to compliance for the new Part L legislation, WERs and the ‘U’ Value, both of which have been revised in these latest regulations.

Cost effective certification

These changes certainly mark an important advance for the window industry and it’s not surprising that many view them as a challenge. However, while we appreciate there are concerns, we believe this is an ideal opportunity to bring some clarity to window performance and to drive up standards across the board. That’s why at Duration Windows we are doing all we can to help our customers meet these new stringent regulations with practical, cost effective support.

We first introduced our 'A' rated aluminium window back in April of last year, well before the new mandatory requirements were confirmed and now have schemes in place to fast track our customers to compliance. Having our own in-house BFRC certified simulator programs also means that we can save the time and cost of outsourcing simulations.

Competitive advantage

Duration Windows is already reaping the benefits of being BFRC registered and now you can too. Our pioneering ‘A’ rated windows from the Beaufort Range already more than exceed Part L 2010 requirements using only a double glazed unit. And whilst an ‘A’ rating is easily achievable, the system’s flexibility also offers a range of B and C rated windows, providing a cost effective and fully compliant option ahead of the new building regulations.

Driving up standards

Part L 2010 will introduce robust energy performance requirements across all building components and reflects the growing trend towards more sustainable building. Aluminium already scores highly on green credentials, being a fully recyclable material and having a long life cycle, new standards in thermal efficiency, durability and security. We continue to work in partnership with other leading systems companies to try to push the boundaries of window energy performance through the latest warm edge spacer technology and by groundbreaking low emissivity glazing.