IES Blog

Part L 2010

Posted : May 7, 2010 by Kaye, Category: Building Regulations, Uncategorized

Unsurprisingly one of the hot topic’s at last week’s CIBSE Conference was the upcoming Part L 2010 Building Regulations. We are lucky enough to have a unique insight into the practical implications of the forthcoming changes. This is due to our working closely with AECOM to inform our software development.

It’s important to really get to grips with the key changes proposed. Building magazine’s Dyfrig Hughes gives more detail here, but here’s an overview of what to expect:

 



















After carrying out some 2010 Part L pre-assessments looking at representative building types (such as offices, schools, and hospitals) using our VE-DSM tool, we identified 5 key design implications:

1. Beating the Notional Building will be a tough challenge needing a focused and clear compliance strategy.

2. If an electric system is specified as the fuel source this will only tend to compete with the 2010 Notional Building target in highly insulated buildings. Otherwise fuel types with lower carbon intensities will have to be considered.

3. There’s less scope for the conventional ‘rescue measures’ without recourse to Renewable technologies. 2010 Part L will encourage better lower carbon intensive buildings as a fundamental pre-requisite to new building design.

4. Buildings such as Commercial Offices will require significant improvements in lighting efficiency with increased use of daylight and therefore more use of dimming and/or new lamp technologies.

5. Naturally ventilated schools although less heavily affected by % CO2 reductions than some air conditioned buildings will not pass as easily with Biomass boilers without other additional energy saving measures.

The question is how will these changes affect building design?

Reducing CO2 by an average of 25% will be a significant challenge for the Construction Industry. Designers will need to target energy savings in all areas to meet the much more stringent Notional Building Standards.

Compliance will still be possible without the need to install renewable energy sources however it will need a combined effort by all member of the Design Team to assess and reduce energy and carbon to the required levels.

There will be greater use of DSM to maximise calculation accuracy and opportunities for passing 2010 Part L.

CIBSE members will uniquely be able to take a lead in the process by helping Architects and others to understand how to approach compliance on a building wide basis, by calculating where saving are needed.

The improved benchmark for specific fan power will impact on plant spaces and ductwork risers such that additional space might be needed in the footprint of new buildings.

Here’s an easy to read summary presentation pulled together by one of our Consultants Tracy Keegan, click here to download the PDF…

Our consultants are already working on providing ball-park testing results against the upcoming Part L 2010 regulations, if you are interested in this service, you can contact one of our consultants at consulting@iesve.com.
Our developers here are working really hard to get the software ready in time for the regulations to come into force in October, we will also be offering training and accreditation schemes to help get you ready for this. If you are interested in keeping up-to-date with releases and information regarding Part L 2010 then please contact PartL@iesve.com and we can get you signed up!

Tags:CIBSE, Part L, PartL 2010