What is “Part L”?
The Building Regulations apply to building work in England & Wales and set standards for the design and construction of buildings to ensure the safety and health for people in or about those buildings.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) publishes guidance on meeting the requirements in what are known as “Approved Documents“. The guidance contained in each document relates only to the particular requirements of the regulations that the document addresses. The building work will also have to comply with the requirements of any other relevant paragraphs in Schedule 1 to the regulations.
The fourteen ‘parts’ of Schedule I to the Building Regulations are:
Part A Structure
Part B Fire safety
Part C Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture
Part D Toxic substances
Part E Resistance to the passage of sound
Part F Ventilation
Part G Hygiene
Part H Drainage and waste disposal
Part J Combustion appliances and fuel storage systems
Park K Protection from falling, collision and impact
Part L Conservation of fuel and power
Part M Access to and use of buildings
Part N Glazing - safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning
Part P Electrical safety
“Part L - Conservation of fuel and power”
Part L of the Building Regulations (in England and Wales) was introduced by government on 6 April 2006, and it concerns the implementation of energy efficiency measures.
These regulations raise the energy efficiency of new buildings by 40%, compared with the Part L 2002 requirements. They also improve compliance by introducing new energy performance requirements for building services within all new buildings. The time for the building industry to comply with the new regulations has been tightened, and the transitional arrangements have been cut from the expected maximum of three years to just 12 months. Therefore all new buildings without full building plans approved by 6 April 2006 by the local authority, must comply with the new Part L requirements from 6 April 2006.
The new Part L requirements are as follows:
“Reasonable provision shall be made for the conservation of fuel and power in buildings by:
a. limiting:
heat losses through the fabric of the building
excessive solar gains and
heat gains from pipes, ducts and vessels used for space heating, space cooling and hot water storage
b. providing energy efficient and properly commissioned fixed building services with effective controls
c. providing to the owner sufficient information about the building and its building services 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.”
The current version (and the previous 2005 interim version) of ‘Approved Document L: Conservation of fuel and power’ is split into four parts:
Approved Document L1A: Conservation of fuel and power (New dwellings) (2006 edition)
Approved Document L1B: Conservation of fuel and power (Existing dwellings) (2006 edition)
Approved Document L2A: Conservation of fuel and power (New buildings other than dwellings) (2006 edition)
For more information please telephone Philip Graham on 0151 691 1170 or email phil@paliltd.com
