Aluminium building systems manufacturer AluK has garnered opinion from across the industry as to whether the forthcoming building regulation changes go far enough. The manufacturer reached out to the contributors that took part in its original podcast last October, including Dale Pegler, AluK’s head of process and certification.
Now that more detail about the regulations have been published, Dave said: “The changes are broadly in line with what we were anticipating, albeit with a few surprising additional amends within the released document. However, AluK is already well on the way towards ensuring we have a full range of product options which comply with the regulations. We would perhaps have liked to see some mention of the assessment of embodied carbon in construction materials, because environmentally, this is just as significant as thermal performance – and of course, aluminium is a 100% recyclable material.”
Mark Taylor, technical director for architects Allies and Morrison, welcomed the lowering of U-values but thought that the changes could have gone further. He said: “The U-value of 1.2 represents only a small improvement on where we are now, but we can all see the direction of travel. At least there’s a bigger incentive now for architects to calculate the PSI value (which is heat loss per metre at the edge of the glass); that’s a more accurate reflection of the true performance of the window.”
By contrast, Gareth Allen, technical and training manager for Saint-Gobain Glass, felt that the pace of change was about right, in terms of moving towards the government’s target of a 30% reduction in carbon emissions from new homes. He said: “What came out of AluK’s podcast was an acknowledgement that some sectors will find it harder than others to comply even with this fairly conservative shift to 1.2 for new dwellings and 1.4 for existing. Saint-Gobain Glass is certainly committed to doing our part to support the whole industry on that journey, and we’ve already got products available which will help with compliance, and we’re seeing a return to normal stock levels.”
John Miles, from Assent Building Control, agreed that, given the fragility of the construction sector at the moment, the new regulation will deliver the right amount of progress at just about the right pace. He pointed out the relative lack of pushback from the industry, suggesting that many had actually expected the notional U-values to be lower. In practice, many architects are likely to specify U-values for windows which are lower than 1.2 if they are using SAP calculations to balance glazing with the overall efficiency of the building fabric, he said. This, John added, is likely to lead to more widespread use of triple glazing in new build.
John also warned that the transitional arrangements are not as generous as many people think. He said: “Only plans for projects which have already been approved are likely to come outside of the new rules. In reality, fabricators and installers will need to be making the changes now, ready for projects which start after 15 June.”
Kevin Jones, the Glass and Glazing Federation’s technical officer, confirmed that the federation is in contact with the relevant government department, giving feedback on the published document. Generally though, he remained confident that the industry will rise to the challenge.
AluK is has a dedicated Future Homes Standard web page, here. It is set to announce more detail about its series examining the changes to part L of the building regulations, next month.
