Technical newsletters about emerging issues & our latest research

GLA Toughens Carbon and Energy Efficiency Policies

Posted on May 31st 2022

The GLA have made carbon & energy efficiency requirements significantly more onerous. The requirements from 15/06/22 will require building design improvements over the tougher Part L 2021 baseline. The GLA states that their full requirements will be provided on the same day enforcement begins.  We have followed up with the GLA, and development teams should consider that: Requirements are applicable …

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Indoor Air Quality Monitoring for the Public Services Industry

Posted on May 31st 2022

Indoor Air Quality monitoring is a potential solution to the COVID-related staffing crisis plaguing the public services industry. COVID transmission risk is particularly high in public spaces such as pubs, cafés and restaurants. This can be improved by changing occupant behaviour and increasing natural ventilation. However, implementing these solutions may impact the occupant experience and reduce trade. Through the use …

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Lock in BREEAM Fees Before They Rise

Posted on May 31st 2022

The BRE have announced an increase in BREEAM fees for all projects registered on or after 1st July 2022. This will affect all aspects of the BREEAM process including registration, certification and fast track certification, as set out below. BREEAM UK New Construction and UK Non-Domestic Refurbishment and Fit Out: The fee for an assessment registration is increasing from £265 to £300. …

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Registering a Heat Network to the PCDB

Posted on May 31st 2022

Registering efficient heat networks onto the BRE administered Product Characteristics Database (PCDB) will help prevent operators from being overly penalised in Part L 2021. Entering validated heat network performance data into the PCDB enables energy assessments to be more robust. A well-designed heat network can achieve a distribution loss factor (DLF) of 1.2 compared to the default values in SAP …

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