Amendments to Building Regulations 2022 – Building Services Summary

With heat and powering of UK buildings making up approximately 40% of the UK’s total energy use, the amended Building Regulations that passed parliament in December 2021 are a significant step to UK’s commitment to reduce carbon emissions. They also provide a step to the proposed 2025 ‘Future Homes and Buildings Standard’ which aims for future homes to be net zero ready and without the need for retrofitting. These regulations are being implemented in June 2022.

The new Approved Documents to support the new regulations are over 400 pages of technical guidance which can be found here.

Below is a summary of key building services topics.

Part F – Ventilation

The guidance for building ventilation has undergone a significant update and is very welcome. Over the last two years, once it was established that COVID-19 could be passed on by aerosols, we have seen a raised significance of adequate and proper ventilation within buildings.

These apply to residential and non-residential buildings including works to existing dwellings.

Part F1 - Residential Buildings

For new builds mechanical extract is required. There is a requirement for purge ventilation (e.g., opening windows, boosted fan speed). All existing homes will be required to have trickle ventilators when windows are replaced. The requirements detailed in F1 complement the requirements in Part O – Overheating.

Part F2 - Non-Domestic Buildings

These buildings must have the means of monitoring indoor air quality, such as carbon dioxide monitors, to reduce risks of aerosol transmission of infections. There is also the requirement in certain scenarios to provide purge ventilation.

Part L – Conservation of fuel and power

The new regulations will reduce carbon emissions by around 30% for new homes and around 27% for other buildings.

There are new minimum standards for building fabric and fixed building services for all types of buildings, apart from those that are exempt (e.g. listed buildings).

Single approved guidance for residential and non-residential buildings have been produced, as detailed below. There are no longer supplementary guides to back these up.

Part L1 - Residential/Domestic Buildings

There are new SAP standards for residential buildings with new primary energy factors based on yearly averages.

Part L2 - Non-Domestic Buildings

There are new SBEM/DSM standards for non-residential buildings with new primary energy factors and CO2 emissions factors based on yearly averages except electricity which have monthly figures.

Part O – Overheating

Part O will, for the first time, require an explicit assessment of overheating risk in new residential buildings, including dwellings, flats and buildings where people sleep such as care homes or student halls of residence. Commercial areas of a building that could be converted to residential use can also be covered. The over-heating assessment will use either a simple method (using limits on windows/glazing and purge ventilation requirements) or a simulation using CIBSE TM59.

Part S – Infrastructure for charging electric vehicles

Previously this requirement was typically covered by local planning authorities or client requirement but has now been included within the scope of Building Regulations.

The new regulation covers residential, non-residential and mixed-use buildings including new, major renovation and material changes of use.

For residential buildings, the typical requirement for a building is to have a parking space with access to one vehicle charge point per dwelling. Where there are less parking spaces than dwellings, all the parking spaces should have access to a vehicle charge point. Where there are more parking spaces than dwellings, the associated parking spaces should have cable routes.

For non-residential buildings the typical requirement for a building with more than 10 parking spaces is to have one electric vehicle charge point plus one in five parking spaces, must be provided with cable routes (20% of parking spaces plus 1 vehicle charging point).

Vehicle charge points should have a minimum rated output of 7kW.

There are cost caps for providing vehicle charge points and cable routes.

If you would like to find out more about these changes or need any assistance to upgrade your estate, please contact Diana Hawkins – dianahawkins@pickeverard.co.uk for assistance.