Building Regulations Part L to Help Reduce Carbon Emissions
Introduced in 2005 the new Building Regulations Part L has changed the scene as far as boilers are concerned. According to the new requirement, all boilers replaced or installed must be of high efficiency rating. This includes condensing and combination boilers which utilize a larger heat exchanger (or a secondary heat exchanger) to recoup some of the heat that would normally be released into the atmosphere with the exhaust gases. Since some of the energy can be reused, the boiler can generate the same amount of heat with less fuel.
The new requirements are much more demanding than previously in terms of the professional level of the system designer, the installer and the service engineer. The new systems are more integrated than old systems as all components are specifically designed to provide the right output (in terms of power) or demand the right input (such as in the case of heating controls). The engineer has to have good understanding in order to maximize the efficiency of the system.
Industry research calculated that since the introduction of part L of the building regulations, the savings of carbon emissions made by the UK domestic heating market have been substantial. Recently conducted research puts the amount of carbon emission reduction at around 2.4 million tonnes. The researchers further calculated that if the industry did not apply the new Part L requirements, and continued installing SEDBUK D rated boilers, the carbon emissions from domestic heating would have grown by over one million tonnes since 2005.
At present there is still plenty of room for improvement in terms of the amount of carbon generated and emitted by domestic heating in the UK. There are around four million old boilers still installed around the country which have significantly lower efficiency compared to modern A rated boilers. Installing a modern A rated boiler as a replacement, would reduce their respective carbon emissions by around 30%. A typical home in the UK generates around 5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year. Overall carbon emitted from domestic heating sources is responsible for around 16% of the total UK national CO2 emissions.
The government is attempting to encourage carbon reduction within the domestic heating market. It has introduced zero stamp duty on carbon neutral homes and requires all home sellers to produce a home information pack which includes a detailed energy performance certificate. However, the stamp duty waiver will not apply to the vast majority of the old housing stock which is where most of the carbon savings should be made. The shortcoming of the home information pack is that it only applies when the property is put for sale, and does not encourage improving the heating efficiency at other times.
There are several alternatives to adopt that can further reduce the carbon emission resulting from domestic heating within the UK. The most effective among them is the application of renewable energy technologies, such as solar water heating. If just 10% of the new homes that the government plans to build between now and 2020 adopt such technologies, it is estimated that around 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions would be cut on an annual basis.
The government applied a combination of carrots and sticks to force the domestic heating market to reduce its carbon emissions. The plumbing and heating industry is largely keeping up with the trend with many companies investing in training and professional development on renewable energy technologies to address any market need in those areas.
