|
The benefits
of using an energy consultant
When the Part L building regulations
came into force in 2006, they turned the construction industry
on its head and made designing and building new homes a much
more complex process. And the regulations continue to change
as Government targets for reducing CO2 emissions become ever
tighter.
In the early days the Regulations
created a sense of uncertainty and confusion. Even now keeping
on top of the latest changes in the legislation can be challenging,
and that's where it's beneficial to seek expert advice.
Don Howard is Technical Director at Energist
UK (http://www.energistuk.co.uk),
specialists in Part L compliance. "There's a real need for
quick and reliable information. Customers need to know how the
regulations affect them and they want answers and practical solutions.
That's where the benefits of using an energy consultant, such
as Energist, come into play."
Energist specialise in all
aspects of Part L compliance. Their residential services include
SAP Calculations, Code for Sustainable Homes compliance, Air
Testing and Energy Statements for residential buildings, while
their Commercial services include BREEAM, Air Testing and Energy
Performance Certificates. More at http://www.energistuk.co.uk/residential/air-leakage-testing
Energist's Technical Director
regards his role as straightforward: "Our job is to provide
information and practical solutions and get our customers through
the Part L Regulations pass process as quickly and effectively
as possible. We make sure we keep abreast of changes in legislation
and our involvement with organisations such as NHER (Energist
is closely involved with the NHER Consultation Board on SAP
2010) means that our customers can be confident that the advice
we give is always up to date and will help them achieve their
required certification. "
In Howard's opinion it is essential
that the right specialists are brought into a development at
the right time, as this ensures that all the necessary information
is available and can be built into the planning process. "Fully
thought-out consultation at the design stage is a necessary requisite
for a fully compliant building. Leaving it too late can mean
that a building falls short of the required level of certification.
For example, on a recent Code for Sustainable Homes project,
we were only brought in at a very late stage and it became apparent
at the Review that the project was not going to meet Code Level
3. However, with our help the customer is now hoping to achieve
level 2. For the best possible Code Level we would always recommend
involving our Assessors at the earliest possible stage, ideally
at planning."
Energist can be contacted at:
Energist House, Kemble Enterprise
Park, Kemble, Gloucestershire GL7 6BQ
t: 08458 386 387 (8.30am-5.30pm weekdays) f: 08456 432 232
|