BSEE
Boris has ‘once in generation’ chance to transform buildings
T
he new government team led by Boris Johnson has an unprecedented opportunity to dramatically shift policy on the built environment and deliver higher standards of safety, sustainability and social justice, according to the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).
It’s urging the new administration to back up rhetoric around climate change with robust legislation; to enshrine the recommendations of the Hackitt Review to improve fire safety in buildings; and tackle the scourge of late payment that is undermining thousands of SME and driving many into insolvency.
It said the current lack of detail behind its commitment to a net zero carbon economy by 2050 could be addressed if government worked closely with specialist sectors like the building engineering industry. It also said the issue of overheating in buildings was
becoming increasingly urgent and should be addressed alongside plans for reducing carbon.
“SMEs are under greater financial pressure than ever, which is making it increasingly difficult for them to invest in the technology and processes, and to recruit and train the skilled workforce needed, that will be crucial to the government’s zero carbon vision,” said BESA chief executive, David Frise. “The collapse of Britain’s oldest construction firm, the 430-year-old Durtnell & Sons, shows the depth of the problem engulfing the sector with retentions and late payment taking a heavy toll on the firms most needed to deliver many of the low carbon solutions needed to meet the government’s target,” he added. BESA believes the new Prime Minister should throw his weight behind the Aldous Bill, which is already before Parliament and could protect retention money owed to SMEs. In addition, by
ntroducing energy efficiency measures into buildings brings benefits and savings, namely the reduction in energy bills and carbon emissions resulting from e.g. better insulation, windows, or a more efficient gas boiler. The poor installation of such measures can, however, give rise to serious unintended
I
ensuring wider adoption of Project Bank Accounts that safeguard the supply chain finance needed to keep projects on track, he could demonstrate his business credentials. The Association also supports many of the recommendations made by the Committee on Climate Change in its latest report: Progress in preparing for climate change.
Envirovent praises new NICE guidance on indoor air quality
U
K ventilation manufacturer, EnviroVent has
praised the NICE (National Institute of Health & Care Excellence) draft guidance on reducing indoor air pollution and improving air quality in homes.
The guidance ‘Indoor Air Quality at Home’ is aimed at audiences including health practitioners, public health professionals, architects, property landlords, housing associations and members of the public.
The guidelines recommend that homes should have adequate ventilation – whether that be through opening windows or via mechanical ventilation or extract fans to kitchen and bathrooms. They also
recommend that checks are carried out to ensure that ventilation units are working properly and have not become blocked. Rebecca McLean, marketing and product director at Envirovent, said: “It is very positive news that the NICE guidance advises using ventilation in homes,
wherever possible, to improve indoor air quality.
Condensation and mould has become a bigger issue in recent times due to improved insulation and air tightness of properties and, if left unchecked, this can lead to health issues for occupants.” The draft guidance
confirms the critical role that ventilation plays in removing pollutants and improving indoor air quality. NICE identifies that poor Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) costs the UK
consequences that can cause well documented problems for the resident and home owner. BSI, the business standards company, has just released three publicly available specifications: uPAS 2035:2019 Retrofitting dwellings for improved energy efficiency. Specification and guidance, and
uPAS 2030:2019
Specification for the installation of energy efficiency in existing dwellings and insulation in residential park homes, which together with PAS 2035 replaces PAS 2030:2017
uPAS 2031 Certification of energy efficiency measure installation in existing buildings1, which supersedes PAS 2031:2017 The new documents specify requirements for a detailed risk assessment approach including evaluation of improvement options, design and specification, monitoring and evaluation as well as addressing installation requirements.
over 240,000 healthy life years per annum, with 45 per cent lost to cardiovascular diseases, 23 per cent to asthma and allergies and 15 per cent to lung cancer. For architects and builders, the NICE guidance recommends adopting a
whole house approach to heating and ventilation to optimise indoor air quality and to reduce exposure to pollutants. It also
recommends a balanced approach to ventilation, insulation and heating to achieve a good level of IAQ.
The UK government commissioned the new framework under the ‘Each Home Counts’ initiative and the standards will provide compliance with the Trustmark government endorsed quality scheme. The Standards do not cover new-build dwellings,
NEWS
BSI establishes new framework for the installation of energy efficiency measures in existing dwellings
or any buildings used for non-dwelling purposes. These categories are expected to be covered elsewhere in due course. Ant Burd, head of built environment at BSI said: “The challenge with introducing energy
efficiency measures (EEM) is how to create the biggest pay back with the minimum disruption. This is typically easier in green-field projects and new constructions, yet it is imperative we adapt our 29 million existing homes for both environmental and financial benefit. “This newly revised PAS highlights the requirements for improved process
management, ensuring co- functioning of any EEMs already installed in the building and the entire service provision so that problems around over-heating and reduced ventilation are avoided. It also covers the training, skills and vocational qualification requirements for people undertaking such installations.”
PAS 2035/2030:2019 was developed by a steering committee and underwent a peer and public review as is normal practice in such a consensus document. Further details about for each standard can be found here:
PAS 2035/2030 -
https://shop.bsigroup.com/ ProductDetail?pid=00000000 0030390699 PAS 2031 -
https://shop.bsigroup.com/ ProductDetail?pid=00000000 0030382941
4 BUILDING SERVICES & ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER SEPTEMBER 2019
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