The proposals will help deliver a prosperous Wales as they seek to make new and existing buildings more energy efficient. This directly delivers an innovative and low carbon society which recognises the limits of the global environment.

What are the proposals?

The consultation, titled: Building Regulations Part L and F Review: Stage 2B proposes to ensure new buildings are fit for the future, as well as an ambition for Wales’ built environment to have lower carbon emissions. The key proposals raised within the document include:

• The Government’s preferred option takes us as far towards the Part L 2025 Standard as we believe is possible in 2022, with a 28% reduction in CO2 on average per building over the current Part L 2014 standard.
• There are proposed changes to Part L & F in terms of simplifying the documents and guidance
• Introduce a new Primary Energy Target
• Continue the use of CO2 as a secondary target
• Updating minimum standards of fabric and fixed building services
• Developing SBEM and the national calculation methodology to better account for energy uses and to incentivise appropriate design solutions.
• Introducing more challenging energy efficiency standards and improving compliance

Elmhurst’s Non-Domestic Support Team Leader, Steve Windmill, comments: “It is good to see the Welsh Government recognising the urgency in adopting more stringent standards for new non-domestic buildings. This consultation provides welcome intent to improve energy efficiency of new buildings in Wales and follows a similar message to England’s Future Buildings Standards”.

Read the consultation

Read Elmhurst’s draft consultation response