Future Homes consultation misses an opportunity
Upon publication of the long-awaited Future Homes and Future Buildings Standards consultation document, the Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) says that, subject to a more comprehensive examination of the publication, its initial belief is that the decision to maintain the U Values for windows and doors at their current level, is disappointing and once again overlooks the contribution that fenestration can make to the energy efficiency of a new home.
In recent months there has been considerable speculation that the U Value requirement for a window installed in a new home would be reduced 0.80 W m2 K, but the document proposes that the value remains at the current level.
“Many of our members have been preparing for an improvement in the values in glazing required for new homes. The consultation document has ignored the improvement on the performance of a building that can be achieved by energy efficient windows and doors, and this is an opportunity missed,” commented Chris Beedel, GGF head of advocacy & stakeholder relations.
“Whilst the RMI sector was always expected to remain at the current levels, on the face of it we believe that many of our members will be disappointed in the proposals.
“However, with the proposed change in calculation method you could realistically be faced with a scenario where you have a range of different specifications within products to achieve the required area weighted U-value, so triple glazing will still be a requirement in some cases.”
He added: “The glazing industry is very proactive and is developing new products and systems all of the time to meet changing needs of their clients. The Building Regulations contain the minimum requirements to be achieved and many manufacturers have been producing products that go beyond the minimum for many years.
“We will continue to have close dialogue with Government and stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of developments in our industry ahead of any future consultations and changes.”