Nearly zero energy buildings and Regulation 25B

On the 10th February 2020, The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government released a circular letter from Rebecca Williams-Phelan, the Deputy Director of Energy Performance of Buildings Division, Building Safety Portfolio, regarding the UK’s future requirement for new buildings.

The purpose of the letter was to clarify the implementation of the requirements for nearly zero energy buildings for new buildings with respect to Regulation 25B of the Building Regulation 2010.

The scope of the circulation letter refers to buildings and building works in England and excludes buildings owned by public authorities.

Regulation 25B

Regulation 25B states: ‘Where a building is erected, it must be a nearly zero energy

building’.

For new buildings owned and occupied by public authorities, the coming-into-force

date for Regulation 25B was 1^st January 2019.

For all other buildings, the coming-into-force date for Regulation 25B was 31^st December 2020.

Compliance with this regulation is achieved by:

a. meeting the Target Emission Rate required under Regulation 26.

b. undertaking an analysis of the technical, environmental and economic feasibility of using high-efficiency alternative systems, which include decentralised energy supply systems based on energy from renewable sources and taking this analysis into account as required by Regulation 25A.

Insulated Walls Viewpoint

With a host of new consultation documents from the Government concerning the Future Homes Standard, (both dwellings and non-dwellings), the Private Rented Sector, changes in Part L and F of the Building Regulations and the potential of energy efficiency funded schemes, the future should be very bright for our industry. 

With all of the above consultations, a ‘Fabric First’ approach is at the heart of everything, and this can only be very good news for the insulated wall industry, whether new build or retrofit.