Glass & Sealed Units
The Future Homes Standard could transform glass and glazing – is the industry ready ?
Edgetech Managing Director Chris Alderson discusses the Future Homes Standard – which is less than two years away from coming into force – and asks whether the industry is ready for the changes it could potentially entail .
UK glazing could be on the brink of one of the biggest changes in the history of its legislation . As an industry , we ’ ve not got long to prepare for the scale of what could be coming .
The key word is ‘ could ’. We ’ ve been preparing for the Future Homes Standard , the government ’ s policy to ensure British newbuilds produce 75-80 % less carbon , since 2019 . However , at this time we still know very little about what the final Future Home Standards will include . Nevertheless , it is important to anticipate what it ’ s likely to entail and how we can adapt to it .
To serve the construction sector more generally , the Future Homes Hub ( a group of 170 experts from more than 100 organisations ) has been established . The group has produced a comprehensive report examining the potential requirements of the ‘ future home ’ – examining five different approaches to achieving dwellings that meet the government ’ s aims .
The first potential specification prioritises cutting carbon by at least 75 %. The second aims to closely align with the existing Part L but adds electric heating .
The third strives to balance low energy use with design flexibility . The fourth seeks to minimise the need for space and water heating , while the fifth is aimed at increasing fabric efficiency to the extent that heating systems aren ’ t needed .
Each specification uses a different mix of methods and technologies to achieve the desired result .
It ’ s the fourth and fifth of these hypothetical specifications that include triple glazing – and it ’ s these , if they were adopted , that would cause the biggest upheaval for the UK glazing industry .
It ’ s also these two specifications that are projected to offer the greatest reduction in carbon emissions – 98 % and 103 % respectively – and deliver the biggest cost saving for homeowners : over £ 400 a year for each specification .
This isn ’ t only because they incorporate triple glazing – these specifications also feature a range of other technologies , including solar panels , mechanical ventilation with heat recovery ( MVHR ) and air-source heat pumps .
It ’ s arguable that these two specifications are the least likely of the five to be adopted , as they ’ ll inevitably be the most expensive to implement . It ’ s much more likely that ministers will choose to implement one of the other three specifications the Future Homes Hub present – all of which incorporate double glazing , and less costly energy efficiency measures , while still meeting or exceeding the 75 % carbon-cutting target .
Engaging with the issues It ’ s important to restate that these aren ’ t official proposals . They ’ re the Hub ’ s attempt to show what the final specifications may look like .
The government could choose any combination of the products and technologies mentioned – or follow a different path entirely . However , the possibility that the final Future Homes Standard might make triple glazing the norm for every new build in Britain shouldn ’ t be dismissed .
In the report , the Hub predicts that it would take twelve months for the glazing industry to scale up production and begin to offer the numbers of triple glazed units needed . This may be overly optimistic ; the machinery alone could have lead times of twelve months .
However , I believe we still have time to prepare but it is essential to act now . As an industry , it ’ s vital we engage with the big issues , follow any developments that might give us more idea what the final Future Homes Standard will look like , and work together to deliver thermally-efficient housing for the net zero age .
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44 AUGUST 2023 CLEARVIEW-UK . COM