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The year 2002 marked a pivotal moment in the industry when thermal performance became the most important driver . For example , the revision of Part L of the Building Regulations saw a reduction in the average indicative U-value for windows from 3.3W / m 2 k to 2.2Wm / 2 k . U-values measure how effective a material is an insulator , the lower the U-value the easier it is to keep heat flow through building structures to a minimum .
This signalled a change driven by government , and as an industry we ’ ve been regularly challenged since then with further amendments to Part L in 2006 , 2010 , 2013 and 2016 . To put this in context , the U-value requirement on dwellings in 1995 was 3.3 and in 2013 it was 1.6 - a 51.52 % reduction .
By 2025 the Future Homes Standard will demand new buildings produce at least 75 % less carbon emissions when compared to current levels . The government has introduced new Part L regulations as an interim measure , where all new buildings will need to generate 30 % fewer CO 2 emissions than the current regulations allow .
What this means is a minimum ( limiting standards ) U-value to existing dwellings of 1.4 . This interim measure comes into force on June 15th June 2022 , and is against the backdrop of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 .
Fortunately , sustainability was already high on our agenda at Reynaers because we have been involved in this government consultation process to agree the Part L revisions . I ’ ve been a member of the Council for Aluminium Building for over 20 years and sit on various committees . Reynaers
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is also a member of the Curtain Walling and Cladding Technology ( CWCT ) group which is actively working in collaboration with trade bodies and the Government .
Thermal efficiency has been at the forefront of our design criteria , and we have embraced technologies such as polyamide thermal breaks , and the development of complex thermally efficient polyamide sections in our window and door design . Alongside product innovation , we use new technology to rigorously test the U-values of our range of current
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products – windows , doors , sliding doors , folding doors , and curtain walls – and planned new products , to ensure they not only meet the new regulations , but exceed them to meet regulatory changes in the future .
We use Finite Element Analysis ( FEA ) to create product thermal calculations – we ’ ve installed a British Fenestration Rating Council ( BFRC ) simulator on our own site to show compliance on thermal values and conducted additional product analysis with the BFRC . Their rainbow rating labelling system for windows and
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doors confirms our products are independently verified by experts to give specifiers and installers the evidence they need to make the right choice of product .
We have products which are already compliant with the new regulations and some which are undergoing research and development , something we continually invest in as an innovator in our sector . This contrasts with 10 years ago when new products would have an expected 10-year shelf life , now it ’ s more like five years due to changing legislation requirements .
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That means suppliers like us will need to make more investment in R & D as the next generation of doors and windows will have to have extremely high U-values . Inevitably this means their price will increase because they will have more component parts and be more labour intensive to manufacture . Some of the suppliers and guests at our recent Part L roadshows weren ’ t pleased to hear that , but as it ’ s nine years since the regulations previously changed , I think we ’ ve done well really . Afterall , if you bought a car nine years ago you wouldn ’ t expect to pay the same for it now , so why should windows be any different ?
Not surprisingly we anticipate these costs combined with rising supply chain costs will lead to a market tightening , however Reynaers is adapting to these rapid changes .
www . reynaers . co . uk / partL
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