How has the recent update to part L of the building regulations impacted the industry?
We recently spoke with Mark Willmott, Sales Director at TheisCraft, on amBX – The Smart Building Podcast. Listen to the episode in full here, or read on for some key highlights from the conversation.
“I think it's something that has been a long time coming. Part L has not been reviewed since 2010, which was the last time the building regulations were amended. Its focus is largely on lighting energy efficiency in buildings,” Mark states.
He goes on to explain that Part L isn't just for new buildings; it is for existing buildings as well. “Current buildings are going to have to comply with the regulations that the government have set out because what’s the point in having regulations if there are no consequences for not adhering to them? The end goal is, of course, to lower the carbon footprint of the built space.
There are associated costs when it comes to adopting these regulations, but the long-term gains for building owners mean more sustainable buildings are created.
It is also the first-time controls have been added as a prerequisite for meeting regulations”.
Mark discusses the impact of lighting in terms of energy efficiency. “Lighting is one of the biggest energy consumers in commercial buildings; it’s important its impact is reviewed. Lighting is responsible for approx. 39% of energy in commercial buildings, but this increases to 45% for buildings such as hospitals and hotels”.
Ultimately, most building owners will want to comply because it saves them on their electricity usage, and ESG directives are increasingly making reporting mandatory; therefore, lighting control is needed.
“With energy costs being so high at the moment, it is in their best interest to save energy and therefore save money on their bills,” Mark explains.
There are various routes to comply with Part L, one of the options is to install meters to be able to understand what the energy consumption is. But ultimately, that's putting more hardware into the building, which is more costly but also adds more embodied carbon to the building. So looking at the bigger picture, the whole aim is to make the building more environmentally friendly and therefore installing a more future-proofed solution makes more sense.
“There are quick fixes that will mean you'll comply, but you won’t get the maximum benefit out of those solutions”. Mark believes that installing the lighting management system option may be more of an investment in the short term, but it will be the better option for the long term, so it is definitely worth considering your options when trying to comply with Part L.
“A retrofit can also be achieved in stages; the whole building does not have to be upgraded in one go if the client does not have the capital to do that. But systems should be installed that can be updated with firmware and software updates over time” - Mark Willmott.