Building Regulations Part L Calls for Lower CO2 Emissions from Heating Sources

                                                                                         

High Efficiency Boilers to Reduce CO2 Emissions Thanks to Part L
by Tal Potishman

Part L was introduced as part of the 2005 Building Regulations and it set a new standard with regards to energy efficiency. It called for all new boilers installed or replaced to meet the required standards for achieving high efficiency rating. Boilers such as condensing and combination (also known as 'combi') boilers which use extra large heat exchanger or a secondary heat exchanger qualify for this requirement. By extracting the heat from previously expelled gases, the high efficiency boilers reduce the required fuel to generate the same about of heat.

The new requirements are much more demanding than previously in terms of the professional level of the system designer, the installer and the service engineer. The new systems are more integrated than old systems as all components are specifically designed to provide the right output (in terms of power) or demand the right input (such as in the case of heating controls). The engineer has to have good understanding in order to maximize the efficiency of the system.

Since Part L of the building regulation was introduced, domestic heating in the UK has seen a remarkable drop in the volume of carbon emissions that is generated annually. According to analysis conducted by the heating industry, a reduction of around 2.4 million tonnes of carbon was made since the new regulations were introduced. As a reference point, the analysis shows that if the industry did not adopt Part L and kept on relying on SEDBUK D rated boilers, the carbon emissions level would have increased by over one million tonnes since 2005.

As things stand, there are massive opportunities to reduce the carbon emissions levels resulting from domestic heating in the UK. It is estimated that there are around four million old and inefficient boilers still in operation around the country. Replacing these boilers with a high efficiency A rated boiler would reduce the carbon emissions by around 30% per boiler. A typical UK household generates around 5 tonnes of CO2 annually. It is estimated that UK home heating accounts for approximately 16% of the total carbon dioxide emission for the UK as a whole.

The UK government is actively trying to encourage carbon reducing behaviour through legislation. The government introduced measures such as zero stamp duty on carbon neutral homes and instructed all home sellers to produce energy performance certificates as part of their home information pack. It is, nevertheless, important to put it in perspective, as there are very few carbon neutral homes in the country and the savings should be focused on the highly inefficient homes. There is additional criticism that home information packs only apply when homes are sold and make no carbon reduction related impact at other times.

Other levers that can be pulled to reduce carbon emissions from domestic heating in the UK are related to renewable and sustainable energy. The government plans to build around 3 million new homes between now and 2020. If just 10% of these new homes use solar thermal heating or heat pumps along with traditional (gas or oil) boilers, around 150,000 tonnes of carbon emissions would be saved annually.

The government applied a combination of carrots and sticks to force the domestic heating market to reduce its carbon emissions. The plumbing and heating industry is largely keeping up with the trend with many companies investing in training and professional development on renewable energy technologies to address any market need in those areas.

About the author:
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about plumbers, central heating, Islington boiler, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.

Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com