Background
Revisions to Part L of the Building Regulations, which deal with
the conservation of energy in private dwellings, offices and other
buildings, came into force on April 6th 2006.
These regulations apply to any project which has not received Building
Regulations approval before April 6th 2006. The regulations set
high standards for architects, engineers, consultants and contractors
to create a more sustainable built environment.
Areas which impact on energy efficiency that industry professionals
could address are: space heating and lighting performance, solar
shading, air-tightness compliance and building ventilation.
HCP and Part L Solutions
HCP’s range of Trench, Perimeter and Radiant heating products
can help architects, engineers, consultants, contractors and clients
meet these targets.
Take Low Pressure Hot Water (LPHW) Radiant heating panels for example
- The process of radiant heating increases the temperature of surfaces
within rooms and because of this, lower air temperatures can be
achieved without compromising occupier comfort. Realistically, ambient
air temperatures of 2-3°C less than traditional four pipe fan
coil units are possible and this can deliver considerable energy
reductions.
Similarly, unlike other heating methods, large volumes of air in
a room do not have to be heated before room occupants feel the heat
– the heat source can be localised to the occupied area rather
than heating the entire building / space. As a result of the reduced
running and “heat up” times, considerable energy savings
can also be made.
As with radiant systems, LPHW Trench and Perimeter heating systems
can offer energy saving features. Lower water volumes and low product
pressure drops equate to more efficient systems, when compared to
traditional radiator systems or four pipe fan coil units. This means
that less energy is used to heat a smaller volume of water and low
unit pressure drops reduce the amount of pump pressure required
to circulate hot water around the system.
Other positive features of all HCP LPHW heating systems include:
minimal maintenance requirements, 25 year product life cycles, and
component materials that are 100% recyclable.
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