Building Regulations Part L - Explained
With global warming now an accepted fact, and with legislation to tackle the issue being put into place, designers and users of cooling systems are presented with something of a dilemma. On the one hand, the need for cooling is increasing, whilst on the other, installing air conditioning makes a massive contribution to the problem.
Even without the environmental concerns, the cost involved in running an air conditioning system can be huge. It is estimated that where air conditioning is installed in businesses, it accounts for one third of the total energy bill, and that can be even higher in a warehouse where large volumes of air are involved.
Part L of the Building Regulations, which became law in April 2006, places a responsibility on building owners to aim for carbon neutrality when installing building services, and depending on the size of your building, can require at least part of the new energy consumption to be offset by other consequential improvements. In plain English, you have to spend 10% of the overall budget on measures to reduce your carbon footprint.
It’s obvious then that the lower the energy use of a cooling system, the better it is for the environment, your business and you are also complying with legislation. All Pharmacool Evaporative Cooling systems are designed with energy efficiency at their heart, typically consuming only 10% of the energy used by traditional Air Conditioning systems and costing around 70% less to run.
At Procool we have a detailed understanding of the legislation and are well placed to advise you on your responsibilities under the new Building Regulations and to liaise with the Building Control Department on your behalf.