REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
The regulations and relevant statutory documents are contained within the following documentation. Where applicable we have provided a precise of the contents and a link to the relevant website.
The Building Regulations 2000 Part L1A ‘The Conservation of Fuel and Power’
The amendments to the building regulation act, in respect of energy saving, are designed to reduce the amount of heat and power required to preserve an ambient air temperature. This therefore does not only apply to heating but also to meet the need for cooling premises during the hotter months. The idea is that if these standards are nationally applied the overall saving in consumption of fossil fuels and reduced emissions will have a significant impact on improving the environment
Accordingly Part L1A requires that all new building and this includes extensions and conversions should be tested to evidence that they confirm to the standards laid down. The details of the exact testing requirement are covered in Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association [ATTMA] TS1.
The regulations state that the Technical Standard determined by ATTMA is the only approved model for air tightness testing.
These amendments are designed to impact on the construction industry in two main ways, initially, by developing construction techniques and materials that are less harmful to the envronment and by improving the overall build quality. It is difficult to see the standard being relaxed and the industry consensus is that the target emission rate will be reduced still further. The changes are seeking a 20% improvement rate in building performance.
ATTMA [Air Tightness Testing and Measurement Association] ‘Measuring Air Permeability in Building Envelopes’
TS1 [Technical Standard]
This document explains the technical standard required to conduct a robust air pressure test. It covers both good and best practice requirements in relation to the above legislation. It then breaks the testing process down into the Pre-Test Requirements, the Calculations Required, the Site Test procedure and explains the necessary contents of the report.
It also explains the arrangements that have been put in place, until October 2007, for buildings that do not meet the standard.
The Technical Standard document also explains the required sample size where robust details building ahs been taken out. It explains how to calculate the conditioned area to be tested, how to determine which dwellings or areas need to be tested in large and complex buildings or in blocks of flats.
This standard has been fully adopted as our testing methodology.
CIBSE [Chartered Institute of building Services Engineers]
TM23‘The Thermal Performance of Buildings’
This document relates to thermal performance of buildings. This covers both heating and cooling seasons.
UKAS [United Kingdom Accreditation Service]
This is the government's approved accreditation service. A company is awarded UKAS accreditation where it meets performance benchmarks in the service offered. It applies in the air pressure testing industry in relation to the calibration of the measuring equipment. All equipment should be annually checked to confirm that the data that it provides is up to the governments approved standard.
All GRN Testing equipment is calibrated to the UKAS Standard.