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The waiting is finally over for the long anticipated Approved Document L, which ultimately didn’t bring too many surprises. Here, Martin Saunders, Sales Director of Eurocell Profiles, looks at the opportunities it now presents to fabricators.

“As many suspected, Approved Document L (Conservation of Fuel & Power) for replacement windows places more emphasis on Window Energy Ratings (WER). That means October’s implementation of Part L will provide two routes to compliance - a WER of ‘C’ or above (currently band ‘E’), or a U-value of not worse than 1.6W/m²K (currently 2.0W/m²K). In some senses, Approved Document L therefore brought few surprises, as it had long been suspected that WERs would take a more prominent role. Of course, fabricators and installers are now faced with the choice of whether to adopt the U-value or WER route to compliance, or both, when the revised Part L becomes mandatory in October.

Writing’s on the wall

For many, the writing is already on the wall in the fact that WERs have been give a greater weighting. In doing this, the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) recognised consumer awareness of the A-G ratings scale, with most already aware of the significance of Energy Performance Labels they see on fridges, freezes and other electrical appliances. The fact that the label is familiar to them is a definite advantage and an excellent marketing opportunity for fabricators and installers that gain a WER. U-values, of course, still remain a route to compliance, although many householders struggle to grasp the complexity of the system, which is why many in our industry are forecasting that WERs represent the future in the replacement market.

Journey to ‘C’ has helped fabricators and installers understand the pro’s and cons of each method of compliance, as well as how they go about the process. That means they usually approach us with a clearer idea of the route they would like to take, although we are happy to advise any customers who are still unsure. Whichever they choose, we offer a complete support package, including simulations on all our window profile systems, giving them the option to offer an A, B or C rated window, irrespective of the style.

Fabricators and installers are finding that gaining a WER is much more straightforward than they originally envisaged, especially if they partner with a profile supplier that can guide them through the process. Having five BFRC assessors gives us the resources to deal with all customers that are trying to make sure they are compliant – whether via the WER or U-value route. Customers are guided every step of the way and we provide independent advice, including all the reports needed to achieve accreditation.  Late last year we have even carried our own seminars, in conjunction with the BBA and BSI, to give our fabricators a complete solution for the new regulations.

Beyond a ‘C’ rating

With many homeowners choosing to go beyond the minimum ‘C’ rating, our focus has been on developing an ‘A’ rated window profile system that maximises the Energy Index (IE). That’s because, with ‘A’ rated windows now becoming commonplace, we considered that improving on the Energy Index performance would allow our fabricators to differentiate themselves from all the other ‘A’ rated products on the market – resulting in the launch of our A+14 window.

An Energy Index of 14 kWh/m²/year means the window will allow more heat from the sun to pass through the glass and into the room than is going to be lost through the window. In this example, the window will gain 14 kilowatt hours per square metre per year, which will contribute towards heating the home. A+14 is currently the highest performing double glazed PVC-U window on the UK market, which gives fabricators an important element of difference.  When you also take into account our PVC-U Thermal Inserts, this ensures that it still offers value for money, by reducing reliance on expensive glass specifications.

So there you have it, fabricators and installers can gain compliance through both U-value and WERs. The latter is already widely recognised by homeowners who have yet to grasp the complexities of U-values. Adopting a WER method of compliance can therefore provide you with an advantage, as it is widely recognised and understood by consumers, which is half the battle when selling the benefits of energy efficient windows.

Gaining a WER also means that you will be listed on the BFRC website, which is increasingly being used by homeowners to find a window supplier. Its quick search system allows consumers to find suppliers geographically or by BFRC Rating Band. There is no search by U-Value, although it does list this in the results, however, a U-value of, say, 1.6 may not mean much to a homeowner, whereas a C, B or A rating is instantly recognised to be progressively more energy efficient.

In a sense, this sums up the reason why the revised version of Part L placed more emphasis on WERs.  Most carbon emissions in the UK come from existing housing stock and the only way to tackle this issue is to provide homeowners with an easily understandable method of identifying an energy efficient window.  In that sense, Part L should achieve what it set out to do.”