It is not unreasonable to expect that London may go further than the Building Regulations (Part O) when it comes to tackling overheating, mirroring its treatment of Part L targets. The recent GLA’s “Operation Helios”, a set of exercises designed to stress test London’s response to future extreme heat scenarios, shows that preparedness for extreme heat scenarios is increasingly becoming a key topic in the public’s eyes and the local authorities.
A 2022 report by the CCC has estimated that without any action, more than 20% of the homes in the UK will overheat, including new and existing buildings. Developers anticipating the extreme weather can take action to mitigate the risks to residents by ensuring their buildings are future proofed. The following actions should be considered during the design process:
- For buildings with communal heating, ensure that the hot water pipes are well insulated, as well as the heat interface units. Investigate opportunities to lower the temperature of the heat network.
- New buildings can be stress tested to extreme future weather scenarios using the CIBSE TM59 methodology.
- Consider passive overheating protection measures during the design, such as shading, reduced glazing areas and bigger openable areas.
- Design to allow for future retrofit, such as the ability to install cooling systems or ceiling fans.
- Cooling is likely to be considered as a desirable feature by residents, especially as they become more common.