Scottish Building Regulations review of energy standards: call for evidence

Part 1 – About this consultation

Introduction

A review of the energy standards of the Scottish Building Regulations has commenced. The review is considering the next steps to further enhance the energy performance of buildings and contribute to greenhouse gas abatement targets set under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

The first stage of the review is to consider the effectiveness and impact that the 2015 energy standards, and the supporting guidance, had, or continues to have, on Industry in delivering energy efficient buildings. Feedback received through this call for evidence will be considered in the next stage of the review.

Please note this consultation will run for a period of 12 weeks.

Background

Scottish Ministers designated energy efficiency as a national infrastructure priority in 2015, recognising the many benefits delivered by improving the energy performance of our existing buildings. Energy Efficient Scotland is the programme that will deliver this priority.

Scottish Ministers acknowledge that new buildings constructed to current building standards already achieve a good level of energy efficiency. However, they wish to explore options to build upon the progress made to date in providing energy efficient buildings with reduced carbon emissions. They have called for a review of the building regulations and the energy standards that apply to both domestic and non-domestic buildings.

The Building (Scotland) Act 2003 requires new construction work to comply with the standards set in the Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004. The energy section of the building standards aims to ensure that effective measures for furthering the conservation of fuel and power and furthering the achievement of sustainable development are addressed when undertaking building work.

The standards apply to new buildings, existing buildings where relevant construction work is to be carried out and buildings being converted.

The standards aim to limit energy demand in buildings by addressing the performance of the building fabric and fixed building services. They also oblige the design of buildings to be considered holistically.

The review of the energy standards is considering where the energy performance of buildings can be improved to further reduce associated carbon emissions from buildings.

The review will also consider in what way the energy standards can support the wider policy objectives identified in the Scottish Government's Energy Strategy and Scottish Government's Climate Change Plan.

Purpose of this consultation

This consultation is seeking the views of stakeholders on the impact the 2015 energy standards had, or continues to have, on Industry in designing and constructing buildings to meet the Scottish building regulations. Feedback received will be considered in the development of the next set of energy standards programmed to be introduced in 2021.

We want to hear about the challenges you faced in meeting the 2015 standards and how they were overcome. We also want to understand where you consider there are practical opportunities to further improve the energy performance of buildings. Robust evidence, and where possible examples, should be provided to support your views.

Audience

Anyone may reply to this consultation. We would particularly like to hear from organisations and individuals who can provide evidence from their involvement in the design, development and construction of buildings.

It would also be helpful to have views and opinions that reflect construction and development across Scotland, including the impact of the energy standards to development in remote, rural and island communities.

Body responsible for this consultation

The Building Standards Division working through Scottish Ministers is responsible for this consultation.

Duration

This consultation will run for 12 weeks from 25 June – 14 September 2018.

How to make an enquiry

If you have any queries about this consultation please contact Building Standards Division at BSD_Admin_Mailbox@gov.scot or call 0131 244 4000.

Responding to this consultation

We are inviting responses to this consultation by 17 September.

Please respond to this consultation using the Scottish Government's consultation hub, Citizen Space ( http://consult.gov.scot). Access and respond to this consultation online at https://consult.gov.scot/local-government-and-communities/building-standards-energy. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date of 14 September 2018.

If you are unable to respond using our consultation hub, please complete the Respondent Information Form and return, by post to:

Handling of your response

If you respond using the consultation hub, you will be directed to the 'About You' page before submitting your response. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are content for your response to be published. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy: /privacy/

Next steps in the process

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at http://consult.scotland.gov.uk. If you use Citizen Space to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to inform the decision making process. Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so.

Comments and complaints

If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them in writing to the contact address above or to BSD_Admin_Mailbox@gov.scot.

The Scottish Government consultation process

Consultation is an essential part of the policy-making process. It gives us the opportunity to consider your opinion and expertise on a proposed area of work. You can find all our consultations online: http://consult.scotland.gov.uk. Each consultation details the issues under consideration, as well as a way for you to give us your views, either online, by email or by post.

Responses will be analysed and used as part of the policy development process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. We will publish a report of responses for every consultation. Responses received may:

• indicate the need for policy development or review
• inform the development of a particular policy
• help decisions to be made between alternative policy proposals
• be used to finalise legislation before it is implemented

While details of particular circumstances described in a response to a consultation exercise may usefully inform the policy process, consultation exercises cannot address individual concerns and comments, which should be directed to the relevant public body.