Improvements to Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in New Revisions to Building Regulations from June 2022
Wednesday, 8th December 2021
New measures to improve ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) have been welcomed by the Building Engineering Services Association (BESA).
The changes to Building Regulations come into force in June 2022 across the UK to reduce the risk of indoor viral transmission and improve building health.
Alongside ventilation improvements, the new measures will mean that every new building will be required to cut its energy consumption by 30% for residential buildings and 27% for commercial properties.
New building regulations to strengthen indoor air quality standards from June 2022
The Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) has welcomed new revisions to Building Regulations intended to improve ventilation and indoor air quality (IAQ) in commercial and residential buildings.
These changes, which will apply to all new properties from June 2022, have been made to reduce the risk of airborne viral transmission—such as COVID-19—and improve humidity, CO2 levels, and VOC levels.
As part of the measures, the installation of CO2 monitors will be mandatory in all office buildings, while new standards for recirculating ventilation will be introduced. The government is also considering requirements for trickle vents to replace conventional windows to ensure that air is flowing through buildings at all times.
The changes, which will apply to all new properties built from June 2022, will also oblige buildings to reduce carbon emissions significantly—by 30% in new homes and 27% in commercial buildings—to make buildings “net-zero ready” by 2025.
“This is a good start on the road to tackling poor indoor air quality,” BESA’s head of technical, Graeme Fox, has said. “Monitoring CO2 levels is a simple, low-cost way to measure ventilation effectiveness.
“It is very good to see, however, that the government has been clear about the importance of not sacrificing ventilation in a bid to cut carbon. There is no point having highly energy-efficient buildings that are harmful to occupant health—a mistake that has been made in the past.”
Ventilation levels have a significant impact on viral transmission.
The changes to building regulations come as new research reveals the impact ventilation has on viral risk.
In December 2021, RIVM, the Dutch institute of public health, published data revealing how increased indoor ventilation can significantly reduce the spread of COVID-19. In all indoor environments studied, including offices, classrooms, concert venues and nightclubs, better ventilation led to fewer people becoming sick.
However, the researchers noted that ventilation alone could not completely cut the risk of the virus being transmitted.
“Ventilation rates in indoor spaces affect the ‘aerogenic transmission’ of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2,” the published research concluded.
“Aerogenic transmission means people getting infected with the virus through very small droplets (aerosols). These droplets can stay floating in the air for a long time and can travel distances greater than one-and-a-half metres. Ventilation helps to reduce aerogenic transmission.”
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