With the cost of energy rising, the push to become more energy-efficient is at the heart of recent amendments to Part L 2010 of the Building Regulations. The approved documents for Part L 2010 apply to all domestic and non-domestic buildings. By addressing issues around conserving fuel and power, it plays a key part in the government's wider goal of cutting the UK's carbon emissions, as set out in the Climate Change Act 2008. Commercial buildings complying with these regulations will benefit from excellent insulation, however, Part L fails to adequately take into account the environmentally damaging impact of solar gain and internal heat sources that affect so many of these buildings. In this article the author suggests that solar control window films may be a solution.
