Playing the Regs

Struggling with the new Part L regulations? Help is at hand thanks to a new website, www.playtheregs.com

Despite the ambiguous name, the site doesn't actually offer tips on flouting the regs. Instead it aims to teach you what combinations of specifications will score a pass or fail under the new regime.

The site is free to access and aims to act as a quick modeling tool. It allows you to change 15 parameters and key criteria on two generic house types (a four-bed detached home and a two-bed mid-floor flat). Your model is then awarded an instant pass or fail under the Part L carbon targets that now apply to new dwellings.

The site was developed by the National Home Energy Rating scheme in association with the Construction Products Association.

John Tebbit, industry affairs director at the CPA, said Play the Regs demonstrated that the new Part L requirements could be met in a variety of ways, meaning manufacturers and designers still retained flexibility.

He said: "Play the regs is an excellent and fun way for everybody to start understanding the interactions between the various elements and develop their own solutions."