A key element of the recently released consultation papers for changes to Building Regulations Part L1 in 2010 by the Department for Communities and Local Government has been welcomed by leading energy efficiency experts, Sentinel.

European Marketing Director Mark Walker says: “The requirement for renewable heating systems to benefit from ‘cleaning and protection’ is a logical follow-on from the changes in the last upgrade of Building Regulations Part L1 in which for the first time, building regulations stipulated the need to clean and protect traditional ‘wet’ heating systems.”

Initial indications for England & Wales are that Part L 2010 will require an overall 25% reduction in CO2 emissions when compared to the current requirements and the equivalent reduction in Section 6 for Scotland will be around 30%. Northern Ireland has historically mirrored England & Wales. In 2007, the Government set out in its ‘Building a Greener Future – Policy Statement’ its intention for new homes to be net zero carbon from 2016. As steps to achieving this target, carbon emission standards for new homes were to be improved by 25% in 2010 and 44% in 2013 relative to current 2006 standards. In the 2008 Budget, the Government also announced an ambition for all new non-domestic buildings to be net zero carbon from 2019.

Following on from the major changes last time around, that saw all but SEDBUK rated A and B boilers banned in the vast majority of new and replacement boiler installations, the next set of changes need to find a new set of potential carbon saving initiatives. Ensuring that energy efficient renewable heating systems actually deliver the headline energy efficiency savings they claim, and continue to do so, is vital to their on-going credibility. Teething problems with solar thermal systems, ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps, that all revolve around the premature degradation of the glycol mix used to transfer heat to the home, have been something of a shock to both the manufacturers and to those who have invested in the systems.

Sentinel has now launched an impressive new range of products aimed at the solar thermal, ground source heat pump and air source heat pump marketplaces, addressing these problems and providing a patented and secure response to the problems these systems have been experiencing. Mark Walker again: “It’s pointless installing a high efficiency system that within two years is delivering virtually no energy efficiency savings at all and no carbon saving either. The new range of products we have produced offer the solution that manufacturers, installers and homeowners alike have been looking for, to ensure that their impressive, but expensive new systems, deliver the headline savings they have been led to believe they will see.”

Whilst these changes are all subject to the consultation process which goes on until 17th September 2009, it’s highly likely these changes will be implemented one way or another, as changes to building regulations provide a relatively easy and far less traumatic political route to compliance with Climate Control legislation, than other less ‘voter friendly’ options.

The new Sentinel Solar Thermal product range consists of the market unique R200 ‘Ready-to-Use’ Cleaner for solar heating systems, which contains specific dispersants designed to remove degraded glycol deposits and sludge from solar heating equipment, the advanced R100 Solar Thermal Fluid heat transfer fluid, also available in ready-to-use concentration, in 10 and 20 litre non-returnable recyclable plastic containers, the SolarFlush flushing and filling system designed to flush solar thermal systems clean and to fill solar thermal systems with Solar Thermal Fluid and finally, the SolarCheck Test Kit, a specialist test kit designed for the installation and maintenance of a flat plate collector or evacuated tube solar thermal heating system that uses glycol-based heat transfer fluid.

The new range of products produced specifically for Ground Source Heat Pump systems includes Sentinel R500 Thermal Fluid, together with Sentinel R800 Cleaning and Flushing Fluid and Sentinel R700 Sanitiser and Biocide for correct cleaning and preparation of the ground loop during commissioning or fluid replacement.

For Air Source Heat Pump systems Sentinel provides R600 Thermal Fluid. The correct use of both R500 (GSHP) and R600 (ASHP) can be checked using the new Sentinel FrostCheck Test Kit. Correct use of Sentinel R700 Sanitiser and Biocide, which is used for cleaning and sterilisation of both GSHP and ASHP circuits or flush waters, can be checked using the new Sentinel R700 Test Kit.

The new thermal fluids developed by Sentinel are glycol-based, specifically designed to be highly efficient heat transfer fluids, but offering superior stability and life expectancy whilst being biodegradable.

Sentinel has applied for patents for many of the elements of the new range of products highlighting the genuinely unique nature of these new solutions for the industry.