These Regulations amend the Building Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012 (the principal Regulations) and they come into operation on 25th February 2014. These Regulations transpose Articles 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9 of European Parliament and the Council Directive 2010/31/EU of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings (“the recast Directive”).

These Regulations amend the principal Regulations as follows–

Regulation 5(1) amends regulation 2(1) of Part A by extending the definition of “Fixed building service”.

Regulation 5(2) applies certain energy efficiency requirements to buildings belonging to statutory undertakers.

Regulation 6 amends Part F of the principal Regulations: 1 Regulation 38 has been replaced and includes the following– a Regulation 38(2) transposes, in part, Article 4 of the recast Directive setting out those categories of building to which energy efficiency requirements of the Building Regulations do not apply. b Regulation 38(5) and (6) amends or inserts new definitions in Part F. 2 Regulation 43 is amended to transpose fully the requirements of Article 7 by recognising the term “major renovation”. The remaining provisions of the amended regulation 43 reflect existing domestic policy where more than 50% of an individual thermal element’s surface area is to be renovated or replaced. All the requirements in the amended regulation 43 are now subject to the Article 7 qualification that the requirement to meet the minimum energy performance requirements applies only where technically, functionally and economically feasible. 3 Regulation 43A transposes a requirement arising from Article 6 of the recast Directive relating to consideration of high-efficiency alternative systems for new buildings; and 4 Regulation 43B transposes a requirement arising from Article 9 of the recast Directive relating to a requirement for all new buildings to be nearly zero-energy buildings. Regulation 7 amends Schedule 3, Part A. Paragraph (a) inserts a new paragraph (11) into Rule B: Erection of buildings requiring a notice stating that the analysis required by regulation 43A in Part F has been carried out and is available for verification. Paragraph (b) inserts a new paragraph (13) into Rule F: Additional requirements requiring documented analysis for the purposes of regulation 43A in Part F. A Regulatory Impact Assessment has been prepared along with a Transposition Note. Copies may be downloaded from www.buildingregulationsni.gov.uk, or alternatively, hard copies may be requested from Building Standards Branch, Department of Finance and Personnel, 3rd Floor, Northland House, 3-5a Frederick Street, Belfast, BT1 2NR.