Scotland: Response to consultation on Passivhaus standards

IOA Scottish branch have responded to the stage 1 consultation from the Scottish Government which supports their pledge “to introduce new minimum environmental design standards for all new build housing to meet a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard, in order to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance”. In our response, the potential risks to occupants of noise from ventilation, cooling and heating systems is highlighted. If acceptable sound levels from these systems are not properly taken into account, there is a risk of discomfort from noise and that occupant will not use the system – resulting in other issues like overheating and poor indoor air quality. It is suggested that the Stage 2 consultation contains further detail and guidance on acceptable sound levels generated by these systems and that further guidance will be required within a future revision of the Building Regulations on the issue of overheating and noise. The current standard could be improved, for example by prescribing a minimum requirement for indoor ambient sound levels in different buildings/rooms (in particular noise-sensitive rooms like bedrooms at night), giving the example of Approved Document O (Overheating) of the Building Regulations in England, which sets out limit values for night time noise within bedrooms.  They also highlight the importance of ensuring any update to the Building Regulations is aligned with existing planning guidance.

See full response