This section deals with requirement O1 of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010.
Requirement
O1 Overheating mitigation
(1) Reasonable provision must be made in respect of a dwelling, institution or any other building containing one or more rooms for residential purposes, other than a room in a hotel (“residences”) to:
(a) limit unwanted solar gains in summer;
(b) provide an adequate means to remove heat from the indoor environment.
(2) In meeting the obligations in paragraph (1):
(a) account must be taken of the safety of any occupant, and their reasonable enjoyment of the residence; and
(b) mechanical cooling may only be used where insufficient heat is capable of being removed from the indoor environment without it.
Intention
The aim of requirement O1 is to protect the health and welfare of occupants of the building by reducing the occurrence of high indoor temperatures.
In the Secretary of State’s view, requirement O1 is met by designing and constructing the building to achieve both of the following.
a. Limiting unwanted solar gains in summer.
b. Providing an adequate means of removing excess heat from the indoor environment.
NOTE: The guidance and regulations are written for the purposes of protecting health and welfare. Following this guidance does not guarantee the comfort of building occupants.
In the Secretary of State’s view, compliance with requirement O1 can be demonstrated by using one of the following methods.
a. The simplified method for limiting solar gains and providing a means of removing excess heat, as set out in Section 1.
b. The dynamic thermal modelling method, as set out in Section 2.
