NEWS Cambridge University installs 384kWp of solar Photon Energy has installed 384kWp of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in nine apartment blocks at the North West Cambridge development, funded by the University of Cambridge. They generate 262,355kWh of electricity each year and save 136 tonnes of CO2 emissions. It took two years to install the 1,175 PV modules, which were fixed to a mounting system suited for flat roofs before being connected to inverters. The apartments have been built to the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 5, and contain triple layers of insulation, brown roofs and a district heating system. The PV arrays were designed to fit in with various elements on the roofs, including areas covered with soil and sectionsthat were laid with pebbles, to ease flooding and to improveinsulation. Tougher regulations for building safety introduced No hiding place for those who flout the new rules, say MPs The government has committed to taking forward all the recommendations in Dame Judith Hackitt s review of building regulations and fire safety published after the Grenfell Tower fire. In its implementation plan, the government has said it will: impose tougher sanctions on those who disregard residents safety; create more rigorous standards and guidance for those undertaking building work; and give a stronger voice to residents. Secretary of State for Communities James Brokenshire said the government was committed to a programme of reform over the coming years that will introduce clearer standards and guidance. This includes establishing a new Standards Committee to advise on construction product and system standards and regulations, and to help create a more responsible building industry from design, through to construction and management. A new Joint Regulators Group comprising local authority building control, the National Fire Chiefs Council, the Health & Safety Executive, and the Local Government Association, including fire and rescue authorities will work with developers and buildingowners. It will also seek input from residents, to develop and test newapproaches that may later feature inlegislation. A Building Regulations safety guidance review of Fire Safety: Approved Document B has also been launched to gather expert advice so guidance can berevised. The Implementation Plan is available at bit.ly/CJJan19plan Read Hywel Davies views on page 14. Combustibles banned on new buildings A ban on the installation of combustible materials on external walls of new buildings containing housing, and more than 18m high, came into effect just before Christmas. Housing Secretary James Brokenshire confirmed that the ban also applies to new hospitals, residential care premises, dormitories in boarding schools and student accommodation more than 18m high. Only products achieving a European fire-resistance classification A1 or A2 will be allowed on areas located within any space forming part of the wall and on any decoration or finishes applied to external surfaces. The ban also applies to windows or doors, roofs pitched at an angle of more than 70 degrees, and balconies, as well as devices for deflecting sunlight and solar panels. The new regulations, developed by the Ministry of Housing, give local authorities the power to remove potentially dangerous cladding from all high-rise buildings. They will receive funding from central government for the work, to avoid controversy caused by building owners passing on the costs of removing unsafe cladding to leaseholders. Last month, an amendment was also made to the current Fire Safety: Approved Document B to restrict the use of assessments in lieu of tests (commonly known as desktop studies). It states that an assessment should not be regarded as a way to avoid undertaking a test where one isnecessary. Read CIBSE s technical note on the cladding ban at bit.ly/CJJan19News7 www.cibsejournal.com January 2019 7 CIBSE Jan19 pp07 News.indd 7 21/12/2018 14:47