Glidevale Protect welcomes the launch of the Future Homes Standard
Building products manufacturer Glidevale Protect has made a commitment to supporting housebuilders, timber frame manufacturers and roofing contractors as they adapt to the new, mandatory requirements of the Future Homes Standard to improve the energy efficiency of new homes in the UK.
On Tuesday 24th March, the Future Homes Standard (FHS) was published, setting out new regulations which will become mandatory on all homes where construction is commenced after March 2028. At its heart, the FHS aims to ensure new homes are more comfortable and affordable to run, through a combination of clean, renewable electricity generation such as solar panels, installation of low carbon heating, and improvements to the building fabric efficiency.
Glidevale Protect manufactures a range of so-called ‘hidden protectors’ for the building envelope. This includes products such as reflective and insulating wall membranes, designed to improve the energy efficiency of a home, as well as a range of roofing underlays and ventilation solutions which can be installed to manage condensation risk, which is of paramount importance when in-roof solar panels are installed. The manufacturer has reaffirmed its commitment to technical transparency for specifiers and installers, providing clear technical data to ensure all products installed can work efficiently together as a system to minimise any potential performance gaps.
John Mellor, Head of Marketing at Glidevale Protect commented: “With the much-anticipated FHS now published, we know that the construction industry will be looking closely to understand what these new regulations will mean for future projects and what compliance will look like come 2028.
“One of the key takeaways of the FHS is that the majority of new homes in England will need to be fitted with solar panels and this is something our Technical team can support with by advising on the most effective ventilation and roofing underlay strategy for use with in-roof solar PV. But solar panels are only part of the FHS, which also demands a focus on the energy efficiency of the building fabric. From understanding how to drive U‑values down or utilising reflective wall membranes to enhance thermal efficiency, we are a trusted supply chain partner ideally placed to help navigate this next stage of the net zero roadmap.
“As with any regulation change, the FHS will undoubtably spark innovation of new products. I’m keen to see how the housebuilding sector and associated building products industry evolves to meet the FHS, setting a new standard and futureproofing our homes.”
It is anticipated that homes built to FHS regulations could generate at least 75% less carbon emissions than those built to the 2013 standards. As well as building more comfortable and affordable homes, the FHS is also intended to protect against fossil fuel price spikes by increasing use of clean homegrown energy such as solar. Technical details are still to be announced regarding the Home Energy Model (HEM), the government’s new, independently quality‑assured methodology that will be one of the approved calculation methodologies to demonstrate compliance with the Future Homes Standard.
To find out more, visit www.glidevaleprotect.com, call +44 (0)161 905 5700, or email technical@glidevaleprotect.com. Follow Glidevale Protect on LinkedIn.