BRUKL is a Building Regulations UK Part L report and indicates whether a non-domestic building has met the energy efficiency requirements defined in Approved Document L: The Conservation of Fuel and Power. It is an output of the SBEM calculation software run by a suitably qualified assessor who enters all the key parameters required to determine the energy efficiency of the building.
BREL is the Building Regulations England Part L report that is a required output of SAP under the updated Approved Document Part L 2021 for dwellings. This is a similar to a BRUKL report, however it also requires photographic evidence of compliance to be documented for key areas related to energy efficiency such as insulation continuity in floors, walls and roofs.
Both reports highlight the energy efficiency targets that must be hit for the building in question and are run twice: once at the design stage and again then after construction has been completed to check the ‘as-built’ compliance.
BRUKL and a BREL reports are important as they are used by Building Control to check for compliance. Any areas that do not comply are highlighted and, unless these are addressed, the building will not be able to be sold or rented until remedial action is taken to rectify the problem.
As Part L requires SAP calculations for dwellings and SBEM calculations for non-domestic buildings to be undertaken anyway, getting these compliance reports from your chosen SAP or SBEM provider is straightforward. The software compares the actual building performance against the target performance of notional building of the same type and, at the click of a mouse, shows compliance or otherwise in the detailed BRUKL or BREL report.
Whilst the production of the compliance report itself is relatively simple, in the experienced hands of an energy and sustainability consultant, the software itself can become a key tool in optimising the energy efficiency of SAP and SBEM projects.
The CO2 emission targets can be hit in a number of ways by adjusting the balance between fabric performance, heating efficiency, air permeability and use of renewable or low carbon technologies. An experienced consultant will be able to look at the project brief and run the software calculations to work out the most cost effective, efficient and complaint solution.
The sooner you can get the reassurance that your project plans are on track to deliver a compliant outcome, the better. For that reason alone, getting a consultant involved early makes a lot of sense. However, the right consultant, as well as being an expert in running SAP or SBEM projects, can also offer advice and guidance on other areas of your project.
Where projects aim to go beyond minimum compliance to building regulations, such as those requiring BREEAM certification, the consultant will be able to look at the impact of various enhanced energy efficiency measures to show their effect on gaining extra BREEAM assessment credits and improving the sustainability of the building.
A consultant will also be able to impress upon the project team the importance of making sure the original materials chosen and design proposed, is actually implemented on-site, so that building performance and compliance is not compromised.
Where projects encounter challenges, an experienced consultant can analyse the potential effect of any proposed changes. If required, supporting evidence from such areas as thermal bridging models, overheating analyses and daylight calculations can be provided to model the best path forward, both for compliance reasons and to ensure the project delivers other client or local authority requirements.
At Darren Evans, we have an experienced team of net zero carbon consultants who can produce BRUKL or BREL reports from SBEM and SAP calculations and provide a broad range of other assessment services. We offer advice on issues affecting the built environment and if you would like a chat about your latest project please contact us and we will be happy to see if we can help.
