Further to WQ95770, will the Cabinet Secretary provide the latest timetable for the Part L consultation of the building regulations and confirm whether it will include proposals to enforce the installation of solar panels on every new house and install heating systems that do not use oil or gas?
The Welsh Government has commenced a review of Part L of the Building regulations, and a public consultation is currently being finalised. The estimated timescale for publication of the consultation is this summer, which will contain the full technical details of the proposals.
To provide a clear pathway to industry, our previous Part L consultation highlighted that all new homes will require a low carbon heating system (such as a heat pump) to meet the next proposed Part L standard.
Our previous Part L 2022 amendments included solar panels within the notional building specification which sets the energy target. Although not mandatory, this encourages the use of renewable energy in new dwellings.