Climate change looks set to claim an unexpected new victim – Britain’s conservatories.
Although they are desirable for middle-class properties, sun traps may overheat during our hot summers.
New regulations have been introduced to make conservatories in new homes far less common.
Any conservatory that is part of any new development must be shown it won’t create unwanted solar gain.
It is just one part of several measures that aim to futureproof homes against heat waves of up to 40C (104F) in summer.
Even though the temperatures are higher than what we currently have in Britain, these highs could cause conservatories and other indoor spaces to heat up, increasing their temperature.
A conservatory designed to be part of a development that includes solar energy will have to prove it is not creating unwanted solar gains (file Photo).
These new regulations, which aim to increase domestic ventilation and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 30%, will restrict window sizes based on the direction that they face and whether there are likely to be excessive heat.
Unheated conservatories may be exempted if they are separate from the home with exterior walls and doors.
But others will face complex and expensive modelling to show they will not become too hot in the summer – limiting the use of trendy floor-to-ceiling glass.
Therefore, conservatories might become more expensive than cheaper properties.
Rico Wojtulewicz is the head of planning and housing policy at National Federation of Builders. He told The Daily Telegraph that while we can construct heavily glazed buildings, smaller builders who have a variety of housing types may not be able to do so due to the cost of dynamic thermal modeling on every home.