New edition of Technical Handbooks published

A new edition of the Technical Handbooks has been published which implements the Scottish Government's New Build Heat Standard.

Following laying of regulations on in June lastyear, revised Technical Handbooks have been published which will implement changes from 1 April 2024.  

The New Build Heat Standard begins the transition away from carbon-intensive heat solutions by preventing the use of fossil fuel and biofuel combustion appliances in new buildings. Further policy information on the New Build Heat Standard can be found here.

Changes to building standards are made only within Section 6 (Energy):

1. This edition introduces new standard 6.11 ‘Heating and hot water – direct emission heating system‘ which prevents the use of such heating systems in new buildings, with limited and specified exceptions.
2. Standard 6.1 is amended to ‘Energy demand’ and the requirement to demonstrate compliance with an emission target is now removed for new buildings. The delivered energy target introduced in February 2023 is retained.
3. Building specifications which already meet the February 2023 standards and which do not use direct emission heating systems will still comply with standard 6.1 after 1 April 2024.
4. Amended guidance also sets out consequential changes to ‘aspect 1’ reporting in the statement of sustainability required under standard 7.1.

Further reference to the new standard and the need to avoid direct emission heating systems will be made to other supporting guidance, the sustainability label generator and within compliance tools in early 2024.