PV battery storage seems to be surging in popularity as it has finally become properly viable for domestic customers, thanks to the reduction in capital cost and simultaneous increase in energy prices. The availability of PV battery options also looks to have nudged more homeowners into installing PV systems.

District heating isn’t really a new concept, but we have come a long way since the inefficient communal heating systems of the 1960s and 1970s. A new breed of district heating schemes looks to lower energy use through high-efficiency centralised plant, well-insulated pipework distribution, and heat metering for each dwelling or commercial unit.

Lowering your home’s heating overnight will not only reduce your energy bills, it can improve your health, too – so you can feel doubly positive about turning the thermostat down a degree or two. The biggest impact that lowering your heating overnight can have is on your quality of sleep – which of course is central to health.

Solar battery storage is getting increased attention at the moment, as energy – because of its rapidly increasing cost and its sourcing challenges – is hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Businesses and householders are looking for ways to reduce their reliance on energy companies, reduce their grid-bought electricity therefore reducing their bills, and get the most out of their solar photovoltaic arrays.

Part O couldn’t have been more timely. With this month’s record-breaking temperatures and the first ever Red warning about extreme heat issued by the Met Office, overheating mitigation is front of mind for many people. As temperatures increase due to global warming, we are finding that our UK housing stock simply isn’t prepared for hotter climes. However, simple measures such as limiting window size and using shutters – just as you see in the architecture of countries with higher summer temperatures – can help us to maintain safe internal temperatures.

Part S of the Building Regulations, covering the infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles (EVs), is a new piece of legislation which takes effect on 15th June 2022. It does not apply to work subject to a building notice, full plans application or initial notice submitted before that date, provided the work is started on site before 15th June 2023 – although we have been seeing plenty of schemes already incorporating charging points, either due to planning conditions or demand from purchasers.