Future Homes Standard CPD helps specifiers navigate window-by-window compliance

Deceuninck has launched a new CPD for architects and specifiers to explain the practical impact of the Future Homes Standard on window and door specification.

While the headline u-value requirement for new build windows remains unchanged at 1.2W/m²K, the methodology used to assess compliance has shifted significantly. Instead of relying on a standard model window, performance is now assessed against the exact size and configuration of each individual window supplied.

That means achieving compliance becomes more challenging, particularly on smaller windows and more complex designs where frame proportion, glazing area and components such as mullions, transoms, cills and vents can have a greater impact on thermal performance.

Peter Dyer, Head of Commercial, Deceuninck, said: “A lot of people will look at the Future Homes Standard and assume that because the u-value target hasn’t changed, nothing much has changed. That’s not the case.

“What’s changed is the calculation. The move away from a standard reference window to the assessment of each individual window means architects and specifiers need to think much more carefully about the products they put into a scheme, and how those products perform in real-world applications.”

He continued: “Under the new approach, windows and doors have to work harder within the overall energy model of the building. A specification that looked straightforward under the old methodology can become much more difficult to justify when every individual window is assessed on its actual configuration.

“That’s why early design input matters. The right system choice can help protect thermal performance without creating unnecessary cost or forcing over-specification.”

Deceuninck’s new certified CPD, Future Homes Standard: Designing Net Zero Ready Homes, has been developed to help architects, specifiers and developers understand the implications of the regulatory change and make more informed decisions at design stage.

The CPD explains the shift in methodology, the implications for window and door specification, and how early engagement can support compliance, cost control and better overall building performance.

Peter concluded: “This is about giving specifiers clarity. The Future Homes Standard introduces a different way of thinking about compliance, and our CPD is designed to help the market understand what that means in practice and how to respond to it with confidence.”

For more information about Deceuninck’s CPD programme please visit: Deceuninck – Providers | The CPD Certification Service