Fixed building services
According to the Domestic Building Services Compliance Guide published by HM Government in 2013, the term ‘fixed building services’ refers any part of, or any controls associated with:
- Fixed internal or external lighting systems, but does not include emergency escape lighting or specialist process lighting.
- Fixed systems for heating, domestic hot water, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation.
- Any combination of those systems.
Approved Document L, Conservation of fuel and power, Volume 1: Dwellings, 2021 edition incorporating 2023 amendments, suggests that fixed building services are defined in regulation 2(1) as:
…any part of, or any controls associated with:
- a. fixed internal or external lighting systems (but not including emergency escape lighting or specialist process lighting);
- b. fixed systems for heating, hot water, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation; or
- c. any combination of systems of the kinds referred to in paragraph (a) or (b).
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Air conditioning.
- Building Automation and Control System BACS.
- Building management systems.
- Building services.
- Building services engineer.
- Domestic building services compliance guide.
- Fixed external lighting.
- HVAC.
- Mechanical ventilation.
- Non-domestic building services compliance guide.
- Principal works.
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