Energy Performance Certificates
Did you know that buildings produce nearly half of the UK’s carbon emissions? That’s almost twice that of cars and planes. The way a building is constructed, insulated, heated, ventilated and the type of fuel used, all contribute to its carbon emissions.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are being introduced to help improve the energy efficiency of buildings. From October 2008, the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations (Statutory Instrument SI 2008/2363) requires that all buildings, either commercial or domestic, will need an Energy Performance Certificate upon construction, sale or letting. The certificates provide 'A' to 'G' ratings for the building, with 'A' being the most energy efficient and 'G' being the least. The average rating achieved up to now being 'D'.
EPCs should be issued by energy assessors accredited by an approved energy performance accreditation Schemes (click here for a listing of approved accreditation schemes).
Services Design Associates are accredited
energy assessors and are able produce Energy Performance Certificates together with associative reports
suggesting improvements to make your building more energy efficient.
If you would like a quotation for an Energy Performance Certificate, please email
EPC@services-design.co.uk
and let us have a brief description
of your building, including:
• Location
• Internal floor area (m²)
• Total number of rooms
• Description of building e.g. Office, Warehouse, Industrial Process Building etc
• Approximate age
• Please let us know if floor plans are available
• Please let us know if information is available relating to the building services
and construction (for relatively new buildings this should be available in the
form of building manuals/safety file)
Display Energy Certificates
The EPC is part of a series of measures being introduced across Europe to reflect legislation which will help cut buildings’ carbon emissions and tackle climate change.
Other changes include requiring public buildings - for example town halls, libraries, hospitals etc to display certificates showing the energy efficiency of the building and requiring compulsory inspections for air conditioning systems.
The requirement for Display Energy Certificates came into effect on 1 October 2008.
Display Energy Certificates (DEC’s) show the actual energy usage of a building, the Operational Rating, and help the public see the energy efficiency of a building. This is based on the actual energy consumption of the building as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters. The DEC should be clearly displayed at all times and clearly visible to the public. A DEC should be accompanied by an Advisory Report that lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of the building.
Display Energy Certificates are only required for buildings with a total useful floor area over 1,000m² that are occupied by a public authority or institution providing a public service to a large number of persons and therefore visited by those persons. They are valid for one year. The accompanying Advisory Report is valid for seven years.
Services Design Associates can assist and advise with the implementation of DECs and the subsequent provision of systems necessary to gather required energy usage data. SDA can undertake energy surveys and provide practical advice to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.
