| The Introduction of Energy Performance Certificates |
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The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive and the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPC's)
Scotland The EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) was published in 2003 and requires all member states to implement legislation relating to the energy use of buildings. In particular all newly constructed domestic and non-domestic buildings and all existing large public buildings will require an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC). The requirements must be implemented in full by January 2009. A non-domestic EPC shows the carbon emissions from the particular building in kg CO2/m²/yr and the predicted energy use from the building in kWh/m²/yr. The carbon emissions figure is used to give a rating from A to G with A being carbon neutral or similar and G being very inefficient. The certificate also shows, for comparison, what rating a building built at the date of issue to current building regulations would receive. The certificate is accompanied by a series of cost effective improvements that could be made to the assessed building to improve the energy performance and the rating the building would receive if these measures were to be carried out. The timetable for the introduction of EPCs in Scotland has been agreed as follows:
*To align with introduction of single survey In Scotland an EPC for a new building is normally issued by the individual checking compliance with section 6.1 of the building regulations. A calculation tool such as SBEM is used to check that the predicted carbon emissions from the building are lower than the target set out by the regulations. This calculation is normally carried out by a member of the design team who is trained in the use of the software. See more about RSP's trained individuals. To issue an EPC for an existing building an individual must be an accredited Energy Assessor who has been trained and examined by an approved scheme provider. Public buildings are defined as buildings with a net floor area greater than 1000m² occupied by a public authority or institution providing a public service to large numbers of people.
In England and Wales there are two types of certificate. An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for construction, sale or rental of a building and is based on an asset rating. The responsibility for these lies with the owner. It must be accompanied by a recommendation report which identifies possible improvements. Both the report and the EPC must be compiled by an accredited energy assessor and are valid for 10 yrs. A Display Energy Certificate (DEC) is for public display in buildings with a net floor area >1000m² occupied by a public authority or institution providing a public service to large numbers of people. They are based on an operational rating which divides the annual consumption by a benchmark figure. The responsibility for these lies with the occupiers and they must be updated annually. They will be accompanied by an advisory report which makes recommendations to improve energy performance. An advisory report is valid for 7 yrs. These must also be compiled by an accredited individual. Examples of buildings requiring a DEC would be universities, hospitals, prisons, police, leisure centres, libraries and schools. The timetable for implementation in England and Wales is shown below:
*a system first put into service on or after 1 January 2008 must have a first inspection within 5 years of it first being put into service. In addition to the EPC and DEC certificates legislation is being introduced in England and Wales regarding air conditioning systems. All systems over 12 kW will require inspection every 5 years with the dates of the first inspections shown in the table above. The inspections must be carried out by accredited air conditioning energy assessors. Article written by Carol Thain who is an environmental engineer based in our Edinburgh office. References
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