Commercial Energy Performance Certificates

Evans Jones LLP offers a level 4 compliant assessment service for commercial Energy Performance Certificates catering for new and existing non-dwellings.

Given our technical background in construction we are able to not only assess the buildings but also make informed and cost effective suggestions as to how to improve the performance of a building in terms of its carbon emissions.

What is an EPC / DEC?

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) / Display Energy Certificate (DEC) is a certificate that conveys information about the potential energy performance of a building. It rates buildings from A-G based on CO² emissions in a similar format to that used to rate electrical goods. The EPC will be accompanied by a ‘Recommendation Report’ identifying potential areas for improvements in the building. An EPC certificate is valid for 10 years unless a building is altered or modified. In the case of residential buildings this timeframe has been reduced to 3 years.

When is an EPC / DEC required?

An EPC is required for all non-domestic commercial buildings, in excess of 50sqm, and which:

• are for sale or rent
• have been altered and these alterations include the provision or extension of fixed services for heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation. In such instances an EPC will be required by the relevant Building Control body before they will issue a ‘Certificate of Completion’.

If the building is over 1000sqm, is occupied by Public Authorities or is occupied by institutions providing public services to a large number of persons, a DEC and Asset Report will be required in addition to the EPC and ‘Recommendation Report’.

Who can provide an EPC / DEC?

EPCs can only be provided by government accredited ‘Energy Assessors’, who must be qualified for the type of building being assessed.

Levels of assessor include:

• Level 3 - simple, existing non-dwellings: small dwellings such as house conversions, using SBEM
• Level 4 – new and existing non-dwellings: small purpose built office buildings, using SBEM
• Level 5 – new and existing complex non-dwellings: large office buildings or factories, using modelling tools eg Dynamic Simulation Model (DSM)

What is involved?

To generate an EPC Evans Jones will establish:

• The dimensions and volume of the building
• The uses and division of zones within the building
• The fuel source
• Heating / cooling methods
• Form of construction. Where this cannot be easily determined it will be assumed that the building was constructed in accordance with the relevant building regulations at the time of construction.

The information is used to generate the SBEM calculation, the ‘Asset Figure’ and finally the EPC calculation.

Along with the EPC a ‘Recommendation Report’ is produced. This provides information related to improvements that could be made to the building to enhance its performance in terms of carbon emissions. For each recommendation, indicative paybacks are noted.

The recommendations are provided in four categories:

• Those with a short term payback – less than three years
• Those with a medium term payback – between three and seven years.
• Those with a long term payback – greater than seven years; and
• Other recommendations (based on the energy assessor’s knowledge).

Who is responsible for providing an EPC?

When constructing or modifying a non-dwelling

• When the building is being constructed it is the responsibility of the contractor to provide the building owner with an EPC.
• If a building is modified it is the responsibility of the person carrying out the modifications to provide the owner of the building with an EPC.

When selling or letting a commercial property

• When the building is in the process of being offered for sale it is the responsibility of the seller (agent) to make an EPC available to prospective purchasers.
• When a building is being offered for let it is the responsibility of the landlord (agent) to make an EPC available to prospective tenants.

What will it cost?

The cost of providing an EPC will vary depending on:

• The size of the building
• The complexity of the building (varying uses / multiple heating / cooling systems etc)
• The amount of information that is available

What are the penalties for not conforming to the legislation?

The provision of EPCs / DECs is policed by the Trading Standards. The penalty for failing to make an EPC available to any prospective buyer or tenant when selling or letting non-dwellings is fixed, at 12.5 % of the rateable value of the building, with a default of £750 where the formula cannot be applied. The penalty is £500 for failing to display a DEC at all times in a prominent place, clearly visible to the public, and £1,000 for failing to have possession of a valid advisory report.

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