Group

Decisions, decisions! Our lives are brimming with them, from the small and ordinary, such as what to eat, to the crucial, such as what Commercial Energy Performance Certificate Assessors to invest in. Where you hold a valid EPC or you are not otherwise required to obtain an EPC for a property, a new EPC may see a property’s rating downgraded which may engage MEES obligations where the property could otherwise have been lawfully let for the foreseeable future. When a Commercial Building goes through a significant update for example a change of use, changes to the fabric of the building, significant extension additions to the property and/or changes to the provision of fixed services then a new Commercial EPC will be required. If you are renting or selling your property as of the 1st of October 2008 you will require an energy performance certificate also known as an EPC. This is required before marketing of your property can commence. The EPC lasts 10 years and is carried out by one of our accredited energy assessors. This certificate is fully compliant and can be used with any estate agent. If you are looking to privately rent a property, checking the EPC could help give you an idea of what the energy bill costs could be (although the actual cost will also depend on your own energy usage). The recommendations provided on an EPC are cumulative meaning that they should be installed in the order they appear on the EPC to achieve the potential energy efficiency rating. Should you choose not to follow the order they appear in, the potential energy efficiency rating may change. Scotland’s EPC will also show how recommendations will impact the environment rating after improvement. As we start to turn our minds to a greener future, there has never been so much pressure on home owners and business owners to run energy efficient properties, especially in the commercial arena, where businesses are encouraged to make sure they are doing everything possible to run a clean building and reduce energy wastage and harmful emissions. EPC ratings are increasingly important for a range of reasons, so if your EPC is wrong it could cause issues for you. Your EPC rating affects the resale and letting of properties, and it can also prevent you from accessing Government grants, so it is important that your EPC is right. Since 2013, listed buildings have been exempt from EPCs, provided they reach certain minimum standards for energy performance. Ironically, the best way to check whether your building meets these standards is to get an EPC. If your listed building already had an EPC before the exemption came into place, you will have to make sure it has an E rating before you can rent it out. This may require some changes. An EPC won’t reflect any changes made since the inspection date. If you have made changes that you think may have improved your rating, you will need to pay for a new inspection. EPC’s for homes were first introduced in 2007 as part of Home Information Packs (HIP’s) for home sellers. HIP’s were scrapped in 2010 but if you're selling your house you're still legally required to have an EPC in place. Conducting viability appraisals with respect to non domestic epc register is useful from the outset of any project. Target Emissions Rate For Public Buildings of a certain size which are occupied by public authorities, Display Energy Certificates are a requirement showing the buildings operational rating and how efficiently the building is being used in terms of energy saving measures. Energy efficient building design and appliances all help to limit these things, and by obtaining a green certificate, you are making it clear you are committed to the limitation and elimination of your greenhouse gas contribution, giving you a more favorable appearance in the eyes and mind of a more green-conscious era. Even if you are not selling, it can still be helpful to obtain an EPC for your property. You can use the information to make your home more environmentally friendly and cut your fuel bills. With residential property accounting for almost 30% of carbon emissions in the UK, cutting the environmental impact of our homes is everybody’s business. An Energy Performance Certificate has been required in England and Wales since September 2007 for any one selling a house. In October 2008 all properties that where on the rental market required an EPC as well. Typically its Estate Agents, Individuals selling a property, Lawyers, Landlords or Companies who work on the Green Deal that require an EPC. An EPC have ever-changing standards and guidelines, and you must adhere to them. The most recent EPC rating requirement revision occurred in 2018, mandating that all new tenancies must have an EPC rating of “E” or higher. However, the laws and regulations governing EPCs for landlords have undergone substantial adjustments in the years after that. You may be asking yourself how does a commercial epc fit into all of this? Once a Domestic Energy Assessor has completed their survey they will have collected the results of the various areas they have surveyed. They will then use these results to calculate an EPC score using a computer program which runs the results through the Reduced Data Standards Assessment Procedure (RDSAP), a calculation model that has been developed by the government. For a landlord or a tenant to meet the qualifications of the golden Rule they must make the necessary changes in order to obtain an EPC rating of E or above. All improvements that are made to the property should be cost-effective and signed by an independent energy assessor. With regard to commercial properties, all investments for energy improvements must be cost-effective within a seven-year period. Please note that this needs very good research as not all assessors meet the same criteria. It's really important to take your time and learn more about the EPC. To improve the energy efficiency of a building there are a number of possible improvements that may have been recommended by the energy assessor compiling the EPC, or can be obtained through a surveyor or other energy efficiency advisor. This may include improvements or extensions to heating and ventilation systems, insulation, glazing, etc. Since 9th January 2013, all advertisements for selling or renting property must clearly show energy rating of the building. If this is not complied with, it can lead to fines upto £200 In January 2017, the Government published its green paper, ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’, which highlighted affordable energy and clean growth as a priority for UK growth. It set out an approach for energy comprising three pillars: delivering affordable energy, in line with the Government’s commitment to ensuring the UK has ‘the lowest energy bills in Europe’; making the UK one of the most advanced economies for mainstream smart grids; and ensuring that the UK can harness the industrial opportunities from new energy technologies. An understanding of the challenges met by mees regulations can enhance the value of a project. Re-Assessing Buildings Commercial property can be improved in a number of ways, depending on the needs of the property. Exterior cladding, roofing, windows and doors, signage, and landscaping are just a few of the options. To get the best results, it's important to research different EPC providers and make sure they are qualified to carry out the work you require. The Dynamic simulation model is a software tool that models energy inputs and outputs for different types of building over time. In certain situations, the simplified building energy model methodology may not be sophisticated enough to provide an accurateassessment of a building’s energy efficiency. In these cases government approved proprietary dynamic simulation Models may be used. The energy assessor is required to visit the premises, in person, and collect a wide range of data from which the EPC Asset Rating is determined. That data is also used by the assessor to determine a range of potential improvements which the energy assessor believes could be made to the property and which if implemented could then improve the EPC Asset Rating. In October 2008 it became law that landlords must provide an Energy Performance Certificate for any domestic EPC property when either renewing a tenancy or starting a new one. If a property was to be advertised for sale or let, the EPC had to be provided at the point of advertising. On 1st April 2018 Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) came in to force for landlord’s in England and Wales. Developers who own freehold assets awaiting development could face similar issues to freehold investors and could find that the timetables of their future development programmes are affected by the MEES Regulations. However, the MEES Regulations may also create opportunities for developers through reducing the acquisition costs of property below the minimum standard. Research around epc commercial property remains patchy at times. Once an EPC assessment has been completed, the EPC is valid for 10 years, and the certificate is available on the UK Government’s Landmark database, which has full public access. A report of recommendations accompanies the certificate, and sets out suggestions to improve the energy efficiency of the building in short, medium and long payback periods. Investing in the appropriate energy-saving measures will lower the complexity and costs of maintaining aged or otherwise insufficient property features or technologies. For example, an old boiler may require regular servicing and can be difficult to fix, not to mention is typically less efficient and costs more to run when compared to modern, high-efficiency boilers. The EPC highlights areas such as this that could benefit from improvement, thus reducing maintenance. Display Energy Certificates (DECs) show the actual energy usage of a public building, the Operational Rating. This is based on the energy consumption of the building as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters. If you're not moving home, an EPC certificate could help you with a range of energy-efficient ideas for your home. Even if you rent, you could still try some of the smaller ideas, such as draught-proofing. EPC certificates are valid for 10 years from the date the report is produced. The local weights and measures authority enforces the regulations relating to energy performance certificates (EPCs). An authorised officer of the local weights and measures authority has the power to require production of a valid EPC and recommendation report for inspection from any potential landlord. The authorised officer can take copies of any document produced for inspection. A solid understanding of mees makes any related process simple and hassle free. The Ideal Energy Performance Certificate Rating An EPC is valid for 10 years and can be reused as many times as required within that period. The regulations require an EPC to be commissioned, if there is no valid EPC for that building, before a building is put on the market. An EPC is required when a building is constructed, rented or sold. A building will need an EPC if it has a roof and walls and has heating, air conditioning or mechanical ventilation. A garden shed, garage or old barn would not need an EPC if it doesn’t use energy to heat it up or cool it down. Unfortunately, an EPC is not ALWAYS entirely accurate due to the longevity and there a lot of assumptions made. You can check out supplementary intel relating to Commercial Energy Performance Certificate Assessors at this UK Government Website web page. Related Articles: Background Information About Commercial Energy Performance Certificate Contractors Supplementary Insight On Accredited Energy Assessors Background Insight About Commercial EPC Contractors Background Information About Non-Domestic EPC Contractors More Background Information About Non-Domestic Energy Performance Certificate Contractors Further Findings On Fully Accredited Commercial Energy Assessors Further Insight With Regard To Fully Accredited Energy Assessors