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Energy performance

Description

Since 2008 the Government has required all houses and flats in the UK to be provided with Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) when put up for sale.

This requirement extends also to newly constructed dwellings and is significantly more onerous as the assessment procedure considers the building in much greater detail.

The Energy Performance Certificate looks at the energy a dwelling will consume for its space, heating, domestic hot water and lighting needs and reduces this down to a score out of 100.  A grading letter is also given on a certificate which is similar to that seen on new white goods in the shops.  In order to achieve this, a detailed calculation has to be carried out using the Government approved Standard Assessment Procedure or SAP.

SAP requires details of many aspects of the building, including fabric insulation, window design, air tightness, boiler type, fuel, water heating and storage to name but a few.  As well as deriving a dwellings energy usage and EPC score, SAP also calculates its carbon emissions, which is an important factor in the Government’s environmental strategy.

The dwellings carbon emissions rate (DER) must be less than a calculated target rate (TER) and is currently the only acceptable way of showing that a new dwelling complies with the Building Regulations for energy use.

A SAP calculation showing compliance must be submitted with the design for the dwelling before work commences, and an additional calculation submitted on completion of the works.  In addition, before the work can be signed-off by the Building Inspector, an EPC must also be submitted.

A competent person can carry-out a Dwelling Emission Calculation using SAP, but only persons accredited by the Government via its agents can issue an EPC – REMEMBER NO EPC, NO COMPLETION CERTIFICATE.

BRD Tech is qualified to carry out SAP calculations and are accredited to issue Energy Performance Certificates.  We use our knowledge and experience to provide homogenous energy designs for dwellings from conception to completion, including all aspects of producing and lodging an EPC.

SAP is and will remain the primary tool for checking a dwellings compliance with energy regulations and will assume an even more important role in the design process as we move towards “zero carbon” homes in 2016 with the major changes due in 2010 and 2013.  These will see significant reductions in permissible carbon emissions from that currently in force.

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