Specialising in accredited energy ratings and consultancy services.The EPC Company is an established company specialising in the production of Accredited Energy Ratings & Consultancy Services for the Domestic/Commercial Property Market and the Building/Construction Industry within Northern Ireland.
An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) rates the energy performance of a building. It is broadly similar in design and intent to the well-established coloured energy labels provided with electrical appliances such as refrigerators and washing machines.
It gives the building a standard energy and carbon (C02) emission efficiency grade from 'A' to 'G', where A is very efficient and G and is very inefficient. The higher the rating the more energy efficient the building is and therefore the fuel bills will be lower.
As well as rating the property, part of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a recommendation report which lists the potential rating the building could achieve. Recommendations are given on how to improve the rating of the property and estimation on how much money these improvements could save you.
As soon as the building is marketed for sale or rent the EPC must be in place. This is the responsibility of the owner and the agent. Failure to have an EPC will result in both parties being subject to a fine.
The penalty for failing to comply with the leglislation for domestic properties is a fine of £200 and for commercial properties is a fine fixed @ 12.5% of rateable value of the building.
SAP (Standard Assessment Procedure) Calculations are required to adhere to Building Regulations Part F (2006) for the compliance for all new build domestic dwellings, conversions and extensions.
Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is the UK government's approved method of assessing a building's energy performance and is now mandatory for all new build dwellings.
The first part of the SAP calculations involves the assessor working out a Target Carbon Dioxide Emissions Rate (TER) for the dwelling. The next step in the SAP report process sees the assessor calculate the Dwelling Carbon Emissions Rate (DER). If this is equal to or less than the TER then the SAP rating shows a pass and the SAP calculations are complete.
If the DER is not equal to or less than the TER then the SAP assessor will liaise with the client and suggest changes that will improve the DER to ensure that the SAP calculations achieve a pass.
SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) Calculations are required to adhere to Building Regulations Part F (2006) for the compliance for all new build commercial buildings, conversions and extensions
Tha same principal applies here as to a SAP Calculation with having to calculate a target the surpass that target to achieve a Pass.
An SBEM calculation aims to ensure that your building is compliant with current building regulations. A large part of the SBEM calculation is to determine whether the U-Values of the Walls, Floor and Roof meet current standards. In order to ensure that this is the case and to gain a pass on the SBEM report it is advisable to make sure that all constructions have as much insulation as possible.
All objects emit thermal energy in the form of infrared radiation. The EPC Company offers a diagnostic testing service using the latest computerised infrared equipment to detect air leakage routes, missing or poor insulation and other causes of heat loss from all types of buildings and homes.
The higher the temperature of an object, the higher the level of energy radiated. A thermal image camera detects the energy on the surface of an object, and creates a coloured picture distinguishing 'hot' from 'cold.' It is a popular method of inspection, as it is non-contact and non-destructive.
Correct analysis of an image is key, as what appears hot or cold may actually be the result of a combination of factors, such as air flow over or behind the surface, missing or defective insulation, thermal bridging, moisture etc.
A correctly recorded and analysed image can readily identify anomalies that would otherwise go undetected. Thermal imaging can be used as an early investigative tool, to allow targeted follow up of anomalies using conventional inspection techniques. In electrical applications, it can be used as a predictive maintenance tool, identifying overheating connections and components caused for example, by over or unbalanced loading, and loose connections.
We provide you with a comprehensive survey report of the images of your home/building identifying energy loss caused by missing or defective insulation, air leaks, moisture penetration and thermal bridging. We provide you with an interpretation of the images that can help inform maintenance and investment decisions.
We also respond to client requests on a range of other infrared applications, including under floor heating checks or leaks. If you have a specific request or would like more information please get in touch.
DECs (Display Energy Certificate) are designed to promote the improvement of the energy performance of public buildings. They are based upon actual energy usage of a building and increase transparency about the energy efficiency of public buildings. The certificate looks similar to the energy labels provided on new cars and electrical appliances such as fridges and freezers – it uses a similar scale for energy efficiency, i.e. from A to G with A being the most efficient and G the least. The A3 sized certificate is valid for one year and is accompanied by an Advisory Report (AR) which is valid for seven years. The advisory report is designed to help building owners occupiers to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings so that future DECs show a better rating. ARs do not need to be displayed, but must be available
The penalty for failing to display a DEC where required is £500 and the penalty for not having an advisory report available is £1,000. However, the enforcement authority is usually the local authority, so the system is largely self policing.
In the future the Government is expected to extend the requirement for DECs to smaller public buildings and perhaps to large privately owned buildings which the public have access to, such as supermarkets. It is, however, surely right that the public sector should lead the way in making buildings more energy efficient, thereby reducing the burden of high fuel costs on the tax payer and helping to reduce Britain's carbon footprint with a view to meeting the ambitious targets that the Government has set itself.
The Code complements the system of Energy Performance Certificates for new homes introduced in 2008 under the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, and builds on the most recent changes to Building Regulations.
The code works by awarding new homes a star rating from 1 to 6, based on their performance against 9 sustainability criteria which are combined to assess the overall environmental impact. One star is entry level above building regulations, and six stars is the highest, reflecting exemplary developments in terms of sustainability.
The sustainability criteria by which new homes are measured are:
Air tightness testing is the procedure to trace any unwanted drafts and uncontrolled airflow through the house. Too much air leakage leads to heat loss resulting in low efficiency & higher C02 emissions. Building Regulations stipulate maximum allowable air permeability rates for all new domestic and non-domestic buildings respectively and that air tightness testing be carried out upon completion of construction to verify compliance with these standards. The end result/ leakage rate is required for the completion of the As-Built SAP or SBEM Calculations to acquire Building Control approval and final completion certificate.
An Air Conditioning Inspection Certificate is mandatory for all air conditioning systems over 12kW from January 2011. The primary aim of the report is to give building owners and operators information about the performance of the systems and plant and to identify opportunities to save energy and cut operating cuts. The report identifies any operating anomalies, low and no cost savings and capital investment opportunities, the size and effectiveness of the plant installed in relation to cooling loads, and an examination of the current maintenance regimes. The penalty for failing to have an air-conditioning inspection report is fixed at present at £300.
The Low Carbon Homes scheme is a rate relief which came into effect on 1 April 2010. It aims to encourage the building of low and zero carbon homes in Northern Ireland. This is a new scheme that will provide full rate relief to:
Whether low or zero carbon, the home will be highly insulated all round (ground and exposed floors, roof(s) and exposed walls). The home will also be very airtight to reduce heat losses due to draughts. The basic concept is to ‘build tight, ventilate right.’
Low carbon homes are likely to have highly efficient condensing boilers (up to 97% efficient) to provide space heating and also solar water heating and/or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
Zero carbon homes are likely to have wood or wood pellet burning stoves for space heating or alternatively, air or ground source heat pumps, or even a mix. This will be coupled with solar panels for domestic hot water and Photo Voltaic panels (PV) or wind generators to produce electricity (electricity being the most carbon intensive energy source of all with a generation efficiency of around 27%).
These are just some examples of what you could expect to see in a low or zero carbon home. What are the conditions of the Low Carbon Homes Scheme?
A low carbon home must meet the following conditions:
1. The dwelling CO2 emission rate of the house over the course of a year must be no more than 56% of the target CO2 emissions rate, as calculated in accordance with the approved methodology.
2. The space heating requirement of the dwelling-house over the course of the year must be no more than 23 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m2/year), as calculated in accordance with the approved methodology.
It should be noted that having an ‘A grade’ energy performance certificate (EPC) with an Environmental Index (EI) rating of 92 or above, will not necessarily equate with a property being low carbon for the purpose of this scheme. A number of factors, not simply the EI rating, have to be taken into account in determining whether your property is low carbon. The calculation can only be completed by an accredited assessor when issuing the EPC.
A zero carbon home must meet the following conditions:
1. The heat loss parameter of the dwelling-house must be no more than 0.8 Watts per square metre Kelvin (W/m2K), as calculated in accordance with the approved methodology.
2. The dwelling CO2 emission rate of the house over the course of a year must be no more than zero kilograms per square metre (kg/m2/year), as calculated in accordance with the approved methodology.
3. The net CO2 emissions from the dwelling-house over the course of a year must be no more than zero kilograms per square metre (kg/m2/year), as calculated in accordance with the approved methodology.
For a property to be deemed to be zero carbon it will have to have an ‘A grade’ EPC, with an EI rating of 100.
Anyone wishing to build to a low/zero carbon home may wish to seek advice from our professional energy consultant who is also a qualified On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor (OCDEA). We will not only be able to ensure Building Regulations compliance but also advise as to the most cost effective route to achieving low or zero carbon standards.
