The Complete Property Solution Company
Green Credentials / Corporate Responsibility
As from January 1st 2009 ALL commercial premises, in excess of 50 square meters, whether let, sold, assigned or transferred to a pension fund / another company will legally require a Non Domestic Energy Performance Certificate (ND-EPC) these are also commonly know as a Commercial EPC.
Since the introduction of the initial legislation, April 2008, EPG have produced Commercial EPC’s for clients throughout the UK, from the likes of leading breweries to a wide selection of the most recognisable and trusted high street banks, building societies and leading brands.
Our expertise has extended to surveying buildings ranging in size from 540 square feet to well in excess of 400,000 square feet. And have ranged from a simple level 3 building right through to the most complex Level 5 Buildings utilising Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM).
Choosing EPG as your Commercial / Public EPC supplier ensures that you and your clients will benefit from a service that is second to none with a complete one stop solution for all of your legal property requirements, coupled with industry leading turnaround times.
· Commercial Level 3, 4 & 5 Energy Surveys
· Display Energy Certificates (Public Building / Green Credentials)
· Level 2, 3 & 4 Asbestos Surveys
· Air conditioning surveys
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific requirements, provide you with a service and product that we GUARANTEE will meet with your requirements.
Green Credentials / Corporate Responsibility
In addition to the introduction of the commercial EPC’s, 2008 also saw the introduction of the Display Energy Certificates (DEC’s). The main noticeable difference between commercial and display energy certificates is that commercial is often referred to as an asset rating as this is based on the physical assets of the property conversely, DEC’s are an ‘operation rating’, in simple terms and as a rule of thumb commercial EPC ‘s are a measure of how good a building is, while DEC’s are a measure of how good it is being run, or not! EPG are currently undertaking and producing a large number of DEC’s for organisations where the DEC’s appeal enables them to demonstrate and promote their sustainability credentials. With Corporate Responsibility (CR) rising up the agendas of many private sector organisations, positive CR results are increasingly being seen as a marketing assets, therefore progressive private sector companies are increasingly beginning to undertake, and display, DECs voluntarily in order to display their “green credentials”. Over the forthcoming 18 months EPG will produced approximately 1800 DEC’s for a varied selection of high street companies that are all voluntarily displaying their “green credentials”.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific requirements, provide you with a service and product that we GUARANTEE will meet with your requirements
Public Buildings (DEC’s)
Display Energy Certificates (DEC’s) and Advisory Reports (AR’s) are now required for all buildings with a total useful floor area in excess of 1,000m2 which are occupied by either a Public Authority or an Institution providing a public service that is frequently visited by members of the general public. A DEC provides an overview of the energy performance of a building based upon its actual recorded annual energy consumption as determined by the heating and electricity usage. Each DEC must also be accompanied by a valid Advisory Report, which outlines a series of potential measures for improving the energy performance of the building. Whilst DECs must be recalculated annually, the Advisory Report is valid for a period of 7 years. EPG’s in-house team of accredited DEC Assessors enable us to offer a professional and reliable service throughout the UK. From a single standalone building to a nationwide programme EPG are able to accommodate your specific requirements and provide you with a highly competitive rate.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific requirements, provide you with a service and product that we GUARANTEE will meet with your requirements
Air Conditioning System Inspections
Air conditioning systems can account for 50% of the energy used in a building, and have therefore been specifically targeted in the new legislation.
EPG are here to help you comply with this aspect of EPBD and the new Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations. The aims of the inspection are to:
· Provide building owners/operators with information about system performance, and
· Identify opportunities to reduce your CO2 emissions and save energy and money
The output of the inspection will be a report highlighting measures which, if adopted, will have the potential to save energy and money within a reasonable payback period. Inspection reports will remain valid for five years, after which the system will require another inspection.
Which systems require inspection?
An air conditioning system is defined within the regulations as “a combination of all the components required to provide a form of air treatment in which the temperature is controlled or can be lowered, and includes systems which combine such air treatment with the control of ventilation, humidity and air cleanliness”. The regulations are being adopted in two phases. The first phase applies to systems with a rated cooling capacity above 250 kW and the second phase for the remaining systems over 12 kW. The cooling capacity of an air conditioning ‘system’ is further defined as “the sum of all individual cooling units under the control of one building owner or operator”. It may therefore include smaller ‘window-box’ and split units which are considered to be part of the ‘system’.
When will the Regulations apply?
· First inspection of all existing systems over 250 kW cooling capacity must be completed by 4 January 2009.
· First inspection of all existing systems over 12 kW must be completed by 4 January 2011.
· New systems over 12 kW installed after January 2008 must be inspected within 5 years of being put into service.
Who can inspect air conditioning systems?
Air conditioning system inspections can only be completed by a qualified and accredited commercial energy assessor. Our in-house team of commercial air conditioning energy assessor are fully accredited to undertake your air conditioning system inspection. We are one of the first companies in the UK able to provide this service to clients, complimented by our ability to produce DEC and ND-EPC’s along side.
Contact Us
To discover how EPG Ltd can help you comply with the Regulations by providing your air conditioning inspection reports, please ring us on 0115 9458794 or click here to obtain a quotation.
To compliment our existing portfolio of services EPG are able to provide Type 1,2
& 3 Asbestos Surveys throughout the UK with our fully qualified and experienced in-house
assessors.
Type 1 Asbestos Survey: Location and assessment survey (presumptive survey)
The purpose of the survey is to locate, as far as reasonably practicable, the presence and extent of any suspect Asbestos Containing Materials in the building and assess their condition. This survey essentially defers the need to sample and analyse for asbestos (or the absence thereof) until a later time (e.g. prior to demolition or major refurbishment). The duty holder bears potential additional costs of management for some Non-Asbestos-Containing Materials. All areas should be accessed and inspected as far as reasonably practicable (e.g. above false ceilings and inside risers, service ducts, lift shafts, etc) or must be presumed to contain asbestos. Any material which can reasonably be expected to contain asbestos must be presumed to contain asbestos, and where it appears highly likely to contain asbestos, there should be a strong presumption that it does. All materials which are presumed to contain asbestos must be assessed.
Type 2 Asbestos Survey: Standard sampling, identification and assessment survey
The purpose and procedures used in this survey are the same as for Type 1, except that representative samples are collected and analysed for the presence of asbestos. Samples from each type of suspect Asbestos Containing Material found are collected and analysed to confirm or refute the surveyor’s judgement. If the material sampled is found to contain asbestos, other similar homogeneous materials used in the same way in the building can be strongly presumed to contain asbestos. Less homogeneous materials will require a greater number of samples. The number should be sufficient for the surveyor to make an assessment of whether asbestos is or is not present. Sampling may take place simultaneously with the survey, or as in the case of some larger surveys, can be carried out as a separate exercise, after the Type 1 survey is complete.
Type 3 Asbestos Survey: Full access sampling and identification survey (pre-demolition/major refurbishment surveys)
This type of survey is used to locate and describe, as far as reasonably practicable, all Asbestos Containing Materials in the building and may involve destructive inspection, as necessary, to gain access to all areas, including those that may be difficult to reach. A full sampling programme is undertaken to identify possible Asbestos Containing Materials and estimates of the volume and surface area of Asbestos Containing Materials made. The survey is designed to be used as a basis for tendering the removal of Asbestos Containing Materials from the building prior to demolition or major refurbishment so the survey does not assess the condition of the asbestos, other than to note areas of damage or where additional asbestos debris may be expected to be present.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific requirements, provide you with a service and product that we GUARANTEE will meet with your requirements.
