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Commercial Buildings - Overview

Elmhurst is offering FREE Commercial Accreditation (offer ends 31st March 2010)

Overview

The Secretary of State has approved Elmhurst Energy Systems to operate an Accreditation Scheme that satisfies the requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations for the production of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for commercial buildings (non-dwellings) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs) for public buildings.

What are the requirements? All Commercial buildings (non- dwellings) require EPCs to be produced when they are constructed, sold or rented.  A legally valid EPC can only be produced by a qualified Commercial Energy Assessor (CEA) who is licensed with a Government approved Accreditation Scheme and must be completed using an approved software methodology. EPCs provide information on the energy efficiency, heating costs and carbon emissions of the building and also suggest potential energy efficiency improvements that can be made. The requirement for EPCs for commercial buildings in England & Wales was phased in throughout 2008 and are now mandatory for all commercial buildings on completion of construction, sale and rental.

Separate requirements for Display Energy Certificates (DECs) to be displayed on large public buildings (over 1000 m²) came into effect from October 2008.  DECs are similar to EPCs but are calculated in a different way using information from a buildings energy bills.

In Northern Ireland these requirements (EPCs and DECs) were implemented from the 30th December 2008.

Elmhurst Software, Training and Accreditation options

To produce the appropriate reports an approved software methodology must be used which for EPCs for non-dwellings is the Simplified Building Energy Method (SBEM) and for DECs for public buildings, will use an approved Operational Rating (OR) system.

There are two principal routes to commercial accreditation. One involves undertaking a new entrant qualification and the other (only available to experienced persons), which is called the Approved Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) route. Elmhurst provides both new entrant and APEL training options.

Elmhurst also operates an approved Accreditation Scheme which enables commercial EPCs and DECs to be produced by appropriately qualified, insured energy assessors that are subject to strict independent quality standards.