Commercial Buildings - Software
Elmhurst is offering FREE Non Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA) Accreditation (offer ends 31st August 2010)
The Elmhurst Accreditation Scheme for non domestic and public buildings enables members to produce Government endorsed energy certificates using the appropriate approved methodology.
Software Options
There are currently a large number of SBEM and DEC third party software providers available in the market. Energy assessors are encouraged to look at a number of software providers to make an informed decision and choose the appropriate software package that best suits their individual needs.
Recommended third-party software providers
Elmhurst has viewed a number of software packages and has chosen the following as our preferred software suppliers. Options range from basic data entry software to 3D graphical interfaces. However, if you wish to use an alternative to the Elmhurst preferred software, please contact the Accreditation Team on 01455 883 253.
Please note that assessors who choose to use third-party approved software for their EPC production may incur further third-party software charges which are not covered as part of this scheme. iSBEM incurs no additional charges and is free to download. The Elmhurst Non Domestic Technical Support Team is trained on all preferred software suppliers in order to provide support on SBEM and DEC methodology.
List of Elmhurst Approved software providers
Selecting the appropriate software
Energy assessors must use Government approved software to produce legally valid EPC and DEC reports. Furthermore, assessors must ensure they are using the correct type of software and hold the necessary level of accreditation for the type of building they are assessing.
The different levels of non domestic Accreditation currently offered by Elmhurst include:
NDEA Level 3 - uses SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) software to produce EPCs for simple existing buildings. Level 3 buildings include all existing non domestic premises with a heating output of less than100kW and a Cooling output of less than 12kW.
NDEA Level 4 - uses SBEM methodology to produce EPCs for more complex buildings (see exceptions below) and can be used for both new build and existing non dwellings. NB: Buildings with atria, demand controlled ventilation and other buildings that cannot adequately be modelled in SBEM are Level 5 and should be modelled by a Level 5 assessor on Dynamic Simulation Modelling (DSM) Software. This strand is not currently supported by the Elmhurst Accreditation Scheme.
DEC - uses approved Operational Rating (OR) software to produce a DEC and Advisory Report (AR). This is based on actual measured energy consumption and is mandatory for public buildings with a floor area greater than 1000m2.
Certificate of Software Competency
In accordance with recent Government requirements, you must provide evidence of competency in the software of your choice, in order to lodge an EPC. Training with Elmhurst automatically makes you eligible to use Government issued iSBEM /OR Calc as they are used during the training course. Should you wish to use another third party software provider in the future, you will need to supply evidence of training in that particular software.
To view information on the training courses linked to the SBEM and OR software, please select the Stage 2 - Training button below.
