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Announced in the Energy White Paper 2007, the Carbon Reduction Commitment Scheme (CRC) (formerly the Energy Performance Commitment) will apply mandatory emissions trading to cut carbon emissions from large commercial and public sector organisations. It covers around 10% of the UK economy wide emissions, and will provide incentives for organisations to save money through energy efficiency. For further information ....... Key features of the CRC Scheme Covers large business and public sector organisations whose annual half-hourly metered electricity use, and 70 kilowatt metered electricity use in Northern Ireland, is above 6,000 MWh. Designed to cover both direct energy use emissions and electricity use. CRC will also focus on emissions outside Climate Change Agreements and the EU ETS. Designed to be more “light touch” in terms of administration requirements - relying on self-certification of emissions (backed up by a risk based audit regime) rather than third party verification. Starts in January 2010 with a three year introductory phase featuring simple fixed price sales of allowances. From 2013 there will be a Government imposed cap on the number of allowances, and all allowances will be sold each year via an auction – a world first for this type of scheme. |
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Landlords and property owners must provide an Energy Performance Certificate to any prospective buyer or tenant when they construct, sell or lease a commercial building. Two thirds of businesses are unaware of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, a new survey has found. The phasing of the measures is provided in the table below: More information can be found on the Government EPC website. 
6 April 2008 | EPCs required on construction for all dwellings.
EPCs required for the construction, sale or rent of buildings other
than dwellings with a floor area over 10,000 m2. | 1 July 2008 | EPCs required for the construction, sale or rent of buildings other
than dwellings with a floor area over 2,500 m2. | 1 October 2008 | EPCs required on the sale or rent of all remaining dwellings
EPCs required on the construction, sale or rent of all remaining
buildings other than dwellings.
Display certificates required for all public buildings >1,000 m2. | 4 January 2009 | First inspection of all existing air-conditioning systems over
250 kW must have occurred by this date*. | 4 January 2011 | First inspection of all remaining air-conditioning systems over
12 kW must have occurred by this date*. |
Timetable for England and Wales
Landlords/property owners must provide an Energy Performance Certificate to any prospective buyer or tenant when they construct, sell or lease a commercial building. This legislation takes effects as follows: - From 6 April 2008 for buildings over 10,000m sq.
- From July 2008 for buildings over 2,500m sq.
- From 1 October 2008 for all buildings over 1,000m sq
Energy Certificates for display in public buildingsAn energy certificate must be placed in a prominent place clearly visible to the public for buildings with a total useful floor area over 1000 m2 occupied by public authorities and by institutions providing public services.EPCs are required as of the 6th of April 2008 where a: - Building is constructed
- Building is re-tenanted
- Building is sold
- Buildings useful floor area >50m2
- Certificate is valid for 10 years (Unless Building is modified)
- Advisory report
EPCs requirement on constructionWhen a building is constructed the relevant person shall, no later than five days after the construction work has been completed, give to the owner of the building an energy performance certificate for the building. EPCs requirement on sale and rentThe relevant person shall make available free of charge a valid EPC to any prospective buyer of tenant at the earliest opportunity or in the case which the relevant person first makes available information in writing about the building. The relevant person must ensure that a valid EPC has been given free of charge to the person who is ultimately becomes the buyer or tenant Inspection of large air conditioning systems- Air conditioning systems where the total system cooling capacity is greater than 12kWr (whether in dwellings or non-dwellings) will be inspected at intervals not exceeding 5 years.
- The inspection will include an assessment of efficiency, a review of their sizing and advice on improvements or replacements and alternative solutions.
- Reported >250kW effective rated output by 4th January 2009
- Reported >12kW effective rated output by 4th January 2011
- Written assessment of the air-conditioning efficiency and the sizing of the system compared to the cooling requirement of the building
- Appropriate advice on possible improvements/replacement of the system and alternative solutions
- The report can be no more than 5 years old
Points to note: Where the relevant person has the power to control the temperature of more than one individual unit in a building, each unit is viewed as a component of a single system.If the relevant person changes after the due date and is not issued with an inspection report, the new relevant person must ensure the system is inspected within 3 months of the day which they have become the relevant person. Air-conditioning timetable in England, Scotland and WalesBy 4th January 2009 all commercial premises with air conditioning systems with an output of greater than 250kW will require an energy inspection report for their system. Inspection of boilerLandlords/property owners need to carry out regular inspection of boilers fired by non-renewable liquid or solid fuel of an effective rated output of 20 kW to 100 kW.To take steps to ensure the provision of advice to the users on the replacement of boilers, other modifications to the heating system and on alternative solutions which may include inspections to assess the efficiency and appropriate size of the boiler. A report also needs to be submitted to the Commission every two years. ExceptionsBuildings that do not comply to the EPBD - The building is to be sold or rented out with vacant possession
- The building is suitable for demolition
- The resulting site is suitable for redevelopment
- The relevant person believes on reasonable grounds that the prospective buyer or tenant intends to demolish the building
- Buyer/tenant is unlikely to have sufficient means to rent or buy
- Buyer/tenant is not genuinely interested in buying or renting
- Buildings which are used primarily or solely as places of worship
- Temporary buildings with a planned time of use of two years or less
- Industrial sites, workshops and non-residential agricultural buildings with low energy demand stand-alone buildings with a total useful floor area of less than 50 m2 which are not dwellings
What happens if you don’t complyThe penalty for not complying with the relevant duties on the sale or renting out of buildings other than dwellings is fixed, in most cases, at 12.5% of the rateable value of the property, with a default penalty of £750 where the formula cannot be applied. This is more appropriate than a flat rate penalty of £750 as the costs of producing an EPC for buildings other than dwellings (which like all EPCs will be set by the market) are expected to vary according to the size, complexity and the use of the building. The range of penalties under this formula is capped at a minimum of £500 and a maximum of £5,000. Display Energy CertificatesA similar approach of fixing the penalties in light of the anticipated cost of complying with each duty has been adopted for penalties that apply to breach relating to DECs (penalties of £500 and £1000 depending upon the breach of duty) Air-Conditioning InspectionFixed penalty of £300 for any breach of inspection, enforceable by local weights and measures authorities- in most circumstances by Trading Standards Offices. Ten top tips to comply1. Make sure you are aware which (if any) of your properties will be subject to the new legislation. This will depend on the size and use of the property. 2. There will be a limited number of accredited companies that can provide Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and demand is likely to exceed supply. Talk to your insurance broker or property management company to find out who will be able to provide these certificates. 3. Formulate a strategy. Review which buildings you are going to sell, modify or re-lease over the next twelve months and prioritise. 4. Budget for compliance costs and any potential improvements to your assets as a result of your energy grade. A low energy grade could be used as a bargaining tool to reduce rent or building values. 5. To save cost and time, collate the information needed to complete an EPC prior to the implementation of the Directive. It requires details such as: - building size
- total usable floor area
- your building asset register
- an up-to-date Operation & Maintenance manual/log book for your building
6. Review your lease agreements. Make sure they are up to modern standards as advised by the British Property Federation. 7. Make sure your property valuations are up-to-date. 8. If you are required to produce a Display Energy Certificate make sure you have the last 12 months’ utility bills available, preferably in electronic format. 9. It is the user/operator’s responsibility to make sure the energy assessment of air conditioning audits is carried out. Understand the size of your units and engage with a competent person to complete the inspection. 10. Go to the Goverment EPC website to see your full responsibilities as landlord or tenant with regard to the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. |
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Minister announces further step towards decision on oil and gas exploration in Cardigan Bay and the Moray Firth. Parts of Cardigan Bay on the Welsh coast may be off limits for oil and gas exploration due to a school of bottlenose dolphins, Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks announced today. However, part of the Moray Firth, an area in Scotland that is also home to a population of bottlenose dolphins, looks more likely to get the go ahead for an oil and gas exploration licence. The draft environmental assessments - which are now subject to a three month public consultation - come after a report by the sea mammal research unit at St Andrew's University found that not enough was currently known about the population of the dolphins in the Cardigan Bay area to judge how they might be affected by any exploration. Malcolm Wicks said: "Most areas covered by the 24th offshore oil and gas licensing round have had the go ahead but I was concerned about the dolphin populations in Cardigan Bay and also the Moray Firth. That's why I commissioned the St Andrews review into what impact licensing would have on those areas." "My officials visited Cardigan Bay to hear local views first hand and we also received numerous comments from interested parties concerned about the resident bottlenose dolphin population there. At the moment we don't know enough about the number and distribution of the dolphins to be able to decide if it would be safe to explore that area." |
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Climate change - everyone's business - the Report of the CBI Climate Change Task Force. This report contains the independent conclusions and responses of some of the leading companies headquartered in the UK and represented by their CEO or Chairman. It makes far-reaching commitments and recommendations after a journey of intensive discussions and study. Not easy, not always unanimous, but ultimately underwritten by all. |
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Thermography Thermography is the use of an infrared imaging and measurement camera to see and measure thermal energy emitted from an object. In the building sector it is ideal for all householders, housing associations, local authorities, property owners and developers that are involved in planning maintenance, verifying insulation and making building improvements. A thermal image makes it easier to see where insulation is missing or air is leaking out of a building, leaks in plumbing systems and flat roofs, the build up of damp or moisture in a building. Our thermography services start from a little as £450 plus VAT per day. Camera hire starts from £500 plus VAT per week - minimum hire is 3 days. Read more on Thermography 
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