The Communities department has published responses to proposed changes to the European Performance of Buildings Directive which will impact on energy performance certification of buildings.

One proposal supported by the majority of respondents was that energy certificates should be displayed in all public buildings over 250sq m.

The original EPBD required the introduction of EPCs, display energy certificates and energy saving measures including compulsory air conditioning and boiler inspections.

Suggested changes include making it compulsory to consider alternative energy systems before construction starts which is supported by 96% of respondents.

Ninety-six percent of respondents also supported making it compulsory to include the EPC rating on property advertisements, and 79% said EPC’s should be displayed in buildings used by the public if an EPC has been issued for that building.

Sixty-three percent of respondents said they supported reducing the minimum size of a public building before a display energy certificate is required. The current limit is 1000sq m, the proposal is to reduce this to 250sq m.

Sixty-seven percent of respondents said they supported the proposed timetable for the changes which is the end of this year for proposals affecting public buildings and the end of 2012 for all other buildings.

Early findings of the survey of property professionals and energy assessors show that only 21% of property professionals asked energy assessors to implement recommendations made in the energy performance certificate (EPC) or display energy certificate (DEC).

Only 29% asked for a detailed survey of the property and 25% sought costing for recommendations from assessors.

The news comes in the week that producing an EPC became a legal requirement.

Responses from a companion survey of energy assessors corroborated the findings, with 31% of respondents saying more than three-quarters of their clients were just looking for the lowest possible cost for a certificate.

Nearly a third said less than 5% of clients were seeking to move up an EPC grade. CIBSE said the findings were a source of “serious concern”. “The most valuable element of an EPC is the recommendations report,” said managing director Jacqueline Balian. “A customised report can identify ways for clients to save considerable amounts of money. And it is the only way we have any hope of really reducing carbon emissions from buildings.”

Robin Parker, head of architecture at sustainability consultant Stroma, said: “EPCs and DECs are seen by most commercial clients as a necessity and once produced are forgotten about. Automatically generated recommendation reports cannot replace building analysis.”

The surveys were completed by 132 property professionals and 144 energy assessors.

Author: Michael Willoughby

Source: www.building.co.uk