Archives

What information is needed for a SAP calculation?

SAP calculations are produced using a computer model.  They do not require the assessor to visit the site of the building.  As a result it is important that accurate and reliable information is submitted to the assessor.

The exact information required will vary from project to project and your assessor will discuss this with you.  The following is a list of the information typically required:

  • The full building address.
  • The correct postcode as confirmed by Royal Mail.
  • A site plan including the orientation of the dwelling(s).
  • Scaled plans of each storey of the building (normally at 1:100).
  • Elevations drawings for each elevation.
  • Sectional drawings of the dwelling.
  • Details of the principal heating and hot water system. This needs to include the make and model of boiler, details of heating emitters (e.g. radiators), hot water cylinder size (if applicable) and the system controls.
  • Details of any secondary heating system present.
  • Details of ventilation systems or extractor fans.
  • Details of the internal and external lighting.
  • Details of the construction of all the different floors to the property.  This needs to include the type and thicknesses of insulation and any other building products used.
  • Details of the construction of all the different external walls to the property.  This needs to include the type and thicknesses of insulation and other building products used.
  • Details of the construction of all the different roofs to the property.  This needs to include the type and thicknesses of insulation and other building products used.
  • Details of all the doors and windows.  This needs to include the sizes, type of frame, type of glazing, thickness of glazing and any low emissivity applications.
  • Details of any renewable technologies installed in the building.  These could include ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, solar water heating, photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines and/or hydrokinetic technologies.

If you are in the process of designing your building, the assessor will be able to help you decide the minimum standards for each system to ensure that your finished building meets the required energy performance standards.

What is a SAP Calculation?

A SAP calculation works out the rating that is required in order to produce a Predicted Energy Assessment and an On-Construction Energy Performance Certificate for a new domestic building.

A SAP calculation indicates a score for the predicted annual energy cost for the new building based on:

  • The elements of structure;
  • The internal lighting;
  • The heating;
  • The hot water system;
  • Any renewable technologies installed in the home.

The higher the score the lower the running costs, with 100 representing zero energy cost.  Dwellings with a rating in excess of 100 are net exporters of energy.

The model used to produce a SAP calculation is largely location independent.  It is also based on a notional occupancy to overcome the different ways in which people use their homes.  As a result, SAP calculations allow the energy running costs of dwellings anywhere in the UK to be compared.

Do I have to follow the AR recommendations?

Put simply, no.

When the Advisory Report is issued it will include some recommendations to help you save energy, reduce your energy costs and reduce your CO2 emissions.  It will also give you an idea of the typical cost of making these improvements and the reduction in emissions that is likely to be associated with each improvement.

However, these improvements are not mandatory and it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to make them.  You will want to consider how quickly the savings will pay for the improvements and what impact the changes will have on your organisation and property.

In the future some buildings with very low ratings may have to have improvements carried out to improve their overall rating.  Even so, it will be up to the owners to decide which improvements they wish to make.  This is already the case in Scotland where some buildings now require a Section 63 Action Plan.

Do I have to follow the EPC recommendations?

Put simply, no.

When the Energy Performance Certificate is issued it will come with an Recommendations Report.  This report will include some recommendations to help you save energy, reduce your energy costs and reduce your CO2 emissions.  It will also give you an idea of the typical cost of making these improvements and the reduction in emissions that is likely to be associated with each improvement.

However, these improvements are not mandatory and it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to make them.  You will want to consider how quickly the savings will pay for the improvements and what impact the changes will have on your property.  In some cases you may not even be permitted to carry out the necessary works for example, you may live in a conversation area and the changes may not be permitted.

In the future some buildings with very low ratings may have to have improvements carried out to improve their overall rating.  Even so, it will be up to the owners to decide which improvements they wish to make.  This is already the case in Scotland where some buildings now require a Section 63 Action Plan.

What are the penalties for non-compliance with Section 63?

Regulation 20 identifies Local Authorities as responsible for enforcing the Section 63 regulations. This matches the approach taken on the production of energy performance certificates (EPCs) under the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008.

Regulations 22 and 24 set out the penalties for failure to provide an Action Plan on sale or rental or failure to complete improvement works within the required timescale. This will result in issue of a penalty charge notice to the owner of the building.

The level of charge for each failure is £1,000 – the same as for failure to provide a valid EPC where one is required for a non-domestic building.

As is the case with the current Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations, building owners may offer defence, seek review or appeal such notices as set out in regulations 23, 25 and 26.

Do I have to complete the improvements agreed in a Section 63 Action Plan?

Once a Section 63 Action Plan is finalised, the building owner can chose to either make the improvements or to defer the improvements by reporting operational energy ratings via a Display Energy Certificate (DEC) on an annual basis.

If you choose to complete the improvements immediately you will have a period of 42 months (three and a half years) from the date of the Action Plan to complete the works.  This period allows for the processes involved in obtaining any necessary Building Warrant.  Once complete your action plan must be updated by an accredited Section 63 Assessor to confirm the work has been completed.

If you choose to defer you must continue to obtain a DEC annually until the the works are completed.  If you miss a renewal deadline or fail to obtain a DEC then the action plan must be completed within the initial 42 month period.  If you have already deferred 42 months you may immediately be in default and subject to a penalty charge notice from the local authority.

How are room dimensions shown on a floor plan?

During our assessors site visit, all rooms will be measured and the approximate dimensions recorded.  These can either be included on your floor plan or provided as a separate listing depending upon your preference.

Generally, most clients like to keep the floor plans as clutter free as possible to show the space available in the property.  As such they prefer to list the room dimensions separately in the property listing.  However, if you prefer, they can be added to the diagram.

Measurements can be shown in either metric, imperial or both, again depending upon your preference.

Please let us know your preferences at the time of the survey as making changes to a plan after it has been produced may incur an additional charge.

What do the Section 63 Regulations require?

Where the regulations introduced by Section 63 of The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 apply, the owner of the building must undertake further assessment to produce an ‘Action Plan’.  This plan identifies targets for improvement of the carbon and energy performance of the building and sets out how the owner will meet these targets by making physical improvements to the property.

The requirements are discussed in detail in the document “Improving Energy Performance and Emissions in existing Non-Domestic Buildings– a guide for owners“.

When is a Section 63 Action Plan required?

The regulations apply from 1 September 2016 to buildings in Scotland.

Initially Section 63 Action Plans will only be required for larger buildings; those with a floor area of more than 1,000 m².  The requirement is triggered by either sale or by lease to a new tenant.

Generally, owners of such buildings are also required to provide a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) in such situations  We would advise clients to ensure that the assessor whose services they contract is capable of producing both the EPC and a Section 63 Action Plan if required, otherwise additional expenses may be incurred.

Buildings that meet energy standards equivalent to those introduced by the 2002 building regulations in Scotland or are already improved via a Green Deal funding agreement are exempted from the regulations.

How do I work out the effective output of my system?

The effective output of an individual air conditioning unit or system may be given on the rating plate attached to the unit.  It may also be stated in the operating and maintenance manual or from the manufacturer’s website.  Alternatively, where the system is covered by a maintenance contract, the capacity should be known by the contractor and should be reported in the maintenance records they supply.

The guidelines below are an approximate indication of typical figures for installed capacity for various spaces and may help you determine whether your system is within the scope of the regulations.  Cooling requirements depend on a wide range of circumstances, including the fabric, location and orientation of the building towards the sun, as well as the activities and the number of people in the building.  Older systems are also likely to have higher rated outputs for a given floor area.  Where more specific figures are needed these should be calculated taking account of the particular circumstances of the building and its use.

The guidelines below are for offices and shops.  If it is not clear whether a building reaches the threshold the installed capacity of the system must be determined by appropriate inspection, calculation and enquiries.  In other, more specialised, buildings, the wide range of factors which influence system capacity means that these systems should be determined by a suitably qualified person on a case by case basis if the information is not already available.

For larger systems, a central cooling system serving an office building of 2,000m2 is likely to be 250kW rated output.  Cooling systems serving meeting rooms which may be used by large numbers of people, such as council chambers, may exceed the 250kW threshold for lower floor areas.

Activity being air conditioned Likely area requiring 12kW of cooling
Typical general office spaces. 200 m2
Office spaces with high levels of IT electrical equipment. 100 m2
Retail spaces with average levels of display lighting. 250 m2
Retail spaces with high levels of display lighting and illuminated cabinets. 150 m2

Please note that these values are intended as a rough guide only and you should check the details of your specific system.  Offices, call centres, dealing floors and public spaces with high occupation densities (6m2 per person and over) or similar, in addition to areas with high levels of IT equipment, communication or lighting loads may well fall within the scope of these regulations at smaller areas.  The office spaces above assume an occupancy of 8 to 10 m2 per person.