COMMERCIAL EPC'S
When are they Required?
On construction: The constructor gives the Energy Performance Certificate and Recommendations Report to the purchaser on physical completion of the building and notifies Building Control, who will not issue the Certificate of Completion until the EPC is provided.
On sale/rent: As soon as the building is offered for sale/rent the seller/landlord must make an EPC available to prospective buyers/tenants. The Energy Performance Certificate may be for the whole building or individual units, and completion of a contract should not happen without it. An EPC is required if the transaction has not completed before the implementation date above. Some multi-tenancy sale/rent scenarios are complex and you should seek advice from an accredited expert to determine whether an Energy Performance Certificate is required for the individual unit or the building as a whole.
On modification: The person undertaking the work is responsible for providing the Energy Performance Certificate and Recommendations Report to the client. They must then notify Building Control, who will not issue the Certificate of Completion until the EPC is provided.
Are there penalties for non-compliance?
The maximum penalty for non-compliance is currently £5k, enforceable by Trading Standards. The penalty notice also includes the requirement to produce a valid EPC.
ECO Logic employs fully qualified Level 3 and Level 4 Assessors?
A level 3 qualification relates to simpler,naturally ventilated commercial buildings with boilers less than 100kW and comfort cooling less than 12 kW in size.
A Level 4 qualification relates to more complex commercial buildings with mechanical ventilation and air conditioning, and boilers in excess of 100kW. It also allows the assessor to carry out new build assessments (the level 3 assessor cannot).
How much will it cost:
Due to the individual nature of each and every Commercial EPC assessment, it is unlikely to be able to provide an exact quotation for a commercial epc without a site visit, in all but the simplest of cases. Please look at our prices tab for a rough guideline on prices or complete the order a commercial epc questionnairre for a more accurate quote.
What information will the Surveyor require if available?
Information which will be required, if available for the correct assessment process and subsequent Commercial EPC to be generated includes the following:
Energy usage data
Site information - Plans of the building / Size of unit / Age of property
Dates of building construction changes and U values of construction materials/composite assemblies
More modern buildings with complex ventilation systems should have information regarding:
Fan efficiencies
Chiller performance
Lighting performance
Lack of the any of the above will inevitably lead to a greater information gathering comittment for the energy assessor or team of assessors, and will increase the cost. Conversely, where multiple EPCs are required at one property (ie sub units), economies of scale can be negotiated where a single or reduced number of visits is applicable.
The following types of building do not require an Commercial Energy Performance Certificate:
Public Buildings
Places of worship
Stand-alone non-dwellings less than 50 m2
Temporary buildings with a planned life less than two years
Industrial premises with low energy use where the space is mostly not heated or cooled (such as process and heavy engineering workshops and stores with localised work-station conditioning)
Buildings to be demolished within two years