DISPLAY ENERGY CERTIFICATES COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS
energy performance and reduce public sector energy bills.’ Davies says the changes are a recipe for confusion, as DECs for buildings visited by the public that are more than 1,000m2 still have to have annual DECs. And the advisory report, which gives cost effective advice to improving the building, will be valid for 10 years for public buildings between 500 and 999m2, but only seven years for those of more than 1,000m2. The updated regulations also state that
Energy Performance Certifi cates (EPCs) – which are theoretical energy ratings used when buildings are built, sold or rented – must now be displayed in private sector buildings of more than 500m2 that are ‘frequently visited by the public’, but only if the building already has an EPC issued at the time of construction, rent or sale. For all the Department for Communities
and Local Government (DCLG) claims to have removed gold plating, Davies says that the requirement to display an EPC and not a DEC is just that. The Directive requires these buildings to display ‘an energy certifi cate’ – that means an EPC or DEC. ‘It will be interesting to see if any of the major property portfolios decide to display DECs in direct compliance with the Directive, which under EU law they are allowed to do,’ says Davies. ‘The potential for confusion is deeply concerning,’ says energy consultant David Strong. ‘Government has signalled a lack of ambition to introduce simpler drivers for energy saving measures.’ Phil Jones, energy consultant at Building
Energy Solutions, says it shows how little priority the government gives to the ‘measure and manage’ approach. ‘Government sees DECs as a burden on business. I see it as reducing business costs, improving profi ts and generating jobs in fi xing bad buildings,’ he says. The government doesn’t deny the accusations – in fact, it’s positively bullish. In the foreword to new guidance on DECs1
,
it accuses previous Labour policies of ‘gold plating’ measures when it implemented the EPBD in 2008. It says it has changed the regulation to remove an unnecessary burden on business and will now meet only the minimum requirements of the EU edict. The move comes on the back of the government’s decision to drop DECs for commercial buildings from the 2011 Energy Bill, despite support from leading property fi rms and the British Property Federation. ‘It’s hugely disappointing,’ says Strong. ‘The government produced a proportional scheme that could be used as a fi scal mechanism to
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TV monitor displays half hourly energy ratings at 5 St Philips Place
help improve buildings’ energy effi ciency, but the Treasury dropped it at the 11th hour.’ If government is suspicious of DECs, property fi rms are increasingly seeing their benefi t. Tim Mockett, joint managing director at the Climate Change Property Fund (CCPF), says use of DECs in its property at 5 St Philips
Place, Birmingham, contributed towards a 55% saving in tenant energy bills over four years.
‘DECs are credible and based on real data,
rather than theoretical information. It’s a great motivator and driver and enables you to share improvements,’ he says. CCPF reduced the DEC from a G to a
C through the installation of LED lights, and modifi cation of air conditioning and metering. The display of half-hourly readings for electricity, gas, water and carbon on a television monitor in the lobby helped focus the behaviour of occupiers, adds Mockett. CCPF set up a green lease with the tenant, requiring them to invest in smart metering, controls, and light reconfi guration. It demonstrates payback of only three years by quantifying the benefi ts using the CIBSE TM22 energy assessment tool. ‘The benefi ts for us are a happy tenant, who in turn benefi ts from the majority of energy savings. They will be encouraged to stay with us for a long time and renew the lease,’ says Mockett. CCPF is applying the lessons learnt in
Birmingham, where it has a single tenant, to the multi-tenanted 77 Gracechurch Street in London. Quarterly meetings are arranged with all tenants to share best practice, says Mockett. ‘It can get quite competitive.’ Having cut energy by 60% since purchasing
the building in 2009, CCPF asked a valuer to compare the rental value of 77 Gracechurch with a similar building and found its value was 6% higher. British Land (BL) provides its own version
of a DEC in the form of a twice-yearly building energy report. This separates energy and waste
February 2013 CIBSE Journal 27
DECs are credible and based on real data, rather than theoretical information. It’s a great motivator and enables you to share improvements’ Tim Mockett
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