ECA News
Large organisations will have to assess their energy saving
potential if proposals issued by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) are adopted – and it seems likely that they will be adopted in some form, since they aim to implement an EU Directive.. The proposed Energy Savings
Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) aims to help bodies ‘focus on neglected energy-effi ciency opportunities, drive up investment, and promote behavioural change’. It could also further increase demand for green/ energy measures, plus training and certifi cation. The measures would transpose Article 8 of the EU Energy Effi ciency Directive into UK law. Audits would have to be undertaken by 5 December 2015, and must be repeated every four years. DECC stresses there will be ‘no
legal requirements to implement the energy saving measures identifi ed’, but it seems likely that, once actually identifi ed, cost- eff ective measures would be taken
up without legislation. The ESOS requirement will
cover fi rms with more than 250 employees, but would also apply to smaller organisations whose annual turnover exceeds €50m. Some 7,300 organisations are likely to be aff ected, mostly commercial (65 per cent) and industrial (18 per cent), with non-profi t organisations accounting for 11 per cent. Public sector organisations are
exempt because they are covered by separate requirements under the directive. Large companies that follow alternative routes to compliance, based on energy or environmental management systems, are also exempt. Reviews of total organisational
energy use and energy effi ciency would need to be ‘proportionate and suffi ciently representative “to draw a reliable picture of overall energy performance” of the organisation’. They would need to include an assessment of energy intensity, such as energy
ECA SIMPLIFIES SSIP SEARCH FOR BUYERS
The ECA has enhanced its searchable database of
members to enable public and private sector procurers to identify ECA members that meet the standards set by Safety Schemes in Procurement (SSIP). More than 650 ECA member fi rms are already included in the list. Paul Reeve, ECA director of Business Services, said: ‘Clients and other buyers place considerable importance on the health and safety credentials of contractors. The new listing means they can fi nd out very quickly if an ECA member, who is already electrically competent, has also passed an SSIP-recognised assessment. A fi rm that is SSIP compliant is one that meets or beats HSE-recognised general requirements for contractors’ health and safety capability.’
10 ECA Today September 2013 SSIP is the leading umbrella
scheme for bodies that assess contractors to nationally- recognised health and safety ‘core criteria’. SSIP member schemes include CHAS, Safecontractor and SMAS, as well as virtually all UKAS- accredited bodies that certify to BS OHSAS 18001. Reeve added: ‘Initiatives such as
SSIP are increasingly important in construction pre-qualifi cation, and it is vital that good electrical and other building services contractors can demonstrate health and safety management capability. By making SSIP compliance more visible, we also aim to encourage even greater take- up among ECA members, raising the bar for the sector as a whole.’ To fi nd an SSIP-compliant ECA member, visit
www.eca.co.uk/ fi nd-an-eca-member/
HSE consultation to reveal major changes to CDM
Major changes to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 (CDM) are expected to be included in the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consultation released this month. The HSE’s consultative
document will cover revised regulations and guidance that will come into force in October 2014. CDM does not just apply to building projects, and the proposals will seek to underline that the regulations also cover smaller projects, including building maintenance. The HSE aims to deliver core
guidance, which provides a ‘clear interpretation’ of the revised Regulations. This will be supported by a practical guide to managing health and safety on small construction projects,
and a number of sector- specifi c guides for ‘typical small construction projects’. There will be much more emphasis on the need for those involved in construction-related activity to follow the general requirements of CDM, and less emphasis on the additional requirements that apply to ‘notifi able’ (building site) work. Key references to PQQ requirements are set to go, which leaves the door open for PAS 91 and SSIP. In addition to the expected
removal of the current ‘CDM co-ordinator’ role, the HSE is expected to announce a new role – the ‘principal designer‘. On 2 October, the ECA is
running a special briefi ng session for selected members on the proposed changes, at ESCA House.
All the latest news
www.eca.co.uk
Larger businesses in line for mandatory energy audits
use per employee, and consider the variation in signifi cant energy uses over time in key buildings. Assessments should focus fi rst on cost-eff ective measures, ‘such as low-cost updates of lighting and behavioural change’. Assessments should provide
clear information on potential savings, identifying and quantifying cost-eff ective opportunities. It adds these should be based on life-cycle assessment wherever practical.. To ensure audits are carried out
cost-eff ectively, DECC proposes the scheme draws on this existing data wherever possible. Paul Reeve, ECA director of Business Services, said: ‘ESOS could provide a huge boost to commercial energy effi ciency work, but the actual opportunity will depend on how DECC designs and implements it. We will be monitoring developments and advising DECC on how contractors can help them to get the most from this legal requirement.’
SHUTTERSTOCK/SLAVO VALIGURSKY
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68