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What are
Commercial Energy Performance Certificates?
Commercial Energy Performance Certificates
are required for most non-domestic commercial
buildings being sold, rented or constructed.
Alterations resulting in the addition or removal of
parts of the building and also
installation/modification of Heating, Ventilation
and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems may also require
an EPC.
The maximum penalty for
non-compliance is currently £5,000 which is
enforceable by Trading Standards. The penalty notice
also includes the requirement to produce a valid
CEPC.
The
certificate records how energy efficient a property
is as a building and provides A-G ratings.
Certificates are produced
using standard methods and assumptions about energy
usage in order that the energy efficiency of one
building can easily be compared with another
building of the sa me type. This allows prospective
buyers, tenants, owners, occupiers and purchasers to
access information as to the energy efficiency and
carbon emissions from a building in order to
consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of
any investment.
An CEPC is
always accompanied by a recommendation report that
lists cost effective measures (such as low and zero
carbon generating systems) to improve the energy
rating. A rating is also given showing what could be
achieved if all the recommendations were
implemented.
When is a CEPC Required?
Examples are provided below when
Commercial Energy Performance Cerficates are
required; however please contact us if you have any
queries.
Construction of Building
– The developer provides the Energy Performance
Certificate and Recommendations Report to the
Purchaser on physical completion of the building and
notifies Building Control, who will not issue a
Certificate of Completion until the EPC is provided.
For Sale or Rental
– As soon as the building is offered for sale or
rent the seller or landlord must make an EPC
available to prospective buyers or tenants. The
Energy Performance Certificate may be for the whole
building or individual units.
Modification of
Building/Unit – The contractor undertaking
modification work is responsible for providing an
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.
How much does it cost?
Commercial Energy
Performance Certificates need to be quoted individually for
each enquiry. This is due to the differing complexity of the
buildings and also the amount of data that needs to be
gathered during the site survey.
All commercial buildings now
require an energy performance certificate when they
are newly constructed, sold or rented. This means
any non-dwelling, i.e. industrial units, retail
outlets and offices
A commercial (non-domestic) EPC
is valid for ten years.
Which buildings are exempt?
- Places of worship
- Stand-alone building of less
than 50 square meters (except for dwellings)
- Temporary buildings with a
planned time of use of 2 years or less
Particular building with a low energy demand
(e.g. barns)
- In some circumstances
buildings to be demolished are exempt from
requiring a certificate
- An EPC is not required for
any (off-plan) sales or letting before the
construction of the building has been completed.
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