Improving building performance is key to tackling the challenges of climate change

Improving building performance is key to tackling the challenges of climate change, considering that buildings account for 40% of global energy consumption.

The urgent need for energy efficiency improvement of buildings calls for the implementation of suitable policy instruments, including performance assessments.

The government has recently carried out changes to the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations, primarily amendments to the calculation of energy performance in buildings and to systems of independent control of Energy Performance Certificates and Inspection Reports. The former will lead to a total change in the current EPC (Energy Performance Certificates) system whereby a new EPC software will be required, and examiners will be trained accordingly. The latter will lead to the vetting of assessors of EPC resulting in better quality of EPC’s.

What are Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s)

An EPC is a simple measure of a building’s energy efficiency using standard calculation methodology and assumptions about energy usage. This means that the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of the same type. This allows prospective buyers, tenants, owners, occupiers and purchasers to see information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions from their building so that they can consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of their investment.

An EPC must be provided whenever a property is constructed, rented or sold. An accredited assessor must prepare the EPC and for it to be valid it must be lodged on a public register. Once lodged, a certificate is valid for 10 years, unless certain works or alterations are undertaken that require re-certification of the property.

The EPC looks broadly similar to the energy labels now provided with household appliances. For dwellings it is shown in kwh/m².yr, where 0 is very efficient and 280 is the least efficient. For non-dwellings, the certificate will provide an energy rating of a building from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is least efficient. An EPC includes a recommendation report that lists cost-effective and other measures to improve the building’s energy rating.

At present, the Building and Construction Authority in the Ministry for Public Works and Planning provides on its website a list of over 500 building performance assessors and information on how to go about getting your building certified for energy efficiency. Anyone who commissions the design of a new building should be obliged to obtain a design rating EPC after the Planning Authority’s approval.

When a building or building unit is offered for sale or for rent, the energy performance indicator of the EPC should be included in advertisements in commercial media. Consequently, banks make sure that in all sanction letters sent to anyone taking out a loan to buy property, one condition is that an EPC must be acquired.

Given that the majority of buildings around today will exist in 2050, improving our existing built stock is of critical importance. Hence, providing energy efficient properties is becoming a market imperative with emerging evidence that owners, investors and occupiers are becoming increasingly aware of the sustainability profile of their properties and recognising that it can be a differentiator.