About Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)

An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for every commercial building when it is constructed, sold or let. This certificate gives information about the energy efficiency of the building to owners, prospective buyers and tenants.

EPCs must be provided free and made available by the owner to prospective buyers and tenants. EPCs are valid for ten years but must be renewed if modifications to the property are made.  They are produced using standard methods and assumptions about energy use to enable the energy efficiency of buildings of the same type to be compared.

What an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) contains:

The EPC has two parts - a graphic rating and a recommendations report.

The rating is calculated on the performance of the building and its building services (such as heating, lighting, air conditioning), rather than the appliances within it. This is known as an asset rating - that is, how energy efficient the building has been designed and modified. The certificate also gives an indicator of the potential rating of the building if all the cost-effective measures suggested in the recommendations are carried out. A building's rating will vary depending on the age, location, size and condition of the building, which are taken into account.

To produce an EPC your assessor will need information on the following:

• The size of the building and the different activity areas within it
• Insulation levels in the building
• The systems providing heat to your building
• How fresh air moved around the building
• What keeps the building cool
• How hot water is provided to bathrooms and kitchens
• Building management systems or controls
• Electricity feed for the building
• Lighting systems for the building
• Presence of onsite energy generation
• How the building is used and by whom

The more complete the information on these areas the more accurate the rating and recommendations are likely to be.