July 23, 2008—Commercial buildings are scoring an average ‘C’ energy rating, according to early results from the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to the commercial sector.
Since the introduction of EPCs to the European Union (EU) in 2007, nearly 800,000 buildings have had an energy assessment, including more than 500 large commercial buildings.
New information three months after the launch of EPCs to commercial buildings with a total floor area greater than 10,000 square meters shows that top five recommendations given by assessors for improving energy efficiency have been:
- Introducing more energy efficient lighting
- Introducing solar control measures – reflective coating, shading devices to windows – to reduce cooling demand
- Introducing electronic control gear to improve efficiency of fluorescent lighting
- Installing solar water heating
- Undertaking a review of boiler plant to look for energy efficiency improvements.
Energy Performance Certificates form part of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). As part of the phased introduction of EPCs, the Government recently extended the certificates to business premises over 2,500 square meters when built, sold or rented. The certificate is one of the measures being introduced to improve the energy efficiency of the country’s 25 million non-domestic buildings and meet carbon emission reduction targets.
Each certificate gives information on the energy efficiency of a building, a rating from A to G, and recommendations for improvement. For more information, see the Web site.
