News
BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE
RATING CERTIFICATION
By the South African National Energy Development Institute ( SANEDI )
SANEDI offers industry a reminder that buildings must be rated for energy efficiency . Building owners have two years to comply with new building energy performance regulations , which require a formal assessment of their building energy consumption . On 8 December 2020 , the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ( DMRE ) gazetted ‘ Regulations for the Mandatory Display and Submission of Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings ’.
As an agency of the Department , SANEDI has been tasked with developing , hosting and maintaining a national Building Energy Performance Certificate Register in terms of these regulations .
“ SANEDI wants to help ensure compliance with the new regulations , so that building owners are not unnecessarily penalised . Many people may not have heard about the new regulations , so we are determined to inform business and the general public of what they entail ,” explains SANEDI ’ s Barry Bredenkamp , General Manager Energy Efficiency & Corporate Communications . “ Ultimately , it must be highlighted that the responsibility lies with building owners to ensure that they are compliant with the regulations .”
WHAT DO THE NEW REGULATIONS MEAN ? Certain classes of buildings need to have their energy performance assessed by a South African National Accreditation System ( SANAS ) accredited inspection body , who will then issue an Energy Performance Certificate ( EPC ), rating the building from A - G for energy efficiency . “ To be compliant , the EPC must be displayed at the building entrance , and a D-rating would typically indicate basic compliance with the Energy Efficiency component of the national building regulations . This first assessment will form the benchmark for the building and give the owner an idea of what needs to be done to improve the rating in the future . Everyone should aim for an A-rating in the longer term ,” says Bredenkamp . EPCs need to be renewed every five years , giving building owners the opportunity to improve their energy performance .
WHICH BUILDINGS NEED TO COMPLY , AND BY WHEN ? The current regulations apply to four different classes of buildings defined in the national Building Standard namely ; entertainment and public assembly facilities , theatrical and indoor sports facilities , places of instruction and offices with a net floor area of at least 2 000m 2 in the private sector , and 1 000m 2 for buildings owned , operated or occupied by an organ of the state . These building must be compliant by 8 December 2022 .
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Privately owned buildings with a net floor area of over 2 000m2 , must comply with the regulation by 8 December 2022 .
WHO ISSUES THE EPCS ? Building energy assessments must be done by SANAS accredited inspection bodies . However , there are not many of these currently in existence . “ Eligible companies need to undergo the application process to be reviewed by SANAS . If application is successful , an on-site assessment team will be sent to assess the company ’ s compliance with ISO / IEC 17020 and SANS 1544 , the two standards that contain the compliance criteria for accreditation . The compliance criteria include , but are not limited to qualifications , experience , training , skills , equipment , and understanding of the EPC standard ( SANS 1544 ) and the accreditation standard ( ISO / IEC 17020 ),” explains Bredenkamp . If the assessment is successful , SANAS will accredit such bodies to issue EPCs to building owners .
BENEFITS OF SANAS ACCREDITATION “ While the accreditation process is not simple , it is vital . Having accredited bodies means that building owners can hire reliable , competent companies to perform their assessments and can rest assured that their EPC rating is valid and accurate ,” says Bredenkamp . “ A stringent quality control system is important , if the regulations are going to be successful in minimising South Africa ’ s energy use .”
While any company can become SANAS accredited , SANEDI is particularly excited about the potential for SMME development and job creation . “ If emerging enterprises can get accredited soon , they will be able to take advantage of being early adopters with a very large potential customer base . We especially hope to see womenand youth-owned businesses take up this opportunity and get involved in the EPC market ,” concludes Bredenkamp . RACA
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