Which includes information and articles on;

• EPC Regulations Change
• Air Con Inspections Clarified
• Energy Prices Remain Volatile
• The Green Deal
• ISO 50001 Energy Management Systems

Click this link:  An E Advantage Briefing

End

E Advantage offer competitive rates for the production of both residential and commercial EPCs, should you have any enquiries then please call us on 01280 812909.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF BUILDINGS (CERTIFICATES AND INSPECTIONS) (ENGLAND AND WALES) REGULATIONS 2007 (THE EPB REGULATIONS)
1. Summary of the changes to the EPB Regulations

The changes to the EPB Regulations can be summarised as follows:

• the changes will extend the current requirements to commission an EPC that apply to residential buildings to all residential and non residential buildings when sold or rented out;

• the requirements for the provision of an EPC with written particulars will be extended to all buildings sold or rented out and the option to attach the asset rating will be removed. The requirement will only extend to the first page of the EPC (the EPC consists of two pages, accompanied by four pages of recommendations); and

• the requirement for the statutory lodgement of air conditioning inspection reports onto the central EPC Register.

The following summary details the main changes that will be made in relation to EPCs.
2. Commissioning an EPC before marketing
A number of changes will be made to regulation 5A of the EPB Regulations. In general, the onus remains on the ‘relevant person’ (i.e. the seller or landlord) to commission an EPC before marketing. The main changes are as follows:

• the duty to commission an EPC before marketing will be extended to the sale and rent of residential and non-residential buildings;

• the current 28 day period within which an EPC is to be secured using ‘reasonable efforts’ will be reduced to 7 days;

• if after that 7 day period the EPC has not been secured the relevant person will have a further 21 days in which to do so.

3. Power to Require the Production of Documents
Trading Standards Officers (TSOs) currently have the power to require the ’relevant person’ (i.e. the seller or landlord) to produce copies of the EPC for inspection and to take copies if necessary. The power to require the production of documents will be extended to include persons acting on behalf of the seller or landlord – e.g. estate agents and letting agents. This means, for example, that TSOs will be authorised to require estate agents to produce evidence showing that an EPC has been commissioned where they are marketing a building without one.
4. Clarifying when an EPC is required
This technical amendment to Regulation 5 is intended to remove the erroneous belief that the provision of the EPC can be delayed until shortly before the parties enter into a contract for sale or rent. This will be achieved by deleting the words “before entering into a contract to sell or rent the building or, if sooner” in Regulation 5(2)(b) of the EPB Regulations. Page 1 of 2
5. Consequential changes
A number of consequential changes will be made to enable TSOs to enforce the new duties.
6. EPC Information in Written Particulars
Currently, for residential sales only, the relevant person or his agent is under a duty to either attach the EPC to written particulars or include the asset rating on those particulars. The amendments will require the EPC to be attached to written particulars in relation to buildings sold or rented out. The option to include the asset rating will no longer apply.
The existing definition of ‘written particulars’ will be expanded to ensure that particulars produced for rented out buildings and commercial properties are captured by the new requirements.
As an exception to this requirement, provision is made to allow the person subject to the duty to provide the written particulars to omit the address of the building from a copy of the EPC where the address has been omitted from those particulars.
7. Statutory lodgement of air conditioning inspection reports
The requirement to lodge air conditioning inspection reports on the central Non Domestic EPC Register will become a statutory requirement, replacing the current voluntary approach.
8. Commencement
DCLG intends to bring these changes into force on 6 April 2012. Further information and additional interim guidance will be issued shortly.

DCLG
23 September 2011

IMPROVED AND REDESIGNED ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE;

This document describes the major changes that are being made to the content and format of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for domestic buildings.

Improved and redesigned Energy Performance Certificate
The current EPC was developed some years ago and has been in use since 2007. While it has many positive features, consumer research suggests that it is not always readily understood by the public which in turn makes it less likely that they will decide to implement some or all of the energy efficiency recommendations. In addition, it is important to ensure that the EPC can effectively support the Green Deal when it is introduced in October 2012. To address these issues, DCLG commissioned a redesign of the content and format of the EPC earlier this year.
A revised version of the EPC has now been developed and will be introduced in April 2012. The new document is a significant improvement on the current version. The changes that have been made include:
• more graphics and white space;
• a single energy efficiency graph on the front page;
• significantly reduced text;
• clear signposting to the Green Deal;
• indicating which recommendations could be funded through the Green Deal;
• greater focus on potential financial savings;
• recommended improvements nearer the front of the document;
• text of less immediate interest moved to the back page.

This will enable candidates to understand at an entry level the principals of energy management in relation to ISO 50001.

If you have an interest in energy management training please contact us on 01280 812909 for more infomation.

Tom Whelan is Managing Director of E-Advantage, an environmental and energy consultancy providing independent and qualified assessments that help organisations achieve and maintain policies and standards. Tom combines many years of experience and commercial focus in energy management, recently assisting IRCA (International Register of Certified Auditors) with their ISO 50001 auditor examination papers.

To book your one to one, please email nikki.samme@ubm.com, with your preferred time*, you will then receive an email by 7^th October confirming your meeting.

Unsure of your timetable for the event?  Don’t worry, pop into the VIP lounge during your visit and we will do our best to fit you in.

There is a fair chance that it will:

• Many ‘blue chip’ corporates with environmental management systems and Corporate Social Responsibility reporting will ask suppliers to demonstrate green credentials in a tender
• The EU and UK ‘Green Public Procurement’ (GPP) policy aims to have at least 50% of all public sector tenders incorporating environmental impact and sustainability as criteria by 2010. State spending accounts for 53% of the overall UK GDP (Daily Mail, 2010), so demonstrating green credentials in tenders could be worth a lot to you.

If such a policy impacts on your tenders, there are two ways of looking at the requirement:

The first approach:  What do I need to be compliant with the environmental and sustainability sections of the tender?

The second approach: How can I use good environmental and sustainability practice as a way to differentiate myself against the competition, demonstrate superior value and innovate to win the tender?

E Advantage can support you with either of these approaches but we major towards the second approach – we help organisations to gain competitive advantage from environmental responsibility.

How do we give your tender an environmental advantage?

Well the first step is to meet with you, to understand your circumstance, current practices and areas we could support you with. This takes the form of a brief ‘health check’, a free, informal discussion where introduce ourselves in more detail, ask a set of revealing questions and provide clear advice on moving forwards.

Once commissioned, we would complete some or all of the following tasks, depending on the context of your business:

Stage 1 – Analysis:

We will complete a short, structured and independent study of the current environmental management arrangements, any variances from the tender requirements and best practice.

We will review environmental policy, communication and current approaches to tenders, alongside competitor benchmarking and customer analysis, to identify areas for potential development. We have Chartered Marketers in the team for this very purpose.

Together, these items form a solid base for substantiating current status and recommending the most appropriate courses of action.

 Stage 2 – Implementation:

The recommendations from the analysis, once agreed with you, are then put in to action. These may include developing management systems, reducing impacts in areas, green innovation and sustainability communications. We can then pull the appropriate messages into the relevant sections of the tender document with full confidence.

Where necessary, our marketers can support the wider development of the tender documentation and campaign, with sustainable printing  and ensuring it best represents the value you have to offer the client. We can be involved as much or as little as you require.

If you want your tender to give you an environmental advantage, or you’re about to request tenders from suppliers and want to understand what you should be looking out for, give E Advantage a call today on 01280 812 909 for your free introductory meeting.

E Advantage bring a unique environmental tender support service to the market through leveraging skills in the following areas:

• Energy and environmental management systems
• Energy assessment and certification
• Environmental consultancy
• Green marketing and sustainability communications
• Strategic marketing and sales, with Chartered Marketers

To find out more about our services, call our friendly team on 01280 812 909

Tags: Environmental and Sustainability Tender Support Services

All air-conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12kw must be regularly inspected by an Energy Assessor. The inspections must be a maximum of five years apart.

The regulations require the first inspection of the affected air-conditioning systems to be carried out as follows:

• For all systems first put into service on or after 1 January 2008, the first inspection must have taken place within five years of the date when it was first put into service.
• For other air-conditioning systems, where the effective rated output is more  than 250kW the first inspection must happen by 4 January 2009
•  For other air-conditioning systems, where the effective rated output is more than  12kW the first inspection must happen by 4 January 2011

‘An air conditioning system is a combination of all components required to provide a form of air treatment in which the temperature is controlled or can be lowered and includes systems which combine such air treatment with the control of ventilation, humidity and air cleanliness’

A simple example, is an office building with say 5 individual or linked air conditioning units with approx 3kw capacity each, installed before 1^st January 2008. Therefore you have 5 x 3kw = 15kw. An inspection is required.

Of course there are a multitude of system configurations and we are happy to give advice on the interpretation of the regulations, if you are in any doubt, please give us a call.  

Having your air-conditioning system inspected by an Energy Assessor is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity consumption, operating costs and carbon emissions for your system. Energy inspections will highlight improvements to the operation of your existing systems or opportunities to replace older, less energy efficient systems or oversized systems with new energy efficient systems.

You can get the very best value from complying with these regulations by including an inspection in a wider ‘Energy Efficiency Action Plan’. Such plans look at the overall energy use in a business or building and provide an action plan to help focus on efficiencies. Air conditioning inspections can provide invaluable information, recommendations and actions resulting in a reduction in energy consumption in a wider push for overall energy efficiencies within a business.

If you would like to know more about the regulations or energy efficiency actions plans then please call us.

For this reason, E Advantage are proud to announce the launce of a service that allows organisations to access our consultants expertise on a basis that suits them, whether that be:

• Ad-hoc
• Half day
• Day
• Retained service
• Full project
• Building a managment system

If this sounds of interest, call us today to discuss your requirements. Our number is 01280 812 909

E Advantage can help. We can:

• Structure the kick-off workshop
• Help set objectives
• Work with the team to implement environmental management practices and systems
• Help source funding
• Provide training
• Deliver green marketing communications within the business and externally
• Assist in reporting
• and much more…

For your green team requirements, call us today on 01280 812 909 and we’ll be happy to help

Source: DECC (12th July, 2010)

Climate Change Minister Greg Barker is today [12 July] launching the first stage of the Government’s plans to help communities become more self-sufficient in the way they use heat and power.

Empowering communities to generate their own energy on a large and a small scale can not only bring in an income but also help save money on fuel bills and increase domestic energy security.

Homes, schools and businesses are already guaranteed cash payments through the ‘feed-in tariff’ for producing their own green electricity through technologies such as solar panels or small wind turbines, as well as for selling it to the national grid.

Around 100,000 homes and organisations have installed this kind of technology so far.  The Government wants to see what more it can do to help develop the industry, create more job opportunities, and make sure customers can trust the green technology they buy.

Greg Barker said: “I want to see more homes, communities and businesses generating their own energy. We can literally bring power back to the people. Microgeneration is a key part of this vision.

“By becoming more self sufficient we can create sustainable local energy economies. People and communities can save money on their fuel bills at the same time as generating an income and cutting carbon. I want to work with industry to overcome the challenges it is facing. Together we will create a marketplace for jobs and prosperity alongside products and advice which people trust.”

The consultation on the Microgeneration Strategy will look at four key areas for development:

• Quality: ensure consumers have confidence that equipment and installation is reliable and adheres to the highest standards;
• Technology: examine how to improve products through more trialling of technologies new to the UK;
• Skills: develop the microgeneration supply chain to ensure it is properly equipped with the right people to meet the expected rise in demand, as well as creating and sustaining jobs in the UK;
• Advice: provide more accessible advice and information about microgeneration to homeowners, communities and small businesses.

Read complete press release…

Chris Huhne calls for renewed focus on climate finance

Chris Huhne warned today [12 July] that a deal on climate finance is vital to breaking the climate deadlock. The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change arrived in New York for a meeting of the High Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. The group was set up to identify ways of raising new and innovative sources of climate financing to reach $100 billion per annum of public and private finance by 2020 as agreed during the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen last December.

Chris Huhne said, “Helping developing countries tackle climate change is crucial if we are to secure a comprehensive and ambitious deal. Aside from a moral obligation to help vulnerable countries who have historically contributed little to the problem, it’s also in our own interests to provide practical support.

I’m looking forward to getting down to work with colleagues in New York to secure the long term finance needed to tackle climate change and kick start a renewed push towards a truly ambitious climate change deal.”

Chaired by Prime Ministers Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Jens Stoltenberg of Norway, the Group consists of finance and environment Ministers and economic and finance experts including President Obama’s chief economic advisor Larry Summers, George Soros and Prof Nick Stern.

The Group will work to develop proposals to present to the UN Secretary General by the end of October 2010, ahead of the international discussions at Cancun, Mexico.