DCLG have issued new guidance on the rules requiring EPCs on properties let out as holiday cottages.
Click this link for the DCLG FAQ : EPC for HOLIDAY LETS Nov 2011
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New DCLG Guidance Nov 2011:EPC for Holiday Cottages
November 22, 2011Category: News
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NHER News – rdSAP Update for Green Deal
October 26, 2011RDSAP will be changed on 1 April 2012 throughout the UK to RDSAP 2009 v9.91. This week all EPC accreditation schemes received draft details of the planned changes; and they are so substantial that they look likely to require all DEAs to pass a ‘top up’ exam. The changes are part of a DECC/DCLG drive to gear the industry up for the Green Deal, with the EPC being the lynchpin that tells householders what measures are relevant to their home, what the likely costs are and if the measures are likely to be eligible for Green Deal funding. Regardless of the success or otherwise of the Green Deal, the changes will make RDSAP a much more useful tool containing options currently only available as part of a full SAP assessment. The changes will also make it possible to use RDSAP to reassess a dwelling previously assessed with full SAP when the dwelling was first built.
So what was the thinking behind the changes to RDSAP?
First and foremost was the need to eliminate those aspects of RDSAP that have been widely criticised and to make it a tool suitable for use in any serious attempt at improving the energy efficiency of existing homes. The view was that DEAs are now sufficiently confident, proficient and experienced to handle the increased complexity that this will require.
The starting point for improving RDSAP was that all energy efficiency / renewables measures installed into a home under the Green Deal have to be able to be entered into RDSAP software when the dwelling is reassessed for an EPC. This requirement led to over 20 areas of change to the RDSAP data entry process; for example, if the gable wall of a house has been externally clad to a U-value of 0.20 W/m2K, then RDSAP has to allow the entry of a U-value of 0.20 W/m2K for that specific wall area. This requirement led to changes being made to enable the DEA to define an alternative wall for each building part (Main, extension 1, extension 2 etc) and to be able to enter a specific wall U-value; this was then extended to allow entry of an age band or a thickness/material. Similarly, if a dwelling has a boiler fitted with a Flue Gas Heat Recovery System then the DEA needs to be able to enter such a system into the software. Although the changes to RDSAP are major, they have been designed to keep the process of assessing most homes as similar as possible to the present approach. Much of the additional data entry will only be required when documentary evidence is available that provides supplementary information to be entered into RDSAP. And so DEAs will NOT need to calculate U-values or, in most cases, carry out additional measurements.
The second driver for change was the need for RDSAP to be able to assess and where appropriate recommend every measure that is eligible for full or part funding under the Green Deal. Therefore, added to the current list of RDSAP Recommendations will be Flat roof insulation, Room In the Roof Insulation, Floor Insulation, Insulated Doors, Waste Water Heat Recovery and Flue Gas Heat Recovery. There will be also be a section on the EPC for ‘Alternative’ Recommendations in addition to the main RDSAP recommendations: Heat pumps, micro CHP, Biomass boilers and External Insulation with cavity insulation. The look of the EPC will also be very different, containing more detailed information and less descriptive text.
The final key driver for change was the need for the estimates of financial savings to be more accurate, because of the Green Deal’s ‘promise’ that the savings under standard occupancy conditions will be more than the cost of servicing the loan taken out for the installation of improvement measures. For example, RDSAP savings will now be based upon regional weather patterns.
But what will all this mean for DEAs in practice?
The first obvious impact will be the need to prepare for and sit the top up exam.
On the job, there will be some additional data entry to software and extra data collection. In cases there will be the need for more expert judgment; this will require clear new conventions to be agreed by all accreditation schemes. The main additions to the survey process are:
- Entering wall thicknesses and entering separately any walls that are dry-lined
- Establishing if there is the possibility that wall cavities are < 50mm or if the dwelling is located in a high exposure area (as these need specialist installation techniques), or if there are obvious obstructions on site that might make cavity fill or cladding more difficult
- Entering additional data provided in documentary evidence, e.g.details of solar thermal, PV, part walls that have been insulated
- Checking that element areas of roof rooms are not obviously wrong; and if they are then entering better estimates
- Assessing the approximate % of openings that are draught proofed and counting the number of doors
- If using extended glazing, then entering the orientation of each opening
- Recognising the presence of additional measures, e.g. flue gas heat recovery systems, waste water heat recovery systems
These changes place the EPC and with it the DEAs at the heart of government policy regarding tackling climate change and, in the long term, this has to be good for the industry. In the short term, it will require that DEAs put some time into increasing their skills and getting used to the changes. Hopefully, the way in which RDSAP 9.91 is structured and implemented will minimize the extra time needed on site. However, inevitably, there will be situations where more time is required to carry out the survey, especially when encountering new technologies and refining new processes.
Category: News
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More than half of homes in Great Britain don’t have sufficient insulation.
October 19, 2011DECC’s new “Housing Energy Fact File”, published today, highlights that more than half of homes in Great Britain don’t have sufficient insulation.
Click on this link to view the Housing Energy Fact File : housing-energy-fact-file-2011
Category: News
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One year to Green Deal – Energy Act becomes law
October 19, 2011Press Notice: 11/083
19 October 2011The Energy Act has become law setting in stone the legal framework for the Green Deal, which will be launched in Autumn next year.
The Green Deal will revolutionise the energy efficiency of the nation’s homes and businesses. It will help people insulate against rising energy prices, creating homes which are warmer and cheaper to run.
DECC’s new “Housing Energy Fact File”, published today, highlights that more than half of homes in Great Britain don’t have sufficient insulation.
It shows around 50% more energy is used to heat and power homes than is used to power UK industry. It is vital, therefore, that action is taken to address home energy efficiency.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said:
“A huge hurdle has been passed in bringing the Green Deal closer to making homes warmer and cheaper to run. The coalition is doing all it can to bear down on energy prices, but insulation will provide the long term help to manage bills. When it’s introduced, the Green Deal will be as easy as ABC by making work affordable, providing bespoke independent advice and choice in the market from well-known and trusted high street names.”
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker said:“As well as helping people save money through home energy improvement , the Green Deal will be a massive business opportunity. It’s expected to attract capital investment of up to £15 billion in the residential sector alone by the end of this decade and at its peak, the Green Deal could support around 250,000 jobs.”
The key elements to the Act will:
Remove the upfront cost of energy efficiency measures (like loft, cavity and external wall insulation, draught proofing and energy efficiency glazing and boilers) making expensive home improvement affordable. For the first time in the world, the energy saving work will be repaid over time through a charge on the home’s energy bill. The repayments must obey a “golden rule” whereby the charge is no more than the expected savings, meaning householders should save from day one.
Put consumer protection at the heart of the Green Deal. High standards will be crucial from the first independent home energy assessment to getting the job done by qualified installers. All Green Deal participants will need to carry a “quality mark” so customers know they can be trusted to do a good job.
Provide extra financial help for the most vulnerable and hardest to treat homes by getting energy companies to fund work like basic insulation and boiler upgrades as well as helping those living in homes where the cost of the work, like solid wall insulation, may not obey the “golden rule” without extra money to make it affordable.
Improve at least 682,000 privately rented homes. From April 2018 it will be unlawful to rent out a house or business premise which has less than an “E” energy efficiency rating.
This latest milestone comes just weeks after the first finance consortium was announced promising to provide low cost interest rates on Green Deals. The Green Deal Finance Company has the potential to offer a better deal for the consumer and to support healthy competition amongst Green Deal providers including small businesses.
In the next year, work will continue to get Green Deals ready for market. The timeline is as follows:
End Oct 2011 – formal consultation on secondary legislation
Spring 2012 – secondary legislation laid before Parliament
Autumn 2012 – first Green Deals appearCategory: News
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The European Commission’s proposal for an Energy Efficiency Directive
August 4, 2011THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY DIRECTIVE EXPLAINED
On the 22nd June, 2011, the European Commission published a draft Directive, provisionally known as the “Energy Efficiency Directive”
The EU has a target to save 20% of its primary energy consumption (against business as usual projections) by 2020 through improvements in energy efficiency. However, the Commission estimates that the EU is currently only on track to achieve half of that target. The proposed Directive has been produced by the Commission in response to calls from both the European Parliament and the European Council to close the gap between ambition and action.
The proposed Directive is very broad in scope, and would affect energy generators, suppliers, and consumers. It would replace the existing Energy End Use Efficiency and Energy Services Directive and the Cogeneration Directive both of which have been fully implemented in the UK.
- Full details of the proposed Directive can be found at the European Commission’s website[External link]
ENERGY EFFICIENCY DIRECTIVE – KEY PROVISIONS
Article 3 – Energy Efficiency Targets
- Member States are to set their own indicative national energy saving targets taking into account the EU 2020 Target.
- By 30 June 2014 the Commission will assess whether the EU is likely to achieve the 20% target based on the sum of the targets set by Member States and an assessment of national plans.
Article 4 – Public Bodies
- Member States are to ensure that, as from 1 January 2014, 3% of the total floor area of buildings over 250m2 owned by public bodies is renovated annually to the meet at least the minimum energy performance requirements set in current building regulations.
- Member States will be required to establish and make publicly available an inventory of buildings owned by public bodies detailing the energy performance of each building.
- Public Bodies must be encouraged to adopt and implement energy efficiency plans and energy management systems.
Article 5 – Purchasing by Public Bodies
- Public bodies will be required to meet high energy efficiency standards when procuring energy-using products, IT equipment, tyres, buildings and services from third-party providers.
Article 6 – Energy Efficiency Obligation Schemes
- Member States must establish an energy efficiency obligation scheme requiring all energy suppliers (or distributors) to meet an annual energy-saving target equal to 1.5% of their energy sales by volume in the previous year. Alternatively, Member States may opt to take other measures to achieve energy savings amongst final customers as long as they deliver equivalent energy savings. Such alternative approaches must be approved by the Commission.
Article 7 – Energy Audits and Energy Management Systems
- Member States must promote the availability of energy audits and encourage SMES and households to undergo an audit.
- Member States must ensure that large companies undertake an independent audit by 30 June 2014 and every three years thereafter. These audits may be conducted under existing energy management systems or voluntary agreements between stakeholder organisations and Government.
Article 8 – Metering and Informative Billing
- Member States must ensure that final consumers are supplied with individual meters and that energy efficiency and the needs of final consumers are taken into account when setting meter functionality as part of the roll-out of smart metering.
- Member states are also required to ensure that from 1 January 2015 billing is accurate and based on actual consumption.
- The Directive sets out minimum requirements for the frequency of billing and provision of historical consumption information for comparison purposes.
Article 9 – Penalties
- Member States must establish proportionate, effective and dissuasive penalties for non-compliance with Articles 6-8
Article 10 – Co-generation
- Member States will be required to produce a National Heating and Cooling Plan setting out action to be taken to develop the national potential for co-generation. The Plan must be submitted to the Commission by 1 January 2014 and then updated every five years
- Member States must ensure that all new thermal electricity plant above 20MW allow for recovery of heat by means of a high efficiency co-generation unit and is sited where waste heat can be used. Similarly, when existing thermal electricity plant above 20MW is significantly refurbished or its permit is updated, it must be converted to allow operation as a high-efficiency co-generation installation provided it is sited where waste heat can be used.
- Authorisation criteria must also be adopted whereby other new or substantially refurbished industrial installations with a thermal input above 20 MW also capture and make use of their waste heat.
- Member States may lay down exemptions from these requirements on the basis of availability of heat load or a negative cost/benefit analysis, though these conditions for exemption must be approved by the Commission.
Article 11 – Energy Transformation
- Member States must draw up and update every 3 years an inventory detailing the energy performance for all combustion installations and refineries with a total rated thermal input of 50MW.
- The Commission will use this information to assess the energy efficiency potential of these installations and, if necessary, may propose requirements to improve the efficiency of these installations when new installations are permitted or re-permitted after periodic review.
Article 12 – Energy Transmission and Distribution
- Member States must ensure that energy regulators pay due regard to energy efficiency in their decisions relating to the operation of gas and electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure.
- By June 2013 Member States must adopt plans which assess the energy efficiency of their gas, electricity and heating and cooling infrastructure and identify concrete measures and investments to deliver cost-effective improvements.
- Member States must guarantee transmission and distribution of electricity from high efficiency co-generation, as well as priority or guaranteed access to the grid and priority dispatch for CHP electricity.
Article 13 – Availability of Certification Schemes
- Member States must ensure that by 1 January 2014 certification and qualification schemes are available for providers of energy services, energy audits and energy efficiency improvement measures.
Article 14 – Energy Services
- Member States must promote the energy service market through making available lists of providers, model contracts, and disseminating a range of information on incentives to support energy service projects.
Article 15 – Other Measures to promote Energy Efficiency
- Member States must evaluate and take appropriate measures to remove non-regulatory barriers to energy efficiency including the landlord and tenant split and administrative practices relating to public purchasing, accounting and budgeting.
Article 19 – Review and Monitoring of Implementation
- Member states must report annually on progress towards the national energy efficiency target and submit a detailed supplementary report every three years, setting out national energy efficiency policy.
Category: News
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DCLG have now released an updated document summarising the proposed changes to the EPB Regulations
July 15, 2011DCLG have now released an updated document summarising the proposed changes to the EPB Regulations, a copy of which can be downloaded by clicking here : Summary_of_changes_to_EPB_Regulations
Please note that the timing of the proposed changes is provisional as DCLG are still awaiting clearance from the Regulatory Policy Committee before the changes can be implemented.
Category: News
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DECC PUBLISHES MICROGENERATION STRATEGY
June 22, 2011The Coalition Government’s new Strategy to promote Microgeneration and decentralised energy is published today, aimed at making localised energy a real possibility for householders and communities across the UK.
Press release: DECC MICROGENERATION STRATEGY
Category: News
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Red tape slashed in boost for small energy suppliers
June 13, 2011Smaller gas and electricity suppliers will benefit from a cut in red tape in time for next year, Energy Minister Charles Hendry announced today.
Firms with 250,000 customers or fewer will not have to take part in two government programmes – the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). This follows a consultation which originally proposed a threshold of 100,000 customers.
Click on this link for full story from DECC :
Less Red Tape for Small Scale Energy Suppliers
Category: News
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NEW FEED-IN TARIFF LEVELS FOR LARGE SCALE SOLAR AND ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ANNOUNCED
June 9, 2011NEW FEED-IN TARIFF LEVELS FOR LARGE SCALE SOLAR AND ANAEROBIC DIGESTION ANNOUNCED
Click on this link to read the DECC Press Release
Category: News
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Seven domestic energy use statistics everyone should know
May 19, 2011
1. The average UK home emits 6.2 tons of carbon a year
This is based on an average home, defined as a two up two down semi-detached property. Homes make up over 28% of all UK carbon emissions. This is mainly due to the fact that many of the homes built in the last 60 years have not had a focus on insulation, airtightness or adequate ventilation methods.
2. 82% of energy used in the house is used in heating the home
This includes both space and water heating which accounts for 58% and 24% of the total energy used in the average household respectively.
3. From Autumn 2012 every home can gain over £6,000 for energy efficiency improvements
The Energy Security and Green Economy Bill is about to enter the House of Commons. This will enable people to take out a loan to make improvements to a house. This loan will be paid off through lower fuel bills. The Green Deal is expected to save households upto £400 a year and create upto 100,000 jobs.
4. Many UK homes could generate over £600 every year from electricity right now
Feed in tariffThe Feed-in Tariff means that each home owner can earn income for generating electricity. For improvements to existing homes people can earn 43.3pence per kilowatt hour. On a large roof this can equate to over £600. Factors to consider include the angle of the panel. A South West or South East facing panel will be 5% less efficient than a south facing panel. The angle of the panel is important also. A flat system produces about 13% less. This will all impact on your potential Feed-in Tariff returns.
5. Water use accounts for over 20% of energy use
While writing up some work for a housing association that was retrofitting their homes we noticed an important point. Water accounts for over 20% of all energy use in a home. Where we use less water, we also save energy.
6. Education can save families over £300 a year
Our motto is build tight, ventilate and educate right. Research shows that where people understand their homes they are able to save considerable amounts on fuel bills.
In one research study carried out by Worthing Homes residents saved more from education than they did from £7,000 worth of retrofitting. In some instances residents were saving over £300 more a year. This compared with £38 saved from retrofit works only.
7. Retrofits costs range from £7,000 to £40,000
Depending on whether you are moving to 20% to 80% less carbon retrofitting a property can cost tens of thousands of pounds. Many of these costs result from technical aspects of building to low carbon, in particular getting to low air tightness and good ventilation levels in existing homes and renewable technologies.
Indeed when allowing for monitoring and dissemination of findings the Retrofit for the Future grants allowed up to £150,000 per home. These projects took homes to extremely low carbon levels.
Category: News
