ALL this legislation looks like causing a compliance headache for the local authorities that haven’t planned ahead, but with barely any information out there to clarify what will be required of them for commercial, residential and public buildings, planning is almost impossible.

David Collett of Green CO2 energy services group cuts through the red tape to explain what is expected of local authorities for each type of building and offers advice on what steps they need to take to ensure they are compliant with the new rules.

In spite of the fact that new regulations on energy certificates came into force from October 1st 2008, it is worrying to note that there are still local authority building managers out there who are not yet prepared, even though noncompliance could result in fines.

With the flurry of confusing legislation, not to mention setbacks and delays, some are understandably baffled. Nevertheless, now that the date has been set for the introduction of both Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) and Display Energy Certificates (DECs), those who are unclear would be wise to get the process of compliance underway.

Local authorities will have to consider both types of certificate; EPC and DEC, depending on what type of building is being certified and what it is used for. Put simply, an EPC is used to show how efficient a property is on a scale of A-G, with the most efficient in band A. The Certificate also explains, again on a scale of A-G, the impact the property has on the environment. A DEC on the other hand is calculated differently, has separate laws on how it will the information will be displayed and is more a concern for buildings with direct access to the public.

Since December 2007, all sellers of residential properties have been required to have an EPC, which is included as part of the infamous Home Information Pack (HIP). Rental properties do not require a full HIP, but local authorities who have rental housing stock will need EPCs for each house.

EPCs are issued following an energy assessment by a registered Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA). DEAs must complete a specialist qualification, and it may be that surveyors used to carry out other assessments to housing stock are not qualified to carry out these assessments.

It is also necessary to consider the most efficient way of rolling out EPC assessment, which like other property inspections is best carried out during void periods, when assessors can easily gain access to properties. Fortunately, the requirement for an EPC is only triggered when there is a change in tenant, so provided the supplier has enough assessors to be able to respond to demand, it should be possible to carry out most inspections on void buildings, thus minimising disruption to tenants. Certificates are then valid for the next ten years. Although EPCs will not be compulsory until October, it is sensible to consider carrying out assessments now, on any houses that are currently void.

Local authorities which own public buildings larger than 1000m2, such as schools, leisure centres, libraries and town halls will need Display Energy Certificates (DECs) instead of EPCs for these buildings. As the name suggests, DECs must, as part of the legislation be displayed in a prominent place in the building.

Unlike EPCs, which give an estimate of the energy efficiency and usage of the building, a DEC shows the energy performance of a building based on actual energy consumption as recorded annually.

This data needs to be collected over the course of a year for an assessor to carry out their assessment, so it would be prudent for local authorities to start recording it as soon as possible.

A DEC is accompanied by an advisory report which contains information on energy saving initiatives that are appropriate for the building. This report is valid for seven years to give building owners time to follow up on the recommendations and make improvements.

Buildings such as hospitals, and some schools, may have several buildings on one site which all require an DEC. Eventually, these will be required for individual buildings, but in a move to help organisations who face this requirement and are as yet unprepared, the government has announced that for the first year only, a single certificate for the site as a whole will be sufficient.

The introduction of EPCs and DECs may be a cause for stress in many local authorities at the moment, but in spite of the confusion caused by their introduction, in future they will hopefully be a useful tool for monitoring and improving energy use in public buildings, leading to an improved environmental record and lower fuel bills.

David Collett is CEO of Green CO2 energy services group, which specialises in providing energy services to local authorities. www.greenco2plc.com