Building Energy Rating throughout Northern Ireland
Commercial Connections Ltd specialises in energy efficiency surveys of domestic, commercial and industrial properties. We are a family owned and operated company based in Crossgar, Co Down.
“We are more than just a low cost EPC provider”
We have multiple assessors trained, monitored and accredited by Elmhurst Energy Systems, a pioneer in Energy Rating Software and Training. We have experience with over 1300 unique jobs in Ireland over the past few years and have offered training to various professional bodies on Building Energy Rating, Airtightness and meeting the targets.
List of Services
If you require any calculations or further information it is best to telephone us between 8.30am and 5.00pm on (028) 4483 1227 (Mon - Fri) or email us and one of our assessors will get back to you.
Complete packages for one-off Houses
The Design, On Construction SAP, EPC and airtest are all included so that there is synergy between all elements and your project runs smoothly throughout. Meaning you get the best deal in terms of cost effectiveness. There are no hidden charges or surprises.
Options for Contractors
Whether you just need EPCs on completion for a single dwelling or a full Design stage package we will offer a competitive rate and work with you on your timescale. We will offer a full SAP itinerary at an early stage so that you know what complies and what doesn’t and what effect your changes on site will make to the Energy Rating. We also offer competitive rates for large sites
Why Use Us?
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SAP - Domestic Energy Rating
SAP is the Governments Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings.
With the SAP 2005 Methodology now in place and enforced from November 2006, The TER (Target Emissions Rate) vs DER (Dwelling Emissions Rate) Method of Dwelling Energy Compliance will be the only way to achieve Building Control Approval in Relation to Part F - Conservation of fuel and Power 2006 (NI) of the Building Regulations.
Energy Performance Certificates
What is an EPC and when must I get one?
EPCs are required whenever a building is constructed or marketed for sale or rent.
The EPC records the energy efficiency of a property, providing a rating of the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of a building on a scale from A to G, where A is very efficient and G is very inefficient.
EPCs are produced using standard methods with standard assumptions about energy usage so that the energy efficiency of one building can easily be compared with another building of the same type. This allows prospective buyers, tenants, owners, and occupiers to see and compare information on the energy efficiency and carbon emissions from a building, so they can consider energy efficiency and fuel costs as part of their investment decision.
An EPC should always be accompanied by a recommendation report listing cost effective and other measures (such as low and zero carbon generating systems) to improve the energy rating of the building. The EPC also contains information about the rating that could be achieved if all the recommendations were implemented.
What an EPC for a home contains
For homes, two ratings are shown, the current rating and the potential rating. The actual energy-efficiency rating is a measure of a home's overall efficiency. The higher the rating, the more energy-efficient the home is, the lower the associated carbon emissions are and the lower fuel bills are likely to be.
The energy efficiency rating is based on the performance of the building itself and its services (such as heating and lighting), rather than the domestic appliances within it. The certificate also lists the potential rating indicating what can be achieved if all the cost-effective measures were installed.
Ratings will vary according to the age, location, size and condition of the building. The potential rating on the certificate will take these factors into account, and the suggested measures will be tailored so that they are realistic for the particular building.
Also shown on the EPC is a benchmark rating for an average home in Northern Ireland, again for comparison purposes.
How to get an EPC
As a seller or landlord it is your responsibility to ensure your property has an EPC. You can commission an EPC yourself or it may be commissioned on your behalf by an agent such as an Estate Agent. EPCs can only be produced by an accredited energy assessor. Energy assessors may be self employed or employees of service organisations such as Estate Agents, Conveyancers or energy companies.
You may search for an accredited energy assessor or check your assessor's accreditation details by visiting www.niepcregister.com
Once you (or your agent) have commissioned an EPC, your energy assessor will receive basic details from you and will then arrange to come and visit your property or arrange information to do the assessment.
During the assessment the energy assessor will be collecting information about your property, how and when it was constructed, the type of property (e.g. house, bungalow, mid-terraced, detached etc.), number of habitable rooms , dimensions of the building, the number of floors, amount and type of glazing (i.e. single or double glazing), heating systems and fuel used, etc.
This information will be fed into an approved software programme using a Government approved standard energy assessment method to calculate the rating of the building.
The software produces the EPC and the recommendation report for the property.
SBEM - Non Domestic Energy Rating
Part F2 of the Building Regulations Northern Ireland for non-domestic buildings require a unique Target Emission Rate (TER). This TER is the minimum acceptable energy performance established as a mass of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) produced by the building and is given in units of kg/m2 of useful floor area per year. This target is for the provision of heating, hot water, ventilation, cooling and fixed internal lighting for an appropriate selection of standardized activities.
The TER shall be calculated using the Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM).
SBEM is a lot more complex than a SAP calculation and requires detailed information to be supplied.