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Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) & Display Energy Certificates (DECs)

Display Energy Certificate (DEC)

In line with Regional Buildings Assessments' expansion program, we offer a service providing Display Energy Certificates (DECs). Display Energy certificates are required for all public buildings from 01 October 2008 as part of Community & Local Governments' measures to improve the energy efficiency of our buildings.

DECs show the actual energy usage of a building, the operational rating and help the public see the energy efficiency of a building. This is based on the energy consumption of a building as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters.

The Display Energy Certificate should be clearly displayed at all times and be clearly visible to the public. A DEC is always accompanied by an Advisory Report which lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of the building.

Display Energy Certificates are only required for buildings with a total useful floor area of over 1000m², that are occupied by a public authority or institution providing a public service to a large number of persons and is therefore visited by those persons. Display Energy Certificates are valid for 1 year, whilst the accompanying Advisory Report is valid for 7 years.

Advisory Report

Your Advisory Report may contain a range of possible improvements, including cost effective measures that may be implemented to improve the energy performance of the property. The report includes zero and low cost operational and management improvements, possible upgrades to the building fabric or services, and opportunities for the installation of Low and Zero Carbon (LZC) technologies. The report enables the occupier to identify what may be done to improve, for example, building energy management, building services, etc., therefore reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.

The Advisory Report categorises the list of recommendations by payback period, as follows:

• Short-term payback (up to 3 years), e.g. building energy management measures
• Medium-term payback (3 to 7 years), e.g. upgrading building services
• Long-term payback (more than 7 years), e.g. Low and Zero Carbon (LZC) technologies.

Each category includes the energy assessor's selection of the most suitable improvement measures for the building, generally between 5 and 10 measures. The Advisory Report also includes the energy assessor's recommendations which may include additional improvement measures, such as measures recommended by a previous energy audit.

The Advisory Report remains valid for 7 years. This is considered a reasonable interval during which the building occupier would have had sufficient opportunity to act on the recommendations within the report, following which a review would be appropriate in the light of new technology or changes in energy prices, etc.

The advice provided in the Advisory Report is intended to be for information only. Occupiers receiving an Advisory Report are advised to seek further detailed professional advice before reaching any decision about how to improve the energy performance of the building.

At present, Display Energy Certificates are only required for buildings occupied by a public authority or an institution providing a public service to a large number of persons. However, the Government has announced its intention to review in the future whether this regulation should be extended to include private sector buildings occupied by commercial organisations and visited frequently by members of the public.