Energy Assessor News

Welcome to Energy Trust news section were we will keep you up to date with all the news in the industry

Been stranded by your current training organisation?

We have heard that a couple of training organisations have suspended their training programmes, leaving their candidates high and dry. Energy Trust are here to help. If you are part way through a course training to be a Domestic Energy Assessor or Non-Domestic Energy Assessor, talk to us – we may be able to help.

Call Energy Trust now on 0845 680 6780 and talk to one of our team who can assess how we can help you gain your qualification. We recognise that delegates are at different stages, from just starting on a course through to about to take an examination. We will assess your needs and make recommendations about how to move forward and help you through the process. Ring us today.

New Government Legislation Affecting Energy Assessor Data Gatherers To Take Immediate Effect

If you are a Data Gatherer find out how this new legislation will effect you.

As a Data Gatherer you can retrain and become a fully qualified energy assessor as a solution.

New Courses Coming soon

Air Conditioning Inspections

Fire Risk assessment

2 New energy assessor qualifications announced as a top-up to the DEA Diploma:

Home Energy Advisor Level 3 Diploma

Community Energy Advisor Level 3 Diploma

These qualifications will be aimed at already qualified DEAs who wish to expand their services by advising homeowners and communities how their Co2 emissions can be reduced.

These courses are still at the consultation stage and are not available at the moment, we are awaiting the outcome of the consultation

More info soon

Air Conditioning Level 3 & Level 4 diplomas to be released soon:

Air conditioning inspections are now required for any system over 250kw with all equipment over 12kw due an inspection by 2011. The Certificates will need to be renewed every 5 years.

The inspection will involve a visual survey of plant and air con equipment to inspect its condition and efficiency. This will also involve producing recommendations as to how the equipment can be used more efficiently.

Only Qualified & Accredited Air Conditioning Energy assessors will be able to carry out these inspections.

This qualification goes hand in hand with a Commercial Energy Assessor. While you are on site carrying out an EPC why not do the Air Conditioning Inspection as well!

Energy Trust will be offering this qualification in the near future. Please call 0845 680 6780 to register your interest.

Survey reveals growing awareness over value of Energy Certificate recommendations

This is an extract from Building Engineer Feb 2009

While the majority of property professionals requiring commercial energy certificates are concerned with sourcing a low cost standard certificate, a growing number are asking for full surveys with the intention of implementing some or all of the accompanying recommendations according to the results of a recent survey. Awareness that the true value of the certificates is in the recommendations does appear to be growing as almost 30% of clients questioned said they commissioned detailed surveys from their Energy Assessors, 25% asked for costings of recommendations and 21% said they would go on to ask for implementation of recommendations. The results, collated from two informal questionnaires carried our by The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), indicate that while more must be done to ensure recommendations are implemented and therefore carbon savings are achieved, energy certification has the potential to make a real difference. When questioned on the importance of energy certificates, over 50% of property professionals rated them as ‘very’ important, while almost 40% of Energy Assessors said that 50-75% of their clients were aware of commercial Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs).

Levels of awareness over the need for Air Conditioning inspections were also concerning, with 30% of Energy Assessors estimating that just 0-10% of their clients were aware of the requirements.

The surveys also revealed that the gathering of accurate energy data is a major issue for both sides – 44% of clients said that collating the required information was the most difficult part of getting the certificate produced, while Energy Assessors rated obtaining correct energy data as one of the biggest challenges to producing both EPCs and DECs.

Confusion over the costs of certificates is high; when asked what they initially expected the certificate to cost, client responses ranged from £50 to 10,000. Equally, in answer to the question ‘what is the average cost for producing an EPC for a client’, the answers from the Energy Assessors revealed that costs for small buildings (under 2,500m2) ranged from £300-£5,000. for medium buildings (2,500-10,000m2) it was £750-£10,000, and for large buildings (over 10,000m2) £900-£10,000.

In terms of timings, 36% of property professional said the process of hiring an assessor to the production of the certificate took 2-4 weeks, with 30% taking 1-2 weeks, 27% over a month and 7% less than a week. And what advice would energy Assessors give to potential clients to make the process run as smoothly as possible? Top of the list was to start collecting all energy data, floor plans and building information as far in advance as possible and to clarify just what they would like to get out of the process. As of January 2009, nearly all aspects of the European energy performance of buildings directive (EPBD) became a legal requirement, including a requirement to produce an EPC on the sale or rental of any building, a certificate showing energy used in all public buildings over 1,000 sq m (DEC) and regular examination of air conditioning systems over 250kW.

Extract from BUILDING ENGINEER February 2009