E-newsletter September 2017
Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the September edition of our CIBSE Certification Monthly Newsletter, which contains important news and compliance information.
DCLG requests for LCEAs
DCLG has written to me and asked me to remind you that in regards to lodged certificates on the Landmark Register, there is a requirement to notify us if an EPC, or any other certificate, has been lodged in error and needs to be marked as cancelled once the original certificate has been replaced.
When this happens, as the result of an audit problem, CIBSE Certification will remind you of this requirement at the time. In the situations where LCEAs spot errors or omissions themselves, and lodge a replacement, a cancellation must be requested.
You can notify us within the lodgement portal or by emailing epc@cibsecertification.org.
Renewals
You should all by now have received your renewal notification sent to you last month.
This is an opportunity for us to check that all of your details are in order so we will be asking you for missing items such as up to date PII/PLI or complete CPD records before sending out your ID card and Certificate of Competence.
Hard copy invoices will be sent in the post next week and your registration fees will be available on your MyCIBSE portal for you to pay online from 5 September. Please note that even if you pay your registration fee we will be making the above compliance checks and those who have maintenance items missing will be suspended.
If you have any questions regarding your renewals please email epc@cibsecertification.org.
Audit evidence for existing building EPCs
I have become aware that the impending Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) are causing concerns when the outgoing tenant has removed their fixtures and fittings at the end of a tenancy and the landlord is letting an empty shell for subsequent new tenant fit-out.
The EPC conventions require the use of default values in this empty building scenario which tends towards an F or G rating, hence the MEES concern, and apparently there are some creative solutions being applied.
I need to stress that this situation is not the same as when a design stage EPC draft is produced for a new build shell and core. Also, it is not acceptable to assume that the subsequent fit-out will need to comply with ADL2B and produce an EPC on the proposed specification. A proposed specification is not “evidence”. Although it is true that the fit out should comply with ADL2B, the “minimum evidence” would be a statement from the developer confirming that as built is the same as designed/specified, just as would be the case if we were talking about a new build ADL2A situation. Without at least this minimum evidence, the EPC must be produced using the defaults.
I will be taking this issue to the next Cross Scheme Moderation meeting, 14 September, to make sure that this understanding is common across all schemes.
New ORCalc in Scotland
The previous version of ORCalc Scotland expired on 17 August 2017. If you need to lodge a DEC in Scotland you can download the new/current versions from the Download area of the Lodgement Portal.
Building Regulations (Part L) Secondary Document List
Nick Peake, Head of Knowledge at CIBSE, has very helpfully produced a Secondary Document List of links to useful sources of information on Part L of the Building Regulations. For those of you working with Part L this should be a useful go to link for supporting information, not only the Approved Documents, and CIBSE publications referred to therein, but also publications from BRE, BSRIA, BESA, HSE, etc. and Primary Legislation. You do not need to be a CIBSE member to access this - view now.
Regards,
Andrew Geens
BEng (Hons) PhD CEng FCIBSE
Head of CIBSE Certification