Building regulations and energy managament

The main requirements of the EU?s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) are:

· minimum energy performance standards for all new buildings;
· a requirement for larger existing buildings to meet minimum energy standards when refurbished;
· a requirement for all buildings to have an energy certificate, with frequently visited buildings that provide public services required to prominently display an energy certificate;
· periodic re-certification of buildings (at least every 10 years);
· regular inspection of boilers and air conditioning systems.

The Directive affects all buildings of more than 50m2. Plus, when existing buildings with a floor area over 1000 m2 undergo major renovation, there is a requirement to include all cost-effective energy efficiency measures.

Currently not all aspects of the EPBD have been translated into UK law; the Government has a further three years in which to do this. For example, the energy certificate requirement is not yet law in the UK. Though they are not law it is a good idea to be considering these issues now.

Changes to Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power) of the building regulations came into force 6 April 2006, along with updated guidance documents, including a new edition of the Approved Document F (Ventilation). These changes enacted articles 3-6 of the EPBD.

For a summary of how Part L applies to existing buildings and what you should do to comply please see: http://www.workplacelaw.net/display.php?resource_id=6568&keywords=energy%20efficiency

The current controls that exist on energy use include:

· Building regulations: Since April 2002 the building regulations have set new standards for energy efficiency including the new changes. The underlying requirement is to reduce energy consumption. There are certain requirements for new non-domestic buildings to demonstrate these reductions by using the national calculation method.
· The Climate Change Levy (CCL) and underpinning this the Climate Change Levy Agreements.
· Levy Exemption Certificates mean that organisations which pay the CCL can enter into agreements with suppliers to purchase renewable electricity.
· The UK?s Emissions Trading Scheme is the world?s first economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme.
There are also good practice ideas which can be beneficial such as producing Operating and Financial Reviews.

I hope this goes some way to starting to answer your questions. As the questions you asked were very broad I?m sure you will appreciate there are no quick and easy answers. The detailed answers to all of your questions, and a wealth of other information, can be found in Workplace Law?s Energy Performance of Buildings 2006: Special Report. This publication covers a wide range of energy topics and was co-authored by Mick Dalton Chairman of the British Institute of Facilities Managers (BIFM).

More information on what?s contained in the special report can be found here: http://www.workplacelaw.net/eshop/product_info.php?product_id=470

Please can you explain the new Building regulations to me. I am working as the environmental manager of a firm that has 4 different offices of varying sizes. Does the new regulation apply to old buildings as well as new? What special measures have to be put in place?

Please can you also briefly explain to me the 2002/91/EC Directive on Energy performance of Buildings 2002. What are the specific requirements?

I am complying an environmental legilsative register for the company and is there any specific energy legilsation that large companies have to abide by? There is of course the climate change levy, but that is automatically deducted from energy bills.