Are you worried about your ability to rent out your commercial or residential building with new government regulations on EPC. Existing regulations require an EPC when a commercial property is sold, leased, or modified in a way that changes the number of parts it comprises and requires heating, cooling, or ventilation.
What is an EPC.
The EPC, the UK’s performance rating system for buildings, grades the energy efficiency of a property on a scale of A to G. The EPC is generated by the SAP or SBEM calculations. The methodology is established by the government to demonstrate energy and climate performance.
This is calculated by taking into account how the structure uses and loses energy, based on levels of insulation, windows, renewable energy technologies, types of boilers (heating) and leakage of air. Your engineer will use SAP methodology to analyse design changes and understand how to improve your EPC rating. Improved ratings can be achieved by providing an air or ground source heat pump, biomass boiler, wind turbine, district heat network connection, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, insulation, photovoltaic panels and solar thermal panels. When a structure is sold, rented or developed, it is legally required to obtain a valid EPC.
What is the Government proposing:
You will need a strategy to meet your statutory obligations in 2025 when by law all buildings will require an EPC, and by 2028 when you must have a rating of C or above to lawfully lease it.
By 1 April 2028, it is proposed (but not yet law) that all commercial properties being leased must have a minimum EPC rating of C or above. This aligns with the UK government’s push toward improving building energy efficiency as part of the net-zero strategy.
The government aims for all commercial properties to achieve a minimum EPC rating of B by 2030. Private rented accommodation is proposed to be C rated.
This is part of the government’s net-zero carbon emissions strategy, ensuring that building stock becomes more energy-efficient.
Can your renovated building give you greater returns.
In a competitive market now is probably the right time to reassess your buildings and consider if they reflect your brand values and what you stand for?
You may find tenants are more discerning now than they were 5 years ago. Many are looking for high quality space with atmosphere, natural light and good quality ventilation. Sustainable design is central to making this happen.
One way to ensure you meet their needs is through retrofitting which can provide savings on energy consumption. Better space will lead to higher productivity which is clearly what everyone wants.
Case Study: Heals Development
We completed a retrofit of the Heals retrofit development on Tottenham Court Road, a mix of grade 2 listed buildings. We upgraded the air supply, heating, and cooling in all the office spaces on a listed building. We thermally upgraded the building fabric and existing roof coverings.
We installing a roof over the external courtyard, creating an atrium. This resulted in external walls becoming internal walls which allowed us to retain the building’s heritage while at the same time improving thermal performance.
The client was able to rent the newly renovated spaces for a substantial uplift in rental income.
In your project, a focus on sustainability and compliance with changing regulations ensures you will be able to rent the building in the future and avoid decreased asset values over time.
Do you need help working out how to upgrade your building?
If you need help navigating this new legislation, call us and we will be happy to help.
