Sustainability Flashcards
What is BREEAM?
The Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.
It is a voluntary environmental assessment tool to rate new, refurbished, and operational buildings.
Can you provide examples of BREEAM categories their assessors consider?
- Energy Consumption
- Water use
- Transport Links
- Waste Management
- Health & Wellbeing
- Land use & ecology
What are the five BREEAM ratings?
- Outstanding
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Pass
Other than BREEAM, what rating methods are there?
- LEED (Leadership in Energy and Design (USA))
- DGNB (Germany)
- HQE (France)
- NABERS (Australia and UK)
- WELL standards (international)
What are the current EPC rules in England & Wales?
An EPC is required when:
- when the useful floor area is over 50 sq. m or more, an EPC is required for newly built, sold, or let properties for a term of more than 6 months and less than 99 years. Or when it’s newly refurbished and heating, air conditioning or ventilation services are altered.
- For assigning and subleasing of a lease
- Sale and Lease of residential buildings and refurbishment schemes are included
What are the exemptions for EPCS?
- Listed Buildings (in some instances)
- Buildings that have no heating
- Religious buildings
- Temporary buildings
- Buildings due to be demolished/redeveloped and residential units not occupied for more than 4 months of the year.
What are the EPC requirements for marketing?
- Must be commissioned within 7 days of commencement of marketing (28-day limit for procurement)
- Agents are responsible for procuring EPCs
- Only the actual energy rating is required to be displayed on property and advertisements, Where space permits, the graph should be shown.
- All online marketing should have a link to the EPC showing the front page of the EPC.
What would be included on the front page of the EPC Certificate?
- Address of the property
- Floor area
- Technical information on the property’s energy provision
- Estimation of energy running costs
- An energy performance rating of A+ to G
- Benchmarking information
How long is an EPC Valid?
10 years. However, if the building has been altered, then a new EPC will be required for marketing.
Where is an EPC held?
On the online register.
What are the penalties for non-compliance with EPC’s in marketing?
Local authorities’ Trading Standards team enforces the regulations:
- Residential £200 civil fixed penalty for non-display of EPC information on marketing material.
- Commercial: Max penalty 12.5% of RV of a building (minimum £500, maximum £5,000).
