New Build SBEM & EPCs

When is an SBEM/EPC Required for Commercial properties (non-dwellings)?

From April 2006, all new-build structures for commercial purposes, and some extensions, require an SBEM calculation, in accordance with Part L Regulations.

A Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) or DSM (for complex buildings) calculation (compliance for Building Control for the purposes of BER/TER calculations) and an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is required for the following:

• Any new build commercial property Part L2A (including modular buildings).
• First Fit-Out of the new property.
• Large extensions (large extensions are greater than 100sqm AND more than 25% of the total useful floor area of the building being extended).  L2B covers refurbishments and smaller extensions.
• Any existing building that is converted into a greater or lesser number of commercial units. 

We have made our service as efficient and user friendly as possible.  By providing us with building drawings and specifications we will be able to produce a fully inclusive quotation to demonstrate building regulation compliance.  All our SBEM calculations utilise Building Research Establishment (BRE) approved software and we are fully accredited to produce Energy Performance Certificates on completion.

What happens if the construction or materials change during the build?

Changing construction type or materials should have no effect as long as the minimum requirements are achieved, but there is a risk that the building at completion might fail and retrospective measures will have to be added to achieve compliance under Building Regulations.

Who can issue SBEM calculations?

Anyone can issue SBEM calculations, but if the person or organisation issuing the calculations is not accredited with an Accreditation Body e.g. BRE, then building control will not accept the calculation which also requires a lodged EPC on completion of the property. Sadly, this normally doesn't happen and only at the completion stage when the EPC needs to be lodged do most clients realise that the whole calculation needs to be redone in order to lodge the EPC.  It is only accredited commercial energy assessors (NDEA - Non Domestic Energy Assessor) who can issue EPC's, therefore if a non-accredited assessor produces the SBEM calculations, an accredited assessor will be needed to remodel/recalculate the entire building to produce the final lodged EPC. We are accredited to issue Design, Completion SBEM calculations (including DSM for Level 5 complex buildings) and EPC’s (at completion stage). 

We have yet to tackle a new build commercial property which we could not gain compliance for. Our guidance runs from the beginning through to final lodgement. As mentioned above, the last couple of years have seen an increase in properties that have failed compliance at the "As-Built" stage where the Design stages were conducted by non-accredited companies.
Nevertheless we have become accustomed to these too and our knowledge of SBEM and National Calculation Model (NCM) means that non-compliance isn't an option for us or for our clients. You can rest assured that our expertise in this field is second to none.

All our quotes include full technical compliance advice without any additional charges including the final lodged EPC.