Commercial Buildings Energy Assessment SBEM

SBEM Energy Assessment of Buildings

Energy Assessment of commercial buildings is carried out using different energy rating methods. Premises that are considered for commercial use, or public use, employ a methodology known as SBEM (Simplified Building Energy Model) the calculation and final energy ratings for buildings are more complex than used for SAP Energy Assessment.

SAP Energy Ratings are used primarily for commercial property developers, and builders of New Homes, they require an EPC or PEA dependent on the completion of the properties on a site for example. PEA is used mainly for off-plan domestic dwellings that may be partially built, or indeed are still on the drawing board.

SBEM is different, this method is applied to provide energy ratings and an EPC for property that is considered solely for commercial use, or, in the case of public buildings energy ratings for the production of DEC Display Energy Certificates.

If you own or lease, or rent commercial property you will require a commercial energy assessor to carry out an energy assessment of the premises in order to issue an EPC. If this is the case then it will be necessary to provide the energy inspector with specific facts snd information relating to the building.

What information do I require to produce for Energy Assessment of Commercial Buildings? The following information of each building is required to obtain an accurate SBEM energy assessment: Full details of floor plans, including building elevations, and sections - either send printed copies of plans by post to the assessor, or alternatively email drawings in .dwg or .dxf Autocad file format.

All rooms and areas to be clearly labelled on drawings, this is used to identify the activities associated with each area (for example: offices, toilets, restaurant, lobby, hotel bedroom, gym, classroom, reception, store, warehouse, loading area etc.) General details of the building, including the building type (e.g. office block, hotel, leisure centre, restaurant, shop, library, supermarket etc.), your full address, client details, building orientation, etc. Full details of specification for the construction of floors, walls, ceilings, roofs, and finishes - you will need to supply either the k values of all building materials used in the construction, or the make and trade name of each material used in the construction of the building fabric (e.g. Thermalite Turbo). Any Accredited Construction Details (for the avoidance of thermal bridging).

Design air permeability of building and/or building zones. Semi-exposed construction to unheated areas such as entrance lobbies, corridors, garages, basements, loading bays etc. Full window and door specifications, including frame material, width of gap, and emissivity of glass, solar shading from overhangs, mullions, etc. Full details and types of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, fuel types, and outline control details of the heating and/or air conditioning system Full details of plant, such as boilers, chillers, heat pumps, etc., including make and model (if known), or the generic type of items of plant. Hot water system specification, including calorifier size, insulation to cylinder and pipes, and controls). Types and efficiencies of all fans, heat recovery systems, HVAC systems etc., and any ductwork leakage testing procedures. Full details of any fixed secondary heating, cooling, and hot water systems. Full details of lighting, including lamp types, the number and distribution of (lighting plans), including installed efficacies in some cases, and all lighting controls. Details of any additional renewable energy technology, such as heat recovery systems, solar hot water, heat pumps, wind power, photovoltaic, CHP, etc. Details of metering, automatic monitoring and targeting systems, associated with fuel metering, gas, electricity and water usage. (As part of asset and operational ratings). This list is not exhaustive and further information and further information may be requested, if details are missing and or cannot be confirmed with the documents provided then it may be necessary to carry out a site inspection to determine the facts. Similar information may be requested for public buildings for SBEM energy assessment, and the production of a DEC. What Information Do I Need for SAP Energy Assessments? Drawings for the building design: including all plans, elevations and sections Construction details of the building including U values (where these have been calculated) Full Information detailing the boiler manufacturer, model, hot water cylinder and control systems used Window and Door Details. These must include manufacturers’ U values for frame and glass together. For new build extensions construction/insulation details for the existing dwelling including all the above requirements. Your contact details Our energy consultants can provide an EPC, or DEC using SBEM ratings, the costs can only be calculated on an individual basis, as commercial buildings can be large and complex, and building design and construction materials and methods used in the construction vary widely. Energy Assessment Costs SAP – Standard Assessment Procedure • SAP Calculation up to 200sq/m £70.00 • SAP Calculation 200sq m – 400sq/m £110.00 • SAP Calculation over 400sq/m £180.00 EPC – New Build Domestic Energy Performance Certificate • EPC from SAP we produced £30.00 • EPC from other Assessors Calculations £75.00 The reason for the price difference is the input work involved in reproducing another assessors calculations (will take as long as a full sap to produce) PEA – Predicted Energy Assessment • PEA from SAP we produced £20.00 • PEA from other Assessors Calculations £25.00 ATT - Air Tightness Test • ATT undertaken on one dwelling at one site on one day £475.00 • Additional ATT undertaken same site on same day £150.00 Please contact for specific quotes for SBEMs, Commercial EPCs & Commercial Buildings ATT, Public Buildings DEC. All prices are subject to VAT. EPC Commercial We can provide energy ratings and calculations, and the issue of EPC (Energy Performance Certificates) for the following buildings: SAP – Standard Assessment Procedure for New Build Properties. We can produce SAP and Carbon Index ratings, Target and Elemental u-value calculations. PEA - Predictive Energy Assessment for property marketing purposes. This is a mandatory requirement for new build properties to display a PEA SAP rating prior to sale. PEA for off-plan and partial construction New Build Homes. ATT - Air Tightness Testing of New Build dwellings. SBEM - Energy calculations for commercial buildings and production of Commercial EPC. ATT - Air Tightness Testing of Commercial Buildings EPC – New Build Domestic Energy Performance Certificate DEC - Display Energy Certificates for Public Buildings For more information please refer to Commercial Buildings Energy Assessment