Government legislation requires that businesses obtain an Energy Performance Certificate, or EPC, in order to operate from a particular premises. It is necessary to have the Certificate if the building is used by the public, if the floor area is more than 500sq meters, or if an EPC has already been produced by previous companies. The Certificate costs around £120, and lasts for a maximum of 10 years, but a fine for not having the EPC may be as much as £5,000. Commercial businesses which need to have the Energy Performance Certificate therefore need to invest in equipment which can help them to maximise their energy savings.
Air conditioning and heating units can be responsible for as much as a third of the company’s total energy costs. This means that purchasing a system which is energy efficient can reduce the amount of energy used by the business, and ensure that the company is able to get the EPC they need. In addition, since 2008 the performance of the heating and air conditioning system needs to be checked every 5 years, and improvements to carbon emissions must be checked even sooner. For many companies, those checks should have been performed in 2012-13, but some companies were missed.
Companies need to seek the assistance of an approved air-conditioning system assessor. They will look at all areas of the unit, including air movement pipes, unit controls, and other equipment. They will report on the estimated efficiency of the equipment, and also give the business ideas about ways to improve the efficiency, or advice on faults which have been detected. They will also offer information about ways to reduce the use of HVAC units throughout the day. If the heating and air conditioning unit passes this assessment, then the business can take a step towards claiming their Certificate.
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