Demand is picking up again as the FIT tariff is about to drop on PV
installations. The requirement to achieve a D rating on an EPC to claim FITs has certainly been good for business, but is it excluding properties that would most benefit from a PV installation?
Author Archives: Kevin Archer
Want FITs: Get a D
April 1st will soon be upon us and anyone wanting to claim FITs for a new PV installation will need to achieve a D rating on an EPC on that dwelling. Many PV suppliers are now looking at the best way of offering this as part of their service, and Nationwide Energy Surveys are always willing to help.
Two weeks to go until the EPC gets the biggest changes since its introduction.
Apart from some minor tweaks with the calculations, little has changed with the EPC since it was introduced. However, all that will change in a couple of weeks and that will have a major impact on everyone in the business. The presentation will affect agents, and Green Deal has been factored in too.
FITs saga continues.
The saga over the FIT scheme tariffs rumbles on. The planned reduction was brought forward by the Govt. but this was ruled illegal by the high court, and now the Govt. have lost their appeal. It seems the changes won’t happen any earlier than originally planned so DECC wasted taxes on legal costs.
Consultation is under way for SAP2012, and we are involved.
Just as SAP2009 is being applied to RDSAP, the next round of changes, namely SAP2012 are being planned, ready for rollout for the next change in Building Regs, in 2013. We at NES are getting involved in this, so we will be in the best position to give developers the best advice about their designs.
Only weeks to go before the EPC gets the biggest change since its introduction.
From April, there will be fundamental changes to the EPC, both in the way it is produced, and in the way it’s presented. This will mean that there will be much more consistency between different suppliers, and the EPC will be much more user friendly, but will there be upword pressure on prices?
Nationwide Energy Surveys complete new EPC training
The new EPC format and changes to the RDSAP methodology are now being rolled out through training. This has now been completed, with just the exams to do when they get released. The changes will result in more accurate EPCs, especially if the assessors are qualified to calculate U values as we are.
Will the 10 year EPC shelf life be reduced to 3 years?
There are rumours that the 10 year shelf life of the EPC is to be reduced to 3 years when next Aprils changes take place. The idea that an EPC is valid for 10 years has always been thought of as nonsense and makes an EPC meaningless after while, so a reduction in this period would be welcomed.
See the new EPC format.
The proposed format of the new EPC, to be launched next April, in preperation for the Green Deal, has been released. See it here: (page 25) http:/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/sites/default/files/resources/behaviour-change-and-energy-use.pdf
NHER give Nationwide Energy Surveys frank and honest advice about Green Deal training.
In response to questions from us, NHER have advised that no-one should pay for any Green Deal training yet as nothing about it has been confirmed. They then went on to say that even when the training has been developed, assessors should ask themselves where their income will come from!