Standard Assessment Procedures and Energy Performance Certificates are the key ways of measuring a building’s energy efficiency. However, there are some important distinctions between the two. Assessment Hive, who offer SAP calculations for clients in London and Hertfordshire, explain more.
SAP Calculations
Standard Assessment Procedures (SAPs) are a set of calculations which are used to produce the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for a property. They are only required for new residential buildings, or properties which have been converted or extended.
An in-person visit by an assessor is not required, unlike older properties, which still require an on-site presence for the calculations. For new properties, the assessor uses information such as:
- The floorplans
- The elevations
- The overall site plan
- The insulation type, and its thickness
- The specifications of the heating and ventilation systems
- How the hot water is generated
- What percentage of the lighting is low energy
- Any renewable technology which is being used
- Any accredited construction details
Older properties which are being sold or rented out will still need an EPC certificate (and, by extension, a series of SAP calculations). These can be done using Reduced Data SAP (RDSAP) methodology. This process is less detailed than the SAP calculations required for new-builds, as it focuses on the property’s visible elements rather than on any detailed plans.
SAP calculations don’t just form the basis of EPCs; they can also be used for BREL reports for new-build properties, and Basic Compliance Reports for conversions and extensions.
EPCs
Energy performance certificates are graded on a scale from A to G, with A being the best (or most energy-efficient) and G being the worst.
Because most of the housing stock in the UK is more than 50 years old, the average home would earn a D rating. However, new homes – the ones which require the SAP assessment – are constructed with energy efficiency in mind and are going to earn a much better rating, usually a B, or even an A.
At Assessment Hive, we can supply an energy performance certificate for a property in Hertfordshire or London, whether it’s for a new-build, a conversion, an extension or a rental or any other type of property.
…And Regulatory Compliance
Currently all rental properties need to have an EPC grading of E or higher. Properties can be let out with an F or G rating, but landlords need to have a special exemption to the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in place beforehand.
The Labour government wants all rental properties to have at least a C rating by 2030 (The Conservatives’ original 2028 target was later scrapped). This is partly to increase the rights of tenants, partly to improve the energy efficiency of rental housing stock, and partly to help the UK meet its net-zero carbon emissions target.
It is against the law to rent or sell a property without an EPC, so ideally any SAP calculations should be carried out before any building work starts. That way, of the property fails to meet building regulation standards, remedial work can be suggested. This becomes more difficult and expensive later on, so it’s important it’s important to get an EPC as soon as possible.
SAP Calculations in London from Assessment Hive
At Assessment Hive, we offer a full range of property assessments and compliance certificates – not just SAP calculations and EPCs but also including SBEM calculations, overheating assessments and energy statements. If you would like to know more, follow this link and fill in the online form, or call us on
020 3745 1093 or email us at [email protected].
