More red tape? Yes, but this is important

There is a piece of legislation entitled The Energy Performance of Buildings directive (EPBD) and this requires that EU member states to ensure that:

a) Energy Performance Certificates (EPC’s) are made available to prospective purchasers or tenants of commercial buildings over 50 sq m, when they are brought to the market for sale or to rent.

Generally most people are aware of this and of course EPC’s have been required for a number of years now, however, another requirement has now become obligatory and less people are aware of this one, although it is all part of the same directive.

This additional requirement states:

b) All property owners with buildings incorporating air-conditioning systems (regardless of whether a property is on the market) with an effective rated output of more than 12kW must arrange for the systems to be regularly inspected by an Energy Assessor (the inspections must be a maximum of five years apart) and a report prepared that meets the requirements of Regulation 22 of the EPBD.

The provision of these reports is now a statutory requirement. DB Real Estate can assist in obtaining competitive quotes for the production of these reports, contact us if you need any assistance.

We believe the introduction of the EPBD has far reaching implications and it is possible that in the future occupiers may be prevented from taking leases on, or buying less efficient buildings due to restrictions imposed by their governing bodies or by their corporate social responsibilities. Certainly the introduction of a “carbon tax” on commercial buildings in the future is now a step closer.