The Energy Performance Certificates are a legal requirement for all houses in Belfast, Northern Ireland, that are going into the market for sale or to let. But how is an EPC produced? epc-belfast.net answer the question below.
Qualified individuals that are known as domestic energy assessors (DEA) produce energy performance certificates. The process of the production of energy performance certificates consists of two main parts. The first part is the site survey and the second one includes computer work that a DEA performs to produce the certificate. In the site survey, the energy assessor surveys the client’s house.
Site survey
The EPC surveyor will start examining the external part of the house during the site survey. He will take photographs from the outside which prove the shape of the structure. The DEA will want to explore either the house is semi-detached, detached, flat, or mid-terrace property. It means the assessor has to take photographs of the front elevation of the client’s house.
The DEA will access the rear of the property where he’ll take photographs. If there is an oil boiler in the rear garden, then he’ll take photographs that show the model of the boiler. He or she will also take photographs of the oil tank. The assessor will take photographs of the gas boiler and will note the model if the house has a gas heating system instead of an oil heating system. DEA has to take photographs from inside of the house for evidence of radiators, wall thermostats, thermostatic radiator valves, and the heating programmer.
In case there is a roof in the property, the assessor will take pictures of the loft insulation to prove type and depth. He makes sure to measure and record the width of the external wall as well as the structure type. It is necessary to mark whether the walls are made of bricks, stones, or timber. Taking note of wall insulation is essential for DEA that can range from cavity wall insulation to internal insulation.
From the inside, the assessor will take pictures of the house windows. He needs to take note of glass thickness, type of window frame, and its year of manufacture. The window frame can be of either PVC or timber. Last but not least, the only thing that left for inspection in the house is the lights in the room. It requires a count of lights in each room, bulb type whether low energy or not, and overall light distribution in the house as well.
Entering data into software
The other part of the EPC procedure is also very important. In this phase, the assessor will enter the collected information into computer software. Domestic Energy Assessors in Northern Ireland do not have their own software. So, they all use cloud software. With the help of a user interface system, the assessor will be able to enter all the findings and observations on a system that helps to generate Energy Performance Certificate EPC.
The EPC has a scale of 0 to 100 to tare the energy efficiency of the house. It grades from low to high which refers from poor to good energy performance. The certificate remains in the electronic record of the EPC Record of Northern Ireland. The certificate remains valid for about ten years.
There are certain buildings that do not require an Energy Performance Certificate. The government site provides more details.
