21-Stroma Accreditation Commercial and domestic energy assessments News 300508

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Stroma Lodges First DEC

Just a few weeks after issuing the first Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for a non-domestic building, Stroma Accreditation has achieved another ‘first’, by lodging the first DEC (Display Energy Certificate) for a public building in the UK.

Stroma Accreditation, a CLG-approved accreditation body for both commercial and domestic energy assessments, issued both the EPC and DEC for a council building in West Yorkshire.

The actual assessment was carried out by Rob Molyneux of Stroma Technology, one of the few companies with Energy Assessors accredited to carry out Level 4 and 5 EPCs for new and existing ‘non-dwellings’ (using ‘SBEM’ and ‘DSM’ methods) as well as DECs for public buildings.

“We are delighted to lodge the first DEC in the UK,” explains Rob Coxon, Director of Stroma Technology. “However, we expect it to be the first of many. In preparation for this, we have created an operation capable of providing a one-stop-shop service from the initial energy assessment to lodgment. Furthermore, through Stroma Accreditation, we can provide accredited training for Local Authorities that wish to carry out their own energy assessments. With most public buildings needing have DECs in place by October, this could be the most effective route for Local Authorities and other landlords to achieve this”.

These comments reflect the scale of the task. There are an estimated 43,000 public buildings that require a DEC by October 2008 this year. The penalty for failing to display a DEC “at all times in a prominent place clearly visible to the public” is £500; and £1,000 for failing to have possession of a valid Advisory Report. A maximum fine of £5,000 may be imposed depending on the nature of the breach of regulations.

All DECs and EPCs are required to be carried out by Licensed Assessors, registered with a CLG-Approved Accreditation Scheme (such as that offered by Stroma Accreditation), and using accredited software. As part of an ongoing process of quality assurance, Stroma Accreditation monitors a proportion of all DECs submitted by Energy Assessors on their scheme.

DECs show the actual energy usage of a public building as an ‘Operational Rating’. The initial DEC is accompanied by an Advisory Report that lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of the building. It provides the public with information on the building’s energy efficiency, based on actual energy consumption, as recorded by gas and electricity meters. DECs are currently only required for buildings that are occupied by a public authority or an institution providing a public service to a large number of persons, with a total useful area greater than 1000m². They are valid for one year whilst the Advisory Report remains valid for seven years.

Stroma offers various qualification routes to accreditation, along with accompanying software. For example candidates may take our DEC Diploma or simply take the opportunity to combine training with our SBEM course, which is combined with DEC training free of charge. The company also offers an Approved Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) route to qualification, which recognises existing competence in the industry.

Email: marina@dragonflypr.co.uk