Importance of non-domestic energy audits
The Carbon Neutral Roadmap was approved by the States Assembly on the 29 April 2022. It outlines proposed policies to start our journey to net zero. One of the 4 main categories of policies is heating, cooking and cooling. This includes policies targeting the business sector.
Business sector emissions can be lowered by improving the energy efficiency of commercial buildings. The first step is to understand their energy efficiency and identify improvements that could be made. This can be done through a commercial energy audit and Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
A
home energy audit scheme already exist in Jersey.
An online tool to create non-domestic EPCs has recently been developed for Jersey. The first cohort of non-domestic energy assessors have now completed their training.
About non-domestic energy audits
A non-domestic energy audit is a survey to tell you how energy efficient a non-domestic property is. The more energy efficient the building, the more money you will save on your energy bills.
Having an energy audit done on your property tells you:
- how much energy you’re currently using
- recommendations of improvements to increase energy efficiency
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is awarded as part of a commercial energy audit.
Non-domestic energy audit pilot scheme
The first cohort of non-domestic energy assessors in Jersey have received their accreditation. Government of Jersey have launched a pilot scheme. The pilot scheme will result in a maximum of 10 non-domestic Energy Performance Certificates. The buildings being assessed are either occupied by eco active businesses or the Government of Jersey.
The aim of the pilot is to:
- allow newly qualified assessor to gain more experience
- understand the complexities of creating a non-domestic EPC
- assess the subsidy processes ahead of launch
- gather feedback on EPC outputs to feed into an EPC review
Become a non-domestic energy assessor
To become an accredited non-domestic energy assessor, you need to:
- complete Level 3 and 4 non-domestic energy assessor courses
- complete the Jersey-specific Quidos upskill module
- complete the accreditation process with Quidos
Only those with a registered business in Jersey are able to offer this service in Jersey.
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs)
An EPC tells you how efficient your property is and gives it a rating from A (very efficient) to G (inefficient). Information about how the building was built and how it is heated is used to generate an EPC.
It gives you a personalised list of improvements that can increase the EPC rating.
EPC ratings give you a standardised way to compare your property with others.
EPCs can only be generated by a qualified assessor.