summer edition - Elmhurst Energy

QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER JULY 2015
SUMMER EDITION
Introduction
Welcome to the summer edition of our
newsletter for Elmhurst’s members. After
the excitement of a general election in
the spring, we have seen few changes to energy
efficiency policy so far, which perhaps is as expected.
That said, in this newsletter we highlight some new
opportunities for Display Energy Certificate Assessors
and changes which will affect landlords and On
Construction assessors in Scotland.
With a lack of new policy, energy assessors need to rely more heavily on their network for
new business opportunities. To facilitate networking in our industry, we held the first TechNet
session at the beginning of June in Lutterworth. The next event, planned for Sevenoaks this
month is already fully booked. If you are interested in growing your network of contacts,
please take a look at our events timetable to book on to a session near you. See more on
TechNet at http://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/training/technet. I would also urge you to treat
with caution, some of the offers of lead generation services which you may be presented
with. Elmhurst Energy is not associated with any such schemes, so please check the validity
of these services before parting with any money.
In this issue, we reveal opportunities for new training, which as is the case for TechNet, is
increasingly being delivered at varied and convenient locations across the UK. Also please
look out for news of updates to our software; in particular our plans to integrate RdSAP
GO, our mobile app for Domestic Energy Assessors, with GO Capture,
our app for collecting and managing evidence.
As always, we appreciate any feedback on this newsletter or
any ideas you may have for future articles. Please send your
comments to me at info@elmhurstenergy.co.uk.
Stephen O’Hara,
Managing Director of Elmhurst Energy.
2 | JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7
Contents
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A Landlord’s responsibilities to control Legionella
4
Opportunity for DEC Assessors 6
Demonstrate the value of energy efficiency products 7
Non Domestic CPD Partnerships8
Treat lead generation deals with caution
9
Regional events9
Scotland: Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing
10
Ahead of the game: Updated Design SAP software 12
encompasses Code for Sustainable Homes and
Scottish Building Regulations changes
• Housing software updates to 9.9213
• DEA Software timeline14
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 3
A Landlord’s responsibilities to control Legionella
Members who operate in the private rented sector are being asked
what they know about Legionella and what landlords need to do to
ensure legal compliance.
The first thing to make clear is
that Health and Safety law does
not require landlords to produce a
‘Legionnaires testing certificate’.
Organisations, or self-employed
individuals, who provide residential
accommodation, are responsible for
ensuring that the risk of exposure
to Legionella in those premises is
properly assessed and controlled. All
water systems require an assessment
of the risk which they can carry out
themselves if they are competent, or
employ somebody who is.
In most residential settings, a simple
assessment may show that the risks
are low and no further action may
be necessary. If the assessment
shows the risks are low and are
being properly managed, no further
action is needed but it is important
to review the assessment regularly in
case anything changes in the system.
Where showers are installed, these
have the means of creating and
dispersing water droplets which may
be inhaled causing a foreseeable risk
of exposure to Legionella. However,
if used regularly (as in the majority
of most domestic settings) the risks
are reduced but in any case, tenants
should be advised to regularly
clean and disinfect showerheads.
Instantaneous electric showers pose
less of a risk as they are generally
coldwater-fed and heat only small
volumes of water during operation.
It is important that water is not
allowed to stagnate within the water
system and so there should be
careful management of dwellings
that are vacant for extended periods
(e.g. student accommodation or
holiday accommodation that may be
left empty for extended periods).
Landlords are required to
understand, or employ a competent
person, to assess the risks of
Legionella in domestic rental
properties and decide on the action
necessary. To repeat, Legionella
testing will be required only in
exceptional circumstances and
generally not in domestic hot and
cold water systems.
The Health and Safety Executive has published
guidance for landlords, free to download from HSE’s
website:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/legionnaires/faqs.htm
As a landlord, what are my duties?
http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/priced/hsg274part2.pdf
PDF - Paragraphs 2.138-2.146
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Responding to members, Elmhurst Energy has
designed its own one day training course which
provides information on Legionella and its causes,
including the current legislative requirements for the
control of Legionnaire’s Disease in rental properties.
The course includes a practical risk assessment
exercise and a short written test.
Course details:
• What is Legionella and where can it be found?
• Who is at risk?
• How the disease is transmitted and grows
• Statistics and history of outbreaks
• The Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
• The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002
• The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999
• The Approved Code of Practice L8 2013 and other guidance
• The role of Duty Holders and Responsible Persons
• Control measures for hot and cold water systems
• Control measures for other systems
For more information visit the Elmhurst Energy
Training calendar.
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 5
Opportunity for DEC Assessors
We want to highlight a particular work opportunity for Display Energy Certificate
(DEC) Assessors. Many public buildings with a floor area greater than 1000m2,
which had DECs and Advisory Reports (ARs) completed in 2008/2009, will
expire on their seventh annivesary and will need to be renewed.
Ideally this could be done when the
DEC is renewed so if you are being
asked to undertake a DEC assessment,
and the Advisory Report has some life
left, it might be worth suggesting to
clients that they renew a year early
when this year’s DEC is completed.
Whilst you will want to charge an
additional fee for completing an AR, by
also producing the DEC the client will
save money overall.
Remember, that for a DEC to be a valid
document, it must be accompanied
by a current AR so it is in the interest
of everyone to ensure that the AR is
renewed on time.
Please note that a site visit will
be required when completing a
replacement AR. Even when you have
been to the site in previous years, it is
not possible to complete a meaningful
AR without re-inspecting the building,
its services and its current management
practices. This requirement for site visits
has been recently confirmed by CLG
and is implemented by all Accreditation
Schemes.
In addition to this opportunity is a new
ruling affecting the scope of buildings
eligible for DECs and ARs. The
opportunity relates to the Statutory
Instruments 2012 No. 3118*, states
that from the 9th July 2015 buildings
occupied by public authorities and
frequently visited by the public of
more than 250 m2 and less than
500m2 will be required to have a valid
Display Energy Certificate (DEC) and
Advisory Report (AR); both of these
documents will be valid for 10 years.
DECs and ARs continue to be required
for eligible buildings of 500m2 –
1000m2 and are also for 10 years.
DECs for buildings of 1000m2 or more
6 | JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7
remain valid for one year and the AR
for seven years. Please be aware that
ARs currently show validity of 10 years
when retrieved from Landmark but this
is not correct and we are told that it will
be rectified in due course.
This is an exciting business opportunity
for DEC assessors as there are many
thousands of buildings which will now
require a new or renewed DEC & AR.
*The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and
Wales) Regulations 2012, PART 3 Display Energy
Certificates
Demonstrate the value of energy efficiency products
Elmhurst Energy has launched a new web tool helping businesses to
demonstrate the value of energy efficiency products, taking the consumer
through a simple survey which leads to recommendations.
By embedding the tool, called Green Check, into your
website, your visitors answer a short set of questions
which reveal the energy efficiency of their homes, the
improvements that would bring the most value and the
potential savings brought by installing home efficiency
products. Business Manager for Domestic Existing
Dwellings, Paul Mayne comments “The product is ideal
for installers and providers of efficiency products who
want to demonstrate the difference their products will
make to consumers’ efficiency and costs. It makes sense
for businesses which are marketing efficiency in areas
such as boiler replacement, cavity or solid wall insulation,
replacement windows and loft insulation. The tool can
be tailored to your brand and the survey data can also be
used as a non intrusive way of capturing customer data
for marketing and leads.”
“The product is ideal for
installers and providers of
efficiency products who want to
demonstrate the difference their
products will make to consumers’
efficiency and costs.”
Green Check is available for your website for as
little as £1 per click. For more information and a
detailed quote, email info@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Or see the Green Check web page
http://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/software/leadgeneration-software
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 7
Non Domestic CPD Partnerships
We are looking at several new partnerships to deliver new
CPD aimed at anybody involved with Non Domestic and
ESOS assessments. We have already partnered with global
sustainability consultancy, Ricardo-AEA and energy efficiency
experts, Mark Group Limited to deliver new training.
The second course, Energy Efficient Lighting, takes place
on 16th Sept 2015, and is delivered in partnership with Mark
Group Limited. With LED lighting becoming the light source
of the future, this course helps delegates understand:
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The first course ran on 3rd June 2015, covering two topics;
Compressors and Compressed Air and Heat Generation,
Distribution and Recovery; delivered in partnership with
global sustainability consultancy Ricardo-AEA.
The course covered:
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An overview of the technology
How does the technology work?
What is it used for?
Common issues/problems and how they are identified
How can the technology be made more efficient?
High level costs
How this technology fits into the ESOS framework
Look out for future dates.
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Different light source technologies
Industry lighting terminologies
Advantages and disadvantages of different light types
Tips and tricks on how to identify light sources
An introduction to lighting controls and control systems
Project considerations when recommending an energy
efficient lighting scheme
The two courses each qualify towards five hours of a
delegate’s annual Continuing Personal Development
(CPD) requirement. The content of the courses are
relevant to ESOS lead assessors, non-domestic and DEC
energy assessors, facilities and energy managers and
anyone involved with the assessment of a commercial
facility or adoption of an energy efficient lighting system,
compressors or heat generation and recovery systems.
Held at Elmhurst Energy’s HQ in Lutterworth,
Leicestershire, the training courses cost £125
plus VAT for Elmhurst Energy members and £140
plus VAT for non-members to attend.
If you are interested in booking future events on
either of these topics, please email us at
info@elmhurstenergy.co.uk.
Treat lead generation
deals with caution
Regional
events
We have received a number of calls
from members concerned about
apparent ‘business opportunities’
where assessors are asked to pay
a lump sum, up front, in return for
business leads.
In response to feedback from
our members, Elmhurst Energy is
pleased to be offering even more
regional training events. A series
of events across all strands has
been scheduled to enable energy
assessors to attend training events in
their locality.
Whilst some of these may be genuine opportunities,
we recommend that you treat such offers with caution
and encourage members to thoroughly research the
details of the offer and likelihood of work, before parting
with any money. If necessary, you should also seek legal
advice before entering into a formal contract.
Please be aware that Elmhurst Energy does not operate
or endorse any such offers.
Should you have any concerns regarding calls or emails
from parties claiming to represent Elmhurst Energy, we
recommend that you contact our Existing Dwellings
Team on 01455 883257. We will be happy to confirm
whether or not the contact was genuine.
Elmhurst Energy will be visiting Belfast, Bristol,
Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds, Manchester, Portsmouth,
Reading, Sevenoaks and Swansea. There will be
Masterclasses for DEAs, OCDEAs and DEC assessors.
Non Domestic Energy Assessor courses will take place
in Manchester and Edinburgh. There will be Domestic
Energy Assessor courses in Portsmouth, Belfast,
Reading, Manchester and Bristol. On Construction
Energy Assessor training will take place in Edinburgh
and Northern Ireland. Moreover, TechNet networking
events will also be hosted in Kent, Durham, Stirling,
Northern Ireland, Nottingham, and Cardiff.
Full details on these regional events can be found at
http://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/training-calendar
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 9
Scotland: Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing
As a result of consultations and impact assessments following the Climate
Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the Scottish Government has set plans for
Scotland to meet targets for reducing carbon emission levels.
The Scottish Government’s plans
include the Sustainable Housing
Strategy (SHS) which sets out a vision
for warm, high quality, affordable,
low carbon homes. It is relatively
easy as part of this process, to set
standards for new build, but the
plans encompass upgrading existing
dwellings. Consequently, the
Energy Efficiency Standard for Social
Housing (EESSH) has been developed
to help improve the energy efficiency
of the social housing stock in
Scotland.
Around 29 per cent of the energy
used in Scotland comes from
housing, including heating and
activities within the home like
cooking and running electrical
appliances. The single most
important way to reduce emissions
from housing, therefore, is to reduce
the energy consumption in homes,
which will make a significant
contribution to carbon reduction,
contributing to the targets set.
efficiency and environmental impact
and are rated on a scale of 1 to 100 –
the higher the number the better the
standard.
The EESSH will support the social
housing sector to lead the way in
the reduction of energy use and
greenhouse gas emissions. It will
also help address fuel poverty levels
in the social housing sector. All
social landlords will be expected to
achieve the new standards by 2020.
From the below table it is apparent
that different standards will be set
for differing types of dwelling. The
rating will vary depending on the
house type and source of fuel to heat
the home. For example, a mid-floor
flat with gas central heating will be
expected to reach a SAP score of 69,
whereas a detached house with allelectric heating must achieve 60.
The Standard is based on minimum
Energy Performance Certificate
(EPC) Energy Efficiency (EE) ratings.
Landlords will be familiar with EPCs
as they are currently required to
provide prospective tenants with
energy efficiency information prior
to entering into a contract for rental.
Dwellings are graded on energy
To help Landlords plan for EESSH,
trials were carried out to provide
examples of how various measures
could improve the energy efficiency
of dwellings. Included with the
examples was the estimated cost
of planned improvement measures,
EE Rating (SAP 2009)*
Dwelling type
Gas
Electric
Flats
69
65
Four-in-a-block
65
65
Houses non-detached
69
65
Detached
60
60
*SAP 2009 has been superseded by SAP 2012. A conversion table
for the above values is currently being prepared by the Scottish
Government.
10 | JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7
the upgrade in SAP score likely to be
achieved by improving various types
of dwelling, and similarly the likely
reduction in carbon emissions.
Reviewing these examples revealed that
for flats the biggest improvements were
expected to be seen in older dwellings
on the top floor, because heat loss
is greater through a roof, rather than
another dwelling above. A pre-1919
solid wall ground floor could realise
carbon emission reductions of 17kg/m2/
year after the following changes:
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•
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Replacement of old storage heaters
with-fan assisted storage models
with automatic charge control
Replacement hot water Cylinder
with factory-applied foam increased
from 25 to 80 mm
100% low energy lighting
The same installations in a top floor flat,
with the addition of roof insulation to a
depth of 250mm reduced the emissions
by 77kg/m2/year.
The outcome of the planned
energy efficiency improvement
scheme is anticipated to not only
reduce carbon emissions but
also boost the Scottish economy
by creating and sustaining jobs
through activities like home
insulation and developing new
heating technologies.
View full details of these case
studies here:
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/
Built-Environment/Housing/
sustainable/standard/
consultationdraftsofcasestudies
The date for compliance of the required
levels for social housing is planned for
1st December 2020. Landlords in the
private rented sector are likely to be
required to meet similar standards, as
an outcome of consultations currently
being undertaken.
It is anticipated that Landlords may wish
to exceed the planned 2020 benchmark
to future-proof dwellings against higher
standards which may be introduced at a
later date.
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 11
Ahead of the game: Updated Design SAP software
encompasses Code for Sustainable Homes and
Scottish Building Regulations changes
Elmhurst Energy has made sure its
energy assessors and software users
are ahead of the game after updating
its Design SAP software to encompass
the Code for Sustainable Homes in
England, and changes to Section
6 (energy) of the Scottish Building
Standards.
It means energy assessors and other
users of the software can now take
these important changes into account
when calculating and reporting energy
rating performance for Scottish
dwellings. Elmhurst Energy was the
first approved organisation to receive
BRE Approval for calculations against
the Section 6 2015 standards.
Benefits of Elmhurst's Design SAP
Software include easy to follow
Building Regulations/Standards
compliance displays with results
displayed in ‘real time’, and Elmhurst
Energy’s leading U value calculator
with a comprehensive list of building
materials.
The software also allows assessors
to personalise reports with
company logos and details, update
multiple properties all at once and
automatically calculate linear lengths
for thermal bridging junctions. All
Elmhurst Energy software is fully
supported by the company’s industry
leading, high quality, experienced
technical support team. To find out
more through Elmhurst’s planned
webinars and face to face training,
visit the training calender at
http://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/
training-calendar
“The updates will greatly benefit
users and enable them to plan
ahead, particularly regarding the
impact of the new Scottish Building
Standards, which are set to come
into force in October 2015,”
Stephen O’Hara, Managing Director of Elmhurst Energy.
For more details, visit:
http://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/software/energy-rating/onconstruction-domestic-energy-assessor
12 | JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7
Housing software updates to 9.92
Elmhurst’s Streamline EPC, specialist
energy efficiency reporting and
analytical software for private and
social landlords, has been updated to
comply with the latest standards in
building efficiency reporting (RdSAP
9.92). The software update was
completed at the beginning of June
2015 with minimum impact to users
and provides the following changes:
•
•
The conversion of all completed
surveys, from 9.91 to 9.92
The introduction of a new ‘Import
External xml option
All changes to the Streamline EPC
software have been incorporated into
the new manual which is available
in the ‘Documents’ tab within the
software.
DEA Consultant, Michael Johnson
commented: “We are delighted by
the smooth running of the project to
update Streamline. Customers may
see a slight overall fall in SAP ratings
as a result of the changes which they
should bear in mind when running end
of year reports.”
He went on to explain: “A housing
stock containing largely gas fuelled
properties will see the average SAP
rating fall to a lesser degree than users
with mainly oil fuelled properties.”
Streamline EPC continues to be a
successful and valuable product for
landlords wanting to create large
volumes of Energy Performance
Certificates and Energy Performance
Reports. It also acts as a store for
this data as well as that related
to improvement measures and
recommendations.
See the full software feature list below:
Streamline EPC:
• Stores your EPC data in one place in
a way which can be used for energy
efficiency searches and analytics.
• Fully compliant and approved for
RdSAP 9.92 (the latest standard for
EPC software)
• Calculates average SAP, SAP
Variance, Fuel Bills and CO2
Emissions
• Allows various measures of energy
efficiency and inefficiency to
be searched by property type,
postcode, area
• Calculations of energy performance
reports (EPR) ratings for properties
included in licence fee.
• Imports external LIG XML files
facility available by request on 9.92
& 9.91 RdSAP.
• Data is easily exported to CSV to
share with Government bodies or
across your management team.
• Can be used to target and reveal
properties which are ripe for
retrofit or a particular improvement
measure.
• Will accurately model investment
scenarios based on legitimate and
approved SAP methodologies
• Simple, intuitive software supported
by technical support experts 7 days
a week.
For more information or to request a
software demo, visit the Streamline
http://www.elmhurstenergy.co.uk/
software/energy-stock-profiling/
streamline-epc
webpage or email
info@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 13
DEA Software timeline
...We will soon launch new versions of RdSAP GO and GO Capture which
will allow the integration of the two applications into one for users...
Domestic Energy Assessors (DEAs) may be required
to use a uniform standard of assessment through
RdSAP, but over the years, that software has changed
dramatically and never more so than in the last 18
months. One of the most marked changes you will have
seen from Elmhurst Energy will have been the creation of
a flexible suite of free mobile software.*
•
2014
•
•
•
•
•
2015
•
You will see some exciting progress this summer as we
will soon launch new versions of RdSAP GO and GO
Capture which will allow the integration of the two
applications into one. Our timeline below illustrates the
recent journey in software development and what you
can expect this year:
June 2014: Introduction of Elmhurst Sketch, a mobile application for the easy production
of professional style floor plans.
August 2014: Introduction of new online software providing free and safe storage of
assessment related photography, called Evidence. Evidence assists members in backing up
and organising data for Quality Assurance (QA) purposes.
November 2014: RdSAP upgraded to 9.92 (Elmhurst Energy is one of the first accreditation
bodies to have their software upgrade approved for release).
November 2014: Green Deal online software is upgraded to 9.92
December 2014: Green Deal Improvement Package tool is launched for amendments to
Green Deal Advice Reports.
March 2015: launched GO Capture, another mobile application, this time enabling our
members to capture, annotate and organise their evidence at the property, assisting with QA.
March 2015: RdSAP GO, our mobile RdSAP application for both Android and iOS/Apple
mobile devices is launched, giving assessors the option to complete their data entry onsite at
a property.
Planned software changes for DEAs:
•
•
July 2015: RdSAP GO and GO Capture will be integrated to allow the seamless switch
between assessment data and evidence collection from RdSAP GO. Available for both
Android and iOS/Apple.
By Autumn 2015: launch of Green Deal GO Software, a new application for producing Green
Deal Occupancy Assessments. Available for both Android and iOS/Apple.
...and the changes don’t stop there. By listening to our members we will continue to develop the
software range and simplify the assessment process in new ways, as we collect your ongoing
feedback.
*Users incur a monthly charge for the use of the Sketch software.
14 | JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7
JULY 2015 - Summer Edition - Issue 7 | 15
Elmhurst Energy Systems Ltd.
16, St Johns Business Park,
Lutterworth,
Leicestershire,
LE17 4HB
Tel: 01455 883 250
E: info@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Going on Holiday?
To avoid returning to an overdue QA request, please remember
to notify the QA Admin Team of your holiday dates.
Your holiday notification should be e-mailed to:
Domestic: dea-qa@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
Non-Domestic: ndea-qa2@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
On Construction: ocdea-qa@elmhurstenergy.co.uk
© Copyright 2015 Elmhurst Energy Systems Ltd