Energy use certificate should be rolled out across commercial sector, says green building group
Display energy certificates should be rolled out to private sector non-domestic buildings, according to a new report for the UK Green Building Council.
The certificates, which measure energy efficiency for buildings in use, are currently mandatory in public sector buildings.
At the launch of the report this morning UKGBC chief executive Paul King said that DECs were needed to assess how the sector was contributing to the UK’s carbon footprint.
“We will not achieve the radical reductions in emissions unless we measure them in a clear way,” he said.
He said that the move would help simplify green regulations for companies.
“We would be streamlining the regulatory environment for business,” he said.
DECs differ from green standards like BREEAM because they measure how much energy they actually use in practice, rather than focusing on design specifications.
The UKGBC wants DECs to be rolled out from 2012 for occupiers, and this to be mandated in the Energy Bill, which is currently going through Parliament.
It also wants DECs for landlords’ services - communal energy use that all building occupiers use.
The report proposes making DECs ratings public, so that occupiers and landlords can be ranked on their green credentials, which should help push them to retrofit their buildings and reduce energy use.
Communities minister Andrew Stunell said that the report put a “very strong case” for mandating DECs and the government would consult on the proposals.
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