We recently announced a brand new service available at Manor Interior Solutions – an EPC certification service (provided by our independent team of EPC assessors) but more importantly a decade of experience in the refurbishment and fit out of offices and warehouses. Don’t believe us? Check our services page for more info!

I’m sure that if you are a landlord or an owner of a commercial building, you will be asking yourself…

What do the recent government changes in EPC requirements mean for me?

Well, the law now states that an increase in the minimum EPC rating for all commercial buildings across the UK is imminent, and any changes that reduce energy consumption are going to help the environment by reducing our carbon footprint towards a carbon zero position.

We have found that the best way to explain what EPC requirements might look like for a commercial property is by creating a case study – with a standard set of parameters which you can make assumptions on and change as you like.

Case Study: The Warehouse

Imagine…

• A typical 1985 industrial unit with metal cladding system, walls and roof.
• It’s a 180m2 warehouse that could also be considered a workshop.
• There is 36m2 of reception, office and other facilities with doors and windows throughout that comply with 1985 regulations.
• The 36m2 is central heated, and hot water is delivered by a combi gas boiler.
• Lighting is provided by T8’s light fittings to office, reception, and kitchen; while CFLs to areas such as the toilets. 
• Finally, there are metal halide fittings into the warehouse area.

Can you picture it? This building as it stands will give us a theoretical EPC rating of “G”.

Not to mention an emission rate of 146KgCO 2 /m 2 per year and an assumed energy consumption of 809Kwh/m 2.

Now, let’s identify the areas of improvement, and how improving them could affect the property’s EPC rating.

Starting Point: Rating G

Recommended improvements:

• Change all lights to LED 
• Change all the doors and window to latest regulations
• Upgrade insulation of external walls and roof to current regulations
• Remove central heating boiler and replace with Air Source Heat Pump
• System to provide heating to office and reception; use panel heaters to
• WCs and kitchen and provide hot water with instant water heaters for WC’s and Kitchen

All of these improvements combined will bring the building rating to C!

Now the emission rate is at 7KgCO 2 /m 2 per year and an assumed energy consumption of 74Kwh/m 2. We know it is a stretch but you can consider that the energy consumption will be reduced by 91% and the carbon emission by 95%.

If we then consider the cost of achieving those results as well as the consequent opportunity to save on running costs – the changes are no-brainer.

We all understand the ongoing debate on who pays for what and who benefits what; but we believe that the above case study proves that it’s time to start constructive conversations between landlords and tenants on how to share the inevitability of these “investments” for a greener future.

* We’d like to disclaim that we are not certified Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessors and whatever is reported below is the result of conversations with our team of independent and certified assessors.