Page 37 - Energize May 2022

VIEWS AND OPINION

Understanding who needs an EPC

BY FRIKKIE MALAN, REMOTE METERING SOLUTIONS

he regulations for the mandatory • Occupancy Class G1: Offices: Large multi-storey office buildings, banks, consulting
display of building Energy rooms and similar buildings, that feature lifts and energy consuming services which
TPerformance Certificates (EPCs) in operate on a typical daytime occupancy. This includes stand-alone blocks or a
South Africa are expected to promote energy campus of buildings that form an office park but operate separately.
efficiency awareness and the improvement
of building energy performance. EPCs will In addition to occupancy class, another qualifying criterion is building size. Privately
help property owners to identify which owned buildings (that belong to the occupancy classes listed above) greater than
buildings represent the greatest potential for 2000 m must obtain an EPC. Buildings owned, operated, or occupied by an organ of
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energy efficiency improvements. state have a minimum size threshold of 1000 m . It is important to note that even if a
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An EPC is a certificate which shows the building is privately owned, if it is occupied by an “organ of state” the size threshold
energy performance of a building as a rating becomes 1000m .
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from A to G, with A being the most efficient
and G the least efficient rating. In terms of
the regulations, an EPC must be displayed
in the building, visible to the public. EPCs
can be an effective tool to monitor and track
building energy performance.

Which property types must have an
EPC by December 2022?
Not all buildings are required to get an EPC.
The following building occupancy classes
must display an EPC by the December 2022
deadline.

• Occupancy Class A1: Entertainment
and public assembly: Occupancy where
people gather to eat, drink, dance, or
participate in other recreation. Typical
examples include restaurants, night-
clubs, sports pubs, gyms and so on.
• Occupancy Class A2: Theatrical and
indoor sport: this is an occupancy
where people gather for the viewing
of theatrical, operatic, orchestral,
choral, cinematographical, or sport
performances. Some examples include
movie theatres and live theatres.
• Occupancy Class A3: Places of
instruction: As the name suggests,
these are where school children
assemble for the purpose of tuition or
learning. It also includes occupancy
other than primary or secondary
schools, where students or other
persons assemble for the purpose
of tuition or learning. This would
therefore include schools, colleges,
universities and Technikons.

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