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General: EPC calculator

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  1.  
    • CommentAuthorTimber
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    Hi

    Are there any free EPC tools/calculators out there in internet land? I have been asked to do a rough and ready EPC assessment (for our own internal uses to look at upgrading the performance of our office building).

    It is obvious what things need doing, but I have been asked to produce a rough EPC calc.

    Anyone know of anything out there? I have done a quick google search but not found what I was looking for.

    Thanks
    • CommentAuthortony
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    just call it C !!
    • CommentAuthorTimber
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    More like F! :cry:
    •  
      CommentAuthorSteamyTea
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012 edited
     
    Timber
    Have a word with an assessor and see what they use.
    Is there a standard that is available then you could create your own.

    This one looks dodgy:
    http://www.freeepc.baysoft.co.uk/
    • CommentAuthorSigaldry
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    • CommentAuthorTimber
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    ^ Thanks

    downloaded, installed and having a play!

    Thanks everyone.
    • CommentAuthorDarylP
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    Try FSAP from STROMA.... its free, and you can get a 'DRAFT' EPC at the end of it....

    Cheers..:smile:
    • CommentAuthordjh
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012 edited
     
    There's http://hec.est.org.uk/

    "The Home Energy Check is a unique tool backed by the expertise of the Energy Saving Trust."

    "It’s also not an official Energy Performance Certificate."
    • CommentAuthorTimber
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    Well i have been plugging away at SBEM and seem to be getting somewhere. I am hoping that the model in SBEM can be made to represent out actual usage of gas and electricity. That way if we put in some simple alterations and enhancements, we can get an idea of what sort of real world saving is to be made.

    Not got any numbers out of SBEM yet though :cry:
    • CommentAuthorneilu
    • CommentTimeJul 5th 2012
     
    You must be mad or very bored.
    I do SBEMs for new builds and the software is not easy to get a grip of at first, even for simple buildings. Its very easy to miss something that can have a huge effect on results and ratings.
    I would have to suggest that you look for an SBEM/commercial EPC assessor, when I've looked in the past I have been amazed at how little some companies charge for an EPC. There are plenty of independent assessors out there that will do a good job for you.
    If you do get somewhere with it then lighting is usually the main issue, and I'm constantly suprised at how little effect improving insulation has.
    • CommentAuthorJTGreen
    • CommentTimeJul 6th 2012
     
    I'm waiting for my EPC results, but I was pretty underwhelmed by the process. For example, they don't register things like heat recovery ventilation, which we have in the bathroom. No questions were asked about the make up of the front door (it has a cork core for insulation).

    When I did the 'rough and ready' version (home energy check from est) we seemed to score a 'D' prior to the insulation work, mainly on account of the condensing boiler and double glazing. Haven't done my own rough and ready for post-insulation, but I'm tempted now I've seen an EPC assessor at work.
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeJul 6th 2012
     
    You need to present them with everything and basically do their job for them.

    Our Guy didn't seem to known the difference between 2G and 3G!
    • CommentAuthorJTGreen
    • CommentTimeJul 6th 2012
     
    I'm only doing it for the FiT, and since it seems would have got a D prior to all the work I'm pretty relaxed about it. Once thing we will get marked down on is the lack of controls on boiler, but only because they hadn't been fitted yet. Went ahead with the EPC anyway so as to get on with the solar panels.
    • CommentAuthorJTGreen
    • CommentTimeJul 9th 2012
     
    For what it's worth, we got a C - 78 for energy efficiency, 79 for carbon emissions. (Not sure why these figures are different...but I don't understand the methodology). The 'rating after improvement' (i.e. Solar panels) is B - 88, no other suggestions for improvement.

    Happy enough with that I guess, but the real test will be living in the house and seeing what we actually use and not the assumptions made by the EPC.
    • CommentAuthorJoiner
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2012 edited
     
    :bigsmile: "Our Guy didn't seem to known the difference between 2G and 3G!"

    I suspect because Tom claims the expressions were first used on here, by him, so if true unless that EPC assessor was a regular here he/she wouldn't have had a clue.

    Coincidentally, I used "2g" and "3g" in an email to an online friend in Nebraska when discussing the extremes of weather some parts of the States experience, and he asked me what I meant by it, and he's in construction over there.

    I now use the terms quite naturally as the shorthand version of "double glazed", verbal, written "d/g", and "triple glazed", verbal, written... Well there wasn't one as far as I know and that was a large part of the business I was involved in. "Triple glazed" was always expressed fully.

    Nowadays it's 2g or 3g without a second thought - spoken or written!

    I guess it's a case of "GBF-speak". :wink:
    • CommentAuthorSigaldry
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2012
     
    Just a quick note as there seems a little confusion in this thread.

    Timber noted this was for an Office Building - hence sBEM and that they were just after a rough and ready upgrade estimation.

    sBEM is the simple / free, but at the same time a bit complicated (unless you have done a few / been trained) method for looking at new or existing non domestic buildings

    Dwellings need SAP (and FSAP from STROMA is a good 'free' SAP software).

    However either way to produce an actual EPC you need to be an accredited assessor:

    - Domestic Energy Assessor (Existing dwellings)

    Or,

    - On Construction Domestic Energy Assessor for new dwellings

    Or,

    - Building Energy Assessor for Non domestic buildings

    On top of that , there are 3 levels of Building Energy Assessor, Level 3 covers simple existing non domestic buildings, Level 4 covers new non domestic and all existing non domestic buildings and level 5 covers use of dynamic simulation of non domestic buildings.
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2012
     
    Posted By: Joiner:bigsmile:" alt=":bigsmile:" src="http:///forum114/extensions/Vanillacons/smilies/standard/bigsmile.gif" complete="complete" >"Our Guy didn't seem to known the difference between 2G and 3G!"

    I suspect because Tom claims the expressions were first used on here, by him, so if true unless that EPC assessor was a regular here he/she wouldn't have had a clue.



    I mean he couldn't tell the difference between two and three panes of glass in glazing units:sad:

    We got a high D (for PV) so wasn't worth arguing about
    • CommentAuthorbatkinson
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2012
     
    remember that sbem is only a compliance checking tool
    • CommentAuthorJoiner
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2012
     
    "I mean he couldn't tell the difference between two and three panes of glass in glazing units"

    Good grief. No hope then!
    • CommentAuthorjms452
    • CommentTimeJul 10th 2012
     
    My thoughts exactly!

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