1. Energy Performance Certificate
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is similar to a household electrical appliance energy label. The EPC has scale bar/s showing the energyrating of your building and its carbon emissions, with zero being the most energy efficient and the other extreme being the least efficient.
1.1 Newly Designed Buildings
- Dwellings – 02/01/2009
- All other buildings – 01/06/2009
A person or agent acting on behalf of such person who commissions the design of a new dwelling or building has to obtain an EPC based on the design rating of the building and in the Form prescribed in the Regulations by the date that an application for a full development permission is submitted to MEPA.
1.2 Sale or Rent of Buildings
- Dwellings – 02/01/2009
- All other buildings – 01/06/2009
A person or agent acting on behalf of such person who offers for sale or letting a building, shall provide to the prospective buyer or tenant within the period of the promise of sale or at the time of signing of the rent agreement an EPC. This shall be based on the design rating of the building if the building is not yet constructed and finished or the asset rating, if the building is already constructed and finished.
1.3 Public Buildings
As from02/09/2009,all public entities that are occupying a building and are providing public services to a large number of persons are to ensure that an EPC based on the asset rating of the building is commissioned and displayed at all times in a prominent place clearly visible to the public. The EPC has to be on display by not later than the 02/01/2010.
All new public buildings are to have an EPC not later than 12months after connection to the electric power grid.
The EPC is to be reviewed after the first five years by an Operational Rating EPC and thereafter every 3 years.
1.4 Achieving Certification
To be valid, the EPC has to be obtained from an assessor and registered with the Building Regulation Office before being issued to the person who commissions it.
Once an EPC is registered, it shall be valid for the following time frames (unless major renovations or alterations to the building/installation have taken place):
- Dwelling – 10 years
- Building – 10 years
- Public Building – 3 years
2. Inspection of Heating Systems
L.N. 376 of 2012 mandates regular inspection of the accessible parts of systems used for heating buildings with boilers of an effective rated output for space heating purposes of more than 20kW. Such inspection shall include an assessment of the boiler efficiency and the boiler sizing compared with the heating requirements of the building.
The frequency of inspections for heating systems, with boilers for space heating purposes, are as follows:
- At least every two years for boilers with an effective rated output of more than 100kW fired by fuels other than gas;
- At least every four years for gas-fired boilers with an effective rated output of more than 100kW;
- At least every four years for all other boilers with an effective rated output of more than 20kW up to 100kW.
Owners of heating systems have the responsibility to check if the requirement of regular inspections applies to their systems.
Owners are responsible to commission a Registered Heating Systems Inspector to carry out these regular inspections.
An inspection report shall be issued after each inspection of a heating system. The inspection report shall contain the result of the inspection performed and shall include recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of the energy performance of the inspected system.
3. Inspection of Air-Conditioning Systems
L.N. 376 of 2012 mandates regular inspection of air conditioning systems with an effective rated output of more than 12 kW. Such inspection shall include an assessment of the air-conditioning efficiency and the sizing compared to the cooling requirements of the building.
The frequency of inspections for air-conditioning systems is as follows:
- Every ten (10)years for AC systems having an effective rated output between 12 kW and 100 kW
- Every five (5)years for AC systems having an effective rated output greater than 100kW
Owners of air-conditioning systems have the responsibility to check if the requirement of regular inspections applies to their system/s.
Owners are responsible to commission a Registered Air-conditioning Systems Inspector to carry out these regular inspections.
An inspection report shall be issued after each inspection of an air-conditioning system. The inspection report shall contain the result of the inspection performed and shall include recommendations for the cost-effective improvement of the energy performance of the inspected system/s.