Growing environmental pollution, increased CO2 emission to the atmosphere are the main causes of the global warming, alarming climate changes but also increasing of financial losses in every household because of the higher energy costs. Can we stop them and if so, in what way?
We can stop them in only one way. Well, it should begin from today by manage electricity rationally. By saving it we restrict the greenhouse gas emissions and when we realize that almost 40% of total energy uses falls to the construction ground, no one should be surprised by regulations which are focused on the energy efficiency in the buildings, especially when it comes about heating or cooling rooms, its lighting and hot water preparation.
What an energy certificate is?
Certificate, passport or a testimony of energy for the building is a document issued in the written and electronic form prepared regularly in every 10 years and defining the energy class. This, the higher is, means the lower energy needs, the lower its losses, what in turn increases the market property value.
Certificate specifying the building`s need for the energy is a comprehensive information about the expected maintenance charges. It is also a document required by a notary during the sale and rental of the property or issued basing on relevant studies after building for the new objects.
Energy certificates and their impact on the property prices
Entering certificates allow the assessment of buildings in terms of running costs. It delivers the information to us which is generally not available and it, therefore, has not been taken into account. Objects with the low energy need, ie those in which the energy losses are low can obtain in the real estate market much higher prices than the buildings which running costs are estimated as a result of not efficient energy use, high. The energy characteristics has also a significant impact on the comfort of using rooms in the buildings, it is not only the internal temperature, but, for example exchange of air as well as in public buildings – lighting conditions. Therefore, every buyer or tenant should have an access to data which characterize the quality of energy in the property.
The reasons for entering certification
The purpose of obligation to the energy certify for new buildings it was and it is promotion of the buildings energy performance improvement, taking into account conditions and indoor climate requirements and profitability.
How to get an energy certificate
Certificates are issued upon performed audit. Audit is defined as the study determining the extent, technical and economical parameters of the thermo modernization project with an indication of optimal solution, in particular, in view of costs of this project and the energy savings being also guidelines for building project and building energy certificate.
Who can perform the energy audit
The energy certificate is a document prepared by independent specialist which will have been important for 10 years. The energy certificate for a particular building cannot be prepared by its designer, construction manager, manager of the building or its owner. The only person is authorized to make up certificates and the license is issued by the ministerial authorities.
When the certificate is not required
Of course not all objects must have energy passports. Exceptions are the buildings from the list below:
Historical which are protectedUsed as a place of religious cultIntended to be used no longer than 2 years
Non-residential for agriculture
Industrial and economic with energy demand of no more than 50 kWh/m2/year
Residential intended to be used no longer than 4 months in the year
Freestanding with a usable area less than 50 m2
Methods of certificates preparation
The way of preparation the energy certificate of the building, flat or the part of a building which is an entire technical standalone determines the Infrastructure Minister Regulation from 6.11.2008.
In that regulation is given the methodology for calculating the energy performance and the model of energy performance certificate.
The energy performance is determined basing on the calculated of annual demand for non-renewable primary energy in the assessed building EP. Indicator EP [kWh/ m 2 year] includes the sum of annual demand for primary energy used for heating, ventilation and preparation of hot water with auxiliary energy.
Let us consider the definitions of EP that here is discussed a primary energy so it is an amount of energy delivered to the building for heating, ventilation, cooling, preparation of hot water and lighting converted into primary energy and related to the area unit of our building with regulated air temperature. So there are not the values which we can read from our counters.
EP indicator is a result of multiplying the final EK energy by rates of non-renewable primary energy which are result of every used energy source (e.g. gas, oil, electricity, biofuels, etc.). Obtained small values of EP are mainly indicated by the small burdens of the environment in the whole production and transmission of energy process in an object.
The regulation introduces also EK rate. That rate determines an annual final energy demand per unit of area with regulated air temperature in a building or flat and is expressed similarly to the EP rate in kWh/(m 2 year) – this is the factor determining calculation of the energy amount, needed to meet the demand of the building with the efficiency of systems producing heat and hot water.
Its calculation allows to determine the thermal characteristics of casing (walls, floors, windows and doors) of the building, it means only benefits for the property buyers.
In sum, possession an energy certificate seems to be a necessity resulting the need. Knowing the actual energy requirement of the building irrespective of the type of system supplying it, we can compare it with other offered buildings or premises. This in turn, helps us to define and plan the necessary financial resources allocated for realization of the property purchase and maintenance. Moreover, it gives us real cause for the proper making decision in this area. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to use the services of our company which authorized representatives may perform described above certificates.
Mariusz Cielecki
entitled to draw an energy performance certificate No 1353