Public Buildings - DEC

The requirement for Display Energy Certificates DEC came into effect on 1 October 2008 public authorities and institutions providing public services to a large number of people that occupy buildings (or parts of buildings that have been designed or altered to be used separately) where the total useful floor area of the building (or part that has been designed or altered to be used separately) exceeds 1000m2 and which is frequently visited by the public Display Energy Certificates (DECs) show the actual energy usage of a building, the Operational Rating, and help the public see the energy efficiency of a building. This is based on the energy consumption of the building as recorded by gas, electricity and other meters. The DEC should be clearly displayed at all times and clearly visible to the public. A DEC is always accompanied by an Advisory Report that lists cost effective measures to improve the energy rating of the building. The Operational Rating is a numerical indicator of the actual annual carbon dioxide emissions from the building. This rating is shown on a scale from A to G, where A is the lowest (best) and G is the highest (worst). Also shown are the Operational Ratings for the last two years; this provides information on whether the energy performance of the building is improving or not. The Advisory Report will contain recommendations for improving the energy performance of the building. A DEC is valid for 12 months and needs to be updated annually. The accompanying Advisory Report is valid for 7 years. A DEC must contain, by law, the following information: the operational rating and the asset rating (if available) as determined by the government approved method show the operational ratings for the building expressed in any certificates displayed by the occupier during the last two years before the nominated date include a reference value such as a current legal standard or benchmark The DEC will also show the unique certificate reference number, the address of the building, the total useful floor area of the building, the name of the energy assessor, their employer (or trading name if self employed), the name of their accreditation scheme and the date when the DEC was issued.