The Development of a Voluntary Display Energy Certificate Scheme (VolDECs)

For Commercial Offices

Malcolm Hanna, Technical Director, National Energy Foundation

Improving the use of energy in buildings

Contents

• Display Energy Certificates

• The need for VolDECs

• The VolDEC solution

• Pilot Results

• VolDEC benefits and costs

• Future developments

It’s fairly tangled

The issue for Landlords and Tenants

• No split between Landlord and Tenant

• Cannot show improvements (or not) in what each control

• DECs use one benchmark for all offices

• Many offices are ‘stuck’ at G

The Need

• A Simple entry-level engagement tool

• To engage building managers and encourage action

• Improve the benchmarks that underpin all DECs

• Set standards through an industry-wide scheme

• Encourage deeper analysis to benefit the whole industry

The VolDEC solution

Building Energy Solutions

Energy Management, Research & Training Consultancy

• Voluntary scheme without government

constraints

• Not for profit, for benefit of the industry,

backed by the industry

• To use authoritative sector specific

benchmarks

• To highlight performance and encourage

action

• To conduct benchmarking research for the

industry

• Soft start the commercial sector into

measuring performance

The VolDEC solution - aims

The VolDEC solution - the offering

• Easy access, quick, low cost

• No lodgement, no site visit, no advisory report

• Use the existing DEC methodology as the basis

• Use a ‘similar’ (improved) DEC certificate layout

• Include a certificate quality rating: HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW

• Better (& improving) benchmarks and categories, working with sectors

The VolDEC method

Statutory DEC VolDEC

Methodology Produced using the methodology described in CIBSE TM47

Produced using the methodology described in CIBSE TM47

Benchmarks Uses CIBSE TM46 benchmarks. This provides only one benchmark for all office types.

Uses ECON19 benchmarks for offices. This provides four different office types plus energy is broken down by end use for each type.

Landlord / tenant split

Unable to provide a separate landlord tenant DEC in the same building

Uses the granular energy breakdown in ECON19 to provide composite landlord and tenant benchmarks for 5 different building scenarios.

The VolDEC method

What do you need for a VolDEC?

• Building postcode

• Floor area

• Approximate hours of occupancy

• Annual energy use – landlord & Tenant

• Data year

• Main heating fuel type

What do you need for a VolDEC• Choose office type – closest match• Choose building Scenario – closest match

What do you need for a VolDEC

M

M

The benefits Provides landlords and tenants with energy performance for areas they control

Stand-alone entry level engagement toolsimple, easy access, inexpensive

Uses robust DEC method, with more appropriate benchmarks

Highlights energy performance, a clear driver for improving performance

VolDEC process highlights anomalies, the need for further checks

Better benchmarks, working with sectors

Indicative costs

• £250 per VolDEC (1-10 buildings)

• £150 per VolDEC (11-25 buildings)

• £100 per VolDEC (26-50 buildings)

• £75 per VolDEC (51+ buildings)

• Dependent on data format and data quality

• Excludes sector/client tailoring

• Excludes any re-runs due to bad data

Future developments

• Water and waste (Environmental VolDEC)

• Floor by floor (individual tenant VolDEC)

• Shopping centres (new sector)

• On-line self-input

• Annual Benchmarking analysis and organisational reports

Malcolm.hanna@nef.org.uk

Philjones100@virginmedia.com

Improving the use of energy in buildings

AcknowledgementsDebbie Hobbs, Sustainability Manager, Legal and General PropertyAdam Fjaerem (formerly JLL)Nigel Brock (NEF)