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Green Building Bible, Fourth Edition
Green Building Bible, fourth edition (both books)
These two books are the perfect starting place to help you get to grips with one of the most vitally important aspects of our society - our homes and living environment.

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Energy Assessment: Energy Performance Certificates - Discussion

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      CommentAuthorali.gill
    • CommentTimeJul 27th 2008
     
    PaulZED - how about developing your own quality standard based on real world experience of the skills necessary to do the job - to the level you perceive is required.
    It will be important to establish a 'premier' league as the situation is just as you described.
    I dont want to have spent years in academic study to find a barrow boy can claim the same accreditation from attending a few days on a course.
    Cibse appear to have dropped their requirement to achieve low carbon consultant status before going for energy assessor status. so thats now gone from three days down to two - due to market competition... seems utterly ridiculous to me. i appreciate there is a level of reading and competence to garner first but i cant imagine these 'training' firms being too strict with their multiple choice question sheets.
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      CommentAuthorali.gill
    • CommentTimeJul 27th 2008
     
    Re: the £100 commercial epc's.
    government figures show expected revenue of £260 for small retail and £480 for small commercial based on £500/day rate.
    independent assessors should be able to charge less due to low overheads - so if you half those figures it looks quite feasible, though maybe not as a sole income.

    there is a vast difference between level 5 simulations and level 3 and 4 sbem model calculations - so while work is carried out for £100 on a corner shop, or terrace of identical stores to produce epc's theres are also new building designers pushing the envelope to achieve the zero carbon buildings / breeam outstanding not just because they want to but before long because it will be planning legislation.
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    shouldnt surveyors being doing this as part of their report remit seeing as they will be called in anyway during a house sale? why does it need/validate the creation of a new profession?
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      CommentAuthorali.gill
    • CommentTimeJul 28th 2008
     
    Surveyors have their niche : visit property > state the obvious > add comprehensive disclaimers to absolve all responsibility > get well paid : the risk of exposing this brought about by the proposed introduction of home information packs really kicked up a fuss.
    They are simply too busy polishing their ivory towers to be involved in such affairs as energy efficiency, passive design, etc, etc.
    they're just happy to come by when its up for sale, state the obvious, blah blah blah.
    • CommentAuthorSimonH
    • CommentTimeJul 28th 2008
     
    A lot of surveyors know nothing about energy - a lot on my course failed the exam at first attempt. However - doesn't mean they shouldn't do it - but I actually think it's probably not something that would interest all of them. Especially as fees are now rock bottom!
  6.  
    My point was that as a surveyor is pretty much always engaged to asses the structure of a building when it is sold, why can they not be trained to do an energy assesment at the same time and add the extra cost ontop.

    A lot of people know very little about energy use in buldings, thats why they get training. I know a building surveyor who went into supplying PV panels as a sideline and recommends very high levels of air tightness and insulation using good building techniques, so they are not all disinterested. And another who was asking me about the strawbale buildings were are putting up as he said he doesnt get any training on this type of thing but is interested to know about alternative approaches.

    I think the problem is with the Royal institutes for both architects and surveyors, both organisations are up their own ar....s!
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      CommentAuthorali.gill
    • CommentTimeJul 28th 2008
     
    Simon - Re: rock bottom fees - are you referring to domestic epc's and do you have an insight into commercial fees. cant remember if you'd got accredited in that or given it a wide berth after the domestic epc fiasco.

    bot - the rics have gone to great lengths to remove the term structure from anything that they do. homebuyers are advised to get a professional description of a building, to mitigate the risk of falling for the estate sales-agents banter. most people are unable to interpret what the survey says other than - consult a qualified plumber, electrician, roofer, remedial treatment contractor, etc, which begs the question, what is the value of the survey report other than to instigate this secondary process?

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