Mainer’s Residential Energy Assessments Services
Mainer Associates have recently taken onboard Chris Stevens-Barnes, a Senior Sustainability Consultant with over a decade of experience in the residential sector.
As a Specialist Sustainability Consultancy, Mainer Associates are delighted to share that Chris will be helping to broaden our in-house capabilities.
This expansion of our services will encompass all aspects of Residential Energy Assessments, which Chris is executing with the aid of our existing experienced team. This will not only enhance the number of services that Mainer Associates provides, but will also help to accelerate Mainer Associates’ vision of a truly sustainable future.
In this article, we consequently explore the services that Mainer Associates offers related to Residential Energy Assessments. Keep on reading to discover more...
Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)
The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is an energy assessment methodology used by the UK government to assess and compare the energy performance of housing developments.
It is used to demonstrate compliance with Part L of the Building Regulations for new build properties, conversions, and extensions.
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
An Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) gives information on how energy efficient a building is and how it could be improved.
You need an EPC when:
Applying for a completion certificate for a new building
Selling a building
Renting a building to a new tenant.
U-Value Calculations with Condensation Risk Analysis
U-values represent how well or how poorly a building element transmits heat from the inside to the outside. The slower or more difficult it is for heat to transfer through an element, the lower the u-value, which is better for the building. Mainer Associates follow the latest conventions and standards for our calculations, to provide accurate results for different wall, floor and roof constructions.
Alongside the u-value results, Mainer Associates can also provide kappa values for thermal mass calculations as wells as condensation risk analysis.
Energy Statements
Increasingly, more and more local authorities are requiring energy statements as part of the planning application for developments. These may require the properties to show an improvement over the Part L requirements or demonstrate a certain amount of the energy demand to come from renewable energy sources. Mainer Associates can similarly undertake modelling calculations to meet the specific requirements and produce appropriate statements and reports as needed.
Improvement Pathways
Under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) legislation, privately rented properties need to have an EPC of at least Band E or above.
However, updates to the MEES legislation are planned which would raise this minimum level to Band C or above.
Mainer Associates are able to deduce improvement pathways, which show what options could be employed to reach this level.
Thermal Bridging Calculations
Thermal bridges, also known as cold bridges, are points in the building envelope that allow heat to pass through more easily. They generally occur where insulation changes direction, such as a corner, or where the insulation is interrupted, such as round a window. As buildings become more insulated, thermal bridging becomes a significant source of heat loss and can account for up to 30% of total losses.
With the changes to Part L and the removal of Accredited Construction Details (ACDs), there is an increased requirement to have all thermal bridging junctions modelled. Here at Mainer Associates, we can deliver calculations to all relevant standards and conventions in both 2D and 3D.
Proposed Future Homes Standards
The update to Part L that came into force in June 2022 is intended as an interim uplift before the Future Homes Standards (FHS) is meant to be implemented in 2025. The final consultation for the FHS is still to be undertaken, and so the final requirements are as yet unknown. Our expert team at Mainer Associates are always keeping abreast of all changes in this area, and would look to provide our clients with the most up-to-date information and advice available.
Renewable & Low Carbon Energy Consultancy
Mainer Associates’ Renewable Energy Consultants and Low Carbon Energy Assessors specialise in renewable energy solutions.
Not only are we able to assist with developing business cases and project planning, but we are also able to use our contacts in the renewable energy marketplace for the benefit of our clients.
Passive House
Passive House is a voluntary design process that can form part of an architectural design, providing a method for energy efficiency in buildings.
It is the world’s leading standard in energy efficient construction and is designed to reduce the building’s ecological footprint.
Part O Compliance
Part O came into force in June 2022 and aims to ensure that new residential buildings are designed to reduce overheating and protect the health and welfare of the occupants. There are two routes to compliance; The Simplified Method and Dynamic Thermal Modelling. The simplified route uses a standard methodology from the regulations and is based on minimising solar gain and removing excess heat. Where the simplified option does not prove compliance and for more complex buildings, dynamic thermal analysis can be undertaken using modelling software and CIBSE TM59 methodology.
Mainer Associates can provide calculations for both The Simplified Method and Dynamic Thermal Modelling routes; meanwhile, we can also assist with looking ahead to the proposed Future Homes Standards, and what may be required.
Summary
At Mainer Associates, our team of dedicated Sustainability Consultants have the skills and experience necessary to support Chris as he expands our services relating to Residential Energy Assessments.
As a team, Mainer Associates has a wealth of experience with such services. Prior projects have included single properties to multi-plot sites and apartment blocks. Meanwhile, Mainer Associates have worked professionally with planning authorities and building control bodies throughout the UK to achieve accurate and compliant results, including producing Energy and Planning Statements.
Mainer Associates prides itself on the partnership approach that it has adopted. Our values of agility and integrity, alongside our value-driven and people-focussed nature, aim to deliver added value to any project’s team. We understand the importance of consistent client engagement and have learnt from our significant experience to provide cost-effective, yet reliable and innovative sustainability solutions to meet client needs.
Likewise, our expert team are just that: experts. This is why we constantly achieve compliance against requirements established by Local Planning Authorities or other regulatory bodies, removing the complexities that clients may experience to make sustainability easy.
To speak about our Residential Energy Assessment services,
or to make a general enquiry, please get in touch via email to
chris.stevens-barnes@mainer.co.uk or visit our website here.
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Please click below for more information on Mainer’s Services:
LCA
EIA
BREEAM
Building Physics
Fitwel
Scope 3 Emissions
Planning Statements
ESG