What is SBEM?

An Energy Performance Certificate is required whenever a commercial building is sold or leased to new tenants. All newly constructed commercial buildings should have an EPC generated as part of the final completion process.

Existing commercial buildings which have been occupied by the same business for more than 10 years may not have an EPC – there is no requirement for the owners of the building to have one completed until new owners or tenants move in.

What buildings are exempt from an EPC?

Some listed buildings can be considered exempt from needing an Energy Performance Certificate if it is known that upgrading the property would unacceptably alter the appearance. Places of worship are also exempt, as are temporary buildings (with a planned life of under two years).

Low energy usage buildings - often industry or agricultural buildings with no heating and minimal lighting systems - can also claim exemption.

Why do listed buildings not need an EPC?

Some listed buildings are exempt from requiring an Energy Performance Certificate. The owner must be able to prove that upgrading the building to meet minimum requirements would unacceptably alter the appearance or style of the building.

However, there is nothing stopping an owner from having an EPC completed on a listed building. The process may identify measures for improving the efficiency of the building which deliver energy performance benefits while still aligning with the building’s protected status (such as new lighting or heating systems).

What is BRUKL?

A BRUKL report is generated from the SBEM model – part of Building Regulations UK Part L (BRUKL). The document confirms if the building design complies with Building Regulations. Two versions of the BRUKL should be submitted to the Building Control inspector as proof of compliance – once at the design stage, and an updated version at the completion (As Built) stage.

What part of Building Regulations does SBEM sit under?

In England and Wales, energy and emission targets are set by Approved Document Part L (AD-L). In Scotland, Technical Handbook Section 6 is used. There are regional differences to the targets and requirements for compliance, but the SBEM is calculated in the same way.

When should the SBEM be completed?

SBEM should be completed as soon as the building design is finalised. Construction work should not begin until a compliant SBEM report has been generated. When the building work is completed, the SBEM model is updated to take into account any changes during the construction process and to include the air test result. ‘As Built’ SBEM reports are then issued at the same time as the building’s first EPC.

Do all new buildings comply with SBEM?

The design specification for all new buildings must be good enough to meet the targets set out in Building Regulations. To comply with the most recent updates to the regulations (England 2022, Wales and Scotland 2023), new non-residential buildings must meet stricter fabric targets (more insulation and better glazing), must limit the use of fossil fuels for heating (encouraged to use heat pumps instead of gas boilers), and must consider the installation of renewable technologies (solar panels).

At Energist our SBEM assessors work with design teams to fine-tune their building specification to ensure compliance with the relevant targets.

Are there compliance rules for the EPC?

Yes. The Minimum Energy Performance of Buildings Act states the non-residential buildings cannot be leased if the EPC falls into the two lowest bandings (F&G). The owner of the building must renovate the building to improve the energy performance before setting up a new leasing agreement. This requirement is going to become far stricter over the next decade – this law also states that all rented non-domestic buildings must achieve a B rated EPC by 2030, unless it can be proven that this is not feasible.

I am designing a Shell & Core building only. Do I still need an SBEM?

Yes. Building Regulation compliance is still required for Shell & Core buildings. The assessor will need to make assumptions about the heating and lighting systems that will be installed. They will pass their assumptions to the design team so they can let the fit-out company know what is required. In principle, the fit-out company should then assume responsibility for an ‘As Built’ SBEM, however the EPC being available and adequate is typically the main priority, over whether it was rated pre- or post- fit-out.

Do the SBEM also need to comply with overheating targets?

An SBEM will complete a basic check highlighting heavily glazed rooms which could potentially overheat during summer months. However, new Building Regulations that set overheating targets (AD-O, and Section 3 in Scotland) do not apply to most non-residential buildings – only those which are “residential in manner”, such as care homes or student accommodation. Some planning authorities may require more enhanced overheating assessments (such as TM52 dynamic modelling) as part of the planning conditions though.

Will my new building achieve an A-rating as standard?

We would normally expect a new building to achieve a high EPC rating, but there is no guarantee that a building that complies with current energy and emission targets will achieve an A rating.

At Energist, we can look at additional energy-saving measures if you would like guidance on how to achieve this rating.

What information do you need to complete an SBEM?

Your assessor will need plans of the building, including floor plans, elevations, sections and a site plan. You will also need to inform on the fabric specification (U-Values) and what heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water and lighting systems are going to be installed.

Choosing Energist to complete your SBEM means we can offer advice on which systems perform best for compliance. Typically, we’ll also recommend speaking with M&E installation companies regarding the design of the HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) systems.

How much does an SBEM cost?

The cost of an SBEM depends on each development. For a free quotation contact the Energist Project team on 08458 386 387. We’ll take time to understand your development so we can offer you the most suitable services and timeframes.

What is Energy Benchmarking?

This is a new requirement under the 2022 update to AD-L in England. It requires some form of energy forecasting calculation on non-residential buildings in England with a floor area greater than 1,000m².

The SBEM calculation only goes so far in predicting the energy demand of a building. It does not consider energy usage from electrical items being plugged into the wall (laptops, fridges, machinery etc.) and makes broad assumptions about how many people are going to use the building.

Energy Benchmarking calculations, such as TM54, go into this extra level of detail. It is a more time-consuming calculation to complete, and until recently has only been requested by some local planning authorities on major schemes. Energy Forecasting data is not targeted by Building Regulations. The information is provided so the owners of the building can compare with real-life energy use to help drive energy efficiency measures.

Which version of Building Regulations do I need to comply with?

The UK is currently transitioning to newer, more stringent energy targets for new buildings. Whether you need to comply with old or new targets, will depend on when your development was registered with Building Control.

In England, the cut-off date for non-residential buildings was June 15^th, 2022. In Scotland, it will be February 1^st, 2023, and in Wales, March 29^th, 2023.

If your site was registered under the older version of the regulations, you will have one year to begin work on all buildings on your project (i.e. for England, until June 15^th, 2023). After this date, any buildings not yet started will need to be upgraded to comply with the newer, stricter targets.

What is the Future Buildings Standard?

The UK has committed to achieving net zero carbon by 2050. All sectors are expected to play their part in driving down emission rates and energy use. The Future Buildings Standard is a UK Government policy that sets out how the construction of non-residential buildings will be enhanced to significantly improve their energy performance.

This includes two updates to Building Regulations – a ‘stepping stone’ update in 2022, and a full revision in 2025. The Future Buildings Standard is a follow-on document to the Future Homes Standard which is being used to drive down emission targets for housebuilders.

The 2025 updates are expected to set stricter fabric targets (U-Values), require higher efficiency heating and lighting systems, and compliance will almost certainly require the use of low and zero carbon technologies on every new building.

What is the difference between SAP and SBEM?

SAP (the Standard Assessment Procedure) is specifically designed to calculate the energy performance of residential units and buildings. SBEM deals with all other building types.

Both SAP and SBEM are used to prove compliance with Building Regulations, and both are used to generate EPCs. In some cases, such as care homes or holiday lets, there can be grey areas in knowing which method is most appropriate.

What are SAP calculations?

A SAP calculation works out the predicted energy performance of a dwelling and assesses it against Building Regulation targets. The process is quite similar to SBEM, except that SAP is only used for residential properties, whereas SBEM is used for all other types of buildings.

Is a SAP the same as an EPC?

The SAP calculation is used to generate the EPC for a residential unit or building. The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) displays an energy rating from A-G, where A signifies homes which should have the lowest fuel bills - usually because of a high-efficiency specification. This result is calculated using the SAP model. The same information is used to check energy demand and carbon emissions of the property in line with Building Regulation targets.