AC Inspection Law
Why has this law come into affect?
Buildings are responsible for 50% of the UK's energy consumption and carbon emissions.
In order to reduce this energy, new legislation has come into force in the last couple of years as part of the European Directive on the Energy Performance of Buildings.
The legislation includes Energy Performance, Air Conditioning Inspections and Display Energy Certificates.
Air conditioning is one of the highest energy useages in a commercial building. By introducing this legislation they hope to save £1.15 million tonnes of CO2 per year.
How does this legislation affect me?
The energy inspections discussed in this guide are in addition to the normal activities associated with the ownership and operation of air-conditioning systems (so for example F Gas regulations-see fact sheet 1.)
- Systems that total 250kw and over require a inspection certificate now.
- Systems that total 12kw and over require a certificate by 4th Jan 2011.
- If your unit was first put into service after 1st Jan 2008 then you will require your first air conditioning inspection five years after the installation date.
- Your inspection documents must be kept and should be given to the person responsible and or the operator of the air conditioning.
- If you have taken over control of an air-conditioning system from 4 January 2011 and you haven’t been given an inspection report, you must ensure the system is inspected within three months of taking over such control.
The penalty for failing to having an air-conditioning inspection report is fixed at present at £300.*
Please check communities website for up to date penalties
What does an air conditioning inspection involve?
Having your air-conditioning system inspected by an Energy Assessor is designed to:-
- Improve efficiency
- Reduce the electricity consumption
- Operating costs
- Reduce and highlight and decrease carbon emissions from your system.
- Highlight improvements to the operation of your
- Existing systems or opportunities to replace older, less energy efficient systems or oversized systems with new energy efficient systems.
