BUILDING OF LESS THAN 50 SQ.M

Owners of small lockup shops and workshop premises often challenge the need for an EPC. The Regulations do provide an exemption for standalone buildings of less than 50 sq.m usable floor area. However, the terms 'usable floor area' and 'standalone' need to be considered.

Usable floor area will be as defined by the energy assessment methodology. This methodology may differ from rating assessments and other building survey methodologies in that we do take account of the internal partition walls as well as spaces such as corridors, stairs, storage, toilets, washrooms, etc., but, like those other methodologies, we do exclude the thickness of the external and party walls.

Standalone buildings are those that are not attached to or part of any larger structure. Generally that will be a clear cut decision. However, there will be examples of buildings that do have a connection but which satisfy the definition of standalone. You may wish to discuss this with us first to clarify a specific building configuration.

We recall being asked to assess a (sub 50 sq.m) site security office at the main entrance to an old manufacturing plant. The building was connected to an office building only by a length of flat roof that ran over a passage running between the two buildings but which was open to the elements at each end. Because the walls of the site security office building were exposed to the exterior on all sides, it was deemed to be standalone and no EPC was therefore required on the security office part.

Conversely, we have assessed a small taxi business control room of less than 10 sq.m but which was an integral part of a large warehouse/workshop building and did not satisfy the standalone definition and therefore required an EPC to be prepared.