What Can You Expect with a SAP Assessment and How is it Performed? Your Basic Guidesubmitted on 20 June 2020
SAP assessments may be comprised of a lot of technical details, but every contractor and developer knows how important it is that a SAP assessment is performed in order to adhere to building regulations in the UK. There are many complexities involved in SAP assessments, but the assessment itself doesn't require a site or property visit. Instead, you have to submit a lot of paperwork and documentation, which includes floor plans, elevation drawings, sectional drawings, and supporting documents that give details regarding the building's lighting, construction, ventilation, heating system and cooling system, hot water system, and more. But what else can you expect with a SAP assessment, and how is it performed? Here's your basic guide.
Stage one
Stage one of SAP assessments or SAP EPCs will involve the assessor checking the plans submitted by the designer or architect so they can prepare their initial report for the property's floor area, including each individual room. This will also include checking the building's basic dimensions and external doors and windows and identifying areas or spaces where there is a loss of heat. With this, the assessor can calculate the building's thermal performance and create U values for every element. The assessor will then use software to decide if the building complies with energy efficiency building regulations. At this stage, the assessor can provide recommendations to the architect in case the property needs to be redesigned.
Stage two
This involves a final analysis of stage one after the building has already gone through a redesign to satisfy requirements, having been approved by the client, the architect, and the assessor. The data will then be finalised and submitted so as to create a Predicted Energy Assessment report.
Stage three
At this stage, the assessor will sometimes require a test for air pressure, which requires the hiring of an air pressure technician. Note, however, that not all buildings will require the test, especially buildings or properties which are smaller and have only two buildings or less. Standalone buildings don’t generally require this test, especially if the assessor can assume the value of 15 m3/(h.m2) – this means they don’t have to carry out the test. If your property goes through the air pressure test and it fails, the assessor can give you advice on the actions you could take to bring the property in line with regulations.
The SAP assessor may also want to confirm that your building is duly registered on the national property database of the government, and while it is up to you to register your property in the database, it is best that you do it as soon as possible so you can finalise your SAP assessment.
Stage four
Once the construction has been completed, the assessor will produce an Energy Performance Certificate or EPC, and this is required under the law and is accessible to the public on a register. Your assessor will then also provide you with other documents, such as the SAP data input report and the SAP worksheet report.
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