Many homeowners will have come across SAP reports… and if you haven’t you should make sure you are aware of them!
SAP Calculations are a requirement of the Building Regulations, and are required for all newly built homes in the UK. A SAP rating has been a requirement for all new homes under Part L of the building regulations since 1995, therefore most developers will be familiar with it.
However, for many homeowners looking to build an extension or undertake property conversions it can be something new to tackle and get your head around.
What is SAP?
SAP stands for ‘Standard Assessment Procedure’. It is the only official, government approved system for assessing the energy rating for a new home. All SAP assessors must be accredited and registered with a certification body.
A SAP Rating is a way of comparing energy performance of different homes – it results in a figure between 1 and 100+. The higher the SAP rating, the lower the fuel costs and the lower the associated emissions of carbon dioxide.
The SAP Calculations establish an energy cost based on the construction of the home, its heating system, internal lighting and any renewable technologies installed. It does not include energy used for cooking or appliances.
As a SAP accredited assessor our expert team can help those looking to develop a new property or add to/build on their properties to minimise its energy use and carbon emissions to achieve a lower SAP rating. We can undertake the calculations and advise on how to gain a ‘pass’ to get sign off on the development and allow it to be marketed in future.
A ‘pass’ is gained by meeting several compliance targets around:
- How well the fabric of the dwelling contains heat
- Solar gain
- Quality of construction and commissioning of systems
- Predicted CO2 emissions from the dwelling
As you can see a little bit of thought needs to be put in before any development starts so we suggest having a conversation around SAP before you start any planning for your property.
