Energy Assessors
Under the Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations 2007 air conditioning systems rated at 12kW output or greater that conditions the air throughout the whole or part of a building must be inspected at regular intervals of not more than 5 years. The European Directive, EPBD 2000/EC/91 directive 9, specifies the scope of the inspection.
The Energy Assessor will be required to report to the building owner or person responsible for the building about:
- the energy efficiency of the air conditioning system;
- how the energy efficiency could be improved;
- the identification of systems and component faults, identifiable from the inspection and the value of regular planned preventative maintenance.
Energy Assessors will be required to meet professional performance standards and be registered with a Communities and Local Government (CLG) appointed Energy Assessor Accreditation Scheme. CLG have appointed Building Engineering Services Competence Accreditation (BESCA) to provide an accreditation service for Competent Persons that need to notify compliance with the Building Regulations, the scope of BESCA’s services has been increased to include the accreditation of Energy Assessors for the Energy Performance Inspection of Air Conditioning Systems, Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates for commercial buildings.
Two target dates for the inspection of air conditioning systems have been set by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG):
- Complex systems with a net output of 250 kW must be inspected by 4 January 2009;
- Systems between 12 kW and 250 kW, which will usually be more simple design, must be inspected by January 2011.
However any new air conditioning system must have an energy assessment supported by a report and will need to be inspected within 5 years of completion of the installation.
Training for Air Conditioning Energy Assessors
HVCA is developing the Accreditation of Prior Experience and Learning (APEL) and training for the specific requirements of the Energy Assessor that need to be able carry out assessments of air conditioning system with a net heat output in excess of 12kW. There are many external providers delivering training for Energy Performance and Display Energy Certification but few that provide training for Air Conditioning Energy Assessors.
The energy inspection and assessment of energy efficiency is not obtrusive: this means that the assessor is not required to dismantle any part of the installations as a part of the inspection unless specifically agreed with the client as additional works. Assessment of the energy usage and efficiency will be by external examination, taking airflows and pressures, measuring temperatures, etc. If a system is observed to be faulty or in need of maintenance this will need to be brought to the attention of the building owner/agent and be included in the inspection report.
Qualifications Required
Only experienced, qualified and competent persons may carry out these statutory inspections and they will need to be registered with an Energy Assessor Certification Scheme.
The HVCA competence assessment and training scheme has been designed for experienced air conditioning engineers to ensure that when they apply to BESCA they will have technical competencies to meet the requirements of the Scheme. These are set out by the DCLG.
The technical competence requirements have been developed
by Asset Skills as National Occupational Standards, or NOS
for
Energy Assessors for the Energy
Performance Inspection of Air Conditioning Systems.
At the application stage, the Energy Assessor for Air Conditioning
systems will need to show that they have the skills, knowledge
and experience to
install, service and maintain or design a range of air conditioning
systems. Many applicants
will hold building services trade qualifications or technician
or professional qualifications in RAC, others without these
formal qualifications will need
to demonstrate, by means of witness statements etc, that
they have sufficient skills and knowledge to be able to pass
the
assessment at the end of the
HVCA's off-the-job training course.
The Assessment and Training Process
The assessment of competence is a five stage process. This is briefly described on the attached chart click here:
1 Check that you have the necessary qualifications dependent on your past experience and training. Please download the Entry Criteria attachment for full details click here.
2 Complete the downloadable application form. An experienced refrigeration and air conditioning competence assessor will analyse your qualifications and contact you with recommendations about what experience and/or training you have or will need to be able to progress. You will need to have competency in terms of health and safety as well as in air conditioning installation, maintenance or inspection.
The National Occupational Standards, developed by Asset Skills, describe the basic competence that you will require to work safely, effectively and in a professional manner (NOS Unit 1) and the preparations that you would be required to make before you visit the site of the inspection (NOS Unit 2). An APEL Portfolio Workbook for NOS units 1 and 2 can be downloaded .
A downloadable copy can be downloaded by clicking here.
For those candidates that can satisfy all of the criteria of NOS 1 and 2 and believe that they can satisfy the remaining occupational standards an APEL Portfolio Workbook for NOS units 3, 4 and 5 can be sent to them by contacting HVCA Training.
See Asset Skills website for details of the National Occupational
Standards: www.assetskills.org/site/Portals/0/occstandards/fullsuiteairconnos.pdf
3 Study the content of: "Inspection of air conditioning systems" CIBSE TM44:2007.
4 You will be allocated to a training course. The course is designed to cover the energy inspection process and reporting requirements required by TM44. It will not be able to train inexperienced people to become energy assessors. The course will have a formal assessment covering the National Occupational Standards Units 3, 4 and 5.
5 Present your HVCA Certificate of Competence to BESCA (www.BESCA.org.uk) with your application to become and Energy Assessor for Air Conditioning Systems
To apply for competence assessment and training please complete the application form by clicking here.
Please return this application form, the NOS 1 and 2 Workbook and your evidence, along with the Initial Assessment fee of £86.36 to:
Education, Training and Assessment of Energy Assessors
Esca House
34 Palace Court
London W2 4JG
Thank you. One of our competence assessors will be in contact with you within the next few days.
