Air conditioning systems are in breach of the law 10 October 2013

Under UK energy efficiency regulations, all air conditioning systems in buildings with a cooling capacity of more than 12kW should have been inspected – yet fewer than 5% have been.

So says Bob Towse, head of technical and safety at B&ES (the Building and Engineering Services Association). This means that the vast majority of such systems have been in breach of the law for at least two years, he asserts.

"Apart from the potential legal penalties, building owners and managers are missing out on the energy efficiency benefits that are flagged up by inspections," insists Towse.

All air conditioning systems put in place on or after 1 January 2008 should have been inspected within five years of installation, with older systems of more than 250kW output inspected by January 2009, and others above 12kW inspected by January 2011.

"Very few building owners are even aware of their legal responsibility, while local authorities – who are charged with enforcing this law – are not doing a great job of it," explains Towse.

Meanwhile, he also fears that inspections may go the same way as other measures, such as the Code for Sustainable Homes, as the coalition looks to cut what it regards as red tape.

Mandatory air conditioning inspections were brought in under the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), with "compulsory lodgement" of the reports through the government's non-domestic energy performance certificate register, introduced two years ago.

However, Towse makes the point that the government has since doubled the cost of lodgement, and "there have been problems with the software imposed on certification bodies by DECC [Department of Energy and Climate Change]".

Says Towse: "It is complex, time-consuming and not at all user-friendly. The assessors are contractors trying to make a living in a tough economic environment, so they will not be encouraged by being forced to use glitchy software and to pay more for the privilege."

This, he says, means the government is in serious danger of killing off the air conditioning inspection regime.

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Building & Engineering Services Association

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.