In terms of regulations issued under the National Energy Act, non-residential building owners and their state counterparts (the ‘Accounting Officers’ in government departments) must publicly display an energy performance certificate at their building entrances on or before 7 December 2022.
What is this certificate all about?
The certificate is a recordal of the energy rating of a building which is indicated by a letter between A to G, with A indicating ‘very efficient’ and G signifying ‘inefficient’. The certificate must be procured from an inspection body accredited by the South African National Accreditation System (SANAS).
Which non-residential buildings must obtain such a certificate?
The regulations determine that a certificate must be obtained for all privately-owned or government-owned non-residential buildings, provided the following three requirements are present in addition:
- The building’s use is predominantly for:
- Entertainment and public assembly (A1 use): Occupancy where persons gather to eat, drink, dance or participate in other recreation.
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- Theatrical and indoor sport (A2 use): Occupancy where persons gather for the viewing of theatrical, operatic, orchestral, choral, cinematographical or sport performances.
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- Places of instruction (A3 use): Occupancy where school children, students or other persons assemble for the purpose of tuition or learning.
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- Offices (G1 use): Occupancy comprising offices, banks, consulting rooms and other similar usage
- The floor area exceeds 1000 m² in the case of a government building, or exceeds 2000 m² in the case of a privately-owned building.
- The building has been used mostly for the A1, A2, A3 or G1 purposes for longer than two years and has not recently undergone substantial renovations.