A SAP calculation or assessment is an integral part of any construction or building project, as it is a requirement when it comes to Building Regulations Part L. If you are undergoing a new building project or development or are in charge of an extension for your existing property, you are supposed to have an EPC, or Energy Performance Certificate, which allows you to sell, rent, or lease your property. The SAP assessment already includes the EPC as a standard, although a standalone Energy Performance Certificate does not include the SAP assessment. Needless to say, SAP calculations are a lot more thorough and comprehensive than the standard EPC, allowing you to really identify your property's energy efficiency and consumption and make changes if necessary early on. If you are concerned about achieving a good rating in the SAP assessment, here's how you can increase your chances.
Use An Assessor Who Is Fully Accredited
Building regulations are ever-changing, so you have to make sure that your assessor will be updated with the existing regulations and is completely aware of their impact on the cost of your build. That being said, use only an assessor who is fully accredited – in this case, you get what you pay for. Opting for a ‘cheaper’ assessor may only lead you to greater expenses in the end, especially if they give you poor or ill-conceived advice.
Schedule Your SAP Assessment At The Design Phase
It is also best to schedule your SAP assessment at the design phase rather than later on in your project. If possible, do it before any construction work begins. Since Part L regulations often change, you want to avoid making any retrospective adjustments or changes to your development, particularly if you only find out later on that you have failed your SAP assessment or received a poor rating or score.
Pay Attention To Good Fabric
One of your priorities should be the building's fabric, as the experienced assessors from TheBuildingComplianceTeam.com attest. It pays to invest in good fabric because if you use good fabric, you can reduce your U values, and you may no longer need to invest in renewable technology. You should look carefully at your Model Design so you can get a good perspective on your property’s U values and try to improve them when possible.
Think Of Lowering The Thermal Mass
You may also want to lower the thermal mass or your timber frame, which, when it is lowered, would mean having a heating system that doesn't have to work overtime to heat your building's fabric.
Carefully Consider Renewable Technologies
If you would like to get a good score, one thing you can do is carefully consider renewable technologies, because these will be investments that will eventually pay off. Think about wastewater heat recovery systems, wood-burning stoves, solar photovoltaic panel systems, and so on. These technologies are easier to install and a lot less expensive than before, and they can give your SAP rating a tremendous boost.
Improve Your Controls For Heating
You can also focus on improving your controls for heating by making use of twin zone control and weather compensators, among others, which can decrease the DER and make it easier for you to get a good score.
