CIBSE calls for mandatory lodging of air-conditioning inspection reports
With only 5% of buildings with air-conditioning systems with a cooling capacity of 12 kW and more expected to have been inspected by the deadline of 4 January 2011, CIBSE has called for the mandatory of air-conditioning inspections. CIBSE technical director Hywell Davies explains, ‘It [certificate lodgement] will enable us to build up a national picture of air conditioning.’
The Government has announced that it will take forward proposals to make it mandatory to lodge air-conditioning reports following an industry-wide consultation, but the timescales are still to be determined.
Hywell Davies says, ‘The industry needs to increase compliance to achieve carbon-emissions reductions targets and increase the energy efficiency of buildings.’
The purpose of air-conditioning inspections is to provide owners and operators with information on the performance of the air conditioning so that they can improve them and cut costs if they are using too much energy. Mandatory lodgement will provide a central register, enabling much better information on air-conditioning installations.
It will bring air-conditioning inspections into line with Energy Performance Certificate and Display Energy Certificate, which are already collated and stored in a central database, to help ensure a consistent approach to measuring energy efficiency in buildings.
