General Information

CIBSE Certification registrants are widely recognised as experienced and highly competent in their field of expertise. In order to maintain and enhance their professionalism CIBSE Certification registrants are required to carry out a minimum of 21 hours of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activity every calendar year (January to December).

There are additional requirements for LCEAs, as stipulated in the MHCLG SORs, who are also required to ensure that a minimum of 10 hours per year of CPD activity is relevant for the strand they are registered for, and 5 additional hours for each additional strand thereafter.

There are also additional requirements for ESOS Lead Assessors, as stipulated by the Environment Agency, who must set an ESOS specific objective within 3 months of being on the ESOS register. The objective must be relevant to ESOS requirements/PAS competencies with a minimum of 5 hours recorded. This is part of the required minimum 21 hours of CPD per year.

For full information on the CPD requirements and procedures, please Download CPD Requirements CCP111 (50KB PDF)

CPD needs to be identified and recorded using the following categories below:

Unstructured CPD

• Assisting and supporting others
• Open/distance learning that is not assessed and that does not lead to a qualification
• Reading professional/technical journals, books and other publications
• Relevant aspects of on-the-job training where specific learning objectives have been identified and planned (possibly from annual development planning and appraisal)

Semi-structured CPD

• Conference and exhibition attendance
• E-learning without assessment
• Informal professional body meetings of a more social nature (networking opportunities)
• Non-interactive lectures, talks etc.
• Other institution technical meetings
• Presentations and workshops
• Research preparation and first delivery of lectures/courses
• Writing and/or publishing of papers and articles

Structured

• Academic studies
• Active participation in the development of standards forms of open/distance learning that involve assessment and result in a qualification
• E-learning with assessment
• Interactive and highly participative training courses and seminars
• Low Carbon courses
• Professional body meetings with formal lectures

To update your CPD record login to the My CIBSE portal

You can undertake courses by any provider or explore details of courses developed by CIBSE Training for LCEAs and Air Conditioning Inspectors.

The basis of Continuing Professional Development is that whilst CIBSE Certification registrants have undertaken examinations to demonstrate their competence, even those that have a high level of knowledge need to keep abreast of new and improved technologies and methodologies that are always being developed and introduced, CPD is a requirement for all schemes.

CIBSE Certification will accept CPD carried out to satisfy the requirements of other professional bodies so long as the CPD is demonstrated as being relevant to the Scheme that you are certified for.

We accept CPD that is acquired both informally (e.g. reading and self-study) and formally (e.g. classroom training).
You will be sent a reminder about updating your CPD record when you renew your registration each September and you have until the end of December each year to update your records.

CIBSE Certification is required to carry out annual audits of CPD records to ensure registrants comply with the above, anyone audited that does not meet the necessary requirements may be suspended or withdrawn from the Scheme.

CIBSE Certification registrants are individuals that have been certified by CIBSE Certification for the following schemes:

• LCC – Low Carbon Consultant
• LCEA – Low Carbon Energy Assessor
• ESOS – Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme Lead Assessor
• HNC – Heat Networks Consultant
• NABERS UK Assessor

It is a requirement for all registrants certified by CIBSE Certification to have up to date Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII) at all times while their registrations are valid and to provide a copy of their insurance documents to CIBSE Certification.
 
CIBSE Certification cannot specify the PII policy amount required as that is dependent on the registrant’s business, but we can suggest a minimum of £100,000 for LCC, ESOS and HNC registrants.
 
The minimum PII that is required by LCEAs is specified by MHCLG in the MHCLG SORs:

• EPC Level 3 and 4 - £250,000 for each claim in relation to a particular EPC
• EPC Level 5 - £250,000 for each claim in relation to a particular EPC
• DEC - £100,000 for each claim in relation to any particular DEC and Advisory Report
• ACI Level 3 - £50,000 for each claim in relation to any particular Level 3 ACIR
• ACI Level 4 - £500,000 for each claim in relation to any particular Level 4 ACIR

NB. Building Standards Division of the Scottish Government (BSD) minimum PII requirement for EPC assessors is £100,000.
 
CIBSE Certification does not provide scheme insurance for LCEAs lodging certificates, the reasons for this are two-fold:

• CIBSE Certification LCEAs are often involved in other energy consultancy work and therefore already have their own or their employer’s professional indemnity insurance
• Insurance is designed to be specific to the insured company based on an assessment of the associated risks, the range of work intended to be undertaken and other factors and could differ from case to case.

Public Liability Insurance (PLI) is also required for all LCEAs, the minimum cover requirement by MHCLG is £1,000,000.

Document requirements

A certificate, schedule or confirmation letter from the insurer or broker is required for all PII and PLI policies and must include, as a minimum, the following:

• Type of insurance e.g. PII, PLI
• Name of the company that is being insured or the name of the person if they are self employed
• Name of the insurer
• Policy number
• Policy start and expiry dates  
• Policy cover amount in Sterling

The broker's letter must be on letterhead and contain a signature, printed name and position of signatory if it does not state the broker is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

iSBEM_v5.4.b

We understand that the Welsh and Scottish Governments are currently in the process of revising the specifications of their Notional buildings, in their respective NCM Modelling Guides, in order to adopt modifications similar to those adopted in England’s Notional building in iSBEM_v5.4.a with respect to district heating.

As a result, please be advised that the BRE have received MHCLG’s approval to release a new version of the iSBEM software, iSBEM_v5.4.b, which implements those revised Notional specifications, on Friday 6th April 2018.

Please note that iSBEM_v5.4.b will maintain the same purposes of analysis offered by iSBEM_v5.4.a (released on 20th November 2017).

Inferred u-values for EPC calculations

I have received feedback from assessors that they often find it difficult to decide which of the Building Regulation items they should be selecting from the libraries in the software.  What I am hearing is that there are often more than one, usually similar but sometimes dissimilar values to pick from.  If this is causing you concern, particularly with the currently elevated interest in EPC ratings due to the MEES requirements, this might be good time to remind you that the inference options in the software are there to help you when you cannot source reliable information yourself.  Of course in the case of Building Regulations, the original requirements are all available to download from government websites, so as long as you can include your source document in your records in case of audit, you can enter the evidence as you have found it in the documents that were in force when the building was built.

This is true all the way back to the 1965 Building Regulations when the thermal requirements were set out in Part F rather than Part L.  The other difference in 1965 was that the Thermal Transmittance values, u-values, were expressed in units of British Thermal Units/hour/square foot/degree Fahrenheit. So, there is a word of caution to be given if the age of the building does take you to the 1965 Regulations. 

The reason for bringing this to your attention is that the units are explained in one paragraph of Part F before the thermal transmittance values are given in another.  The u-values are simply presented as numbers, 0.25 for roofs and floors and 0.3 for walls, so there is a risk that you would take these numbers as being 0.25 or 0.3 W/m2K.

In fact they should be converted to W/m2K, giving values of approximately 1.4 and 1.7 respectively. I hope that this is helpful and will reduce the risk of errors in the era of MEES.
 
The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

This amendment was laid before Parliament on 15th March 2018 and came into force on 6th April 2018. The amendment can be accessed online:

This amendment reduces the Landmark fee by 28p.  I am not proposing to alter our fee structure in response to this. We try to stick to round numbers in our fee structure, for simplicity. Sometimes we have had to round up to do this and sometimes round down. If Landmark increase their fee by pennies at the next amendment, we will keep our fee constant, effectively reducing price but with no change for you. 

Air Conditioning Inspection Reports

We have had a few queries recently concerning confirming correct operation of air conditioning equipment when it is difficult to access temperature or pressure gauges. Could I draw your attention to the ACIR convention AC CL 1.3, giving guidance on this which can be found in our QA Portal.

The following documents can be downloaded as PDFs:

A Guide to Air Conditioning Inspections for Buildings

A Guide to Display Energy Certificates and Advisory Reports for Public Buildings

A Guide to Energy Performance Certificates for the Construction, Sale and Let of Non-dwellings

Local Weights and Measures Guidance for Energy Certificates and Air Conditioning Inspections for Buildings

Data Gathering & Site Visit

Please download the documents below for updates on Data Gatherers from MHCLG.

• May 2011 DCLG Update - Use of Data Gatherers for Air Conditioning Inspections
• May 2009 Update
• November 2009 Update

Requiring Energy Performance Certificates for Holiday Lets

Please find below the text of a DCLG letter issued on 4 February 2011 and a subsequent addendum relating to Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for Holiday Lets

DCLG Letter (4 February 2011)

REQUIRING ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES FOR HOLIDAY LETS

The outcome of the consultation document ‘Making better use of energy performance certificates and data' was published on the Department of Communities and Local Government's website on 29th November 2010.

Amongst other things, it noted that it has been decided to take forward the proposal to amend the DCLG guidance to provide that an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) must be obtained for properties that are rented out as holiday lets for 4 months or more in any 12 month period. This change will take effect from 1st April 2011.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Regulations
(http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/991/contents/made) already include this requirement so there are no regulatory changes to be made. I am enclosing a copy of the addendum which we intend making to the DCLG guidance, EPCs for dwellings in the social and private rented sectors - a guide for landlords.

A notice will be put on DCLG's website to this effect and the addendum to the guidance will be published in due course.

Yours faithfully

Home Buying, Selling and Energy Performance Division

Addendum to Energy performance certificates for dwellings in the social and private rented sectors: a guide for landlords (page 27)

The following section:

Q. Will an EPC be needed for holiday accommodation?

A. If the agreement between the parties expressly allows for a short period of holiday occupation only and no intention to create a tenancy can be inferred, then an EPC is not required.

To be replaced with:

Q. Will an EPC be needed for holiday accommodation?

A. An EPC will be required for a property rented out as a holiday let where the building is occupied as a result of a short term letting arrangement and is rented out for a combined total of 4 months or more in any 12 month period.

There is a Scheme Description Document for each strand that explains the scope, requirements, application process and maintenance of certification. 

To see an up to date version click on the link below for the current version of the scheme document applicable to you.

LCC / LCEA – Low Carbon Consultant, EPC, DEC

Air Conditioning Inspector

LCC EnMs

ESOS

Heat Networks Consultant

 Any queries should be emailed to CIBSE Certification at epc@cibsecertification.org or call 020 8772 3649.

Guidance for Section 63 Advisors

The Building Standards Division have issued guidance for situations where an EPC is being produced for a building that already has an Action Plan.
 
The Advisor must determine that the building under assessment has not changed materially since the last assessment and there are no changes implemented that would result in the current Action Plan and EPC data no longer being representative. Where the Advisor produced the previous Action Plan, this provision can be addressed by written confirmation from the building owner. Where the Adviser has not previously carried out a site inspection, this would be required to validate the data used for the new Action Plan.

Where a building has an existing EPC and a corresponding Section 63 Action Plan but the building owner has elected to implement improvements unrelated to those recommended in the Action Plan, the Advisor must determine the current EPC and Action Plan are no longer representative and carry out a new assessment. If the new assessment shows the building now meets 2002 standards the process outlined can be followed to create a final Action Plan to record the exemption.

This process references the new EPC assessment, which confirms the exemption, and provides a statement on the Action Plan to this effect using the 'alternative measures' section. The steps below assume the Assessor has started a new Action Plan based upon the new EPC assessment and has run the prescribed measures to generate improvement targets.

1. Go to General / General Information tab.

* In 'Project details', choose 'Alternative Scenarios' as stage of analysis.
* In 'Section 63 details', enter the date of certificate from the exempting EPC as the Actual completion date.
* In 'Building details' enter the RRN of exempting EPC.
2. Go to General / S63 Alternative Measure tab.

* In 'General' tab, create new record name "Building now exempt as it meets 2002 standard.
* In the Description box below, enter text to record actions "Building now exempt as it meets 2002 standards. RRN of exempting EPC now recorded on Action Plan. Actual Completion date recorded as date of certificate for exempting EPC."
* In 'Alternative measures' tab, create a new measure titled "Building now exempt as it meets 2002 standard. Refer to cited EPC RRN."
* In 'Prescribed measures' tab, untick all boxes in the 'select prescribed to include/exclude in your alternative scenario' column.
3. Go to main 'Ratings' tab.

* Run 'Section 63 Assessment for Alternative Measures'. This will report zero savings for both targets under 'Alternative Measures'.
* View S63 Report. This will show the information input above is recorded.
4. The xml from this amended assessment can now be lodged to the register as the final Action Plan.

A reference/copy of the Action Plan and the Referenced EPC should be provided to the building owner as confirmation that no further action is needed to meet a duty under the current S63 regulations.

Please see below for information on all of the available EPC, DEC and ACIR software and where you can download them from

DEC Software Downloads
DLUHC
ORCalc Software (DEC)
You can download and install the software here or from the CIBSE Certification Lodgement Portal https://lodgement.cibsecertification.co.uk/

Log in to the Lodgement Portal with your username and password to access the Downloads area of the portal.  The option to download the software is available there along with the option to download the latest CIP file needed for the software to work.
NB. You can only log in to the Lodgement Portal if you are a certified LCEA with CIBSE Certification.  

TEAM Energy DEC software
TEAM Sigma DEC software - for more information on the software please visit Sustainability & Energy Management Software - Sigma - TEAM Energy

Digital Energy DEC
Digital Energy DEC software - for more information on the software please visit www.digitalenergy.org.uk

Property Tectonics
Lifespan DEC software - for more information on the software please visit www.lifespandec.com/energy

EPC Software Downloads

For more information on EPC software available from providers partnered with CIBSE Certification please visit CIBSE Training & Events website here

Property Tectonics
Lifespan iSBEM Software - for more information on the software please visit www.lifespan-software.com/energy

Air Conditioning Software Downloads

Sterling Evolve Air Conditioning Software
e-volve.sterlingaccreditation.com/ClickOnce/Publish.htm (to install software)
E-volve Manual (3MB PDF)

AIRS Air Conditioning Software
For more information and to download AIRS Air Conditioning software please visit www.airconreport.co.uk

ACE Wizard
For more information and to download ACE Wizard Air Conditioning software please visit www.acewizard.co.uk 

CIBSE Certification have approved the following software suppliers for the assessment of competence in the use of their software approved by the Government for the purposes of EPC production:

Bentley

DesignBuilder

EDSL

IES

Please note: These companies also offer training to those individuals that wish to improve their knowledge prior to taking the examination. Please contact them directly for information on training and examination dates and fees.