Green Growth Energy Services has successfully bid for and completed work on behalf of the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics for a Building Energy Performance Certificate. The work identified a number of opportunities for improvement in energy performance.

Building Energy Performance Certification is now required by law for permitting new buildings or obtaining a planning permission for major changes to existing buildings. It involves the use of standardized software and standardized assumptions to benchmark a theoretical version of the building under study against a similar, virtual “reference building”. The process deliberately sidesteps the operational aspects of the use of a building so as to yield an energy performance rating class for the building that is independent of the energy consumption habits and preferences of any particular user or owner of that building.

Unlike the Building EPC process mandated by law, an energy audit is unconstrained and in the hands of experts, the audit will usually uncover all efficiency opportunities that would be missed by the Building EPC process and also correctly estimate payback periods. For example, lighting that is typically left on 20 hours a day, e.g in a hotel lobby, is a much better candidate for replacement with more energy efficient lighting than lighting in the conference rooms which is on only when the room is occupied. The Building EPC process is rigid in such things, and will not allow the user to vary the number of hours that lights are turned on.