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| 24/05/2010 | BCSC calls for extension of DECs to retail property |
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| Leading retail property organisation, BCSC is calling for the extension of Display Energy Certificates (DECs) to all retail property. In its response to the CLG Consultation: Making better use of Energy Performance Certificate and Data, which closes tomorrow (25 May) it emphasises that DECs could be a much more effective tool than Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) in reducing energy consumption across all retail property classes.
Edward Cooke, BCSC Executive Director, comments: “The jury is still out on the effectiveness of EPCs in generating real reductions in energy use, given that an EPC rating is only a minor consideration when an occupier is looking to take space in a shopping centre. We believe DECs on the other hand, provide a real opportunity to measure actual energy use based on consumption, and will therefore be a much more useful tool in driving down carbon emissions. “We are committed to working with members to achieve significant energy efficiency improvements in commercial buildings, and believe that good design, and low carbon technologies should be employed in all UK shopping centres. The introduction of DECs across the board would provide a mechanism to encourage owners and occupiers of retail property to work collaboratively on energy efficiency initiatives in order to improve their DEC performance and ultimately reduce our industry’s environmental impact.” Angus McIntosh, Head of Research at King Sturge and BCSC Sustainability Committee member, commented: “If DECs are extended to all commercial buildings, there needs to be an accessible and comprehensive ‘energy consumption’ database. If we can see Planning Registers, Land Registry data, and Valuation Office data, then we must make sure all energy consumption data is also available. This would encourage both the owners and occupiers of low-graded buildings to retrofit sooner, meaning the industry can look to lower its carbon footprint more rapidly - which is the key driver.” Tim Keeping, Shopping Centre Manager of the Peacocks Centre in Woking added: “In the long term we believe that DECs will provide a more useful form of comparative energy performance measurement in buildings than the existing EPC model. In measuring the energy consumption of a building in use - rather than a theoretical assumed shop-fit - DECs offer a meaningful indicator which owners and occupiers can compete against each year, enabling them to drive their energy consumption and waste down. We believe that the ultimate objective of any legislation should be to change behaviour for the better.” |
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