Following the recent lower threshold for air conditioning inspections, the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) has called for their mandatory lodgement. The new threshold includes all systems with an output of 12KW or more, and came into effect from 4 January 2011. This means that most air-conditioned spaces of over 2,000 square feet should now have an air conditioning certificate.
Hywel Davies, CIBSE Technical Director said, “With the recent changes in the threshold, a lot more buildings now require an inspection. CIBSE believes it is the ideal time to introduce the mandatory lodgement of air conditioning inspections to help monitor compliance. It 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.
Davies went on to say, “Implementing a mandatory lodgement requirement for air conditioning inspections will bring an increased focus on these inspections. Air conditioning inspections have the lowest compliance rates, we think below 5%. The industry needs to increase compliance to achieve carbon emissions reductions targets and increase the energy efficiency of buildings.”
He added that the mandatory lodgement will provide a central register enabling much better information on air conditioning installations, and that it will bring air conditioning inspections into line with energy performance certificates and display energy certificates, which are already collated and stored in a central database.
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