Using a domestic EPC for a PV system connected to a communal supply only.

Mattty · Oct 14, 2013

Does anyone have any experience of this ever being acceptable?

The situation is a PV system is to be installed on a block of flats.

My client has been told by an energy supplier, via an installer that a domestic EPC for a flat is acceptable to go with a fit application where the PV is to be connected to the communal meter.

From the energy supplier:

'If an EPC can be obtained for the ‘landlord supply’ or central area that would be ideal, however this is sometime not possible. What we can accept is an EPC for one of the flat within the block, this would be used to represent the building as a whole.'

The installer is interpreting this to mean that even if it is possible to do an EPC on the communal area, a domestic EPC on one of the flats that is not connected directly to the meter, but is in the building will do.

SolarRoofSols · Oct 15, 2013

I thought it had to be carried out on the area supplied by the meter the PV was going into? We had a similar situation earlier this year and BG (i think) stipulated that it had to be done in the communal area. I hoped that an exemption would be accepted as there was no heating or air con in the area but was given that many mixed messages that we got a EPC done anyway to avoid any issues later on.

Mattty · Oct 15, 2013

In your situation of trying to get exemption an EPC could still be completed so an EPC should be completed. It is not if heating is present, but could it be expected to be present and in an enclosed communal area of a block of flats it could be expected to be present. Whereas heating may not be expected in a barn.

If there is no enclosed communal area, but there is a communal supply for maybe external lights then an EPC would not be possible. and in those circumstances the energy supplier says an EPC from a flat could be used to show the building reaches the required grade. Although I would imagine a letter from an energy assessor stating it's not possible to do an EPC would do also.

But the energy supplier have also stated that an EPC for a flat is always acceptable to cover PV connected to communal areas even if it is possible to do an EPC on the communal area. It just seems odd to me and I wanted to check if anyone else has come across this because I don't want my client losing out on the high fit rate because of some miss-understanding on the rules.