ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV

Wakefield-based firm Stroma Technology has carried out the first non-domestic EPC using BRE’s iSBEM software and its assessor found the process "straightforward" and "confidence boosting".

Senior energy assessor Rob Molyneux graded the firm’s own headquarters in Wakefield on March 26. The assessment was done ahead of the April 6 deadline and the 508m² building got an E grade.

Molyneux said the ho-hum result confirmed his feelings about the building.

He said: "I’m glad it got an E because I could see it was going to struggle. It was a boost of confidence to see that reflected in the result."

He added that the process took him two hours on site plus another hour and a half in data entry.

He said: "It was pretty well laid out and issuing the recommendations was fairly straightforward."

Assessors can draw on a list of recommended energy saving improvements or add their own.

Matt Ferguson managing director at Stroma Accreditation said he was delighted that his company had carried out the first non-domestic EPC.

I’m glad it got an E because I could see it was going to struggle
Rob Molyneux, Stroma Assessor

He noted the early date was part of ensuring that the system works effectively ahead of the rollout.

He said: "We were desperate to get the system live. We’ve only got a few weeks to go, so wanted to get the teething problems out of the way."

Pipped to the post

Meanwhile, just such teething problems defeated the attempts of rival CNP to carry out the first EPC, also with BRE software, the firm claimed.

Despite it having completed the survey on time, it was unable to lodge the results on the Landmark database due to the failure of the iSBEM to communicate with the Landmark QUEST software.

ºÃÉ«ÏÈÉúTV understands that QUEST technicians, who were on holiday at the time, sorted out the problems from abroad.

A senior surveyor at the company said he was disappointed that someone else had pinched the prize.

He said: "We were sitting on the result of the EPC ready to lodge it and someone else nipped in with another model at the last minute."

Government software consultant Chris Enstone said that sorting out early problems was part of the process could be compare to desnagging.