SAP Assessment | Why You Should Get SAP Test For Your New Home

The government has introduced the Standard Assessment Procedure for assessing and comparing the environmental and energy performance of the buildings. It ensures that the structures not only meet the building requirements but also the environmental and energy policy initiatives.

The main aim of the SAP assessment is to find out how much energy the new building will consume for providing the required level of comfort and service provision with the standard assumptions of behaviour and occupancy. 

As the process provides for standardised assessment for energy performance of buildings, it becomes easier to compare like for like comparisons across the nation.

Process of SAP calculations

These SAP calculations are carried out considering the energy balance of the development and taking an account of the range of factors responsible for the energy efficiency of a building.

It will include factors like: 

• Any renewable technology used in the building
• Materials used in the construction of the building. 
• Thermal insulation of the structure. 
• Ventilation equipment performance and air leakage characteristics. 
• The efficiency of thermal heating systems. 
• Openings in the building allowing solar gains. 
• Amount of fuel used for water heating, lighting and ventilation. 
• Energy used for space cooling

Overall, SAP calculations do not consider the household size or heating patterns or temperatures. It is used to determine fuel costs as well as the environmental impact rating due to Carbon-di-oxide emissions.

Importance of SAP calculations

Part L of the Building Regulations Act, 1995 makes SAP test mandatory for new build domestic properties. Thus, homes need to pass the test so their project can pass under y the building regulations. 

One should consider the SAP scores at the beginning of the project to inform the architects, surveyors, builders, and suppliers of the same. This involves the assessment of the various elements involved in the SAP test.

You may need to take several design-decisions to get a pass SAP score for your building project. 

Benefits You Get 

With a professional SAP test, you can get an insight into the energy consumption as well as the carbon output for accurately predicting the running costs of the home and you can minimise these from the start. 

Not only do new home builds require SAP assessment, but also new home extensions. Both these types of constructions are covered in Part L of the Building Regulations Act, 1995. 

You can find out more and get SAP Assessment done for your building project at reasonable rates reaching out to Briary Energy.