SAP Assessments

The Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is a methodology introduced by the UK Government to assess and compare the energy and environmental performance of buildings to make sure that any new developments will not only meet Building Regulations, but also overall energy and environmental policy initiatives.

The main aim is to assess how much energy a new development will consume, when delivering a defined level of comfort and service provision using standard assumptions for occupancy and behaviour.

This process also standardises the assessments of dwelling energy performance so that like for like comparisons can be made nationwide.

If you require a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.

SAP calculations are based on a wide range of factors such as the type of construction and energy balance of a new development. The main items that contribute to energy efficiency are:

• Materials used for the construction
• Thermal insulation of the building fabric
• Air leakage characteristics of the dwelling, and performance of ventilation equipment
• Renewable energy technologies
• The fuel used to provide space and water heating, ventilation and lighting
• Efficiency and control of the heating systems
• Solar gains through openings in the dwelling
• Energy for space cooling

The calculation does not include individual characteristics of the household such as household size and heating patterns and temperatures. SAP calculations can also determine fuel costs and the Environmental Impact Rating via the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

If you are unsure what information you need to provide for a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.

Since 1995 SAP assessments have been a legal requirement for all new-build, domestic properties in the UK under Part L of Building Regulations. Homes must achieve a ‘Pass’ on these calculations for the project to pass Building Regulations.

Without this, a property will not be signed off by Building Control and may not legally be listed for rent or sale which may cause big financial problems to the vendor.

As so many of the elements of the assessment are related to the construction of the development, it is strongly advised that the SAP scores are calculated and considered at the beginning of the project at the design stage of the project in order to best inform architects, builders, surveyors and suppliers. Achieving a pass on the SAP calculation can involve numerous important initial design decisions.

Alongside the regulatory aspect, there are other reasons why it is vitally important to consider your SAP score long before project completion. Factors such as energy consumption and carbon output can be accurately predicted and the running costs of the home minimalised from an early-stage professional SAP assessment.

If you require a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.

No, SAP Assessments are not confined to just new developments. New extensions and/or conversions may require a SAP Assessment under Part L1b of the Building Regulations, based on the following guidelines:

• Extensions with more than 25% glazing-to-floor area
• Barn conversions
• Commercial to domestic conversions
• Conversion of a single dwelling into flats or apartments

How long does a SAP Assessment usually take?

Most of our projects are undertaken in 2 – 3 days, however for very large projects or if there is a substantial amount of information missing, this may be slightly longer. When we receive an enquiry off potential customers we also send across our informative checklist to help identify there required information.

If you require a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.

Yes, a SAP calculation or SAP Assessment has been a requirement of the Building Regulations Part L since 1995, so all new homes need to have a SAP calculation/rating. Homes which have been converted and extended also need a SAP carrying out, but slightly different rules apply. As a general rule, you do not need a SAP on an extension. All dwellings on a site need a SAP assessment.

It is recommended that the sooner you can have your SAP assessment carried out the better. SAP calculations must be submitted to building control before works start on site at this stage it is called a design stage SAP.

If you require a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.

If you are going to undertake a renovation or extension to an existing residential dwelling, you need to make sure your specification meets the requirements of building regulations (Approved Document Part L1B for England and Wales.

Extensions

An extension designed with a high level of glazing may result in a dwelling with increased heating bills in winter. Compliance will be met providing all new construction meets these requirements and a SAP shows the building’s predicted energy use is less than a notional calculation.

Conservatories

If you are building a conservatory that is not thermally separated from the rest of the dwelling, it will be treated as an extension. As such, the above guidance should be followed.

Change of use

Change of use may be defined as creating new dwellings in an existing building, such as a barn conversion or empty office block. In this case, you will need to make sure all limiting U-Values are met and that new heating systems meet minimum efficiencies.

A SAP calculation is recommended in these cases to ensure all requirements are met and to produce the EPC, which will be required upon completion before any dwellings are sold or rented.

If you are unsure of your project requires a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.

If you’re building a porch or conservatory, you could be exempt from Building Regulations, but how do you tell if this is the case?

There are four rules to follow:

A conservatory or porch must be on ground level, it must be less than 30sqm, it must be thermally separate from the house (in other words, there must be a door between the house and extension) and it must not be plumbed into the main heating system.

If your upgrade fails into any of the four items above, it will usually be classed as an extension. The next item you will need to check is the amount of Glazing, as too much north facing glass may make the house cooler, and lead to increased fuel bills.

If the glazing in your extension has an area less than 25% of the new floor area, you can usually satisfy Part L by confirming the insulation levels (U-Values) in your extension meet or are lower than the following (Based on Part L 2010): Ground floor is: 0.22. External wall is: 0.28. Roof areas are: 0.18 where insulation slopes, 0.16 in all other areas. New windows are: 1.60. New external doors are: 1.80.

If the amount of glazing is over this 25% threshold, you need to prove the additional glass will not have a negative effect on the fuel consumption of the home and this is where APT can help you.

We can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we can usually achieve compliance. If you have an extension project underway, make sure you’ve got the right design and the correct bits of paperwork. If you think you need a SAP Extension assessment, get in touch before you start work on site!

1. Working drawings to scale and fully dimensioned, this must include:

• Floor plans for all floors
• Elevations
• Sections
• Site / location plan with North indicated, and any buildings within a close proximity to the dwelling to be assessed.

2. Building Specification to include the following;

• Wall constructions
• Floor Constructions
• Roof Constructions

3. All window and door details including;

• Frame material
• Glazing specification such as double low e argon filled 12m gap.

4. Ventilation specification (i.e. is mechanical ventilation heat recovery specified),

• Including manufacturers details
• All extracts clearly marked on the drawings.

5. The main heating specification including;

• The type of water heating to be used (i.e. gas fired boiler)
• Manufacturers description of boiler if known or minimum efficiency.
• Emitters i.e. radiators or under-floor heating please indicate any radiator positions on the drawings
• Controls (please note minimum requirements by Building regulations
• Any Secondary heating to be installed including manufacturers details if known

6. Water heating details including;

• Cylinders to be installed including heat loss factor or the specification of the insulation applied to the cylinder, and the position of the cylinder indicated on the drawings.
• Insulation to the pipe-work
• Specification of thermal stores CPSU, Combi Keep hot, heat pumps, or use of summer immersion if to be installed

7. Renewable technology if present

• Solar Hot water
• Collector type, Orientation, Pitch, Any over shading (indicated on site layout), Gross / nett area, Zero loss
• Collector efficiency Heat loss co efficient of collector, dedicated volume of solar store if present, electrical
• Power supply of solar pump (mains / PV)
• PV – Installed Peak Power kWp , Orientation, Pitch, any over-shading
• Wind Turbines – Number, Rotor diameter, Average wind speed, Height above

8. Light fittings including any low energy light fittings both internal and external

9. All occupancy will be assumed as standard unless otherwise specified.

10. Any thermal bridging details i.e. accredited construction detail please note that a standard value of 0.15 will be used unless otherwise stated by client

11. Details of window openings

12. Any blinds to be fitted. If the conservatory if present is to be heated Any other special features
For the conversion of existing buildings the following information will also be required:

13. Approx. age or year existing house was built.

14. The building specification for the walls/floor/roof needs for the existing house

15. Will any new upgrades be carried out to the existing house, at the same time as the new extension i.e. boiler or windows being replaced.

16. The depth of the mineral wool within the existing loft.

If you have an unusual project that requires a SAP Assessment please contact us now, we can provide the assessments needed for existing buildings or new builds, and our ten years of Building Control experience means that we always achieve compliance.

We can also undertake the Air Tightness Testing and Sound Testing so your SAP assessments and precompletion testing can be placed in one package.