With the deadline for privately owned office buildings to display Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) looming, SAPOA says it has received complaints from its members regarding practical problems in obtaining EPCs.
Some of these frustrations include the difficulty in amending details of a property which has already been entered into the system, the lack of feedback on enquiries raised through the portal, and that the commercial real estate industry states floor area in terms of Gross Lettable Area (GLA) and not in terms of Net Floor Area (NFA).
Whilst only office buildings require EPCs at this stage, there is also uncertainty regarding the status of offices housing medical specialists, which may include specialised equipment that use a lot of electricity, such as x-ray machines.
After taking up the matter with the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) and SANEDI, which oversee the EPC process, SAPOA received the following response:
The DEE is in the process of updating the National Building Energy Performance Register (NBEPR) to make it possible for property details to be amended.
EPC Quality Assurers are being introduced to oversee the process and to resolve delays in responding to queries.
A big concern, dealing with the difference between Nett Floor Area (which is the measurement unit used in EPC regulations) instead of Gross Lettable Area (which is the industry standard) is being addressed, as the updated software will automatically convert GLA to NFA.
Where uncertainty exists, e.g. bridges, super basements, cinemas, and the like, these uncertainties are being discussed with the SABS Technical Committee, to align the requirements with the regulations with SANS 1544:2014. The same applies for office buildings with specialised medical equipment.
The deadline to obtain an EPC for privately owned office buildings is the 7th of December 2025.
