A Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP)

A Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) measures the energy performance of a building to comply with the 2006 Part L building regulations. A SAP is carried out at the design stage of a new build of a residential property. A SAP calculation produces a Projected Energy Assessment (PEA) which details how much energy a new home will use. This is translated into a more user-friendly Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which forms one part of the government’s new Home Information Pack (HIP).

For commercial properties, a Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) is used, which provides exactly the same information as a SAP.

The SAP is the single method of compliance with Part L Building Regulations (2006) and takes the notional carbon footprint calculation of a house from the 2002 Part L regulations and specifies that a new build house must achieve a 25% reduction in carbon use to comply with current regulations. So, if a house emitted 100 tonnes of CO2 in 2002, a house built after the introduction of Part L 2006 must emit 75 tonnes at the most to receive a SAP certificate. This is known as the Target Emission Rate (TER).

Upon completion of construction of the building, a SAP assessor will review the property to ensure that products and techniques specified at design stage have been incorporated into the build. They will then calculate the carbon footprint of the building to ensure the TER has been met. The reading recorded in the building upon completion is known as the Dwelling Emission Rate (DER), and should this be lower than or equal to the TER, the building will receive a SAP certificate.

SAP Ratings from SIG Sustainable Solutions