Announcement "later today!"

[Eco Deal]

I have been told storey of DEA's doing EPC from there vans !!!!!

 

[TedM]

Can anyone post a list of the basic requirements to achieve a D rating?

It's not straight-forward as it depends on many things which are added up on a points system, but the basics would be cavity wall insulation, 300mm loft insulation, modern condensing gas boiler and low energy lighting.

To get a 'D' you need at least 55 points out of 100 (more or less).

DECC say that 51% of all dwellings currently are at least a 'D'.

There is also an exemption for certain buildings that cannot get an EPC at all, but no details on that yet. Also for agricultural buildings where the PV might be on a barn roof, the EPC rating will be for the farmhouse (assuming the electric is connected there).

 

[whinmoor]

What if you're putting it on a church? Would they assess the vicarage? I can't see how some massive buildings built centuries ago would meet EPC requirements. Or are religious buildings excluded?

 

[TedM]

Places of worship are excluded from being required to have an EPC (for the main purposes of needing an EPC in the first place - outside FiTs), but that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't need one just to claim higher FiTs rates. There is an exemption from the EPC 'D' condition for those buildings where it can be proved that it is impossible to obtain an EPC. How you do this I don't know yet, but I would guess you would need to provide a statement to that effect from one, or maybe more, DEAs.

 

[whinmoor]

Places of worship are excluded from being required to have an EPC (for the main purposes of needing an EPC in the first place - outside FiTs), but that doesn't necessarily mean that they won't need one just to claim higher FiTs rates. There is an exemption from the EPC 'D' condition for those buildings where it can be proved that it is impossible to obtain an EPC. How you do this I don't know yet, but I would guess you would need to provide a statement to that effect from one, or maybe more, DEAs.

Isn't a DEA supposed to be for Domestic properties only? To my mind that means a place where someone lives. Would a place of worship (or a school or a supermarket) be classed as such or would you need an NDEA to provide an EPC?

 

[SRE]

I reckon you're going to have to be an independant financial adviser to do surveys next!

Are we seeing any exclusions anywhere for rural, non gas areas? Almost every job we do is off the gas grid and using oil or lpg in houses built over 100 years ago. When I was doing DEA training 4 years ago they were achieving top of E at best! These are the houses that really need the pv.

 

[whinmoor]

Here's our new hero telling us all about it:

Ed Davey message on Feed-in Tariff scheme changes - YouTube

 

[dansk]

Sorry if this has already been asked - but is the EPC done after the installation taking into account the PV? or is a two part process? EPC first to determine the rating, then add PV to bump up into band D, that another cert.

 

[finchy]

Been out the loop today and have read the entire Thread, very informative ! However I conclude the government hasn't address the uncertainty in the Solar PV industry, just made it a whole lot complicated ! Alas we will try our best to carve a living from an industry which I'm passionate about !

 

[SRE]

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=14246B0206B8C2B3&id=14246B0206B8C2B3!107 thought this was a good overview. Looking forward to installing 4kwp for between 3.5 and 4.5k in 2015 - should be simples - in BARKING WORLD!

 

[Earthstore]

Thanks for the link, he makes it sound so easy, maybe he should come with one of us and explain it to the customers how easy it is...

 

[SRE]

I must be a bit dense with maths ... how does increasing oil costs make cheaper panels once the over supply has been resolved and how do I ask my roofers and scaffolders to reduce their costs by 50% so that I can make a charitable contribution to nearby houses by installing at 4.5k. We'll be sending kids up the chimney again soon.

How on earth are you going to be able to cover overheads, most of which are generated as a result of the ridiculous bodies - MCS, NICEIC, REAL and now DEA certificates when "sales" are going to need to be below the cost of the materials?


Not so much a sharp intake of breath as no breath at all - pv dead!

 

[synergy power]

How on earth are you going to be able to cover overheads, most of which are generated as a result of the ridiculous bodies - MCS, NICEIC, REAL and now DEA certificates when "sales" are going to need to be below the cost of the materials?

What i don't think the government understands is that the prices cant keep going down, it will come to a point where the materials are at there lowest price, the roofers and electricians aren't going to lower their price (Why should they have to!) and we will be left with a couple of hundred quid for doing the job!!

I personally think current solar PV pricing is reasonable for both the consumer and also for the installer. If it goes down any lower serious corners will have to be cut to make a living out of this industry!!

 

[whinmoor]

I guess Barking is assuming the Chinese will soon start selling the panels for peanuts so we'll be able to pick em up in Poundland when we buy our toothpaste and teabags. Then we might be able to install for £4k.

 

[SolarCity]

Livid.

What am I supposed to do on my surveys after April 1st? Bring a DEA with me? Who pays for the report? When does the report get done? Is it worth training to become a DEA?

The amount of time wasted on pointless surveys will be immense after April 1st.

We will struggle on for a couple of months after April 1st but if the market goes like I expect, then I'm coming out of it. I have other plans to keep my business going and I will fall back to solar if and when things change.

Nothing is worth the stress of waiting for these incessant announcements from the 'greenest government ever' and the subsequent panic that it creates.