3.41. FIT Licensees are required to check energy efficiency requirements for every solar PV installation with a DNC up to and including 50kW, including extensions, with the exception of stand-alone, with an Eligibility Date on or after 1 April 2012.
3.42. The energy efficiency requirement applies if a PV installation (or extension) with an Eligibility Date on or after 1 April 2012 is wired to provide electricity to one or more relevant buildings.
3.43. FIT Licensees are required to check whether the energy efficiency requirement applies and, if so, these installations are required to demonstrate that the building to which the solar PV is wired to provide electricity has achieved an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of level D or above in order to receive the higher tariff, provided the multi-installation tariff (see multi-installations tariff section) does not apply.
Applications from FIT Generators who do not have an EPC (including definition of a relevant building)
3.80. A ”relevant building” is defined in the SLCs and must be a roofed construction which has walls, and for which energy is used to condition the indoor climate. Examples of energy being used to condition the indoor climate include heating and cooling systems. If any aspect of this definition does not apply to a building to which the PV installation is wired to provide electricity to then the energy efficiency requirement does not apply.
3.81. A “relevant building” must also be a building in respect of which an EPC can be issued. If an EPC cannot be issued then the building is not a relevant building and the energy efficiency requirement does not apply. Under the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) Regulations some properties are exempt from the requirement for an EPC; however if a building can be assessed and receive an EPC then the energy efficiency requirement will apply under FIT legislation (irrespective of whether an EPB exemption applies or not).
3.82. It is the responsibility of the FIT Generator to prove that an EPC cannot be obtained for any building that the PV is wired to provide electricity to. One option to demonstrate this would be for the FIT Generator to provide a document from an EPC assessor which confirms that it was not possible to obtain an EPC on the building/s and to clearly state the reasons why.
3.83. A FIT Generator who claims, for any of the reasons outlined above, that a building to which the installation is wired to provide electricity is not a relevant building such that the energy efficiency requirement does not apply will be required to provide a declaration to that effect with their application. A copy of the declarations can be found in Appendix 5 and 6.
3.84. The evidence that the energy efficiency requirement does not apply and the corresponding declarations should be provided at the time of application. This will enable the FIT Licensee to confirm that at the time of the determination of an installation’s Eligibility Date the energy efficiency requirement did not apply
3.85. Failure to demonstrate that the energy efficiency requirement does not apply at the installations Eligibility Date will result in the FIT installation receiving the lower tariff.
