Energy Performance Certificates
Category Economy
ARTICLE BY BUSINESSTECH
Building owners in South Africa have five months to get a new certificate - or face jail time and millions in fines
Building owners in South Africa have only five more months to register for new energy performance certificates by the 7 December 2025 deadline.
Regulations introduced in 2020 mandated non-residential buildings in South Africa to display an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), or have building owners risk imprisonment, a fine, or both if they fail to comply.
The regulations, initiated under the National Energy Act 34 of 2008, require government and publicly owned buildings with an area of 1,000 square metres to display the EPC.
Privately owned non-residential properties with an area larger than 2,000 square metres are required to display the certificate.
The regulations also apply to any non-residential buildings and government buildings which have a dominant occupancy classification as:
Offices;
Entertainment;
Public assembly;
Theatrical;
Indoor sport; or
Places of instruction.
The regulations initially required all qualifying buildings to be registered by 7 December 2022, but the then-Department of Mineral Resources and Energy extended the deadline to December 2025.
Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, Samantha Graham-Maré, issued a reminder of the looming deadline. She also noted that over 7,000 public and private buildings have registered for the certificate, well ahead of the deadline.
Since its launch in December 2020, 7,113 government buildings have registered, and 3,884 EPCs have been issued.
The department noted that the certificate is part of the government and the South African Energy Development Institute's (Sanedi) drive for energy efficiency in South Africa.
The purpose of an EPC is to gauge a building's energy efficiency. This is done by assigning a score from A to G - with A being extremely efficient and G the least efficient possible.
A notable drawback of the EPC is that it is only valid for five years, and buildings must be assessed again by an accredited inspection body to obtain a new certificate.
However, the department stressed that the admin is required to ensure that buildings become more energy efficient.
It said an EPC is designed to help building owners and accounting officers identify areas to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gasses and emissions.
The certificates serve as regulatory tools/instruments targeting inefficient buildings, encouraging their transformation into energy-efficient buildings.
Graham-Maré said large building owners in the country need to prioritise the registration process as there are only five months left before the deadline.
"We aim to reach 60,000 registrations by the closing date. I am working with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean McPherson, and will also be working with premiers and mayors to ensure that this issue gets immediate attention," she said.
"I urge all building owners, both public and private, to adopt and implement alternative and energy-saving methods. We need to be creative and innovative so that we save on energy."
If a building fails to display an EPC, the building owners or the presiding accounting officer will be in violation of the law and could be fined up to R5 million, face five years in prison, or both.
Shared by SAPOA
Author: BUSINESSTECH
