MEES regulations: how they will impact building owners and landlords

MEES set a minimum energy efficiency level for domestic and non-domestic private rented properties. They were passed as legislation in 2011 before coming into force in 2018 as part of the Government’s commitment to reach net zero by 2050. This report focuses on non-domestic properties.

When MEES were introduced, building owners and landlords of commercial property had to have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least E before commencing a new tenancy.

EPCs rate the energy efficiency of a building using grades from A to G, with A being the most efficient. They are required if you rent, sell or construct a property, and in all buildings above 50m2.

From 1st April 2023, all buildings must have an E rating or better even if there are no changes in tenancy. The Government is proposing to raise the bar to a C rating in 2027, and a B rating in 2030.

Landlords should start planning now as the process to energy efficiency can be a long and sometimes complex one. The first step is to understand EPCs.

EPCs are assessed through two main factors – building fabric and building services.

• Fabric relates to the construction make-up of a building, such as structural frame, floors, internal and external walls, glazing and the roof.
• Building services is concerned with the provision of heating, cooling, lighting and electric power to the building.

New builds can aim for Passivhaus certification, which has the potential to vastly reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling by using enhanced building fabric parameters and energy efficient building services.

Insulation is arguably the area that can have the biggest impact when looking at improving energy efficiency. Internal insulation can be used for solid brick or metal-clad properties. Cavity walls can be an easy win for improving energy efficiency if they don’t have any insulation.

It’s important to insulate the roof, as a house with no roof insulation will lose about a quarter of its heat. It’s harder to put a figure on commercial properties as they vary so much, from office buildings to warehouses, but it’s safe to assume that a roof with poor insulation will impact overall energy efficiency.

Glazing is another fabric measure to consider, especially in buildings that have a lot of glass. Double or triple glazing is essential to help retain heat in a space.

Airtightness can be a deceptively difficult issue to address, depending on which part of the building is experiencing air leakage. Thermographic studies are used to establish where a building is losing heat. However, access can be a barrier if the location is hard to access. During a refit, work with a designer to ensure that all doors and windows are a tight fit.

A great way to improve an EPC rating is for a building to generate its own energy on site, for example through solar panels.

Smart systems can be implemented to ensure that lighting automatically switches off when a space is vacant and is dimmed in areas and times of high levels of daylight. Similarly, ventilation systems can be upgraded to include demand driven control. This will be especially useful considering that many buildings may be below full occupancy for the foreseeable future.

Heating and cooling units can be upgraded to variable refrigerant flow (VRF) units. These are highly customisable and can be configured to have room-specific temperature zones.

Every building will have a different EPC scope depending on its size, build, current rating and aspirational rating. We have identified eight common challenges and how to overcome them.

1. Form

As form is related to the orientation and layout of a building, there’s very little that can be done to address this during a fit out or refurbishment project. Owners and landlords will need to focus on the building fabric and building services. It can also help to work towards EnerPHit certification, which accounts for the complexities of addressing form in an energy efficiency project.

2. Default values in EPC assessments

Default values assume the worst, so they are best avoided during an assessment. This might not be possible for every metric if the data does not exist. Work with an EPC assessor that will ensure they avoid default values wherever possible. This might lead to a higher cost for the assessment, but if it results in a better end score, then it’s money well spent. Furthermore, you’ll also have the benchmark data for future assessments.

5. The UK Power Network

Many owners might plan a wholesale switch to electric as part of their energy efficiency plans. However, they will need to work with the UK Power Network (UKPN) to ensure that the incoming supply will have capacity. The UKPN is the only group to deal with and the process can take a long time, so owners must plan and engage well in advance. Failure to do so could delay the project and cause a building to miss a MEES milestone.

6. Global warming potential of refrigerants

Global Warming Potential (GWP) is a measure of how destructive a climate pollutant is. Carbon dioxide has a GWP of 1 R410a, a common refrigerant in commercial spaces, has a GWP of 1,890. It is only a small amount of product in the grand scheme of a commercial space, but it can still have a big impact on an EPC score. R32 is an alternative and has a GWP of 677, which is significantly lower.