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The EPC Training Programme and the new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) has had a positive impact on job creation, targeting, but not exclusively, women and youth. SA BUSINESS INTEGRATOR spoke to Barry Bredenkamp, General Manager, Energy Efficiency at South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), and Yolande de Lange, Executive Director at the Institute of Energy Professionals Africa (IEPA), to find out more. “Although the initial uptake for Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) for certain classes of buildings in South Africa was relatively slow, we have experienced a sudden increase in activity, as the current deadline for compliance of 7 December 2022 is fast approaching,” says Bredenkamp. “This has come with a corresponding positive impact on job creation prospects. This can be seen by the numbers of delegates registering for EPC-training with the various institutions offering this training and the number of jobs advertised by not only SANAS-accredited Inspection Bodies, but also for facility managers with an understanding of the EPC regulations. These numbers still need to be quantified, but it is definitely on an upward trajectory.” Bredenkamp says that buildings have a major role to play in the effort to reduce the negative
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impacts of climate change. He says EPCs will not reduce energy consumption or carbon emissions but will make a significant impact on visualising how far individual buildings go in achieving this aim, as well as quantifying the quantum of energy efficiency savings required to reach an A-rating, with reduced carbon emissions.
What are the actions of industry players to ensure that businesses are compliant? Yolanda de Lange says the first step would be for building owners to familiarise themselves with the requirements of the EPC regulation to determine if the building is required to comply. “Check if the building falls within the building occupancy category and whether the size of the building is larger than the regulation requires, as well as whether the last renovation was done
