The Frequently Asked Questions section has been divided into How and Why to Join and How Does the Scheme Work.

How and Why to Join

How do I apply?
The first step is to click the link Register Now on the home page of the website www.Architectural-EPC.co.uk

Why should I join?
As of 6 April 2008 all new dwellings must have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) at the point of completion, which meets the requirements of the Energy Performance Building Directive (EPBD) 2002/91/EC (2003).

Article 10 of the EPBD requires the energy performance of new dwellings to be carried out on the basis of a national calculation methodology (in the UK this is SAP 2005) and these calculations must be "e;…carried out by qualified and/or accredited experts, whose independence is to be guaranteed on the basis of objective criteria…"e;

To comply with the EPBD the Communities and Local Government (CLG) requires that all EPCs in England and Wales are prepared by a member of an On Construction Scheme for New Build Dwellings.

Architectural-EPC has been established by the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) as a membership service. CLG approved Architectural-EPC's application to provide a Scheme on 7th January 2008.

Who is eligible to apply to join Architectural-EPC?
Membership of the Scheme is currently open to those who are:

• Chartered or Associate Members or Qualified Architectural Technicians of the Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists
• Members of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
• Associates or Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.
• Architects registered with the Architects Registration Board.
• Those who can demonstrate membership of a Competent Persons Scheme or another On Construction Scheme for New Dwellings.
• Members of such other professional bodies as shall be included in agreement with CLG at a later date.

In exceptional circumstances Architectural-EPC may consider applications from those other individuals who can demonstrate through a combination of prior experience, training and competency testing that they can meet the standards required by CLG.

Why should I register interest?
If you register your interest online then Architectural-EPC can keep you informed of the development of the scheme up until launch, plus with your input you can help us shape Architectural-EPC as a membership service.

What does it cost to register my interest?
Absolutely nothing. Registering your interest enables Architectural-EPC to keep you informed of the scheme as it is developed.

Do I require Professional Indemnity Insurance?
Members of an energy assessment scheme for newly built dwellings must maintain PII as stipulated by the Communities and Local Government and in accordance with the Code of Conduct of Architectural-EPC.

How much will it cost to join Architectural-EPC?

• The application fee for members of CIAT, RIBA or RIAS is £150.00 (plus VAT at 17.50%)
• The application fee for Industry Experts is £200.00 (plus VAT at 17.50%)
• The annual membership for members of CIAT, RIBA and RIAS is £100.00 (plus VAT at 17.50%)
• The annual membership for Industry Experts is £150.00 (plus VAT at 17.50%)
• As part of the registration, SAP tests are set and marked independently by Home Energy and Data Services Limited on behalf of Architectural-EPC. Each test is sent and must be returned electronically and there is a marking fee of £20.00 (plus VAT at 17.50%) per test.

What will it cost to use the SAP software?
Architectural-EPC has a partnership with Energy Design Tools to allow the use of their SAP / EPC Calculator. Details of the SAP / EPC calculator can be found on http://www.energydesigntools.co.uk/ including the costs involved in using the EDT software.

As a significant benefit to our members, Architectural-EPC have arranged for a discount on the standard EDT pricing for the use of their SAP / EPC calculator.

What will it cost to issue an EPC?
There is a charge of £10.00 (plus VAT at 17.50%) to lodge each EPC in the Landmark Central Register and maintain the members register.

How do I Qualify to Join Architectural-EPC?
There are two ways in which you can become a member of Architectural-EPC you can demonstrate or acquire the required qualifications or demonstrate that you have the required experience. You can mix and match.

How is this Assessed?
The assessment is based on the National Occupational Standards for On Construction Energy Assessors for New Build Dwellings.

1. Work in a safe, effective and professional manner.
2. Prepare to assess the energy performance of new build dwellings in order to produce Energy Performance Certificates.
3. Assess the energy performance of new build dwellings in order to produce Energy Performance Certificates.
4. Produce Energy Performance Certificates.

Units 1 and 2 cover the soft skills of practice, for which many applicants are pre-qualified. For those who are not, Architectural-EPC has developed a series of Learning Modules and Online Theory Tests.

Units 3 and 4 cover the actual process of undertaking a SAP calculation and producing an EPC, for which the CLG require all applicants to demonstrate their competence by undertaking 5 calculations. The 5 SAP calculations may include any or a combination of the following:

• If you are already a member of a Competent Persons Scheme then Architectural-EPC can immediately credit you with having fulfilled the CPS requirements of submitting 2 SAPs, plus any further SAPs that have been checked by the CPS - on the submission of eviedence.
• You can undertake 1 or more Architectural-EPC online SAP tests from plans provided by Home Energy and Data Services, or
• You can submit 1 or more of your own completed SAPs with (reference information) which Architectural-EPC will check – assessing individual SAPs is however time consuming and there will be both a delay and a charge for assessing each of these. Architectural-EPC strongly recommends the SAP test route.

What is APEL?
APEL means Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning. This is the recognition and credit of knowledge and skills derived from professional, vocational and personal contexts. APEL allows candidates to complete their learning more quickly and avoid duplication of learning already undertaken.

The CIAT professional standards for MCIAT and TCIAT have been mapped against the National Occupational Standards for Energy Assessors of Newly Built Dwellings. This means that those candidates who have met the CIAT professional standards will gain APEL for the common competences – or units 1 and 2.

Architectural-EPC will map the competences for other professional institutions including RIBA and RIAS in due course.

Who pre-qualifies for APEL?

• Chartered Architectural Technologists (MCIAT)
• Qualified Architectural Technicians (TCIAT)
• CIAT / RIBA / RIAS members that are also members of a Competent Persons Scheme
• CIAT / RIBA / RIAS members that hold a formal qualifications related to the energy performance of buildings (ABBE Level 3 Diploma in On Construction Energy Assessment)

The RIBA is currently mapping their members qualifications against APEL in the expectation that Registered Architects will pre-qualify for units 1 and 2.

What training support is Architectural-EPC providing?
Architectural-EPC is currently developing a number of cost effective solutions that provide additional training which covers units 1 to 4.

Do the training and the SAP tests count towards CPD?
Yes.

What will the training cost?
The exact cost is yet to be fixed (and will depend in large part on the number of people who register their interest), however it is expected that the cost of the training, the accreditation process and unlimited access to SAP software, will be very competitive compared to joining any other Scheme.

How does the Scheme work?

What is the process of joining?
The first step is to register your interest. This is free and carries no obligation, but allows Architectural-EPC to keep you informed of the progress of the Scheme as it develops.

During the registration process you will be asked to confirm a user name, password, contact details and your CIAT, RIBA or RIAS registration number.

Architectural-EPC will then verify that you are a member of one of these organisations and you will receive an email confirming your log-on details.

What happens next?
You will be asked to subscribe to Architectural-EPC and the scheme administrator will assess what areas pre-qualify you (via APEL) and what additional tests / competency you need to demonstrate. We will then email you to confirm these and send you a series of Learning Modules that contain the information you need to complete the on-line theory tests.

How will the online SAP / EPC software work?
You will have access to register for the on-line SAP calculation software developed by Energy Design Tools (EDT). The EDT SAP / EPC calculator is an on-line tool to calculate the SAP rating of your new build design and also to produce an EPC which can be lodged in the Landmark Central Register. This calculation stays live, allowing you to amend the calculation during the design process up to the point you need to prepare a SAP for submission to Building Control, you can then print a Design SAP related to a particular project and the time of the application.

On completion of the project you can take the design SAP, add any alterations that have been made on site and (in the case of multiple dwellings) copy and amend the calculation to get a dwelling specific SAP and EPC as required by the EPBD.

The SAP calculation will always use the SAP version current at the time of applying for Building Control Permission and you only pay a fee for registering an EPC when they are actually needed.

Details of the cost of the EDT SAP Tool are available on http://www.energydesigntools.co.uk/

What makes an EPC valid?
An EPC is only valid if it is lodged with Landmark and it can only be lodged with landmark, via an approved Scheme such as Architectural-EPC. A newly completed house cannot be occupied without one.

Can I continue to use my existing SAP software?
If you wish, you can input the SAP data from your software which is required to create an EPC, however, in order to lodge your EPC you must use the integrated SAP calculator licensed from Energy Design Tools.

Do I have to add in all the detailed information to create a SAP?
No, in a busy design office, it may well be that other staff are given access to input basic data, however the approved Energy Assessor will be expected to check and confirm the data inputs before a SAP can be printed for submission to Building Control or an EPC generated.

Where are the registration details kept?
Architectural-EPC has to supply the following data to Landmark:

• Inspector Name (Prefix, Forename, Surname, Suffix)
• Certificate or Accreditation Number
• Current Status
• Certification-Date
• Company Name
• Contact Details (Address, Website, Telephone, Fax, E-Mail Address)
• Scheme Details
• Contact Details (As per above)
• Complaints Address
• Specialism
• Postcode-Coverage

In addition Architectural-EPC in conjunction with our partner, Just-Ask Services Limited will maintain a register of On Construction Energy Assessors and all the EPCs that are issued.

This information will be retained electronically with secure back up.

Do I need to renew membership?
Yes, it is a requirement of the scheme that Energy Assessors are kept up to date with changes to the regulations etc. Annual renewal is required to maintain the register.

What checks are there on members?
Architectural-EPC are currently discussing with CLG their requirements for on-going auditing – see Scheme Guidance

Can I be removed from the scheme?
Yes, Approved Energy Assessors who fail to maintain their membership of the scheme and / or professional body. Who fail to demonstrate competency when asked, or are subject to any form of disciplinary procedure by CIAT, RIAS, RIBA or ARB can be removed from the register.

In due course Architectural-EPC will, as part of the scheme provider duties, develop a process of notification and appeals system for any such eventuality.

What happens if I choose to leave?
Membership of the scheme runs for a period of one year. If you choose to withdraw from the scheme for any reason you will no longer be entitled to produce EPCs. There will be no refund of your annual subscription.

If I leave can I access old data?
No. Access to any EPCs which you have created will be available via the central registry provided by Landmark.

Is the scheme available offline?
No. The scheme has been specifically designed to facilitate the online completion of training, certification and administration.